On the second floor of the small building, Jiyin stepped out of his room, intending to give the young man in the side room his morning instruction. As he did, he happened to spot Song Wen working diligently in the medicine field.

He also clearly discerned the full, robust state of Song Wen's blood qi.

Jiyin's spirits lifted.

"It seems the last batch of pills I refined was exceptionally successful. For this brat's body to recover so rapidly, I must prepare to refine the next furnace as soon as possible," Jiyin mused silently to himself.

In his splendid mood, he couldn't help but call out.

"Song Wen, it appears your body has recovered remarkably well. As your master, I am deeply comforted. When you have leisure, walk outside more often; it will be of great benefit to your recuperation."

Without waiting for Song Wen's reply, Jiyin turned and departed with light, brisk steps.

Song Wen watched the receding figure, a trace of suspicion rising in his heart. He had no idea what kind of madness had possessed this deceitful old monster today to make him so gleeful.

By the time he finished tending to the miscellaneous chores in the medicine field, the sun was nearing its zenith. Feeling a familiar pang of hunger, Song Wen washed himself thoroughly and left the compound of the Heavenly Fiend Gang.

Having glimpsed a sliver of hope for survival, he was in high spirits and decided to treat himself to a proper meal.

The Heavenly Fiend Gang held absolute dominion over Yancheng. The food, clothing, shelter, and transit of the common citizens were all inextricably bound to the gang's influence.

In the vicinity of the headquarters especially, any commercial establishment of significant scale belonged to the gang.

Song Wen had no desire to dine within the gang's establishments, so he walked straight to a modest roadside food stall.

It was an exceedingly small, makeshift stall set up against the street, with only three tables placed along the roadside.

A selection of cooked meats was displayed, looking rather appetizing. The business was sparse; all three tables were vacant, so Song Wen picked a seat at random and sat down.

The proprietors were a young couple. The husband was busy preparing ingredients, while his wife wiped down the tables.

Seeing a customer arrive, the young woman quickened her movements and asked politely, "Guest, what would you like to have?"

"Bring out a generous portion of meat, stir-fry two small side dishes, and serve a large bowl of noodles," Song Wen ordered.

"Understood, please wait a moment, guest."

The young woman's face brightened with joy at his words.

Their household consisted of five mouths to feed-elderly parents above and a three-year-old child below. They relied entirely on this small stall for their livelihood, yet business was slow, making their lives quite impoverished.

From Song Wen's attire, it was easy to see he was someone with coin to spare.

Furthermore, judging by his expansive manner of ordering, he seemed like a generous patron from whom they could earn a decent sum.

The couple quickly grew busy. The young woman sliced the braised meat, while her husband tended the stove and lit the fire, preparing to stir-fry the dishes.

Before long, the young woman brought out two platters of braised meat.

"Guest, please enjoy these first. The other dishes will be ready shortly."

The braised meat was savory and flavorful, and Song Wen rapidly devoured both platters.

Just then, the young woman returned with a tray, carrying his noodles and stir-fried dishes.

"Two more platters of braised meat," Song Wen requested.

"Right away, guest." She set down the noodles and side dishes, a warm smile gracing her face as she walked away.

While Song Wen was feasting heartily, three burly men arrived at the stall and seated themselves at an adjacent empty table.

Because Song Wen's back was turned to them, he could not see their appearances, nor did he pay them much heed, taking them for ordinary passersby.

The trio ordered some braised meat and food, which the young woman swiftly served.

They ate with ravenous speed, like a whirlwind sweeping away scattered clouds, clearing the table in no time.

"Burp!"

One of the men let out a loud belch, stood up, and muttered, "Let's go."

The other two rose as well, preparing to walk away.

Seeing that they had finished and were about to leave, the young woman wiped the grease from her hands onto her apron and stepped forward to block their path, a polite smile on her face.

"Guests, the meal comes to a total of one hundred and forty-two copper coins."

The leader of the men showed no intention of reaching into his purse. His malicious gaze wandered up and down the young woman's figure, lingering particularly on her full chest before finally settling on her delicate, fair face.

"Oh? This little lady has quite the looks."

The other two men burst into lewd laughter upon hearing their leader's remark.

"Dog Lord has an exceptional eye; she indeed possesses some charm."

"Little lady, why don't you follow our Dog Lord from now on? We guarantee you'll feast on fine food and drink. You won't have to endure the wind and sun out here, exposing your face to the public in such a lowly trade."

"Hahaha!"

Song Wen, who had been burying his head in his food, froze at the mention of 'Dog Lord.' He turned his head to look and discovered that the three were none other than Gou Hang and his two underlings.

A surge of fury erupted within Song Wen's chest.

If not for Dog Lord's deception back then, he would never have joined the Heavenly Fiend Gang, would never have fallen into Jiyin's clutches, and would never have been afflicted by the Seven-Day Intestine Severing Powder.

Gou Hang noticed Song Wen's gaze and glanced over. He did not recognize him immediately, merely finding him somewhat familiar, though he could not recall where they had met.

Since becoming Jiyin's personal disciple, Song Wen's clothing and grooming had improved drastically, completely casting off his former wretched, unkempt appearance.

Meanwhile, intimidated by the crude words of the three men, the young woman grew frantic. She retreated in a panic, hiding behind her husband, who had hurried over to intervene.

The stall owner shielded his wife behind his back, an obsequious smile plastered across his face. "The three heroes must be joking. My humble wife is plain and homely; how could she possibly catch your distinguished eyes?"

Gou Hang's attention was drawn by the stall owner, causing him to avert his gaze from Song Wen. Sweeping away his vulgar grin, he spoke with a fierce, menacing expression.

"Open your eyes and look closely. I belong to the Heavenly Fiend Gang. Gracing your roadside stall with my presence is already giving you immense face, yet you dare ask me for money?"

The stall owner's face turned bitter. One hundred and forty-two copper coins was a significant sum for an impoverished household like theirs, enough to sustain his family for several days.

Yet, facing overwhelming force, he had no choice but to bow his head.

The owner bent low, his voice filled with subservient supplication.

"I dare not, I dare not. Please take your time, guests!"

Gou Hang cast a disdainful sneer at the owner. "At least you know your place."

With that, he turned with his two lackeys, preparing to swagger away.

Song Wen stared at their departing figures, his eyes cold as ice.

Aside from Jiyin, this Gou Hang was the person he detested above all others.

Now, Song Wen had Jiyin as his backing. Though Jiyin was merely using him to test pills, the old monster would absolutely not allow any harm to come to him easily.

He could entirely leverage Jiyin's authority to commit a few outrageous acts.

Even if he slaughtered Gou Hang and his lackeys right here on the open street, the Heavenly Fiend Gang would not dare to raise a finger against him.

As the thought bloomed, malice sprouted from his heart.

Song Wen's right hand slipped down, grasping the hilt of the dagger concealed within his boot.

Looking for more free chapters? Visit www.skynovelvault.com to read over 5,000 free chapters and continue exploring more stories from SkyNovelVault.