Transcending Dreams

Chapter 16: Dining at the Phoenix’s Nest

William stared at the luxurious building with trepidation. Even though his stomach growled hungrily from the smell of the delicious food being served inside, the looks he was getting were enough to make him hesitate to enter.

It was a common occurrence for passersby to take multiple glances at them while they wandered the streets, but he was aware that it was mainly because of Li Xinyue. That changed when they were outside the Phoenix’s Nest, a restaurant that apparently catered to cultivators and the wealthiest of patrons.

The looks were now focused on William, and he didn’t like that at all, especially since some here had their level in the double digits.

“Sister Li, why are people looking at me like that?”

“Most mortals never have a chance to eat here,” Li Xinyue replied as she flagged down an attendant, “And I’ve never come here with anyone other than Master.”

“Oh,” William muttered as he stepped closer to her. He was almost starting to believe he was thirteen. The number of times he stuck close to the ‘adults’ was frankly embarrassing. But survival was the name of the game, and he was currently an ant that could be stepped on if he didn’t have protection close by.

“Sister Li, maybe it would be better if I didn’t eat here. I can’t afford to pay for it anyway.”

“Nonsense,” Li Xinyue waved him off, “I’m sick of hearing your stomach cry for a meal, and I refuse to eat mortal food. There are far too many toxins in them. As for the cost, since I brought you here, I will pay for you.”

William gave her an admiring smile and waited patiently for the attendant to arrive. Of course, he didn’t want to miss the chance to eat a real meal, but he had to ensure that Li Xinyue knew he wouldn’t be paying for his portion of the food. It was unlikely she would have made him pay, but if she did, he wouldn’t have been able to sell himself for how much it would probably cost.

“Welcome back, Senior Li! Would you like your usual room?”

[Name: Mei Lin | Level: 23]

“Yes, but let Chef Zhang know that it won’t be necessary to make my master’s dish.”

“Yes, Senior Li. If you could follow me?” Mei Lin didn’t spare a glance for William and turned to lead them inside.

William could safely assume that this Mei Lin was a cultivator, but he wasn’t sure why someone like her would be an attendant of a restaurant. She didn’t look much older than him, so he doubted it was because of a lack of potential. Perhaps the Phoenix’s Nest was more impressive than he had already assumed.

As they walked inside, he looked briefly at the first floor, where every patron had levels in the low single digits, before Mei Lin directed them up the stairs. The interior more than fit the ornate exterior, with red and gold decor splashed around the restaurant and phoenix motifs everywhere. Large crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and painted vases adorned every table to emphasize to a patron to take pride in where they were eating.

“Here we are, Senior Li. I’ll let Chef Zhang know your instructions.”

Mei Lin slid the doors closed and left Li Xinyue and William alone.

“Next time, try not to stare at her with such intensity. If I weren’t with you, she would have thrown you out, Wei Liang.”

“What?” William asked in shock, “I wasn’t staring at her.”

“You were,” Li Xinyue insisted, “In fact, you do that to almost everyone you see for the first time. You must break that habit unless you want someone to misunderstand.”

“… Yes, Sister Li,” William sighed in acceptance. She was right. He might be innocently staring at the blue text above the people he first met, but they wouldn’t know that.

“Good,” Li Xinyue nodded, “You’re still young, so most won’t give you much hardship, but there are unreasonable people that will trouble you.”

William wanted to ask if she included herself in that group since she did threaten to kill him for looking at her. But instead, he said, “Thank you for warning me, Sister Li.”

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The sliding doors opened to reveal a smiling Mei Lin before she stepped aside to reveal multiple people in red uniforms holding large dishes in their hands.

“These are your regular orders, Senior Li,” Mei Lin said cheerily before directing the waiters, “Place the dishes on the table.”

William looked on with surprise as the dishes slowly filled every part of the large table. It didn’t look like it was made for two people. Rather, it could probably feed half the people on the first floor.

“Sister Li, are there other people joining us?”

“Of course not. There isn’t enough here for more than the two of us. Other than the dish in the center, you can have your pick, Wei Liang.”

William wondered what was special about the forbidden dish and quickly received an answer from a surprising source.

“That dish is called the Celestial Qi Soup. It’s made specially for cultivators in Senior Li’s realm. It would not be suitable for you, dear patron.”

