Chapter 36: Morning – The Way of Hospitality
The next day.
As the sky began to lighten with a pale glimmer, Su Ye instinctively opened his eyes.
Thud thud—sounds echoed as something scurried across the floor. Jinbao ran from the sofa back to its little nest.
As if nothing had happened, it sprawled out lazily, pretending to be asleep.
"This little guy…"
Su Ye shook his head helplessly, his gaze falling on the figure on the sofa.
There, under a blanket, the young woman slept soundly. Her black veil rose and fell gently with each breath.
Knowing that Jinbao couldn't be left alone, Ye Lingling had stayed the entire night.
In the end, it was Jinbao who had tugged her into the room, leading her to sleep on the sofa for the night.
"For a pet… a man and woman under the same roof for a night—who'd believe that nothing happened?"
Su Ye twitched his lips. Fortunately, he wasn't some depraved person, otherwise…
After this, he understood that Ye Lingling genuinely liked Jinbao from the bottom of her heart. Otherwise, she wouldn't have done something like this.
The misfortune with the Nine-Hearted Begonia had left the girl exhausted. Having a pet as a companion was like a ray of healing sunshine in her life.
Su Ye could deeply relate to that.
Without disturbing her rest, he quietly washed up. Strangely enough, he skipped his usual morning Bajiquan practice and instead sat down at the table, deep in thought.
Bajiquan was fierce and explosive—perfect for close combat.
At low Soul Master levels, where soul skills were few, hand-to-hand combat was more effective.
But at higher levels, it was all about martial spirits and soul skills.
After gathering his thoughts, Su Ye dipped a quill in ink and began writing on the paper:
"Bajiquan contains eight intentions internally and eight forms externally, with force striking in all directions…"
"Using eight parts of the body to break through enemy defenses—six major openings: top, embrace, single, lift, hang, entwine…"
"Eight techniques: intercept, break, crash… and special moves like Fierce Tiger Climbing the Mountain, King Yama's Triple Strike… Detailed moves are as follows…"
"The training method of Bajiquan starts with the Wuji stance or the Two-Element stance to develop lower body strength, combined with basic horse and bow stances, and elbow and palm practice to grasp power transmission and explosion…"
"..."
Outside, the sky brightened gradually.
Before long, a beam of light pierced through the darkness, heralding the dawn.
Knock knock—
Just then, a soft knock came at the door.
Su Ye glanced up. The "sleeping" Jinbao had already run over to open the door—clearly a foodie.
A hotel attendant in a form-fitting white cheongsam appeared, the slit revealing a pair of elegant white-stockinged legs.
With her hands resting gently in front, she looked as graceful as a blooming lotus, giving off a pretty and refined vibe.
"Good morning. If it's convenient, may I serve breakfast now?"
"Sure, go ahead."
The young lady gave a polite nod and walked in, pushing the doors open with gloved hands.
More young, beautiful attendants entered, carrying trays or pushing carts of dishes.
Soon, the nearly three-meter-long table was filled with a colorful and aromatic feast—at the center was a roasted suckling pig, a regular part of Su Ye's meals.
"Please enjoy."
Knowing that Su Ye didn't like being waited on, the attendants bowed slightly and exited.
Ye Lingling stirred from the noise.
"Uh…"
Realizing she had spent the night in a guy's room, she bit her lip, flustered, and quickly got up to leave.
"Relax. Sit and eat."
"You've been here this long—you're a guest now. Ever heard of kicking a guest out at breakfast time?"
Su Ye's calm voice floated over. He also called out to "Jinbao," and the two little ones ran out from the bathroom and jumped onto the seats.
Jinbao even reached out a paw, motioning for Ye Lingling to sit beside it.
She hesitated, but seeing Jinbao enthusiastically nodding toward the seat…
Considering her teammates probably already knew she didn't return last night, there wasn't much point in hiding.
"I'll wash up first."
Ye Lingling said softly, then gracefully made her way to the bathroom, her soft blue hair swaying behind the black veil.
Su Ye rested his chin on his hand, tapping his face like Morse code, pondering how to evolve Bajiquan into more advanced techniques.
Bajiquan was a martial art that trained both body and mind, leaning more toward technique.
Even when simplified, there were still numerous detailed moves—not as easy to reproduce as basic meditation techniques.
And printing it would risk leaks.
While Bajiquan wasn't considered top-tier in this world, it was still an essence of the ancestors' wisdom.
If you practice martial arts, how can you not value them?
"Ugh… don't tell me I have to hand-copy thousands of copies myself?"
Su Ye shuddered at the thought.
One book an hour, at best thirty minutes per copy.
Even at maximum speed—46 copies a day, over 1,000 a month.
"Looks like… I need some cheap labor."
A light sparkled in Su Ye's eyes.
With soul master academies reopening, recruiting work-study students for the job was perfect.
The heart technique and martial moves could be separated, and the practice methods divided too—only basic techniques would be included, making it impossible to reconstruct the full system.
Plus, work-study kids were young—even if they copied the drawings and tried to imitate them, without proper strength training, elbow strikes, and grapples, they'd be useless.
Yes! That'll do!
"Breakfast… is this much?"
Seeing Su Ye waiting, Ye Lingling walked over faster—but was stunned by the dozens of dishes laid out.
Who serves a whole roast pig for breakfast?
So extravagant—was this guy some noble heir?
She glanced at Su Ye and quietly sat next to Jinbao.
"You're a guest—don't be polite. Politeness doesn't work these days."
"Honestly, this hotel's food isn't bad. Especially their signature zhen chicken—absolutely top-notch. Take your time and enjoy."
Su Ye picked up a plate and kindly served Ye Lingling a large helping.
His bright, polite demeanor contrasted sharply with his cold rejection the night before. Ye Lingling was momentarily stunned.
"Th-thank you," she softly said, her eyes now re-evaluating the boy before her.
"Heh, it's nothing."
Su Ye smiled warmly, embodying the very spirit of proper hospitality.
"Jinbao, dig in!"
After that, he gave Jinbao a subtle look.
Boom—!
Like an untamed stallion, Jinbao lunged toward the roast pig with a massive leap, mouth wide open.
Bang—
Unfortunately, it missed and tumbled into a tray, skidding along the table, its little face smeared with grease.
Roar—
Furious at Su Ye's "dominance," Jinbao crouched and growled at him lowly.
"You're still young—don't be a picky eater."
Tearing into the pig with ferocity, Su Ye's teeth seemed like steel saws, devouring whole slabs of meat with each bite.
Seeing this, Jinbao dashed around the table, scavenging food in a frenzy, clattering dishes in its wake.
Su Ye wasn't far behind—shoveling food into his mouth nonstop.
The breakfast table turned chaotic—like two battlefields had erupted.
"..."
Staring at the food on her plate, Ye Lingling finally understood.
So… this was her plate all along? This guy was… really generous.
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(End of Chapter)