Chapter Eighteen: Gluttony and the Invitation to Watch

Greedily inhaling a few breaths at the nape of Bai Tangjing's neck, Saeko finally calmed her emotions. She released her embrace, her body still somewhat weak. Bai Tangjing, however, remained indifferent throughout, as if he was already accustomed to her actions. Perhaps it was this composure that made Takasuke Zeyan look at him with a hint of admiration.

Due to Saeko's sudden emotional outburst, lunch was delayed by half an hour. When they finally sat at the table—

"What... What kind of monster eats like this?" Takasuke Zeyan, whose blonde hair gave him a wild look, thought he had seen it all after witnessing the bizarre, almost sickly interaction between the handsome young couple. Yet, he realized how shallow his experience truly was.

A mouth like a black hole—no matter how much was fed into it, everything vanished within. Chopsticks flew like predatory tentacles, sweeping up all nourishment and tossing it into the abyss. The sheer ferocity of the feast made each chew feel like a punch to the viewer's chest!

Takasuke Zeyan, holding his bowl and chopsticks, found his trembling hands incapable of reaching out. He had an illusion—if he extended his chopsticks, it would be like stepping into a beast's feeding ground!

"Oh? You’re quite perceptive." Saeko, seated beside him, looked at the quivering youth with mild surprise and offered an explanation. "Jing, because of some incidents in his foster family before mastering martial arts, whenever he starts eating, if someone joins the table before he's had his fill, he'll instinctively attack them. Like this..."

With a smile, the elegant woman with purple hair extended her chopsticks ever so slightly towards a plate of tomato beef brisket.

In the next moment!

Bai Tangjing, eyes fixed on the table, still chewing, suddenly moved his hand—swift and merciless, the pointed end of his chopsticks aimed straight for Saeko's face!

Takasuke Zeyan nearly dropped his bowl and chopsticks, about to throw himself forward to block the attack! With such monstrous speed and strength, even chopsticks could be deadly!

Yet the purple-haired beauty, facing imminent danger, smiled even brighter. Her fingers spun, shifting her grip to hold the wooden chopsticks like a sword, deflecting the thrust in an instant.

A crisp "crack!" echoed as the chopsticks collided.

Missing his mark, Bai Tangjing seemed to snap out of his ravenous trance, the aura of gluttony dissipating. He glanced, dissatisfied, at the smiling beauty, then turned back to his meal, and the atmosphere returned to normal.

"If it had been you, that attack might have been fatal. But it’s fine now—you can eat." Saeko reassured.

Takasuke Zeyan swallowed hard and nodded stiffly. He wanted to say: If risking his life was the price for a meal, he'd gladly settle for leftovers... But a fleeting chill at his neck, as his gaze brushed past Saeko, reminded him some words were better left unsaid.

Trembling, he extended his chopsticks to the farthest corner of the table, a realization dawning in his heart. He had thought that two men and a beautiful, seductive woman living together might be too trusting—or inconvenient. Now, he understood: In this house, inconvenience belonged only to the weak... namely, himself! And the weak had no right to be guarded against by the strong!

~~~~~~

After lunch, his stomach barely filled, Takasuke Zeyan returned to his original seat, sitting upright and tense. Even Saeko's encouragement to relax was futile—he was clearly intimidated by the survival environment of this household.

On the other side, Bai Tangjing sat on the sofa, feeling the movement of the extraordinary energy—inner force—within him.

No, with such a minuscule amount, "movement" wasn't the right word. It was more like droplets of water tracing a line across a dry marble floor—a crawl.

Bai Tangjing frowned lightly, helpless in his current predicament. If there was spiritual energy, the "Dragon Blood Secret Art" would still be considered top-tier internal cultivation, even without the step of bathing in dragon's blood. If there was dragon blood, he could directly use its species and talents, channeling fire, electricity, or cold as energy for cultivation.

...Alas, he had neither.

"If only I’d salvaged one of the Jin Gu-style martial arts back then, I wouldn’t be so passive now!" Bai Tangjing pressed his brow in frustration. Jin Gu martial arts didn’t have a high ceiling, but at least they weren’t resource-dependent, allowing steady growth in this world devoid of magic.

After witnessing the Wu clan’s overwhelming basic attributes, the pride and sense of security he’d gained from years of martial training had evaporated.

It was as though the dagger’s edge had returned to his throat; a crisis he hadn’t felt in years haunted him like a nightmare!

"In the end, it all depends on what these fishing lines can achieve... Tonight. I’ll try again tonight!"

With a firm resolve, Bai Tangjing looked at the data projected onto his retina by his intelligent assistant, invisible to all but himself.

[Standard fishing line: 2 units, Length ×2 line: 1 unit, Length ×3 line: 1 unit, Line condensation cooldown: 3 months/6 months]

"What are you thinking about?" A gentle hand rested on his shoulder, Saeko’s soft voice sounding beside him.

"Nothing, really. Just thinking about the Kengan matches," Bai Tangjing shook his head, changing the subject. The severe lack of security made him reluctant to reveal his means of survival in this world—even to the almost inseparable Saeko Busujima.

"...Speaking of which, I happen to have an opportunity for you to observe." Her words paused briefly, perhaps sensing his concealment, but her voice remained as tender as a true Yamato Nadeshiko.

"The chairwoman of Sakura Royal Girls’ Academy knows my father and is aware that I practice the ancient killing sword style. So she told me there will be a Kengan fighter selection at the academy tomorrow. Even as a swordswoman, I can watch and broaden my horizons."

Nearby, Takasuke Zeyan, still sitting upright, winced inwardly.

"Ancient style? Killing sword? Am I living in some urban samurai drama? Both of them are modern-day ronin, aren’t they?!"

Bai Tangjing stroked his chin and nodded in agreement. "Yes, I’m confident in myself, but it’s always good to observe more. The kind of pressure where a fortune earned over hundreds of lifetimes rests on your fists, and employers watch from a few steps away... Unless you experience it yourself, it’s unimaginable. Compared to that, things like Bishamon are too diluted. I’m quite looking forward to it."

Though he spoke thus, Bai Tangjing’s flickering gaze revealed his true anticipation lay in tonight’s dimensional salvage.