Chen Feng stood up.
"Little Sister, I gave you money to buy something to eat. Why didn’t you eat?"
Su Yun looked at him.
"I did go to buy food, Mister."
She lowered her head.
"But the shopkeeper said they don’t sell food to beggars."
Chen Feng frowned.
"He refused to sell you food?"
Su Yun nodded.
"He said allowing beggars to eat there would damage the reputation of his shop and drive away customers."
Chen Feng’s expression became serious.
Then he looked at Su Yun and said, "Come with me."
He led her toward the shopkeeper.
There weren’t many customers in the shop at the moment. When the shopkeeper noticed Chen Feng approaching, he looked at him and said,"Get out of here, you filthy beggar! You think you can buy fine Beast Skewers with those pathetic begging coins? You’ll ruin my reputation! Shoo, get lost before I break your legs!"
Chen Feng looked at the shopkeeper and smiled.
He walked closer and stopped in front of the sturdy wooden counter where the shopkeeper was standing.
Bang!
Chen Feng slammed his hand down on the counter. A sharp, loud crack immediately split across the aged wood, the fracture lines spreading outward like spiderwebs from beneath his palm.
The shopkeeper’s face drained of all color, his eyes darting from the splintered wood up to the young man.
Chen Feng looked at him calmly, his newly enhanced eyesight capturing every bead of sweat forming on the man’s forehead. In a quiet, chilling tone, he asked, "Do you still not want to serve us?"
The shopkeeper stared at the cracked counter in sheer terror, his knees trembling behind the barrier.
Swallowing hard, he looked at Chen Feng and nervously asked, "A-Are you from the Beggar Sect?"
Chen Feng didn’t answer.
He simply reached into his pocket, pulled out ten copper coins, and tossed them carelessly across the counter. The coins rattled against the wood in a neat row.
"Three skewers," Chen Feng said flatly.
Standing right behind Chen Feng, Su Yun stared at the scene in absolute shock.
She had thought he was just another ordinary, helpless beggar like herself. But he had turned out to be a martial artist! After all, who else could possibly snap a thick wooden counter with a single bare hand?
The moment he turned his back, Chen Feng hurriedly shoved his aching hand deep into his pocket. His face remained calm, but inside, he was wincing in agony. His palm throbbed fiercely, and his hand was already swelling up.
"My strength also had increased considerably after practicing the Heavenly Eagle Transformation Technique."
His newfound strength as a Second-Rate Martial Artist gave him formidable power, his frail body—starved and battered from years of hunger and abuse—wasn’t fully adapted to handle the sudden impact.
However, even for a Second-Rate Martial Artist, breaking a wooden counter with a single strike wasn’t easy.
A First-Rate Martial Artist might be able to do it, but Chen Feng was still only at the Second-Rate realm.
So how had he managed it?
The answer was his technique.
The Heavenly Eagle Transformation Technique was a High-Grade Martial Arts Technique.
In the entire world, there were probably only a hundred or two hundred High-Grade Techniques.
Chen Fang had heard of it before, but he couldn’t say for certain. His knowledge of this world’s history and martial arts was quite limited.
Now he was putting on a brave face, hiding his physical pain behind a cool, composed smile.
Meanwhile, behind the counter, the terrified shopkeeper scrambled into action. He quickly grabbed fresh cuts of marinated meat, tossing them onto the smoking charcoal grill.
He brushed on a layer of savory oil and spicy herbs, turning the skewers expertly over the glowing embers until the meat sizzled and browned to absolute perfection, filling the air with an irresistible, mouthwatering aroma.
The shopkeeper hurriedly handed the freshly grilled skewers across the counter.
Chen Feng took them and immediately turned around, offering two of the steaming, fragrant meat skewers to Su Yun.
Su Yun took a hesitant step back, shaking her head quickly. "N-No, mister... I’m not that hungry."
Despite her words, a wave of fear mixed with awe rippled through her chest. This person wasn’t just a beggar; he was a martial artist!
As if to instantly betray her words, a loud, hollow, rumbling growl echoed from her stomach—Rrrrumble...
Chen Feng chuckled softly at the sound, his eyes carrying a warm, reassuring glint. "If you’re hungry, you should eat. Just listen to your big brother."
Su Yun lowered her head, her cheeks flushing slightly with embarrassment, before she finally reached out with trembling fingers and took the two delicious skewers.
Chen Feng watched her with a gentle smile.
DING!
A crisp, familiar notification chimed instantly in his mind:
[Host Investment Action Detected!]
[10 Copper Coins Invested in Target: Su Yun]
[10x Return Multiplier Triggered!]
[Total Return Generated: 100 Copper Coins added to Inventory!]
Su Yun picked up one of the skewers and took a small bite.
At first, she ate slowly and carefully, almost as if she was afraid the food would disappear if she ate too quickly.
But the moment the taste reached her tongue, her eyes widened.
It had been so long since she had tasted something this good.
Before she knew it, she could no longer control herself.
She started eating faster and faster.
The fear she had felt toward Chen Feng because of his strange martial arts strength and unexpected kindness disappeared almost instantly.
At that moment, she didn’t care about anything else.
There was only food in front of her.
Chen Feng watched her and smiled.
Suddenly, a system notification appeared before his eyes.
[Ding! Su Yun’s Likability has increased!]
[Current Likability: 8.5%(kind martial artist)]
Chen Feng raised an eyebrow.
It increased just because I bought her food?
He couldn’t help but smile.
He then looked down at the skewers in his own hand.
He had been starving for a long time as well.
Without thinking too much, he took a bite.
The moment he tasted the meat, his eyes lit up slightly.
Not bad.
After days of hunger, even an ordinary meal tasted incredibly delicious to him.
Chen Feng and Su Yun simply sat there and ate.
Neither of them spoke.
They just enjoyed the food, letting the rich, savory flavors wash away the lingering anxiety of the moment.
And for a brief, quiet moment, amid the bustling noise of the ancient town and the shadows of a harsh, unforgiving world, the bitter life of a beggar seemed a little less painful.
But Just as Chen Feng and Su Yun were enjoying their meal, a familiar voice suddenly came from behind him.
"Hey, beggar."
Chen Feng’s hand stopped.He knew exactly who it belonged to.
His expression slowly turned serious.
The voice continued with a mocking laugh.
"Looks like you’ve started making quite a bit of money lately, huh?"
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