I'm So Hungry

How could Layman Zhao, with wealth like his, not understand?

He hurriedly smiled and nodded, then ordered a servant to fetch a brocade box. "Immortal Master, you've exterminated the evil spirit. This is a small token of my appreciation. It's nothing much, but I hope it can make up for the damage to your Dharma Artifact."

The box opened, and a faint glimmer of spiritual light flashed inside. Four Low-grade Spirit Stones lay quietly within.

At the sight of them, the Qi Refining Layer Three cultivator's eyes lit up. He burst into laughter, swiftly pocketed the Spirit Stones, and sauntered away.

As he'd expected, the Zhao Family had been established in Blackwater City for a hundred years, and had sent Outer Disciples to Greenwood Sect every three years. They had to have the Spirit Stones he needed for cultivation.

Watching the Qi Refining Layer Three cultivator's retreating back, Zhao Huaian shook his head, assuming he was a Rogue Cultivator the Zhao Family had hired.

But he didn't bother meddling.

Life was hard for Rogue Cultivators. They had to swindle a few Spirit Stones to survive.

"Layman Zhao, the evil spirit in your residence hasn't been driven out or subdued."

Just as Layman Zhao was about to return to his residence, Zhao Huaian suddenly spoke up without warning.

Hearing him, Layman Zhao frowned slightly and looked at Zhao Huaian with displeasure. "Who are you? The Immortal Master just left, and now you're trying to swindle me!"

"I'm from Greenwood Sect! I'm here specifically to drive evil spirits out of Blackwater City."

Zhao Huaian identified himself, but didn't take Layman Zhao's words too much to heart.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he said this,

Layman Zhao and the others didn't show him any respect. Instead, they burst into laughter.

"You say you're an Immortal Master from Greenwood Sect? Ridiculous! Absolutely ridiculous!"

"If you're an Immortal Master from Greenwood Sect, then who was that Immortal Master just now?"

"Kid, you've come to the wrong place. The evil spirit in my Zhao Family's residence was already exorcised by the Greenwood Sect Immortal Master who came just now."

"I think you saw that the Greenwood Sect Immortal Master had exorcised the evil spirit, so you came here to swindle some money from my Zhao Family. How could I not see through a little trick like that?"

Layman Zhao looked at Zhao Huaian with a mocking smile.

First come, first served.

Compared with this green lad in front of him, he obviously trusted the cultivator who'd just demonstrated his immortal techniques.

Besides, if Zhao Huaian really was an Immortal Master from Greenwood Sect, why hadn't he stepped forward earlier?

The only explanation was that he was a fraud, trying to swindle money from the Zhao Family.

"He said he was from Greenwood Sect?"

Zhao Huaian furrowed his brows, a hint of displeasure in his voice.

He hadn't expected that Rogue Cultivator to be impersonating someone from Greenwood Sect.

"Of course he did. You'd better get lost, kid. My Zhao Family isn't a place you can swindle."

Layman Zhao looked at Zhao Huaian with scorn.

He thought Zhao Huaian was an utter fool, daring to impersonate someone from Greenwood Sect.

"Layman Zhao, if you insist on this, you won't live much longer..."

Zhao Huaian sighed and didn't bother explaining further. He simply left.

Explaining things to fools was a waste of breath.

The best course of action would have been to show off a little, demonstrating his strength and immortal techniques.

But there was no need.

Zhao Huaian wasn't some great benefactor. Layman Zhao was blind and had mocked him without even asking what had happened. He'd brought death upon himself.

Fools would be left to the evil spirits.

Since they didn't believe him, they could regret their foolishness tonight, after nightfall.

That would also give him a chance to draw out the evil spirit, sparing him the trouble of waiting patiently in ambush.

As for the man who'd impersonated someone from Greenwood Sect...

He'd originally thought life was hard for Rogue Cultivators, and that swindling a few Spirit Stones now and then was harmless.

But now that the man had impersonated someone from Greenwood Sect right under his nose, Zhao Huaian couldn't let him go.

"Bah... Any Tom, Dick, or Harry thinks they can swindle my Zhao Family? What an overestimation of their own abilities!"

Watching Zhao Huaian's back, Layman Zhao spat in disgust, then led a group of servants into the residence.

However...

It wasn't until nightfall that Layman Zhao realized just how foolish and laughable his behavior that day had been.

"Fellow Daoist, wait!"

In a small alley, the Qi Refining Layer Three cultivator was just looking for somewhere to enjoy himself.

A voice suddenly sounded behind him.

He turned around.

A young man dressed in white robes was looking at him with a broad smile.

Before he could react, a flash of silver light flickered past.

Pfft!

The next moment, blood sprayed through the air.

The Qi Refining Layer Three cultivator fell to the ground in terror, his breath gone.

"You've only got yourself to blame for your bad luck. You could've impersonated anyone, but you had to do it while I was taking on a mission."

Zhao Huaian shook his head, looking indifferently at the corpse on the ground.

By the time he left, several Low-grade Spirit Stones had appeared in his hand.

The Qi Refining Layer Three cultivator's corpse had already been engulfed in roaring flames and reduced to ashes.

Scenes like this happened every day throughout the Cultivation World.

To be weak was a sin.

Night fell.

Most of the people in Zhao Residence had gone to sleep. Only two burly men remained, patrolling the grounds.

Time trickled by.

As the night deepened, midnight arrived—the hour when yin energy was at its thickest.

A cold wind swept through from time to time.

Even the burly men, with their robust builds and vigorous qi and blood, couldn't help shivering.

"Daniu, why's it so eerie? Do you think that Immortal Master from Greenwood Sect really got rid of the evil spirit?"

A burly man looked at the big fellow leading the way, his face faintly pale.

He couldn't help thinking back to the white-robed youth who'd appeared at the entrance at noon, claiming to be from Greenwood Sect.

If the youth hadn't been lying, then...

As he thought about it, the man's face grew more and more terrified.

But his words received no response.

"Daniu! Daniu!"

When he still got no answer, the burly man grew even more frightened.

He couldn't help reaching out to tap Daniu's shoulder.

But who could've guessed that, in the next instant, Daniu would fall straight to the ground, eyes wide open, already lifeless.

"Daniu!!!"

The burly man's face twisted with terror, and he crumpled to the ground.

Just as he was about to shout for help, a wave of icy dread surged into his heart. The words reached his throat, but he couldn't force them out.

The man turned around stiffly, his face pale.

A White-Clad Evil Ghost stood before him, its seven orifices bleeding and the corners of its mouth split wide. It stared at him greedily.

The man's qi and blood drained away at once. His body withered in an instant, turning into a shriveled husk.

"Hungry... so hungry..."

The White-Clad Evil Ghost called out blankly.

Step by step, it headed toward the side rooms of Zhao Residence.

That night, no one in Zhao Residence slept.

"Ghost! There's a ghost!"

"Help! The evil spirit is back!"

"The evil spirit is eating people! The Immortal Master from Greenwood Sect didn't get rid of it!"

A series of terrified cries woke Layman Zhao from his sleep.

Hearing them, Layman Zhao hid under the covers, his face pale with fright and his whole body trembling.

He hadn't expected that the Immortal Master from Greenwood Sect hadn't gotten rid of the evil spirit after all.

At the same time, the image of the white-robed youth surfaced in his mind.

He recalled the youth's words.

Layman Zhao's face filled with terror and regret.

"So hungry... hungry..."

A voice that chilled him to the bone rang out.

Layman Zhao peeked through a gap in the covers.

A disheveled evil spirit, its seven orifices bleeding, stared at him with its wide, split mouth, giggling stupidly.

"I'm so hungry..."