William looked at Mei Lin in surprise. She pretended he didn’t exist until now, so her talking to him was completely unexpected.

“Mei Lin is right,” Li Xinyue agreed, “While it will be nourishing for me, it would be fatal for a mortal like you.”

“Might I recommend a dish for you?” Mei Lin asked helpfully.

When William nodded, she directed the idle waiters to make space where he had taken a seat before placing a large bowl in front of him.

“This is Celestial Ascension Soup. A popular dish among mortals that visit this restaurant. Its main ingredients are Jade Rabbit and Golden Cicada broth, with various herbs to boost their properties.”

William, someone who had never thought of eating insects in his previous life, had to fight the urge to retch violently when the image of a cicada popped up in his mind. There was no way he would let this near his lips.

“It is known to increase the good fortune of those who consume it while also helping with vitality.”

William stared blankly at the soup as that sentence registered in his mind. Didn’t that mean this soup would have the same benefits as the Dragonfruit?

“Senior Li, let me know if you need anything else. We won’t disturb you any longer.”

William was vaguely aware of them leaving the room as he stared at the soup and tried to bring himself to drink it.

“What are you waiting for, Wei Liang?”

William glanced at Li Xinyue. Seeing her starting to get displeased, he sucked it up and picked up the wooden spoon before taking his first sip.

He was disappointed that he didn’t get any attribute points like he had hoped, but he couldn’t deny it might be the most delicious thing he had tasted. With a muffled moan of satisfaction, he forgot himself and started to shovel spoonfuls of soup into his mouth.

[+1 Strength]

[RNG activated | Result: 421]

[+1 Luck]

[Current chance of Soul Damage (Major) effect activating: 4.9%]

[Activation Numbers: 1-49 | Total Numbers: 1000]

[RNG activated | Result: 179]

William froze momentarily at the multiple alerts before staring at the soup with greed.

“Slow down, Wei Liang,” Li Xinyue laughed, “Nobody is taking the soup away from you.”

He looked up to see that she hadn’t started eating herself and was likely enjoying the show he had put on. However, he didn’t feel any shame. “Sorry, Sister Li. I’ve embarrassed myself. I never tasted anything so good before.”

“I won’t tell anyone,” Li Xinyue reassured with a smile, “However, savor the dish slowly. It won’t be good for your body if you eat too fast.”

William nodded as he took another sip of the soup. He had almost emptied the bowl after a few minutes, and while it was still delicious, there were no more alerts for attribute points. He supposed he had reached the limit of what could be gained from the soup. With a shrug, he chewed on the last piece of rabbit meat. At least he wasn’t hungry anymore.

[+1 Strength]

[RNG activated | Result: 176]

[+1 Luck]

[Current chance of Soul Damage (Major) effect activating: 4.8%]

[Activation Numbers: 1-48 | Total Numbers: 1000]

[RNG activated | Result: 857]

“Thank you for the meal, Sister Li!” William said from the bottom of his heart. She had helped him greatly, even if she wasn’t aware of it.

Name: Wei Liang (William Davis)

Age: 13

Level: 2

Experience: 25/250

Cultivation: N/A

Health: 15/15

Strength: 4

Stamina: 1

Agility: 1

Luck: 3

Points: 5

He had gained four attribute points and discovered the Luck attribute helped lower the chance of activating the effect of his soul damage. It might not seem like much, but when two numbers out of fifty were no longer disastrous, that seemed like a significant win to him.

Also, now that his Strength attribute was at four, he wouldn’t be completely helpless. At the very least, Wang Xiaoling would no longer be able to put him in dire straits by accident.

… Unless there was no limit to how high the attribute can get regardless of the level. If that were the case, Wang Xiaoling would be ridiculously strong even with her being level three. The food she had access to would ensure that.

William wanted to give it a test.

“Sister Li, can I eat something else?”

“No,” Li Xinyue shot him down after finishing her chewing, “It might be harmful to you. I’ll bring you here next month if you wish. That should be more than enough time for your body to be ready for another dish.”

William thought she might say no, but didn’t expect her to offer to treat him to another meal. While the month gap was disappointing, it was better than nothing.

This monstrous girl wasn’t too bad once she didn’t hate you.