61. The Invitation
They were all acting, and they were all good at it.
Gong Yiling, feigning satisfaction, adopted the air of a noble young lady, accustomed to praise, her expression unchanging, as if any reaction would be a sign of weakness.
And the others tried to make her complacent, thinking the matter was simple, that a master like her didn’t need to be involved in the entire process, just a brief appearance would suffice.
Of course, both sides were acting, but that didn’t mean others were.
On the contrary, Miss Gong’s words were taken as gospel by a group of fervent young men and quickly spread throughout the city.
Especially the old peasant woman. Initially thought to be just an ordinary woman, she was actually a major figure in the Baiyao capital’s flower market. She highly praised Gong Yiling’s theory, spreading it to all the other old women in the city.
And now, the public opinion in Baiyao capital had shifted, focusing on investigating the weapon supply of the various blacksmithing clans, with Haifeng Hall being mentioned everywhere.
After all, as the dynasty’s leading forge, it was normal for them to be mentioned.
But this put them in a difficult situation.
As for the one who started it all, she was still contemplating the mysterious meeting.
And explaining to someone that she wasn’t cheating.
“Are you really making this up?” Leng Yuli, after listening to Miss Gong’s sincere explanation, was completely bewildered.
“In a sense, it’s not made up.” Gong Yiling said, “The guess is correct, but not based on the witness’s testimony.”
“From the witness’s testimony, I can only conclude one thing: my father was here.”
“Oh—huh?”
Leng Yuli didn’t react at first.
Then she suddenly realized—wait, whose father?
“Your father?”
“Mmm.” Gong Yiling didn’t bother hiding it. “Not many people would deliberately use a rusty sword. It’s too obvious, a clear sign that my original sword would expose my identity.”
“And only my father would carry a rusty sword around. Who else could it be?”
This explanation sounded much more reasonable, but Leng Yuli was still puzzled. “Your father is from the Returning Heaven Sect?”
“Yes, a cultivator from the Returning Heaven Sect.”
“Then are you really that Miss Su?” Leng Yuli thought about it, and it made sense.
Not many people had seen that elder’s closed-door disciple. Those who had all said she was incredibly talented and beautiful, an unforgettable sight.
Such a disciple… wasn’t that just like Gong Yiling?
Although veiled, her almond eyes and figure suggested she was a beauty. And she could use the Sword Control Technique with ease, plus she had a father from the Returning Heaven Sect…
“Are you making fun of me?” Miss Gong crossed her arms and gently tapped the girl’s head. “I don’t have such a master.”
“Huh?”
This… that elder was one of the top figures in the Returning Heaven Sect, renowned throughout the Hundred Paths Mountain. And Youyuan… looked down on him?
Of course, Leng Yuli didn’t know that although the Returning Heaven Sect was powerful, Miss Gong’s disciples were the inheritors of the Cloud Rainbow Sect and the Empress of the Heartflame Empire, and she herself was the Sect Master of the Great One Engineering Sect. In terms of status, even that Grand Elder might have to address her as Sect Master Gong.
With such a background, she could practically do whatever she wanted on the continent. Pretending to be an immortal was no problem. She didn’t need to be anyone’s disciple.
“Alright.” Seeing the girl’s confusion, Gong Yiling didn’t explain further.
She just took out a red invitation from her sleeve and said to Leng Yuli, “Are you interested in going somewhere with me, Yuli?”
“Somewhere?” Leng Yuli took the invitation and saw the four characters “Xifeng Teahouse” written in bold ink.
“This is…?” She looked at Gong Yiling, puzzled.
“It’s from someone who I don’t know is friend or foe. Since he went to the trouble of sending another invitation, I should go.”
Of course, the most important thing was that she had heard about this Xifeng Teahouse. Although it was called a teahouse, it wasn’t just for drinking tea.
Legend had it that it was the main branch of a restaurant opened by a divine chef from ancient times. The dishes there were said to be able to beat half the catering industry. In comparison, the tea was nothing special.
So, since someone was treating her to a meal there, she would be a fool not to go.
Soon, it was the evening of the next day.
Gong Yiling’s guess had not only reached the middle and lower classes, but even the reclusive emperor had heard about it from somewhere and immediately ordered the Red and Black Demon Slayers to conduct a high-intensity investigation of all the forges in the city.
He even wanted to meet the one who came up with the idea, Gong Yiling, but she wasn’t at the inn assigned to them.
She was now taking Leng Yuli to the place where she could get a free meal, the Xifeng Teahouse in the north of the city.
But when they arrived, they were surprised.
The Xifeng Teahouse was not a small place, and it was usually packed with customers.
But now, it was deserted, not a single customer in sight.
And it seemed to be quiet inside.
Puzzled, Gong Yiling walked up to a guard at the entrance. “Is this the Xifeng Teahouse?”
“Yes.” The guard said, “But it’s been booked out for the entire day. So, besides the invited guests, no one else is allowed in.”
Wow, what a move!?
Booking out an entire famous restaurant for a whole night, how much did that cost?
Ahem, money?
Well, if it was a matter of money, then it wasn’t a big problem.
Gong Yiling then handed her invitation to the guard. “If I’m not mistaken, I should be the one they’re inviting. And they didn’t say I had to come alone, so I brought a friend.”
The guard looked at the invitation, nodded at them, and said, “Please follow me.”
