The Journey Ends

The atmosphere changed drastically. Just a few minutes ago, the tension was thick in the air, but now, boisterousness and laughter filled the entire tavern.

Yu Ze was no longer sitting alone. Some of the tavern guests, who had been intimidating before, now shared a table with him. They even scrambled to pour water into Yu Ze's cup, including the big guy.

The big guy introduced himself as Liu Pang. Despite his large body, he claimed to have only learned cultivation for a few months. Before that, he was just an ordinary person, working as a porter to make ends meet.

"Sorry if I made you misunderstand, Senior," Liu Pang said, folding his hands together. "I swear, I have no hidden intentions."

"But the way you speak is like someone looking for a fight," Yu Ze frowned.

"How could I dare to pick a fight with you, Senior? Especially after you showed me some of your qi," said Liu Pang, biting his lip. "I'm just acting. Like you don't know, cultivator unorthodoxy. Bluffing is one of the survival skills."

"Don't be fooled by his appearance, Senior," said another tavern guest. "Despite his big body, he's actually a coward. You heard a strange tapping sound earlier, right? Like a drum? That's his heart! It beats loudly when he gets nervous!"

"People who don't know might think he has a special technique! He's just scared!" said another guest.

"HA HA HA HA!"

Everyone laughed at Liu Pang, while the big guy giggled in embarrassment. Yu Ze just let out a long sigh. He didn't expect to meet weirdos on his first day stepping foot into the outside world.

He began to think that what his late master had told him about the cultivation world was different from the reality.

"Still, I don't understand why you had to go that far," Yu Ze said skeptically.

"The unorthodox faction is filled with crazy folks, Senior. I just wanted to know if you're the rumored man or not. Recently, there was a rumor of a serial killer. It's said that the serial killer only targets cultivators and takes their victims' weapons as trophies."

Yu Ze raised his eyebrows. For some reason, the serial killer's description matched his late master.

"What if I were that guy? What would you do?" asked Yu Ze.

"Of course, I'd kowtow and beg for mercy!" replied Liu Pang proudly.

Hearing that shameless answer, Yu Ze couldn't help but shake his head. This was the first time he had met someone so confident while admitting his cowardice.

"Anyway, stop calling me 'senior'. You look older than me," Yu Ze said, downing a glass of water.

"Haha, Senior. You act like those orthodox bastards!"

Orthodox cultivators upheld a code of ethics and morals. Calling elders "senior" was their way of respecting hierarchy. Unorthodox cultivators, however, were the opposite. They were a bunch of opportunists and pragmatists. To them, only strong people deserved respect.

And these losers respected Yu Ze. That's why they called him senior.

In the middle of their conversation, a delicious smell suddenly filled the air. Not long after, a waiter came and served many dishes to the table.

Peking duck, stir-fried pork, fried chicken, fried rice; they were all foods that Yu Ze had never seen before.

For a moment, Yu Ze was hypnotized. These dishes gave off a delicious smell, causing his mouth to water.

"Senior Yu Ze, what was your order?" asked Liu Pang.

"Dumplings."

Liu Pang handed Yu Ze a plate of dumplings. Among the dishes served, this food was the least appetizing looking. It didn't even give off a delicious smell like the other dishes.

Without much expectation, Yu Ze took a mouthful of dumplings. As he chewed, all sorts of flavors spread throughout his mouth. It was like an explosion of flavors.

"WOAH! THIS IS SO GOOD!" Yu Ze exclaimed, his eyes twinkling in excitement.

He was not ready for this spectacular taste. He didn't even realize there was meat inside. He then began to eat the dumplings voraciously.

"Hahaha! Senior, I haven't even touched my food yet, but you're already done," said one of the guests.

"Woah, you eat so fast. I can't tell if you like dumplings or are starving," another guest commented.

"Well, it looks like he's still hungry," Liu Pang said.

What the big guy said was true. One serving of dumplings was still not enough to satisfy Yu Ze's hunger. He still wanted to eat more.

However, there was one thing that bothered him.

When Yu Ze was still in training, his late master once said that living in civilization was unlike living in the forest, where you could take whatever you wanted. If you needed something, you had to make a transaction with someone else. And to do so, you needed money.

But unfortunately, Yu Ze was broke. He came to the tavern for information, not for food. 

Yu Ze was silent for a while, his heart wavering.

On one hand, he wanted to eat more dumplings. On the other hand, dine and dash was a big disgrace for the sect.

Yu Ze was the heir of the Black Dragon Sect, after all. He must maintain his image.

"Are you alright, Senior?" asked Liu Pang.

When Yu Ze saw the big guy, an idea popped into his head.

BAM!

Yu Ze suddenly slammed the table. Instantly, everyone was shocked.

"You guys are laughing and having fun as if nothing happened," Yu Ze snapped.

Everyone fell silent. They seemed confused and scared, especially the people sitting at the same table as him.

"Se-Senior, why are you suddenly angry?" asked Liu Pang, stammering. "What did we do to make you angry?"

"SHUT UP!" snapped Yu Ze.

Instantly, everyone trembled in fear, especially Liu Pang. This big guy was so scared that his heartbeat could be heard throughout the room.

"I hate it when people play tricks on me. You think after kowtowing and begging for forgiveness, you'll be okay? Don't be naive."

