IMPORTANT: For every 30 POWER STONES there will be an extra chapter!
Sipping from the cheapest bowl of murky alcohol, Ye Zi sat comfortably, like a fisherman patiently waiting. Under the increasingly disdainful gaze of the waitress, he shamelessly showed no intention of leaving.
As time passed, the sunlight gradually faded, setting the stage for the approaching night. The lively chatter on the street shifted inside the tavern.
With the increase in customers, the tavern began to fill up, and seating became scarce, making Ye Zi's presence more noticeable.
The waitress walked over and, with a polite smile, said, "Sir, you haven't ordered any drinks for half the day. Are you planning to head home?"
Ye Zi squinted slightly, but it couldn't hide the lecherous glint in his eyes. Suddenly, he grinned, revealing his broken yellow teeth, and pointed at the small amount of liquid left in his bowl, saying seriously, "Look, I haven't finished drinking yet."
As he spoke, his squinted eyes slowly opened, scanning the waitress's sensitive areas without shame.
Her skin crawled under his gaze, and she thought to herself that this old man was just a freeloader, someone who couldn't be easily driven away.
She forced a smile and retreated.
Seeing the waitress back off, the tavern owner, leaning on the counter, puffed on his long pipe, blowing a fine stream of smoke into the air.
"That clueless old geezer," the owner muttered with a cold smile.
He didn't try to evict Ye Zi during the day, saving the trouble for later in the evening. One of the reasons was to avoid unnecessary violence.
As the night fell, the tavern came alive.
Voices bounced off the walls in the small space, mingling with the smell of alcohol, creating a unique cacophony that both annoyed and entranced.
The tavern was packed, and just then, a group of burly men pushed open the door and entered.
The tavern owner tapped the edge of the counter with his pipe, shaking off the ash. He glanced sideways at Ye Zi's table with a cold look in his eyes.
The group of men scanned the crowded tavern and quickly noticed Ye Zi's table.
The leader, a bald man with a full beard, walked over, slapped a coin onto Ye Zi's table, and said coldly, "Old man, I want this seat."
Ye Zi pretended to be startled, glancing at the coin on the table before grinning and shamelessly saying, "Sir, buy this old man a bowl of wine, and the seat is yours."
The bald man paused, a strange smile forming on his lips. Without warning, he grabbed Ye Zi by the collar and flung him to the ground.
Ye Zi hit the floor with a painful yelp, drawing the attention of the tavern's other patrons.
The bald man picked up the coin from the table and tossed it onto Ye Zi, sneering, "Scram."
He then motioned for his companions to sit down.
Ye Zi groaned in pain as he got up, pathetically picking up the coin. He shuffled back to the table, reaching for the bowl that still had a little wine left.
Seeing this, the bald man grabbed the bowl and tossed the remaining wine aside, then called the waitress to clean up, completely ignoring Ye Zi's outstretched hand.
Most of the tavern's customers watched the scene with amusement, particularly the waitress, who couldn't help but feel a bit of schadenfreude.
Suddenly, Ye Zi flicked the coin at the bald man's shiny head. The coin bounced off the smooth scalp, hit the ground, and made a sound as it rolled.
Time seemed to freeze at that moment. The bald man's temple twitched, and amid the laughter of his companions, he stood up, glancing at the coin on the ground. Without a word, he swung a fist, knocking Ye Zi down again.
Ye Zi collapsed with a pitiful cry and stayed down.
The bald man lifted his foot, preparing to stomp on him, when a slightly youthful voice called out, "Hey, is it really okay to bully an old man like that?"
The bald man hesitated and looked toward the speaker. It was a young boy with short hair, wearing an Iwagakure forehead protector.
"What's it to you?" the bald man snapped after glancing at the forehead protector.
The short-haired boy chuckled, "I just like meddling in other people's business."
The bald man cracked his knuckles and sneered.
One of his companions stood up and said, "Alright, let the old man go, and we'll forget about it."
The short-haired boy raised an eyebrow, weighed the situation, and decided quickly. He walked over, helped Ye Zi up, and left.
"Bad luck," the bald man spat after them as they exited the tavern.
Once outside, the short-haired boy asked, "Are you in a lot of pain, old man?"
"It hurts quite a bit," Ye Zi groaned, pointing toward a nearby alley. "There's a box over there. I can sit and rest for a moment."
"Alright," the boy agreed without suspicion, helping Ye Zi into the dimly lit alley.
"Uh, there's no box here, old man," the boy remarked, looking around at the dirty alley full of debris.
As he turned his head to look at Ye Zi, he suddenly saw a pair of cold, emotionless eyes. His pupils contracted sharply, and then he felt a sharp pain in his neck as he lost consciousness.
"Tsk, tsk, you really have no heart, going after such a kind-hearted kid," Shokui appeared, his small form glowing as he emerged with a glint in his eye.
Ye Zi said nothing, staring at the unconscious boy. He grabbed him by the collar and dragged him deeper into the alley.
Shokui watched Ye Zi disappear into the darkness, his single eye flashing with a mysterious light. His wide mouth stretched into a grin as he followed.
"Keep watch for me," Ye Zi said, his eyes briefly glancing over the boy's face before addressing Shokui.
Shokui grumbled but obediently went to stand guard.
Ye Zi dispelled his Transformation Jutsu and began forming hand seals.
Spirit Transformation Technique!
His spirit emerged from his shoulders and penetrated the boy's head.
The technique Ye Zi had modified and enhanced was vastly different from Kato Dan's original Spirit Transformation Technique. It allowed him to move while controlling souls, absorb the chakra of his enemies while devouring their souls, and even extract memories from their very essence.
Ye Zi's spirit easily overwhelmed the boy's mind.
He then began extracting the boy's memories, a process that took time. During this, Ye Zi's physical body would temporarily lose control, leaving him completely vulnerable. That's why he needed Shokui to keep watch.
The boy was a very ordinary genin from Iwagakure…
His parents had died in the war, and his own talent was limited. His chakra reserves were low, his resistance to genjutsu weak, though his taijutsu was decent. As for his social circle, it was lacking. He didn't get along with his teammates or sensei and had dared to wander far from the village.
Ye Zi slowly extracted the boy's memories…
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Currently on Chapter 184 - Team 7