Chapter Forty-One: Not Rational Enough

Xie Peiling set down his chopsticks and looked at the two Taoist priests before him, asking with a smile, "Have you two masters had enough to eat?"

The old Taoist rubbed his belly with one hand while waving the other, letting out a satisfied burp before replying, "Full... quite full. I really cannot eat another bite."

Hearing this, Xie Peiling pointed to the table of food and said, "In that case, I shall have to finish the rest of this feast myself."

With that, he picked up his chopsticks again and began to eat a piece of fish in a leisurely, unhurried manner. He ate quickly, and before long, he was finished. He wiped his mouth with a napkin and called out, "Waiter, bill!"

"Coming! Just a moment, honored guest!"

The waiter, who had just finished clearing away a table where a group of patrons had been drinking themselves into a stupor, was in high spirits. He didn't even turn his head to answer, delighted by the prompt request for the bill. However, when he looked at the table—now practically buried under the remains of the meal—his mouth twitched. He truly could not fathom how those three people had managed to consume so much.

After Xie Peiling settled the bill, a man hurried over—the same one who had left to eat earlier. He found the waiter and spoke with righteous indignation, "What happened to the leftover meat and dishes from my table? I was in a rush earlier and forgot to take them."

The waiter chuckled inwardly and pointed to the two Taoist priests. "They ate it."

Upon hearing this, the young man strode over, blocked the two Taoists who were just rising to leave, and demanded, "Where are my leftovers?"

The old Taoist was bewildered. What was going on? He had done this many times before and had never encountered such a thing. Who ever heard of someone coming back to claim leftovers after they had already walked away?

The old Taoist smiled and asked, "And you are?"

The man's expression turned grim. "Never mind who I am. What are you going to do about that plate of food?"

The old Taoist stroked his beard, at a loss for words. Xie Peiling, leaning to the side, could no longer hold back his laughter. Truly, the world is full of wonders!

The man spoke again, "It seems you’ve already swallowed it down. Pay up, or I’m reporting you to the magistrate."

The surrounding crowd turned to look. Reporting someone to the magistrate was no small matter; win or lose, it would cost money. The old Taoist’s face turned crimson as he stammered, finally managing to say, "How can you be like this?"

The man sneered, pointing at the old Taoist’s face. "You old shameless thing, just looking at your attire tells me exactly what kind of person you are—how could you possibly have any money? I think you’d best prepare to go to jail along with this little brat!"

The innkeeper’s vision dimmed. How could such a thing happen today? If this wasn't resolved well, poor business would be the least of his worries; even if the shop wasn't smashed, a major disturbance could easily lead to him being slapped with some trumped-up charge. He stepped forward cautiously and said, "Young master, please..."

The man turned and snapped, "Who the hell are you? Do you think you’re worthy of addressing me as 'young master'?"

Xie Peiling felt this man looked familiar. He seemed to recall seeing him near the inner circle of the high-platform performance a few hours earlier, where many others dressed exactly like him had been pointing fingers at the audience. He hadn't expected to run into him again here.

The man turned back to the old Taoist. "Are you Taoists always so unreasonable? You ate my food without even a word of thanks, and now you’re giving me the silent treatment—are you planning to resort to violence next?"

The old Taoist trembled. "Then, may I ask, young master, is there something you need my help with?"

The man replied, "Come with me."

Before leaving, the old Taoist cast a look of deep apology toward Xie Peiling. A moment later, Xie Peiling stood up. A faint light shimmered in his palm, revealing an image within it: a red dot moving toward the high platform in the south of the city. He had left a tracking mark on the old Taoist.

However, just as he stepped out of the inn, the young woman from earlier appeared. She stood with her hands on her hips, her voice ringing out clearly. "Where have you been? I've been looking for you for ages, and here you were, holed up eating."

Xie Peiling had a great fondness for this girl. If not for her help when he first entered *The Chronicle of Yang Ancestor's Flying Sword*, he might have died back there. "What is it?"

The girl’s beauty was breathtaking, and standing there so brazenly, she was quite a sight on the street—especially since she had intercepted a young martial artist in blood-stained clothes wearing a conical hat. To the onlookers, it looked like a scene straight out of a romantic novel.

Ignoring their stares, she said flatly, "This is not the place to talk. Come with me."

Xie Peiling glanced at his palm. The two Taoists and the arrogant young man were moving very slowly, pausing occasionally—there was likely more conflict between them. Before he could speak, the girl noticed his distraction. "What are you doing? Is something wrong?"

Xie Peiling kept it brief, recounting what had just happened in a single sentence.

The girl scoffed. "What does that have to do with you? You aren't related to them; treating them to a full meal was already a kindness. Why bother getting involved? Besides, those two Taoists aren't blameless—this probably isn't the first time they've faced this. People have to pay for their actions eventually; this is just retribution."

Xie Peiling nodded. "I just feel that the young man is suspicious; it’s not about the Taoists..."

Seeing that Xie Peiling was still trying to explain, the girl cut him off. "Enough dawdling. I didn't come looking for you for something trivial. Follow me."

Xie Peiling decided to go with her. "Very well."

Before long, they arrived at a courtyard. The interior was spotlessly clean, yet it lacked any signs of daily life, as if it had been cleared out just for them. The girl sat on a stool beneath a large tree and said with great seriousness, "Did you know that a cultivator died around noon today?"

Xie Peiling wanted to say he didn't know, but the clothes he wore served as a constant reminder of what had transpired. "Was it a cultivator who transformed into the shape of a beast? If so, then I was the one who did it."

The girl held her forehead and smiled bitterly. "And do you know who he was?"

Xie Peiling replied coldly, "Why should I care who he was? I only know he intended to kill me. Letting him go would have been irresponsible to myself, so I had to kill him. That is all."

The girl sighed. "You've made things very difficult for me. After all, his background is not simple."

"So, am I in the wrong?"

"I didn't say you were wrong, just that it was very imprudent."