Ronin refreshed himself in the nearby river after mastering all the halberd's basic moves. He then returned to join the group. As he approached the wooden house, he noticed Hafiz and Zhen Xia's faces covered in peculiar drawings. With a smile, Ronin thought, "She certainly knows how to cause trouble," and proceeded toward them.
Noticing Ronin's footsteps or sensing his presence due to the slave mark, Hafiz opened his eyes first, followed by Zhen Xia. Both stopped their cultivation and stood up.
"I'll be away for a few days. Wait for me here," Ronin said, looking at Hafiz and Zhen Xia.
"Alright," they nodded simultaneously.
Approaching the wooden house, Ronin lifted his hand to knock, but Mei Ling opened the door slightly, peeking outside. Spotting Ronin, she eagerly opened the door, jumped on him, and hugged his leg.
"Brother Ronin, you're back!" Mei Ling exclaimed, grinning.
"Why not stay with Uncle Hafiz and Sister Zhen Xia?" Ronin inquired one final time.
"No... I'm coming with you," Mei Ling insisted, tightening her grip around Ronin's leg.
"Alright," Ronin acquiesced. He bid farewell to Hafiz and Zhen Xia, then embarked on his journey toward Jin Zhao's mansion, with Mei Ling in his arms, both of them almost completely covered by their clothing, topped off by Ronin's straw hat.
"Brother Ronin, I'm hungry," Mei Ling announced after traveling for 20 kilometers.
"Let's find something to eat," Ronin responded, stopping at a small village. He located a petite restaurant and they entered.
"What would you like to eat, sir?" the waiter inquired, eyeing Ronin.
"Her lack of contempt after seeing Mei Ling... no, something's amiss. Well, as long as she doesn't show any hostility, I shouldn't worry," Ronin mused inwardly. He then turned to the waiter and requested, "Please bring us your restaurant's signature dish."
"Of course, sir," the waiter nodded and retreated to the kitchen.
Two men stumbled in, reeking of alcohol.
"Hiccup... Brother Ruthless No.1, weren't you hungry? We're in a restaurant now. Why haven't I spotted a delicious dish yet?" slurred Ruthless No.2, his face flushed.
"Hiccup... Look over there, our food is coming. Let's go and eat to our heart's content," proclaimed Ruthless No.1, drooling slightly and pointing towards the waiter.
"Ugh... those uncles smell awful! And hey, those are our dishes. If you're hungry, order your own!" Mei Ling declared, pointing her little finger at the ruthless brothers, her nose turned up cutely, elevating her level of adorableness.
Ronin was rendered speechless by Mei Ling's words. "Can't she stop causing trouble for even a moment?" he thought, shaking his head. He silently observed the waiter, curious about her reaction to the two men's remarks.
Ever since he'd interacted with her, he'd sensed something was off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"Indeed, as the young lady mentioned, these dishes were already ordered and are intended for them. Please have a seat wherever you're comfortable and place your order. I'll bring your dishes shortly," the waiter responded, placing the dishes on the table where Ronin and Mei Ling were seated.
Ronin cast another glance at the artificial smile worn by the waiter before he began savoring the food on his plate. Observing Ronin eating, Mei Ling returned to her seat and started enjoying her meal.
"Mmm, delicious!" Mei Ling exclaimed, her eyes sparkling as she chewed with her mouth full.
"Hey, you... we weren't talking about the food on your table. We were referring to what was right in front of us," Ruthless Brother No.1 sneered, his lips greedily licking.
"Excuse me?" The waiter's brows furrowed, her right hand clenched into a fist.
"Allow me to be your hostess, esteemed customers," a voice carrying immense pressure echoed throughout the room. Ronin furrowed his brow, swiftly channeling his energy to shield Mei Ling. He observed as an old woman emerged from the kitchen, her approach slow and deliberate.
The waiter's clenched fist relaxed at the old woman's words, transforming into a smile.
"You old hag, if you're not too desperate to go to hell, retreat to your kitchen," Ruthless Brother No.2 spat with a menacing glare.
"Dear customer, there's a speck of dust on your shoulder," the old woman remarked. In an instant, she vanished from her original spot, reappearing in front of Ruthless No.1. With deliberate slowness that masked her actual speed, she placed her hand on his shoulder. A sharp 'crack' resounded as his shoulder dislocated, the movement so rapid that even a sect elder-level cultivator would struggle to intercept her hand.
"Ah..." Ruthless No.1 emitted a shriek akin to a slaughtered pig. However, Mei Ling remained undisturbed due to the energy shield enveloping her, focusing on her meal while stealing occasional glances at the spectacle unfolding before her.
His agonized cries reverberated throughout the room as he collapsed onto the floor, unconscious. The old woman turned her gaze to Ruthless Brother No.2 and, wearing an amicable smile, uttered, "Precious customer, I also noticed a speck of dust on your shoulder." Yet, that friendly smile seemed to originate from the depths of hell for him.
Before the old woman could raise her hand, Ruthless Brother No.2 hastily intervened, reaching out to support Ruthless Brother No.1 and rushing him away. He left behind a tremulous declaration, "You dared to lay a hand on my Ruthless Brother No.1. Wait here, I'm fetching my other ruthless brothers to show you what hell truly is."
"As long as she has tasty food in front of her, she doesn't care about anything, does she?" Ronin mused inwardly while observing Mei Ling, who was delightfully licking her fingers with a contented smile on her adorable face.
"This old woman is remarkably powerful. Even with the full strength I currently possess, I can barely match her. However, if I were to regain all my strength, I could crush her like an ant," Ronin thought, his brow furrowing as he assessed the old woman from head to toe.
"Little girl, are you enjoying the meal?" While Ronin was lost in his thoughts, he snapped back to reality upon hearing the old woman's words.