The Entry-plundering Demon Hunter

Chapter 271: Chapter 268: Obsession with the Spear, a Sickness That Must Be Cured

”Is Senior Xu Tai here?”

Suddenly, a voice came from outside the door.

Xu Tai, who was eating inside, had his expression change drastically.

He nearly dropped the chopsticks in his hand.

The others exchanged uneasy glances, their eyes darting about.

It was as if, in that single moment, they had completely forgotten what they had just agreed to do.

”President, what do we do?”

One of them had an expression like he was constipated.

He looked rather panicked and uneasy.

The other few were all the same.

Xu Tai frowned without answering, and Zhao Long, who was sitting opposite him, shot them a fierce glare.

”What did we just say? Didn’t I tell you the president went home for closed-door cultivation?”

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Long stood up and went straight to the door.

The moment he opened the door, he saw three people standing outside.

In the front was Lin Yi, flanked by Wei Shang and Feng Lei.

Lin Yi smiled and said, ”Hello, senior. Excuse me, is Senior Xu Tai...?”

”Our president went home for closed-door cultivation!”

”Went home?”

Lin Yi was taken aback, and the smile vanished from his face.

”Do you know when he’ll be back? I just acquired a spear technique manual that seems perfect for him, and I wanted to discuss it with him,” Lin Yi continued.

”A spear technique? What kind?” Zhao Long frowned.

Lin Yi took a martial arts manual for a spear technique out of his Storage Ring.

He had gotten this manual from Han Dong just last night.

It was called the ”Breaking Army Soul-Chasing Spear Technique.” The name was only two words different from Xu Tai’s ”Breaking Army Spear Technique.”

It was also a Top-grade Spear Technique.

Although it looked good, it was of no use to Lin Yi.

He already possessed two spear techniques.

Adding another one was pointless. His original plan was to bring it over and let Xu Tai see if it shared any similarities with his Breaking Army Spear Technique.

Perhaps by harmonizing the two techniques, they could build on each other’s strengths and compensate for their weaknesses.

The whole point of sparring was to identify each other’s weaknesses and then work to improve upon them.

So, while Lin Yi was improving himself, he also hoped his opponents could improve.

That way, they could be evenly matched and mutually enhance each other’s skills.

After they were done studying it, Lin Yi planned to give the technique to Zhou Qi.

He also liked using spears, and his talent lay in that direction as well.

If he cultivated this Breaking Army Soul-Chasing Spear Technique, his combat power would likely increase by a huge margin.

”Breaking Army Soul-Chasing Spear Technique?”

After seeing the name of the technique, Zhao Long’s voice involuntarily rose a few pitches.

The next moment, someone rushed out from inside.

He shoved Zhao Long aside and snatched the manual to examine it closely.

”Where did you get this spear technique?” Xu Tai asked, his face full of astonishment.

Seeing him come out, Lin Yi said with a smile, ”Senior, didn’t you go home for closed-door cultivation?”

”Uh... I... well... First, tell me where you got this spear technique!”

Xu Tai stammered for a good while but couldn’t manage to say anything coherent.

Lin Yi smiled. ”I got it from Jail City last night.”

As soon as he said that, Lin Yi snatched the spear manual back from Xu Tai’s hands.

”I was hoping to discuss the technique with you, senior.”

”It seems you’re not interested in discussing it with me anymore. In that case, I won’t disturb you.”

After speaking, Lin Yi put the manual away.

He turned to leave with Wei Shang and Feng Lei.

Seeing this, Xu Tai grew anxious.

He hurried after them, saying, ”Wait, wait, wait! They were just joking with you!”

”Uhm, why don’t we go inside to talk?”

In that moment, Xu Tai appeared extremely humbled.

He was just short of grabbing Lin Yi and begging him not to go.

Hearing this, Lin Yi smiled and exchanged a glance with Wei Shang and Feng Lei.

”Let me introduce you to two people. These are my roommates, Wei Shang and Feng Lei.”

Lin Yi walked back and said to Xu Tai with a smile.

The two men gave Xu Tai a slight nod.

But the moment Xu Tai saw the two of them, his brow furrowed involuntarily.

”Wei Shang? Feng Lei... have we met somewhere before? You both look a little familiar,” Xu Tai said, puzzled.

Wei Shang laughed. ”We have indeed met. Last year, at the Town Martial Department. You and your father went to the department to speak with Elder He. We saw each other then.”

At these words, sudden realization dawned on Xu Tai.

’We did meet that one time.’

’So, Wei Shang and Feng Lei are both from the Town Martial Department? Then it’s confirmed.’

’Lin Yi showed up with them, and they’re his roommates.’

’Then the rumors circulating outside are most likely true.’

’Lin Yi’s backer is the Town Martial Department?’

’But this whole ”roommate” thing... where does that come from?’

’Given Wei Shang’s and Feng Lei’s ages, they’re long past the normal age for students.’

’Men in their thirties, coming to university to study?’

For a moment, the gears in Xu Tai’s brain nearly ground to a halt and started smoking.

’No matter how he tried to sort out this relationship, it just didn’t make sense.’

Lin Yi smiled. ”Senior Xu Tai, are we still going in?”

”Ah? Yes, yes, yes, please, the three of you, come in!”

Xu Tai’s attitude had changed yet again.

With Lin Yi arriving with two people from the Town Martial Department, he dared not show the slightest disrespect.

’Offending Lin Yi would be the same as offending the Town Martial Department.’

’His Xu Family wouldn’t dare act presumptuously in front of the Town Martial Department.’

’When he went with his father to the Town Martial Department last year, he had never seen his father act so humbly.’

