Yun He left the first hall of Black Tiger Hall, glanced back at the blood-stained mansion behind him, looked up at the surveillance camera not far away, and sneered.
He soared into the air, purple lightning swirling in his eyes, and two bolts of lightning instantly shot out, reducing the entire mansion to ashes.
Along with the surveillance camera, it was buried in a sea of fire.
From then on, there was no trace of the first hall of Black Tiger Hall in the martial world.
Returning to the Yun Family residence, he knocked on the door. Both Yun Qu and Yun Huan were at home.
Yun Qu said, "Come in quickly. You haven't had dinner yet, have you? I bought some groceries and will go cook for you."
"I'm not hungry, so I won't eat."
Yun Xuan looked up and glanced at Yun He, a hint of chilliness in her tone: "What? Do you disdain our humble home, that even the ordinary mortal fare cannot enter your mouth?"
Yun He felt a warmth in his heart. Was his younger sister showing concern for him, worrying that he had gone a whole day without eating?
"I really won't eat, and you don't need to force yourselves." He scanned the dishes on the ground, which were all pea pods and green vegetables—a purely vegetarian spread.
"Since I have returned, I will manage the household chores from now on. Today, I will take you out to taste some delicacies. I had some gains today, and by the way, I will also buy a few outfits for you."
"Where did you get the silver? Did you do something against morality that will bring trouble to the family?"
Yun He smiled faintly and pulled out a few bank notes: "Look, what I earned today. Let's go have a good meal. Let's go, time to head out for dinner."
He did not tell his brother and sister that he still had five hundred thousand taels of silver in his account. Such a huge sum would only startle them. However, his younger sister's tuition for the cultivation academy was finally secured, which truly was a joyous occasion.
Seeing Yun Qu nod in agreement, Yun Huan opened her mouth, pondered for a moment, and did not raise any objections.
Yun Qu led them to an open-air barbecue stall. It was a narrow, small eatery with simple furnishings. A few wooden tables outside the door served as the stall, acting as a restaurant.
Yun He felt it was too crude, but seeing that Yun Qu was familiar with the proprietress, he said nothing more.
Looking at the proprietress, she was in her early thirties, and there were two children in the shop, obviously twins around six years old, who were lying on the table practicing their writing and cultivation exercises.
The proprietress had a lovely appearance, but her brows were tinged with fatigue. How could a woman raising two children alone while running a small business not be tired?
"Sister Chang, my brother has returned. Please prepare some barbecue today," Yun Qu said to the proprietress.
The woman was a bit younger than Yun Qu. Hearing him call her "Sister Chang," Yun He figured everyone addressed her that way.
Yun Huan then said, "Sister Chang, business is slow today. Do you need my help?"
Aside from their table, there was another table of guests—two beautiful young women sitting inside the shop. Because the lighting was dim, their faces were hard to make out.
It was prime dinnertime, yet business was so desolate for some unknown reason.
Sister Chang walked over with a beaming smile, wiped her hands, looked at Yun He, and said, "Little Qu, is this your brother? He looks so handsome, I've never seen him before. I'll make the call and treat you all to a hearty dish."
Yun Huan replied, "Sister Chang, there's no need to be so polite. You have two children to raise, and business isn't good. Just casually serve a few dishes. If Little Long and Little Feng have any questions about their homework, they can just ask me."
Seeing them arrive, the two children ran over happily and threw themselves into Yun Qu's arms: "Uncle Qu, did you bring anything delicious?"
Yun Qu laughed honestly: "How could I not bring anything?"
He pulled two sweet-smelling sugar cakes from his bosom and handed them over.
Watching all this, Yun He felt warmth in his heart. Although the brother and sister lived difficult lives, they were still kind to others. This was a born benevolence.
The dishes were quickly served on the table. Yun He took a look: a plate of stir-fried beef, a dish of preserved mustard greens with meat paste, a bowl of meatball soup, grilled squid, grilled chicken wings, and three pots of clear wine. Though simple, it was full of sincerity.
Yun Qu said, "Sister Chang, go busy yourself. If we need anything else, I'll come find you."
The moonlight was like woven silk, and the alley under the night was quiet yet fraught with hidden dangers. Yun Qu's expression turned gloomy, and he replied, "Sister E, the marriage proposal that Mother Zhang from the neighboring village mentioned a few days ago has no further developments. With my status, how could I ever be worthy of an innocent young maiden?" His words were laced with self-abasement.
"Why do you belittle yourself so much? Upright character surpasses everything. Trust my words, you must have confidence," Sister E consoled, a look of determination flashing in her eyes.
Yun He was puzzled and asked, "What did Mother Zhang say?"
Sister E smiled faintly and said softly, "A proposal of marriage, to find a good match for Brother Yun Qu."
Hearing this, Yun He felt somewhat relieved in his heart and smiled with a laugh: "This is good news. My brother is already thirty, and it is time for him to settle down and establish a family."
Yun Qu gave a bitter laugh: "Alas, people look down upon me, a low-level cultivator who delivers food. They look down on me, they look down on me."
"So what if you deliver food? You are diligent and dedicated. You should find a good woman who understands you and can take care of you and your sister to spend the rest of your life with." Sister E patted him on the shoulder, her words earnest and profound.
Suddenly, several speeding flying shuttles roared to a halt, blocking the narrow alley completely. Sister E's expression changed drastically, a trace of fear flashing in her eyes. She instructed the two children: "Little Long, Little Feng, hurry back inside the house. Don't come out no matter what."
Several boorish men holding clubs jumped out from the vehicles. One of them swung his club and blocked the path of the two. "Zhao E, if you don't pay your debt today, don't even think about keeping this little shop open. The two of you can just come with us and be child brides or son-in-laws for someone else. That's still much better than following you."
Yun He's gaze darkened, concealing a murderous aura. They had finally managed to reunite as a family, only to have their peace disturbed by such a matter. He couldn't help but feel irritated.
Sister E forced a smile: "Brother A-San, didn't we agree last time? Give us a few more days of grace."
"Grace? Do you still think we are handing out charity? Grace incurs interest as well. Let's calculate now: you already owe twenty thousand spirit stones, and your shop isn't even enough to cover the debt."
Sister E retorted: "Aren't you bullying people too much? I only borrowed ten thousand, and in a month it ballooned to twenty thousand. Where do you expect me to find so many spirit stones?"
A-San, the scarred-face man, sneered: "Didn't Young Master Ning say so? You can pay off the debt with your body. Accompany Young Master Ning for a month, and this debt will be completely wiped out. Zhao E, I'm not targeting you, but you are no longer a virgin anyway. Accompanying Young Master Ning allows you to enjoy yourself while paying off your debt. Why not?" As he spoke, his hand had already rested on her shoulder: "Young Master Ning also said that since I've been running around exhausted, you need to reward me as well!" His words were filled with vulgarity.
Sister E struggled fiercely to shake off his hand: "A-San, what kind of men are you, bullying a lonely widow and orphans."
A-San's expression sank, his eyes wide with anger: "So what if we bully you? What can you do to me? Young Master Ning taking a fancy to you is your blessing, yet you put on airs. If you won't keep Young Master Ning company, just wait and see. Brothers, smash the place!"
As soon as the words fell, clubs flew everywhere, frightening the two children into crying loudly. Yun Qu hurriedly shielded the children, pointed at them, and shouted, "How can you act like this? We'll transmit a message to the Enforcers right now."
"Heh, where did this naive bumpkin come from? Looking so honest and yet wanting to play the hero to save the beauty."