In one of the most popular up-and-coming inns owned by the Heavenly Association Group, a group of three were having a meal together. Each person wore a robe belonging to a different sect but they ate together as if they were the best of friends. They were cultivators all affiliated with the Three Great Sects peacefully eating together! Even the most oblivious of mortals would be able to realize something was off about them.
It hasn’t even been a week since the temporary peace treaty between the Three Great Sects was enacted. When they entered the inn together, everyone had their eyes on them. At first, the mortals watched them just waiting for them to break out into a fight before being thrown out of the place by the Heavenly Association Group’s guards. But then they saw that they weren’t fighting or arguing at all. In fact, they were peacefully coexisting without bothering anyone around them. So, they went back to enjoying their alcohol and meals but still kept an eye on them from the corner of their eyes.
This was especially true for the guards and workers of the inn who were eyeing the trio like hawks. Just waiting for them to make some sort of commotion to throw them out. While those from the Heavenly Association weren’t allowed in the businesses of the Three Great Sects after their peace treaty, the Heavenly Association did not disallow those from the Three Great Sects to stop spending their money at their businesses. They just increased the number of warriors and cultivators at their businesses.
The one-eyed cook was informed on the order of the trio and squinted his one good eye at them before stretching his bones. His name was Pete, Single-Eyed Pete. Back in the day during his youth, he joined a bandit gang and, on their travels, he would be the one stuck with cooking duty since he was the youngest. If his meals weren’t up to stuff, he would be beaten black and blue by his fellow brothers all at once. And in a group with dozens of men, after his first collective beating, Pete never wanted to go through it again. He practiced for hours every day to improve the quality of his cooking, no matter what state the ingredients were in.
Now he was the head cook of a fairly famous inn with the same bastards that beat him till he cried and even took his eye. Pete was going to cook this meal to perfection and he dared those pompous sect bastards to make a single complaint about his cooking. If they made even a peep, Pete and his best friend, Cleaving Pete, would fly out of this damn kitchen and chop them to pieces!
Making a peep was exactly what these three disciples were ordered to do by Du Chaojin. They weren’t the only ones from the Three Great Sects that planned to cause some trouble at a business run by the Heavenly Association. Hundreds of people were put up to this. Today and for the next few weeks, the reputation that the Heavenly Association Group has been stealing from the Three Great Sects would be decisively destroyed to the ground. Once their customers realize how horrible of a group the Heavenly Association is, they’ll be running back to the businesses of the Three Great Sects!
The Heavenly Association Group could only blame themselves for bringing this destruction upon themselves. If they knew what was good for them, they’d do what any other merchant group would do when doing business in the same place as the Three Great Sects. They would’ve placed themselves under one of the three before giving a major share of their profits to them for protection from other groups. How dare the Heavenly Association Group attempt to place itself on the same standing as the Three Great Sects?! A lowly group that came from who knows where!
Five minutes after making their order, the trio began to loudly disturb those around them by complaining.
“What is taking so long?!”
“Our order couldn’t have been that complicated, right?”
“Are the cooks hired by the Heavenly Association, this inept?”
“If I made this order at one of the inns owned by the Three Great Sects, I would’ve already had it here by now!”
The trio continued to bad mouth the place and sing praises of the inns owned by the Three Great Sects all by themselves. No other store patron contributed to their act and just stared at them. They expected at least some whispering or murmuring by this point but there was only silence until their order was finally placed on their table. The smell teasingly flowed into their nostrils, making their mouths water. Out of the three, there wasn’t a single person who didn’t want to instantly dive into their meal but they had a mission to do. A mission that was simply more than insulting the inn and complimenting the inns owned by the Three Great Sects.
With all the willpower they could muster, the three put their plan into action. All three of the trio simultaneously shouted as each of them found something repulsive inside their food.
“A cockroach!? And it's not even cooked but still alive!?”
“Why is there a long strand of hair in my noodles!? Truly unbelievable!
“I could’ve sworn I didn’t order someone’s nails with my meal...”
“YOU FUCKING LITTLE BASTARDS I’LL CUT YOU TO PIECES AND COOK YOU INTO ONE OF MY DISHES! LET ME FUCKING GO, YOU BASTARDS! I’LL KILL EVERY SINGLE LAST ONE OF THEM!”
That scream from the kitchen startled the entire inn. Multiple people in the kitchen could be seen collectively holding down someone wearing a chef’s hat and apron by the waist. In his hand was a cleaver larger than a wooden barrel, silver and stainless, but thirsty for blood. Thankfully, to the desperate efforts of the kitchen staff, the head chef was subdued before he could unleash his rage upon the trio.
A well-dressed but malnourished and stick-like child soon walked over to the trio.
“I apologize that your experience at our establishment has been less than ideal. As an apology from us to you, we will not charge you for your meal and at your next visit, if you so wish, you will be given a free discount for half off for any one meal.” His voice was soft and weak but polite and firm.
