Before long, Gu Yuena was walking with Xu Qing along the bustling snack street, a skewer of salt-grilled prawns in her right hand and a skewer of charcoal-grilled squid in her right hand.
Xu Qing took a bite of the charcoal-grilled squid in his hand, then tore off a small piece and ate it, nodding in satisfaction.
This tasted pretty good.
"Huh? Xu Qing, look! There are so many people at that shop!" Gu Yuena suddenly noticed the crowd streaming into a small shop ahead and spoke excitedly.
Following Gu Yuena's indication, Xu Qing noticed the little shop too.
Above the shop were five large, prominent characters reading "Pot-Braised Beef Shop."
Was this the snack shop mentioned in the original novel?
Now that he thought about it, Xu Qing was a little curious too. After all, the original novel had described how delicious its food was.
"Let's go take a look!"
Gu Yuena smiled slightly. "Okay! I think it'll definitely be delicious!"
After that, the two headed toward the Pot-Braised Beef Shop.
The pot-braised beef shop was small, with earthenware pots of simmering beef covering the stove facing the street. As they cooked slowly over a low flame, their lids trembled slightly, and the rich aroma of meat drifted on the breeze, drawing in passersby.
There were only five wooden tables inside, with room for few diners, and almost half were already occupied.
The late-autumn evening breeze was slightly chilly. The moment they stepped inside, warm air mingled with the rich aroma of meat washed over them, relaxing both body and mind.
The owner was a somewhat honest-looking middle-aged man, with a slightly grease-stained apron tied around his waist.
Xu Qing and Gu Yuena entered the little shop and found an empty table to sit at.
Seeing customers arrive, the middle-aged man approached with a smile. "What would you two children like to eat?"
"Uncle, two servings of pot-braised beef to start!"
"Coming right up. Please wait a moment." With that, the middle-aged man went to prepare their order.
Before long, two servings of pot-braised beef, two bowls of white rice, and a small side dish of greens were brought over.
"Since this is your first visit, the side dish is on the house," the middle-aged man said with a smile.
"Thank you!" Xu Qing nodded in reply.
Afterward, the middle-aged man went to attend to other customers.
Looking at the steaming earthenware pot of beef before him, the rich, full-bodied aroma lingering around his nose, Xu Qing could not help nodding inwardly.
It really lived up to its reputation as a long-established little shop praised repeatedly in the original novel. That aroma alone was enough to crush most street snacks.
Gu Yuena had already impatiently opened her pot and picked up a tender piece of beef, placing it in her mouth. The delicate meat melted on contact, the thick broth carrying its meaty fragrance across her tongue, and warmth slid down her throat into her stomach.
Her cool brows and eyes relaxed slightly, and a rare look of satisfaction appeared on her face. She nodded gently. "It's so delicious!"
"Xu Qing, hurry and try it too!"
Xu Qing nodded and began eating at an unhurried pace.
It really was delicious!
Slow-cooked in the earthenware pot, the beef was tender and flavorful, its fibers soaked with broth. It was savory without being too salty, rich without being greasy, and paired with soft white rice, it was simple yet supremely delicious.
The two quietly enjoyed their food, surrounded by the diners' low conversations and the gentle bubbling of the earthenware pots.
"Uncle! Ten more servings!"
After an unknown amount of time, Xu Qing and Gu Yuena left the little shop under the middle-aged man's utterly astonished gaze.
Looking at the tall stack of empty pots, the middle-aged man sank into thought.
"Do all children eat this much these days?"
After eating and drinking their fill, Gu Yuena and Xu Qing were in no hurry to return to Eastsea Academy, continuing to stroll leisurely along the snack street.
Once they enrolled, the two would have much less time alone together. With such a rare opportunity to relax, they naturally did not want to return early.
They had not gone far when a group of street thugs approached them.
They turned sideways to pass each other, but halfway past, the leader abruptly stopped.
He turned to look at Gu Yuena, who had just walked past him, his gaze locking onto her as a flash of amazement crossed his eyes.
"What a pretty little girl."
The thug leader raised a hand to block their path. His followers stopped too, surrounding them with cheeky grins. He looked Gu Yuena up and down, a frivolous smile curling his lips. "Well, little sister, still wandering the streets this late? Why don't you come have some fun with us big brothers?"
Xu Qing stepped half a pace forward, unobtrusively shielding Gu Yuena behind him, his gaze calm and devoid of any other emotion.
Gu Yuena raised her eyes slightly, a trace of coldness passing through her purple eyes, as though she were looking at insignificant dust.
Mere ants actually dared to come provoke her.
