Chapter 2: A Very Particular Hobby

Words : 1656 Updated : Mar 12th, 2026

"You little bastard, what kind of filthy nonsense are you talking about?" "Is that something you can just stare at whenever you feel like it?" Faye Sowden shot Kevin Letherdale a vicious glare. What made it worse was the way that jerk looked utterly justified, as if he had done nothing wrong at all. The sight of it sent her temper straight through the roof. "Faye, don't misunderstand," Kevin said quickly. "I just wanted to confirm something." He could not exactly tell her he had been trying to confirm whether she was the Saintess. "Get lost!" Faye nearly exploded. She had met shameless men before, but she had never met someone like Kevin, someone who could turn shamelessness into a straight-faced, righteous act. "Ah!" Kevin suddenly widened his eyes and stared at her, yelping like he had seen a ghost. "W-What is it?" Faye's heart lurched at his expression, nerves snapping tight in an instant. Kevin blurted out in a panic, "I think a red spider crawled into your collar. I've seen one like it on the mountain. It's probably a Red Demon Poisonous Spider. One bite and you're dead on the spot!" "Where? Where is it?" Faye shrieked, slapping at her clothes in a frenzy. "Faye, let me help you!" Kevin seized the opening and reached in fast, intent on "checking." Faye's face flashed bright red. She grabbed his wrist with both hands and yanked him out hard, then turned away and checked herself. A beat later, it hit her. What poisonous spider? There was no spider at all. This bastard had only wanted to look at her chest and had lied to her face. If there had really been one, she would have been bitten already. Fuming, she straightened her clothes, turned back, and pinned him with a warning glare. "Kevin Letherdale, if you pull another stunt like that, you get out of the car immediately. And our earlier deal is off. All of it." Kevin did not argue. He only nodded dully, but his mind refused to settle. He could still faintly smell a lingering sweetness on his hand. With his knowledge of herbs, he knew it was not perfume. It was something Faye carried naturally, a scent that made your head go light with it. "Faye… there's something I want to say," Kevin ventured after a short silence. "I don't know if I should." "If you shouldn't, then don't," Faye snapped, cheeks still burning. "Swallow it." "Oh." Since she refused to listen, Kevin kept his mouth shut. He understood she was furious. Pushing her further would only make it worse. He decided he would find a chance later to tell her. If she was willing, he could easily deal with that small lump he had felt earlier. It was probably a nodule. It was common enough, but if left alone, it could grow into a serious problem. No needles. No medicine. Just a push, a knead, and repeat it three times. When Kevin sat there in a daze, Faye assumed he had finally realized his mistake. She did not waste more time scolding him. She started the car and drove off. Kevin stole a glance at her, then closed his eyes. Using the cultivation method Zane had taught him, he calmed his emotions. He also absorbed the medicinal effect of that Red Snake Gallbladder from earlier. But as he felt it circulate, he realized absorbing a single gallbladder on its own was a bit of a waste. He needed to add something else for the effect to truly bloom. If he did it right, his strength might even climb another step. With that thought, he fished something out of the small cloth pouch he carried and popped it into his mouth, chewing happily. "Crunch! Crunch!" Kevin looked downright blissful. Faye glanced at him, curiosity slipping in despite herself. "What are you eating?" "Uh, sorry," Kevin said at once. "I forgot to share with you!" Ever since he was little, Zane had drilled it into him. Do not be selfish. If you have something good, share it with friends. He hurriedly pulled out a scorpion and offered it over with an apologetic face, as if he were making amends for some minor oversight. The whole incident about her chest had already flown out of his mind. "Ah!" Faye screamed again and jerked the car to a stop. Thankfully, she did not hit the wrong pedal this time. The car came to a steady halt. He was eating scorpions? "It's already stir-fried. It won't bite," Kevin explained. "And it's been specially refined with a bunch of herbs. It tastes insanely good, and it's great for your body." After hesitating, he seemed to make a painful decision. With a reluctant, heartbroken expression, he took out two more. "You're good to me, and you're generous. I'll give you three." "N-No… no, thanks! You… you eat them!" Faye pressed herself toward the car door, waving her hands frantically. She was scared just looking at the things. How could she possibly eat one? "Faye, you really don't know how to enjoy life." Since she refused, Kevin carefully put them away. Only after the scorpions disappeared did Faye's nerves ease a little. She started driving again. Without thinking, she glanced at Kevin, then a thought crept in. Was that "eighteen" of his… built from eating stuff like this all the time? The moment a few images surfaced in her mind, Faye's face went hot. She shook her head hard, forcing them away. He was definitely bragging. Hmph. He was just trying to get her attention. Despicable. She had almost fallen for it. Kevin did not notice her look. The rest of the drive finally quieted down. He kept his eyes closed, cultivating. With the scorpions as a boost, the results were excellent. He could clearly feel his strength advancing by a noticeable margin. Meanwhile, Kevin Letherdale's Zane stood at the entrance of the temple, hands clasped behind his back, head tilted toward the sky. His eyes were pitch-black, yet they seemed to shine with a keen light, piercing the clouds as if he were staring straight into the cosmos. The old man wore a tattered Daoist robe and looked a little unkempt, but there was still an unmistakable air of an immortal sage about him. After a long while, he murmured to himself, "Nine Stars Align. The Nine Saintesses should be appearing. In this world, I'm afraid only my foolish disciple can conquer them and make use of them." The sky was bright and clear, not a cloud in sight. Yet the old man saw a deeper anomaly hidden in the starry firmament. That was why he had driven Kevin out to search for the Saintess. The world looked calm on the surface, but once Kevin gradually found the Nine Saintesses, waves would rise into a raging storm. Then Zane looked in the direction Kevin had left, the corner of his mouth lifting. "You little punk, you've got luck. Every one of the Nine Saintesses is stunning beyond belief, and each one is… exquisite in ways you can't even imagine. Too bad this old man doesn't have that kind of fate. You get the benefit. Go on, find them. Your road has only just begun." With that, he took out the beauty booklet Kevin had burned and damaged. He stroked it slowly, almost tenderly. "You brat, you really think this is just a booklet of pretty women? This is a treasure. If it ever got out, people would fight like mad for it. Fine. I'll pass it on to you. I guarantee you an unexpected surprise."

Chapter 2: A Very Particular Hobby

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