MRIFAOTW Chapter 73

“Dad, Dad! Zhuo Long big brother has returned with many people!”

Bai Xianzhi was in the middle of cooking. Upon hearing this, he quickly packed the dishes into a box and went outside to take a look. Indeed, Zhuo Long was standing in the hall with dozens of people dressed in blue and black uniforms. Bai Xianzhi had seen such uniforms before and knew that these were the warriors from the Temporal Battlefield.

Seeing him, Zhuo Long approached and said, “Boss, I’ve found the warriors. These forty warriors have come back with me to get some food. Their situation is indeed very bad, and many of them are already showing symptoms of a lack of spatial power.”

Upon hearing this, Bai Xianzhi became serious. He had initially wanted to chat with these soldiers for a bit, but he immediately dismissed the idea. He addressed the forty soldiers, saying, “Please wait a moment. We will start preparing the food right away.”

With that, he quickly returned to the kitchen, and even Zhuo Long followed him to help with the cooking.

Considering the urgency of the situation and the core need of the warriors, Bai Xianzhi told all the chefs and apprentices in the restaurant that this time they should not focus on taste. As long as they added salt and cooked the food, it would be sufficient. The only requirement was speed – very fast – because this was a matter of life and death!

Honestly, the chefs and apprentices, who had always adhered to the philosophy of making delicious food since they joined the Three Thousand Food House, encountered such a requirement for the first time. But they all understood the reasons and the necessity, so without any hesitation, they picked up their tools and started working efficiently.

Under this no-frills requirement, the speed of cooking was more than twice as fast as usual. In addition to the nearly five hundred dishes they had prepared before the arrival of the soldiers, it didn’t take long for one thousand dishes to be placed in front of the forty soldiers. Considering the situation with the fleet, Zhuo Long took ten soldiers to carry these one thousand dishes to the fleet. Meanwhile, Three Thousand Food House continued to work diligently.

While Bai Xianzhi was cooking frantically, four people entered the entrance of Three Thousand Food House. When the thirty soldiers in the hall saw the appearance of these four individuals, they all stood up and saluted, saying, “Lady Ji lan!”

The sight surprised Wen Nuan, who was at the forefront of this formation. Following the gazes of these unfamiliar soldiers, she saw the woman behind her. The woman raised her hand with a commanding tone and said, “Sit down.” Immediately, all thirty soldiers responded in unison, saying, “Yes!”

“Oh my gosh, so handsome!” Nuan screamed wildly in her heart. She turned her head and met the gaze of Bai Xianzhi, who had just come out of the kitchen.

Nuan’s inner thoughts: Boss, he’s so handsome, so incredibly handsome!

Bai Xianzhi: “…”

He looked at Ji lan and asked, “Madam Ji lan?”

As the words left his mouth, he searched the hall for the figures of two little ones, but found nothing. He turned his head and glanced into the kitchen, and sure enough, he saw the two little ones hiding in the stairwell on the second floor.

Bai Xianzhi: “…”

“Boss Bai, I want to thank Miss Nuan from your restaurant. If it weren’t for her appearance, the three of us would still be trapped within the spatial rift.”

With just this sentence, Bai Xianzhi immediately pieced together the reason for Jilan’s presence here in his mind. He smiled and said, “You can thank Nuan directly. By the way, I heard some noises earlier. What happened?”

“Nothing much, Boss. It seems these soldiers in the restaurant are under Madam Ji lan. They were just… sending their regards to her.”

Jilan nodded, “Yes, they are all soldiers under my command. I’m still puzzled about how they ended up here.”

Since it was just greetings, then there was no issue. Bai Xianzhi said, “That’s a long story. I need to get back to cooking quickly. Madam Ji lan, perhaps you can have one of your soldiers explain the situation to you.”

After saying that, he looked at Nuan and said, “Nuan, come help!”

“Oh… oh, I’m coming!” Nuan hurried into the kitchen. In the hall, a soldier had already stood up and respectfully reported the situation to Ji lan.

