As for laughing nonstop, even one night would be unbearable.

"It's not too late yet. As long as I can hunt a few decent wild beasts, replenish my strength, and come back, it won't delay my sleep..."

After hesitating for a long time, this was the only idea Henry Clark could come up with. He made some preparations and strode out of the cafeteria.

Soon, he arrived at the courtyard wall, gave a light jump, and flipped over.

When he was a child, he used to sneak out with Edward Clark to fly kites, so he was very familiar with the route.

……

James Clark was the sixth elder of the family, responsible for the clan's meals. Because there was a lot of profit involved, and he had been exposed to oil and smoke for years, his figure looked quite prosperous.

However, don't be fooled by appearances. To become an elder, his strength was not to be underestimated!

At this moment, after a busy day, he had just finished washing up and was about to rest in bed when he heard urgent knocking outside the courtyard.

His face darkened. When he opened the door and saw it was the head chef in charge of the cafeteria, his eyes narrowed immediately. "You'd better give me a good reason, or you'll be in for a lesson!"

The head chef's face turned pale. "Reporting to the Sixth Elder, just an hour ago, someone broke the lock with brute force and barged into the cafeteria..."

James Clark's expression changed, and he was no longer lazy. He said seriously, "The cafeteria's lock was custom-made by me. Even a fifth-level Qi Cultivator would have a hard time breaking it! Could it be... an elder-level expert? Why would such a strong person come to the Xu family and go to the cafeteria instead of somewhere important?"

For a family, the treasury, library, and martial arts hall were the most important places. Risking being discovered to break into the cafeteria... he'd never even heard of such a thing!

Puzzled, he couldn't help but ask, "Did you notice anything missing from the cafeteria?"

Taking a deep breath, the head chef's eyes widened. "Six big basins of leftover food..."

"???"

James Clark.

Chapter 009: Iron-Arm Bear

Inside the cafeteria.

Holding the iron lock, James Clark's expression grew more and more grave as he examined it. "The intruder didn't use any martial arts, just pure true essence! Refined steel, broken easily through the iron door... The purity of his true qi definitely reached mid-grade tier three, maybe even higher! The Xu family's 'Qi Cultivation Art,' Liu Village's 'Blazing Fire Technique,' and the Chen family's 'Water Ripple Technique' can't do this!"

Refining true qi is like panning for gold in sand. Different techniques yield different levels of purity after refinement.

According to the continent's standards, there are upper, middle, and lower grades, and each grade is divided into low, middle, and high tiers.

The three major families of Jiyuan City—Xu, Liu, and Chen—had different core techniques, but the true qi they produced was about the same: only mid-tier lower grade, with limited power.

But the expert who broke into the cafeteria at night used true essence far beyond theirs...

Shocked, James Clark walked around the cafeteria.

Just as the head chef said, nothing valuable was missing.

He came to the food basins. The leftovers inside had been eaten completely clean, gleaming with oil, not a trace left behind.

After looking around and finding no clues, James Clark could only turn to the people present and ask, "What leftovers were there in the cafeteria today?"

A woman in charge of serving food replied, "Just some vegetables, olives, and four or five slices of beef..."

James Clark's mouth twitched.

An elder-level expert with mid-grade tier three or higher true qi broke into the cafeteria just to eat some vegetables...

No matter how he looked at it, it seemed unbelievable.

At this moment, the head chef interjected, "Some oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and barbecue seasoning are also missing. Also, when this person was eating, it seemed the food was too cold, so he specially reheated it. The fire under the pot still hasn't gone out completely..."

"???"

James Clark was stunned again.

So particular?

"Right, didn't I buy a recording crystal not long ago? Go get it and see if it captured anything!"

Remembering something, James Clark hurriedly said.

The recording crystal was a valuable item with a special formation inside that could record sounds. For safety, he had bought one and placed it behind the main door. Maybe... it had recorded something!

The head chef went over and quickly brought back a crystal stone.

Gripping it in his palm, James Clark infused it with true essence.

Buzz!

With a soft hum, the recorded sounds began to play.

"Chomp, chomp, chomp!" (eating sounds)

"Hahahahahaha!"

"Chomp, chomp, chomp!"

"Hahahahaha!"

"......" James Clark.

"......" Everyone.

How inexperienced could someone be...

Just eating a few basins of leftovers made them this happy?

"Tonight, have people guard this place. Report immediately if anything happens. I'm going to find the Grand Elder now!"

This expert who stole food left nothing behind but laughter and eating sounds—no clues to their identity. James Clark could only turn and leave.

Better report to the clan first.

Although the person hadn't done anything dangerous, the sudden appearance of an elder-level expert in the clan was still quite worrying.

……