’It was clear that the Town Martial Department’s deterrent power was something the Xu Family didn’t dare to challenge.’

The three of them walked into the Gun Skill Association.

In the time it took for them to talk, the seniors inside had already tidied up the place.

The meal trays had all been put away.

They had even cleaned up the sparring room in the back.

Ever since Lin Yi started coming here to spar with Xu Tai, this area had been converted into a sparring room.

Moreover, it was the president’s exclusive sparring room...

After the group walked in, Xu Tai turned back with a smile and said, ”That spear technique manual from just now!”

”Oh, right here!”

Lin Yi quickly took the Breaking Army Soul-Chasing Spear Technique manual out of his Storage Ring.

After handing it to Xu Tai,

Xu Tai, like a true Martial Fool, began greedily flipping through the spear technique within.

For a moment, he seemed completely possessed.

Over and over again, his eyes were completely captivated by the manual.

He was utterly unable to tear himself away. Seeing Xu Tai’s entranced state, Lin Yi looked at Zhao Long with a deep frown.

”Is Senior Xu Tai always like this?”

”What?”

Zhao Long was taken aback, not understanding at first.

”This obsessed with spear techniques?”

”Yes, he’s always been like this.”

”Our president has a deep love for spear techniques. It’s probably because his Xu Family is a family of spear masters, so he has a special obsession with them.”

”I remember when he first founded this Gun Skill Association, he brought over every single book related to spear techniques from the library. He stayed here for three days and three nights just reading, never leaving once.”

”Later, when we joined the association, he made us read them too...”

Lin Yi glanced at him. ”So, that’s why your Gun Skill Association has so few members?”

Zhao Long nodded with a wry smile. ”Most of the people who come here are students who want to learn spear techniques.”

”But having to read so many books before they can even start learning the techniques scares them all away.”

”The president says that someone who truly loves spear techniques should first understand what a spear is to truly master the art. Otherwise, even if they learn, they’ll only grasp the form and not the essence. What’s the use of being mediocre?”

After Zhao Long finished speaking, Lin Yi nodded.

”I feel that Senior Xu Tai’s obsession with spear techniques has become a bit pathological. It’s an illness, and it needs to be treated.”

”Even if you’re obsessed with spear techniques, it shouldn’t reach the point of madness.”

”In my opinion, spear techniques, staff techniques, saber techniques, or Sword Techniques... they are all just killing arts.”

”The main reason we martial artists learn fist techniques, leg techniques, or how to use those weapons is to slay demonic beasts and fight powerful enemies.”

”Your president’s philosophy has already strayed from the true path. He is being controlled by his martial arts, not mastering their essence.”

After Lin Yi finished speaking,

Zhao Long glanced back at him, his brows knitting together.

He seemed to want to retort, but then he saw Wei Shang and Feng Lei standing beside Lin Yi.

He swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue.

After Zhao Long walked away, Wei Shang whispered, ”It’s useless to tell them all this.”

”Didn’t he just say it? To learn spear techniques, you first have to learn the theoretical knowledge.”

”The ones who stayed are kindred spirits with Xu Tai, aren’t they?”

”They’ve either been brainwashed by Xu Tai or were already the same type of person to begin with. Saying all this will only make them resent you. It’s pointless to say more.”

Wei Shang’s words made Lin Yi nod in agreement.

He had already realized this himself. Explaining these things to them was like playing a lute to a cow.

After a long while, Xu Tai, who was still engrossed in the spear manual,

suddenly snapped the manual shut, a sharp glint in his eyes.

”I’ve got it! I’ve finally got it!”

”So that’s how it is! No wonder my Breaking Army Spear Technique always felt like it was lacking something.”

”It can be understood this way too? I get it now...”

Xu Tai suddenly became a little crazed.

He held the spear manual and started muttering to himself.

Then, he made a few motions in the air with his hands.

Just as Lin Yi, Wei Shang, and the others thought Xu Tai had gone mad,

Xu Tai walked straight to the weapon rack and took out a long spear.

He looked back at Lin Yi and said, ”Come, let’s spar!”

Seeing Xu Tai’s state, Wei Shang said worriedly, ”Be careful in a minute. His condition doesn’t seem right. I suspect he’s on the verge of a cultivation deviation.”

Lin Yi laughed. ”Are you afraid he’s going to try and pin something on me?”

Wei Shang: ”...”

With the Black Gold Tiger Head Spear in hand, Lin Yi also walked toward Xu Tai.

”Junior Lin Yi, how about we make a bet?”

Xu Tai said to Lin Yi with a smile.

”Alright. What are the stakes?”

”If I win, you give me this Breaking Army Soul-Chasing Spear Technique manual.”

”If I lose...”

Xu Tai glanced around.

Finally, he took a black leather case out of his wristband.

”This is a case of Second-Grade Compound Potions. If I lose, it’s yours.”

Lin Yi glanced at the case and shook his head with a smile.

”One case isn’t enough. What I have is a Top-grade Spear Technique. It’s worth at least five cases.”

Hearing this, Xu Tai’s brows furrowed deeply.

Zhao Long and the other seniors’ expressions also changed.

A single case of Second-Grade Compound Potions was worth hundreds of thousands.

Five cases would be several million.

Although a Top-grade Spear Technique was precious, it wasn’t worth *that* much...

But Xu Tai nodded directly. ”Reasonable. A Top-grade Spear Technique isn’t something you can necessarily buy with money. We’ll bet five cases of Second-Grade Compound Potions!”

”Deal!”

A sly smile flashed in Lin Yi’s eyes.

”Senior Xu Tai, let’s begin then!”

The two of them exchanged cupped-fist salutes.

Xu Tai took the initiative, charging straight at Lin Yi.