“You think this will be over with just a discount!?”
“I almost ate someone’s hair because of you!”
“Truly distasteful.”
The boy kept his waist bowed and head down as the trio unleashed their spittle upon him.
“This is an outrage!” The Golden Serpent Sect disciple pulled out his blade that shined with a glint. “Give me one good reason to not go back there and chop that shitty chef into two for showing such disrespect toward us!”
“We at the Heavenly Association may tolerate false rumors against us but insults to the character of our staff is not something we allow. Nor do we allow customers to incite or cause violence within our stores.” The small child’s body slowly began to grow in mass.
His shoulders, chest, arms, legs, there was no part of him that didn’t grow. The boy’s uniform ripped and tore in several places since it couldn’t accommodate his growing size. By the time he was finished, he could swallow the previous version of himself with a hug and break him to pieces. His eyes were whited out as if he was unconscious but the boy was still bowing.
“You...! You’re threatening me!? A filthy peasant that’s nothing more than just a lowly servant to some unknown group!?” The Golden Serpent Sect disciple swung down his sword without mercy to decapitate the boy.
The sword was effortlessly caught in the boy’s hand before being broken in half with just two of his fingers. “You were warned, dear customers.” At the exact moment the disciple struck with his sword, multiple guards moved in to attack. Guards that looked very similar to the young boy with white eyes and hulking figures. It took less than a second for them to subdue the trio from the Three Great Sects with their powerful berserker strength. They were knocked out and instantly thrown out next to the dumpster next to the inn.
“If any other bastards get any ideas, that’s what will be waiting for you too!” One of the guards yelled with a wide grin on his face.
The inn’s patrons loudly cheered after watching the entertaining show. They knew how good the services and business were at the Heavenly Association stores compared to the Three Great Sects. Perhaps if this laughable play was made before the people of Xuanyin City realized the differences between the Heavenly Association Group businesses and the Three Great Sects, it might’ve worked. However, the damage was already done. The populace of Xuanyin City understood just how they were looked at by the Three Great Sects compared to the Heavenly Association.
It would take a very long time for the mortals of Xuanyin City to trust those from the Three Great Sects after it was made obviously clear to them that none of the big sects cared about their wellbeing. Their property, livelihoods, and health were of no concern to those from the Golden Serpent Sect, Nine Swords Sect, or the Blossoming Water Palace. However, the Heavenly Association Group cared about them to the point where it seemed rather excessive and suspicious! At one point when the battles between the Three Great Sects reached their peak, skilled medical doctors would set up temporary clinics to treat anyone unaffiliated with the big sects for free!
Of course, not without mentioning strange things such as health insurance, home insurance, life insurance, and even something that sounded perfect for merchants called travel insurance! Although travel insurance was advertised by the Heavenly Association Group, it was still recommended for traveling merchants that did business across cities to simply pay for the escort services run by the Heavenly Association, Guardian Angels. It wasn’t guaranteed that even with the Guardian Angels that a merchant’s merchandise would be safe.
Both mortals and cultivators alike flocked to these strange businesses made by the Heavenly Association Group that seemed to only care about their wellbeing and their money. At first, it was as if the Heavenly Association wanted nothing more than to swallow all of their money but as time went on people began to realize it wasn’t just a sell-and-take relationship with the group. The Heavenly Association Group was more than willing to hire mortals and cultivators within Xuanyin City as long as they weren’t found to be connected to either of the Three Great Sects. Orphans from the slums, disabled elderly that had trouble doing basic tasks, people lacking any credentials, work history, or anything. It seemed like no matter who you were, as long as you weren’t affiliated with the Three Great Sects, there was a job available for you somewhere in the Heavenly Association Group and they would be willing to pay you fairly for your work.
This completely infuriated the Three Great Sects because the Heavenly Association turned them into this city’s villains without even trying!
“Hmph. We should’ve just done this from the start.” Luo Miao smirked.
“I didn’t realize how we were seen by those from Xuanyin City...” Du Chaojin hung his head in shame.
“Well, hopefully with this, we’ll understand just who’s really supporting the Heavenly Association.”Meijing smiled, covering her face with a fan.
“Hmph. How could they possibly withstand the assault of the Three Great Sects all at once? Even if it was the Tian Kingdom, they would be helpless before our combined might.” Luo Miao couldn’t wait to get started.
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I kinda want Jing to use scp (gender-blender ore) as punishment for others... like: Oh they can be rivals to my angels, so angels can grow stronger... but I can not just let them go... or, something like: you try to fool me Hu Tao? (yes, I forgot how his name was written...) Here for your punishment you become girl for next six months.... (maybe as girl he have chance with Jing? :P )
It could be funny if you think about rumors about her...
Also hao about someone cultivate dao of puppets?
also "first" :D
And about rumors... how about make one chapter to summarize reputation and rumors about all of angels (maybe "rivals" gathering info... or elders talk about them?)