The Entry-plundering Demon Hunter

"Come on, kid, eat up!"

"Try some of Elder He’s handiwork. I guarantee you’ll never forget the taste!"

The Old Beggar, who was in the middle of ravenously slurping down his own noodles, looked up and urged him on.

Lin Yi smiled and nodded, picking up his chopsticks and starting to eat.

The moment a few mouthfuls of noodles went down his stomach...

It was as if balls of intense fire had just exploded inside his body.

They then transformed into streams of scorching gas.

They coursed rapidly through his body.

Everywhere they passed, a sharp, violent pain followed.

It felt as if his tendons were being ripped out and his bones were being scraped.

In an instant, cold sweat beaded on Lin Yi’s forehead and streamed down his face.

When the Old Beggar and Elder He saw Lin Yi’s pained expression, neither of them said a word.

They just watched him quietly.

Fortunately, the excruciating pain didn’t last long, only a dozen or so seconds.

"Hooo..."

Lin Yi exhaled a turbid breath.

The intense pain dissipated along with it.

’This is...’

Lin Yi looked down at the noodles in his bowl.

He had eaten plenty of Demon Beast Meat before.

But he had never eaten any this potent. The sheer agony was seared into his memory.

"Talk about lucky! This is 5-star Demon Beast meat. Packs a punch, doesn’t it?"

"It’s good for you. Hurry up and eat it all. Don’t leave any soup behind!"

"This will temper your body and refine your Qi and Blood. The benefits are endless!"

After saying his piece, the Old Beggar lowered his head and continued to eat.

However, when Lin Yi heard that these noodles were made with 5-star Demon Beast meat...

The expression on his face froze.

He remembered Tang Qinru telling him that a dish cooked with 2-star Demon Beast Meat cost over a hundred thousand.

A 3-star would be several hundred thousand.

’Wouldn’t a bowl of noodles like this, made with 5-star meat, cost over a million?’

The effect was indeed potent, but spending over a million on a bowl of noodles could no longer be described as mere luxury.

That was practically throwing money away.

Besides, he’d said he was treating the Old Beggar to noodles...

’Is he going to have to empty his pockets for this?’

Elder He seemed to read Lin Yi’s mind. He smiled and said, "My boy, this bowl of noodles is on the house today!"

"If you want to eat here again, just come by yourself. Don’t come with this Old Beggar. He’s bad news!"

Hearing this, Lin Yi looked up at Elder He.

His eyes were filled with gratitude. Elder He had just saved him over two million, maybe more.

He quickly thanked him, but Elder He just waved his hand.

"Hurry up and eat. It won’t be as good when it’s cold!"

With that, Elder He turned and walked toward the back.

The Old Beggar glanced up, stealing a few peeks at Lin Yi.

He couldn’t help but let out a stifled chuckle before lowering his head to continue eating.

This was, without a doubt, the most expensive bowl of noodles Lin Yi had ever had in his life.

When he had finished every last drop of the soup...

The sense of satisfaction was indescribable.

As for the refinement of his Qi and Blood that the Old Beggar had mentioned, he didn’t feel much of a difference.

After all, he had already purified it before using the Star River Qi Transformation Technique.

The effect was certainly not as noticeable as it would have been otherwise.

However, Lin Yi’s physical attributes had indeed improved.

His strength and senses had changed to varying degrees.

"Finished?"

After Lin Yi put down his bowl, the Old Beggar watched him while picking his teeth.

Lin Yi nodded. "Finished. It was delicious!"

"Of course it was! Don’t look at me as just a beggar. I have a very picky palate. I only eat the finest delicacies!"

"We only have a few decades on this earth. Why make things hard for yourself?"

"Eat when you should eat, drink when you should drink. You have to live freely, right?"

"By the way, I’ve got a book for you. How about it? I’ll even give you a twenty-percent discount. Yours for the low price of one thousand, eight hundred and eighty-eight. What do you say?"

If Lin Yi hadn’t already gotten to know the Old Beggar a little...

And if this meeting hadn’t convinced him that the man was anything but ordinary...

Anyone else saying this to him would have been immediately branded a ’scammer’.

He nodded. "What book?"

Hearing this, the Old Beggar grinned and pulled a book from his robes.

It looked just like the others he sold, like some kind of martial arts manual from a wuxia novel.

But the pages were brand new, as if it were a fake straight from the printing press.

Lin Yi took it and glanced at the cover.

The three words "Purifying Heart Technique" were written on it.

Lin Yi’s brow furrowed. "This is?"

