Questioning Heaven, Desiring the Way - Chapter 244: Dongfang Bubai

Let’s put aside Su Yuqing’s interrogation scene for a while.

Li Yu was wolfing down the food that he had been deprived of for so long. The feeling of food actually landing inside his stomach made him so emotional he nearly burst into tears.

Seriously, there was no other cultivator who would find themselves in such a pathetic predicament…this man was having trouble even affording food…

Just then, a commotion broke out in the quiet restaurant. The sound of shouting and unpleasantries slowly rose in volume, making all the patrons frown and turn toward the main door with displeased looks on their faces.

“What’s the matter? Don’t you know who I am?”

An arrogant young man seemed to sense that everyone was staring at him, so he snorted and spat hard before snapping at them.

“Who is he?” thought Li Yu as he, too, raised his head and looked puzzledly at the entrance to the restaurant.

“That’s Dongfang Bubai, the 27^th son in the main family line of the Dongfang family, the most powerful faction of the 39^th domain,” the Esteemed One suddenly spoke inside Li Yu’s head.

“So that’s him. He’s extremely talented, and very arrogant but doesn’t really go too far, so there’s some redeeming grace there. Among his peers, he’s known as one of the Four Great Young Masters…Young Master Bubai.” Li Yu suddenly recalled what he had heard before coming. One of the reasons why he was in the 39^th domain in the first place was because of these Four Great Young Masters.

According to the Esteemed One, the descendants that such top factions chose to groom were all born with the best talent, so it would be best to get a spiritual root from one of them. As for whether it was suitable for Li Yu or not, that would depend on his luck.

And with regard to dealing with the family coming back for revenge, the Esteemed One had a way of covering Li Yu’s tracks.

“Your luck’s not bad,” said the Esteemed One suddenly. He seemed a little pleasantly surprised.

“What?” Li Yu was stunned before he realized what the Esteemed One was saying. He pointed at Dongfang Bubai and said, “This fellow is so arrogant! You’re saying he’s like me?!”

“If he were merely arrogant, did you think he’d be able to survive till today? While it’s true that the Dongfang family is really powerful, no cultivator is easy to read. There are so many forbidden techniques and secret spells among the cultivators it’s impossible to count them all. Nobody would dare to say that they’re definitely invincible. If he didn’t have brains, he would have died in some random alley a long time ago,” the Esteemed One analyzed the situation wisely.

“So, you’re saying that this guy is only arrogant on the outside, but his mind is actually very detailed and malicious?” Li Yu was beginning to get it now.

“What’s going on now? Us Four Great Young Masters are here for a gathering, and you’re not allowing us to reserve the entire place?”

Dongfang Bubai slammed his folding fan against his palm loudly again and again. His arrogant voice sounded more and more sinister. It was as cold as the snow in winter, and it made the listener shudder in fear.

The old man who owned the restaurant was trembling and pleaded with the young man, “Sir, you’ve misunderstood what I’m saying. We’re a very small business, so we can’t possibly be good enough to serve you and your companions. Please allow me to make some dishes personally and deliver them to your residence.”

“Stop wasting my time. I’ve heard that your dishes are famous in this area, so I invited them over especially so that you could make the city proud. And now? Because of these things that aren’t even worthy of being called ants, you refuse my request? You’re actually slapping me in the face?” Dongfang Bubai’s expression was terse as snapped, “Are you tired of living?”

“I…sir, it is my honor to have you here. I am really overjoyed that you have even heard of someone as insignificant as myself, and I’m really happy that you’ve come to patronize my shop. But you’re asking me to chase out all the customers, which is…a little…”

The old man became more and more terrified as he spoke. His heart was beating wildly in fear and he was on the verge of a break down. He knew who this young man was and under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t have dared to refuse him. But the person seated in the restaurant right now…was also someone of high status.

“Oh? I would like to see how Mr. Dongfang settles this,” said a deep and authoritative voice. A handsome young man in a green robe and a long beard strolled out with his hands folded behind his back.

“Oh my, that’s Qingyuan zhenjun, Hunming zun’s disciple. This man is a really big shot.”

Everyone watching immediately felt their faces tremble and their hearts grow cold when they saw the young man. Their gossiping voices instantly fell silent and the entire street became so quiet, you could hear a pin drop.

The Dongfang family was really powerful and enjoyed a high standing in the domain, but…Hunming zun was sent by the empire to oversee the 39^th domain. That was a man who was given the license to kill, unlike how a faction like the Dongfang family had to find a reason for everything they did.

Hunming zun could slap you dead if he didn’t like your face, then claim that you were plotting against the country, was disrespectful of the empire or something along those lines. Any faction supporting you wouldn’t be able to get away either. They could only apologize and cut ties with you in order to survive. Otherwise, the entire faction would be wiped out.

