Chapter 23: The Rules of the Unceasing Tavern

The Infinite Restaurant is governed by many rules, and even the slightest carelessness can trigger a fatal outcome.

At a table in front of Xia Tianqiong sat a pair of young people. They looked like college students, brimming with the youthful vitality of their age. Like tourists, they sat there looking around, chatting and laughing.

"The decor here is so retro; it’s like the real thing!"

"I know, right? Even the waiter acts like a tavern server from a period drama. His acting is so good I almost thought I’d traveled back to ancient times."

"And look at those people dressed in period costumes—they must be there to set the mood. This restaurant is really interesting."

"Look at that guest at that table. Their face is deathly pale, just like a corpse. Is that special effects makeup?"

The two had skipped class today for an outing, planning to head back to campus in the evening, but they stumbled upon this restaurant halfway. Assuming it was just a uniquely themed eatery and feeling hungry, they had walked in.

As they chatted happily, the waiter served a plate of food. "Three-Fresh Meatballs. Please enjoy, guests."

The meatballs were the size of eggs, golden in color, and emitted a rich, savory aroma.

The young woman didn't wait for her boyfriend; she picked one up, took a bite, and immediately frowned. "It looks great, but the taste is mediocre."

The waiter, about to turn away, heard this and a faint glint of joy appeared on his face. "You say this dish isn't good, is that right?"

"Yeah, it's not very good."

The woman was someone with high standards for food; if something wasn't to her exact taste, she wouldn't eat it.

Beside her, her boyfriend urged, "Don't talk nonsense. If you don't like it, just don't eat it."

He would have been better off staying silent; his comment immediately caused the woman great dissatisfaction. "What's wrong with that? Can't I say it if it doesn't taste good?"

"Your palate is just too picky. I didn't think it tasted bad at all!"

The woman dropped her chopsticks, her large eyes glaring at her boyfriend.

Seeing the two on the verge of an argument, the waiter standing nearby stepped in to mediate. "Such a small matter isn't worth a quarrel. If the guests find the dish unsatisfactory, please follow me and take it up directly with the chef."

The woman stood up abruptly, seemingly venting her frustration on her boyfriend. "Fine, let's go. If it's not good, it's not good. I'll say it right to the chef's face."

"Wen Yue, why go find the chef? Let's just say I was wrong, okay? Sit back down. If you don't like it, we'll just order something else."

The boyfriend knew her well; if he didn't soften his tone now, she really would go and argue with the cook.

The woman didn't actually want to go; she just wanted an apology from her boyfriend. Hearing him concede, she prepared to sit back down. But the waiter suddenly patted her on the shoulder. "Follow me. I’ll take you to see the chef."

In an instant, the woman’s eyes went blank and her expression became vacant. She followed the waiter toward the kitchen.

The boyfriend called out to her twice, but she didn't react.

"Are you really going?"

Not realizing anything was wrong, the boyfriend assumed she had decided to go of her own volition.

The kitchen was in the center of the floor—a semi-open design, which was the only thing that didn't feel ancient. The waiter led the woman to the kitchen and whispered something to the chef, who then ushered her into a partition within the kitchen. The partition was veiled by a curtain, hiding the interior from outside view.

Though the boyfriend was still annoyed, he was uneasy, fearing his girlfriend might get into a fight with the chef, so he followed behind at a distance. He found it strange; even if they were going to argue with the chef, was there any need to go into a cramped partition?

He quickened his pace, entered the kitchen, and prepared to step into the partition. Just then, the chef walked out.

"Excuse me, sir, where is my girlfriend?"

The chef had a face full of jowls and a protruding belly that was enough to ruin anyone’s appetite. He didn't answer, but instead asked the boy, "Do you also think my cooking is bad?"

"I think it's... okay."

The boy felt uncomfortable under the chef’s cold gaze, subconsciously taking a half-step back, his voice trembling. "I... where is my girlfriend?"

"She is inside."

The chef seemed disappointed, turned back to the stove, and continued cooking.

Without hesitation, the boy pulled back the curtain and stepped into the partition.

The moment he stepped inside, the chef suddenly broke into a smile, grabbed a meat cleaver, and followed him in.

From the outside, the partition looked small, but once inside, it felt strangely vast. As soon as the boy stepped in, his eyes fell upon a row of human heads hanging on the wall, each with eyes wide open in a permanent, dying stare. His girlfriend was among them.

Under the wall stood rows of large wooden barrels containing limbs, torsos, and various organs, sorted and stored in individual containers—like ingredients prepped and waiting to be used.

The boy stood frozen in terror. Just as he was about to scream, the chef appeared behind him.

A few seconds later, the chef stepped out alone. The boy and the girl never appeared again.

Throughout the restaurant, similar events were happening in many places. Some people would take a few bites of food, suddenly vomit blood, and collapse on the table. The waiter would walk over, tap them on the shoulder, and they would follow him to the kitchen partition, never to be seen again. Others would finish their meal and try to pay, only to find they didn't have the required "Underworld Currency." Unable to pay, they were led away by the waiter and disappeared.

As time passed, the humans in the restaurant vanished one by one. The remaining guests gradually realized something was wrong. The atmosphere turned eerie, and some attempted to sneak out of the restaurant.

