Demon Subduing Douluo's whisper practically drilled into Thousand Jun Douluo's ear.
Thousand Jun's entire body went rigid.
He jerked his head around, eyes wide, frantically signaling with every muscle in his face:
Are you insane?! Keep your voice down!
That was Sea God Douluo.
Someone on the same level as Big Brother!
If you openly accuse her of coming here to freeload, what if she gets angry and skewers both of us with her trident?!
But as it turned out…
He totally overestimated Posey's interest in world affairs.
Right now, Posey's mind—and even her soul—was entirely consumed by those bowls of golden egg fried rice.
Traitors?
Dignity?
The noble, untouchable persona of the Sea God Priestess?
All worthless.
Because—Qian Daoliu hadn't lied.
No—
He did lie.
This rice was ten thousand times more delicious than he described!
Watching Posey staring at the bowls before him—her Adam's apple bobbing, saliva threatening to spill—Qian Daoliu suddenly felt much braver.
So you're a foodie too?
Then why were you acting so lofty earlier?!
His courage swelled.
Qian Daoliu crawled out from under the table, smoothed his robes, cleared his throat, and sat beside Posey with the dignity of someone who definitely hadn't been hiding like a terrified mushroom moments ago.
He picked up a bowl of egg fried rice and lectured her between shoveling mouthfuls:
"Xi Xi, I'm not scolding you."
"But if you want to eat, you should just say so! We're all on the same side—why bother with all the detours?"
"And don't think I didn't see through your little excuse about apprehending a traitor!"
His lecturing tone was earnest—annoyingly so.
Posey slowly turned her flawless face toward him.
Her sea-blue eyes held no expression.
She just stared.
Just stared.
Qian Daoliu's spoon slowed.
His breathing slowed.
His courage shriveled like salted greens.
"X–Xi Xi… why are you looking at me like that?"
"Do I… have rice stuck to my face?"
He raised a hand to wipe his cheek.
Instantly—
Posey's cold, dangerous voice sliced the air.
"If you dare to babble another word, I'll tear your mouth apart."
"Do you believe me?"
Qian Daoliu: "…"
He believed her. He absolutely believed her.
If she dared to stab him in the forehead with the Sea God Trident, tearing his mouth apart would be child's play.
The will to survive instantly crushed whatever pathetic pride he had left.
Swoosh—!
A golden streak flashed.
In the blink of an eye, Qian Daoliu—once posturing and wagging his tongue—teleported to the opposite side of the table.
He plopped down, buried his head, grabbed a giant bowl, and began shoveling rice at breakneck speed, refusing to look at Posey ever again.
A picture-perfect coward.
Everyone: …
A short while later, Hu Liena placed four towering bowls of egg fried rice before Posey.
Perhaps remembering her status, or noticing all the subtle gazes aimed her way, Posey began eating with exquisite elegance.
A gentle scoop.
A graceful lift of the spoon.
Red lips parted slightly.
Chewing slow.
Refined.
Controlled.
Until—
The very first grain hit her tongue.
Boom.
An eruption of flavor—fresh, fragrant, layered, divine—exploded across her palate.
Posey's sea-blue eyes flew wide open.
Shock.
Pleasure.
Ecstasy.
A hunger she had never known.
In that instant—
To hell with elegance.
To hell with dignity.
To hell with the great priestess persona.
The next second—
Under everyone's stunned gazes—
Posey picked up the enormous sea bowl—bigger than her own face.
Then—
SLURP–SLURP–SLURP—!
She began devouring the rice at a speed and with a posture every bit as ferocious as Qian Daoliu.
In fact, no less impressive than a starving ghost reincarnated.
The restaurant fell into utter silence.
Only two sounds echoed in tandem:
Slurp-slurp-slurp—
Slurp-slurp-slurp—
One end of the table: a blond High Priest of Spirit Hall.
The other end: a blue-haired High Priestess of Sea God Island.
The continent's two most powerful Level 99 Peerless Douluo.
Both holding giant bowls.
Both burying their heads.
Both eating like wild beasts.
A bizarre scene.
A strangely harmonious scene.
One could even mistake them for…
An old married couple sharing a meal.
No one dared say it.
But everyone thought it.
Nobody knew how much time passed.
Clang!
Clang!
Two bowls—cleaner than washbasins—were slammed onto the table simultaneously.
Qian Daoliu and Posey both slumped back, faces blissfully blank, smiles foolish, souls clearly floating in the heavens.
After a long beat—
Both sighed in perfect unison:
"Comfortable~"
Lin Feng's eye twitched.
Just then, Hu Liena approached gracefully, holding a small ledger.
"Thank you for dining."
"Great Priestess Posey, your four bowls come to forty-eight thousand gold coins."
"High Priest Qian Daoliu, your five bowls total sixty thousand gold coins."
Posey blinked.
Forty-eight thousand?
Quite expensive.
But—
For something that made even her break character?
Worth it.
Worth hundreds of thousands!
She reached into her storage tool—
Swish!
Qian Daoliu had already tossed a bulging money pouch to Hu Liena.
He even turned, winked at Posey, and—in what he imagined was a charming tone but was actually unbearably greasy—said:
"Xi Xi, how could I let you pay?"
"You came all this way, and this is Spirit Hall's territory. As the host, I must treat you!"
"Being formal with me only hurts our relationship!"
As his words fell—
Every Spirit Hall Titled Douluo silently cursed in perfect unison:
Damn it! You deadbeat simp!