Chapter 32: Desperation I

The lack of money was a looming issue, although for now, Luo Ling had enough funds to meet his energy requirements, allowing him to focus on his training without distraction. However, he couldn’t afford to squander this buffer period. He needed to devise a stable source of income—one that wouldn’t jeopardize his safety or compromise the progress he had worked so hard to achieve.

Maybe he should talk with Daluo; the bald gatekeeper might know something he could do.

Narrowing his eyes, Luo Ling took a deep breath and heaved himself up. His body made a few satisfying pops, bringing a smile to his face.

“You’re going back to training again?” Xiao Ru, who had yet to recover from her exhaustion nearby, exclaimed in shock when she noticed Luo Ling back on his feet. Although she was doing spartan training that tested her endurance and grit, it was a far cry from what Luo Ling put himself through on a daily basis. She had nothing but respect and awe for him.

“No,” Luo Ling shook his head. “I’m tired and hungry. I think I’ll swing by Madam Wei’s and then take a stroll around the village.”

“Bring me some lotus dumplings on your way back,” Xiao Ru toned, throwing an expectant glance his way.

“You’ll get fat if you eat so much oily food all the time,” Luo Ling said, pointing at her flat tummy. A glint crossed his eyes as his lips pulled up in a teasing smirk.

“No, I won’t. I’m exercising a lot,” she hissed like an angry cat.

“Hah,” Luo Ling said, breaking into a series of chuckles at her expense. Shaking his head, he stumbled towards the building.

“Bring me! Please!!”

Luo Ling raised a hand in a silent wave, his gaze fixed ahead, never glancing back. Without a word, he slipped into the barricaded bathroom built on the other side, adjacent to the backdoor of the orphanage.

-~X~-

Having scrubbed away the sweat and grime from his training, Luo Ling changed into a fresh set of clothes before heading to the canteen. Though referred to as a "canteen," it was more akin to a modest dining hall, furnished with five sturdy wooden tables arranged neatly in rows.

At present, the hall was empty as it was way past the time for breakfast. He was not even sure if there would be any leftovers. Luo Ling was only there to try his luck.

“Good morning, Aunt Hui.” Luo Ling greeted the middle-aged caretaker behind the serving counter.

The lady paused wiping away the wooden counter with a wet cloth, and looked up. Luo Ling smiled at her, followed by a nod.

“It’s you, Ling,” she exclaimed, then furrowed her brows. “I didn’t see you here during mealtime. Did you get yours served by that girl, Ru?”

The hardworking caretaker shook her head as though she recalled something. “That can’t be. I didn’t serve her an extra portion. Don’t tell me, you skipped again?”

“You’re right. I forgot to come here during breakfast,” Luo Ling said, scratching his chin. “So, are there any leftovers for me to chow on?” As he said that, his eyes scanned the few steel containers behind her, lined up side by side against the wall.

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“Well, yeah. There’s enough to fill up a few brats. But…” Aunt Hui eyed Luo Ling’s short stature, her gaze lingering around his abdomen for a few seconds. “I don’t think there’s enough for that pit you call stomach.”

“That’s fine by me. I don’t mind being half full,” Luo Ling said, smiling. “By the way, what did you cook for today’s breakfast?”

“Fried dough sticks, two boiled eggs, and soy milk,” Aunt Hui answered, her back facing Luo Ling while she fetched him a plate and a cup. After a few minutes, she turned around with a plate of six fried dough sticks, a steaming cup of soy milk, and only one boiled egg. “There was only one egg left.”

“Thank you anyway, Aunt.”

“Next time, at least tell me beforehand if you want to have breakfast later,” she said before returning to clean the counter with a wet cloth.

“I will.” Luo Ling promised while holding to the plate. “By the way, what will be for today’s lunch?”

“Rice, tofu, and meat.” Came Aunt Hui’s response who didn’t even bother to raise her head.

“Oh.”

-~X~-

Half an hour later, Luo Ling stood outside the orphanage’s gate, caressing his stomach with a frown on his face. Although Aunt Hui had been generous with his breakfast, even refilling his soy milk twice, his stomach still felt empty as a pot.

The awakening of inner breath not only opened up his combat flexibility but also improved his metabolism. Foods that used to keep him stuffed for hours now take half of that time to get digested.

As he grew stronger, orphanage meals were getting less and less effective. As it stands now, they couldn’t even make him feel full.

Thinking of the surprising downsides of growing strong that kept popping up from time to time, Luo Ling brisked to Madam Wei’s.

There was already a queue waiting for him at the establishment and the wafting aroma of freshly baked buns made his stomach rumble. It was hardly a surprise to Luo Ling as this place had been the usual go-to for many people in this part of the village. Morning and noon were when this eatery saw its business booming.

Soon, it was his turn. Luo Ling ordered five extra-large meat buns and a bowl of vegetable soup and Madam Wei’s son, the only waiter in the restaurant, retreated into the kitchen to prepare his food.

While waiting for his order to arrive, Luo Ling leaned back against his chair and scanned the dining room. Consuming a drop of his Inner Breath, he spread out his auditory senses to cover a dome-shaped area around himself.

“…heard? Apparently, elder Ling’s daughter has eloped with someone…”

“I wonder when can I meet sir Pei”

“…y aunt doesn’t like her. She has been urging my father to…”

“…ny news? Have you found him yet?”

“Yes, captain. We found his traces leading into the deeper parts of the woods.”

“Do you know…”

The cacophony of noises buzzing in the background cleared up at once, and he could now hear people’s conversations going around him. Despite the distance between him and the other patrons, their talks reached his ears with startling clarity, as though they were murmuring directly beside him. Every word, every inflection—clear and vivid.

Inner Breath was an excellent tool for reconnaissance as it expanded all basic senses far beyond their natural limits.

Luo Ling caught the whispers coming from the few tables around him. Some of them carried news of spicey events going on in the village while others had mundane everyday talks. Though, he did catch a few strange lines mixed up in the bunch.

It seemed that they were pursuing someone and that person had vanished from their radar. The gist of the conversation, from what little he heard, seemed like a brief report to the captain by a subordinate.

Luo Ling furrowed his brows, his fingers unconsciously tightening around the edge of the table. The fragments of conversation he overheard seemed to resonate with an unsettling familiarity. The events they described eerily mirrored the situation he was tangled up in. His situation surrounding Li Kai. Were they talking about him?

Even if they weren’t, he saw no harm in making sure of it.

As it was his inner breath, Luo Ling easily traced back those whispers to its origin. Consuming another drop of inner breath from his mental space, he focused his sight on the table where these talks were happening.

Even though they were sitting on a table behind him, thanks to the extra sensory perception granted by Inner Breath he ‘saw’ the two people whispering about. Both wore black clothing that had them covered from neck to toe, leaving not an inch of their skin exposed to light. It was a strange choice of clothing, given that the climate was rather humid these days.

The man called ‘Captain’ appeared to be in his mid-thirties. The look in his eyes spoke volumes about his ample experience in combat. The other man, who sat across from him, also seemed to be someone in his mid-thirties with a long, thin mustache and a deep scar on his chin.

Luo Ling focused on their conversation and their hushed whispers entered his ears.