Chapter Two: Warm Wontons, Lingering Worries Unresolved.

A moment later, Lin Chen slowly approached an old beggar. The old man had yellowed teeth and a filthy appearance, yet Lin Chen calmly took out an iron bowl and placed it before him. Then, without any hesitation, he began to weep and wail loudly, tears and snot streaming down his face.

Beside him, the old donkey, remarkably in tune with human emotions, theatrically lay down on the ground.

The old beggar turned his head, looking at Lin Chen’s pitiful display. He sighed deeply and comforted him, “Young man, what hardship in this world is truly insurmountable? Don’t cry like this. Look at me—I’ve begged for a lifetime. Given your situation now, you’ve avoided decades of detours and should consider yourself fortunate.”

Lin Chen cast a suspicious glance at the old beggar. The tears he had struggled to shed were instantly choked back by the old man’s words. Yet, suppressing a smile, he politely thanked him, “Thank you, sir, for your concern. I simply cannot control my emotions. Thinking of my entire family slaughtered, the Taoist temple bathed in blood, my heart aches as if cut by a thousand blades… sob sob…”

With that, he shifted slightly to the side and resumed his loud lament, “Heavens above! Why is my fate so cruel? Orphaned from a young age, now cast onto the streets—have mercy on this wretched soul, spare me some food…”

Fortunately, Lin Chen’s memories of the cruel abuses and beatings inflicted by his senior sisters were not imagined. As he recalled those agonizing times, tears flowed like broken pearls, endlessly falling.

His pitiful appearance soon drew many passersby to stop and watch. Their eyes filled with pity, they stepped forward one after another, generously offering their small contributions.

The old beggar shook his head helplessly at the scene and sighed, “Ah, misfortune always picks on the unfortunate. Look at this child—so young, already blind in both eyes, with such a tragic background.”

With a soft clink, a few copper coins dropped into Lin Chen’s bowl.

At that instant, a long-awaited system notification chimed in his mind: “Congratulations, host. You have gained 5 merit points, Cleansing Mind Charm level 1, Gentle Breeze Sword Technique level 1… Remaining lifespan: 10 years, cultivation level: First Stage.”

Lin Chen glanced at the five copper coins in his bowl and immediately understood the reason behind it.

It turned out that for each copper coin begged, he earned one merit point. To advance his skills, he needed a full hundred merit points.

He pondered silently—if he kept begging, once his merit was complete, his skills would evolve into far more profound techniques.

This method of cultivating while begging was indeed a unique path.

Though he could cultivate on his own, progress was painfully slow. Take the Cleansing Mind Charm as an example: a whole night’s practice would barely yield 10 merit points, which was already quite fortunate.

Still, the lifespan indicator brought a tinge of disappointment to Lin Chen’s heart.

Logically, having left the Taoist sect, he should no longer face the brutal fate of being beaten to death by his senior sisters. Yet, his lifespan remained unchanged. The reason for this baffled him deeply.

But soon, he resigned himself to the thought that at least he had escaped a cruel death at their hands, which was a small mercy amidst misfortune—a reason to be glad.

Meanwhile, inside the Peach Blossom Sect...

A handsome young boy, clearly anxious, asked, “Master, why did you let Senior Brother leave the sect? He is all alone—what will become of him out there?”

“You’re such a kind-hearted child, always thinking of others,” responded Liu Ruohan tenderly, reaching out to touch the boy’s forehead. “Unlike that useless one who spends his days scheming. Don’t worry, in a few days he’ll come back crying, begging us to take him in. Outside the sect, he simply won’t survive.”

This youth was Qin Hao, the youngest junior disciple of the Peach Blossom Sect, only one year younger than Lin Chen, now fourteen.

In truth, Qin Hao’s urgency for Lin Chen’s return stemmed from his secret binding to Lin Chen’s fate chain, which had recently lost all trace.

He knew well that if this continued, his own cultivation progress would stagnate, unable to advance any further.

Feigning pitiful sorrow, he begged again, “Master, please send someone to find Senior Brother quickly, won’t you?”

“Alright, alright... I’ll send your second senior sister to bring him back. That useless fellow has done you wrong, yet you still worry about him—sigh,” Liu Ruohan’s face darkened instantly at the mention of Lin Chen.

