Collecting Rent From All Realms, Even Empresses Must Pay Tribute
Ch. 79 - Selling Weapons

Late night. The city's nightlife was just getting started. Even past midnight, the buildings were still brightly lit.

A pale grey mist hung in the air, blurring the distinction between clouds and smog.

Three figures walked down the street—or rather, 2.5 figures.

One of them was floating, invisible to ordinary people, wearing loose pajamas that barely contained her jiggling… assets.

Although Lan Xiaoke was dressed comfortably, she didn't have to worry about anyone seeing her.

"Don't you like staying in your room and playing games? Why are you following us?"

Ye Chuan asked, seeing Lan Xiaoke floating behind him. After all, she was a hardcore shut-in and rarely went out.

"Well, I also want to see the outside world. It's been so many years, I've forgotten so much."

Lan Xiaoke looked around curiously, seemingly fascinated by the changes. And since Ye Chuan had her on a leash, she couldn't move freely. 

This rare opportunity to go out was something she had to seize.

"Do you want to go home and see your family?" Ye Chuan suddenly asked.

Lan Xiaoke fell silent. She hesitated for a moment, then said with a forced smile, "Heh, no."

"I don't want to go back. It's been so many years; they're probably all dead."

"Isn't it good to go home? Why would you curse your own family?" Bai Qianshuang frowned, seeing Lan Xiaoke's attitude.

Lan Xiaoke sighed. "Children from good families wouldn't understand. I really envy you, having parents who love you."

Bai Qianshuang said indifferently, "But they're dead."

Lan Xiaoke froze. "Sorry, I misspoke."

"It's fine." Bai Qianshuang looked at Lan Xiaoke. "You've had it rough."

From Lan Xiaoke's words, Bai Qianshuang understood her hidden pain.

Every family had its own problems; Bai Qianshuang couldn't judge. But her perception of Lan Xiaoke had changed.

She wasn't a bad ghost, just a bit… foolish.

This conversation wasn't exactly smooth, but for this immortal and ghost, it was the first step towards understanding each other.

Ye Chuan listened to their conversation and smiled without saying anything.

He took Bai Qianshuang and Lan Xiaoke to a decent barbecue restaurant near his home. 

He didn't go to Luo Xi's stall because they weren't open.

Probably because the medicine he gave them was so effective, Father Luo had decided to spend some time with Mother Luo, hoping to further improve her health.

Luo Xi didn't help out at the stall every day, mostly on weekends or when they were particularly busy. 

Ye Chuan usually helped out during holidays or when they had a lot of customers.

Next to the barbecue restaurant was a Mixue Ice Cream & Tea shop, the "you love me, I love you" jingle playing repeatedly, making Bai Qianshuang curious.

"What song is that?" Bai Qianshuang listened to the simple lyrics, puzzled. "Is that all there is to it?"

"It's an advertisement. The simple melody and lyrics are catchy and easy to remember," Ye Chuan explained.

"I'll buy you one."

Bai Qianshuang's eyes lit up at the mention of milk tea.

"Hello, welcome to Mixue Ice Cream & Tea, what can I get for you?" the cashier asked, seeing Bai Qianshuang enter.

"I want a milk tea," Bai Qianshuang said.

"What flavor would you like?"

Bai Qianshuang looked at the shop's sign and said seriously, "A cup of Mixue Ice Cream & Tea."

Cashier: "?"

Ye Chuan quickly intervened, coughing lightly. "Just a pearl milk tea for her. I'll have a lemon water."

Lan Xiaoke popped up behind Ye Chuan. "What about me?"

This was Mixue Ice Cream & Tea, they didn't things for ghosts.

After getting their drinks, Bai Qianshuang expertly tore open the straw wrapper and started sipping her milk tea.

Ye Chuan could see her visibly brighten.

After all, Bai Qianshuang was just an eighteen-plus-year-old girl. Cultivation was undoubtedly boring, far less stimulating than the dopamine rush of milk tea.

Entering the barbecue restaurant, Bai Qianshuang leaned closer to look at the menu as Ye Chuan ordered.

Her intoxicating fragrance wafted towards him, and Ye Chuan, seeing her soft black hair falling onto his thigh, asked,

"What do you want to eat?"

Bai Qianshuang, however, was puzzled by some of the names on the menu. "Why are there weapons for sale at a barbecue restaurant?"

Weapons?

Seeing Ye Chuan's confused expression, Bai Qianshuang pointed at a name on the menu.

Ye Chuan looked—

[Lamb Gun] (TL: 羊枪, yángqiāng, actually lamb penis)

[Lamb Bullets/Cannons] (TL:羊蛋, yángdàn, actually lamb testicles)

Ye Chuan: "..."

Lan Xiaoke was also curious. "Yeah, guns and cannons? Such strange names. I've never seen those before at a barbecue place. What parts are those?"

"Actually, that refers to lamb leg, the shortest leg," Ye Chuan explained with a straight face. 

"Because the meat is tender and has excellent elasticity, it's considered a delicacy."

Bai Qianshuang nodded in understanding. It sounded delicious. "Ye Chuan, I want that."

"Uh, there will be other opportunities to try it," Ye Chuan was a bit hesitant about ordering those dishes and told Bai Qianshuang that they needed to be pre-ordered.

Hearing this, Bai Qianshuang just nodded, not really minding, her eyes scanning the menu for other seemingly delicious items.

She had completely forgotten her previous statement about cultivators needing to abstain from food to maintain their purity.

She was truly adapting to the modern world.

Soon, the dishes arrived one after another. Ye Chuan glanced at Lan Xiaoke and saw that she was practically drooling blood.

Literally blood.

Her mouth was open, and a trickle of blood flowed down her chin and dripped onto the table.

"You can't eat this, can you?"

"I can, I can eat the smell," Lan Xiaoke said, floating around the table, practically inhaling the aroma.

Ye Chuan hadn't expected a ghost to be able to "eat" barbecue, but he didn't dwell on it.

Bai Qianshuang nibbled on the skewers delicately, her eating mannerisms rather cute and clumsy, like a small animal, perhaps because she wasn't used to eating mortal food.

Seeing Ye Chuan staring at her, Bai Qianshuang offered him a skewer. "Do you want some?"

"You eat it."

Hearing this, Bai Qianshuang quickly retracted her hand, but she didn't notice some cumin powder fall onto her ample chest.

Seeing this, Ye Chuan went to get a tissue.