Ineffective Explanation and Ineffective Delivery

"Brother... you're really into this, huh? Cosplay? And fake blood effects? Tsk tsk... But listen to me, next time you tie up a rich woman... it's best to find a more discreet hotel... this back alley... the smell is too strong!"

The delivery guy's well-meaning, "wise," and "sympathetic" advice was like the last straw, brutally crushing Ling Ye's already frayed nerves.

Really into this? Cosplay? Tying up a rich woman?!

Ling Ye's pale cheeks twitched violently. The golden blood he'd been holding back in his throat almost spurted out again. He had traversed the Primordial Era for billions of years, the dangerous death zones he'd signed into existence could fill the Milky Way, what kind of scene hadn't he witnessed? But to be mistaken by a mortal delivery driver for a pervert playing SM to the point of vomiting blood and kidnapping rich women... this was absolutely the first time in history!

A tremendous sense of absurdity and an indescribable sense of frustration instantly washed away the killing intent in his eyes, replaced by a... near-numb bewilderment. Could he explain it to such a uniquely wired mortal? Kill him? It seemed... even more demeaning?

Just as Ling Ye fell into a brief system crash due to this ridiculous misunderstanding--

"Beep beep! You have a new Meituan order, please process it promptly!"

The order alert device hanging from the delivery guy's waist suddenly rang out at an inopportune moment. The crisp electronic female voice was exceptionally piercing in the silent back alley.

This sound was like a switch, yanking the delivery guy from "life coach" mode back into "wage slave" mode.

"Oh, damn it! I'm going to be late and get docked pay!" He slapped his forehead hard, the gossip and sympathy on his face instantly replaced by anxiety. He no longer cared about examining the "very into it" colleague in front of him or the "rich woman played until she vomited blood." He fumbled for his phone to check the order and pushed his electric scooter, ready to charge deeper into the alley.

But as he passed Ling Ye, his gaze inadvertently fell upon the... worn cloth bag Ling Ye was tightly clutching in his other hand.

And... from the loosely tied opening of the bag, faintly visible... a section that looked dusty, dry, like something left for hundreds of years and unwanted... cured meat? Or... a tree root?

The delivery guy's steps faltered.

Out of some professional habit (or perhaps, an instinctive curiosity for anything potentially valuable), he subconsciously took another look.

With that one glance, his gaze suddenly froze!

That section of "dry tree root," while seemingly unremarkable, upon closer inspection, its surface seemed to naturally grow some extremely profound and complex spiral patterns, faintly emitting an indescribable, strange aura that made one dizzy at first glance yet inexplicably craved it! Even... within those patterns, it seemed like specks of starlight were flowing?!

What... what the hell is this thing?! An antique?! Or some new kind of drug?!

The delivery guy's pupils contracted slightly, a thousand thoughts flashing through his mind. He looked up at Ling Ye again, his eyes now changed, with a bit more caution and inquiry.

Ling Ye instantly sensed the change in his gaze and inwardly thought, "Not good!" Although this mortal's thought process was bizarre, his intuition seemed unusually sharp, actually noticing the contents of the cloth bag!

He was in a very poor state right now, completely unable to perform another large-scale memory wipe or escape technique, nor did he want to linger here for another second to avoid further complications.

He had to leave immediately!

Ling Ye suppressed the surging Blood Essence and killing intent, ignoring the delivery guy, and dragging the unconscious Su Wanqing, staggered towards the other end of the alley.

"Hey! Wait!" The delivery guy suddenly called out, his anxious expression replaced by a mixture of suspicion and the excitement of "I might have stumbled upon a big case!" "Brother, that... what is that thing in your hand? It looks quite rare? Where did you get it? This woman... did you really tie her up?!"

As he spoke, he even subconsciously reached for the phone at his waist, seemingly intending to call the police or someone!

Ling Ye's face instantly turned extremely grim! Trouble! This was endless trouble!

Just as the situation became tense and on the verge of exploding--

"Gurgle gurgle gurgle--"

An extremely loud and urgent rumbling sound erupted from Ling Ye's abdomen like a muffled thunderclap! It was so loud it even drowned out the sound of traffic outside the alley!

The hunger that surged with extreme exhaustion, like a primordial beast, savagely ravaged his stomach again, making his vision slightly darken and his body sway uncontrollably.

The delivery guy was startled by the sudden, subwoofer-like roar from Ling Ye's stomach. The hand reaching for his phone paused, and he looked at Ling Ye's stomach again with the eyes of someone seeing a god.

Ling Ye's old face flushed. Embarrassment and anger intertwined, making him wish he could blow up this entire planet right then and there!

And at this moment, the delivery guy seemed to be "inspired" by the thunderous growl of hunger. He suddenly remembered something. The suspicion and excitement on his face quickly faded, replaced by a "I get it now" look of sudden enlightenment!

"Oh--!!!" He slapped his thigh loudly, startling Ling Ye.

"Brother! I understand now!" The delivery guy's eyes lit up, with an expression that said, "There's only one truth." He pointed at Ling Ye's tattered cloth bag and lowered his voice, saying mysteriously, "You're not a kidnapper! You're a... 'Mojin Xiaowei'! Right?! Just dug this old thing out of some forgotten hole? Haven't eaten for days, huh? Look at how pale you are! Tsk tsk, it's not easy!"

Mojin Lieutenant?!

A tomb raider?!

Ling Ye: "..."

He felt his temples throbbing. This mortal's imagination... was truly boundless!

