Looking at the five-colored rooster on the ground, Lin Ye nodded with certainty.
To some extent, roosters really did count as top-tier predators.
"Bzz, bzz~~"
His phone vibrated twice. Lin Ye unlocked the screen.
[Teacher Zhuang]: Xiao Lin, are you free?
[Teacher Zhuang]: I'll be in Coast City tonight. If you're free tomorrow, come by my place. It's about the gathering.
[Location: South Shore Huadu Mansion-012]
Lin Ye glanced at the location, somewhat surprised. This was one of the most expensive areas in Coast City, with homes costing over a hundred thousand per square meter.
And it seemed there were only villas there.
He'd known his teacher had a powerful background, but he hadn't realized it was this powerful.
"Sure, Teacher. I'll come by tomorrow morning."
"Bzz, bzz~~"
[Teacher Zhuang]: Then let's say nine tomorrow morning. I'll be waiting for you at home.
"Okay, Teacher."
Putting his phone away, Lin Ye looked at the stove beside him. The black fish was nearly done stewing, giving off a delicate, savory aroma.
"Click."
He turned off the stove and poured the contents straight into a basin. A cloud of steam carrying the fish's fragrance spread through the air.
Lin Ye looked at the black fish and frowned.
Why wasn't there a food prompt anymore?
He gripped the fish's head with his bare hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Its skull cracked open, revealing grayish-white brain matter inside.
"Slurp—"
The steaming brain was fragrant and oily. He swallowed it in one go, the rich taste of fat lingering in his mouth.
A little while later, Lin Ye stared silently at the fish body in the basin.
He'd miscalculated.
Still, the loss wasn't too great. It was just a shame—he rarely got the chance to increase his Intelligence.
He looked at the five-colored rooster beside him. It held its neck high, eyes wide, with the imposing air of a creature that wouldn't let the sun rise until it crowed.
"Crack!"
He snapped the rooster's neck with his bare hands, then sliced it open and removed its gallbladder, which was a deep, inky green.
[Ingredient Name: Five-Colored Rooster Gallbladder]
[Ingredient Category: Flesh and Blood]
[Ingredient Rank: Mortal Rank]
[Edible Portion: Entire Ingredient]
[Consumption Effect: Slightly increases Constitution, Agility, and Intelligence; moderately increases spirit and courage.]
He rinsed it with water, then swallowed it in one gulp.
A faint bitterness spread across his palate, followed by a slight sweetness.
A warm current flowed along the path of his inner energy, and his body grew slightly hot.
After a while, the warmth gradually faded, and a surge of boldness welled up inside him.
Lin Ye looked at the setting sun outside the window and felt an urge to make it stop in its tracks.
"Whoosh!"
He threw a punch. The movement was exactly the same as before, yet it felt somehow different.
It was as if his fist could shatter every obstacle, as if nothing in the world could stand in his way.
A few minutes later, Lin Ye stopped punching and adjusted his breathing.
"It slightly increases spirit and courage. I wonder if the effect is permanent or temporary?"
The feeling he'd had while throwing punches reminded him of a line from a TV drama in his previous life.
"Unsheathe the sword! When two brave men meet, the braver one wins!"
With that kind of courage, even if he were somewhat weaker, he might still be able to overwhelm his opponent and beat him decisively.
The Soul Whale Fist placed the greatest emphasis on willpower. If his momentum faltered, his strength would weaken along with it.
The same principle applied even to martial arts that didn't place much importance on willpower.
Raising his spirit and courage hadn't actually improved his four attributes, but it had still genuinely increased his strength.
If his Strength attribute was a top-tier piece of hardware, then his spirit and courage were top-tier software.
The increase was still too small for now, though. It wasn't enough to bring about a qualitative change.
"Monument," he silently murmured.
[Desire of Gluttony (3/10)]
The counter had increased by one. Once he consumed seven more kinds of ingredients, Desire of Gluttony would advance.
