"Ah!"
In an instant, Dai Mubai's charging figure was sent flying backward. His outstretched fist was already drenched in blood, and his entire arm hung limp at his side.
"Boss!"
Oscar stared blankly at Dai Mubai, who had just charged forward only to be sent right back.
When he looked at Tang Yin again, his eyes were filled with shock and fear.
"You're so young, yet you're already acting up. You're copying other people and taking on lackeys, and you can't even tell right from wrong. You just come up and hit people."
"Looks like you're used to throwing your weight around."
Tang Yin quietly put away his Mutated Clear Sky Hammer Martial Soul and tucked that hand behind his back.
He looked as if he hadn't been the one who had just beaten Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun.
Dai Mubai clutched his right arm, his face twisted in pain as he let out anguished cries of "Ugh! Ugh!" The sound made everyone watching shudder, especially Oscar, who stood closest.
"Honored guests, our little establishment really can't withstand this sort of commotion!"
A middle-aged man walked over just then, his face full of misery, looking like a man who'd had nothing but bad luck.
"Boss, I'm sorry for disrupting your business. They'll pay for all the damage here, as well as the income you've lost today..." Tang Yin pointed at Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun. "Those two will cover it!"
"No, no, there's no need for Young Master Dai to pay! It's our shop's honor to have Young Master Dai dine here!" The restaurant owner stood beside Dai Mubai with a bitter smile, looking no better than a lackey.
Seeing this, Tang Yin had no choice. He decided to handle it himself.
"You two, hand over the compensation without a fuss, along with damages for the distress you caused by disturbing our meal and the time you wasted."
"Otherwise, I won't be nice."
Tang Yin rubbed his hands together. A series of crackling sounds rang out, like a death knell to Dai Mubai.
A wise man didn't fight when the odds were against him!
Dai Mubai seethed with hatred, his fury rising, but he forced down his anger and took out a card to hand to the restaurant owner. Then he said, "Boss, get someone to help my classmate and escort us out!"
"Yes, yes! Young Master Dai, just a moment!" The owner hurriedly called over a waiter to help Dai Mubai out, while Ma Hongjun was carried away.
Just as he was about to step through the restaurant's front door, Dai Mubai looked back at Tang Yin.
At that moment, Tang Yin was staring right at Dai Mubai, too.
Their eyes met, and the area fell into deathly silence.
Dai Mubai quickly turned his head away, not daring to look again.
But he had already made a note of Tang Yin and Xiao Wu, and he would settle the score with them later.
"Phew!"
Once Dai Mubai had gone far away, the restaurant owner let out a sigh of relief.
However.
He suddenly felt the card Dai Mubai had given him vanish from his hand. In the blink of an eye, it was in Tang Yin's.
The restaurant owner froze.
Tang Yin, meanwhile, curiously turned the card over in his hand.
This was the first time in his life he had seen a card for storing money in this world.
And since it had come from Dai Mubai, there had to be plenty of money inside.
This was all "hard-earned money" he'd made!
"Boss, how much did the damage here come to?" Tang Yin put the card away as naturally as could be, then took out a money pouch and asked.
The restaurant owner blinked, never imagining Tang Yin would pull a stunt like that.
What a thick skin!
"About... ten Gold Soul Coins in total."
The owner smiled awkwardly and rubbed his hands together.
"Ten Gold Soul Coins? Are you sure?"
Tang Yin's hand paused as he counted the money. He lifted his eyes slightly, his deep, emotionless gaze fixed on the restaurant owner.
The owner instantly felt like crying.
So was he supposed to pay the compensation or not?!
"Ten Gold Soul Coins. Then please prepare a table of food for us and pack it up. We're taking it with us." Tang Yin took out ten Gold Soul Coins, handed them to the owner, and spoke.
"All right, no problem. Please wait a moment!" After taking the money, the owner hurried off as if fleeing. He thought to himself, "I thought he was some rich kid I could fleece, but it turns out he's a stingy master!"
"Tang Yin, you're so stingy!" Xiao Wu covered her mouth as she giggled, but there was no trace of disdain in her eyes.
Hearing that, Tang Yin replied unconcernedly, "Money should be spent where it counts. Save where you can."
Xiao Wu smiled and nodded, then looked outside the restaurant, her brows knitting together. A hint of worry appeared on her pretty face. "Tang Yin, that blond guy seemed like a local bully. Even the restaurant owner treated him with such respect. Do you think he'll come back with more people to cause trouble once he's gone?"
"Don't worry. They're not capable of giving us trouble." Tang Yin patted Xiao Wu on the shoulder and led her back to their seats, completely at ease.
Seeing this, Xiao Wu managed to steady herself, too.
"But Xiao Wu, who used to rule the roost at the academy, actually worrying about something like this is a surprise." Tang Yin smiled at her.
"We're somewhere else now, and I don't know the place or anyone here." Xiao Wu gave an awkward smile.
Before long, the restaurant owner personally brought over a dozen packed dishes and set them in front of Tang Yin.
Tang Yin waved his left hand, and the packed dishes vanished into his Storage Soul Tool. Then he left the restaurant with Xiao Wu.
Meanwhile, on a quiet street in the southern part of Suotuo City, inside a shop selling Soul Tools, were Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun, who had clashed with Tang Yin earlier.
Standing in front of them was a middle-aged man wearing black-rimmed glasses. His brows were tightly furrowed as he listened to Oscar and the others explain what had happened, his expression grave.
"Teacher, that's what happened." Ma Hongjun wore a pained expression as he said, "I didn't do anything! I just wanted to get to know that girl, and that blue-haired brat ambushed me and beat me up like this... Teacher, it hurts so much..."
Dai Mubai ground his teeth beside him.
If Ma Hongjun weren't seriously injured and Dai Mubai's own right arm weren't immobile, he would have taught Ma Hongjun a lesson already.
The brat had gotten him into this mess, too.
"You still have the nerve to say that? Who told you to go around causing trouble?" Flender snapped.
"Teacher, don't you always say that those who don't dare cause trouble are cowards?" Ma Hongjun grimaced in pain but still remembered to use Flender's own words to argue with him.
"You! Why, you—!" Flender wanted to curse him out and give him a beating, but when he saw how miserable Ma Hongjun looked, he let his raised hand drop with a helpless sigh.
The most urgent thing now was to find a healing-type Soul Master to treat Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai.
While Flender was rushing around for Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai, Tang Yin and Xiao Wu had already returned to Suotuo Intermediate Soul Master Academy. They camped in the hills behind it, warmed up the food they'd bought at the restaurant, and began to eat.
"I'm starving! Finally, I can eat!"
Xiao Wu picked up her bowl and chopsticks and dug in, not caring about her appearance at all.
Tang Yin wasn't much better.
"Tang Yin, there's something I want to ask you..." Xiao Wu suddenly stopped eating, glanced up at Tang Yin, then quickly lowered her eyes.