I Can Devour Spirits

Chapter 170: Feeding on Intelligence and Thought

Early the next day, Duan Rong got up as the sky was just getting light, continuing his stance training in the courtyard.

The key to cultivation lies in daily progress, never ceasing!

Duan Rong stood until the sky was fully bright before dispersing his skill, and a breath of white mist shot from his mouth, dissipating in the morning breeze.

At this time of year, it was no longer the chilly early spring but already late May, with summer just around the corner.

In such weather, for Duan Rong to still emit white mist from his mouth was a testament to the vigorous energy within his body, the temperature of the breath held in his mouth and lungs far exceeding his body temperature...

His body, operating with Inner Breath, was like an internal combustion furnace, and his lungs like boilers filled with moisture, absorbing the heat from the internal furnace.

Duan Rong wiped his sweat, went to the large water jar by the kitchen door, and washed his face.

He looked up at the clear sky, a thought stirring in his mind: during these days after returning from the escort task, he hadn’t visited Elder Xiao yet.

Though he was now part of the escort team and no longer an apprentice, not under the jurisdiction of Xiao Zongting, the Chief Tutor, by system.

But Xiao Zongting was his teacher, and Xiao Yu was his mentor in the escort team, so it was only proper to visit them regularly.

It happened to be meal time at the canteen, but Duan Rong didn’t go to the courtyard canteen for food; he planned to eat on the street, and after that, head to a shop on West Main Street to buy some premium tea leaves to gift to Xiao Zongting.

Duan Rong sat at a street stall, slurping a mouthful of greasy beef soup to wash down the crumbled pancake in his mouth.

But as he swallowed half the pancake, he suddenly frowned, his eyes flashing towards the bun shop across the street.

At the bun shop’s entrance, there were five or six people crowded around, and he saw someone, as they received their buns wrapped in dry lotus leaves, slip their hand into another person’s pocket, skillfully making a quick exit...

Duan Rong couldn’t help but glance a few more times at the person, who looked quite decent but surprisingly was a Skillful Hand Cleaner.

Duan Rong watched as the person disappeared at the alley entrance, a thought stirring in his mind: something came to his mind, or rather, a phenomenon.

He frequently ate at this beef soup shop and had seen the bustling crowds on this street countless times, yet he never noticed any Skillful Hand Cleaner before.

This time, was it just a coincidence?

Duan Rong immediately realized it wasn’t. It wasn’t that there were no Skillful Hand Cleaners on the street before; he just couldn’t recognize them.

And as he was wearing the uniform of the Yuan Shun Escort Agency, with a Cow Tail Saber at his waist, naturally, no one would dare try on him!

That Cleaner’s action just now, merely raising a hand while leaving, would have been completely unnoticed by the previous Duan Rong.

But ever since Duan Rong had devoured the Artifact Spirit of Fang Jingbao’s Jadeite Ring, he possessed the master-level Skillful Hand Cleaner technique, and thus, when that Cleaner raised their hand, Duan Rong saw through them in an instant.

It wasn’t the world that had changed; it was the observer who had.

The same world presents different faces to people in different realms.

Everyone’s perceived world is different; the chasm of realms is not something language can bridge.

Just like how flies crash into glass again and again, you can never explain to a fly that it’s glass!

Because in a fly’s world, glass doesn’t exist.

It fundamentally cannot comprehend such an existence.

Just like how, in the previous Duan Rong’s view, there were no Skillful Hand Cleaners on the street, but to the current Duan Rong, he can instantly spot them.

Flies can’t see glass, and the previous Duan Rong couldn’t see Skillful Hand Cleaners. The world you see is merely a projection of your mind’s biases and limitations.

People are slaves to their self-conceptions.

As this thought occurred to Duan Rong, unexpectedly, in his Consciousness Sea, two star bodies, one crimson and one white, suddenly shuddered, and circles of space ripples, invisible to the naked eye, echoed within his Consciousness Sea...

