Braised Beef in Clay Pots

The snack street was not particularly close to Eastsea Academy. The three of them walked for a full half hour before arriving.

A row of shops lined both sides of the not-too-spacious street.

"Let's eat there. Their braised beef in clay pots is delicious," Xie Xie said, pointing at a shop.

The others had no objections.

The shop was small, with the stove outside. Nearly a hundred small burners sat atop it, each holding a clay pot of stewing beef.

There were only five small tables inside, and half of them were already occupied.

Seeing this, Gu Yue gave Xie Xie a somewhat surprised look. "I didn't expect a young master from a wealthy family to eat at a roadside shop."

This time, Xie Xie did not argue with her. "Mom used to love the braised beef in clay pots here. I come here every so often." As he spoke, he walked inside and found a table to sit at.

The others followed him in.

"Oh, Xie Xie, you're here. You even brought friends. The usual?" the owner asked with a smile.

"Mm. Thank you, Uncle Li." Xie Xie smiled back.

Before long, four portions of braised beef in clay pots, four bowls of white rice, and two small plates of side dishes were brought over.

"This is your first time bringing friends. The side dishes are on the house." Uncle Li smiled and rubbed Xie Xie's head as if he were his own child.

This scene surprised both Tang Wulin and Gu Yue. It was their first time seeing Xie Xie like this.

"What are you all staring at? Eat." Xie Xie lifted the lid as he spoke and began eating.

Xiling took a bite, narrowed his eyes slightly, and could not help commenting, "It really tastes great!"

Hearing Xiling say that, Xie Xie raised his chin. "Of course." Anyone who did not know better would have thought Xiling had praised him.

Seeing everyone eat with such relish, Xie Xie's lips curved upward. He waved at the owner. "Uncle Li, bring ten more portions."

As his roommate, he knew a certain someone's appetite all too well.

Tang Wulin scratched his head awkwardly. "Thanks."

"What?" Xie Xie looked up at him.

Tang Wulin looked helpless. "Your name is really inconvenient. I meant thank you."

Xie Xie suddenly gave a bitter smile, his eyes reddening. "My mother gave me this name. She named me that because she was grateful for that encounter."

"She said that the happiest thing in her life was meeting Father..." His face turned somewhat pale as he said this.

"Your mother...?" Tang Wulin asked hesitantly.

Xie Xie turned his head slightly. "Father was busy with all kinds of things every day. Even when Mother was seriously ill, he was running around outside."

"Before Mother passed away, her final wish was to see him one last time. But he still came back too late."

"I'll never forget it. That night, Mother let go of my hand with tears streaming down her face, her eyes filled with regret. I hate him. I hate him! I hate my own name too. If there had been no such encounter, maybe Mother wouldn't have..."

At that point, he suddenly collapsed onto the table.

After coming here, he seemed to have cast off his disguise. It was also the first time he had opened up to anyone.

At that moment, Uncle Li came over carrying freshly stewed braised beef in clay pots. He gently set the clay pots on the table and sighed. "This child has had it hard. His mother used to love bringing him here."

"After his mother passed, he began coming by himself. Every time, he remembers her. Please be understanding."

"It's rare for him to bring friends here. I'm happy for him. He may be young, but he carries a heavy heart. Please help him out."

Tang Wulin gently patted Xie Xie's back, not knowing what to say to comfort him.

Gu Yue sat there, watching the crying Xie Xie, lost in thought.

The silent Xiling spoke up at that moment. "Xie Xie, stop crying."

"I'll go easier on you in training from now on. I'll beat you up a couple fewer times. That should make you happier, right?"

The lighthearted tease instantly diluted the sorrowful atmosphere.

Xie Xie's body stiffened slightly. He sniffed, his nose red. "...Who, who's crying?"

He did not dare talk back to Xiling. Otherwise, training would truly become unbearable for him.

After the four of them left the braised beef shop, they went to eat other things too. Well... Tang Wulin was the one eating them all.

Just as they were preparing to head back, they saw quite a crowd gathered outside the braised beef shop.

"You can't do this, you can't! This is how I make my living!" A grief-stricken cry came from the crowd.

The stove in front of the braised beef shop had been overturned, and clay pots lay shattered everywhere. It was a complete mess.

Uncle Li lay on the ground, blood at the corner of his mouth and numerous injuries on his body.

Three burly men stood at the entrance. The leader was bald, with dragon tattoos on both arms.

"Li, let me tell you, no one on this street dares refuse to pay protection money. You keep stalling every day. Do you think I, Guang Long, am some beggar?"

"You think I come here every day specifically to collect pocket change from you? If your braised beef in clay pots weren't actually pretty good, I'd have crippled you long ago."

"Enough nonsense. If you can't pay today, then don't bother opening this shop anymore." Guang Long's gaze was cold and sinister. Although many people were gathered around, not a single one dared make a sound.

"Brother Guang Long, it's not that I refuse to pay the protection fee. It's just that my wife is seriously ill. The little money I earn from working day and night all goes toward her medical treatment."

"You can't smash up my business! If you do, my wife won't survive, and neither will I."

"You think I give a damn about your worthless life?" Guang Long snorted disdainfully. "Without you, I can just replace you with someone else."

"If you can't pay, get lost. Stop taking up space."

As he spoke, he stepped forward and kicked out. But before his foot could land, his entire body froze, unable to move.

A white-haired figure had appeared behind them at some unknown moment.

"Since the strong can freely bully the weak, then... the despair of the weak shall be repaid by those who inflict it." Xiling extended a hand and lightly tapped Guang Long's abdomen.

Crack.

Guang Long's pupils shrank sharply. The arrogance on his face froze, replaced by utter pain and terror.

The pathways through which soul power flowed inside his body shattered inch by inch, while the vortex in his dantian collapsed with a bang, completely dispersing!

A soul master's foundation had been utterly destroyed in an instant.

"Aah—!!"

A heart-wrenching scream burst from his throat. Guang Long, who had been so overbearing just moments ago, went weak in the legs and crashed to his knees.

He spat out a mouthful of blood, his entire body convulsing violently. Cold sweat instantly soaked his clothes as the soul power in his dantian rapidly dispersed, reducing him to a complete cripple.

Xiling's indifferent gaze swept over the other two lackeys, who were already trembling in terror. Two muffled groans rang out at the same time.

The two lackeys did not even have time to react before their dantians were likewise pierced through by invisible spatial power. Their martial souls shattered, and all their cultivation was crippled.

Even if their injuries healed in the future, they would never be able to cultivate again in this lifetime.

The surrounding bystanders fell utterly silent. Everyone stared in stunned disbelief, even unconsciously softening their breathing.

Seeing Xiling like this, Tang Wulin and Xie Xie both shuddered instinctively. "Brother Ling, that was brutal!"