Chapter 60 - 52: The Giver of Wealth
BEEP!!
The sound was a short, sharp honk of a car horn.
A black SUV with aggressive lines and a raised chassis stopped a short distance away.
The window rolled down, revealing Zhang Quan’s perpetually stern face.
"Get in," Zhang Quan said, his words clipped and to the point.
Lin Yi acknowledged him and walked over quickly. He pulled open the door, carefully placed the heavy weapon case into the spacious trunk, and then slid into the passenger seat.
The SUV pulled out of the campus smoothly, merging into the evening traffic.
The atmosphere inside the car was a bit quiet.
Zhang Quan was clearly not one for small talk, focusing only on driving.
Lin Yi, for his part, was happy with the quiet. He gazed out at the city streets rushing by. The neon lights were just beginning to flicker on, and their reflections streamed across the window, illuminating his calm profile.
His mind was split, half of it deducing spear techniques, the other half monitoring the exploration progress of his Mosquito Avatar.
About twenty minutes later, the SUV entered a high-end residential community. It was a serene neighborhood with what looked like very strict security.
It stopped in front of a detached villa.
"We’re here." Zhang Quan turned off the engine and unbuckled his seatbelt. "You’ll be living here from now on. There’s a guest room on the first floor. The third floor is my space—don’t come up unless I call you. The second floor has a training room and a meditation room."
He pushed the door open, got out, and retrieved Lin Yi’s weapon case from the trunk before leading the way to the front door.
With a fingerprint scan, the heavy metal door slid open silently.
The villa’s interior decor was just like Zhang Quan himself: simple, severe, and exuding a cold, pragmatic feel.
The entryway was free of unnecessary decorations, holding only a few neatly arranged pairs of combat boots and athletic shoes.
The living room was spacious but sparsely furnished. A large leather sofa faced a massive floor-to-ceiling window, which looked out onto a small, meticulously maintained courtyard.
The most eye-catching feature was an antique weapon rack in the corner of the living room. It held several long spears of different designs, their cold light glinting subtly. They were clearly all extraordinary items.
The air was filled with the faint scent of metal and leather conditioning oil, along with the barely perceptible aura of a powerful Martial Artist’s Qi and Blood.
"Your room is over there." Zhang Quan pointed to a door at the end of the first-floor hallway. "It’s mostly stocked with daily necessities. Let me know if you need anything. You know how to use a kitchen, right? There’s food in the fridge, help yourself. I usually just have nutrient packs, so I rarely cook."
"I do. Thank you, Teacher Zhang." Lin Yi nodded, but his gaze was involuntarily drawn to the weapon rack.
Zhang Quan noticed his stare and placed Lin Yi’s weapon case by the sofa. "Take your piece out and put it on the rack. From now on, this will be one of your training areas."
He pointed to the empty space in the living room. "It’s big enough. You can practice basic spear techniques and footwork here. The second floor is for destructive training and meditation."
"Yes, sir." As instructed, Lin Yi quickly opened the weapon case, took out the three sections of the spear, and skillfully assembled the dark silver Owl Dragon C-82 Long Spear.
The cold shaft felt familiar in his hands, that sense of perfect fit washing over him again.
He walked over to the weapon rack and placed the long spear firmly in an empty slot. Its dark body, set alongside the other antique long spears on the rack, didn’t look out of place at all.
"Good." A flicker of almost imperceptible satisfaction crossed Zhang Quan’s eyes as he watched Lin Yi’s fluid movements and the brand-new Spiritual Weapon. "You spent all day in stance training. Rest well tonight and recover your Qi and Blood and Spirit. Tomorrow, we start practicing ’spear shaking’ and footwork. They are the foundation of spear power generation and are ten times more grueling than stance training. Don’t even think about slacking off."
His tone was uncompromisingly severe, as if he could already envision Lin Yi’s miserable state tomorrow.
"Understood, Teacher." Lin Yi’s expression didn’t change, his voice firm.
"Alright, get yourself settled." Zhang Quan waved his hand, seemingly unwilling to say more, and turned to head upstairs.
He had just taken two steps up the stairs when he suddenly stopped. Without turning back, his voice came, low but clear:
"By the way, the Public Security Bureau... just sent an encrypted message. They’ve tracked Yan Hao’s last known signal source to the edge of the old industrial district in the west of the city. That area... is a mixed bag, full of abandoned factories and underground pipes as numerous as ox hairs."
Zhang Quan paused, his tone growing grave.
"For the next few days, you are absolutely forbidden from leaving the community without my permission. I will escort you to and from school. And when you’re at home... it would be best not to let your Weapon get too far out of reach."
With that, he didn’t linger, striding quickly up to the second floor and disappearing around the bend in the staircase.
Lin Yi was left alone in the living room.
Outside the window, the city lights were brilliant; the nightlife was just beginning.
Inside, Lin Yi stood in the spacious, cold living room, the weapon rack beside him emanating a biting chill.
He didn’t start cooking; that would be a waste of time. Instead, he ordered takeout online, then assumed the stance of the "Seven Steps Stance Technique" and began his Cultivation to recover his Qi and Blood.