He wondered what new effect he'd gain then.
The next day, at the Huadu Music Mansion villa complex.
Lin Ye stood outside the compound. Its dark gate looked like the Gate of Heaven from a movie.
The small gate's window slid open with a clatter, revealing the face of a man around fifty, his graying hair neatly combed.
"Hello, sir. I'm the property manager. Who are you here to see? Do you have an appointment?"
"Hello. I'm here to see Professor Zhuang Huaizhang."
Lin Ye answered.
The property manager checked the register in his hand. "May I have your name?"
"Lin Ye."
With a click, the small gate opened. The manager, dressed in a black suit, bowed slightly.
"Hello, Mr. Lin. Mr. Zhuang told me you were coming. Please follow me."
As he spoke, he gestured toward a sightseeing cart nearby.
Lin Ye climbed aboard. The cart traveled along the asphalt road, so dark it had a bluish tint. The only sound was the faint hum of its tires.
Tall, broad-leaved trees lined both sides of the road, their shadows covering it completely.
The air was fresh, and a gentle breeze blew. Even though it was summer, the heat was hardly noticeable.
Before long, they rounded a corner, and Lin Ye spotted a figure standing by the roadside in the distance. It was his teacher.
The sightseeing cart stopped, and Zhuang Huaizhang strode over. "Xiao Lin!"
"Have a pleasant day."
The manager smiled and nodded before driving away.
"Teacher."
Lin Ye looked at Zhuang Huaizhang.
Zhuang Huaizhang came over, took him by the arm, and led him inside.
"What took you so long? It's almost eight. Have you had breakfast?"
"I've already eaten."
Lin Ye replied, a little surprised. It seemed his teacher knew martial arts.
He hadn't noticed before he started training, but now the realization suddenly struck him.
His teacher wasn't particularly muscular, though. It was probably some kind of health-preserving art.
"You've eaten? Good. Then let's get started."
"Hmm? Have you gotten taller? Are you wearing lifts? You've gotten more muscular, too. Have you been going to the gym?"
"I signed up at a boxing gym. Maybe I had a second growth spurt."
When they entered the villa, several people were already waiting in the living room.
At the front stood an elderly white-haired man wearing brown traditional clothes from the dynasty era. He held a flexible measuring tape and looked like a tailor.
Behind him stood three young men who looked like apprentices, seeming somewhat ill at ease.
"Master Liu, I'll leave this to you."
Master Liu nodded slightly and looked at Lin Ye. "Mr. Lin, what color do you prefer?"
Lin Ye was a little confused. "Black."
"And do you have any preferences for the pattern?" Master Liu continued.
Lin Ye paused and looked at his teacher. He didn't know anything about this.
Zhuang Huaizhang raised a hand slightly and looked at Master Liu. "Let's go with the golden bamboo pattern."
Then he turned to Lin Ye. "The gathering is next month. I'm having a few sets of formal clothes made for you. Wear them then."
Lin Ye's mouth fell slightly open. Formal clothes were essentially a general term for traditional clothing from the dynasty era.
He looked at the emblem on the left side of Master Liu's chest. It read "Liu Clan."
He didn't know much about custom-made traditional clothes, but he'd heard the name Liu Clan from a wealthy classmate.
It was one of the top tailoring houses in Coast City, specializing in custom-made traditional formal wear. One outfit cost at least thirty to fifty thousand.
That was the price charged by an ordinary Liu Clan tailor. The man before him was clearly an elder of the Liu Clan, so his rates would only be higher.
"Could I get the money instead?"
He hesitated for a moment, but still couldn't bring himself to ask.
After lunch, Lin Ye and Zhuang Huaizhang sat across from each other at the tea table.
"Teacher, I'd like to visit Fulan Snowfield in northern Tin Deer. Do you have a way to get me there?"
Zhuang Huaizhang swirled his teacup. "Fulan Snowfield? That's easy. I'll have your eldest senior brother make arrangements."
