I reign supreme in the Western fantasy world for eternity.

"Hiccup~~ Master, I really can't eat anymore."

Lilith slumped in her chair, with six empty plates, three empty cups, two empty bowls, and an apple that she had half-eaten and could no longer fit in front of her.

She clutched her stomach, her long, silvery-white hair cascading down the back of the chair. She looked like a cat that had been overfed, too weak to even move a finger.

A fierce internal war is raging in my stomach—mini cake pies and pudding pies are locked in a fierce battle, while egg tarts are watching the spectacle from the sidelines, and cream puffs have been pushed to the edge of my esophagus, ready to make their escape at any moment.

Ji Tian sat opposite him, with only a cup of tea that had gone cold in front of him.

Even someone as powerful as Ji Tian no longer needs food to sustain his vital signs, so in order to maintain his superior demeanor in front of his disciples, he simply chooses not to eat.

"When you left, you said you wanted to eat cupcakes, egg tarts, egg rolls, pudding, cream puffs, macarons, sandwiches..." He listed the items one by one, his tone as calm as if he were reciting a martial arts mantra. "I ordered them all. But you only ate less than ten percent of them."

"That's because—" Lilith's voice floated up from the table, weak and listless, like a dried-out salted fish making its last struggle, "I thought each item would only be a bite-sized portion... who knew you would order by the head... I thought it would be those 'delicate little snacks,' one bite at a time, so I could elegantly wipe my mouth after finishing..."

"I didn't know much about your race's appetite. Now it seems I overestimated you."

Lilith buried her face in her arms and let out a muffled wail.

She felt that in her master's eyes, she was probably not a person, but a potentially super fat pig.

---

The Golden Acorn restaurant is the largest, most expensive, and most prestigious restaurant in Cold City.

White tablecloths, silver cutlery, crystal chandeliers, even the waiters carrying plates wore crisp white shirts and impeccably tied bow ties, walking with a swagger, more stylish than some impoverished nobles.

When Ji Tian walked in with a silver-haired girl wrapped in a cloak, the waiter at the door hesitated for a moment, but still respectfully led them inside—most adventurers were generous spenders, and even if a few wanted to dine and dash, they were not people a lowly waiter like himself could afford to offend.

Since Lilith left the Demon Realm, she had never been treated so politely.

After running for more than half a year, the most luxurious food she had ever eaten was half a loaf of bread she found on the roadside—it was cold and hard enough to kill a goblin.

Once, she found an apple that had been bitten and thrown away next to a trash can in a small town. She picked it up, wiped it, and ate it, finding it to be a delicacy.

Looking back now, that was probably the peak of her life as a fugitive.

Looking at the menu with dishes she never dared to dream of—baked lobster with vanilla cheese, truffle mushroom soup, honey roasted pigeon, crème brûlée, tiramisu, macaron tatami—she felt tears welling up in her eyes.

"Order whatever you want," Ji Tian said, his tone as casual as if he were saying, "The weather's nice today."

She tentatively ordered a small cake. Her voice was very soft, like she was doing something sneaky.

Ji Tian sighed softly and handed the menu to the waiter, "One of everything on the menu."

Lilith thought she had misheard.

The waiter also thought he had misheard.

"Oh, that must have cost a lot of money, sir."

"One of each, please." Ji Tian repeated, taking out a bag of gold coins from his Purple Mansion space and placing it on the counter.

The sound of the bag of gold coins landing on the table was heavy, carrying a metallic quality that conveyed the message, "Don't judge a book by its cover."

The waiter's expression immediately changed from doubt to enthusiasm, and then from enthusiasm to piety. He bowed lower than the welcome mat at the door and invited them to move to the best spot by the window—a spot with good lighting, a great view, and a view of the street, a favorite photo spot for aristocratic ladies.

Then Lilith began the happiest and most painful meal of her life.

The good thing was that everything was so delicious she wanted to cry.

The little cake melted in your mouth, the cream as light as a cloud; the egg tart's crust was so crisp you could hear a "crunch," and the filling was sweet but not cloying; the pudding was so smooth it seemed to be made with angel tears, trembling slightly when touched with a spoon, as if it were flirting with you.

The painful thing is that she simply couldn't finish it all.

First plate: Delicious!

Second plate: So delicious!

