Li Yundong and Su Chan hurried downstairs and indeed saw Zou Ping and Zhang Ling standing at the entrance, both clad in Taoist robes. Li Yundong’s heart tightened, and he slowed his pace, approaching them deliberately.

Most of the people seated in the ground-floor tearoom were students, friends of Li Yundong, or Liu Feier and her companions. Seeing the two Taoist nuns standing guard at the door, they couldn't help but turn their heads curiously. Only Zhou Qin, Ziyuan, and Ruan Hongling watched them with palpable tension.

Liu Feier, cradling a teacup, observed Zhang Ling and Zou Ping with curiosity. She murmured, "Why are there still Taoists begging for alms nowadays?"

Liu Feier was rather simple-minded and failed to notice the wariness and hostility emanating from Li Yundong, Ziyuan, and Zhou Qin. However, Cao Kefei was exceedingly sharp, instantly catching the tense undercurrent between them.

Cao Kefei shot Liu Feier a meaningful glance and whispered, "Don't speak. We're about to see a good show."

Liu Feier wondered aloud, "Just two Taoists, what's so..."

As she was speaking softly, she suddenly saw Zhang Ling turn her head and intentionally, yet casually, sweep her gaze over her. The glance wasn't overtly piercing, but the moment it landed on Liu Feier’s face, the rest of her sentence died in her throat. Her heart thumped wildly, as if an unseen hand had pressed down on her chest, leaving her breathless.

At this moment, Li Yundong descended the stairs. Feng Na turned upon seeing him and called out cheerfully, "Li Yundong, there are two Taoists here asking for alms, shall we..."

Li Yundong smiled faintly and replied, "They are not here for alms!"

With that, Li Yundong cupped his hands and addressed Zhang Ling and Zou Ping in a deep voice, "True Master Zhang, what brings you to grace my humble establishment today?"

Zou Ping stood to the side, uncharacteristically silent, her gaze fixed unfavorably on Li Yundong. Zhang Ling, forming a palm with one hand, declared, "Infinite blessings upon you, True Master Li. I trust you have been well since our parting at Mount Gezao?"

Li Yundong returned the gesture with equal formality, saying lightly, "True Master Zhang, your elegance remains unchanged. I am simply curious why you have time to visit my modest shop today?"

The onlookers, witnessing the formal bows exchanged between Li Yundong and Zhang Ling and their archaic manner of speaking, grew increasingly curious, watching the pair intently.

Zhang Ling glanced briefly around the room and stated, "I heard True Master Li opened a tea house. As fellow practitioners, how could I not come to offer my congratulations?"

Li Yundong’s expression sobered instantly. He cupped his hands again. "True Master Zhang is too kind; I am unworthy. However, with so many esteemed guests gathered above and below, how exactly did True Master Zhang intend to celebrate?"

Zhang Ling suddenly smiled, her tone layered with hidden meaning, "Since True Master Li dared to draw his sword publicly just now, I presume you possess great confidence in your magical cultivation?"

Li Yundong's eyes narrowed slightly, but he quickly recovered with a laugh, deliberately feigning ignorance. "Draw my sword publicly? True Master Zhang, what you say sounds quite strange."

Zou Ping couldn't contain herself and snapped quietly, "Li Yundong, stop playing dumb! You actually dared to display a magic artifact in front of the Provincial Party Secretary just now—are you tired of living?!"

Li Yundong gave her a cool glance. "I don't understand what you mean either!"

Zhang Ling huffed and lowered her voice as well. "True Master Li, it’s one thing for you to play with fire yourself, but you must not draw us into the flames or implicate us."

Li Yundong drew out his words deliberately. "Oh? And what explanation do you have for that?"

Zhang Ling said coldly, "It is an iron law of the cultivation world: no using spells in front of secular mortals. Have you forgotten?"

Li Yundong smiled slightly. "Is that so? I recall the rule being that we must not let secular mortals discover us using spells. Furthermore, besides yourselves, did anyone else notice anything just now?"