The delivery guy became even more convinced he was right, a look of admiration and sympathy on his face. "I knew it! This job is dangerous, huh! You even vomited blood? Ran into a trap? Is this girl your accomplice? Injured?"

He continued to imagine things on his own, completely oblivious to Ling Ye's increasingly dark expression. Instead, he enthusiastically took out a plastic food container with a "Sha County Snacks" logo from his electric scooter's insulated box. Inside were two cold, slightly deflated steamed dumplings.

"Brother, have a bite to tide you over! Look at you, starving!" He shoved the container into Ling Ye's free hand without question, his tone carrying the straightforwardness (and stinginess) of people who live on the road. "We're all out here doing our thing, it's not easy! These two dumplings are for you! Don't be shy!"

The cold plastic container landed in his hand. The two dumplings, with thick skins and little filling, their oil solidified, exuded the scent of cheap MSG and lard.

Ling Ye looked at the steamed dumplings in his hand, then at the delivery guy with a "praise me for being smart and righteous" expression, and then felt his own empty, protesting stomach and the depleted power within his body...

He fell silent.

Billions of years of cultivation (and laziness) made him suppress the urge to smash the dumplings directly into the other man's face.

Then, under the delivery guy's expectant gaze, Ling Ye, expressionless, used two fingers... extremely disdainfully... to pick up one of the cold steamed dumplings.

He didn't eat it.

Instead... with a flick of his wrist, the movement was as fast as lightning!

"Whoosh!"

The cold steamed dumpling, like a projectile, accurately... shot into the delivery guy's slightly open mouth as he was surprised! The force was just right to get stuck in his throat, making him instantly widen his eyes and let out a muffled "Urk!" as he instinctively swallowed!

"Too much talking, annoying." Ling Ye's icy voice rang out, filled with undisguised disdain.

The delivery guy, choked by the sudden "feeding," rolled his eyes. He managed to swallow the cold dumpling with difficulty, then retreated in fear. He looked at Ling Ye as if he'd seen a ghost and didn't dare say another word, pushing his electric scooter away and disappearing in a panic.

The world was finally quiet.

Ling Ye didn't even look at the remaining steamed dumpling in his hand, casually tossing it into the nearby trash can like garbage.

He dragged Su Wanqing, struggling out of the back alley and onto the relatively busier street. The bustling traffic and noisy crowds only worsened his already irritable mood. He desperately needed a place of absolute quiet, undisturbed, to recover his strength and deal with that troublesome stone!

His gaze swept across the street, finally landing on a chain hotel that looked clean enough, with a "Today's Special" sign hanging at the entrance.

This was the place.

He dragged Su Wanqing, ignoring the strange stares from passersby (a man with a pale face and blood at the corner of his mouth dragging a beautiful unconscious woman), and walked straight into the hotel lobby.

Behind the front desk sat a young girl engrossed in watching short videos, giggling.

Ling Ye approached the counter and knocked on the surface with his knuckles.

The girl impatiently looked up. Her gaze fell on Ling Ye's pale face and the golden bloodstains at his mouth, then on the unconscious Su Wanqing he was dragging. The smile on her face instantly froze, replaced by shock and wariness.

"Checking in?" the girl's voice trembled slightly, her hand subtly reaching for the alarm button under the counter.

"Mm," Ling Ye's voice was hoarse and cold. "One room, a quiet one."

"Please... please show your ID," the girl forced herself to stay calm.

Ling Ye frowned. ID? What was that? A mortal identification document? He didn't have one.

He clicked his tongue impatiently, too lazy to waste words. He simply raised a finger and pointed it at the girl's forehead... extremely casually... in mid-air.

A faint stream of chaotic light entered the girl's brow.

Her eyes instantly became vacant and dull, like a formatted robot. She mechanically produced a room card and handed it over. "Room 308... here is your card... enjoy your stay..."

Ling Ye took the room card, dragged Su Wanqing, and turned towards the elevator, ignoring the other guests who were equally stunned by his appearance and Su Wanqing's unconsciousness.

He entered the room and immediately locked the door.

Ling Ye casually threw Su Wanqing onto the carpet. He could no longer support himself, sliding down against the door, gasping for air, golden blood seeping from the corner of his mouth again.

He needed to heal immediately!

He struggled to sit cross-legged, reaching into the worn cloth bag again, preparing to take out some divine medicine that could quickly restore his Origin--

However, just as his fingers were about to enter the bag--

His movements abruptly froze!

His pupils contracted sharply! An expression of horror even greater than when he faced the Primordial Greed Wolf appeared on his face!

Disbelievingly, he slowly... from the deepest part of the cloth bag... pulled out an item...

It was a...

a...

a tiny... bib worn by a baby, red with golden "fortune" characters embroidered on it?!

The bib looked old, but its material was extraordinary, faintly emitting a soft glow. It was also embroidered with a crooked, yet containing supreme Dao charm, character "Night" in some divine golden thread.

Ling Ye felt as if he'd been struck by a thunderbolt from the heavens. He was completely petrified on the spot, staring intently at the small bib in his hand, his fingers trembling slightly.

"This... this thing..." His voice was as dry as sandpaper rubbing together. "How... how is it still with me?!"

"I clearly... clearly put it..."

He stopped mid-sentence, as if remembering a forgotten, extremely distant, and extremely important promise buried in the corner of time. His face instantly turned ashen.

"It's bad..."

"I forgot..."

"I'm dead..."

He muttered to himself, his eyes filled with genuine, unprecedented panic!

"That... that woman... will kill me..."