Chapter 79: We Must Believe in Science

One hour later.

News of the Ma family’s extermination swept across all of Beichuan.

By then, the Ma family residence was already crowded with onlookers, everyone eager to witness the spectacle. But more than anything, they all wanted to know who possessed such overwhelming power as to annihilate the martial clan of the Ma family.

After all, it was widely known that the Ma family’s previous patriarch, Ma Baolong, was a Martial King, and the current head, Ma Hongbin, was a Martial Master. Even with such formidable strength, the family had been wiped out.

This could only mean that the perpetrators’ strength was at least on par with a Martial King.

The police and Martial Alliance members immediately sealed off the scene. Yet, unfortunately, not a single useful trace was left behind.

Despite thorough and repeated investigations, they found no evidence or clues. The identity of the one who destroyed the Ma family remained a mystery, and for now, the case became an unsolved enigma.

...

Elsewhere.

Just after returning to Cloud City, Su Yifan called Lin Ming.

A dozen minutes later, Lin Ming arrived at Aunt Li’s eatery.

As soon as he walked in, he saw his good friend already seated inside.

“Brother Fan, what did you want to see me about?” Lin Ming pulled out a chair and sat across from him.

Without wasting words, Su Yifan took out a bag and handed it over.

“What’s this?” Lin Ming took it, puzzled.

He opened it, and to his astonishment, inside were countless spirit stones.

“Brother Fan, this...” He was about to speak, but Su Yifan interrupted, “You’ve been holed up at home for days; I was starting to think you’d gotten obsessed with cultivation. There are five hundred spirit stones here—take them and use them for your practice.”

Although Lin Ming had not yet reached the Foundation Breathing Stage, his physique had already been somewhat strengthened. With these stones, stepping into the first layer of the Foundation Breathing Stage shouldn’t be a problem.

When Lin Ming heard there were five hundred spirit stones, he turned pale, “Brother Fan, where did you get these? I heard each one is worth at least a hundred million, and even then, they're priceless.”

By market value, that meant his friend had just handed him fifty billion in one go.

Damn! I love it!

“Don’t worry about it—just focus on your cultivation,” Su Yifan said.

Lin Ming could only nod.

Then, as if a thought struck him, he asked, “But Brother Fan, martial artists don’t use spirit stones for cultivation, do they? I’ve only ever heard that martial artists can absorb the energy within the stones, but that’s about it.”

At this, Su Yifan froze.

Of course, how could he have forgotten that?

But the words were already spoken—how would he explain this to Lin Ming?

“Brother Fan, you always deny you’re a cultivator, but in every novel I’ve read, only immortals use spirit stones for training.” Lin Ming’s eyes sparkled as if he’d made some groundbreaking discovery.

Whack!

Su Yifan smacked him on the head, annoyed. “What nonsense are you thinking? We must trust in science—there’s no such thing as immortal cultivation in this world.”

“Then why did you just tell me to use these stones for cultivation?” Lin Ming persisted.

Oh, Brother Fan! Just admit it already.

Seeing the excitement in his friend’s eyes, Su Yifan shot him a glance and said, “The reason you can use spirit stones is because the breathing technique I gave you is rather special.”

For now, that was the only excuse he could offer.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to tell Lin Ming the truth—he simply feared that the boy would be too excited for his own good. It’s just like winning the lottery: a few thousand or ten thousand, and you’re happy for a bit, but if you suddenly won a billion or two, you might just faint from joy.

“Are you telling the truth, Brother Fan?” Lin Ming still sounded skeptical.

“What, you don’t trust me anymore?”

“I do, I do! Of course I do.”

“Then stop talking so much…”

...

As the two chatted, Aunt Li came out carrying several dishes. “Xiao Fan, Xiao Ming, your food is here.”

Seeing her bring out the food, Lin Ming got up to help place the dishes on the table and asked, “Auntie Li, no one’s come to collect protection fees lately, have they?”

“No, not anymore. Ever since last time, no one’s dared to come here for protection money,” she said with a smile. “And it’s all thanks to you boys.”

“As long as that’s the case. But if anyone does come, just tell us and we’ll deal with them,” Lin Ming assured her.

Though Aunt Li didn’t like to trouble them, she nodded. “Alright, alright, I will.”

With all the food on the table, Lin Ming took in the fragrant aroma and sighed with pleasure, “It smells amazing, Aunt Li. Your cooking just keeps getting better.”

Her eyes curved into crescent moons with delight at the praise. “Oh, Xiao Ming, you’re just teasing me, aren’t you?”

“I swear, Aunt Li, I mean every word,” Lin Ming grinned.

He’d barely eaten while cultivating these past days, so when he saw Aunt Li’s dishes, it felt like he hadn’t eaten in ages.

“That’s enough out of you,” Su Yifan said with a shake of his head.

He turned to Aunt Li, “Aunt Li, you go on with your work. Don’t worry about us.”

“Alright then, enjoy your meal. If you need anything else, just call me.”

She left them to eat, a sense of joy in her heart—she could tell these two were children of wealthy families, and as an ordinary woman, it made her genuinely happy that they liked her cooking.

Not long after...

The food on the table was completely devoured—though most of it was eaten by Lin Ming.

After their meal, Su Yifan and Lin Ming left Aunt Li’s eatery.

At that moment, Su Yifan suddenly sensed two troublesome auras not far behind them. He looked at Lin Ming and said, “You head back first, I have some things to take care of.”

“Alright,” Lin Ming agreed without question and left.

Once he was gone, Su Yifan headed into a deserted alley.

Before long, he quickened his pace and entered a narrow lane, the two auras trailing closely behind.

“Where’d he go?” The two figures in blood-red garb found themselves at a loss—Su Yifan had vanished.

Just then, his calm voice sounded in their ears. “Looking for me, gentlemen?”

Hearing the voice, the two felt a chill run down their spines.

They spun around to attack, but in the next instant—

Bang! Bang!

With two swift kicks, Su Yifan sent them flying, crashing them against the alley wall before they collapsed to the ground.

Before they could get up, Su Yifan was already standing before them, his voice cold. “Who are you? Why are you following me?”

There was a familiar, loathsome aura about them, but he couldn’t place it at the moment.

The two men remained silent.

The next moment—

Bang!

One of them self-destructed, blood splattering across the other’s face.

Su Yifan’s icy voice echoed once more. “My patience is limited. I’ll give you one more chance.”

...