During their casual chat, the group arrived at the restaurant. Although the location wasn’t particularly great, as prime spots at the department store had long been leased out, this place wasn’t too bad either.
The restaurant was located in a corner of the third floor, but the escalators were not far away. Other than this restaurant, the surrounding area was filled with various other stores, with no other dining establishments nearby.
This restaurant could be said to dominate this corner of the mall. Its internal space was not small, judging from the decoration in the hall, which showed a generous space allocation.
Although it was meal time, for some reason or another, there weren’t many patrons in the restaurant. Feng Yuan didn’t register, but he had made a reservation using a specific app, so the server only glanced at the order number on his phone before leading the group to a private room without further questions.
"I didn’t expect the dining environment here to be quite decent; it’s a shame I haven’t eaten here before."
Surprised, Feng Yuan said as he observed the private room. Because this restaurant belonged to the department store, he thought it might be somewhat shabby, but it turned out to be unexpectedly good.
The decorations here looked like they were done within the last couple of years, and some design elements even became trendy just last year.
"The flavor is ordinary and not very competitive. Its advantage lies in the solid ingredients used. I usually don’t come because other restaurants offer better taste at the same price, which is something they can’t compete with."
Qi Chen glanced at Feng Yuan and spoke. When going out for fun, if eating outside, the priority is to find something tasty. This restaurant is neither good nor bad, and normally it wouldn’t be the first choice unless other places are too far or there’s a queue.
"Hmm... right."
With Qi Chen’s words, Feng Yuan realized he might be right. When eating out, taste is the primary consideration, while dining environment, as long as it isn’t too egregious, is just an extra.
The quality of the ingredients also shouldn’t be too poor. While Beastmasters aren’t afraid of ingredients that aren’t fresh, they wouldn’t accept being deceived, especially with Spirit Beasts by their side. Inferior ingredients, unless of the worst quality, might not show any difference.
If something nearly spoiled or mixed with random stuff is served, Spirit Beasts will surely notice immediately, and it won’t be as simple as compensating for damages.
What Qi Chen meant by solid ingredients is that the selected ingredients are of relatively high quality, not that other restaurants use inferior ones. Of course, without comparison, ingredients kept for a few days indeed aren’t fresh.
"Actually, a lot of people care about quality, so this restaurant’s revenue has always been stable."
Dou Yanlan smiled and said. She had considered opening a small restaurant with her mother, so she had gathered related information. Thus, she knew that despite not being particularly eye-catching, this restaurant’s income was actually pretty good.
Especially since stable income is an advantage for the department store. While belonging to Mao Mu Officials, it had profitability requirements, but those weren’t the sole focus.
To them, consistent revenue is much better than fluctuating profit, and it spares them the trouble of constant adjustments.
"Stable revenue? Tsk, wouldn’t have guessed."
Feng Yuan muttered, after glancing at the menu. The menu has several editions corresponding to different seasons, but the contents are similar, with only style differences.
As for ordering? You could use your phone to scan and order, or have a server come over. Naturally, Feng Yuan didn’t bother calling anyone over.
"The prices aren’t high, let me see..."
After finishing dinner, it was completely dark, and colorful lights illuminated the square outside the department store. Apart from some parents with children, not many people lingered.
Standing by the window in the private room, Feng Yuan looked at the vibrant square and the crowd having fun below and said
"Not bad, I thought there wouldn’t be many people outside at night. By the way, what about the weapons? How are you considering them?"
Turning to Qi Chen and the others, Feng Yuan noticed that unlike them, some people had already entered The Imperial Timeline to start a new round of actions. After all, obtaining the Ascension Stone through challenges wasn’t easy.
This was their last chance, at least before declaring full-scale war on the War Timeline, it was the clearest opportunity to get the Ascension Stone.
Since Qi Chen and the others hadn’t chosen their Spirit Beast yet, they naturally weren’t in a hurry to dive into The Imperial Timeline. But Feng Yuan wanted to know their thoughts, given that dealing with Mythological Remnants wasn’t easy and required exchanges.
"Well..."
After exchanging glances, Qi Chen didn’t know how to respond. Saying no might be a missed opportunity, but saying yes felt somewhat improper.
Seeing this, Feng Yuan sighed, shrugged, and said
"Alright, if you need it, let me know in advance. It’s just a small matter to me."
Speaking as he casually picked up a ticket from the table and said
"Tomorrow, I’m planning to try this out. How about you guys? Interested?"
The ticket had just been delivered by a server. According to them, it seemed like a gift from Maomu City, though Feng Yuan wasn’t sure how such a thing was connected to dining in the restaurant.
After thinking, Qi Chen looked at Dou Yanlan and shook his head at Feng Yuan and said
"No, we plan to get better acquainted with our new powers, plus we need to handle the matter of the new Spirit Beasts. We probably don’t have time to join you."
They weren’t like Feng Yuan who had no demands or, for future safety, they needed to work hard now and even take risks. Missing this chance, who knew when the next Ascension Stone might appear?
A complete Legendary Level Beastmaster team greatly impacts their overall strength, and they needed to take it seriously.
"Hmm, alright then, I’ll just go with them."
Seeing this, Feng Yuan didn’t push further. He understood the challenges Qi Chen and the others faced. He was just casually asking.
Moreover, the ticket wasn’t a rare item, just a simple tour on the Mao Mu River. Only someone as leisurely as Feng Yuan would be interested.
As for others? Very few had the time, occupied with either procuring supplies or preparing to rest or, like Qi Chen and them, planning full-scale actions on The Imperial Timeline.
There was no alternative; a single Ascension Stone couldn’t satisfy everyone, but it was key to ensuring safety through the ensuing war.
"Agunas, what about you?"
Recalling something, Feng Yuan looked at Agunas, who unlike Tamur and others, wasn’t idle. Agunas glanced at Feng Yuan and flicked its tail, saying
"I’m just a avatar, naturally following you. Are you planning something again?"
"Not at all, just asking. Things must be hectic on the United Army’s side, and I can’t be sure if you need to focus there, plus the matter of War Qichen."
"An alliance with East Continent Great Xia? For now, everyone leans that way, though not all Divine Beasts agree with full-on battles. Some dislike that approach."
Agunas didn’t elaborate much, as these were internal matters within the United Army. While Feng Yuan wouldn’t intentionally leak anything, there was no need to go into detail.
"So, it should work out?"
"Barring surprises on their end, it should. However, few nations on The Imperial Timeline are willing to negotiate."
Agunas flicked its tail, unsure of how things would develop. They hoped to avoid involving already allied nations in constant conflict, or they’d be exhausted.
There was a strong desire for peace talks within the United Army, while on The Imperial Timeline, only East Continent Great Xia and a few nations were interested, with others seemingly eager for a fight.
Agunas was a bit resigned; even it couldn’t prevent humans from waging war. If it came to it, it decided it wouldn’t involve organizing the Divine Beasts’ United Army.
"A war would still happen? Tsk, quite short-sighted. But still, haven’t the Mordan Empire long realized the outcome yet still hoped to change it?"
Feng Yuan laughed helplessly and said.

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