After listening, Ji lan breathed a sigh of relief, “Boss Bai is righteous! With his help, we must do our utmost to fight the Stone Clan to the end!”

The soldier standing before her saluted crisply, “Yes, ma’am!”

…..

Meng Yan was the leader of the support team this time. He led five hundred Divine Clan members, five thousand Dragon Clan members, and Soul Clan members to the frontline for assistance. And he was supporting none other than the eccentric of the Ji family – Ji lan.

Speaking of Ji lan, Meng Yan couldn’t help but sigh. As a contemporary of Ji lan, he and others had lived in the shadows of Feng Ye and Ji lan for a long time. They feared Feng Ye because of the stringent regulations he imposed and his extraordinary achievements in both culture and combat. As for Ji lan, it was purely fear induced by her martial prowess.

At the United Training School, everyone knew not to offend Feng Ye, and furthermore, not to offend Ji lan. Despite being a woman, Ji lan’s bellicosity surpassed even that of most men. If anyone provoked her, they would have to face her on the arena.

According to the school’s regulations, one couldn’t decline more than three consecutive invitations to the arena challenge. In other words, if Ji lan continuously invited, one had to accept and fight her every three days.

In the beginning, when he was young and ignorant, Meng Yan had embarrassed Ji lan in front of her. As a consequence, for an entire month, he had become Ji lan’s practice dummy. Three days of rest followed by a day of being beaten, three days of recuperation followed by a day of accumulating injuries. That month was a complete nightmare for Meng Yan. He had never felt that a month could be longer than a year.

His bitter experience served as a warning to others at the United Training School. For a long time after, the upperclassmen used his case as a cautionary tale: “See that person from the Meng family? Back in the day, he offended Jilan and was beaten for a whole month!”

Meng Yan: “…”

Now, the days at the United Training School were gone, but the shadow left by Jilan remained. Unfortunately, this time he was supporting Ji lan. Meng Yan felt a bit hollow but also a bit smug. After all, he was helping Ji lan this time! Lending a hand! Surely Ji lan would have a different view of him after this!

He thought optimistically, but the moment he entered the spatial rift, Meng Yan sensed that something was off. They were a force of thousands, fearless even against the Stone Clan’s great army. They were eager to confront the Stone Clan head-on. But what was the current situation? Not only were they not facing the Stone Clan, they hadn’t even seen a single figure. Moreover, they were veering off track. This was the usual route, but something was wrong. On top of that, they couldn’t establish communication with anyone. What on earth was happening?

“Meng Yan, are you sure you can handle this? Weren’t you the one who said you could find the way? What’s happening now?”

“Yeah, Meng Yan, Ji lan is still waiting for us. Hurry up!”

Meng Yan felt like crying but had no tears. He really wanted to hurry, but he was genuinely confused. Where was the path to the Temporal Battlefield? He flew back and forth in the spatial rift, and after a while, others also realized something was amiss.

“No way, Meng Yan, are you lost?”

Meng Yan halted and turned around, nodding helplessly, “I’ve lost my direction. It’s been too long since I’ve been here. Ji lan and the others are on the route between the Temporal Battlefield and the Orc World. Has anyone been to the Temporal Battlefield before? Please guide us.”

The hundreds of Divine Clan members exchanged glances. The Temporal Battlefield? It was a place rarely visited by the Divine Clan, so none of them had been there. They shifted their gaze toward the Dragon Clan and the Soul Clan members behind them.

For the Dragon and Soul Clans, while not many of them had been to the Temporal Battlefield, they had more experience compared to the Divine Clan. Several dozen individuals stepped forward to say they had been, but after surveying their surroundings, all of them admitted they too were lost.

A chorus of Divines: !!! So, these thousands of people were lost like this?!

Meng Yan simply couldn’t accept this fact. Seriously, he was still planning to make an impression before Ji lan. Getting lost halfway through wasn’t even a real challenge! If this news got out, he was afraid people would laugh themselves to death!

“I’ll go find the way.” Leaving these words behind, Meng Yan was about to set off on his own. However, the Divine Clan members behind him pulled him back and gestured towards the distance, saying, “Wait, there are people coming. Let’s ask for directions.”

