Entering the small, fly-specked eatery, Ye Tiancheng was already accustomed to it. His first instinct was to check the prices, as affordability was paramount for him. It wasn't always about the most expensive being the best; sometimes, finding good value was incredibly important.
"Am I seeing this right? What kind of rice noodles are these, only 6 yuan? That's incredible! I haven't had such cheap rice noodles in ages."
"It shouldn't be wrong. With so many customers here, it already speaks volumes about the quality. It's definitely not ordinary. If it weren't delicious, how could so many people come to eat? It must be very tasty."
With great confidence, the two sat down and began to order. Seeing how deliciously the people at the next table were eating, they themselves felt the urge to eat more.
After quite some time, their order of one bowl of rice noodles and one bowl of wontons was finally served.
"Master, the taste is truly excellent. Try it later, it definitely won't disappoint you."
Lin Xue had ordered the wontons and was already happily eating. She was quite a picky eater, often getting full after just a few bites. Today, however, she managed to finish everything, even drinking a few sips of the soup, which was a great compliment to Ye Tiancheng.
"My rice noodles are surprisingly delicious too. For 6 yuan, they even put quite a bit of chicken gizzards in it. That's truly remarkable."
Ye Tiancheng felt incredibly satisfied with the meal. He hadn't felt this content in a long time. The two of them spent a total of 12 yuan, and what's more, the taste was absolutely superb. After finishing their meal, they unanimously decided to frequent this place from now on, as the taste was truly exceptional.
As they happily discussed the delicious food, they didn't forget their mission: they were here at the bar to investigate the whereabouts of the black energy. They certainly weren't here for leisure. So, when the time came, they obediently followed the crowd into the bar. To their surprise, it was only a little past nine o'clock, and the bar was already buzzing with activity, with many tables already occupied. Faced with such a high-energy atmosphere, Ye Tiancheng and Lin Xue felt completely out of place, even wishing for it all to end quickly because it was unbearably loud, enough to drive one mad.
"Beautiful lady, let's dance together!"
This time, Lin Xue wasn't dressed in her usual martial heroine style. She had changed her look somewhat today, giving herself a more refined appearance. The moment the man touched Lin Xue, she unleashed a surge of spiritual energy, sending him flying back. The man landed on the ground with a thud, grimacing in pain and unable to utter a coherent sentence for a long time.
It was becoming difficult to hear each other speak, and the situation was becoming overwhelming. At this critical juncture, the two could only exchange a secret signal, ultimately deciding to meet in the restroom to discuss their next course of action.
"Master, have you found it yet? If we don't find it soon, I might go deaf. My ears are already ringing."
"Mine too. I've been experiencing tinnitus, and I'm starting to lose it. I haven't been able to pinpoint where the black energy is. It seems we need to find a way to investigate further."
Afterward, Ye Tiancheng gently raised his hand, and a fine stream of true energy flowed from his fingertips, rapidly probing the entire bar, both front and back. As Ye Tiancheng's true energy spread out for a wide-ranging inspection, subtle anomalies began to appear. The music in the bar suddenly became strange, as if it had turned manic, with a feeling of impending frenzy.
"It seems I really have to show some real skill. Just by using my true energy to probe, I've sensed the black energy. That fellow has revealed his hand. Let's move quickly."
After speaking, Ye Tiancheng led his disciple, and the two masters and disciples cooperated perfectly. As soon as they emerged from the restroom, Lin Xue unfurled her umbrella and, with a swift movement, activated it. The umbrella began to drift above the noisy music of the bar. The umbrella flew directly towards the DJ on stage, then stopped above the DJ's head and began to spin. Ye Tiancheng leaped up and struck the DJ's head with a blast of true energy, instantly causing the man to see stars and feel as though he were about to faint.
The people in the dance floor, who had been controlled as if they were zombies, suddenly regained their freedom and became full of vitality. They had been manipulated just moments ago, and upon realizing it, they immediately scattered in all directions. Ye Tiancheng extracted the black energy from the DJ's body. With a series of violent convulsions, the man collapsed, and the black energy completely dissipated. Everything happened incredibly fast. By the time people reacted, it was all over. The black energy that had been lurking behind them was finally broken down into particles and vanished into the air.
"Finally, it's resolved. That was truly not easy."
Lin Xue also breathed a sigh of relief. However, for some reason, two people suddenly barged in. They were wearing security uniforms, and one of them was the same person who had clashed with Ye Tiancheng earlier.
"You scoundrel, I've been too lenient with you. I didn't call the police or pursue the matter last time, and you dare to come back? You're really quite bold."
The security guard rushed forward to attack, but Ye Tiancheng completely ignored him. He sent a blast of true energy, knocking the man to the ground.
