18: Chapter 18 The security situation in Jiangcheng hasn't been very good lately.

Patriarch Zhao paced back and forth in the room, his cloudy eyes brewing a final, venomous scheme.

A moment later, he stopped and gave a sinister chuckle.

"Don't move against him for the next few days."

"Let him be arrogant for a while, let him lower his guard. Let him think that we are truly afraid."

"The College Entrance Examination is in three months. When it ends, and the whole city is celebrating..."

Patriarch Zhao leaned down, stared into Zhao Tai's eyes, and said word by word: "At that time, you will host a grand Teacher Appreciation Banquet at our home in the name of celebrating the end of the College Entrance Examination and resolving our grudges."

"Invite all the city's celebrities, outstanding students, and that Jiang You over."

Zhao Tai swallowed hard: "Invite him to dinner? And then?"

"And then?"

Patriarch Zhao sneered and pulled a small porcelain bottle with a red skull label from his chest: "This is my trump card, the Tier 4 Heart-Breaking Powder. It is colorless, odorless, and dissolves instantly in water. Even a Tier 4 Martial Artist would have their blood and qi solidify instantly upon drinking it, turning them into a cripple."

"At that time, we will poison the wine first. If he doesn't die..."

Patriarch Zhao pointed toward the villa's basement: "I will recall all fifty death warriors I've raised over the past few years. Each of them will be equipped with heavy armor-piercing crossbows and high-explosive grenades."

"Fifty death warriors, plus poison, plus our family's defensive formation."

"I refuse to believe that in a fight against a trapped beast, we can't kill a pig?!"

Zhao Tai felt his scalp tingle.

This was no Teacher Appreciation Banquet; it was clearly a Hongmen Banquet... No, it was the Hall of the King of Hell!

But looking at his father's crazed eyes, he knew he couldn't stop him.

"Okay... I understand, Dad."

...

Over the next few days, Jiangcheng was calm and peaceful.

Jiang You lived a life of luxury.

Because of the principal's special approval, he could sleep at school during the day and return to the villa for a feast at night.

However, good times didn't last long.

As his body gradually adapted to this comfortable life, the "subjects" inside Jiang You's body began to become dissatisfied.

Late that night, after Jiang You fell asleep.

[Internal Chat Group]

[stomach (banging bowls)]: "Hungry... so hungry..."

"The beast meat Teacher Gu Yan sent is too low-level. Tier 1 and Tier 2 meat is full of impurities; it makes me nauseous."

"Although the poisonous midnight snack a few days ago was potent, there hasn't been any these past few days. I want to eat high-energy reactions! I want to eat ore! I want to eat heavenly treasures!"

[Kidneys (joining in the clamor)]: "Exactly! This villa's spirit-gathering formation is just a civilian version; the spiritual energy is as thin as plain water."

"I want to absorb spiritual energy! I want to drink energy boosters!"

"Brain, think of a way! If this continues, we're going to be malnourished!"

[Brain (log-on coldly)]: "Detected a decline in the body's energy reserves. If high-energy substances are not replenished, it may drain the host's vitality."

"To protect that Slacker Ruler who only knows how to sleep, we must activate self-service restocking mode."

"Searching for nearby high-energy reaction sources..."

"Beep—Target locked."

"Jiangcheng underground black market warehouse, Zhao Group herb warehouse, and the Qinglong Gang ore field in the west of the city."

[Legs]: "Woohoo! Finally, we can go out and have fun! I've been suffocating!"

[Skin]: "Wait, it's cold outside. And we can't run around naked; we need to have style."

"Didn't we have one set of clothes left in the closet that didn't burn during the last fire?"

In reality, the sleeping Jiang You suddenly sat bolt upright.

With his eyes closed, he walked stiffly but precisely to the snake-Skin bag thrown in the corner.

He rummaged out a black hooded trench coat that, despite smelling a bit scorched, was still intact, along with that pure white faceless mask.

This was his "battle robe" from the last time he went to the Thunder Forbidden Zone, and it was currently Jiang You's only work outfit for going out.

Put on clothes. Put on the mask. Put up the hood.

[Brain]: "Disguise complete. Codename: Faceless."

"Action target: Zhao Group's herb transfer warehouse in the south of the city."

"Mission: Take only what is expensive, not what is right. Eat only energy, take no cash."