Meng Yan looked in the direction indicated and indeed saw a small figure approaching, but their speed was extremely slow, almost like a snail’s pace. He felt impatient and decided to fly over. From a distance, he shouted, “Hey, you with the rabbit ears, do you know how to get to the Temporal Battlefield?”

Rabbit ears? Was that a reference to him?

Tu linlin, who was in the midst of eating a snack to replenish his spatial power, looked up and saw a figure rushing towards him at an incredibly fast speed. He immediately crouched down while clutching his snack, all in one swift motion. This sight left Meng Yan, who had come to a halt, slightly twitching at the corner of his mouth.

“Hey, you with the rabbit ears, I’m asking you how to get to the Temporal Battlefield?”

Since he didn’t collide with him, Tu linlin slowly lifted his head and met Meng Yan’s gaze. His heart skipped a beat. The pressure was intense. Was this another member of the Divine Clan?

He stood up, holding his snack, and shook his head. “I… I don’t know which direction the Temporal Battlefield is either.”

Meng Yan clicked his tongue in annoyance. “You don’t know either? What are we going to do now?”

Saying this, he turned to leave. At this moment, Tu linlin had noticed the densely packed crowd in the distance. His eyes lit up, and he quickly asked, “Excuse me, are you all heading to support the Temporal Battlefield?”

Meng Yan, feeling impatient, grunted and was about to leave. However, Tu linlin hurriedly said, “Sir, there’s been an incident with the spatial rift. Even those who are extremely familiar with spatial rifts can get lost right now. They can’t find the right direction at all!”

Meng Yan immediately stopped and turned to look at Tu linlin. “Are you telling the truth?”

“Of course!” Tu linlin’s expression was sincere. “Sir, if you don’t believe me, you can take a look around here. The roads in this area have completely changed.”

That was quite possible. Althou

Meng Yan frowned at the rabbit-eared youth. “Even the Divine Clan can’t figure it out, but your Three Thousand Food House can? What kind of navigation method is it? Tell me.”

“Uh,” Tu linlin looked hesitant. “This is a secret of our Three Thousand Food House. I can’t tell you.”

Meng Yan gave the rabbit-eared youth an odd look. “A secret? Don’t tell me your restaurant caused the abnormality in the spatial rift. That would explain a lot. But a mere Rabbit Clan member like you, why didn’t you seem surprised when you found out I’m a member of the Divine Clan?”

Tu linlin: “…” Surprised? He saw the head of the Feng Clan, Lord Feng Ye, every day, so he had built up an immunity to the Divine Clan, okay!

Awkwardly chuckling twice, Tu linlin could only say, “Sir, you’re joking. I see so many of you, and there are probably many members of the Divine Clan. With such a lineup, you could easily dominate in the Three Thousand Worlds. If I really had ulterior motives, I wouldn’t dare to harm you. Besides, the Stone Clan is about to attack, and all the races in the Three Thousand Worlds are working together. At this moment, I certainly hope you can reach the warriors quickly!”

That made sense. After thinking for a moment, Meng Yan nodded. “Alright, lead the way.”

Tu linlin felt relieved; he had managed to convince him.

And so, the third wave of people arrived at the Three Thousand Food House in this manner. Bai Xianzhi looked at the overcrowded hall, feeling a bit bewildered. If he counted these people, there wouldn’t be enough food in the restaurant. Should he rush to the Wutong Market to buy more? But how could he get to the Wutong Market now? The moment he stepped out of the door, he’d be at the spatial rift, and he hadn’t even seen the shadow of Wutong Lane!

Fortunately, after meeting with Ji Lan and learning about the Three Thousand Food House’s efforts, Meng Yan came to thank Bai Xianzhi. He also mentioned, “Our Divine Clan doesn’t need the food from your restaurant, and neither do these Dragon and Soul Clan members. They all have supplements with them, well-prepared.”

