Chapter 481: Who Do You Look Down On?

"Outsmart them?" Zheng Dan asked, confused.

At that moment, Sang Qian said, "Let's head to the town ahead first. It's on their direct route, and we can discuss the rest on the way."

"But those demon cultists have higher cultivation levels than us, and they're likely faster and already had a head start. Will we even make it in time if we leave now?" Pei Mianman asked, her voice full of doubt.

Sang Qian explained, "I previously asked the local hunters in town, and I know a mountain path that's much shorter than the main road. I came this way myself earlier. If we take this shortcut, we should be able to arrive before the demon cultists."

Pei Mianman's eyes lit up. "Then let's go quickly!"

The group quickly hurried through the forest. Along the way, Sang Qian continuously tried to engage Pei Mianman in conversation: "Miss Pei, why are you getting involved in this mess? Is it perhaps representing the Pei family's stance?"

Pei Mianman shook her head. "This is purely my personal action; it doesn't represent the Pei family."

"Then Miss Pei is truly a paragon of righteousness," Sang Qian praised. "I've long heard that Miss Pei and Miss Chu are close friends, but to show such enthusiasm in helping after hearing about Miss Chu's husband's troubles is truly admirable."

"You flatter me," Pei Mianman scoffed softly, her expression turning slightly displeased. It was clear the other party was reminding her that Zu An was Chu Chuyan's husband, implicitly warning her not to harbor any intentions.

Sang Qian's gaze involuntarily fixed on her chest, which subtly swayed with her irritation. He couldn't help but swallow. *This woman is truly a supreme beauty; even when she's angry, she's captivating.*

"Is there anything else, Young Master Sang?" Pei Mianman asked, her patience wearing thin. The man's gaze had not escaped her notice. If not for needing Sang Qian's help to rescue Zu An, she would have already turned hostile.

"Miss Pei, you needn't worry. If there's any danger later, I will certainly help you." With the healing medicine now taking effect, Sang Qian felt his injuries had mostly recovered, and his usual confidence had returned.

Pei Mianman smiled faintly. "Thank you, Young Master Sang. But shouldn't Young Master Sang be protecting his fiancée instead?"

Zheng Dan was speechless.

*He's clearly harassing you, so why are you dragging me into this?*

Sang Qian glanced at Zheng Dan and said with some displeasure, "I imagine Miss Zheng doesn't need me to worry about her."

Clearly, the sight of his fiancée so anxious to save another man had left him quite vexed.

Zheng Dan offered a faint smile and said nothing. It was clear that she had essentially severed ties with the Sang family, but she had no regrets.

Sang Qian then went back to Pei Mianman's side, showering her with all sorts of solicitous questions. Witnessing this, Sang Qian (his sister) was utterly speechless. *Is my brother an idiot? This way of trying to curry favor is far too clumsy.*

Unable to bear his pestering any longer, Pei Mianman moved next to Sang Qian and asked about her plan: "Miss Sang, what did you mean earlier when you mentioned outsmarting them?"

Sang Qian also found her brother's clumsy performance a bit painful to watch, so she quickly explained, "Their cultivation levels are higher than ours, so a direct confrontation is definitely not an option. We'll have to use other methods, for instance... poison."

"Poison?" Pei Mianman's delicate brows furrowed. "But those demon cultists have profound cultivation; ordinary poisons wouldn't affect them, would they? Moreover, they're highly experienced in the martial world; successfully poisoning them wouldn't be easy, would it?"

Sang Qian's lips curved upward into a foxy smile. "That's why this time, I spent a fortune to acquire 'Wang Shouzhong's Thirteen Spices.'"

"Wang Shouzhong's Thirteen Spices?" Even Zheng Dan, who had been quiet until now, exclaimed. "The legendary colorless, odorless, miraculous poison that prevents one from circulating their qi?"

As the former leader of the Giant Whale Gang, she was intimately familiar with such information.

"Precisely. With this medicine, no matter how high the demon cultists' cultivation, they'll have no way to use it," Sang Qian said, looking perfectly confident.

Seeing hope for Zu An's rescue, Pei Mianman's spirits lifted considerably. "It was always rumored in the capital that Miss Sang was resourceful and cunning, and seeing it today, you truly are exceptional."

Sang Qian's cheeks flushed slightly. "These are just minor tricks, nothing to boast about."

