Heaven-Surpassing Divine Emperor

Celestial Demon Canyon was quite a distance from Yulan Mansion.

Even traveling at full speed, it took Jiang Chen a full three days to reach Yulan Mansion.

Gazing from a distance at the magnificent city, which sprawled for dozens of kilometers like a primeval Ancient Beast crouching on the horizon, Jiang Chen couldn’t help but take a deep breath. ’I’m finally here... It’s been six or seven days. I wonder how Yulan Shouqing and the others have handled the aftermath.’

"Jiang Chen, can you take me to get something to eat? I’ve forgotten what meat even tastes like..." Black Emperor said listlessly, his head drooping as he lay on Jiang Chen’s shoulder.

The little guy had been trapped in the Celestial Demon Ancient Castle for who knows how long.

In the few hundred years since he had awakened, he hadn’t had a single full meal, aside from absorbing some Demon Beast Essence Blood every ten years or so.

Jiang Chen gave him a sympathetic look and said, "Alright, I’ll take you for a good meal. I heard there’s a place in Yulan Mansion called the Celestial Jade Pavilion. They say its delicacies are heavenly, like ambrosia that you just can’t get enough of!"

"Yes, yes, yes! What are we waiting for? Let’s hurry!"

Black Emperor’s eyes lit up. He flapped his fleshy wings and took to the air, showing no trace of his previous listlessness.

Jiang Chen shook his head with a wry smile and followed.

The two of them headed straight for the Celestial Jade Pavilion.

The Celestial Jade Pavilion lived up to its reputation as Yulan Mansion’s most famous restaurant. It was packed with guests at high noon, and the fragrant aroma of its dishes wafted across the street, enough to make anyone’s stomach rumble with hunger.

"Welcome, sir. How many in your party?" a young waiter asked as he approached.

Before Jiang Chen could even open his mouth, Black Emperor, who was on his shoulder, spoke impatiently, "Two of us! Hurry up and get me a table!"

"Uh..."

The young waiter froze, looking at Black Emperor with astonishment. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Where had he ever seen such a magnificent and intelligent Demon Beast?

Black Emperor said impatiently, "What are you staring at? Hurry up and take us to our seats! If you keep dawdling, I’ll swallow you who—mmph... Jiang Chen, let me go..."

Before he could finish, Jiang Chen grabbed him and held him tightly, muffling his mouth.

Jiang Chen smiled at the waiter. "A table for two is fine. Thank you for your trouble!" As he spoke, he tossed a hundred silver taels into the boy’s hand.

The young waiter’s eyes lit up. He had never received such a huge tip. His smile grew even brighter as he quickly said, "There’s still a window seat upstairs. This way, please!"

After they sat down at the window seat, Black Emperor leaped onto the chair opposite Jiang Chen. He stood on his hind legs, tucked his fleshy wings behind his back, and his small eyes darted around as he announced, "Waiter, bring me one of everything! All your signature dishes and your most expensive wines. And remember, make the portions huge! If I don’t get my fill, I’ll swallow you whole and tear this restaurant down!"

"This..."

The young waiter looked at Jiang Chen.

Jiang Chen smiled. "Just do as he says."

"Right away! Please wait a moment..."

Motivated by the hundred-silver tip, the young waiter was incredibly efficient. Sumptuous dishes were brought up one after another.

There were no fewer than thirty different kinds of fine wine!

Black Emperor was already drooling at the edge of the table, his bright eyes fixed on Jiang Chen.

"Alright, go ahead and eat!" Jiang Chen shrugged and picked up his own chopsticks, ready to dig in.

But then...

CRASH! CLATTER!

In a whirlwind, the entire table—all forty-five dishes, plates and all—vanished into Black Emperor’s mouth. After chewing for a moment, he let out a burp and spat out a neatly stacked pile of sparkling clean plates. He rubbed his belly with a fleshy wing and said, "It was okay, but the fish was a bit too fishy. Hey, Jiang Chen, why are you staring at me? Go on, eat!"

"Eat, my ass!"

Jiang Chen rolled his eyes.

’I just picked up my chopsticks, and you went and swallowed the damn plates! What the hell am I supposed to eat?’

Resigned, Jiang Chen had no choice but to order another round.

Seeing the eager look on Black Emperor’s face, Jiang Chen said, "Listen to me. From now on, you will use chopsticks when you eat. If you ever dare to gobble down food like that again, you’ll be eating grass from now on!"

"Fine..."

Glancing at Jiang Chen’s lightly brandished fist, Black Emperor put on a long face, picked up a pair of chopsticks with the small claws on his wings, and began to eat slowly.

The man and beast were enjoying their meal.

A lavishly dressed young man and woman walked in side by side. The man was handsome, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, his head held high in an expression of pure arrogance. The woman, dressed in a purple long-skirt with her long hair flowing, frowned at the crowded first floor. "Lin Kang, it’s too noisy in here. Let’s find a quieter place!"

"Then let’s go to the second floor!"

