The Return of Stars to the Jianghu

Chapter 190 The Kind-Hearted Noodle Shop Owner Dies and Her Dao Disappears

The scene before him was a view of the forest from high above. Luo Yifei frowned slightly and remained silent, but his gaze toward Ye Fan was full of doubt.

Ye Fan did not respond to Luo Yifei, but immediately used his supernatural powers to display the next scene.

……

As night fell, a small, unassuming noodle shop in the market street of Qinglan Town remained brightly lit. The proprietress was busy tidying up the tables and chairs, preparing to close for the day.

Just then, a man dressed in black wearing a straw hat quietly entered the noodle shop. In the dim light, his figure appeared particularly mysterious, the shadow of the straw hat obscuring most of his face, revealing only the resolute lines of his jaw.

The proprietress looked up, her eyes filled with a mixture of curiosity and wariness, and asked, "What would you like to eat, sir?"

The man in black did not answer immediately. Instead, he slowly removed his straw hat, revealing a pair of deep, unfathomable eyes as he surveyed the shop. Then, in a low and firm voice, he said, "One bowl of beef noodles, extra spicy." His voice carried an undeniable determination.

The proprietress paused for a moment, then nodded in agreement, turned to the kitchen and repeated, "One bowl of beef noodles, extra spicy."

The other customers in the shop also seemed to be drawn to the sudden appearance of this mysterious man, casting curious glances at him. Sensing that the newcomer was up to no good, the customers quieted down their eating, and no one made a sound.

The man in black found a seat by the window and sat down quietly.

Soon, the proprietress brought over a steaming bowl of beef noodles and placed it in front of the man in black. The aroma was irresistible, and the chili oil was glistening red. The man in black picked up his chopsticks, gently lifted some noodles, and savored them.

A moment later, most of the customers in the shop finished eating, paid their bills, and left, leaving only the man in black sitting by the window. The man kept his eyes closed, didn't say a word, and the bowl of noodles on the table was empty.

The proprietress had finished clearing away all the tables and chairs, and the owner in the kitchen had already turned off the stove.

"Sir, we're closing soon," the proprietress reminded him.

The man still didn't open his eyes, but asked, "During the day, four armed men escorted a woman in green through the streets. Did you help her escape and go to Qingyun Temple?"

Upon hearing this, the proprietress's face changed drastically, her hands trembled slightly, and a hint of panic flashed in her eyes. She tried to remain calm and conceal her inner turmoil, but her voice was still somewhat unsteady: "Sir...sir, what are you saying? I...I don't understand what you mean."

The man in black slowly opened his eyes, his gaze piercing, as if he could see into people's hearts. The air suddenly turned icy cold, and only the breathing of the three people could be heard in the shop.

The man in black smirked coldly as he slowly stood up, approaching the proprietress. His voice was low and threatening: "Don't try to deceive me. I know it's you. Now, tell me, where is that woman?"

The owner, who was in the kitchen, had long since stopped what he was doing and was staring at this place through the window.

The proprietress was forced to retreat step by step until she was cornered against the wall, with nowhere left to go. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. "I did help that woman, and she's already at Qingyun Temple. Could it be that she didn't go there?"

Upon hearing this, the man in black remained expressionless: "You think you can protect her? Don't forget whose territory this is. Tell me her whereabouts, and I may let bygones be bygones; otherwise, you'll face the consequences."

The proprietress gritted her teeth, resolutely refusing to budge: "I won't tell you. If you really want to find her, go to Qingyun Temple; perhaps you can find her there. But I must warn you, that's not a place where you can easily run wild."

The owner came from the kitchen into the main hall of the restaurant, stood next to his wife, looked firmly at the man in black, and said, "Sir, we really don't know the whereabouts of that woman in green. My wife took pity on her and sent her to Qingyun Temple for protection. I'm sure she meant well but ended up doing something wrong. Please be lenient."

The man in black sneered, raising and lowering the sword at his waist. The proprietress lay dead in a pool of blood. "If you had stayed in the back, I wouldn't have killed her. Remember, she died because of you," the man in black said coldly.

The boss stared in horror, his hands clenched into fists, his body trembling slightly, but he dared not take a step forward.

The man in black sheathed his sword, his gaze sweeping across the shop before finally settling on the owner. His tone was icy: "Song Qiao, since you've retired from the martial world, you shouldn't be meddling in its affairs. For the sake of the Song family, I'll spare your life." The owner's face was pale, his lips trembling, but he couldn't utter a single word.

The man in black said nothing more, turned and strode away from the noodle shop. His figure quickly disappeared into the night at the end of the street.

Inside the shop, the owner picked up his wife, blood continuing to flow from her abdomen. She tried to say something, but instead vomited even more blood.

The owner was already in tears, and only his sobs could be heard in the noodle shop. "Tang Jin, you will definitely die a horrible death."

……

"So, the four brothers sought out Tang Jin in order to capture that demon named Xiao Lian?" Luo Yifei asked, looking at the scene before him.

Ye Fan shook his head. "On the contrary, it was Tang Jin who asked these four brothers to help him capture demons everywhere. His purpose was to bring his disciple back to life."

"Of course, demon cores alone are not enough; we also need the essence blood of a large number of True Essence Realm cultivators. Tang Jin personally took action this time not because the demon core of the Azure Phoenix was so important, but because the Azure Phoenix's master was the one who killed his disciple." After saying this, Ye Fan began to show the next scene.