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“Ooh… I’m stuffed.”

The little girl patted her round belly and burped in satisfaction. She had never felt this full in her entire life, and she could feel her stomach overflowing with every slight movement. She slid down the chair slightly to make herself more comfortable.

“Yes, I ‘ve never eaten this much before.”

Gurr, the old mage, appeared to be more reserved. He took a sip of black tea, but the taste of the meat still lingered in his mouth. He could not help but marvel at the delicious food they had just eaten.

“That Thirteen Treasures Duck was amazing. The meat was so tender and flavorful, it just melted in your mouth. And the combination of ingredients created the perfect flavor that left a truly amazing aftertaste.”
“Indeed, but I personally think the Jade-Faced Ghost Pig’s Trotter was the best.”
“No, no, the trotters were too greasy. The Braised Piranha was the tastiest.”
“I disagree, the Braised Piranha was too sweet and it failed to bring out the natural tenderness of the meat. In my opinion, the Spicy Five Fish was the best!”
“The Spicy Five Fish is perfect for those who enjoy spicy food like you, but it’s not friendly to those who can’t handle spice like us. Our lips are still tingling.”
“That’s true…”
“In my opinion…”

With their bellies filled, the group began chatting and reminiscing about the meal they just had. They would occasionally boast about other amazing meals they had experienced in the past, comparing them to this one.

They also expressed their gratitude to Lilith and acknowledged her kindness, promising to go easy on her if they were to meet in the tournament.

“Young people these days…” Gurr chuckled and shook his head. Just a moment ago, these people were judging Lilith, but now, after just one meal, they saw her as friendly and good-hearted.

Well, it was time to enjoy some tea. The Thousand Clouds Tea was a rare and exquisite tea. Since he could drink for free, he might as well drink as much as he could.

“Huh? Strange. How did the flavor of the tea change?” Gur suddenly realized that something was amiss.

“Changed? Maybe you had a cup too many, gramps.” The young girl rolled her eyes disdainfully at Gurr’s words. She continued drinking tea, despite being stuffed.

“Don’t be so suspicious about everything, gramps. It won’t be good for you.”

“No, no, no…”

Gurr stared into the teacup, realizing that the Thousand Clouds Tea, which was supposed to be green tea, had turned into black tea all of a sudden.

Is it magic? No, it should have turned into black tea a long time ago. I just didn’t realize it.

Gurr glanced at the messy table and had a sudden realization…

All the food on the table was greasy and heavy in flavor. With his taste buds numb from the food, it was impossible for him to notice the change in the tea.

So… what kind of tea was in this cup?

Ignoring the strange looks from the others, Gurr used magic to summon pure water and rinsed his mouth several times until the taste in his mouth was completely gone.

Then, he took a sip of the black tea… And broke into a cold sweat.

After one sip, Gurr felt his hair standing on its end. It was not because the tea was unpleasant or poisonous. It was because it was too good. The precious Thousand Clouds Tea could not even compare to it!

Gurr had only had the honor of drinking this tea once in his entire life, and that was the Imperial Tribute Tea of the Holy Dragon Empire, the Golden Bough and Jade Leaf!

Legend had it that only five kilograms were produced each year, and even the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire rarely drank it. It was the world’s most famous tea, with a value higher than even gold and precious stones!

They were drinking it like water while eating meat, not even realizing that the tea had been changed. How could they appreciate the exquisite taste of the continent’s finest tea?

The thought of this twisted Gurr’s stomach. What was even more horrifying was Lilith’s intention to share this world-class tea with them. Could anyone really be so kind?

If his hunch were right, they were already mere playthings in the hands of a demon, left to be manipulated.

With a loud creak, the door to the private room swung open. Lilith, who had just finished her equally greasy meal, reentered the room.

“Ah, you’re all done! Did everyone enjoy their meal?”
“It was really good.”
“Not bad, not bad.”

“That’s great! I had concerns about the quality of the food here and was worried that you all wouldn’t enjoy yourselves,” Lilith said, patting her small chest. “I didn’t want to disappoint you or make you angry with me.”

“That’s not true, we had a wonderful time.”
“That’s right, Lilith is a genuinely kind person. How could we ever be angry with you?”
“Anyone who dares to be angry with Lilith is just asking for trouble!”

As the crowd scrambled to assure Lilith of their loyalty, her eyes curved into small crescent moons and her smile broadened.

“Since everyone feels that way, then I, Lilith, shall summon my courage… to discuss the bill with everyone.”
“No problem, no problem. Let’s split the bill… Wait, what bill?”

Everyone stared at Lilith, dumbfounded.

“The bill for the meal, of course.” Lilith covered her mouth and chuckled. “You all didn’t think you were getting a free feast, did you?”

The crowd exchanged glances and fell silent for a moment.

“But you said it was free! Are you going back on your word?” a righteous young girl exclaimed, slamming her hand on the table in frustration. “I have it recorded!”
“That’s right, we have evidence!”
“Don’t even think about getting a single coin from us, you scoundrel!”

“Settle down, everyone,” Lilith said, raising her palm to quiet the room. “I, Lilith, always keep my word. If I said you don’t have to pay for the food, then you don’t have to pay. But… what about the tea you drank? I never said that was free.”

“The tea…”

The crowd stared at their teacups in front of them…

Right, Lilith never mentioned that the tea was included.

“Damn it! You think we can’t pay for our own tea?” a hot-tempered man shouted, smacking the table and standing up. “Bring us the bill!”

“Impressive, you’re the man!” Lilith exclaimed, giving the man a thumbs up. She waved her hand, and a maid brought a tray with the bill to the man.

The man scanned the bill with a disdainful expression, then… grimaced.

“Are you kidding me? You want to charge ten thousand gold coins for a cup of mediocre tea? I heard you only bought this restaurant for five thousand!” The man angrily knocked the tray to the ground, ready to storm out.

“I’ll advise you to sit back down,” Lilith said calmly, appearing at the entrance of the private room. Her luxurious seat blocked the door, and she sipped her black tea with grace.

“Otherwise, you’ll face the consequences.”

An intense wave of murderous intent emanated from Lilith’s petite body, enveloping the entire room. The hostility was so overwhelming that even the experienced cultivators in the room turned pale, feeling as though they were standing before a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.

If Lilith was not still petite and beautiful, they would have mistaken her for a saint-level demon beast.

The man staggered and reluctantly sat back down, but resentment still burned in his eyes.

“So, you plan on forcing us to pay?”

“Forcing you to pay? Please don’t phrase it so harshly,” Lilith replied, giving the man an odd look. “I’m actually doing you a favor.”

Lilith set down her teacup, which was promptly taken by a maid. She adjusted her sitting position, crossing her legs comfortably as she rested her chin in one hand.

She tilted her head and gazed at the group of people. Their faces contorted with anger, fear, or hatred. Yet, she wore a captivating and enchanting smile, fascinating all who beheld it.

“I’ll be honest with you all. The tea you just drank is Golden Bough and Jade Leaf, the Imperial Tribute Tea of the Holy Dragon Empire. Only five kilograms are produced each year, and it’s divided among the large imperial family. A few imperial princes, who have fallen out of favor, only get a pitiful amount of such tea leaves. To put it simply, this tea is cherished even by the emperor himself.

“But this year, the imperial family did not receive any because someone dug up the tea plantation. The emperor is furious and has ordered a thorough investigation, but so far, no clues have been found. And yet, here in this small restaurant, people are casually drinking this precious tea, even using it as mouthwash. If news of this reaches the emperor’s ears…”