"You are indeed a demon. I will deal with you sooner or later. Just you wait. I may not be able to now, but that doesn't mean I won't be able to defeat you in the future."
The man was full of defiant words, but in reality, he lay on the ground, unable to do anything, only able to resort to verbal bravado. Ye Tiancheng had encountered many such people and didn't feel they could affect him. Let him say whatever he wanted; it wouldn't make much difference.
"You can shout here all you want. But I must warn you in advance, there's a first time for everything, and a second time, but there won't be a third. If I encounter you again and you're still spouting nonsense here, then rest assured, I guarantee I'll give you a couple of good slaps."
Ye Tiancheng's words silenced the man. Ye Tiancheng wasn't joking. Given his strength, such a small matter should be incredibly simple, posing no problem at all.
"Master, it seems it truly is an era of bullying the weak and fearing the strong. See, as soon as you act a little tough, those people get scared. No one dares to come and say anything to you. This is what they call strength."
Having subdued the obnoxious thug, Lin Xue felt a sense of vindication. She, who was usually quiet, had spoken her mind today, which was a rare occurrence.
There was also another matter: both master and disciple were delighted. The problem in Dashicun had been resolved, and Liu Lanying had also been freed from a great worry. These were all good things, and it was natural for the two to be happy.
Before returning, Ye Tiancheng called Liu Lanying. He knew that Liu Lanying was quite sensitive and certainly not a careless person. It was better to inform her sooner rather than later, otherwise, Liu Lanying would start overthinking. He had heard that Liu Lanying, as the village chief, had been suffering from insomnia these past few days. As Liu Lanying's friend, how could Ye Tiancheng not be worried? He was genuinely concerned.
"That's wonderful, Brother Ye! I knew you could handle it. There's nothing you can't do. Now I can finally rest easy. You have no idea how agonizing it was for me during the waiting period."
As Liu Lanying spoke, her voice began to tremble, and she seemed on the verge of tears. In such a situation, Ye Tiancheng could only offer comfort. Facing a girl on the verge of tears, Ye Tiancheng felt a sense of tenderness but didn't know what to say.
"I'll be home in about an hour and a half. You should rest first. You haven't been sleeping well these past few days. Take this opportunity to catch up on some sleep."
Hearing Ye Tiancheng's concern for her, Liu Lanying felt a wave of warmth in her heart. Indeed, when she first heard the news, she was very excited. Now that her mood had relaxed, she felt a bit sleepy, which was a normal reaction.
"Then I'll take a short nap. I'll inform the villagers first. I might have to go to the village broadcast station. Everyone is very scared, and half the villagers have already fled. If I don't convey this news to them, I estimate everyone will run away before dawn. After all, in the face of life, everything else is secondary."
"Alright, inform them. It's normal for the villagers to be scared. But I don't think you should overexert yourself. Why not ask your assistant to do it? Your assistant is very capable and should help you when you're not feeling well."
Ye Tiancheng's words reminded Liu Lanying again. It was indeed normal to think that way. Wasn't the assistant there to support Liu Lanying's work? For some minor tasks, she didn't need to do everything herself. So, shortly after hanging up, Liu Lanying instructed her assistant to go to the village broadcast station and inform everyone that the crisis had been resolved and that they should no longer be in a state of panic. She also asked the assistant to announce that there would be a village-wide dinner that evening as a celebration.
After giving the instructions to her assistant, Liu Lanying was utterly exhausted. She felt a ringing in her ears, her eyelids felt heavy, and the noisy world outside seemed irrelevant to her. At this moment, Liu Lanying had only one thought: sleep.
"I hope everything will be ready when I wake up..."
After murmuring these words, Liu Lanying fell into a deep sleep, feeling as though she had never slept so soundly. She had been waking up inexplicably frequently these past two days, but today, she slept soundly until dawn. Ye Tiancheng and Liu Lanying had already returned, and the celebration was scheduled for the morning. Early in the morning, a grand feast was laid out, and the entire Dashicun was filled with a joyous atmosphere.
In fact, Ye Tiancheng and Lin Xue received the highest welcome upon their return. They were now invited to the main table and were even asked to give a speech. Ye Tiancheng was filled with emotion. When he first came to this village, his sole purpose was to earn a few hundred yuan a day from farming. The village was very poor. The reason he chose to hire workers was that the village had reached a certain level of aging, with only the elderly remaining. Even middle-aged people chose to work in the city, and no one was willing to stay here and remain in poverty forever. Thus, there was a lack of labor, and he had to hire people to work. At that time, due to Miss Su's accidental mention of raising pigs, Ye Tiancheng led everyone down the path to prosperity. In retrospect, it hadn't been that long, but suddenly, the villagers had become prosperous and built beautiful houses. Thinking about it now, it felt like a dream.