She had never expected the normally meek and bullied one to dare speak so defiantly about leaving the sect.

“Thank you, Master! I’ll go find second senior sister right away,” Qin Hao beamed and bounced out of Liu Ruohan’s chamber.

But as soon as he turned, the smile vanished, replaced by a cold, dour expression.

In the Clear Flower Cave, Ye Linger was quietly meditating and cultivating.

Upon seeing Qin Hao, she slightly opened her eyes, a faint smile playing on her lips. Softly, she asked, “Little junior brother, what brings you here today?”

Ye Linger was somewhat puzzled, as they rarely interacted.

“Master asked senior sister to find Senior Brother and bring him back,” Qin Hao answered cheerfully.

Ye Linger was stunned and blurted out, “Wasn’t he already expelled? Why look for him? Little junior brother, you’re not trying to fool senior sister, are you?”

Her questions flustered Qin Hao, who hastily explained, “Senior sister, I wouldn’t dare deceive you. I truly worry Senior Brother will suffer outside.”

“I see,” Ye Linger’s eyes flicked. Suddenly, her tone shifted. “You’re still so thoughtful. Go back for now; I’ll make sure to bring him back.”

“Thank you very much, senior sister. I’ll take my leave,” Qin Hao said without hesitation.

He stepped out quickly from Clear Flower Cave.

Ye Linger was usually reclusive, rarely socializing with Qin Hao. His usual schemes that worked on other senior sisters utterly failed with her, leaving him frustrated.

“Hmph! Useless! That guy’s gone and still messes with my cultivation. What a jinx—why doesn’t he just die!” Ye Linger’s face darkened as she muttered curses, then left Peach Blossom Sect.

Meanwhile, in Qinghe Town...

Lin Chen had spent the entire day begging with tears and wails until his voice was hoarse and his body numb.

Now, he slowly rose from the ground, carefully slipping the copper coins into his sleeve, then stowing the battered bowl into the cloth pouch at his waist.

His hard work paid off—he had collected a hefty ninety-two copper coins.

A rare smile of satisfaction appeared on Lin Chen’s face. Turning to the old donkey, he said, “Old donkey, let’s call it a day. We’re done for now.”

The donkey seemed to understand, promptly rising and nuzzling Lin Chen affectionately. Together, man and beast walked toward a small tavern.

“Hey, hey! Stop right there! You filthy beggar, don’t come in here and scare the customers!” the tavern waiter rushed forward, arms outstretched, his face full of disgust as he blocked Lin Chen’s path and shouted.

Lin Chen didn’t argue. Quietly, he turned and headed to another tavern.

In these chaotic times, human life was cheap as grass. One false move could bring death.

Lin Chen knew it was best to avoid unnecessary conflicts. He could not bear to quarrel with someone only to be forced to annihilate their entire family afterward, all under the pretense of ‘cutting off the root.’

To him, such acts were no better than beasts, merely hypocritical villains cloaking their cruelty in righteous words.

After searching several taverns, Lin Chen finally found a relatively clean one to rest in.

He chose a seat by the window, quietly sensing the ebb and flow of the bustling street outside.

Suddenly, a familiar aura swept over him. Startled, he turned his head aside.

He thought, “This usually reclusive woman has come out today—something big must be happening.”

Lin Chen was certain that Ye Linger’s visit was no good omen. Even if she had truly come for him, her intentions would be malicious.

Moments later, a steaming bowl of wontons was placed on the table.

Looking at the bowl, a warm surge rose in Lin Chen’s heart. He picked up the spoon and ate slowly, feeling an unusual sense of comfort.

For him, this was the most delicious meal he had ever tasted in his life.

Elsewhere, Xiao Yunchao lowered his voice, tension evident, “How is the information you gathered on that person?”

“Not only did I get clear intel, but I also found a countermeasure for you,” Yan Ruhu nodded gravely, also speaking quietly.

“Oh? Is the information reliable?” Xiao Yunchao’s eyes narrowed skeptically.

Yan Ruhu glanced cautiously around to ensure no eavesdroppers, then continued, “If all goes well, that person will pass through here tomorrow. At that time, I will call upon the Immortal Sect’s help. We must ensure she comes but never leaves.”