Zhang Ling stared at Li Yundong with icy eyes, unblinking and clearly hostile. Li Yundong inwardly tensed, his True Essence surging, ready to erupt at any moment.

By now, Feng Na and the others sensed the tension between Zhang Ling and Li Yundong. Though they didn't know the specifics of their exchange, they could tell the polite disagreement was rapidly escalating toward a physical confrontation.

Feng Na nervously asked Zhou Qin, "Hey, what's going on? Are these Taoists here to cause trouble? Call the police quickly!"

Zhou Qin was even more anxious than Feng Na, but as the daughter of a prominent family, she was accustomed to grand scenes. She maintained a composed facade and whispered, "It's fine. With Li Yundong here, everything will be alright."

Liu Feier, clutching Cao Kefei's arm, voiced her excitement, clearly hoping for a good fight. "Hey, hey, it looks like they are about to fight! Wow, don't tell me this master you know hits women too?"

Cao Kefei’s expression was complicated. Though feeling a touch awkward, she defended Li Yundong verbally. "Li Yundong is not that kind of person. However, you must understand, some women in this world truly deserve a beating."

Yin Mengfan, standing nearby, turned and glared at them. "Quiet! Can’t you hear what they are saying?"

The two immediately hushed, turning their full attention back to Li Yundong and the others with eager anticipation.

Zhang Ling scrutinized Li Yundong for a long moment, then suddenly burst into loud laughter. "True Master Li truly has skill and courage! Excellent, excellent, I applaud you! Since you say so, then I must test True Master Li’s skill in a public confrontation!"

A sharp glint shot through Li Yundong’s eyes. He said coldly, "True Master Zhang, today is the grand opening celebration for Di San Xian. Must you stir up trouble today?"

Zhang Ling scoffed. "True Master Li, I think you have misunderstood one point. Before you drew your sword in public, I had no intention of seeking you out. But since you dared to display your artifact openly, it implies you are supremely confident in your ability to duel publicly. Therefore, any practitioner nearby has the right to challenge you, for the sake of upholding the statutes of the cultivation world! Otherwise, if you avoid exposure today, what happens if someone exposes you next time?"

Li Yundong frowned, tilting his head slightly. He whispered to Ziyuan, "Is there such a rule?"

Ziyuan quickly murmured back, "Yes! There is an unwritten regulation in the cultivation world: if any practitioner openly uses artifacts or spells in a crowded place, any other practitioners present have the standing to intervene. The purpose is to prevent anyone from maliciously revealing the techniques and artifacts of our world to common people, causing public confusion, which in turn attracts vigilance and suppression from the government."

Li Yundong nodded slightly. Seeing that he could not avoid this confrontation, he steeled himself and said in a deep voice, "Very well, True Master Zhang, how do you wish to duel? Shall we find a secluded, empty spot?"

Zhang Ling chuckled, glancing left and right. "Why seek an empty place? Since True Master dared to display his artifact in front of so many people, why don't we compete according to the usual convention among practitioners: whoever is first discovered by the surrounding people during our duel loses!"

At this, Ziyuan leaned in and whispered to Li Yundong again. "This is a duel between high-level practitioners. They often rely on their profound Daoist arts to engage in acts of bold display, using spells and artifacts in front of mortals, yet ensuring the mortals only perceive it as parlor tricks or stage magic. But if one's performance is disrupted by the other, or if their secret is exposed to the mundane world, then that person loses."

Li Yundong smiled gratefully at Ziyuan and nodded. "I understand." He then addressed Zhang Ling, "If that is the case, what method shall we choose for our duel?"

Zhang Ling paused in thought, but before she could speak, an elderly voice chimed in, "Haha, what a coincidence! True Master Zhang is here as well!"

They all followed the sound of the voice and looked over, seeing an old man with white hair and a youthful complexion, dressed in a Taoist robe, approaching briskly with a tall, slender Taoist nun beside him.

Li Yundong’s brow immediately furrowed upon seeing them—they were none other than Zheng Yuan and Ding Nan!

