Chapter 1179: 18.17 First Grey Star - Back to the restaurant
The Town of Numen
Ye Jieye arrived back in the town at midday, asking Roi to drop him off on the edge of the Death Forest. He walked back to the town gates, and just as he was about to arrive to his restaurant, he heard a quarrel or brawl coming from there.
“Beautiful guy, I’m telling you to sell this rare-grade fruit a bit cheaper. Who the hell will buy it at such an expensive price!?”
“That’s right. This fruit is not even fresh. Who the hell will buy it? Look, there is a huge bruise!”
“Profiteer! You are selling something of low quality at such an expensive price!!”
Doctor Guang’s shouting can be heard even outside the restaurant. “Bastard! That is not something from this store! We aren’t selling that kind of fruit. Are you retarded!?”
“What the hell did you say, brat!?”
The thin and dry Lava Apple in the hand of the cause of chaos is obviously not something from the fruit stall and obviously not someone from this town. Nearly all locals and regulars in this treehouse restaurant knew that the food stall outside was not something anyone could steal.
The moment one tried to get fruit without paying, the treehouse itself would make a move and punish anyone who went against the command of its owner.
Some residents observing the fun cried out that it is true that the restaurant is not selling any Fiery Grapes or Lava Apples since those were all saved to be devoured by the small princess, Anxia.
“That’s right! The fruit stall doesn’t sell apples or grapes. Just where the hell did you get that rotten apple!”
“Just admit it! You guys are here to make a scene!”
“That’s right. That’s right!”
The disturbances in the restaurant infuriated this group of miscreants, who then resorted to violence, dragging a massive hammer and smashing the empty table at the side—who would have thought that it would move aside before the hammer struck it?—as well as the tables and chairs inside the treehouse, which the Living Treehouse could control whenever it pleased.
Whang? Thud!!!
The weight of the weapon caused the man wielding the hammer to lose his target and fall to the side, causing such embarrassment that the locals could not contain their laughing.
Ahahaha~
“Stop laughing!!! Give us the fruits! Just give us the fucking fruits!!!”
“Give it up or we will destroy this restaurant!!”
The troublemakers quickly realized that the owner had actually left, so they stopped acting like they were acting normal and pulled their ugly faces in the throng. They planned to extort some rare-grade fruit or even the legend-grade peach in the store, and they specifically chose the day when the owner was out.
They made this plan in a hurry, realizing that Ye Jieye would return before they could get what they wanted.
When Mo Xuejing, who had been holding the children with a chilly expression, could take no more, he passed the cubs to the old mayor next to him and went up to the man who was closest to him. Doctor Guang recoiled at the sight of his boss’s icy expression, realizing that his boss was now furious.
Doctor Guang hid behind the old man and the cubs, “That… They want to seek death. It’s not… not my fault.”
Rolling his eyes at him, “Coward,” the old mayor gave the Guang a contemptuous glance.
The two cute cubs echo the words their grandpa had said.
“Coward. The bad uncle is a coward~”
“Koward! Koward! Kyahaha~”
“No, my darlings~ uncle is not a coward. When your Daddy Mo is angry he is scary~”
“Skary~ Skari~”
This area’s carefree scene is entirely different from the other side where Mo Xuejing made his move. He pokes the man who is closest to him, and ice spreads instantly from that point. The instant the ice spreads, everyone can see the man instantly turn into an ice statue.
Bang!
Even more terrifying was the fact that the stunning server at the restaurant gave this block of ice a hearty smack, shattering it into pieces that eventually melted into nothing, providing nutrients for the treehouse.
“What are you going to destroy again? Hm.”
The scene was too much for anybody to handle, and Mo Xuejing shifted his icy glare from the broken piece of ice to the other two troublemakers inside the restaurant.
The entire treehouse fell silent. The locals were unfazed because they had seen Ye Jieye dispatch troublemakers in his place before. Naturally, the owner’s friend would never be easy to deal with if he was willing to entrust the house and children to him. Do not look at how attractive and slender this young man is; instead, look at how cruel and merciless he is when he is killed.