The group then hastened toward the small town.

Not long after they arrived, another group, escorting a carriage, slowly entered the town.

"Saintess, let's resupply and rest in this town," Lei Sanren said from outside.

"Very well. Let's buy more supplies this time so we don't have to stop on the way back to the cult. We should get him back as soon as possible to avoid any further complications," Qiu Honglei replied.

"Alright!" the scattered cultivators cheered. Clearly, as high-ranking members of the cult, their usual lives were relatively comfortable and privileged. Having endured several days and nights of rough travel for this mission, they desperately needed to rest.

Qiu Honglei, however, turned back and playfully chided Zu An, "Why do you keep staring at me? You've been doing it the whole way."

"Because you're beautiful," Zu An sighed. "These past few days have been quite frustrating with all sorts of things happening, but just looking at you along the way seems to have greatly improved my mood."

Qiu Honglei scoffed, "You rascal, always so glib-tongued."

Despite her words, the joy in her expression was undeniable. It was strange, she thought; usually, she heard plenty of compliments, and many people were far more eloquent than he was, but their words never had much impact on her.

Just then, the carriage suddenly came to a stop, and Feng Sanren's voice came from outside: "Saintess, we've arrived at the inn."

Qiu Honglei then led Zu An out of the carriage. Zu An looked up at the sign reading "Four Seas Inn" and a playful expression suddenly crossed his face. He recalled that the casino the Sang and Zheng families had jointly opened was also called Four Seas Casino, and he had even won a million taels of silver from them back then.

"Is there something wrong with the name?" Qiu Honglei asked, coming up beside him curiously.

"It just feels a bit familiar," Zu An said with a smile, then strode confidently inside. "Waiter, I'd like to order."

Lei Sanren and the others nearby rolled their eyes. *This fellow truly acts as if he's one of us.*

"Coming right up, honored guest!" a waiter exclaimed, hurrying over, towel in hand.

Just as Zu An was about to order, he suddenly remembered something and quickly turned to Qiu Honglei. "You're paying for the food on this trip, right?"

Qiu Honglei was speechless.

However, she still replied, "Of course. Young Master is our esteemed guest; naturally, we'll be paying."

"Good," Zu An then told the waiter, "I'll have stewed bear paw, braised camel hump, stir-fried tiger penis, fish maw, shark fin, abalone soup..."

The eight scattered cultivators nearby's eyelids twitched. *Is this fellow deliberately trying to fleece us by ordering these dishes?*

Fortunately, the waiter looked embarrassed. "Our humble little inn doesn't have such expensive ingredients."

"You don't even have that?" Zu An asked, looking displeased. "Then what *do* you have?"

Seeing his previous display, the waiter dared not be negligent and quickly replied, "We have roasted whole lamb, roast suckling pig, tender steak, roasted chicken, braised goose, soy-sauce duck..."

He listed a pile of dishes, then asked expectantly, "Which would you like, esteemed guest?"

"Which would I like? Who are you looking down on?" Zu An said, gesturing to the eight scattered cultivators beside him. "Look at the grandeur of these lords and ladies; do they look like people short on money? Bring us *all* the dishes you just mentioned. If you miss even one, it means you're disrespecting them."

"Huh?" The waiter was dumbfounded. He had never encountered such a way of ordering before.

The other eight scattered cultivators wore expressions as if they had just eaten something foul. If they stopped him now, it would make them seem petty and cheap, but not stopping him left them seething inside.

Anger points from the scattered cultivators +233 +233 +233...

It was Qiu Honglei who, from the side, irritably called a halt: "Alright, don't listen to him. Just prepare a few of your specialty dishes for us..."

She then ordered a few dishes, a sufficient amount without being wasteful.

The waiter stared blankly at Qiu Honglei, clearly captivated by her unparalleled beauty. It took him a good while to snap out of it before he finally said, blushing, "Coming right up!"

Zu An couldn't help but laugh. "Honglei, your charm is truly invincible! Not just the waiter, even the other guests around us keep glancing your way."

"Stop teasing me," Qiu Honglei said, rolling her eyes at him. In truth, she was quite used to such attention. "Let's finish our meal quickly and get going."

Soon after, a table laden with steaming dishes was brought out. The eight scattered cultivators, already famished, were about to dig in when Qiu Honglei suddenly noticed a figure in the distance and quickly stopped her companions. "Wait!"