Taoist priest goes to America

Ang Lee stood on the balcony, his elbows resting on the cold metal railing, looking down.

The world downstairs has changed. The once quiet green lawn is now brightly lit, with dozens of white spherical lights hanging from the branches, illuminating the entire lawn as if it were daytime.

Luxury cars were slowly driving into the residential area along the driveway, their headlights casting long streaks in the twilight, their engines humming low, and they were parked neatly in the parking spaces of the residential area one after another.

Further away on the lawn, several mobile kitchens were set up, their white canvas roofs billowing in the evening breeze. Underneath, chefs were busily working, and white smoke carrying the aroma of oil and spices rose up, filling the entire night sky.

Servants in uniform black suits carried silver trays and flitted like butterflies between the lawn and apartment buildings, continuously delivering plates of exquisite food to the lobby on the first floor.

Li Andang's gaze swept over the logos of those luxury cars: Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Rolls-Royce... No wonder it's a gathering of the rich.

He turned and went back inside, fixing his appearance in front of the bathroom mirror. Li An glanced at his dark, fitted suit, and with a thought, activated [Flesh and Blood Split].

The suit was covered in dense, dark red bloodstains, and the whole garment twisted as if something was writhing beneath the fabric. The color also began to change, slowly transitioning from deep black to dark red, like blood that had been congealed for a long time, gleaming with a faint red light in the darkness of the bedroom.

Ang Lee tilted his head in front of the mirror, looked away with satisfaction, turned around, opened the door, and walked downstairs.

The liveliness on the second floor far exceeded his expectations. All the lights on the floor were on, and the huge crystal chandelier on the ceiling refracted thousands of fragments of light, casting flowing, colorful spots of light on the walls and floor.

In the dance floor in the center of the hall, well-dressed young men and women swayed to jazz music.

The men's hair was styled in a classic and elegant manner, with olive-scented hair oil applied. The women's hair was even more meticulously styled, with various perfumes wafting through their graceful curls.

Shiny black leather shoes and high-heeled dance shoes trotted on the polished solid wood parquet floor, which reflected the huge crystal chandelier. The skirts that billowed out as she spun occasionally blocked the light.

Laughter, the clinking of glasses, and the crisp sound of high heels tapping on the floor blended together. The long tables on both sides of the hall were covered with snow-white tablecloths and were filled with silver plates and glassware. Servants moved among them, constantly adding new food.

Ang Lee looked around but couldn't see Fineria, the star of the party, and the landlady didn't seem to have come out yet.

Since the main character isn't here... let's see what we're having for dinner tonight.

Ang Lee looked at the table at the banquet and drew an important conclusion from the interplay of data: this was a dinner party themed around food.

His landlady was incredibly generous, providing over fifty lobsters, their bright red shells piled up like a small mountain, their backs opened to reveal the enticingly white, translucent lobster meat.

The lobster was served with clarified butter and lemon wedges, and beyond that were roasted lamb chops, huge oysters, whole hams, and various exquisite desserts he couldn't name. The steam from the food condensed into a thin layer of mist under the chandelier.

Since the protagonist didn't come, he wouldn't stand on ceremony.

Li Andang walked to the long table, picked up an empty plate, took a few lobster claws, two pieces of lamb chops, a spoonful of creamy baked vegetables, and then took a bottle of champagne from the ice bucket next to him and poured himself a full glass.

Ang Lee found a corner spot near the window, leaned against the wall, and began to eat.

The lobster meat was tender, juicy, and sweet. Dipped in butter, each bite was bursting with rich, fatty flavor. He chewed quickly, his cheeks bulging, his gaze aimlessly sweeping over the figures spinning on the dance floor.

Then Li An felt a gaze upon him.

It was thrown from diagonally opposite the dance floor and landed hard on the back of his head.

Li Andang, with half a lobster claw in his mouth, looked up and followed the gaze. Sure enough, it was Harrington, the one Fineria had rejected countless times.

Tonight, the blond playboy changed into a burgundy velvet suit, the red suit complementing his blond hair, and the rhinestone-studded lace scarf at the collar sparkled under the crystal chandelier.

At this moment, his handsome face was contorted, his eyes fixed on Li An. He pushed aside the people talking around him and strode over, his leather shoes making a "tap-tap-tap" sound on the floor.

