Chapter 1258: What Is Remembered Always Echoes Back

A few youngsters sat around a table, one of them wearing cropped pants spoke.

“Later, whatever dishes you want to eat, just take what you want, take as much as you can eat, don’t take too much at once, pick more after you’re done, don’t waste. The dipping sauce too, but I think it’s tastier without it, only use it if you can’t handle the spice!”

“I can handle spice!” one of the youngsters immediately shouted, as if admitting to not being able to handle spice would be embarrassing.

An aunt wearing an apron brought over a spicy hot pot base to their table. The youngsters fidgeted, letting others grab the food, all claiming they weren’t picky eaters, then one of them went over and got a crate, bringing back more than twenty skewers, all meat.

“Each skewer, whether meat or veggie, costs the same, so meat’s a bargain!”

“You’re right.”

Just as the pot began to cook, the aunt in the apron brought over a bottle of five-yuan red Coke.

“Today’s special, it’s free.”

“Really?”

“Thank you, Auntie!” The oldest-looking youngster immediately stood up and loudly expressed his gratitude.

The aunt in the apron smiled without restraint, placing down several disposable cups, waving her hand.

“Enjoy, the beef cooks fast, if it’s overdone it won’t taste good.”

The youngsters lined up the disposable cups, the oldest one opened the Coke and poured an equal height into each cup. After confirming they were indeed the same, he distributed each cup to the others.

One of the skinny youngsters took a sip of the Coke, grimacing from the cold, but his eyebrows seemed to be happily about to spring into a smile.

“Brother Qing, just wait, one day I’ll find the best Holy Sword to gift you!”

“Enjoy your food, this bit isn’t enough for anyone, go grab some more meat.”

Listening to this, the skinny youngster went to grab more than twenty skewers again, not daring to take too much.

When back, those who claimed they could handle spice each were sucking their lips, struggling against the heat, yet reluctant to gulp down the Coke. When it got too spicy, they’d take tiny sips, trying to balance the flavor.

“Is it too spicy?”

“Not spicy!”

“Not spicy! Eating chillies just makes me sweat!”

“Not spicy at all.”

The youngsters all acted tough.

Wen Yan sat diagonally opposite, watching these youngsters, unknowingly revealing a slight smile on his face.

He looked towards the back, the person at the bar was already gone, the kitchen was dimly lit, Wen Yan saw that aunt in the apron reappear, he raised his hand.

“Auntie, a bottle of Coke please.”

“Only the big bottles.”

“Alright, a big bottle then.”

When the aunt brought the Coke over, Wen Yan gestured towards the youngsters’ table.

“Give it to them, my treat.”

The oldest-looking youngster, seeing the Coke delivered, immediately stood up, came over to Wen Yan to thank him, then got Wen Yan a cup, poured him a drink.

The youngsters, holding their disposable cups like they were holding alcohol, came over to clink glasses with Wen Yan.

Wen Yan looked at the sweating youngsters with slightly swollen lips, then glanced outside the shop. The sky seemed to have darkened, he lightly sighed, opened his phone case, took out a spare hundred-yuan note, placed it on the table.

The next moment, someone patted his shoulder.

“Hey handsome, what pot do you want? We have spicy and non-spicy.”

When Wen Yan looked up, the noise, the bustle of traffic, felt like they were silently flowing in from afar.

Gone from the shop were the youngsters, and the worn wooden table had become a new one.

The gloom outside disappeared, replaced by piercing light.

Wen Yan did not look at the menu, directly said.

“I’ll have a spicy hot pot.”

“Spicy hot pot only comes in medium or extra spicy, which do you want?”

“Extra spicy, and a bottle of red Coke.”

“Okay, take the dishes you want yourself.”

Wen Yan sat on the chair, poured himself a drink, raised his glass towards the empty table diagonally opposite.

He had just fallen into an ancient dream.

He wasn’t entirely certain at first, but from the moment he saw those youngsters enter, he knew where he was.

Because that skinny youngster was him back then, eleven years old that year.

A big brother in the courtyard, after delivering coal during summer vacation, along with gathering cardboard and plastic bottles, saved some money after most was taken away, treated them to a hot pot they had never had before.

Because at that time, it was a luxury for them.

To avoid showing up, just to taste became enough, they purposely went in the afternoon, not during mealtime.

That day, an aunt gave them a bottle of Coke; it’s something he could remember for decades. Since that day, he always thought the red bottle tasted better than the blue one, the blue could never match the flavor.

He would timidly take the dishes, afraid to take too much, only taking twenty skewers at a time.

But because they took few at once, each ended up eating more than anticipated, devouring the money the big brother hid.

That day was one of his happiest days in those years, even though afterwards he got scolded for sneaking out to waste money and get caught, and got beaten.

He remembered the quest to find an extremely straight and even natural twig, remembered it for many years, back then it was called the Holy Sword.

But before he found it, that big brother who treated them to hot pot was already gone.

Nowadays, Wen Yan eats hot pot alone, drinks Coke. The flavor is still the same, very authentic, yet the feeling is completely different.

At least now he can truly handle spice.

Wen Yan took a sip of Coke, burped, the air rushed out through his nostrils, making him feel thoroughly refreshed, the anxiety and unease pent up in his heart mostly dissipated.

…

“I think it’s enough, no need to take any more risks.” The elder with floral hair shook his head, rejecting the Inverted Triangle Eyes’ plan to act again.

“You’re really going to leave it alone? I’ve already exhausted several times precious materials, can’t just quit halfway.” Last night, Inverted Triangle Eyes suffered backlash, still somewhat dissatisfied, but if he wasn’t prepared, he’d already be dead.

“You don’t understand, that guy is important, not just an ordinary disciple of the Three Mountains and Five Ridges.

If he encountered such circumstances, as you said, he might sense it. If he does, he’ll definitely ask around.

If he seeks answers from anyone, whether from elder sect members or in the Scorching Sun Department, they’ll surely guess what happened.

There’s a saying, when thoughts persist, there’ll be echoes.

As long as someone tells him the truth, if he knows and keeps thinking about it, having just experienced it.

Then, from the information we’ve obtained, he seems quite vengeful, will surely keep thinking about it.

Maybe within days, he’ll naturally plunge into it.

Once he falls into it, unable to return, then we won’t need to do anything.

No matter what happens, it’s unrelated to us, and no one can trace back to us.

That guy offended quite a few, also blocked many paths, eventually someone will take the blame.”