Tingting's soft voice warmed my heart, but her words afterward filled me with sorrow.
Huang Jiu teased her, "Tingting, weren't you scared?"
Holding the remote control, Tingting shook her head. "Not scared."
Children speak with innocent honesty. Her response piqued my curiosity, so I sat her on my lap and asked, "If you weren't scared, why didn't you say a word that day?"
Tingting blinked her big eyes and said, "I was worried… worried you wouldn't win the fight!"
"You little rascal!" I pinched her nose and pointed at the breakfast on the table. "Go eat your breakfast."
Tingting cheerfully ran to the kitchen. Huang Jiu chuckled and said, "Looks like she's got potential!"
I replied, "Don't mess around. If you cause trouble in my second uncle's family, I'll lay you out on the chopping board."
I wouldn't go so far as to say that reading is the only noble pursuit, but without an education, even if one gets rich, others still see them as nouveau riche.
Tingting should have a proper college life like Zhang Ying and the others—that's what I hope for her.
Huang Jiu said, "Alright, alright, I know your Li family treasures her like a gem. By the way, the formation is set—how do you plan to lure them in?"
I said, "I'll make a few trips and leave something valuable inside to get their attention."
"Hey, something's off. Ever since you got tricked, you've become a lot more generous," Huang Jiu looked at me, puzzled.
I asked, "Tang Quan had money, didn't he?"
Huang Jiu nodded. "He was from Hong Kong, made a fortune."
I said, "Now he's dead, and we've inherited his wealth. People can make money, but they also need to live long enough to spend it."
When Aunt Su Yimei came out, I lowered my voice. "Let's talk later. Tonight, gather your little brothers for a feast and ask what they've found."
Huang Jiu said, "You've set a trap—people from the Ten Thousand Great Mountains might show up too."
I replied, "Those folks live in the cradle of longevity. Would they even bother with us?"
When Aunt Su Yimei came over, we stopped talking.
If setting up the Void House formation was for revenge, then catching the people from the Ten Thousand Great Mountains was my top priority.
Only Huang Jiu's underlings could handle this task.
Of course, there were other ways to gather intel, but the price would be high.
And I still didn't know which people in the Xuan World were colluding with them, so I couldn't make random inquiries.
Huang Jiu also went to have breakfast while I went to wake Xiao Cui.
When I opened the door, I heard snoring.
That tabby cat had somehow crept into the bedroom and was curled up on the bed, snoring in sync with Xiao Cui.
I still didn't fully trust the cat, but it would screech whenever I disturbed it.
Not wanting to wake Xiao Cui, I let it be.
Quietly closing the door behind me, Huang Jiu asked, "Still asleep?"
I nodded.
With his mouth covered in soy milk and a fried dough stick in his mouth, he mumbled, "When someone's spiritual body is damaged, they tend to sleep a lot."
I'd heard similar things before. People say fools sleep well not because they're carefree, but because a damaged soul makes one drowsy.
After breakfast, I went out and ordered two tons of beef, hoping that with enough reward, Hei Huang and the others would work harder.
When I got back, I was practicing stabbing the wooden dummy in the yard.
Zhan Ling and the others were also training outside. Seeing me, they all gathered to watch.
Four burly men stood with arms crossed, watching me like I was a stage performer, making me a bit self-conscious. But knowing they were skilled fighters, I sheathed my Blood Thorn and asked, "Brothers, what do you think of my technique?"
One of them, a demon hunter named Yuan Fei, replied, "Everyone has their own way of killing—your method's just a bit rigid. In close combat, flexibility is key."
Zhan Ling added, "Every sect in the Xuan World has combat techniques that work with their spells. Even though you're not from there and haven't learned those, you need to find your own way to combine spells and combat. That's how you maximize your strength."
Hearing this made me a bit dejected. I sighed, "My inheritance only includes things like feng shui. Even this Blood Thorn—I've only trained with it for a few days."
Yuan Fei said, "Whether it's a matching set doesn't matter. What matters is that it feels natural and fluent to you. From my years of experience, stuff learned from rigid drills is never as effective as what's gained through real combat."
Experience is always the most powerful technique.
My grandfather had once told me the same.
My eyes lit up. I asked, "Brother Yuan Fei, how about being my sparring partner for a few days?"
Yuan Fei flexed his muscles and loosened up. "If the boss asks, I'll oblige. But just know—fists and feet don't have eyes. If you get hit, you'll have to take it."
Seeing his muscular build made me nervous—he seemed eager to rough me up.
But with Old Song not around, I wouldn't gain much progress just stabbing the dummy. So I gritted my teeth and agreed.
But as soon as we started, I regretted it.
In just a few minutes, I was sore all over.
I couldn't take it anymore and called for a break, asking Xu Wanrong to buy me a set of Taekwondo armor.
Surprisingly, Yuan Fei had been holding back when I wasn't wearing armor. Once I put it on, he unleashed his full strength.
After two hours, I had to call it again.
I was in too much pain—my entire body ached.
Yuan Fei commented, "With your build, you've got a long way to go."
I wanted to train, but I was honestly afraid of him now.
I figured I'd wait till I recovered a bit. Otherwise, I wouldn't even be able to walk to the Void House tonight.
By evening, Huang Jiu's little brothers had gathered.
This time, I didn't let them divide the meat themselves. I gave all of it to Hei Huang to distribute.
When everyone gets equal shares, some slack off.
And since that thieving cat had taken up residence in my house, and Hei Huang was now the undisputed king among the local beasts, this also helped boost his standing among them.
Huang Jiu translated while the demons reported in. There were still no clues about the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.
However, several people from the Xuan World had been marked and were under surveillance, though nothing useful had been overheard yet.
I told them to keep watching those individuals and expand their scope as much as possible.
With the three factions working together, once we identified a core figure from one, we could trace the others—eventually reaching the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.
I also warned them to be cautious of powerful opponents. It was best to use lesser minions for surveillance to avoid leaking their demonic aura and getting discovered.
After giving them instructions, I dismissed Xiao Lv and Da Hei but kept Hei Huang behind.
He understood my intent and was visibly grateful.
I said, "Brother Hei Huang, from now on, I'll only contact you directly. You'll manage Xiao Lv and Da Hei."
Hei Huang, speaking in human tongue, said, "Thank you for your trust, Second Brother."
I pulled out a necklace from my pocket and placed it around his neck.
Worried he might think it was a dog collar, I explained, "This is from the Ten Thousand Great Mountains. It contains a unique power that will help with your cultivation."
Hei Huang trembled with excitement upon hearing this.