"Move." Gu Yuena's voice was cold, without the slightest inflection.
The thug leader sneered, not taking the two half-grown children seriously at all. "Oh, quite the haughty one. Your big brother's talking to you. Don't make me lose face." As he spoke, he reached out to touch Gu Yuena's arm.
Before his hand could get close, another hand seized it firmly like an iron clamp.
What?!
The thug leader found that he could not move his hand at all.
"Just try laying a finger on him!"
The one gripping his hand was none other than Xu Qing. A trace of coldness slowly rose in Xu Qing's golden eyes, and even the surrounding air inexplicably grew cold.
A terrifying wave of killing intent erupted from Xu Qing.
Of course, it was not that Xu Qing truly wanted to kill them. Rather, it had formed unconsciously through years of fighting and killing.
After all, as the saying went, there was a great difference between those who had killed and those who had not.
The thugs stiffened, their limbs seeming to freeze as a chill engulfed them. The mockery on their faces vanished instantly, leaving only bone-piercing terror.
The thug leader's outstretched hand hung in midair, unable to advance another inch, and his face went stark white.
A single glance left the thugs unable to breathe, instinctive fear rising in their hearts, as though they were facing not a child, but a killer who had slaughtered countless people.
"Scram."
That single, simple word struck the thugs' ears like a thunderclap.
The thug leader trembled all over. Not daring to say another word, he hastily withdrew his hand and scrambled to the roadside with his followers, heads lowered, not daring to look at them again.
Xu Qing turned to Gu Yuena and said softly, "Sorry for letting those vermin spoil our good mood."
Gu Yuena shook her head. "It's fine."
Ignoring the thugs frozen in terror by the roadside, the two continued strolling along the street beneath the flickering lights. The dazzling array of snack stalls remained lively, and in an instant, they put that little interlude behind them.
The thugs stood rooted to the spot, watching Xu Qing and Gu Yuena's retreating figures, their legs still trembling uncontrollably.
Only after the two disappeared into the crowd did the thug leader slowly brace himself against the wall and stand up, his face still deathly pale.
Without bothering to comfort his trembling followers, he turned and plunged into a small restaurant nearby.
Seeing someone suddenly charge in, the owner's heart tightened. He instinctively reached for the cleaver on his chopping board, about to go on guard, but once he recognized the local thug leader, he slowly drew the cleaver back and quietly hid it behind him.
The thug leader had no time to pay attention to the owner. He rushed to the counter, snatched up the restaurant's soul communicator, and hurriedly dialed the public security office.
"Hello! Is this a security officer? I want to report a crime!" His voice trembled as he spoke rapidly. "Here's what happened! There's a child with really heavy killing intent! He's definitely killed lots of people! Hurry over!"
A calm question came from the security officer on the other end, and the thug leader hurriedly shouted, "I'm not joking! That presence definitely wasn't something an ordinary person could have. That child might be a vicious criminal!"
At the other end of the communicator, the officer answering the call suppressed a smile.
"Um... sir, please describe the child's appearance!"
"Blond hair, golden eyes, about a hundred and twenty centimeters tall! Wait, are you laughing?!"
The officer cleared his throat and said solemnly, "Sir, we've undergone strict training. No matter how funny something is, we won't laugh."
"Unless we can't help it!"
The thug leader froze. "You laughed! You're clearly laughing!"
Another officer quickly covered his mouth, forcibly suppressing his laughter as he explained solemnly, "We remembered something happy."
"What happy thing?"
"My teammate just broke through to Soul Elder."
The thug leader was so angry that veins throbbed on his forehead. "You! I'm seriously reporting a crime! Lives are at stake!"
The other officer's shoulders were also shaking slightly as he struggled to hold back his laughter. "I remembered something happy too. My rooster's about to give birth."
The thug leader went berserk on the spot. "You! You don't believe anything I'm saying! That killing intent was real! Fuck!"
After taking a moment to compose himself, the officer's tone turned serious again. "All right, we've recorded the situation. We'll patrol the snack street and take a look. Stay where you are, and don't go chasing after them, or you might invite trouble."
The thug leader wanted to keep arguing, but the call was disconnected.
At the other end, once the call ended, the laughter long suppressed in the public security office finally erupted.
"Haha, a child carrying sky-high killing intent? I bet it's some academy's genius student who accidentally let his Martial Soul pressure leak out."
"Listen to how scared that guy was, his voice was trembling. He made it sound like he'd seen an Evil Soul Master. Haha!"
"So, should we go?"
"No need. Do you really think a child like that exists?"