"Let's go!"

Whoosh—The window opened silently.

A black phantom melted into the night of Jiangcheng.

...

Half an hour later. South of the city, Zhao Group herb warehouse.

This place stored precious medicinal herbs that the Zhao family had scavenged from all over; it was the Zhao family's cash cow.

A dozen bodyguards were patrolling with wolfhounds; the security was tight.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew past. The wolfhounds seemed to sense some great terror; they tucked their tails, whimpered, and lay on the ground, not daring to move.

"Who's there?!" the security captain just shouted.

He saw a figure in black wearing a white mask walking in swaggeringly, as if strolling through their own backyard.

"Stop! Fire!"

Rat-tat-tat—Tongues of fire spat out.

The bullets hit the figure in black, emitting a series of crisp "clinking" sounds, as if hitting a steel plate, with sparks flying everywhere.

The figure in black didn't even sway.

[Skin]: "What a weak massage. Can you use a larger caliber?"

The figure in black ignored the security guards and walked straight to the heavy alloy vault door.

[Right Hand] reached out, five fingers gripping the door seam.

"Creak—" Amidst the teeth-grinding sound of twisting metal.

That alloy door, weighing three tons and claimed to be nuclear-proof, was forcibly torn open by him like a piece of paper, creating a large hole.

The security guards were terrified, unable to even hold their guns steady.

"Mon... Monster!"

The figure in black walked into the warehouse, his gaze beneath the mask sweeping over the rows of shelves.

He didn't even look at the ginseng and deer antler priced in the millions.

Instead, he headed straight for a pile of glowing red ore in the corner—[Fire Essence Crystal].

That was a rare ore the Zhao family prepared for forging weapons; it was incredibly hard.

But in the hands of the figure in black, it was just like a biscuit.

Crunch!

He grabbed a piece of ore, lifted his mask slightly, and stuffed it directly into his mouth.

The sound of chewing echoed in the silent warehouse, making one's scalp tingle.

"The taste is average; it gets stuck in my teeth a bit."

Ten minutes later, the figure in black left. He left behind only a looted warehouse and a group of security guards questioning their lives.

...

The next morning, Jiang You woke up.

"Hmm..." He stretched, feeling full of energy, and his blood and qi seemed to have increased quite a bit.

"I slept so soundly last night, but my teeth are a bit sore; did I dream that I was chewing on rocks?"

He rolled out of bed and suddenly felt something uncomfortable under his feet.

He looked down. Scattered on the bedsheet were a few sparkling shards, as well as a half-eaten red plant that looked like a radish.

"What is this?"

Jiang You picked up the half-plant and sniffed it.

"Who threw this thing on my bed? And it looks like it was half-chewed by a dog?"

Jiang You disgustedly tossed the half-piece of Blood Spirit Ginseng, worth hundreds of thousands, into the trash can.

"How bizarre. Have there been mice in the house lately?"

...

Meanwhile, at the Zhao family mansion.

"Bam!" Patriarch Zhao smashed his teacup to pieces. "What did you say?! The south city warehouse was robbed?"

"One person? Tore open an alloy door with bare hands? Ate Fire Essence Crystals raw?"

The security captain knelt on the ground, shivering: "Yes... yes, Patriarch. That person was wearing a faceless mask, was impervious to blades and guns; he simply wasn't human!"

"He didn't take any money; he just ate all our most valuable ore and spiritual herbs!"

Patriarch Zhao's face turned livid as he paced back and forth in the room.

"Faceless mask... eating ore raw..."

"This is definitely not someone from Jiangcheng! Jiangcheng doesn't have such a terrifying expert!"

"It's a powerful outsider! Some top-tier expert or demon from outside has set their sights on our Zhao family!"

Patriarch Zhao didn't even consider Jiang You. After all, Jiang You was just a student with some "hard-training skills"; how could he possibly eat ore raw?

These must be two separate matters!

"Damn it! Misfortunes never come singly!"

Patriarch Zhao gritted his teeth, "On one side is that weirdo Jiang You, and on the other is this terrifying faceless thief."

"Is Heaven trying to destroy my Zhao family?!"

"No! Must endure! Wait until the College Entrance Examination ends..."

"Resolve Jiang You first, kill the chicken to warn the monkey! Perhaps that will deter the faceless thief hiding in the shadows!"