The Programmer Cultivator

Chapter 56: Chapter 54: Inn

Zhang Deming watched the proprietress with a cool gaze, a little confused. He had no idea what she was talking about.

Seeing his expression, the proprietress assumed he wasn’t concerned. She guessed he was some rich master who didn’t mind the small sum, and said with a sigh of relief, ”Well, enjoy your meal.”

Zhang Deming watched the proprietress leave, completely baffled. He turned to the young boy sitting at the table. ”Fellow Daoist, would you mind if I joined you? There are no other empty seats.”

The young boy, Yi Huaihai, smiled at Zhang Deming. His gaze lingered for a moment on Zhang Deming’s robes before he replied, ”I don’t mind at all, Senior Brother.”

Zhang Deming paused. ”You call me Senior Brother? Could it be that you’re...”

Yi Huaihai smiled. ”I’m a Noble Disciple from one of the Peripheral Noble Families of the Celestial Spirit Sect. I’m on my way there now, hoping to enter the Outer Sect.”

Zhang Deming asked, puzzled, ”All by yourself?”

’Even though he’s a Cultivator, isn’t he a little young to be traveling alone?’

’Is his family really that reckless?’

Yi Huaihai fell silent. Seeing this, and since they were complete strangers, Zhang Deming didn’t press the matter.

Yi Huaihai smiled and asked, ”Would you like to eat with me?”

It was clear this child was quite precocious, with a mind beyond his years.

Zhang Deming glanced at the dishes. It was all Ordinary food, no Spiritual Food, so it wouldn’t be much of an expense for the boy.

For someone who had been a servant in the Celestial Spirit Sect for over two years, Silver Coins were worth about as much as a steamed bun.

So, Zhang Deming didn’t stand on ceremony. He picked up his chopsticks and said, ”Sure!”

”Well now, you two little brothers can’t finish all this, can you?”

Just as he picked up his chopsticks, intending to make some small talk, a half-drunk old man approached their table. He reeked of alcohol and looked as if he hadn’t bathed or washed his hair in years, dressed in filthy rags like a beggar.

The overwhelming stench, a veritable biochemical weapon, made both Zhang Deming and Yi Huaihai, who were just about to eat, wrinkle their noses in disgust.

The man brazenly sat down right next to Zhang Deming. Seeing that the only adult at the table, Zhang Deming, was just frowning and saying nothing, he spoke up:

”Here, this old beggar will help you take care of that.”

As he spoke, he reached out to grab the food. His hand was caked in clearly visible grime.

”You’d best think twice before you do that.”

Yi Huaihai spoke softly, his tone gentle and lacking any real force.

Since Zhang Deming had only just arrived and hadn’t grasped the situation, and considering he was the one crashing the table and mooching a meal, he simply watched without saying a word.

The old man’s hand paused. He carefully sized up both Yi Huaihai and Zhang Deming, paying special attention to Zhang Deming’s hands. Seeing no calluses on them, he chuckled and replied:

”Oh, don’t be so stingy. You’ve ordered such a feast, it’s made this old beggar’s stomach rumble.

”You two can’t finish it all anyway. Let me help you with it, so it doesn’t go to waste.”

As he spoke, he’d already snatched a piece of meat with his bare hand and tossed it into his mouth.

”Mmm, that’s not bad at all.”

With that, he reached for another dish.

His grimy hand, now covered in grease, dripped onto several other platters, making most of the food inedible.

Yi Huaihai’s expression turned cold. He drew a dagger from his robes and slashed at the man.

The old man seemed completely unconcerned. While still stuffing his face with one hand, he effortlessly parried every one of Yi Huaihai’s attacks with the other.

His lazy smile never faltering, he mumbled, ”No need to get so worked up, little one. If it’s that big a deal, I, the Liuzhou Old Beggar, will owe you a favor.

”And you,” he added, looking at Zhang Deming, ”you should keep him in line. It’s not good for a kid this young to be pulling knives on people.”

Zhang Deming shot the man a cool glance but said nothing.

The moment he announced himself as the ”Liuzhou Old Beggar,” the hostile stares that had been fixed on Zhang Deming and the boy instantly softened. Many people averted their gazes, no longer watching so brazenly.

Just then, Yi Huaihai laughed. Of the ten dishes on the table, the old beggar had already contaminated eight, leaving only the two directly in front of him and Zhang Deming.

Clearly, the man wasn’t just planning to mooch a meal; he’d noticed that Zhang Deming and the boy were particular about cleanliness and had deliberately helped himself to eight dishes.

”That’s more like it! It’s just a table of food, after all,” the old beggar said, misinterpreting Yi Huaihai’s smile.

Yi Huaihai shook his head and sheathed his dagger. Zhang Deming watched in silence. ’This kid doesn’t look very old, but he’s an Intermediate Apprentice,’ he noted.

’Forget the old beggar; this kid could probably take on everyone in this room by himself.’

’The only reason he lost that exchange was because he didn’t use a shred of Spiritual Power. His pure martial arts are clearly no match for this seasoned old hustler.’

Zhang Deming quietly watched the man gorge himself. Of the ten dishes, only the ones directly in front of Zhang Deming and Yi Huaihai remained untouched. The man seemed to think this made him principled.

After a while, Zhang Deming watched the man finish. He had devoured all eight dishes completely. What an incredible appetite.

”*BURP*... Haven’t eaten this well in ages,” the old man said, patting his stomach. He turned to the silent Zhang Deming. ”I, the old beggar Meng Lang, was a bit presumptuous today. I owe you one.”

Zhang Deming ignored him. He was starting to piece things together. ’So this guy thinks I’m the kid’s guardian?’

’Coupled with the proprietress’s earlier words and reaction, it meant the boy hadn’t been here long. He probably arrived right around the same time I did.’

Just then, Yi Huaihai smiled and asked, ”Are you finished?”

The old man nodded. ”I’m finished.”

”Enjoy your meal?” Yi Huaihai pressed.

The old man nodded with a smile. ”I did. What’s the matter, little one? Still not happy about it?

”Do you really think this old beggar came here just to freeload off you?

”You don’t have a single callus on you, and your fighting skills are average at best. You’re obviously not a martial artist. And the guardian next to you isn’t much better.

”You’re loaded with Silver Coins that you brazenly slam on the table, making them jingle for all to hear, yet you don’t have a single servant or retainer with you. And you show up at a remote post station like this, in the middle of nowhere.

”If I, this old beggar, hadn’t shown up to ’mooch’ this meal, believe me, you wouldn’t make it half a mile out of here tomorrow.

”Did you really think I’m desperate for a bite of your food?

”In all of Liuzhou, if I, this old beggar, just said the word, countless people would be lining up to treat me to a feast. You think I’m desperate for your scraps?”

Zhang Deming nodded and chimed in, ”Right, you’re Hong Qigong. I had a feeling.”

”Hong Qigong? Who’s that?” the old man asked, puzzled.

Zhang Deming didn’t answer him. ”If you hadn’t launched into that whole speech just now, it might have been more convincing,” he continued.

”Freeloading off us, then sticking around to ward off the unsavory characters and escort us to our destination... If we were just Ordinary people, that act would be far more believable.

”But following it up with that big speech makes the whole thing feel staged.

”Speaking of which, do you really not recognize these robes? Or is it that...”

Zhang Deming let his speculation hang in the air.

”Robes?” The old beggar frowned, studying Zhang Deming’s attire. After a long moment, he still couldn’t see anything special about them.