Joe Di was making headlines in Cauldron Haven for the third time—more specifically, his Starlight Teahouse was.
After breaking both of Gray's legs—the manager of Fortune Resthaven—the vice-mayor of Cauldron Haven, Gavin Jet, personally came to apologize and compensated with two million Liberty Points.
The reputation of Starlight Tea spread throughout Cauldron Haven—not just because its proprietor Joe Di was famous, but because the tea itself was truly exceptional.
All the major powers in Cauldron Haven, including the heads of various sects, were extremely fond of Starlight Tea. In this universe, if someone served you Starlight Tea, it meant they were genuinely hospitable.
Unfortunately, the daily supply of Starlight Tea was limited and always sold out. Except on opening day, each person could only buy one box at a time.
Just as Aaron Jace said, the way Starlight Teahouse made money was even faster than robbing.
Everyone knew Starlight Tea was outstanding—some even called it the best tea—but no one dared covet it. Gray, the manager of Fortune Resthaven, was a cautionary tale.
Huang Yetian, who had been keeping an eye on Joe Di, quietly left Cauldron Haven after learning that Joe Di was allied with Aaron Jace, the Young Lord of Star Demon Palace—and had even humiliated Vice-mayor Gavin Jet. No matter how bold he was, he wouldn’t dare provoke Aaron Jace.
His daughter’s death could only be chalked up to bad luck; if he had to blame someone, it would be Starspire Apothecary.
Starspire Apothecary wasn’t faring much better. After discovering Joe Di was allied with Aaron Jace, Sterling Ren, the head of Starspire Apothecary, grew anxious—worried that one day Joe Di would learn of their past scheming and Aaron Jace would stand up for him.
"Big brother, you’re amazing! I almost couldn’t help but kill that fat guy on the spot. I never thought you’d manage to earn two million Liberty Points from it." Aaron Jace admired Joe Di greatly. He was not very cunning—otherwise, he wouldn’t have been betrayed by his own friends in the past.
He could feel that Joe Di truly regarded him as a friend, not because his father was Marlon Jace, the master of Star Demon Palace. Now that he had a friend like Joe Di, he didn’t need to use his brain—he could leave that to Joe Di.
Whenever he needed to step up, he’d just shout, "I’m calling my dad!"
"If we were stronger, I wouldn’t let Gavin Jet off so easily for less than twenty million Liberty Points." Joe Di snorted.
He got his compensation and vented his anger, but it didn’t really make him feel much better. After all, it wasn’t thanks to his own strength. Although he’d never met Marlon Jace, he could guess Marlon Jace wouldn’t be particularly fond of him.
"Big brother, didn’t I say I’d call my dad? Just ask for what you want. If Vice-mayor Jet refuses, I’ll get my dad over here," Aaron Jace said hurriedly.
Joe Di sneered, "You’d better not mention your dad in every situation. I have a feeling your guess about him is right."
"Ah..." Aaron Jace was stunned.
Joe Di patted Aaron Jace on the shoulder. "If I’m not mistaken, your father knows you’re beyond saving. Otherwise, why would he keep your mother imprisoned? And he hasn’t supervised your cultivation all these years—it’s as if he’s given up on you. With someone like your father, he’s bound to have a successor, so your guess is correct: you probably have a younger brother. Too bad your father won’t let you know about him."
Right now, you can use your father to threaten people—as long as your life isn’t in danger, he probably won’t intervene. That’s exactly why I couldn’t demand too much compensation from Vice-mayor Jet. If things got ugly, your father might not even show up.
The reason Joe Di didn’t demand too much compensation from Vice-mayor Jet was that he suspected Aaron Jace no longer held much status in his father’s eyes. At best, Marlon Jace simply wouldn’t let others bully him.
Otherwise, Marlon Jace would have already found a way to help Aaron Jace rebuild his cultivation, rather than let him run wild. He certainly wouldn’t have allowed Aaron Jace to come to Cauldron Haven. The idea that Aaron could escape from an Immortal Emperor’s custody was laughable.
A flash of pain appeared in Aaron Jace’s eyes. He wasn’t stupid—he knew Joe Di was right. He’d been abandoned by his father. In truth, he’d always known, but he just didn’t want to admit it.
"Big brother, what should I do now?" Aaron Jace asked, lost.
He was much older than Joe Di, but compared to Joe Di’s experiences, he was worlds behind.
