Chapter 43: Escape

Xiao Bugui was feeling rather frightened now. After all, since Liu Taiji had changed his mind, he would pay with his life. Yet he could not simply run away on a whim, so he had no choice but to wait for an opportunity. The Seven-Killed Spear also sensed the overwhelming disparity in power. After giving Lin Zi's backside a brief poke, it immediately hid inside Xiao Bugui's garments, not daring to show its tail.

Lin Zi cast an ambiguous glance at Xiao Bugui's handsome face and lowered her head, feigning shyness.

As the banquet commenced, Liu Taiji removed half of his mask to reveal a mouth covered in cyan scales. He flicked his fork-like snake tongue and swallowed a whole roasted suckling pig straight into his belly.

Xiao Bugui was astonished. With such indiscriminate, wolf-like gulping and such unsightly table manners, what was the point of deliberately selecting fine chefs and taverns?

Yin Wuxiang still did not partake in any food. Being made of clay, he merely drank fine wine to moisten his gradually stiffening body, which lacked moisture.

Xiao Bugui also noticed that Liu Shiyi shared the same ravenous, whole-swallowing eating habit, confirming beyond a doubt that the other party was a snake demon.

Hua Datou removed his mask, revealing that he possessed the head of a fish. The meticulously prepared dishes were personally served by the chef, who was also wearing a mask—specifically, a five-star mask. Upon seeing Hua Datou, the chef was struck by an occupational hazard and exclaimed admiringly, "Such a large fish head! It would surely taste delicious if made into chopped pepper fish head!"

Hua Datou was likewise a five-star expert, and feeling that he had been provoked by the chef, he angrily retorted, "Do you dare believe I could eat you up without even spitting out your bones?"

The chef did not dare to get angry, for their master, Liu Taiji, was present, and his own face was far less important than his life. Respectfully presenting the dish, he offered, "Master, this is my latest culinary creation: White Jade Beauty." Opening the food box, he revealed a lifelike beauty intricately carved from tofu, and explained in detail, "This tofu is made from the milk of a cow demon; it is fragrant, sweet, tender, and glutinous. Please partake."

Liu Taiji politely extended an invitation to Lin Fengmian, saying, "Father, please partake first."

Lin Fengmian picked up his chopsticks, ruining the pristine beauty of the dish. The sweetness that melted in his mouth filled his heart with a complex mixture of emotions. He understood well that his ambitious son intended to inherit his martial world, and that he himself was truly growing old. Therefore, he needed to imbue the banquet's atmosphere with the warmth of family affection. After consuming the tofu, he instructed his two granddaughters, "Lin Zi, Yu'er, quickly pour a cup of wine for your uncle."

"Uncle!" Lin Zi appeared poised and graceful, whereas Lin Yu'er felt somewhat timid when facing the demonic appearance of her uncle. Both sisters stepped forward and bowed respectfully to Liu Taiji. The lingering pain of their internal injuries made the sisters look haggard.

"My two good nieces, you have suffered internal injuries! Let me heal you." Liu Taiji spat out a glowing, fire-emitting internal elixir pearl. The pearl first flew into Lin Zi's body, causing her to feel a surge of warmth and comfort in her chest. The swelling and bruising in her skin and flesh gradually vanished, and the painful spots disappeared as she regained her fair, tender, and radiant complexion. The elixir pearl then entered Lin Yu'er's body, bringing about the exact same miraculous recovery.

"Many thanks, Uncle!" the sisters replied in unison before retreating to their original positions.

At this moment, Yin Wuxiang seated himself beside Xiao Bugui and instructed, "Once the banquet is dismissed, follow me."

Xiao Bugui nodded in assent, yet these words caused his heart to flutter with anxiety once more. He wondered with suspicion: Could he be plotting to harm me? Surely not; if he wished to harm me, wouldn't it be better to kill me right here? Perhaps he intends to take me away and return with me to the Demonic Cult.

Lin Zi was all the more eager to keep Xiao Bugui by her side. Dropping her chopsticks, she rose from her seat, took Xiao Bugui's left hand in both of hers, and acted coquettishly toward her grandfather: "My dear grandfather, my dear uncle, Lin Zi and Xiao Bugui have some private matters to attend to, so we shall take our leave first."

In Xiao Bugui's right hand, a pair of chopsticks held a piece of meat. The awkward tilt of his body at that instant made it impossible for him to continue enjoying the delicacy, leaving him no choice but to rise and depart from his seat.

"Go on, go on! A grown girl cannot be kept at home; she is bound to be married off!" Grandfather Lin Fengmian had