That couldn’t be helped, really. He was sent by the empire and was paid by the empire, so there was no reason why he would allow anyone to negotiate with him or persuade him against doing anything. Ordinary people already groveled at the feet of court officials, what more cultivators who did everything for the sake of their own benefit?

“Why is it you…” Dongfang Bubai’s face froze, and was a little annoyed as he muttered these words. He was qualified to speak like this to the other young man, since the Dongfang family had an elder at Immortal as well. The elder was just missing an extra qualification from the empire, that’s all.

In any case, Hunming Zun wasn’t going to take the risk and fight his family for no good reason. It was best that each of them stayed in their own lanes. Why attack each other over nothing?

“Why not?” said Qingyuan zhenjun with a shrug and a chuckle.

“Do me a favor?” asked Dongfang Bubai quietly, as though he was just testing the waters.

“I don’t mind, but I don’t think you would make me do you a favor for nothing in return, right?” Qingyuan zhenjun surprisingly agreed to leave, but only on certain conditions.

He didn’t mind leaving, but he needed to get something in return. So many patrons were watching, so he didn’t want to look bad. Or rather, he didn’t mind looking bad, but his shifu worked for the empire, so he couldn’t afford to let his shifu look bad. It would be terrible if everyone started thinking that the empire was afraid of the Dongfang family.

“That thing is almost mature, right? Why don’t you give me one to stave off my hunger?” said Qingyuan zhenjun with a smile.

“You…” Dongfang Bubai’s face twitched, and he nearly cursed out loud. Fuck! This was extortion! But when he thought about why he was here, he had no choice but to pause and think first. He had a scowl as he nodded and said, “I’ll send it over soon.”

“It’s a deal then.”

Qingyuan zhenjun patted the owner’s skinny and frail shoulder, then disappeared into thin air.

Once Qingyuan zhenjun had left, nobody else dared to turn Dongfang Bubai away anymore. The owner knew what Qingyuan zhenjun meant, so he quickly stepped aside and said, “Sir, this way, please.”

The rest of the patrons had mostly run off by now. Nobody was hanging around and waiting to die. Dongfang Bubai couldn’t fight Qingyuan zhenjun, but he could get absolutely anybody else killed.

“Why is there still someone here?”

Dongfang Bubai looked around once he entered the restaurant and frowned immediately as he turned his attention to the last person who had left. It was Li Yu, who still had his face buried in his food.

But of course, Li Yu wasn’t leaving. It had been a long time since he had eaten a proper meal. He wasn’t going to let himself get chased out after only enjoying a few bites. That would be terrible.

Li Yu was a young man, after all. He had gone through quite a bit over the past few years, but he still carried the pride and boldness of youth.

“You’d rather die?” said Dongfang Bubai in a sinister voice as he narrowed his eyes.

He was known as one of the Four Great Young Masters of his generation, but his actual level of cultivation was only Advanced Foundation Establishment. Thanks to the cultivation technique his family used, the cauldron he had chosen wasn’t mature yet, so it was best to use a slower but steady method and advance with firm steps. That way, he would be able to go further in the future.

“Is it very fun to rely on your family’s status and bully the weak?”

Unexpectedly, Li Yu actually rejected the Esteemed One’s suggestion to take things slow and wait for a good chance.

Instead, he chose to remain in the restaurant to fight the young man.

Dongfang Bubai raised an eyebrow and had a mocking look on his young face as he said, “Of course it’s fun. I’ve got a good family backing me after all. Is that my fault?”

Li Yu’s lips twitched as he stared in shock at Dongfang Bubai. A few moments later, he finally yelled angrily, “You bully the weak but you’re afraid of the powerful! You’re a nasty little rat!”

“Only the strong are qualified to make criticisms. The weak can’t even decide on when they die.”

Dongfang Bubai waved his folding fan gently and the illusion of mountains appeared from nowhere. Mountains overlapped each other to for a range and a rushing river flowed through, pulling Li Yu into the illusion within the fan.

“Humph! Without your family, you’re not even considered one of the weak!” yelled Li Yu furiously. He threw several punches along with layers and layers of spells, which turned into the illusion of a ferocious beast. The beams of light from his punches were like bolts of lightning that smashed the mountains and river water coming toward him. His clothes clung to his body tightly, revealing his steel-like muscles.

“It’s too bad, your cries are merely the shouts of the weak. How pitiful…”

Dongfang Bubai’s voice echoed all around Li Yu. It was filled with contempt and disdain.

In the blink of an eye, the shattered rocks came together to form rocks again and the water droplets gathered into a river once more. They loomed over Li Yu and came crashing toward him yet again.