9: Chapter 9 Be a good person in your next life

Zhao Yi was truly bewildered; he didn't understand why Bai Jia Gang was always targeting him.

Bai Jia Gang slapped Zhao Yi’s Face repeatedly.

"Who the hell told you to go and mine two Mid-Grade Spirit Stones?"

"Stop your yapping and hand over the Spirit Stones right now!"

As he spoke, he moved to search Zhao Yi’s person.

"You're a real idiot, aren't you? If you're going to target me, you should at least check my background first. Acting like this, aren't you afraid of bringing trouble upon yourself?"

Zhao Yi brushed aside Bai Jia Gang's hand and glanced around.

Good, there wasn't a single outsider around.

"Tch!"

"A mere dropout from the Anning Prefecture First Cultivation Academy..."

Bai Jia Gang emphasized the word 'dropout' heavily.

"A Qi Refining Third Layer after thirty years of cultivation,"

"A complete and utter waste!"

"What is there for me to even check?"

Zhao Yi...

He had never seen someone be so insulting to his Face.

"If you let me go now, I'll act as if nothing ever happened..."

"Hahaha~"

Before Zhao Yi could finish, he was interrupted by Bai Jia Gang's laughter.

"Have you cultivated yourself into an idiot?"

"Let you go? Act as if nothing happened?"

"Do you take me for a fool?"

Bai Jia Gang grinned maliciously.

"I've suddenly changed my mind. Today, I'm not just taking your Spirit Stones; I'm taking your life as well."

"Taking my life?"

"That's right, your life!"

"That's good. I was thinking the exact same thing."

"What? What did you say?"

Zhao Yi spoke one word at a time.

"I... said... I... was... thinking... the... same... thing..."

Bang!

He threw a punch into Bai Jia Gang's stomach, putting his full strength into it this time.

"You..."

Bai Jia Gang clutched his stomach with both hands and slowly sank to his knees, his breath ceasing.

Zhao Yi had already tolerated him twice; this was the third time. Since Bai Jia Gang wanted to die, why wouldn't he grant that wish?

Everyone present was a Cultivator, so they could all sense when Bai Jia Gang's life force vanished.

*Hiss—*

"M-Master Bai is dead?"

Killing the Qi Refining Sixth Layer Bai Jia Gang with a single punch—was this really a minor Cultivator at the Qi Refining Third Layer?

Not knowing who started it, the dozen or so people scattered and fled.

"Run? Not a single one of you will get away."

A moment later, Zhao Yi left with a calm expression.

He didn't notice that the dead Bai Jia Gang had somehow managed to write "Zhao Yi" in blood with his hand.

Ten minutes after Zhao Yi left, another Cultivator passed by and carried Bai Jia Gang's corpse back to the Bai family.

Tianhe Tower.

This was the largest restaurant near the Lesser Strange Spirit Stone Mine, filled with nectar, jade-like liquors, Spirit Medicines, and immortal fruits.

One could say that as long as you had Spirit Stones, they could even get you Dragon meat if you wanted it.

Did Zhao Yi have Spirit Stones?

Naturally, he didn't. So he went to the Dahe Tower next to Tianhe Tower. A single character's difference meant a hundredfold difference in price; this was the kind of place he could actually afford.

Not long after Zhao Yi sat down, Zhou Yan appeared, dressed in white.

"Damn..."

"Clothes really do make the man, just as gold makes the Buddha."

Zhao Yi sighed inwardly.

With her bright eyes and long, straight black hair, if it weren't for her being as flat as a board, Zhou Yan would have truly been a heart-stopper for Zhao Yi.

Fortunately, her flatness ruined the overall effect, allowing Zhao Yi to remain unfazed.

"See what you like?"

Zhou Yan didn't even ask for a menu, ordering directly.

"One Three-Colored Chicken, six war sheep group meat, and a pot of jingyue wine."

"war sheep group meat? What are those?"

"Sheep Testicles. You've never had them?"

*Pfft—*

Zhao Yi, who was drinking water, sprayed it out the moment he heard "Sheep Testicles."

He looked at Zhou Yan in shock.

Zhou Yan shrugged nonchalantly.

"Let me tell you, in Dahe Tower, war sheep group meat and jingyue wine are the perfect pair."

