Master, What Dao Do You Cultivate?-Chapter 4: Murder and Looting

Yu Ye stared wide-eyed at the sudden turn of events.
What she had expected to be an intense battle had ended before it even started.
One move.
Or rather—not even a real move.
Ji Qinglin had completely disabled the assassin in an instant.
The opponent might not have been a Qi Refiner, but judging by their footwork and movement, they were undoubtedly a professional killer.
Mad Yu Ye:
Damn… this guy’s a scumbag and a pervert, but he definitely knows his stuff.
Cold Yu Ye:
Can you tell how he did it?
Mad Yu Ye:
Nope. Looks like soul-based abilities, but I’ve never seen someone hack that fast before.
"Master, you…"
Seeing that his method had worked, Ji Qinglin ignored Yu Ye and knelt down, slamming his knee into the assassin’s neck before tearing open its clothes and yanking out the fake neural connector from the back of its neck.
His phone’s self-defense effect would only last a few seconds—he had to fully disable the assassin before it could recover.
Back when he worked with Old Hu, he had dismantled plenty of similar machines, so this was second nature to him.
After removing the neural interface, Ji Qinglin lifted the assassin’s arm, pulled out a coin, and inserted it into a slot beneath the artificial skin on its elbow.
Three turns.
A hidden blade ejected—
He immediately slammed it against the ground.
Crack—
The blood-red Phantom Blade snapped clean off.
He repeated the process on the other arm, then finally picked up one of the detached blades and stabbed it straight into the gap in the puppet’s back.
Sizzle—
A small burst of electricity crackled—
The puppet assassin trembled, then went completely limp, its eye-lights fading to black.
Ji Qinglin searched the entire body like a pro, finally pulling a 50-red-note bill from its pocket.
Unlike US dollars or new currency, red notes were still hard cash in this era.
A pair of brand-new Phantom Blades plus 50 red notes—
Not bad. Barely worth the effort.
Mad Yu Ye:
Holy hell—neutralized, looted, dismantled, and cleaned up all in one go. No hesitation. This guy definitely runs an illegal black market! The kind that kills and robs without leaving a trace!
Cold Yu Ye:
I don’t know, but he’s definitely not as simple as he looks.
Ji Qinglin noticed Yu Ye staring at him, mouth slightly open in shock, as he casually stuffed the cash into his pocket and flashed his usual easygoing smile.
"What are you looking at? You think raising a disciple is cheap? Ever heard of household expenses? Get over here and help!"
"O-oh! Coming!"
After what had just happened, Yu Ye’s attitude toward Ji Qinglin had clearly shifted.
She helped him drag the dismantled puppet assassin to the roadside.
Normally, these puppets were worth a decent sum when stripped for parts, but since this one was sent to kill him, Ji Qinglin figured it was safer to leave it behind.
"Master, shouldn’t we take it back and investigate? Maybe we can find out who sent it."
"These puppets don’t carry any useful data beyond their mission files. Even if the police checked, they wouldn’t find anything. That’s exactly why they’re so widely used. But as for who sent it—" Ji Qinglin smirked.
"—I already have a pretty good idea."
"Master, you’re really hiding your true abilities, huh? How did you disable it so easily?"
Ji Qinglin wasn’t about to expose himself, so he casually changed the subject.
"Eh? Don’t try to get close now. Based on your performance just now, I’ve decided—"
"I’m going to observe you for a while first."
"Yes, Master."
Mad Yu Ye:
Are we seriously following him now?
Cold Yu Ye:
We can’t protect ourselves yet. We don’t know anyone in Bangkok, and at least with him, we have a place to stay. Besides… he might actually be able to teach me something.
Mad Yu Ye:
Fair point… but when he says observe, does he mean it in a normal way?
"Master, what exactly do you mean by ‘observe’?"
"Let’s talk after we get back."
Ji Qinglin could tell she was genuinely considering apprenticeship, which made things much easier.
On their way back to Ji’s General Store, they passed a small clothing shop that was still open.
Ji Qinglin had Yu Ye pick out some clothes—after all, wearing prisoner’s garb out in public wasn’t exactly ideal.
Additionally, the shop was close enough to his store that he could watch for any ambushes.
If the mastermind is who I suspect, then there shouldn’t be any further threats. And once we’re back at the store, even if more assassins come, they won’t be a problem.
The shopkeeper recognized Ji Qinglin and was momentarily stunned to see him waltz in with a pretty girl still wearing a prison collar.
Then, his face twisted into a knowing smirk.
"Boss Ji, you’re really into some wild stuff, huh? Prison play, huh?"
At first, Ji Qinglin didn’t get it.
Then he noticed Yu Ye burying her face in the clothes rack, and it clicked.
"Uh… it’s not like that. But do me a favor—don’t spread this around. Also, I need a few other styles of clothing."
As the shopkeeper browsed for the requested items, he grinned mischievously.
"Got it, got it. Man, you really know how to have fun. But hey, be careful—you break it, you buy it. I heard they just released a new 16-speed heated wolf-fang massager."
Ji Qinglin didn’t even bother explaining, sighing in resignation as he awkwardly waited for Yu Ye to finish shopping.
After paying, the two hurriedly left in sync—
Good thing this street is quiet, or my carefully built reputation over the past two years would be ruined in one night.
"Yu Ye, the store is just ahead. You ran out pretty fast—did you find clothes you liked?"
"D-don’t worry. I got them."
Yu Ye turned her blushing face away, refusing to make eye contact.
After all—this was the first time she had ever been mistaken for a pervert, and she couldn’t even explain herself.
"Good. That’ll be 46.8 yuan. I’ll put it on your tab—just make sure you pay me back later."
"…Huh?"
"What do you mean ‘huh’? This time, I didn’t even press the remote control."
Mad Yu Ye:
Seriously?! Making your disciple pay for her own clothes?!
Cold Yu Ye:
Oh, shut up. You were the one who told me to spend his money out of spite. How was I supposed to know I'd end up paying for it?
Reaching the alleyway, Ji Qinglin slowed his pace, making a silent gesture as he scanned the surroundings.
Only when he confirmed that the upside-down ‘Fortune’ sign was still lit did he lead Yu Ye forward.
Yu Ye frowned slightly at the shop’s unique signage, instinctively tracing her fingers over the red, glowing ‘Fortune’ character.
"Yu Ye?"
Ji Qinglin’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
"Oh… nothing. It just looks nice."
"Flattery won’t get you anywhere. Get inside."
After confirming it was safe, Ji Qinglin registered Yu Ye’s fingerprints and face in the security system before giving her a quick tour of the store.
The second floor, which served as his living space, had only a bathroom, a small living room, and a bedroom.
To save space, Ji Qinglin didn’t use a bed—instead, he often slept on a floor mat, which made him feel more secure.
But just as he opened the door to the living room—
A shadowy figure suddenly lunged out from inside.