Era of Mist

’This little bit of food isn’t nearly enough for me.’

But looking at Zhou Nan across from him, he couldn’t just take advantage of such an enthusiastic and kind classmate.

’So...’

Shi Tiexin scanned the cafeteria, searching for another opening. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. ’Got it!’

"Let’s go." Shi Tiexin picked up his tray and started walking. Zhou Nan didn’t understand, but he obediently followed. Seeing Shi Tiexin move with such clear, unhesitating purpose, Zhou Nan couldn’t help but sneak a curious glance and immediately understood his target.

It was Teng Chaoguo’s four lackeys!

The four lackeys, bruised, swollen, and utterly dejected, were crammed at a single table. Previously, the area around their table would have been clear for at least two meters in every direction, with no one daring to share it. Now, however, the four of them were just squeezed in among the crowd. The intimidating Evil Qi of the Clean Street Tiger seemed to have vanished into thin air.

Teng Chaoguo wasn’t there.

Of course he wasn’t. With a reputation like "Teng Heniao," how could he possibly show his face in public? In fact, Teng Chaoguo had vanished even from his own lackeys. The four of them had no idea where he’d gone or what he was planning to do. They just sat miserably in the cafeteria, obediently eating their meal. Some of them, whose teeth still ached, winced and clutched their jaws, their faces a mask of misery.

Just then, someone walked over and, with a CLANG, slammed a tray down on the table between them.

The four lackeys flared up in anger. They were about to turn and curse out of habit, but when they looked up, they saw a nightmarish figure.

It was Shi Tiexin.

And following behind him was Zhou Nan.

"Y-y-y-you—!" The four of them were so scared they nearly jumped out of their seats. They were both shocked and confused, having no idea what this madman was planning to do in the middle of the cafeteria.

’Boss, we know we messed with you before, and badly at that. But you can’t be telling us that throwing Teng Chaoguo in the soup wasn’t enough to blow off steam. You’re not thinking of dunking us in the soup vats too, are you? We’re still in the cafeteria! Think of the spectacle, Boss!’

The four lackeys’ train of thought was quite similar to Zhou Nan’s, but Shi Tiexin paid them no mind. After setting down his tray, he saw that all four of them had stood up, so he sat down imperiously on one of the empty stools. He said nothing, simply sweeping his gaze over the four of them before suddenly reaching out and pulling their trays in front of him.

’These four punks... they seem to have extorted me before... Let me think. They used to corner me just so they could eat the special luxury meals from the elite class... And they did it three times a day!’

’For these bastards, what’s a single beating? How many times did they beat me in the past? And how should we account for all the delicious food they extorted from me?’

’So, today, forget everything else. First, I’m going to collect the interest on behalf of my other consciousness!’

’Other consciousness, just watch. I’ll make them spit out every last thing they took from us!’

Without a shred of courtesy, Shi Tiexin picked up a piece of meat. With a CRUNCH of his gleaming white teeth, he bit off the lean part completely. Before he even chewed or swallowed, with a SLAP, the remaining fatty portion was tossed back onto their respective trays.

The four lackeys and the nearby Zhou Nan were all dumbstruck, standing around Shi Tiexin like underlings waiting on a mob boss. The four of them were at a loss, their hearts aching as they watched Shi Tiexin tear through all the lean meat like a whirlwind, tossing all the fatty bits back.

In the blink of an eye, the trays were a complete mess.

But the four of them didn’t dare to move. They didn’t even dare to speak.

They were truly beaten into submission by Shi Tiexin. It wasn’t that they were horribly injured—they weren’t missing any arms or legs, after all. But Shi Tiexin’s forceful, domineering aura had shaken them to their very core. How could they possibly dare to act up?

Now, they felt a profound sense of karmic destiny, as if the Celestial Dao itself was coming full circle. A bully had met an even bigger bully; a bad guy had run into an even worse guy. The four of them had never felt so wronged and helpless in their lives.

The four looked pathetic, but Shi Tiexin showed no mercy.

Eating only meat wouldn’t do; a balanced diet was essential. Shi Tiexin picked up some green vegetables with his chopsticks, glanced at the heavy grease on them, then swished them in the four lackeys’ soup bowls as if rinsing them in a hotpot. Only then did he pop them into his mouth, crunch them up, and swallow.

’It’s not that I, Old Tie, am a picky eater. It’s just that this sort of thing requires finesse. Too much grease is bad for cultivating my essence.’

’As they say, one can never be too refined in their dining. A key feature of an essence-cultivating diet is refinement—extreme refinement. If you want to cultivate your essence quickly, you have to eat like this.’

’And the quantity has to be there, too.’

So, Shi Tiexin once again picked up a large clump of vegetables and dunked them in the soup bowls. The four lackeys’ faces twitched as they watched grease slicks spread across their soup, utterly speechless.

Chopstickful after chopstickful, Shi Tiexin ate with incredible speed. In just a few moments, he put down his chopsticks and let out a long breath.

’Hm, not bad. It’ll do.’

’But I can’t just have one good meal and then nothing. This needs to be a sustainable, long-term arrangement. So...’ Shi Tiexin stood up, looked at the four of them, and stated in a forceful tone that brooked no argument, "Every meal. Right here." He jabbed a finger at the table, glared at them like a wild beast, and emphasized, "Every. Meal."

The four lackeys’ eyes went wide.

’I... I... I...’

Ignoring their reaction, Shi Tiexin turned and left with a cool, decisive stride, apparently leaving the task of clearing the trays to them. The four lackeys, plus Zhou Nan, made five people in total, all just staring blankly as Shi Tiexin walked out of the cafeteria. Only after his tall figure had vanished through the doors did the four of them snap out of it.

They... had just been... extorted?!

Zhou Nan’s expression was the most complicated. ’Tough. There’s no denying this guy is seriously tough. He was tough from the first moment I saw him, and he’s even tougher now.’

’However, one mountain can’t hold two tigers. Class 1-28 can only have one boss. You can’t become one of the Four Celestial Kings by being someone’s lackey.’ Zhou Nan mulled it over and concluded that it was impossible for Shi Tiexin to have discovered his scheme. Otherwise, his fate wouldn’t be like this—his own food tray was still completely untouched.

’So, I can keep stabbing people in the back.’

"Looks like you guys are going to be meal tickets for the long haul." Zhou Nan shot the four a sidelong glance, truly feeling the shift in the balance of power. Not long ago, these guys were swaggering in front of him, acting like they were untouchable. Now, who even cared about them?

Four stray dogs gathered together are still just a pack of stray dogs.

"You mother—!" The four of them slammed the table, about to roar in fury.

But Zhou Nan immediately spat in disdain. "What, am I wrong? Did you hear what that guy said? Every meal, you have to be here to make your offering. You dare not to show up?"