Chapter 144: Do You Want To Eat Together?

“Waaah!” I screamed, thinking that it was a ghost.

But as my vision slowly adjusted, I began to recognize that face.

The perverted woman smiled at me, bowing, “Are you that happy to see Lin mei[1]? I’m so glad!”

But I screamed! How was that an expression of delight?! I knew she was crazy, but not this crazy!

Gosh! She might wet herself if I greeted her twice like this!

“L-Lin Xiaoming! What are you doing here?”

That’s right.

The pervert before me was none other than Lin Xiaoming, the best SS-rank Hunter from China, belonging to the Three Martial Association.

“Lin mei has returned after completing the mission given by Mr. Sword God.”

Mission? Huh? What mission did I give her?

Just as I was racking my brain trying to recall, she opened her blood-red lips again.

“As per your instructions, I have won over the remnants of the Three Martial Association and all related S-rank Hunters in China. They are now your followers.”

Oh, right.

Come to think of it, I did recall reading a message about that. In fact, it helped me immensely during my close fight against Sun God, when I’d exhausted all my divine power. But when exactly did I instruct her to do that? Well, my Alter Ego probably told her to do it.

“Thank you. It helped me out a lot.” I bowed to her, expressing my gratitude.

Lin Xiaoming flushed in response, and stared back at me with dreamy eyes.

“Ah, Lin mei is touched to hear that~! Giving it my all was indeed worth it!”

Thump thump!

I could hear my heart pounding in my ears. As a man, it was a natural reaction. I was in an enclosed space with a naked woman, after all.

As if hearing my loud pounding heart, Lin Xiaoming’s sharp ears twitched. She placed her hands over her chest, and said in a seductive tone, “You may use me to sate your lust, My Lord.”

I turned away and yelled, “What do you mean by use! P-put on some clothes at least, please! Why are you even naked in the first place!”

“Because it's easier to clean up after.”

“What? Clean up after? What do you me—”

“I have yet to complete the last task from you.”

Then, she tugged at the hairpin that held her hair together in a bun.

Flutter—

Black silky hair fell over her shoulders, covering her pale white skin.

“Lin mei wanted to see you for the last time. Now that my wish is fulfilled, I have no more regrets.”

“What?”

“May you live long.”

As if saying her last words, Lin Xiaoming raised the jade hairpin, before plunging it into her flesh and bones like an awl!

Pwoosh!

I blocked it, so the hairpin pierced my hand instead.

“Y-you’re crazy! What are you doing!” I shouted at her sudden, outrageous action. Lin Xiaoming had just attempted to commit suicide by stabbing her carotid artery.

Lin Xiaoming stared helplessly at my injured hand, then slammed her head on the floor.

“O’ Sword God! For harming your sacred body, L-Lin mei deserves to die! Please kill m—”

I ordered her to... commit suicide?

Just then, as if a keyword had been triggered, a memory washed over me. I witnessed what my Alter Ego, Malevolent God Yu Il-Shin, had done back in the headquarters of the Three Martial Association.

-Kill each other until only one remains.

After forcibly converting the remnants of the Three Martial Association into my followers, my alter ego ordered them to kill each other.

𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

“Aaargh! Die!”

“I’ll be the last one standing!”

It was a hellish spectacle of thousands of martial artists killing each other.

Slash! Crack! Crush!

Severed limbs flew in the air. Fresh blood and gore splattered all over the place. The fight was anything but fair; it was a common sight to see others sneaking up on those already locked in bloody combat, stabbing their targets in the back. After three hours of relentless carnage, only one remained standing

“So, you’re the lone survivor, Lin Xiaoming.”

“Haa, haa...”

Even though she survived, Lin Xiaoming was barely clinging to life. She laid on her stomach, catching her breath.

“Start recruiting the remnants of the Three Martial Associations and any other related Chinese S-rank Hunters as my followers. If they refuse, kill them. Once everything is done...” my alter ego’s ice cold eyes reflected the trembling Lin Xiaoming.

“Kill yourself.”

His words were engraved in her mind. Lin Xiaoming looked at him with both horror and thrill, smiling brightly. “Yes sir! Your wish is my order!”

Fuck, I remember that now! That bastard and this bitch are both psycho! But wait...

Although she was ordered by my alter ego, at the end of the day, he was still me.

What goes around, comes around.

“Anyway, I retract those words! Don’t kill yourself! So, don’t ever think of dying again! Especially in front of me! Do you understand?!”

“Y-yes sir...”

Certainly, there was a time when I wanted Lin Xiaoming dead. After all, not only did this deranged killer target me, she also killed my student, Xu Zhu. But now that I’d resurrected Xu Zhu, the anger and resentment I had toward Lin Xiaoming faded. Besides, my uselessly good appraisal skill let me see everything she had gone through just to survive in the Three Martial Association.

Of course, I wouldn’t justify all the crimes she’d done up until now. But I didn’t want to see her commit suicide like a puppet under my command either.

“Ugh.” I pulled out the hairpin stuck in my hand.

Pop!

With a slightly irritating sound, a small hole appeared in my hand.

Ouch! It’s bleeding! It stings!

I reflexively withdrew my hand. It was more excruciating than I thought it’d be! As much as I wanted to use my healing ability, I couldn’t bear to part with ten million Gcoins.

Ugh, when it costs only a Gcoin to heal a normal person! Now, where’s the band-aid?

“Alas! I’ve inflicted a wound on Sword God’s sacred body...”

Tears streamed down the face of the heartless murderer, Lin Xiaoming. She took my hand, licking the wound.