The young man, Lin Kang, nodded and headed straight for the second floor. He scanned the room, his eyes landing on the window seat. "Little Jing, it’s quieter over there. We’ll sit there!"

"But Lin Kang, someone’s already there!" the young woman, Lin Jing, said.

Lin Kang waved his hand dismissively. "It’s fine. In Yulan Mansion, there’s nothing I can’t handle."

...

Jiang Chen and Black Emperor were savoring the delicious food.

Picking up a piece of tender fish, Jiang Chen said, "This fish is pretty good. We should order another one later!"

He had just finished speaking and was about to put the fish in his mouth when a cold, arrogant voice sounded beside him. "Brat, this young master has taken a liking to this spot. Scram!"

"Huh...?"

With the piece of fish still held in his chopsticks, Jiang Chen glanced at the haughty Lin Kang. Annoyance flickered within him as he said coolly, "This table is taken. You can find somewhere else to eat."

After speaking, Jiang Chen went back to enjoying his meal.

Black Emperor didn’t even bother to look up.

Lin Kang’s expression immediately soured. He had just boasted to the young woman that there was nothing in Yulan Mansion he couldn’t handle.

He had assumed that Jiang Chen would respectfully give up his seat at a word from him, allowing him to look good in front of a beautiful woman.

Instead, Jiang Chen had flatly refused without even giving him a proper glance. Lin Kang felt this as a great humiliation.

Lin Kang snorted, his voice low. "Brat, you probably don’t know who I am. My cousin is Gan Luo, the Grand Commander of the Red Flame Army. I’m giving you face by telling you to scram. If you don’t know what’s good for you and piss me off, the only food you’ll be eating is in the Red Flame Army’s prison!"

"Gan Luo?"

Jiang Chen paused.

He actually knew that Gan Luo. He was the Martial Arts Ninth Stage expert who had helped Lui Yifa and the others fend off the Qinghuo Gang’s siege, led by Zhao Lin, back in the Celestial Demon Ancient Realm.

However...

’Even Gan Luo himself was completely respectful to me, calling me Young Master Jiang. I have a decent impression of Gan Luo, but I never thought his cousin would be this kind of trash!’

Jiang Chen shook his head and said flatly, "I’m in a good mood today, so for Gan Luo’s sake, I won’t hold this against you. Be smart and find another table. If you disturb my meal again, I don’t mind making you kneel and watch me finish."

"Make me kneel? HAHAHA, brat, you’ve got a big mouth!"

Lin Kang’s expression turned furious.

A cold glint flashed in his eyes as he said menacingly, "I, Lin Kang, have lived in Yulan Mansion for over twenty years, and no one has ever dared to speak to me like that. Since you’ve chosen the hard way, don’t blame this young master for being ruthless!"

Before his words had even faded.

Lin Kang had already raised a palm, which surged with powerful True Qi as he struck at Jiang Chen.

His cultivation had reached the Seventh Stage of Martial Arts. If an ordinary person were to face this palm strike, it would surely mean death.

’Such ruthless methods. You’d kill someone just because they won’t give you their seat?’ A flicker of anger crossed Jiang Chen’s eyes. He snorted and slapped out with the back of his hand.

SMACK—

With a crisp sound, Lin Kang was sent flying. He spun a full ten times in mid-air before crashing heavily to the ground.

Half of his face swelled up instantly. His eyes were filled with venom as he shrieked hysterically, "You little bastard, you dare hit me? If I don’t kill you today, then my name isn’t Lin!"

"Kill me? I’d like to see you try!" Jiang Chen sneered.

Lin Kang’s face was contorted with rage. "Good, brat. You’ve got guts. If you have the balls, don’t you dare leave. I’m going to get my cousin. When he gets here with the Red Flame Army, I’ll make you kneel and kowtow to me, begging for mercy! I’ll make you eat all the shit from the latrine! I’ll make sure you suffer the consequences...!"

"Fine. I’ll be right here waiting for you," Jiang Chen said flatly.

"You’ve got guts! Just you wait!"

Lin Kang snorted, shot Jiang Chen a venomous glare, and was about to get up and leave.

But just as he started to rise, Jiang Chen swept his leg out, shattering both of Lin Kang’s knees. Lin Kang screamed in agony as his legs gave out, and he fell kneeling to the ground. His face a mask of pain and fury, he stared venomously at Jiang Chen. "You little son of a bitch, you dare break my legs?"

"Shut up!"

Jiang Chen grabbed a bone from the table and stuffed it into Lin Kang’s mouth. "You’ll kneel right here and wait," he said coolly. "I’m curious to see just how you’re going to make me suffer the consequences."

His face full of hatred, Lin Kang spat out the bone. He glared viciously at Jiang Chen, then turned to Lin Jing and said, "Little Jing, go get my cousin! I’m going to tear this little bastard limb from limb!"

"O-Okay..."

Lin Jing nodded and fled in a panic.

Jiang Chen, however, acted as if nothing had happened. He and Black Emperor went back to drinking and savoring their food, waiting for Gan Luo to show up...