Harrington stopped in front of Ang Lee, looking down at the Asian man who was still chewing, a look of undisguised disgust on his lips.

"You sure have a good appetite." His voice was low, but every word was dripping with bitter anger. "You lowly pauper, you snuck in just to mooch this meal, didn't you? You think I can't see through your act of playing the victim and getting Fini's sympathy?"

After finishing the last bite of lobster meat, Ang Lee calmly swallowed it, looked up at him, and didn't say anything.

Two white men holding wine glasses gathered around, laughing as if they were enjoying the spectacle. One of them patted Harrington on the shoulder, his tone full of mockery:

"Come on, buddy, haven't you figured it out yet? Because Fini doesn't like people who smoke meth, you even gave up the meth you used to smoke with us to pursue her! You even endured the pain of foaming at the mouth for her sake."

"And the result? You still lost to this—"

The man sized Li An up and down with a disdainful look. "A beggar who popped out of some street corner?"

The other one laughed along, shrugging his shoulders: "If you ask me, you could say you've sacrificed yourself for love."

Harrington's face instantly turned a deep shade of liver, and he whirled around to his two companions, growling, "You know nothing!"

"That's true love! Ever since I met Fini, I've known she's the one for me!"

"I will only marry her in my life!" Harrington exclaimed angrily, his chest heaving violently.

"She's testing me! You understand? She's cold to all men, but I can win her over! It's just a test!"

The two white friends exchanged a glance, their faces showing a speechless expression that said, "This guy is hopeless."

Harrington took a deep breath and turned back to face Ang Lee. His eyes had changed; they had become serious.

The uncontrollable anger that had been building up was forcibly suppressed, replaced by a chilling arrogance.

He snorted and said, word by word:

"You'll lose tonight, and you'll obediently step out of Fini's arms."

"As for you?" Harrington's lips curled into a smirk. "You better watch out! I can't touch you here at Finney's place, but the moment you step outside this door and I run into you, you're in big trouble!"

After he finished speaking, he put his hands in his pockets, raised his chin, and waited for Ang Lee to show a fearful or angry expression.

Ang Lee leisurely picked up a lobster claw from the plate, cracked open the shell with a snap, pulled out the whole lobster meat inside, and put it in his mouth, chewing away.

Then he picked up his champagne glass, took a sip, and let out a satisfied sigh.

Ang Lee didn't even bother to lift his eyelids.

Harrington's lips twitched a few times, and his hands, which were in his pockets, clenched tightly. His two companions behind him couldn't help but burst into laughter, one of them turning his face away, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably.

"You...you worthless glutton!" Harrington spat out these words viciously, turned abruptly, stomped his shoe on the floor, and strode away without looking back. His two companions exchanged glances, picked up their wine glasses, and followed him.

Ang Lee turned to look at the three Harringtons walking away, used his little finger (which wasn't greasy) to hook the old white puppet off his waist, and kicked it under the dining table.

I don't have time to deal with them, I'll have Lao Bai chat with them later.

He finished the last piece of lobster meat and was about to get a lamb chop when someone suddenly patted him on the shoulder.

He turned his head and saw a familiar face—Finnelia's best friend, the blonde woman, standing beside him.

She wore a dark green velvet dress tonight, her makeup exquisite, but her face showed utter helplessness. She glanced at Li An, then at the clean plate in his hand, and shook her head speechlessly, covering her face with her hands.

"My name is Tinas," she said bluntly. "Stop eating and come with me."

"Fine is upstairs, and she's not in a good mood."

Ang Lee put down the plate and wiped his mouth with a tissue: "What happened to her?"

"Her parents couldn't make it to her birthday party, so they just called and said 'Happy Birthday' and that was it," Tinas shrugged, her tone tinged with sympathy and annoyance. "The worst part is they added that she's another year older and should find a boyfriend."

"You have no idea what her dad's tone was like, it was like he was announcing her engagement next month." Tinas turned around, glanced back at him, and said, "She's in a bad mood, didn't you know you could have taken advantage of the situation? Did I have to remind her?"

Ang Lee finished the last sip of champagne, placed the empty glass on the table, looked at the food that was still being served, and finally looked away and followed Tinas.

Tinas stopped in front of a light gray door and knocked twice.

"Fine, the person has been brought."