His words made everyone turn deathly pale. One of the guests even fainted.

"Please, Senior! We really didn't mean to intimidate you."

"That's right. We're just lowly cultivators! How could we dare to mess with you!"

"Don't kill me, Senior! I'm still a virgin!"

Prostrating and banging their heads on the floor, everyone began to beg for their lives.

In his heart, Yu Ze slightly felt guilty for making them do so. But dumplings were his priority right now.

"Alright. I will spare you guys."

That statement was like good news. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"But on one condition," Yu Ze continued.

"Say it, Senior! I'll do anything! Even if I have to kiss your feet."

"My mom is a widow, Senior! You can marry her if you want. I don't mind being your stepson!"

"I'm willing to be your follower forever!"

Hearing these losers' words made Yu Ze sick. He wouldn't have thought that they would go this far to survive.

"Master is right. The unorthodox faction contains the worst people in the entire continent," he thought.

Yu Ze cleared his throat, pretending to look authoritative.

"Since I'm not an asshole, I won't demand much from you guys. You just have to pay for every meal I order."

For a moment, there was silence. No one made a sound after Yu Ze gave his conditions. He thought his plan didn't work.

Until Liu Pang put a bag of copper coins on the table.

"Take all my money, Senior! Buy whatever you want!" the big guy exclaimed.

Not long after, the other guests also handed over their money to Yu Ze.

"Take my money, Senior! I don't need it! As long as your stomach is full, I'm happy!"

"If this is still not enough, I'll take my grandmother's savings!"

"I promised the monk to offer my money to the Buddha. I think I met him in person. Please accept money from a lowly human like me!"

Within seconds, the table was full of coin purses.

Yu Ze had only asked them to treat him. He didn't expect them to hand over all their money.

It was completely beyond his expectations.

"Alright, you are all forgiven," Yu Ze said.

Instantly, cheers echoed throughout the room. Everyone exclaimed in relief. Some even had tears of joy.

Without wasting time, Yu Ze called the waitress. This time, he not only ordered dumplings but also all the dishes on the menu.

After waiting for a few minutes, several waitresses arrived with a lot of food. They took turns serving the dishes to the table.

"Bring out everything you've got!" said Yu Ze, chewing on the food.

Dish after dish came onto the table one after another, and waitresses went back and forth from the kitchen to the dining room. The guests couldn't help but shake their heads as Yu Ze wolfed down the entire meal by himself

Yu Ze only stopped eating after the plates were piled up. At the same time, the waitress breathed a sigh of relief as the chefs ran out of ingredients to cook.

"Gosh, my stomach is so full," Yu Ze muttered, cleaning his teeth with a toothpick.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

Out of the blue, applause came from Liu Pang. This big guy seemed amazed by Yu Ze's ability to devour a lot of food for some reason.

"It's still hard to believe. I may be fat but my stomach might pop if I eat as much as you," Liu Pang said.

Yu Ze didn't know how to respond. He couldn't tell if it was a compliment or an insult.

"That's right, Senior! You're really cool!" praised another guest.

Unlike Liu Pang, the others seemed forced to praise. They were more astonished than amazed.

"By the way, is there anything else you need, Senior?" asked Liu Pang.

"Shit."

Yu Ze was eating so much that he forgot his purpose. Since it had come this far, he would just ask them about the three disciples who betrayed his master. After all, they were all very afraid of Yu Ze. There was no way they would do anything stupid.

"Nothing, I don't need anything else. I just need to rest for a while before leaving." Yu Ze then cleared his throat. "By the way, have you guys ever heard of the Black Dragon Sect?"

Liu Pang frowned. "You mean, that legendary Black Dragon Sect?"

"Yeah. The leader is Shen Tian the Invincible, if I'm not mistaken." Yu Ze pretended not to know.

"Of course, I've heard of them. They were really legendary before the Cultivator World War. Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to join them."

Yu Ze nodded his head. "After Shen Tian's sudden disappearance, I heard that the Black Dragon Sect disbanded. Then what about his followers? Didn't he have three great disciples?"

"Ah, you mean the Three Heroes."

Yu Ze raised an eyebrow. It was the first time he heard this title. His late master had never mentioned this before.

"Tian Shu, Yu Heng, Kai Yang; who doesn't know them?" Liu Pang said rhetorically. "They were very instrumental in defeating the Demon Cult. Even the orthodox bastards acknowledged them. But, like most hero stories, they met a tragic end."

Naturally, Yu Ze squinted. "What do you mean?"

"They all died. After Shen Tian disappeared, the Black Dragon Sect split into three factions. Each faction was led by one of the Three Heroes. They fought against each other, vying for the sect leader position. But in the end, no one managed to get it."

Hearing the story, Yu Ze was dumbfounded.

"Ha ha ha, Senior. Looks like you just found out huh? This is a story commonly told to kids. Considering your age, you should know about this."

Yu Ze didn't listen. Instead, he stared into the empty space, lost in thought.

Seventeen years. 

For seventeen years, he trained so tirelessly. For seventeen years, he believed his life's goal was to avenge his master. For seventeen years, he believed the enemies he would face were powerful.

Everything was prepared for this pivotal moment. He was certain this mission would take years, possibly even decades. But now, the enemies he was meant to kill were already dead.

His mission was complete before he even started it.