Third plate: I'm a little full...

Fourth round: Master, can I take a break?

Fifth set: I felt like my stomach was elbowing my brain like crazy.

Sixth plate: Ugh, Lilith has turned into a salted fish that can only mechanically chew!

Her soul had flown to the ceiling, looking down at her body as it continued to stuff things into its mouth, as if watching a horror movie.

"You can eat slowly," Ji Tian said, taking a sip of his tea. "No rush. Cultivation is about gradual progress, and so is eating."

Lilith lay on the table, her face pressed against the cool surface, like a piece of butter melted in the sun.

There were seven or eight untouched plates in front of her, the cakes, puddings, and cream puffs glistening temptingly under the light, like a group of little fairies in gorgeous dresses beckoning to her and saying, "Come eat me, come eat me!"

There was longing in her eyes—a cry from the soul.

But her stomach was already protesting vehemently—it was a physical act of defiance.

"Master," her voice muffled, seeping from between her arms like a ghostly whisper from underground, "do you have some misunderstanding about 'eating'? In your human understanding, 'eating' and 'force-feeding' should be two different concepts, right?"

"no."

"Then why did you order so much, and not eat any yourself?"

"Because you said you wanted to eat but were too embarrassed to order, while with my level of self-control, I can survive without eating at all."

In fact, with Ji Tian's current level of cultivation, he can indeed sustain his life without eating or sleeping. However, eating allows him to maintain the mental anchor that "his roots are still those of a mortal," preventing him from slowly losing his humanity in pursuit of the Great Dao, disregarding human life, and becoming a villain in online novels.

"You just order everything I want?!" Lilith jerked her head up, then slumped back down, dizzy from the sudden movement. "If I said I wanted some small cakes, a normal person would buy one! Two at most! Three would be considered spoiling! Nobody's going to empty the whole cake shop, okay?!"

Most of their consciousness was directed by Ji Tian to deduce the "Heart Demon Tribulation," so it took them quite a while to think about the problem.

He used the little mental energy he had left behind to think for a moment.

I've hardly ever treated anyone to a meal since I was a child.

The disciples of the Wind Spirit Moon Shadow Sect are either from wealthy families like Elena, who don't need him to invite them; or they are orphans picked up from the roadside, who only need a bite to eat.

This is the first time I've ever sat down in a restaurant and ordered food in such a formal manner.

"I guess so."

Lilith took a deep breath and said in an "I finally understand" tone, "Master, that's not how you invite people to dinner. You have to ask them what they want to eat, how much they want, and if it's enough—not just bring out the whole menu. That will make them stuffed."

"You didn't die from overeating."

"I almost did!" Lilith slammed her hand on the table in grief and anger, causing the empty plates on the table to bounce and make a crisp clinking sound. Several customers at the surrounding tables turned to look at her, their gazes filled with curiosity, sympathy, and a subtle hint of disdain, as if to say, "Is this girl a reincarnated starving ghost?"

She immediately withdrew her hand, slumped back onto the table, buried her face in her arms, and let her long, silvery-white hair fall across the table.

"...Master, you don't have to fulfill some of my impolite requests anymore. I just like to talk."

"I'll consider it."

"Could you take back what you just said?"

"cannot."

"Why!"

"Because words spoken are like water spilled. Those who cultivate the Dao should treat their sect's disciples with the law, and their words should not be changed."

"Is this how you use 'words become law'?!" Lilith raised her head in indignation, then slumped back down, dizzy from the sudden movement. "And what you did wasn't 'words become law,' it was 'utterly ridiculous'! If word got out, outsiders would think our Wind Spirit Moon Shadow Sect runs a comedy troupe!"

Ji Tian looked at the silver-haired hamster in front of him, which had curled up into a ball—its fur was standing on end, its shoulders were hunched, and it was curled up on the chair like a crumpled glutinous rice ball.

His lips twitched almost imperceptibly. 'A crosstalk theater? There are some in the Demon Realm too? Oh well, I'll find out later.'

He picked up his teacup and turned his gaze to the window.

Golden sunlight streamed onto the cobblestone streets of Cold, where pedestrians came and went, and a few children chased after a large, fat cat.

The flags on the distant city wall fluttered in the wind, making a rustling sound.

Then he saw several familiar figures.