That was good news. Bai Xianzhi breathed a sigh of relief. In that case, he didn’t have time to chat here. Just as he was about to say he would go inside to cook, Zhuo Long returned with a few soldiers. Bai Xianzhi quickly approached, asking, “How’s it going, Zhuo Long?”

Zhuo Long smiled. “It’s going smoothly. I’ve escorted ten warriors to the fleet. These two soldiers are sent by the commander to protect me.”

Noticing the sudden addition of thousands of people in the restaurant, Zhuo Long inquired, “Boss, who are they?”

“They are reinforcements. We’ve also prepared an additional thousand portions of food here. You take… one person with you and guide these reinforcements and Lady Ji back to the fleet.” After learning that Ms. Ji was in charge of the fleet, Bai Xianzhi referred to her respectfully as “Lady Ji”. He respected someone who fought on the battlefield like her.

“I’m going!” Tu linlin stepped forward. “Zhuo Long, I’ll go with you. You can come back to the restaurant and rest afterward.”

“Let me go instead. Tu linlin, you’ve just returned. I’ve been resting in the restaurant for quite a while and had plenty of snacks. I’m full of energy!” The speaker was Ye Man. His older siblings looked at him disapprovingly. “Little Man.”

Ye Man stood firmly next to Zhuo Long. “Brother and sister, this is about our restaurant. It’s up to our boss to decide.”

The three Ye siblings turned to look at Bai Xianzhi, who hesitated. “Uh… well, Ye Man is fast and agile, which makes him suitable.”

Ye Man nodded firmly. “I promise to complete the mission, boss!”

Bai Xianzhi smiled. “When you go, please bring back a few other members of our Three Thousand Food House from the fleet.”

“Sure!”

With everything arranged, Zhuo Long took a snack and started coordinating the departure. The thousand portions of food were distributed among the several thousand reinforcements, significantly lightening Zhuo Long’s load.

As the Ye siblings prepared to leave, they looked at Bai Xianzhi and asked, “Boss, since you’re so eager to contribute, why not join us instead of sending little Man? Could it be that you’re actually a coward?”

At this moment, Ye Man was walking at the front of the group with Zhuo Long, oblivious to everything. Bai Xianzhi let out a light laugh. “If I can avoid death, of course, I’d rather not die.”

After saying this, he turned and headed back into the kitchen. Behind him, the two small figures appeared from nowhere, making faces at the three departing figures. Xiao Lu indignantly said, “Bad people bullying our dad! Bad people!”

Xiao Long went straight to the point. “Our dad helped you, and you say such things about him. You guys are bad people! You’re the ones who are cow… cowards!”

Hearing the commotion, Bai Xianzhi dashed out of the kitchen and casually said “Sorry” to the three people, then pulled the two children back into the kitchen.

By this time, the main group had almost walked away, and the three people quickly caught up, their faces filled with anger.

On the side of the Three Thousand Food House, Bai Xianzhi seemed focused on cooking, but deep inside, his thoughts were heavy. There was no way he could watch his employees take risks while he stayed behind in Three Thousand Food House. Even if he could reach the spatial rift right now, he lacked the mysterious and elusive spiritual power needed to navigate it. How could he fly and catch up? Depending on his own two legs to walk step by step, wouldn’t that just be a burden on others?

Moreover, he was somewhat fearful. Afraid that if he spent too long in the spatial rift, he might never be able to return to Wutong Lane. Even though there was no concrete evidence, he didn’t want to take the slightest risk in this matter.

After all, he was a citizen of China.

Author’s Note: Thank you to the angels who voted for me and irrigated me with nutrient solution during the period from 2020082915:00:38 to 2020083014:57:57~

Thank you to the angels who irrigated me with nutrient solution: 33 bottles from the Procrastination Late-Stage Patient, 30 bottles from Rabbit Paper Sauce, 19 bottles from Tang Xue, 10 bottles from One Fruit, Yu Lan Yu, 8 bottles from Still, 7 bottles from Pickled Vegetables, 1 bottle from Jin Xin, Shi Tian, and rgmau.

Thank you very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!