Chapter 195 - Big-Headed Youth

Li Guanqi frowned slightly, unsure of what was happening ahead. When the two of them got closer, they finally understood the situation.

Huddled in the shadow of a wall corner was a scrawny, ragged boy, barely clothed in tattered scraps. His limbs were skinny and soaked with water, but what stood out most was the grotesque size of his head. It was massive, as large as a bull’s.

The disproportion had distorted his features: one eye sat higher than the other, his lips were torn at the corners, and the pale surface of his head was laced with bulging veins, as if it might burst open at any moment.

At first glance, the sight alone made one instinctively uncomfortable. Even if he did nothing, his face alone appeared monstrous and frightening.

The boy reeked. His skin was ghostly pale, and a burn mark marred the space between his brows.

A man spat on the ground and cursed. “Filthy little beast. Ugly on the outside, uglier on the inside!”

“He should just die already!”

Nearby, a plump woman stood with her hands on her hips, shouting angrily, “Hmph! I’m telling you, this cursed freak must’ve pushed my child into the river!”

As she ranted, she grabbed eggs from a basket beside her and hurled them at the boy.

A young, soaked boy stood next to her, presumably her son. The disfigured boy, however, remained calm, as if accustomed to such treatment.

Smack!

The eggs and vegetables hit him squarely, but he didn’t flinch. Instead, he relished the cracked yolks, licking up every drop. He even scooped up the clinging vegetable leaves and ravenously stuffed them into his mouth.

He completely ignored the insults around him. Seeing this, the plump woman flew into a greater rage. She bent down, picked up a rock, and hurled it at the boy.

Perhaps too weak to dodge, the boy simply raised his arms to shield his head.

Crack!

Blood ran down his arm, but his expression remained impassive.

Seeing blood, the surrounding crowd fell silent and quickly dispersed. After all, killing someone could have consequences. The woman, face unchanged, hurried away with her soaked child in tow.

Li Guanqi and Ye Feng watched the boy as he picked up the fallen vegetables from the ground, and something stirred in Li Guanqi’s heart. As if sensing their gaze, the boy glanced up at them, the only ones who hadn’t walked away. Then, without a word, he lowered his head again and kept picking at the scraps.

Li Guanqi took a step forward and asked gently, “Are you hungry?”

The boy’s eyes flickered with surprise and embarrassment, as if he couldn’t believe what he’d just heard. But in the end, he nodded slightly.

With a flick of his wrists, Li Guanqi produced over a dozen steamed buns. He wrapped them in oiled paper and slowly approached.

The boy, seemingly recalling something, lifted a finger and pointed a few paces ahead, signaling for Li Guanqi to leave the food there.

But Li Guanqi ignored the gesture. He stepped over the messy heap of rotten vegetables and placed the warm bundle directly into the boy’s hands.

A trace of pity surfaced in his voice as he rose to his feet. “I didn’t see hatred in your eyes, which is why I’m willing to give you food. Remember this: even if you're trapped in the deepest abyss, reach out again and again. Do everything you can to climb your way out.”

The boy kept his head down, saying nothing. Li Guanqi turned to leave, and Ye Feng followed, glancing back at the boy.

12o b

Just then, the boy’s thin shoulders trembled. He slowly lifted his head, and his eyes met Ye Feng’s. For a brief moment, there seemed to be light in his eyes.

Ye Feng quickened his pace to catch up with Li Guanqi. Through voice transmission, he asked, “Boss... why help him?”

Li Guanqi replied quietly, “No reason. Just like I said, I didn’t see hatred in his eyes. It was just something I did in passing.”

“Didn’t you notice? He was probably the one who saved the drenched boy from drowning in the river,” Li Guanqi said. “But that’s none of our business.”

Ye Feng nodded, and soon the two of them arrived at Lingchang City’s Hundred Treasures Pavilion.

It was a luxurious three-story building, stretching nearly fifty zhang wide. Its grand entrance featured eight large doors, a symbol of fortune and prosperity. They stopped at the entrance, gazing in awe at the dazzling view.

“Boss, this Treasure Pavilion is loaded! If I’m not wrong, the floor inside is made of spirit stones!”

Li Guanqi smiled and stepped inside. As they entered, a beautiful female attendant approached, wearing a red embroidered qipao[1]. Her graceful figure and warm smile gave off an air of elegance and hospitality.

“Welcome, honored guests,” she said sweetly, her voice as gentle as a spring breeze. “May I assist you? The first floor holds pills and miscellaneous items. The second floor has magical tools and talismans. Is there anything I can assist you with?”

Li Guanqi nodded slightly and replied, “We’d like to buy some Vitality-Boosting Pills. Also, do you accept used spirit items for trade?”

The woman’s smile stiffened slightly when she heard the first request.

Vitality-Boosting Pills? They don’t look like Golden Core Realm cultivators.

But when she heard the second sentence, her smile grew even brighter. She quickly ushered them in. “Please, this way. I’ll arrange for an appraiser at once.”

She led them into a small private room, served them some spirit tea and fruit, then stepped out.

Before leaving, she said, “Please wait a moment, our appraiser will arrive shortly.”

Not long after, the appraiser came.

He remained in the room opposite theirs instead of meeting them directly. A narrow panel on the wall slid open, just wide enough for a hand. “Please place the items on the platform.”

Li Guanqi’s eyes flashed with an icy glint. He sneered inwardly at their so-called confidentiality.

From the moment they entered, he had sensed at least twenty recording stone steles hidden throughout the main hall. This so-called privacy panel was just for show, but he didn’t expose it. He casually placed the twin daggers he’d taken from Yu Heng onto the platform.

Soon, the appraisal was complete. “Two mid-grade spirit daggers, matched set, slightly damaged. Estimated value: seventy mid-grade spirit stones. Do you accept?”

Li Guanqi nodded. “Good.”

A storage pouch slid through the opening. Having collected it, Li Guanqi and Ye Feng exited the room to find the female attendant waiting. She held a jade tray with four delicate jade bottles neatly arranged on top of it.

“Young master,” the woman said with a flirtatious smile, “here are your Vitality-Boosting Pills. Forty pills total, each with at least eighty percent potency. That’ll be four thousand low-grade spirit stones.”

Li Guanqi examined the contents carefully, then cheerfully placed the payment on the tray.

Just as he turned to leave, the woman produced an extra jade bottle. “Young master, wait. These are some qi-enhancing pills—a small gift from us. If they serve you well, do visit again.”

She stuffed the bottle into Ye Feng’s hands, then swayed her hips and walked away.

1. A Chinese dress. ☜