His Qi and Blood capacity was already very high, but he had been reluctant to use Pills to replenish his reserves. So, he took advantage of this free time to recover as much as he could.
His expression was intensely focused as he cultivated.
But occasionally, his gaze would pierce through the floor-to-ceiling window, looking toward the west side of the city.
’The west side... the old industrial district?’
’Is Yan Hao hiding there?’
Although he now knew of Yan Hao’s possible whereabouts, Lin Yi didn’t act rashly. He didn’t immediately send his Mosquito Avatar flying to the old industrial district in the west.
While it was true that Yan Hao was a threat to him, and it would be best to find a trail as soon as possible, for the moment, time was on Lin Yi’s side.
With a Third-Grade Martial Artist like Zhang Quan guarding him closely, Yan Hao couldn’t pose any threat to him at all.
And with each passing day, Lin Yi’s own strength would increase significantly.
So there was no need to disrupt his own plans for Yan Hao’s sake.
He would just let the Mosquito Avatar continue to sweep the entire underground pipe network. It wouldn’t be long before the Mosquito Avatar covered the old industrial district in the west and turned over every nook and cranny where Yan Hao might be hiding.
He held the initiative firmly in his own hands.
Having made up his mind, Lin Yi stopped worrying about it.
A short while later, a drone delivered his takeout.
Lin Yi stopped his cultivation and stood up. He moved quickly, wolfing down his dinner to replenish his body’s expended energy.
Then he resumed his Cultivation of the "Seven Steps Stance Technique" to recover his Qi and Blood.
When the night grew deep and quiet, he checked the time. It was getting late, and he had a high-intensity spear training session tomorrow. He needed to be in peak condition.
Without further delay, he headed straight for the guest room Zhang Quan had prepared for him.
Lying on the unfamiliar bed, Lin Yi felt no discomfort. He wasn’t picky about where he slept and quickly drifted off.
He slept soundly through the night.
The next day, just as the sky was beginning to lighten, Lin Yi’s internal clock woke him up on schedule.
He rolled nimbly out of bed, washed up, and walked out of the room feeling refreshed.
A slight noise came from the kitchen.
Unexpectedly, Zhang Quan was up even earlier than him. He came out of the kitchen and was placing two cups of steaming liquid on the dining counter.
"Morning, Teacher Zhang," Lin Yi greeted him enthusiastically.
Zhang Quan turned his head at the sound. His gaze, sharp as lightning, swept over Lin Yi as if to assess his condition. He then nodded and asked, "How did you sleep last night? Are you settling in okay?"
"Very well, thank you for your hospitality, Teacher Zhang," Lin Yi replied sincerely. His spirit was indeed brimming.
"Good that you’re getting used to it." Zhang Quan’s face was expressionless, but his tone was relatively mild. "I’ve prepared two high-energy nutrient packs. Come drink one after you’ve washed up. Today’s training will be very demanding."
"Yes, thank you, Teacher."
Lin Yi walked over to the dining counter.
Zhang Quan handed him a special metal cup. It was slightly warm to the touch.
The liquid in the cup was a translucent, pale green and gave off a sweet apple scent.
Without hesitation, Lin Yi tilted his head back and downed it in one go.
The liquid slid down his throat with a subtle feeling of energy, spreading quickly and warmly into his stomach.
He smacked his lips. It tasted like a high-end beverage, with a crisp apple flavor, but its effects were completely different.
Just this one cup could provide a Martial Artist with the immense energy and basic nutrition needed for a full day of high-intensity training.
Lin Yi knew that a single packet of this mix sold for over two thousand yuan on the market!
He would never be willing to buy it for himself.
With that kind of money, he’d rather have a few lavish meals. At least he could enjoy the satisfaction of indulging his appetite.
However, since his teacher was providing it and the effects were indeed immediate, he was naturally grateful.
After downing the nutrient pack, a warmth rose in his stomach. It felt like a small, warm current was flowing through his limbs, dispelling the last traces of morning grogginess.
And just like that, breakfast was over.
"Let’s go. To school," Zhang Quan said concisely, picking up his jacket.
Lin Yi acknowledged him, took the Owl Dragon Long Spear from the weapon rack, and placed it in its case.
CLICK. He fastened the latch and, with a single arm, effortlessly lifted the heavy weapon case.
Zhang Quan drove, taking Lin Yi to school.
The city scenes flew backward outside the car window.
The car drove smoothly onto the familiar campus, stopping in front of the Martial Dao Hall’s training building.
Zhang Quan turned off the engine and got out, but he didn’t lead Lin Yi directly to the training room entrance.
He paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping over several black, hard-lined official vehicles parked in front of the training building, each emblazoned with the Public Security Bureau’s logo. He turned to Lin Yi and said, "The principal just sent word. People from the Public Security Bureau have arrived. They’re waiting inside. Judging by the look of things, they’re here specifically for you."
Hearing this, Lin Yi’s eyes immediately lit up.
Two days ago, the Public Security Bureau had just delivered five million yuan’s worth of cultivation resources to him.
Now they were here again. If he wasn’t mistaken, they were here to give him the Energy Gun.
Most people regarded the Public Security Bureau with awe and did their best to avoid them. But to Lin Yi, they were basically a God of Fortune knocking on his door!
