Chapter 205: A Celebration Feast and a Midnight Lesson

Excellent, excellent! The plan was a resounding success, and everyone worked tirelessly. Tonight, I’ll host a celebration banquet; please join me to mark our triumph.

Mo Qingyan declared, her voice brimming with joy. It was the first time I had ever seen her express such unbridled excitement.

Jia Cheng, Xushan, Bai Yue, and Xiao Qing were all seated nearby. Jia Cheng chuckled, “It’s a rare occasion for Senior Sister Mo to treat us to a team-building meal. Of course, we must grace it with our presence.”

“Um, can we not go?” Xiao Qing asked hesitantly. Though she had a vague understanding of the situation, she was as clueless as I was about Mo Qingyan’s full plan—perhaps even more so.

Xiao Qing had, in fact, voiced some reservations about Mo Qingyan using me to attract Yi Zhiqiu. She had even subtly protested just a moment ago, though she didn’t explicitly state her displeasure.

“Do you remember my promise to teach you and Yubing a spell tonight?” Mo Qingyan smiled, clearly in a fantastic mood. “I’ll teach you that spell after the celebration banquet. Look forward to it.”

Xiao Qing instantly wavered. Like me, she was eager to learn spells, and she had put in considerable effort precisely to receive Mo Qingyan’s tutelage. Now, the opportunity had finally arrived.

“If Xiao Qing doesn’t want to go, perhaps I could learn first and then relay it to her?” I suggested.

“That won’t do,” Mo Qingyan replied. “Learning that spell requires a special environment. While you might be able to learn elsewhere, Xiao Qing definitely needs to come with me to learn it.”

“Oh? You’ve found another eerie place? Then count me in; I need to update my photos anyway,” Xushan exclaimed excitedly.

“Count me in too. I need to practice some new moves recently,” Jia Cheng added.

“Of course I’m going,” Bai Yue stated. “My children are starving.”

She didn’t want to be excluded, nor did she want to be left behind by me. So, she could only nod, “I’ll go too.”

“Then it’s decided. After school, we’ll go to the celebration banquet. Then, at midnight, we’ll go to learn the spell. Remember to inform your families; just tell them you’re attending a study session and staying over.”

Mo Qingyan instructed.

So, we recorded a video together. Everyone spoke a few words into the camera, essentially explaining that we were preparing for upcoming exams and would be staying together overnight.

Xiao Qing even recorded a separate version featuring only the girls. In reality, it seemed she was the only girl who needed to send a video to her parents, as the others didn’t.

As for me, there was no need; both my original parents and Xia Yubing’s parents were already deceased. Xia Yubing’s parents were still enshrined in the Fragrant Pavilion.

Bai Yue’s family tacitly approved of her frequent overnight absences. After all, she was a Gu master who practiced Gu, and in the eyes of Bai Yue’s elders, this might even be seen as a sign of her diligence.

Mo Qingyan, on the other hand, had never spoken of her family, nor had I ever seen her contact her parents. It seemed she was free to do whatever she pleased.

After school, Mo Qingyan led us to a high-end restaurant nearby. She had truly spared no expense this time, reserving a private room exclusively for our group of six, yet ordering over three thousand yuan worth of dishes.

Among the most expensive items were likely the king crab, the Four Symbols Soup, a giant lobster, and a grand finale pot of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, brimming with premium ingredients like sea cucumber and abalone.

I was dazzled by the sight. Having been a child from a truly poor family, I had never tasted such  before. Now, as the dishes were served, I was utterly captivated. Each dish was something I had never encountered.

These numerous expensive, high-quality ingredients were, of course, incredibly delicious. After just one bite, I began to devour them ravenously, wishing I could sample every single dish. Soon, the plates in front of me were piled high.

This caused Mo Qingyan, who had intended to raise a toast to victory, to awkwardly lower her wine glass. The others also looked at me with wry smiles, clearly surprised by my unrestrained eating habits in such a grand hotel.

Feeling that they would miss out if they didn’t eat, especially with such rare, high-end ingredients before them, Mo Qingyan surrendered. “Eat, eat,” she conceded. “Everyone has worked hard all day. Let’s eat our fill first, then talk about other things.”

Everyone cheered and began to eat and drink heartily. The quality of the dishes at this high-end hotel was guaranteed; each one had undergone a meticulously refined cooking process. All the members of the Anomaly Department ate with great satisfaction.

“Oh, by the way, I particularly recommend the Four Symbols Soup,” Mo Qingyan said. “It’s a highly nourishing tonic made from snake, cat, sparrow, and stone turtle, corresponding to the Four Divine Beasts: Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise. If we’re entering the Ghost Domain tonight, it’s essential to drink more to maintain robust vitality.”

I also noticed that my sudden surge in appetite wasn’t entirely due to the delicious high-end cuisine. Another reason was my weakened vitality, and these premium ingredients happened to replenish a large amount of it.

After all, I had been practicing martial arts frequently recently and had been exposed to a lot of negative energy, requiring more vitality than usual. It wasn’t just me; everyone else was eating a lot too. Even the usually reserved Bai Yue was continuously bringing small bites of food to her mouth. The once full table of dishes was quickly emptied.

“It seems it’s still not quite enough. Wait a moment, I’ll order more,” Mo Qingyan said, as if thousands of yuan worth of high-end cuisine was nothing to her, to be added on a whim.

“Um, Senior Sister Mo, is it really necessary to add more? This table seems sufficient, and the dishes here are quite expensive,” Xiao Qing interjected. Although her family background was slightly better than mine, she was still a girl from an ordinary family, and such extravagant dining experiences were rare for her.

“It’s fine, a few tens of thousands is nothing. We just completed a strange tale that will bring in millions, perhaps tens of millions, in future profits. What’s a mere table of high-end cuisine in comparison? Eat as much as you want, until you’re stuffed,” Mo Qingyan declared magnanimously, pressing the call bell.

However, it wasn’t a waiter who entered this time, but the lobby manager in a suit, accompanied by several elegantly dressed and beautiful waitresses. She approached us and asked, “Guests, is there anything we can assist you with?”

“I just wanted to order more dishes. There’s no need for such a grand fuss; just bring the menu,” Mo Qingyan stated.

“That’s good. I was worried there might be an issue with the food. It’s wonderful that you’re enjoying it so much,” the lobby manager said, letting out a sigh of relief. This upscale hotel often hosted successful individuals entertaining important guests for business. They typically didn’t order extra dishes, as they were accustomed to lavish meals. Ringing the bell usually indicated a problem with the food or a special request. Since the clients were also very wealthy, the lobby manager had personally rushed over, fearing any slight to the guests.

Just as she turned to retrieve the menu, she caught sight of me, devouring my food, and exclaimed in surprise, “Young Miss?! What are you doing here?!”

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