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“Alright, the seats are now available. Please come in, everyone.”

The doors of the restaurant reopened in less than ten minutes after they had closed. Lilith emerged and invited the waiting crowd inside with a bright smile.

Everyone exchanged looks with each other before finally stepping into the restaurant, as the smile on Lilith’s face widened.

In less than ten minutes, the empty seats in the restaurant were filled up again. Leftover food and dirty dishes were quickly packed up and discarded, as there was no time to wash them.

The staff members, responsible for procurement, had already blocked the back door with several carts filled with fresh ingredients and new utensils.

Lilith’s monetary power had simplified the most tedious procurement process. Vendors were more than happy to provide their best goods upon hearing the melodious sound of gold coins hitting their counters.

Over ten waiters, including a few who had previously been patrons of this restaurant but eagerly joined as staff, worked diligently to clean the restaurant. Tables and chairs were rearranged, floors were wiped, and everything was neatly arranged in the dining hall. Although their backs were drenched in sweat, they wore genuine smiles.

“Why do I have a bad feeling about this…?”

For some reason, everyone could not help but shiver. The same concern crossed their minds—was this wealthy blonde girl’s invitation really just a simple gesture?

No matter how one looked at it, something did not feel quite right.

“This way, please.” A beautiful lady wearing a black and white maid dress led the guests to their seats.

The waiters swiftly served up tea as well as a variety of snacks and dried fruits.

“All the ingredients for your meal today are freshly bought so the kitchen will require some time to prepare them. In the meantime, please enjoy our signature Thousand Clouds Tea.”

“The aroma of this tea… is certainly fragrant…”

This was the best tea fragrance that Gurr had ever smelled in his entire life. He had tasted his fair share of tea during his long travels all over the continent. He could tell right away from the color of the tea that it was brewed with high-quality tea leaves that came with a hefty price tag.

“Allow me to… test the tea for poison,” Gurr suggested, taking out a silver needle and dipping it into the tea.

To everyone’s relief, the needle’s color remained unchanged, indicating that there was no poison in it.

With their throats parched from all the tension earlier, the guests eagerly reached for their tea cups and took a sip.

It was just a cup of tea, how divine could it taste?

“Marvelous! What a great taste! The Thousand Clouds Tea certainly lives up to its reputation,” Gurr exclaimed, impressed by its flavor.

“I’m glad you enjoy it,” Lilith suddenly chimed in. With a smile, she clapped. “Well then, bring out the food.”

The waiters entered the dining hall, placing plates of appetizing and colorful dishes on the table.

“Are you… really treating us to all this? You’re not going to make us to pay after this, are you?” a young girl cautiously asked, her eyes widening at the sight of the mouth-watering delicacies.

“Of course not! I, Lilith, will honor my promise. All the food on your table today is on the house. You don’t need to pay even a coin,” Lilith assured them confidently.

“Alright then, you’re not allowed to go back on your word! It’s all recorded here!” The girl held up a spectrum stone in her hand and waved it in the air.

“Please, enjoy your meal. If you need more tea, feel free to ask the waiters for a refill.” Lilith gave her a wink.

“Everyone, please have a good time. I shall excuse myself now.”

With that, Lilith left, closing the door behind her.

The guests exchanged glances before someone finally tore off a piece of roast duck and took a bite.

“She said it herself, what are we waiting for? Let’s eat!”

“Absolutely! With so many witnesses around and the recording as proof, she can’t go back on her word. Dig in!”

The participants gathered in the “cafeteria” earlier were mostly grassroots cultivators. They spent their limited resources towards their cultivation, rarely indulging in such feasts.

Lilith had indeed made a bold move. Not only did she buy out the entire restaurant, but she also ensured that the dishes were all meat-based, with no vegetables in sight.

The food was undeniably delicious, but the excessive amount of meat made it a bit overwhelming.

“Another cup of tea, please.”.

“Me too!”

“Me three!”

◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

In the most lavish private room on the top floor of the restaurant, Lilith and Skarst sat across from each other, taking small sips of the exquisite black tea Lilith prepared.

This private room offered the best view of the restaurant. Looking outward, they could appreciate the hustle and bustle of the people on the street, while looking inward, they could observe the gourmet diners inside the establishment.

Skarst put down his teacup and smacked his lips in satisfaction. He could not help but acknowledge the extraordinary taste of the tea brewed by his sworn sister, even though he was not really a tea drinker. It left a lingering aftertaste that he could not ignore.

“Is your intention really as simple as treating them to a meal?”

Lilith took a sip of her tea and glanced at her hungry guests below. She responded blandly, “Of course… not. I have some favors to ask of them.”

“If you have favors to ask of them, can’t you just lure them with money?” Skarst glanced around. It only took ten minutes for his sworn sister to purchase this grand restaurant. Given her financial strength, those pitiful people below would definitely jump at her bait.

“Luring them could be an option, but it’s not a reliable one. If I could lure them, so could another party. It’s pointless, and creates room for people to be a two-headed snake.”

“So?”

“So, you can’t just catch a fish with just bait alone. You gotta have a hook too. They’re already hooked now.”

Lilith looked at the teacup in her hands, staring at a tea stalk floating in the tea.

Skarst raised an eyebrow, beginning to understand the analogy, and chuckled. “Haha, interesting! Truly worthy of being my sworn sister. This is quite an expedition.”

Finishing his tea in one gulp, Skarst continued, “There’s one thing I still don’t understand, little sister.”

“What is it?”

Skarst gestured toward all the appetizing dishes on the table in front of him and asked, “With so much food, are we expecting more guests to join us?”

“Much?”

Lilith looked at Skarst strangely. She had already picked up a knife and fork in her hand. “These are just the appetizers. The main course is a whole wild boar from the Black Forest that I specifically preordered. It was too large to be brought in, so the chef is currently butchering it in the slaughterhouse outside with his team.”

Skarst’s smile faded as he imagined the massive boars in Black Forest, and then looked at Lilith sitting in front of him, petite and not even as large as one of the boar’s legs.

He could not help but blurt out in disbelief, “With all this food, are you secretly a dragon in disguise?”

“PFFFT!”