Chapter 159 - 19 Granny Huai

Words : 1355 Updated : Sep 28th, 2025

Chapter 159: Chapter 19 Granny HuaiWith the source of malice behind him, An Jing’s movements did not stop, but rather continued smoothly. Malice. Indeed, he had perceived plenty of it these past few days. Ever since An Jing cultivated the Tranquil Sword Manual and underwent a Spirit Awakening of his Spirit Root, his perception had become particularly sharp, and just now, after comprehending the true intent of the Taibai Luminous Godly Ban, his Soul and Spirit had grown even stronger and clearer. An Jing was well aware of how much a big spender from a countryside wealthy family, who also spoke with an excessive air of debauchery, could annoy people. Those who envied the rich, the geographically prejudiced, the rejectors of outsiders from the countryside, those who couldn’t stand the sight of debauchery... Beyond that, there was even subtler malice, Such as An Jing buying many things from neighboring shops, but only a few small items from their own store; or An Jing, clearly a country bumpkin, having quite an eye for quality, and not falling for their trick of swapping good goods for bad... And so on. However, this malice was simply due to disfavor, and would never reach the point of ’harm’. But the malice this time viewed An Jing as livestock, coldly appraising his value and pondering how much he could sell for, or as a human chip, considering how much money could be extorted from him. The chilly gaze wrapped around him like a snake. "Indeed, I knew my performance would attract attention." Seizing the moment while pausing in front of a vendor’s stall, pretending to be interested in buying something, An Jing casually glanced over the crowd behind him as he turned his body, and then zeroed in on the source of the malice. It was a middle-aged man with a headband and narrow eyes set in bushy brows. He had a benign appearance, clad in an earthy yellow hemp garment and carrying a bag of local produce, seemingly a common shopper. But with his enhanced vision, An Jing could keenly notice that the calluses on the man’s hands were not from farming, but from holding a knife. Moreover, the man’s steps seemed shaky, but he was actually always positioned on balance points. In case of an emergency, he could immediately firm up his stance for attacking or escaping. The man was also a ’martial artist’. Though not skilled, at most possessing Inner Breath, at best his Inner Breath as Vast as River, he still had developed footwork; his knife techniques were probably proficient enough to incorporate his true intent, no longer mere countryside posturing. Indeed, for a kidnapper, poor footwork would mean waiting to be killed on the spot should anything go wrong. "It shouldn’t be from the Li Zhen Pawnshop." An Jing knew that if the pawnshop had wanted to take action, they would have done so long before he finished consuming the Spiritual Objects. But, there likely was a connection. The shopkeeper from the Li Zhen Pawnshop must have reported this information to his superiors, and with many mouths at headquarters, the information must have slipped out to these villains spying on him. This time, however, these people were only observing him. An Jing noticed that the invasive gaze settled on him faded after a while, probably just to confirm some details about his appearance and where he lived. However, this also meant that they had truly marked him as a target. This was perhaps a consequence of his actions taken in haste to acquire the Spiritual Objects. "Interesting... they truly have their eye on me." Since he felt the malice, An Jing wasn’t going to let it go unnoticed. He could assure himself that they were not members of the Demon Sect, as the martial artists of the Demon Sect usually practiced a part of the Imperial Heaven technique and had very faint, low presence of malice or sometimes none at all. They kill, kidnap, and traffic people without the slightest superfluous emotion, as if it’s a matter of course, "Heaven’s Will." Compared to the Demon Sect, these people are simply amateurs. If it had been An Jing from before, he might have scaled back his actions by now, not giving the other side a chance to move... But now, having just had a breakthrough and greatly enhanced his strength, and with no Grandmaster in Kanming City, even if there were any hidden ones, An Jing felt confident he could detect them early and avoid them. With that being the case, what was there to fear? With the power and the confidence, he was now bold enough to do whatever he wanted to do. "In a few days, I’ll seize the opportunity to strike first." After memorizing the aura of the middle-aged man with sparse eyebrows and small eyes, An Jing returned to the inn, thinking to himself, "I can also see what these people plan to do in Kanming City." But what An Jing hadn’t expected was that the group targeting him was extraordinarily bold. He didn’t get a chance to act first, as the very next morning, while An Jing was buying breakfast, the group made a move on him directly. As a hub for various transport routes, Kanming City’s culinary style is diverse and distinctive, with many breakfast options. Common choices include various kinds of noodles, wontons, baked rolled pancakes, pancake soup, scallion noodles, and more refined options like sugarcane cake, steamed rice cake, and mixed grain cake, paired with soy milk, bean juice, or preserved plum juice. An Jing enjoyed seeking out good eats, and if possible, he wouldn’t just make do. He had spent the previous day in the inn, digesting and familiarizing himself with his post-advancement physical condition, continuously transferring his Inner Breath, ensuring that he could control it to the finest degree. After finishing the transfers, it was the next morning. An Jing, who hadn’t had a drop to drink all day, decided to go out for food. After all, compared to the cakes provided by the inn, he preferred soups and noodles or pancakes. "The wontons from Old Chen’s I had last time were good, but let’s try something new today." With a pleasant mood, An Jing walked through the streets, looking for a restaurant to his liking. Before long, he came upon a teahouse and curiously observed their salty milk tea. This salty milk tea, a tradition passed down from the Dust Li region, is made with fairly common tea bricks, combined with salted milk. Truth be told, it felt quite good, not too different from salty soy milk as breakfast. "Young man, are you planning to buy some? People from Da Chen may find it a bit hard to get used to," said an elderly voice from behind the tearoom as an old granny stepped out of the shadows, standing behind the tea girl who was making tea. "Hmm? I indeed want to try it," replied An Jing, looking up at what seemed to be the teahouse owner, the granny, and said with some curiosity, "But granny, how did you guess I’m from Da Chen?" Today, An Jing was dressed like a native of Dust Li, and he prided himself on his flawless accent and attire, which made him appear like a purebred Dust Li person. Even Steward Li and Li Zhen Shopkeeper had not noticed; how had he been found out by an old lady? "Granny Huai..." The tea girl who was boiling water stood up in surprise, "Why have you come out? There’s sunlight today..." "I’m fine. Even though I can’t be in the sun, I can still move around indoors," said the old lady, her hair white with age, her face kind and gentle. Her skin was so pale it was almost frightening, likely due to some skin condition that prevented her from being exposed to sunlight. Granny Huai looked at An Jing and simply explained, "I didn’t see clearly when I was inside the shop, just wanted to give the young man a heads-up. Please don’t take it the wrong way."

Chapter 159 - 19 Granny Huai

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