Chapter 720 First experience
He couldn't help but feel the saying that said fortunes and disaster went hand in hand had some truth to it. It wasn't long before he made his way to the Celestial Herb Garden.
With 80,000 high-grade spirit stones burning a hole in his pocket, he could finally enjoy the ambiance of the Celestial Herb Garden.
As per its name, the restaurant was designed to mimic a garden-like building. It was dimly lit with scarlet carp flowers providing gentle light from above, the wall and the flooring were made of star trail vine wood that coiled from the walls to the floors, with several of its branches, branching out into the tables and seats around.
Ice waterfall lianas were mixing in with the star trail vinewood at the walls. The ice waterfall lianas released a slight foggy gentle blue glow that produced a refreshing coolness around the restaurant whilst also producing the relaxing sounds of a waterfall.
Everything within the restaurant was geared to provide the ultimate comfort and scenery while enjoying good food. Yang Qing had always been unable to appreciate it because of how gorging the prices were, but now, it was like a veil had been removed from his eyes and he could appreciate the beauty of the restaurant.
It was already in the early hours of the morning, but the place was already slightly packed. Even though he didn't recognize any of them, Yang Qing could tell from their robes, that the patrons present were from the palace courts and above, with the majority of the number being those from the inner palace courts, or late-stage palace realm experts, as he had spotted a few who had indistinctive robes that had no markings or designation. Yang Qing guessed they were roaming inquisitors based on how powerful their auras were.
As he was looking around deciding where to sit, he spotted an outer core court inquisitor, wearing the same look he had the first time he stepped in here. He couldn't help but smile to himself when he saw the change in expression running through that inquisitor's face.
There was admiration and excitement at first before slight worry started to sink in when he looked around and realized the rank of the patrons who frequented the place. Yang Qing could detect the panic flare-up when the young inquisitor noticed the two domain court judges at one of the tables.
Yang Qing along with the other patrons secretly glanced at the inquisitor. The staff member went toward the table of the young inquisitor, and placed the cold leek soup in front of him, followed by the rest of the soups that were on her tray.
"So...rry but I haven't ordered this. I can't afford them.." hesitantly said the inquisitor as he pulled his seat backward with trepidation written all over his face.
The staff member smiled as she said,
"Don't worry, we are not charging you for any of this. This is your first meal, and as tradition, you get to have every single soup on the menu for free of charge."
"Buuut.."
Just as the inquisitor was about to refuse, one of the patrons spoke.
"Accept it, kid, think of it as a gift from your seniors. It's a tradition that has been there for the past 400 years. There's a special fund made by those who come here, and it's meant to cater to the first experience of those from the Order who come here. So enjoy it and work hard, so you can afford to sponsor another person just like yourself.."
The inquisitor who still looked to be hesitant stood up.
"Junior Zou Long thanks you all.." he said with solemnity in his voice.
The other patrons, laughed as they gave their opinions on which soups he should start with first, which turned into a soup debate that slowly relaxed the atmosphere.
Yang Qing took all of this in with a heartfelt smile on his face as he told himself that this was one of the reasons he liked being at the headquarters. That sense of wholesomeness that he had grown so accustomed to.