Chapter 109: The Black-Robed Stranger
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Having put Xiaoling and the other matters out of his mind, Tianming soon found himself walking toward the Ye residence with Xiaoying. In truth, there had been nothing else of importance in the letter. The Ye family’s young miss, Ye Qianlin, mainly wished to ask him for a favor.
When it came to helping others, Tianming naturally could not refuse!
“Pay up, now! Damn it, are you trying to dine and dash?”
Just as Tianming was about to continue forward, a coarse voice rang out from the entrance of a nearby shop. Hearing it, many passing cultivators gathered around. From the sound of things, the argument seemed likely to grow even fiercer.
“Big brother, should we go take a look?” Xiaoying asked tentatively when she noticed that Tianming also seemed interested.
“Very well.”
Tianming nodded and, without further hesitation, walked toward the shop. However, he soon noticed that the person being berated had not shown his true face. Instead, he was dressed entirely in a black robe and looked exceedingly mysterious.
“Hey, brother, what happened here? Why is everyone gathered around?”
As soon as he approached, Tianming casually found a young man nearby and asked him.
“You... Oh, I’m not entirely sure either. I only know that this fellow ordered food and wine, then tried to leave without paying. The shopkeeper’s assistant caught him, though!”
The young man had been about to curse and drive Tianming away, but when he saw the richly dressed youth before him, he hurriedly changed his tone and forced a flattering smile.
“I see. Thanks, brother.”
After saying that, Tianming ignored him. He produced a red banknote, handed it over, then led Xiaoying through an opening in the crowd.
“Much obliged, young master.”
The young man accepted the banknote and secretly chuckled. After glancing at it several times, he hurried away beneath the envious gazes of those around him.
......
“Shopkeeper, I am temporarily short of money. Could I owe you for a few days? I will certainly repay every coin in full once I have the funds.”
“Brat! Do you think this place is a charity hall? If everyone acted like you, how would I keep my shop open?”
The burly man standing opposite the black-robed figure sneered. Then, with an intimidating shove, he knocked the black-robed person to the ground and stepped forward, berating him.
Seeing this, the thin young man beside the burly man also advanced until the black-robed figure was surrounded. Spittle flying from his mouth, he chimed in, “That’s right, that’s right! I knew you were suspicious the moment I saw you. Wearing a black robe in broad daylight—do you really think that means no one can see you?”
“I apologize. My appearance is truly unsightly, and it is inconvenient for me to reveal my face. Would some noble benefactor be willing to help me? I swear I will repay the money I owe in full...”
After sweeping his gaze over the surrounding crowd, the black-robed figure did not become angry at the shopkeeper’s actions. Instead, he slowly crawled forward, bowing his head to each person as the crowd gathered around him.
The cultivators, however, were entirely unmoved. Some cursed him outright, while others watched with cold indifference, treating the scene as mere entertainment.
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“Get lost! Get lost!”
“Who the hell would lend you money? What if you suddenly ran away?”
“Exactly! Wearing a black robe in broad daylight—clearly you have something to hide. If you were willing to take it off, perhaps we could still consider helping you!”
“Only an idiot would lend you money. Pay up, now! If you keep stalling, don’t blame us for taking more forceful measures. We have serious reason to suspect that you came here to swindle people. You sound like someone with status, so surely you can’t even afford this little sum, can you?”
“That’s right, that’s right! Pay up!”
......
As soon as the black-robed figure humbly pleaded with them, the surrounding cultivators erupted in shouts, their uproar resembling a full-scale revolt.
Alas!
Hearing those mocking words, the black-robed figure clenched both hands tightly. A complicated emotion surfaced in his eyes.
“The kind-hearted are always bullied...”
After studying the black-robed figure from the front, Tianming shook his head with a sigh. Although he sympathized with the man, the matter had begun because of the man himself. Being poor was not a sin, but coming to enjoy a meal without having the money to pay for it was another matter entirely.
Still, the people of the Southern Wasteland Continent were truly rather lacking in human kindness. It was only the price of a few dishes and drinks, yet not one person had stepped forward to help.
Thinking about it, Tianming guessed that this was probably the work of the Dark Demon Clan. Although the people of this continent had not all been wiped out, he always felt that, in terms of their thinking, they were somehow missing something compared with the people of the other continents.
“Young master, can you help him? He’s so pitiful!” After watching for a while, Xiaoying tugged at Tianming’s clothes and whispered.
“Girl, what did you just call me?”
Tianming paused slightly, then asked with a meaningful smile.
“...Big brother!”
Xiaoying lowered her head shyly. She froze for a moment, as if she had realized something, and immediately shook her head in refusal. But when she saw the despair in the black-robed figure’s eyes, she bit her pearly teeth and hurriedly shook Tianming’s arm coquettishly.
“Sigh... Very well. For Xiaoying’s sake, I’ll help him this once. Who could refuse when our Xiaoying is so kind-hearted?”
Tianming glanced at Xiaoying in surprise. Another doubt arose in his heart, but he did not dwell on it. He gently patted her round little head and shook his head with an exasperated smile.
“Thank you! Thank you, big brother!”
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Hearing those words, Xiaoying instantly grew excited and pressed even more intimately against Tianming’s arm.
“Meow~~ Master, this is a Hongling Soul-Clearing Jade. It is a low-grade Immortal-tier treasure worth ten million experience points. If you can obtain it, you may be able to break straight through to the Void-Illumination Stage. The little girl probably has not had her soul disrupted by the dark element precisely because of this piece of jade.”
Just as Tianming was about to step forward, Xiaoling’s figure suddenly appeared before him.
So that was how it was!
Tianming nodded. His sharp gaze shifted to the jade pendant hanging beneath Xiaoying’s neck, which gave off a faint, dim glow. Without careful observation, anyone would have taken it for an ordinary plastic pendant. Of course, even with careful observation, Tianming could not discern anything unusual about it.
“Big brother, what is it?” Xiaoying asked, her face flushing as she covered her chest with both hands after noticing Tianming staring at that private area.
“Nothing.”
Tianming shook his head, then turned his gaze back to the black-robed figure.
“Come on, come on! You’re coming with me to see the Spirit Lord of this place. You really don’t know your place, daring to eat a free meal in my establishment!”
The burly man had said all he intended to say. Seeing that the black-robed figure remained unmoved, he hardened his expression and reached out. A large hand shrouded in black elemental energy shot toward the black-robed figure, intent on seizing him.
“...Don’t force me.”
The black-robed figure coldly glared at the burly man. A tangible killing intent surfaced in his eyes as he spoke in a low voice.
“You...”
The burly man had only just condensed the black-energy hand when the black-robed figure’s single glance frightened him so badly that his elemental energy collapsed. He fell limply to the ground.
When he raised his head and heard the laughter of those around him, his ears and face flushed red. He sprang to his feet and shouted, “You damned brat! What if I force you, huh?”
“Then... don’t... blame...”
The black-robed figure slowly closed his eyes. His right hand gradually settled upon the hilt of the sword at his back, and each word that left his mouth was as cold as the depths of winter...
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