“This boy is not bad, no wonder Xiao Ye is willing to leave the house and his children in his care.”
“Well, these guys deserve it. Why did they say they were going to destroy the place? This is the house of a hunter who can bring home a few baskets of rare and legendary-grade fruits. Did they think those things can be easily picked up?”
“Idiots~”
The patrons were chatting among themselves when the restaurant doorbell rang. The restaurant was so silent that the ringing of the bells could be plainly heard there.
Ding~ Ling~
Everyone turns around and sees who has arrived. When the children saw their father was back bringing a huge box of mini pastries from the capital, they all ran towards him.
“Papa, cake. Cake!”
“Puff. Fudding!”
Fearing that the children might overindulge, Ye Jieye kept the cubs away from the boz and instead gave them to Mo Xuejing, whose eyes gleamed at seeing him, and he followed closely behind the two kids as they ignored these miscreants in the restaurant.
Mo Xuejing took the box from him, “You’re back. Have you eaten?”
“Not yet. I’ll make some lunch now. Wait with the cubs. Only give them one each and no more until lunch is done.” Ye Jieye said.
Mo Xuejing said, “Okay~. Xiao Jing, Xiaxia, what do you guys want to have?”
“Chocolate Mousse!”
“Fudding. Fudding!”
“Okay. Uncle will bring it out with you. Stay with Grandpa, okay?” Mo Xuejing coaxed the cubs.
“Yes (Yhess)!!!”
They tried to blend in with the background, thinking that the two troublemakers would not notice them, but instead, they met Ye Jieye’s apathetic gaze, holding a dustpan and broom.
They wanted to kneel before him, but the intense heat that befell them turned them into ashes under the black flame, which vanished before it fell on the wooden floor, leaving behind only two piles of ashes that Ye Jieye naturally swept up.
The new customer was terrified; they did not think that two extremely powerful hunters would be in such a small restaurant and would kill with such ruthlessness. The regular customers, on the other hand, were used to it. The scene of two men burned to ashes almost instantly under the black flames and the nonchalant expression of the restaurant owner as if he was used to it fell in their eyes.
A new customer asked one of the regular customers in a whisper, “Hey! Do you know how strong the owner of the restaurant and the beautiful waiter brother are? Are they gourmet hunters? No, the owner is a chef, but he is that strong don’t tell me he is…”
“You mean Owner Ye? He is a soloist. I don’t know what his rank is but his common hunting area is the Death Forest so you imagine yourself what his rank is. As for Brother Mo, he is new here. I also didn’t expect him to be that powerful. But since the boss is his friend then it is normal.”
Ye Jieye set the broom and dustpan outside the restaurant and got ready to head to the kitchen. This is a little restaurant that can barely fit 20 patrons but only serves meals that employ Rare and Legendary-grade ingredients. Of course, the people in the restaurant are not average.
Ye Jieye took out a giant cream puff for himself and, while heading to the kitchen, he observed his two cubs enjoying a piece of cake and pudding that Mo Xuejing had adorned with fruits. He also served the old man a piece of Mont Blanc and Doctor Guang a pair of Eclairs.
“Don’t overeat before a meal. What do you guys want to eat?” Ye Jieye asked.
Ye Jingxia told his father what he wanted to eat. “Papa, Ramen!”
“I’ll have the same as the cubs,” The Old Mayor said even Mo Xuejing nodded his head.
Doctor Guang said, “Boss, give me a lot of meat toppings!”
“Wait for half an hour.” Ye Jieye said as he prepared to wear an apron but Mo Xuejing moved fast and helped him tie it from behind.
Mo Xuejing also went back to his seat and gave some fruits to Ye Jingxia and Hei Anxia; Roi, on the other hand, shrank into the size of a snake and crawled silently to Mo Xuejing, who was staring at them with round red eyes. Roi seemed accustomed to this and said nothing more. Mo Xuejing and the others noticed a large black snake crawling on the floor.
HISS~ hiss~
Doctor Guang jumped up in fear, “What the hell a snake!? It’s huge!”
“Don’t hurt it, Guang,” Mo Xuejing warned.
