The Path to Death Triggered by a Meat Bun

"Huh?"

Lin Yi nearly choked on his steamed bun, coughing a few times before he could catch his breath. "Why are you suddenly asking about that?"

"Just asking, no reason." Xiao Wu shook her little head, appearing casual, but her eyes betrayed a hidden nervousness.

A tragic future? This girl isn't talking about herself, is she?

In the original story, the part where Xiao Wu sacrifices herself is indeed quite tragic, but that's a long, long way off.

Wait, that's not right either. She shouldn't know what's going to happen in the future, should she?

Lin Yi scrutinized Xiao Wu's expression, but saw only curiosity on her face; he didn't detect anything unusual.

He didn't overthink it and said, "If you know the future is going to be tragic, then just work hard to change it."

"Change it?" Xiao Wu tilted her head. "Can fate really be changed?"

"I think so." Lin Yi answered earnestly. "Although some things might be destined to happen, how they happen, when they happen, and what the outcome is—all of that can be changed."

Xiao Wu's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Of course." Lin Yi nodded. "Man can conquer nature, as they say... though that might be a bit of an exaggeration, the principle holds true."

"Thank you, Lin Yi." Xiao Wu revealed a sincere smile. "I understand now."

Understand what?

I don't even understand what I'm saying.

Lin Yi muttered to himself, and just as he was about to say something else, he glanced over and saw Tang San walking toward them.

And his gaze...

Why was it fixed on the meat bun in his hand?

That look of his, he isn't jealous that I have a meat bun to eat, is he?

Hm?

Hearing this inner voice, Xiao Wu followed Lin Yi's gaze and saw Tang San.

Her body stiffened, but she quickly recovered, asking with a relaxed demeanor, "San, why are you here?"

Tang San's gaze shifted from the bun in Lin Yi's hand to Xiao Wu's face, and finally back to Lin Yi.

"I came to see if you were feeling better."

His tone was very calm, but Lin Yi caught a hint of suppressed emotion.

Why does that sound so sour?

Wait, don't tell me this bun was bought by Tang San?

Lin Yi looked at the bun in his hand, then at Xiao Wu's slightly embarrassed expression, and suddenly realized what was going on.

Oh no, did I just eat a bun Tang San bought for Xiao Wu?

No wonder his look is so strange. In the original story, Tang San treated Xiao Wu like his personal property. Even if they aren't in that kind of relationship yet, his possessiveness is already quite strong.

Hearing this inner voice, a blush crept onto Xiao Wu's face.

Personal property? That sounds way too harsh.

"San," she tried to explain, "this bun..."

"It's fine." Tang San interrupted her, even showing a trace of a smile. "It's just a few meat buns. As long as classmate Lin enjoys them."

Lin Yi looked at Tang San's expression and knew exactly what was happening.

Here it comes, Tang San's signature expression: smiling on the outside, cursing on the inside.

This little rabbit is really setting me up. If she had told me it was a meat bun bought by Tang San, I wouldn't have eaten it even if it killed me.

Given his personality, I've probably already been labeled as someone on the 'path to death'.

Lin Yi was frantically complaining in his heart, but he kept his face calm.

He swallowed the last bite of the bun, wiped his mouth, and smiled at Tang San. "Classmate Tang San, thank you... uh, I mean, thank you for sharing the bun, Xiao Wu."

It was a strange thing to say, but Lin Yi couldn't think of a better excuse.

Tang San's eyes narrowed slightly, then returned to that gentle look. "Don't mention it, we're all classmates."

Classmates? In the original story, you weren't this polite to other classmates. Didn't you beat Wang Sheng and the others until they were completely submissive?

But then again, their relationship right now... why does it look a bit stiff?

Tsk tsk... are they already arguing at six years old?

Lin Yi observed the interaction between the two and found the atmosphere somewhat subtle.

Xiao Wu seemed to be intentionally or unintentionally distancing herself from Tang San, while Tang San was clearly a bit impatient.

It was the classic look of a young couple having a spat.

"Xiao Wu, are you feeling better?" Tang San asked again, his tone filled with obvious concern.

"Much better." Xiao Wu nodded. "I was just a little dizzy earlier, but I'm fine now."

"That's good." Tang San paused, his gaze shifting to Lin Yi. "Are you adjusting well to the academy, classmate Lin? Is the work for the work-study students tiring?"

[Here it comes, the classic probing phase.]

[Following Tang San's routine, the next questions should be about what my martial soul is, what my spirit power level is, and where I live.]

Lin Yi knew this clearly, but on the surface, he feigned deep gratitude: "Thank you for your concern, it's going quite well. Although the work-study tasks are a bit tiring, being able to subsidize my living expenses makes me very content."

"That's good." Tang San nodded, then suddenly shifted the topic. "By the way, what is your martial soul, classmate Lin? I haven't seen it yet."

[See? I knew he'd ask.]

Lin Yi sighed inwardly, but answered honestly: "It's an auxiliary-type Myriad Star Core, not much use."

He deliberately spoke with humility, hoping to lower Tang San's guard.

After all, being targeted by him meant you never knew when you might be struck down by his hidden weapons.

"Auxiliary types are also very good," Tang San said, though a trace of imperceptible contempt flashed in his eyes. "A team cannot do without an auxiliary-type spirit master."

[Contempt? Isn't that a bit much?]

[Even if the Myriad Star Core is currently just a flashlight-level auxiliary martial soul, its future potential is no worse than those Tang Sect hidden weapons of yours.]

[Besides, you're a cheater yourself—what right do you have to look down on a proper spirit master?]

Lin Yi felt annoyed, but maintained a smile on his face: "Yes, I also hope to become a useful auxiliary spirit master."

Seeming to feel that Lin Yi posed no threat as an auxiliary-type spirit master, Tang San didn't press further.

Finally, Tang San said he needed to go consult Grandmaster about some questions and took his leave.

Lin Yi watched Tang San's back disappear at the end of the corridor, feeling a wave of helplessness.

He recalled the Tang Sect rules from the original story: "Tang Sect disciples, whenever encountering traitors or enemies, must execute them without mercy. Anyone who walks the path of death may be killed."

This sentence had become almost a code of conduct in Tang San's heart; whenever he deemed someone to be on the path of death, he would never show mercy when striking.

"Lin Yi, you seem very afraid of Tang San?" Xiao Wu looked at Lin Yi and suddenly asked.

"Afraid?" Lin Yi shook his head. "I wouldn't call it fear, just the feeling that it's best not to offend someone like him."

[It's just that Tang San's starting point had that set of Tang Sect hidden weapons.]

[If the heavens gave me a golden finger too, you'd see me take him down in a heartbeat.]

[But for now, it's better to keep a low profile. I'll stay as far away from him as I can.]

Hearing these inner thoughts, Xiao Wu's eyes flickered.

She could hear the disdain in Lin Yi's tone, but also his deep sense of helplessness regarding their current situation.

Shaking her head slightly, Xiao Wu said: "Let's go return the tools first; it's almost dark."

"Alright." Lin Yi nodded.

The two packed up the cleaning tools and walked toward the tool room together.

On the way, Xiao Wu returned to her usual lively self.

But Lin Yi could feel that she had something on her mind.

And that something, in all likelihood, had to do with Tang San.