Chapter 18 - 13: Private Tutor
[Qi and Blood +0.001!]
[Mosquito Avatar Experience Points +1]
[Tracking Skill Experience Points +1!]
[Paralysis Skill Experience Points +1!]
[...]
The Mosquito Avatar had completely transformed into a ruthless reaping machine, darting through the gloomy maze of the sewers on a frenzied slaughter.
With its Bloodsucking Skill having broken past its limit, the speed of its bloodsucking became much faster. A single bite could now completely drain the Qi and Blood of a Martial Apprentice Level rat demon, to say nothing of ordinary rats.
Its hunting efficiency became incredibly high.
Rat after rat turned into a dried-out husk.
Inside his backpack, the filth-covered rat tails piled up at an astonishing rate.
In just three short hours!
The backpack on Lin Yi’s back was stuffed with heavy loot, bulging to the point of bursting and almost impossible to close.
The haul from these few hours far surpassed his total from the entire previous night.
However, at this moment, Lin Yi felt no joy from the rapid increase in his Qi and Blood. Instead, he was somewhat distracted.
’Nothing!’
’There’s absolutely nothing!’
When the Mosquito Avatar hunted the ordinary rats and the Martial Apprentice Level rats, it only ever siphoned out their Qi and Blood and nothing more.
This left Lin Yi greatly disappointed.
He had thought that once the Mosquito Avatar’s Bloodsucking Skill broke past its limit, it would immediately be able to absorb the so-called Origin. Now, it seemed he had been getting ahead of himself.
After all, the quality of these rats was too low; the chance of them containing any Origin was slim.
’For now, I should just focus on increasing my Qi and Blood and leveling up the Mosquito Avatar. I can’t be too ambitious!’
He took a deep breath of the air—which still carried a strange odor even after being filtered by his gas mask—and forced himself to calm down.
At this moment, after just a few short hours of hunting, both his main body and the Mosquito Avatar had once again seen tremendous improvement.
His Qi and Blood had already risen from 9.82 to 9.91!
And the Mosquito Avatar had also leveled up to LV9 (68/90)!
Increasing his Qi and Blood to 10.0 was now a certainty.
As for the Mosquito Avatar...
LV2 to LV4 was equivalent to a Junior Martial Disciple, LV5 to LV7 was an Intermediate Martial Disciple, and LV8 to LV10 was a Senior Martial Disciple.
’In that case, if the Mosquito Avatar can reach LV11, it will evolve into a First Grade Demon Beast!’
That goal wasn’t far off.
Lin Yi subconsciously glanced at the communicator on his left wrist.
The screen displayed the time—6:00 PM.
"It’s about time."
Lin Yi muttered to himself.
If he didn’t get ready soon, he would be late for his tutoring session.
He quickly collected the tails from a few nearby rats the Mosquito Avatar had drained, stuffing his backpack full one last time before resolutely searching for the nearest manhole cover.
He climbed up the nearest ladder.
As he pushed open the heavy manhole cover, the unique clamor of the city at dusk and the cool air filled his nostrils.
Carrying the heavy loot, Lin Yi quickly walked toward the tenement building.
Meanwhile, the Mosquito Avatar did not leave with him, but remained in the sewers to continue hunting.
After all, since he was going to a tutoring session, a wealthy family like the Zhou family was bound to have Demon Qi detectors. It was impossible for the Mosquito Avatar to go with him.
It was better to let the Mosquito Avatar continue hunting in the sewers. This way, it could still gain Experience Points for itself while also feeding Qi and Blood back to his main body.
The only downside was...
Without his main body accompanying the avatar, he couldn’t collect the tails from the hunted rats. Ten yuan per rat—that was real money, all going to waste!
In an instant, his main body and his avatar were acting in tandem.
...
Not long after, Lin Yi returned to the tenement building.
He was back in his familiar, dilapidated home.
He opened the bulging backpack.
With a rustling thud, he poured out all the loot, adding it to the previous night’s haul.
He did a quick count.
"Over five hundred ordinary rat tails, at ten yuan each... that’s more than five thousand. Eight Martial Apprentice Level rat demons, at a minimum of one hundred yuan each... another eight hundred. That’s at least six thousand yuan in total!"
As Lin Yi stared at this pile of wealth, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.
’Martial Dao Cultivation might burn through money, but a Martial Artist’s ability to earn it is far beyond what an ordinary person can imagine! And this is just from dealing with the lowest-level rat demons in the sewers...’
What if he could hunt stronger, more valuable Demon Beasts?
The thought made his heart burn with excitement.
Without delaying any further, Lin Yi rushed into the cramped bathroom and took a quick shower, washing away the fatigue and filth from a night and an afternoon of battle.
After changing into a clean but equally faded school uniform and hastily eating a few eggs for dinner, he left again. He blended into the evening city crowd and headed toward the affluent district where the Zhou family lived.
As he walked, his steps were steady and powerful, the Qi and Blood in his body surging without end.
[Qi and Blood +0.001!]
[Qi and Blood +0.001!]
[...]
Every successful blood-draining attack by the Mosquito Avatar in the sewers transformed into threads of pure energy that crossed space to continuously strengthen his muscles and bones, nourishing his physique.
’Getting stronger without even having to cultivate... This feeling is incredible!’
...
The tutoring session was from eight to ten o’clock.
At a steady jog, it would take Lin Yi forty minutes to get from the tenement building to the Zhou family’s home in the West Mountain Villa District, so he had more than enough time.
As he left the dilapidated and cramped tenement district, the streets gradually became wider and cleaner.
As he continued to run, the scenery around him quietly changed.
The low, dense residential buildings and shops were replaced by tall, modern office buildings and shopping malls.
Finally, he arrived at a tranquil area shaded by lush trees—the West Mountain Villa District.
The very air here seemed filtered, carrying with it the fresh fragrance of grass and trees.
Lining the flat, wide roads were meticulously manicured gardens and villas of various designs, each one a testament to its owner’s wealth and status.
The security was noticeably tighter here. Uniformed guards scanned passing vehicles and pedestrians with sharp eyes.
Lin Yi stopped, took a deep breath, and walked toward the Zhou family’s magnificent European-style villa.
His school uniform seemed out of place against the backdrop of luxury cars and fine clothing, but his stride was steady and his gaze was calm, showing no signs of unease.
He knocked on the heavy, carved wooden door.
Soon, a well-dressed, stern-faced, middle-aged butler opened the door.
"Lin Yi? Please come in." The butler clearly recognized him, stepping aside to let him pass. His tone was polite but distant. "The master is in his study, and the young miss is waiting for you in the Cultivation Room..."
Lin Yi nodded slightly, his voice steady. "Alright, I’ll head to the Cultivation Room now."
Half a year of tutoring here had made him perfectly familiar with the mansion’s layout; he didn’t need the butler’s guidance at all.
He stepped through the door, crossed the garden, and walked into the first-floor hall.
The living room was blindingly spacious and bright. A massive crystal chandelier refracted dazzling light. Expensive leather sofas were arranged neatly, and original oil paintings by unknown masters hung on the walls. The faint scent of sandalwood permeated the air.
All of this formed a stark contrast to Lin Yi’s small, dim rental room, which contained only old furniture and smelled of cheap disinfectant.
Without a sideways glance, Lin Yi walked straight toward the Cultivation Room on the villa’s second floor.
The moment he pushed the door open.
A wave of youthful energy washed over him.
"Teacher!" Zhou Meng shook Lin Yi’s arm, her face a picture of pride as she fished for praise. "Teacher! I placed third in our class on this exam! Aren’t I amazing?"