Joe Di snorted, "This might not be a bad thing for you. All these years under your father’s protection, what have you gained? You’ve only learned to eat, drink, and gamble. Now that your father wants a new heir, you should pull yourself together—show him one day that he was wrong not to choose you. Besides, you’re old enough to stop wasting your life. Even your mother is imprisoned and you can’t do anything about it. That’s unfilial."
Aaron Jace clenched his fists. When his mother was first imprisoned, he didn’t understand. Later, when he realized he’d been set up, he was just lying to himself. Now Joe Di had torn off the bandage. If his father wanted a new heir, remembering his mother was locked away would be a miracle.
"It’s not such a big deal. Now that this place is safe, I doubt anyone will be foolish enough to cause trouble here again. I’ll detoxify you soon. From now on, do as I say and focus on cultivation. I believe one day you’ll have more to say than just ‘I’ll call my dad.’ That’s nothing to be proud of, so don’t keep saying it." Joe Di truly regarded Aaron Jace as a friend—otherwise, he wouldn’t have said all this.
"Big brother, I’ll listen to you. From now on, I’ll stick with you," Aaron Jace said without hesitation.
……
Billions of miles away from Cauldron Haven, in the Star Demon Palace on Magic Garment Immortal Continent, a middle-aged man in a purple robe sat on a wide, pitch-black chair. Below him stood a black-clad cultivator, and beside him sat a young blonde boy who looked quite youthful.
The middle-aged man fixed his gaze on the black-clad cultivator and said coolly, "You’re saying Aaron is running a shop in Cauldron Haven and made Gavin Jet lose face?"
The black-clad man hurriedly bowed and replied respectfully, "Yes, Palace Master. The Young Lord and a third-grade Immortal Pill Master named Joe Di partnered to open a teahouse, selling a special kind of immortal spirit tea. The Young Lord even calls Joe Di ‘Big Brother’—they’re very close."
Clearly, this man was Aaron Jace’s father—Marlon Jace, Palace Master of Star Demon Palace and a seventh-tier Immortal Emperor.
"Hmph, that little pill master is quite bold—to dare be my son’s ‘Big Brother.’" Marlon Jace snorted.
"Should we bring him in?" the black-clad man asked respectfully again.
Marlon Jace waved his hand. "No need. You may go now."
As for what kind of immortal spirit tea Aaron was selling, or how popular it was, Marlon Jace didn’t even ask. In his eyes, a little pill master’s tea was hardly worth mentioning.
"Yes, sir." The black-clad man retreated and quickly left the hall.
"Father, Big Brother is unbelievable. The Star Demon Palace bloodline is so noble, yet he actually recognizes a rogue cultivator as his Big Brother. It’s simply…" The young blonde boy frowned and muttered.
Marlon Jace sighed. "Forget it. Aaron doesn’t have much time left—let him do as he wishes."
After a pause, Marlon Jace spoke more gently. "Your big brother is finished, Cheng’er. Your cultivation has already surpassed his, but with your current level, you’re still far from making a mark at the Dao Discussion on Magic Garment Immortal Continent’s Magic Garment Mountain. For now, focus on closed-door cultivation in the Stardemon Pool and strive to reach the Immortal King realm soon."
"Yes, Father. I understand," the blonde boy replied obediently.
……
In the second-floor cultivation chamber of Starlight Teahouse, Joe Di had already probed Aaron Jace’s meridians and sea of consciousness with his divine sense. At this moment, Aaron had no secrets in front of Joe Di.
But Joe Di frowned, sensing trouble. Aaron’s poisoning had lasted too long. Even with his experience with golden Dao principles and deep research into foundational laws, he couldn’t pinpoint where the lust poison was. Or rather, the poison was completely invisible and intangible—impossible to find.
"Big brother, is there a problem?" Seeing Joe Di frown, Aaron Jace asked nervously.
Joe Di sighed. Too bad he didn’t have the golden Dao principles anymore. If he tried the old method, his chances of success wouldn’t exceed fifty percent.
"I do have a new method that can remove the lust poison with one hundred percent certainty—it’s just…"
Joe Di hadn’t finished speaking when Aaron Jace decisively said, "As long as it doesn’t kill me, big brother, just go ahead and do it."
Joe Di nodded. "It won’t kill you, but my method involves burning you bit by bit with flames—including your flesh, bones, and even your sea of consciousness…"
Aaron Jace shuddered. That sounded terrifying.
(That’s all for today’s update. Good night, friends!)