"Can’t you see the words on it? You don’t recognize them?"

"This Purifying Heart Technique is a Heart Method for clearing your mind of distracting thoughts and steadying your spirit. You should memorize the whole thing and recite it to yourself whenever you have a spare moment!"

"Recite it while you walk, recite it while you eat, even recite it while you’re on the toilet..."

After listening to his introduction, Lin Yi nodded.

"Alright, I’ll take it!"

He then took out two thousand yuan from his Storage Ring.

He handed it to the Old Beggar and said, "Keep the change. The rest is for you to have some tea on me!"

"Alright, you’re a stand-up kid! You’ll definitely make a fortune and have great luck in the future..." The Old Beggar pocketed the money, his face wreathed in smiles as he showered Lin Yi with a few more compliments.

Lin Yi put away the Purifying Heart Technique.

"Elder, it’s getting late. I should be heading back!"

"Please thank Elder He for me for the noodles!"

Hearing this, the Old Beggar waved his hand dismissively.

"It’s nothing, nothing at all..."

Lin Yi smiled, nodded, and stood up to leave the small courtyard.

Not long after.

When Elder He came out from the back, he found that Lin Yi was gone.

Only the Old Beggar was sitting there, one foot propped on a chair, picking his teeth.

"The kid left?"

"Yeah, he went back!" the Old Beggar nodded.

Elder He sighed softly. "Are you certain he’s the future Martial God?"

At this, the Old Beggar shot him a look.

"What, you don’t trust my calculations anymore?"

"It’s not that I don’t trust you, it’s just that the kid seems to have too much pressure on his shoulders.

He looks so weighed down by his worries..." Elder He sighed again.

In response, the Old Beggar glanced at him.

"Alright, since when did you get so sentimental? Last night, the Demon Hunting Bureau and the Martial Arts Alliance fought a battle on Wushan against Blood Drop and those Demon Beasts!"

"A lot of people died, and some of them were his friends. Of course he’s weighed down by worry, you think?"

"But I gave him a little guidance. With his level of understanding, it won’t be hard for him to grasp it!"

"And just now, I gave him a copy of the ’Purifying Heart Technique.’ As long as he practices it when he gets back, he’ll be able to clear his mind soon enough!"

"Gave it to him? Are you sure you *gave* it to him?"

At these words, a glint flashed in Elder He’s eyes.

Under his questioning gaze, the Old Beggar stammered, "Well, it wasn’t exactly a gift. I took two thousand from him. The Purifying Heart Technique is worth way more than that, isn’t it? What’s wrong with taking a little something?"

Elder He sighed.

"Alright, go do what you need to do. I have to tidy up; guests will be arriving soon!"

The Old Beggar nodded and stood up from the chair.

Just as he was about to step out the door...

He paused and turned back. "Right, don’t tell the sect about this yet. Keep it under wraps for now!"

"The kid’s mind is a mess right now. He still needs to grow and be tempered by experience. Let’s wait until he gets to the New District before we say anything!"

Hearing this, Elder He nodded.

"I understand. Just handle your own business and stop worrying about everything else!"

The Old Beggar chuckled and staggered out.

...

Just as he got home,

Lin Yi’s phone rang.

He took it out and saw that the call was from Yang Yong.

He quickly answered the phone. "Hello? Coach Yang?"

"Lin Yi, I’m not disturbing you, am I?"

"No, not at all. How is Brother Chu? Was the surgery successful?"

"Yes, the surgery is over, and he’s out of the critical period... Also, we’ve gotten in touch with everyone else!"

"They’re all fine. They heard Old Chu was in surgery, and they’re all rushing over here now!"

"By the way, I’m not calling to ask you to come over. I’m just letting you know that Old Chu is fine."

"And in a couple of days, we’ll be able to return to Xinghai City!"

"You can come see Old Chu after we get back!"

After Yang Yong finished speaking,

The heavy weight on Lin Yi’s heart finally lifted.

"Okay, Coach Yang. I’ll be waiting for your return!"

After hanging up the phone,

A smile finally appeared on Lin Yi’s face.

Chu Zhengxiong was fine.

And they had contacted Qin Zhaoxue and the others.

This made Lin Yi think back to what the Old Beggar had said.

This was their Path.

Upholding justice, vanquishing demons.

Whether they lived or died, it was the culmination of their Path.

At least for now, the outcome was good.

Lin Yi went back to his room, planning to change his clothes and take a shower.

But then...

A wisp of divine consciousness brushed past his mind.

He heard a childlike voice say, "Save me..."