Xia Tianqiong’s table was already covered in various dishes, and he was eating heartily when two people crouched low and scurried past him. It was the same couple he had seen at the entrance.

The man recognized Xia Tianqiong. "Buddy, stop eating! The food is poisoned. I just saw someone vomit blood after eating it."

"Then he must have eaten something he wasn't supposed to."

Xia Tianqiong remained calm, his chopsticks moving rhythmically as he continued to eat. Those who had vomited blood had likely consumed "Ghostly Dishes" intended only for spirits. He had also ordered Ghostly Dishes, but instead of eating them, he stored them in his Mirror Space to feed the four spirits within.

The food and wine here, whether for humans or spirits, possessed one very special effect: the potential to grant a "Ghost Art." This was the very reason the Infinite Restaurant was so sought after by all Ghost Hunters and spirits. However, the probability was extremely low; whether one could awaken a Ghost Art depended entirely on luck.

The man, seeing that Xia Tianqiong didn't care at all, continued, "This restaurant is bizarre. So many people have already disappeared. I even heard the waiter demanding Underworld Currency. We’ve probably run into a haunt—let’s get out of here!"

Xia Tianqiong looked at him, thinking it was kind of the man to warn others while trying to escape himself. "You won't be able to escape. I suggest you go back to your seats and order more food. Even if you're going to die, you might as well die a well-fed ghost."

"Are you crazy? *You* be the well-fed ghost!" The woman glared at Xia Tianqiong and pulled the man away. "Why do you care about them? Our own survival is what matters."

"I just thought that if we run into trouble, having another companion would mean more strength!"

The two crouched low, using the tables as cover, and crept toward the restaurant entrance. Suddenly, the waiter appeared in their path. No one knew what was said, but the waiter tapped them on the shoulder, and they followed him into the kitchen partition, never to emerge again.

Watching from a distance, Xia Tianqiong shook his head slightly and continued to eat.

The Infinite Restaurant had many rules. It wasn't just ordinary people who didn't understand them; even the Ghost Hunters of his past life had often perished here.

Sitting at a table one row behind Xia Tianqiong were Bai Yichen and Bai Jingjing. They had debated for a long time before ordering six dishes, as the prices were so high they couldn't afford more.

Bai Jingjing ate in large mouthfuls, ignoring her manners, and complained, "A plate of shredded potatoes costs two thousand Underworld Notes? It’s daylight robbery."

A scruffy little dog lay at the corner of the table, gnawing on a massive pork knuckle.

"The food and wine here have a tiny chance of bestowing a Ghost Art, so the high price is justified," Bai Yichen said, happily eating a braised pig's trotter. "I’ve heard of people spending millions here, eating for a whole year, only to awaken a completely useless Ghost Art. We shouldn't get our hopes up too high."

While eating, the two kept a close watch on Xia Tianqiong, waiting for him to trigger a rule so they could swoop in and play the hero. But after waiting for a long time, while many others had triggered rules and been led away by the waiter, he remained firmly seated, having triggered nothing.

Finally, they decided to approach him directly and state their purpose.

As Xia Tianqiong was eating and drinking, the man and woman walked over. They were dressed in exquisite, high-end clothing that looked custom-made. Standing there, they possessed a unique aura that marked them as anything but ordinary.

The man spoke up: "Friend, you've ordered so much food—do you have the money to pay for it?"

"What is that to you?" Xia Tianqiong replied coldly.

Bai Yichen wasn't offended and continued to probe, "You need Underworld Currency to pay here. Without it, people die."

"Thanks for the tip, though someone already told me." Xia Tianqiong’s expression remained unchanged, entirely indifferent.

Bai Yichen and Bai Jingjing exchanged glances. It seemed this man possessed a certain amount of Underworld Currency and understood some of the rules, otherwise, he wouldn't be so calm.

Bai Jingjing suddenly smiled, a charming and radiant expression. "Let me introduce ourselves. We are from the Bai Ghost-Hunting Family. I am Bai Jingjing, and this is Bai Yichen. We know you have contracted spirits—more than one, in fact—and we came specifically to invite you to join the Bai family."

The authorities referred to them as "Ancient Families," but they preferred to call themselves "Ghost-Hunting Families."

Xia Tianqiong’s expression remained steady, though his pupils constricted slightly. He had thought the first to find him would be the Ghost Affairs Administration, not the Bai family, one of the eight Ancient Families.

"How did you find me?"

"If someone tells us your name, we can find you." Bai Jingjing stroked the scruffy dog in her arms.

Xia Tianqiong glanced at it and suddenly understood. The sensation of being called by his name earlier had come from this dog-like spirit, which possessed a tracking Ghost Art.

"I’ve never heard of any Ghost-Hunting Family, and I have no interest in joining you. Please leave."

The Ancient Families were not good people. In the early days of the spirit descent, they had helped the authorities maintain order and actively hunted spirits. But by the middle period, when the authorities were bogged down by the sheer volume of spirits, these families had carved out their own territories, enslaved countless citizens to produce Underworld Currency for them, and even worse, used humans to feed their spirits.

In his past life, Xia Tianqiong had been frequently bullied and exploited by these families. He was planning to find an opportunity to take revenge in this life; there was no way he would join them.