My face reddened instantly as I swiftly retracted my hand, screaming, “I-I’m fine! Just go get dressed and leave! Now!”

She’s too dangerous! I’ll lose my mind if I stay around her!

“...Yes sir.” Her shoulders slumped as she began putting on her clothes.

I had mixed feelings as I watched her qipao cover her body.

Lin Xiaoming then bowed to me, and held out a red business card. “Mr. Sword God, Lin mei will leave as per your order. If you have any instructions for me in the future, feel free to contact me here.”

Even though I told her not to kill herself, she didn’t look that happy. In fact, she looked lifeless, like someone who’d lost her purpose in life.

I felt uneasy watching her leave with such dejection. What if there was still a lingering effect from the Malevolent God’s order? What if she decided to commit suicide after leaving?

“Um, Ms. Lin Xiaoming?”

“Yes? Do you have any more orders to give me?” Her gloomy face brightened slightly when I called out to stop her.

“No, not that. I haven’t eaten anything today. Let’s see. One, two, three.”

I ripped off the coupons taped to the refrigerator one by one. They were from my favourite restaurant. After counting them, I discovered that I had enough for a Thanos’s Gauntlet coupon set. I could either order a regular portion of sweet and sour pork[2] for ten coupons, or a large portion of the same item with fifteen coupons.

“Do you want to eat together?”

***

Chew, chew. Swallow!

“Waaah!”

The cactus girl gobbled the saucy sweet and sour pork in high spirits. Her eyes twinkled like stars in the night sky.

“Warrior! This is delicious!”

Il-Ho licked his sauce-covered hands, laughing heartily. “Kekeke! Of course! All the food bestowed by our great and merciful God Yu Il-Shin tastes heavenly! Eat up!”

The cactus girl nodded vigorously, wolfing down her bowl of sweet and sour pork.

Whiiiir—

Wind was blowing in Waternia, the Forty-Second Floor of the Tower of Warriors.

Unlike the sandy winds of a barren desert, the breeze now carried the refreshing scent of the forest. Green leaves fluttered in the wind like ripples on a lake. The cactus girl’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she watched them.

“Waaaah!”

Thanks to the efforts of Il-Ho and the cactus girl, Waternia, once a scorching desert because of the Sun God and his minions, was restored to its former glory.

“This is all thanks to you, Warrior!”

Il-Ho humbly puffed his chest. “I didn’t do much. It was all the muscular grace of God Yu Il-Shin, so please thank him instead.”

“Yes, thank you God Yu Il-Shin! For the sweet and sour pork too!”

“No, that’s not how you do it. Follow me.” Il-Ho then raised both his arms, muscles bulging, and shouted, “Praise be to the grace of our great and merciful God Yu Il-Shin! Puck puck!”

“God Yu Il-Shin puck puck? Is that how you do it?”

“Kekeke! That’s right! You’re doing great.” Still laughing heartily, Il-Ho slung his backpack over his shoulders, “Well, I guess I’d better get going now.”

“Waaah! Y-you’re leaving already? You should rest a little more.”

Il-Ho shook his head.

“I must conquer this tower as soon as possible and become a warrior. Besides,” he gazed at the sky, his eyes filled with extreme determination. “I can feel my brother climbing the tower at a tremendous speed beyond my own. As the tribe’s warrior and eldest brother, I must become a bit stronger so as to not be an embarrassment to him, don’t you think?”

Staring at Il-Ho and his fighting spirit, the cactus girl held out something in her hand. “Warrior. Please accept this.”

“Hmm? What’s this?”

It was a droplet of water that had mysterious ripples on it. “It’s a holy water containing the essence of the Water Goddess, Cycler of All Things. It’ll definitely help you on your journey.”

“Oh! Thank you! I will gratefully accept this!”

Sss—

Il-Ho nodded, and the water droplet seeped into his muscular body. At the same time, a blue tattoo appeared on his right fist, shaped like a droplet.

Ding!

[Congratulations! The Forty-Second Floor of the Tower of Warriors: Trial of Space and Time Waternia has been cleared.]

[The challenger has been rewarded with Blessing of Water.]

[Blessing of Water: Challenger, you will never feel thirsty under any circumstances!]

I won’t feel thirsty?

Il-Ho tried pressing the tattoo on his right fist, and the sigil flashed, creating a refreshing droplet of water in front of him.

“Ooh!” After eyeing it with curiosity, Il-Ho gulped down the droplet. His eyes widened in surprise. “It tastes so cool and clean! Thank you! This will help me greatly!”

This was definitely a great gift for Il-Ho, who often struggled without water in the desert.

The cactus girl said, “For now, it can only produce ordinary drinking water. But as you grow, there will be added mystical effects to it.”

“Oooh! What kind of effects?”

“Hoohoo, that will depend on your actions.” The cactus girl gave a meaningful smile reminiscent of the Water Goddess. Was she truly just an incarnation?

Sss...

After completing the trial, Il-Ho’s body turned into a blur, moving on to the next floor.

“I wish you the best of luck, Warrior.”

“Thank you. I’ll see you the next ti—”

Swoosh!

Il-Ho disappeared before he could finish his sentence. He was off to save another world, like a hero climbing the Tower of Warriors.

The cactus girl, or Water Goddess, looked at the spot where Il-Ho had disappeared, praying reverently, “May you achieve whatever you want in this life, Warrior.”

1. We’re going to keep it this way to show that she’s of a Chinese background and her preference of referring to herself in third person. ☜

2. 탕수육 or tangsuyuk, a Korean Chinese meat dish with sweet and sour sauce. It can be made with either pork or beef. ☜