Zheng Yuan's face glowed with robust health, radiating benevolent warmth; anyone unfamiliar with him would instantly feel drawn to him. Beside him, Ding Nan was wearing a Taoist robe for the first time. Although the robe was loose and concealed her graceful figure, her face was like a peach blossom and her stature tall; wearing the robe only seemed to enhance her alluring charm.

Li Yundong cast a deep look at Ding Nan and asked grimly, "What brings you here?"

Ding Nan smiled lightly. "Li Yundong, we were classmates, after all. I heard you opened a shop here, and as a classmate and fellow traveler, I came to offer congratulations. Aren't you welcoming?"

Zheng Yuan also smiled warmly. "My beloved disciple is sentimental; she insisted on coming, and I couldn't stop her. True Master Li, surely you aren't so unreasonable?"

Li Yundong gave a silent snort, about to speak, when a surprised voice sounded from nearby. "Oh, Sect Master Zheng, you are here too? And, True Master Zhang, you as well?"

Everyone turned to see Du Fei of the Quanzhen Longmen Sect, also in a Taoist robe, looking astonished at Li Yundong and the others.

Li Yundong was surprised too. "True Master Du, how did you end up here?"

Du Fei beamed, bowing formally. "Infinite blessings upon you. Opening a shop without even notifying me, True Master Li, clearly means you don't consider me a friend. So, I had no choice but to come uninvited."

Li Yundong smiled bitterly inwardly: I was deliberately trying to keep the cultivation world out of this venture by keeping a low profile. Now look, everyone who should and shouldn't be here has arrived!

Ziyuan seemed to sense Li Yundong's thoughts and whispered, "Li Yundong, you are a cultivator yourself. If you choose to open a shop in a bustling area, it is impossible to avoid disturbance from fellow practitioners. You should have already accepted this reality and prepared yourself mentally."

Su Chan also tugged at Li Yundong’s arm and whispered softly, "Yundong, I’m sorry! I’ve caused you trouble again!"

Li Yundong glanced at Ziyuan, offering her a slight smile, then patted Su Chan's head. He laughed, "Silly girl, stop thinking like that. Even if you didn't bring me trouble, trouble would find me anyway."

Zhang Ling nodded briefly towards Zheng Yuan and Du Fei, acknowledging their presence. She then stated, "Since True Master Du and Sect Master Zheng have arrived, very well, you may serve as witnesses for this matter."

Sect Master Zheng and Du Fei spoke in unison, "Witnesses to what?"

As they were speaking, Liu Feier, Cao Kefei, and Yin Mengfan in the tearoom were craning their necks to hear. Liu Feier said, "Hey, I heard them say the word 'witnesses.' What did you guys catch?"

Yin Mengfan looked perplexed. "I didn't hear clearly; it’s too noisy here. Especially upstairs—someone is even playing finger-guessing games! Do they really think this tea house is a tavern?"

Cao Kefei sighed. "I only caught the parts about 'True Masters' and 'Fake Masters'; I missed the rest."

Liu Feier blinked. "Shouldn't we just crowd over there and listen to what they’re saying?"

Cao Kefei hesitated. "Perhaps not. Didn't you see they are all Taoists? They might be discussing private matters."

Liu Feier pouted, visibly annoyed. "How annoying! They called me here to see masters, but I haven't seen any true masters, just a bunch of corrupt officials and a flock of stuffy Taoists!"

The moment she finished speaking, Cao Kefei and Yin Mengfan widened their eyes, staring out the door. A luxurious Mercedes slowly pulled up, and a handsome young man and a woman with a baby face stepped out. The man was dashing, though his eyes held a slightly lecherous glint, while the woman, despite her youthful looks, possessed an exceptionally fiery and sexy figure.

Yin Mengfan gasped, "Isn't that the young Master Shen and Shen Hui? What are they doing here?"

Li Yundong saw the pair and felt a massive headache forming, silently lamenting: How did these two lawless individuals show up too? This is getting exponentially more crowded!

========================================== Well, a little spoiler: the cover features Su Chan... &l;/div &l;!-- ---Divider---- Previous Chapter Table of Contents Next Chapter &l;!-- ---Divider----D