"But it'll have to wait until after the gathering. It's on the evening of the seventh of next month—the day of Start of Autumn. People in our circle also call it Yin Festival."
"Tap, tap, tap."
As they spoke, footsteps sounded in the courtyard.
"Is my little junior brother here?"
Qin Zhixu walked in, looking pleasantly surprised to see Lin Ye.
Zhuang Huaizhang raised a hand slightly. "Perfect timing. Your little junior brother wants to visit Fulan Snowfield."
Qin Zhixu raised an eyebrow. "Fulan Snowfield?"
"Funny enough, I'll be leading a team there soon to collect some Snow Lotus."
"The research team will be there for five days, and the visa will be valid for fifteen."
"I'll bring the team back after five days. How about you stay there and explore on your own?"
"The timing's a little late, though. You'll have to wait until the start of the school year, when a professor from Tin Deer will be going with us."
Lin Ye looked delighted. The school year started on September second, so he'd have plenty of time.
"Thanks for arranging this, Senior Brother."
Qin Zhixu smiled and waved a hand. "Don't mention it. As long as you don't mind the wait."
Then he looked at Zhuang Huaizhang. "Dad, are you going this time?"
Zhuang Huaizhang gently shook his head. "I won't go. From now on, I'll leave these trips to you."
Qin Zhixu didn't say much, only nodding. "All right."
Beside them, Lin Ye was a little confused. His gaze shifted back and forth between Zhuang Huaizhang and Qin Zhixu.
"Teacher, Senior Brother, you two..."
Only then did Zhuang Huaizhang realize. He laughed aloud. "What? You didn't know I married into the family?"
"Fortunately, I married into the family back then. That was the only way I could preserve some of your grandteacher's legacy."
"Otherwise, when I'm laid in my grave, I really wouldn't have the face to meet your grandteacher."
Lin Ye fell silent, unsure how to respond.
Seeing this, Qin Zhixu laughed heartily. "Haha! All right, little junior brother. I'll get in touch after the gathering."
"Oh, you don't have a bank card from Tin Deer yet, do you? I'll get you a supplementary card."
"Use it to buy whatever you want in Tin Deer. The lab will reimburse you, so don't worry."
Lin Ye smiled a little sheepishly. "Thanks, Senior Brother."
Qin Zhixu smiled and nodded. "All right, I still have some things to discuss with Dad. Why don't you head back first?"
After Lin Ye left, Qin Zhixu slowly sat down and looked at Zhuang Huaizhang.
"I've confirmed it. They won't be coming this time."
Zhuang Huaizhang let out a sigh of relief and nodded repeatedly. "Good. It's good they're not coming."
Qin Zhixu looked troubled. "Even if they do come, it doesn't matter. We can ask Mom to—"
"Thump!"
Before he could finish, Zhuang Huaizhang set his teacup down on the tea table, cutting him off.
"You should remember why I named you Zhixu."
Zhuang Huaizhang looked solemn, with a hint of helplessness.
Qin Zhixu lowered his head slightly. "I remember."
The Qin Clan was a Secret Martial Arts family, but he hadn't inherited the Qin Clan's secret martial arts bloodline.
So, in name, he was a member of the Qin family, but in reality, he was merely an outsider with blood ties, unable to access the main family's inner circle.
Zhixu... He had to know his place.
*
*
*
At dusk, Lin Ye stood in front of a street, looking conflicted.
This was the Dark Street, where he had encountered Flowing Shadow · Dark Predator that night.
A few minutes later, he shook his head and decided not to take a look after all.
He might find something useful and make some progress in his exploration.
But if he went straight in and ran into Flowing Shadow · Dark Predator, that wouldn't be good.
That enormous half-human, half-spider stood over four meters tall, practically the size of a small tank.
If he encountered it in the cramped confines of Dark Street, he might not even be able to escape.
Just as he was about to leave, a figure emerged from the street.
"Xiao Yi?"
"Senior Brother?"
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