I might even... even be able to take revenge on the sect that destroyed my clan. I will rise above them all. They won’t know what hit them.
Dou Xinshi’s breath grew heavy, his teeth clenched with force.
He could feel the fire of vengeance burning inside him, a new purpose taking root in his heart.
The mories of his fallen clan - his family, his people - were still fresh, searing through his mind.
Now he had a chance to make it all right!
The more he thought about it, the more convinced he beca that this was the path. The path of vengeance, the path of power, and the path of eternal noodles.
I have to. I can’t fail again. I must return...
"I must buy more noodles!" Dou Xinshi muttered, pacing down the street with wide eyes and tightened fists.
His lips curled into a grin he didn’t realize was there. Then that grin widened. And widened.
Until he started laughing.
Out loud.
Right there in the middle of the road.
"HAHAHA! I must return! The instant noodles shall be my dao!"
Passersby imdiately parted around him.
A woman clutched her child and spun them away from the sight like she was shielding them from corruption itself.
"Don’t look, sweetie! That’s what happens when you don’t cultivate your heart properly!"
A pair of older cultivators took three steps back, as if fearing contagious madness.
Even a vendor at a nearby stall quietly packed his grilled spirit mushrooms and backed into the corner.
Tian Lu, who had been sipping a can of Peach Oolong Tea, observed Dou Xinshi sharply.
’Wasn’t that the guy who rushly ca in?’
Dou Xinshi stomped forward, threw his arms open, and laughed toward the sun.
’Did Little Miss Mo cast a spell on him...? Cursed Laughter? Delayed Madness Art?’
That was a possibility.
A terrifying one.
But who really knew what happened inside the door?
A mont later, Old Tiger Zhao erged from the store, licking his lips with blissful devotion.
"Heaven... it’s heaven, I tell ya..."
The old man’s eyes were glazed with pure joy.
If it was possible to ascend via treat, he was halfway to the heavens.
"It’s just slightly chilly though."
His fire-hardened body, tempered by the scorching climate of Scorching Soul City, barely reacted to the cooling effect of the Soft Serve Vanilla Ice Cream. But still, he grinned and patted his belly.
"This old man declares it a fine day. A very fine day indeed."
And sowhere further down the street, Dou Xinshi raised his fist to the sky.
He didn’t care what others thought. Their gazes ant nothing.
He had seen the truth.
He would forge a new fate.
He would walk through that door once more.
And he would buy ten more noodles.
The rest of the day passed without much excitent.
The usual custors from Sovereign City ca and went, picking up their favorite drinks and food with familiar smiles.
Scorching Soul City brought in a few more fresh faces, but none stayed long. Two rushed out the mont they realized they weren’t in an outhouse and swore they must’ve hallucinated the whole thing.
One guy who just needed to pee stayed a little longer, wandered around, complained loudly about the prices, and left without buying a thing.
As expected, Mo Xixi loved the ice cream. Not just her. Little Sneak, Kuro, and especially her two young kittens - Yoru and Tsuki - were instantly hooked.
The mont their tongues touched the soft, creamy swirl, their eyes lit up like twin lanterns. They crunched through the cone in seconds.
Well, not without consequences.
The first taste earned them both a sudden brain freeze. Their fur puffed up in full battle stance, and they backed away from the cone as if it had just barked at them.
But it didn’t stop them.
Yoru licked. Tsuki crunched.
Then they fought over who would get the final bite. A flurry of claws, tiny growls, and dramatic tumbling ensued.
Fortunately, no one got hurt. Kuro only sighed like a tired mother watching her wild toddlers, and Hao let it slide with a twitch of his brow.
After all, the system had guaranteed it - the Soft Serve Vanilla Ice Cream was completely safe for both humans and beasts.
anwhile, Little Sneak was on the verge of staging a riot.
’Why only one Soft Serve Vanilla Ice Cream per day?! I can pay! I have the funds!’
But Hao, arms crossed, remained unmoved.
"Rules are rules."
Little Sneak squeaked loudly. "I demand to speak to the store owner!"
"I am the store owner, Chibisuke."
"...Tch."
Chibisuke just drooled while eyeing Mo Xixi’s cone. His tail flicked violently.
Addiction had set in!
But as the store lights dimd and Hao and his trusted employees retreated to their rooms for a well-deserved rest...
Far outside the city walls, deep in the night...
A man stood soaked in blood.
Cuts ran across his arms and sides, the fabric of his attire shredded. Dirt clung to his legs, and his breath ca in uneven bursts.
His fingers locked around the shaft of his spear, the tip crackling faintly with residual lightning.
Despite the darkness, Scorching Soul City’s ever-burning skies still shimred above, casting a dim orange hue over the broken terrain.
Sparks from his weapon flickered across the ground, lighting the bloodied ss around him.
Four beast carcasses surrounded him, fresh and still twitching.
One still breathed.
With the last of his strength, the man drove his spear into the beast’s skull.
The light in its eyes faded.
And finally, he dropped to one knee, leaning on the weapon for support.
It was Dou Xinshi.
His legs trembled. He should’ve died.
No... by all reason, he would have died. If not for that sudden, unexpected breakthrough.
’I pierced the heavens...’
The group of Thunder-Furred Warthogs had caught him off-guard. He was too weak to face them normally.
But his body had surged with strength when he recalled the otherwordly flavor of the Chicken-Flavored Instant Noodles.
The soup, the spice, the divine elasticity of the noodles themselves -
’I must live. For the next cup.’
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