Duan Rong sensed something, his eyes widening in shock. "What is this...?"

From the red and white star bodies, he sensed a trace of joy, a sense of satisfaction after a meal.

The star bodies in his Consciousness Sea could feed on thoughts, gaining growth beyond cultivation through devouring thoughts and ideas.

Duan Rong realized this, his mind filled with shock. "Can it really be like this? This isn’t written in any cultivation technique!"

However, Duan Rong soon regained his composure; even if so, such realizations were merely accidental insights. If he thought he could rely on these accidental gains for long-term growth in Spiritual Power, wouldn’t that be delusional?

"Feeding on thoughts, what a picky eater!" Duan Rong internally commented, before drinking the rest of the beef soup broth and wiping his mouth, ready to leave the stall.

Duan Rong went to the tea shop on West Main Street, buying some newly harvested pre-rain tea, then went to a pastry shop to buy some fashionable pastries and dried fruits.

After buying the items, Duan Rong returned to Liu’s House to continue his stance training, stopping only when, judging by the sun’s position, it was nearly the hour for work. He dispersed his skill, wiped his sweat, grabbed the purchased items, and headed to Xiao Zongting’s courtyard.

Upon arriving at Xiao Zongting’s courtyard, Duan Rong caught the aroma of buns, smiled, and walked to the kitchen door, only to find it empty upon looking inside. There was steam rising from the steamer on the stove, with firewood burning in the hearth, though the thick wood was nearly finished, the flames dwindling.

Glancing at the steamer, Duan Rong felt tempted by Zhu Xiaoqi’s delicious bun aroma, but with the host absent, he resisted the urge to steal a taste.

Xiao Zongting sat alone at the stone table in the backyard, looking sullen as if contemplating something. As Duan Rong walked in with the items, Xiao Zongting merely blinked, without even glancing at Duan Rong.

Duan Rong laughed, "Elder Xiao, here’s some newly harvested pre-rain tea from the tea shop this year, and some fruits to enjoy with the tea."

Smiling, Duan Rong handed the items to Xiao Zongting, but Xiao Zongting kept his face dark, not even lifting his head to look at him.

Duan Rong felt awkward, placing the items on the stone table beside Xiao Zongting, and then began chatting about recent happenings, also inquiring about Xiao Zongting’s well-being, yet Xiao Zongting remained unresponsive.

Duan Rong sensed something was off; initially, he thought Xiao Zongting was troubled by something, but it now appeared he was simply giving him the cold shoulder.

What had he done to offend this stubborn old man?

Duan Rong sifted through recent events in his mind, confirming that during the issue with Ruan Jing, Xiao Lao’s attitude towards him was normal. However, on the day of the confirmation assessment, Xiao Zongting’s attitude seemed a bit cold, but Xiao Zongting was usually silent, so it didn’t concern Duan Rong much at the time.

Nevertheless, what could it be? Between the Ruan Jing issue and the assessment, he hadn’t done anything outlandish, right? Just a trip to Wild Boar Mountain.

After pondering, Duan Rong couldn’t figure it out and smiled at Xiao Zongting, saying, "Miss Yu and Xiaoqi don’t seem to be here; are they out?"

Duan Rong originally wanted to continue talking with Xiao Zongting to gauge his reaction, so he could determine how he might have offended Elder Xiao, and apologize if necessary. Having lived two lives, he had no psychological barrier to this.

Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, Xiao Zongting suddenly stood up, glaring at Duan Rong angrily, "What does it matter to you if she went out or not?"

After speaking, Xiao Zongting stormed off, limping into the main house.

Duan Rong was left stunned by Xiao Zongting’s inexplicable anger.

He watched Xiao Zongting’s retreating figure, his expression troubled. It wouldn’t do to follow; Xiao Zongting was evidently furious, and going after him now would only fan the flames.

Duan Rong stood there, raising a hand to rub his nose, feeling quite puzzled. "Everything has a reason, right...?"