Seeing Zhao Yi's reaction, she frowned.

"You've never been here?"

Zhao Yi shook his head.

"I came here to earn Spirit Stones."

"Pfft~"

Zhou Yan laughed.

Zhao Yi was stunned.

"Is something wrong?"

Zhou Yan shook her head and changed the subject.

"You killed Bai Jia Gang?"

Zhao Yi stood up abruptly...

"What are you doing?"

"You scared me to death."

Zhou Yan grumbled at Zhao Yi while patting her flat chest.

"He was a scourge of the Bai family. If he's dead, he's dead. Why are you so worked up?"

Zhao Yi...

It was clearly him who should be scared. How long had it been since he killed Bai Jia Gang, and Zhou Yan already knew?

"Take this. If the Bai family gives you trouble, show them this."

Zhou Yan placed a palm-sized token in front of Zhao Yi.

"In the Lesser Strange Spirit Stone Mine, they won't dare do anything to you."

"But if you leave the Spirit Stone Mine..."

Zhou Yan gave him a "you know what happens" look.

Zhao Yi looked at the token. A spiritual character floated above it; though he didn't recognize the script, he instinctively knew it meant "Zhou." It was a strange sensation.

"Why are you helping me?"

Zhao Yi didn't take the token and asked instead.

"Because you're handsome~"

Zhao Yi was stunned once again.

That made twice tonight.

He had considered all sorts of reasons, but he never expected Zhou Yan to use that one.

The most crucial thing was that he couldn't even argue with it. He really was quite handsome. Even though he was older now, he was still a handsome middle-aged man.

Just then, the jingyue wine arrived.

Zhao Yi silently pocketed the token.

He poured a cup of jingyue wine for both Zhou Yan and himself.

"To handsomeness!"

...

Lingran Illusion Realm.

This was the Bai family's base at the Lesser Strange Spirit Stone Mine.

Sa Garden.

*Bang!*

"My son is dead?"

"Who killed him?"

Bai Chuanfa's eyes were bloodshot, looking as if he wanted to devour someone.

"It was a mining Cultivator named Zhao Yi."

"Zhao Yi?"

"I don't care who he is. A life for a life. He must pay for my son's life right now."

At that moment, a servant spoke up.

"Master."

"The young master's internal organs were shattered. He was likely killed by a single punch from that Zhao Yi."

"This means he is at least a Qi Refining Seventh Layer or even a Qi Refining Eighth Layer Cultivator."

"Qi Refining Eighth Layer?"

Bai Chuanfa pulled back the foot he had just stepped over the threshold. His Aptitude was even worse than Bai Jia Gang's; he was only at the Qi Refining Fifth Layer.

"Go and invite the Nineteenth Master over."

"No, I will go myself."

Maple Garden.

With tears in his eyes, Bai Chuanfa looked at Bai Chuanfeng.

"Nineteenth Brother, Gang'er died a miserable death."

"His internal organs were pounded into pulp by that Zhao Yi."

"Such a villain absolutely cannot be allowed to remain in the Lesser Strange Spirit Stone Mine."

Hearing that Bai Jia Gang's organs had been pulverized, Bai Chuanfeng's hand visibly trembled, but he quickly regained his composure.

"Third Brother, although I am the manager of the first layer of the mine, you know exactly what I manage."

"If that Zhao Yi were a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, I would be duty-bound to act. But he is only a minor Cultivator at the Qi Refining Third Layer—at least on the surface."

"If I were to take action, I would inevitably gain a reputation for bullying the weak. It would be hard to maintain my position here in the Lesser Strange Spirit Stone Mine after that."

"Therefore..."

"Let Jia Tong handle it. He is at the Qi Condensation Ninth Layer. Even if Zhao Yi is at the Qi Refining Eighth Layer, he won't be a match for Jia Tong."

"This..."

Bai Chuanfa was clearly reluctant. He had wanted Bai Chuanfeng to act and settle Zhao Yi once and for all.

But now, Bai Chuanfeng was clearly protecting his own reputation.

After thinking for a long time, Bai Chuanfa said cautiously:

"Jia Tong is preparing to break through to Foundation Establishment. I'm afraid I don't have enough Face for that..."