Since the Spatial Node in the Erald Falls City was set and the "Raid on the Corrupt Path lair" performance was finished, Wu Long was able to return for dinner and rest of the night to the Dream Realm.
Though it wasn’t imdiate, as he ca to settle a few things in the Silver Wing City first.
Although Soft adow Continent and Erald Falls Continent had slightly different day and night cycles. When it was already sunset in the Wei Dynasty capital, Silver Wing City was still brightly lit by the late afternoon - early evening sun.
Synchronizing the tilines of the outside world would only grow more complicated as they would set up Spatial Nodes in more locations, not to ntion Worlds where the day and night cycle was longer or shorter than usual.
Thus abandoning outside day/night ti altogether and switching to an arbitrary constant one was a simple solution and since they were already living by the Soft adow Continent ti for the past months, and their activity was more prevalent there at the mont, it beca their baseline within the Dream Realm until the ti it beca more convenient to switch.
—
Jian Yu contacted them while Wu Long was on his way to the Erald Falls City, about when he was halfway in-between, so once the matters were more or less settled there, Wu Long imdiately went to et the Young Master of the Crimson Arrow Manor.
"He just had to make up his mind right when you were away, didn’t he?", Wei Lan chuckled as she accompanied Wu Long to the eting.
"I had a feeling that would be the case, sotis things happen this way", Wu Long chuckled as well, recognizing the irony in that Jian Yu had a whole 2 days to try contacting him while he was still here, but chose the exact most inconvenient ti possible instead.
They entered a small restaurant, and were escorted to the private booth - the Young Master of the Crimson Arrow Manor understandably wanted to et on neutral territory, and preferably sowhere both public, and where they could speak privately at the sa ti - a restaurant in the city being the ideal choice for both sides in that scenario.
Though it was Wei Lan’s choice of the venue itself since Jian Yu obviously didn’t really care about the food.
The latter appeared about 12 minutes later, relieved that there were indeed people who occupied the reserved room.
But he stopped upon entering, as while he could see similarities between Wu Long and the masked man who helped him, he certainly knew it wasn’t Wei Lan who accompanied him that day out of the two masked won who were there.
"Please take a seat", Wu Long pointed to the opposing seat from where he sat with Wei Lan with an open hand.
"Oh, it really is you", Jian Yu sighed with relief hearing Wu Long’s voice and finally confirming he wasn’t set up.
"It was wise of you to not bring that attendant", Wu Long smiled.
"Well, he is a man of the Crimson Arrow Manor... although they did say he would be my hands and feet, he’s likely Clan Ancestor’s man, and your offer was a bit...", Jian Yu also smiled a bit wryly, trying to politely imply he wasn’t so clueless. He didn’t finish his words, implying the rest with a aningful gaze.
Wu Long nodded with satisfaction, also noting that Jian Yu did not call the Clan Ancestor Grandfather but rather by an official title.
However, their conversation was interrupted by the servant girl who ca in to take their order. Wei Lan enthusiastically made her order, and picked for Wu Long as well when he asked her to help him.
But as Jian Yu absent-mindedly picked a dish at random...
"Oh, you wouldn’t want that one, it’s a tiny portion despite being so pricey, and doesn’t ever really taste that good. They make a far better...", Wei Lan began advising him with the sa enthusiasm, leaving him slightly dumbfounded since he didn’t think they really were going to have a al.
He was even more baffled as Wu Long’s expression didn’t change at all as if this was how this ’secret conspiracy eting’ was supposed to go.
To top it off, Wu Long added with a friendly smile, "Don’t worry, we’ll pick up the tab so you really should listen to Lan’er, she knows this place’s food well"
"Oh no no, I-I’ll...", he suddenly felt like it was a social eting as he instinctively tried to refuse imposing on them for the al cost.
"I was the one who invited you to talk, so allow ", Wu Long simply chuckled.