When Ye Jingxia saw the snake he immediately left his seat and hugged it. “It’s Uncle King!”
[Author’s Note: Roi means King in French.]
“Uncle King? You know this snake, Xiao Jing?” Doctor Guang said as it wanted to stretch out its hand to rub the snake’s head only to see it bare its teeth at him.
HISSS!!!
The old mayor who recognized the black snake said as he scooped a cake in his mouth, “Isn’t that Xiao Ye’s Mount? So it can shrink into this size.”
“The owner rides a snake as a mount?” Doctor Guang said but he was hit by Roi’s tail and felt something strangling his neck.
“Ah! H-Help me…”
HISSS!!!
Ignoring his doctor’s cries for assistance, Mo Xuejing studied the black snake in front of him and saw that its scales were dense and exquisite; snakes do not have scales; only dragons do.
“This child is not a snake but a dragon. It doesn’t look like a baby dragon. Is it an adult? How can it turn small?” Mo Xuejing said as he looked amazed.
Roi, who liked his other master just as much as his own, ignored the impolite person and crawled onto Mo Xuejing’s lap, allowing the latter to gaze at him with such curiosity.
Hiss~ Roar~ roar?
Ye Jieye who finished cooking arrived on the table carrying a tray in his hand. He glared at Roi and said, “Roi, go down.”
Roar~
It curled into a circle in the corner, and Roi can only fall when he sees his master’s ominous eyes. Ye Jieye gave each of them a bowl of noodles and told them why he brought Roi home with him.
“I took it with me, he will bring us to Somatic Town tomorrow. He will be our ride.”
“Is there no one else coming with us?” Mo Xuejing asked as he knew the relationship between Ye Jieye and Lu Shang.
Ye Jieye said, “Lu Shang and his partner will wait for us in Somatic Town ahead of time to book a room and all. They will meet us there.”
“Okay. I don’t have to bring much with me except for Guang.” Mo Xuejing said.
Ye Jieye cast a quick glance at Doctor Guang, who appeared pale at the mention of him; he was a medic, not a hunter, and there was no way in hell he would travel to a dangerous area like the Tornado Mountain Ranges.
“Don’t bring a burden. We won’t get hurt anyway. Let him babysit the cubs.” Ye Jieye said.
Doctor Guang, who had always been the type to be scared to death, finally saw the light when these words were said. He keeps nodding his head as if he is a pecking chicken, clearly not wanting to go in the danger zone at all, and he even ignores Ye Jieye’s description of him as a burden. Mo Xuejing looks helpless at how useless his healer is.
Mo Xuejing suggested, “Then he doesn’t need to come to the mountain range with us but just for sure let him wait in Somatic Town. If we got injured he would be there to do his duties. The cubs can also come out to play while waiting for us.”
“Okay, that’s also fine.” Ye Jieye said as he agreed to Mo Xuejing’s suggestions.
The two were regarded by the old man and Guang as though they were seeing a married couple singing each other’s praises, with Ye Jieye simply nodding in response to everything Mo Xuejing asked, never once refusing the latter’s comments.
The Old Mayor suddenly said, “I’m going to babysit the cubs.”
Everyone was stunned and didn’t react right away. They all turned their heads to the old man who looked at them with a bit of rage in his eyes.
“Are you saying this old man can’t go?! Hmp!” Old Mu said.
Doctor Guang said, “That’s not it, Senior. But we didn’t expect this. What are you going to do there?”
“Don’t worry I’m not going inside. I’ll wait for them in the town with you.” Old Mu said as he glared at Guang who immediately shrinks his head.
Ye Jieye asked, “Are you sure, Gramps?”
“You’ve waltzed in Gourmet Hunter Hall like you owned. Those bastards already know you are back. So those old things won’t interfere with you brats, I’ll go and show my face a bit. Don’t worry I will just accompany your cubs and no more.” The Old Man said.
Ye Jieye sighs, “Okay. I understand.”
Having heard the old mayor’s statements out loud, Mo Xuejing and Doctor Guang decided not to pursue their suspicions that the man was not a normal man and that the old mayor Mu was, in fact, one of the Heavenly Guardians.