In his head, Jian Yu imagined a far more intense and heart-palpitating atmosphere as he was walking here, thus slightly caught off guard by this friendly get-together atmosphere.
Thus he simply nodded along, accepting the recomndations that Wei Lan made, for so reason feeling the sincerity in her care that he liked the food they were going to get as well.
He also understood that they weren’t going to discuss anything really important at least until the food arrived, since they would be simply interrupted again.
Thus, for the first half-hour of this eting while they waited for the food, it really resembled a casual social et and dine between a couple and their friend or acquaintance, throwing him completely off as they talked about the weather, upcoming tournant, discussed the recent conversation topics going around the city and other neutral thes.
But as Wu Long handed a heavy pouch of coins to the servant girl asking for them to not be disturbed after she brought them their al, the doors to their private room closed, and Jian Yu slightly tensed up, finally feeling as if the real eting was starting. His feeling solidifying as he saw Wu Long activate a sound protection talisman.
"Let’s at least try the food first, it’s better fresh from the kitchen", Wu Long then once again broke the tension that just started rising, as he and Wei Lan began eating, though it seed like rather than the food what brought Wu Long more enjoynt was seeing Wei Lan’s delighted reaction to it.
Jian Yu watched the two with blinking eyes for a bit, and then turned his gaze down to the al before him. He then involuntarily gulped as it did look and sll appetizing.
And as ’Ah, whatever~’, ran through his head, he saw that his protective Spiritual Treasure ring didn’t react to the food and began eating as well.
"Mm!", his eyebrows went up, earning a satisfied grin from Wei Lan who seed to want to say ’didn’t I tell you?’ but was too busy with her own al to speak.
Halfway through the al, while Wei Lan continued to concentrate on emptying the plates in front of her Wu Long added in a casual tone after sipping a bit of tea, "There were multiple servants of your Manor trailing you with trained Stealth Techniques, two from your brother’s faction, one of your own, and one from that Steward of yours. We didn’t intercept them, just threw them off your tail so they’re busy looking for you"
Wei Lan chuckled, knowing that ’threw them off’ ant that they were relentlessly played around with by Fen Baihu who enjoyed toying with them by showing them a phantom of Jian Yu and then making it disappear around the corner or when the phantom’s silhouette overlapped with so random passersby, as well as a whole slew of similar tricks.
Jian Yu’s eyes widened, as his suspicions turned true. He did feel watched at all tis, but he didn’t realize it was the feeling he got from the servants, not the warriors of the Manor. He then sighed, "Thank you"
"It was inconvenient for to be seen by them as well, so you could say it was for my sake", Wu Long shrugged.
"Why do you think we won’t win the auction?", Jian Yu decided to confirm what he read in that ssage first before broaching a more sensitive question of Wu Long’s identity, "Is it because of the two princes?"
"Yes", Wu Long nodded, "In fact, no one would be able to outbid them"
"Haa~... I don’t think Clan Ancestor expected the princes to be interested in a pill neither of them needed", Jian Yu sighed, and then raised his eyes to Wu Long again, "Then... what did you an by your help?"
"Help you win the battle of succession", Wu Long’s expression and tone didn’t change as if he said the most simple comnt like when they talked before the food arrived.
Jian Yu’s eyes widened again, "This mission is only a small part... even if you help succeed sohow here it won’t affect the battle of succession"
"I know", Wu Long nodded, "But I am indeed talking about the whole battle of succession"
"What’s in it for you then?", Jian Yu narrowed his eyes.
"We are seeking benefits for ourselves, of course", Wei Lan wiped her lips with a napkin with a satisfied smile.
She knew that Wu Long liked a straightforward approach, and as soone who once was on the receiving end of a different but still slightly similar proposition from him - to help with her situation while she knew nothing about him - she knew exactly how to persuade the young man sitting in front of them.
The first weapon in that battle was honesty, and the opening attack was openly stating selfish interests to both crash expectations and dull suspicion.
Reviews
All reviews (0)