My Mosquito Clones Are on a Killing Spree

Chapter 19: Chapter 14: A Huge Sum

Zhou Meng shook Lin Yi’s arm, making it tickle a little. The girl’s faint, fresh scent and her excited, chirpy voice helped his tense nerves relax just a bit.

He looked down at the student before him, who was a full half a head shorter, and couldn’t help but smile.

After six months of tutoring her, he knew Zhou Meng as well as a close friend.

’This kid is actually quite talented, but she’s so flighty that it’s hard for her to fully concentrate on the tedious stance work and form practice. Her performance used to hover in the middle-to-lower tier, so getting third place is a huge improvement.’

”Mm, impressive,” Lin Yi said with an affirming nod, his gaze shifting to Zhou Meng as he tried to sense her Qi and Blood Power.

Unfortunately, his current realm wasn’t high enough to project his senses with precision. He could only make a vague judgment based on her movements, breathing, and Spirit.

’Zhou Meng’s Qi and Blood value is probably around 5.4, putting her at the Middle Stage of a Martial Disciple. That’s excellent for an ordinary eighth-grader, but considering the resources the Zhou family has poured into her, it just means her potential hasn’t been fully tapped.’

”It seems you’ve really been putting in the effort lately,” Lin Yi said with a nod.

”Of course! I’m going to get into Yang City No. 1 High School and join the elite class, too!” Getting his approval, Zhou Meng’s smile grew even brighter. She let go of his arm and skipped toward the center of the Martial Dao room. ”Teacher, what are you going to teach me today? I feel like my Seven-Step Stance has already reached Great Success...”

As she spoke, she started demonstrating, and her movements were indeed much more standard and fluid than they had been six months ago.

Lin Yi followed her, stepping into the private Martial Dao room, which was so lavishly equipped it was staggering.

The room had constant temperature and humidity. The floor was laid with a special material that perfectly absorbed impact force. In the corner stood the most advanced training dummies available on the market, and an air purifier emitted the faint scent of Spirit Incense.

”You’re still a long way off!” Lin Yi shook his head, his tone turning strict. ”Your foundation isn’t solid enough. You need to refine your Seven-Step Stance even more. Once you get to high school, you’ll understand the benefit of a strong foundation!”

”Okay!” Zhou Meng said, sticking her tongue out playfully.

Lin Yi collected his thoughts.

”Alright, let’s begin the lesson.”

”Remember, the essence of stance work lies in finding motion within stillness. Your body remains still, but your qi flows...”

He clearly explained the key points while demonstrating them himself. His movements were standard and fluid. As he extended his arms, there was a faint sound like wind and thunder, revealing his consummate mastery of this fundamental stance.

Zhou Meng watched intently, mimicking Lin Yi’s movements with a look of intense concentration on her small face.

Lin Yi, in turn, meticulously corrected the details of her posture, his fingers precisely pointing out the muscle groups where she was exerting force incorrectly.

However, a sliver of his consciousness was split off, constantly monitoring the situation with his avatar in the distant sewers.

The Mosquito Avatar acted like a tireless scavenger. Relying on [Tracking LV2] to lock onto life-based heat signatures, it zipped efficiently through the labyrinthine sewers, searching for lone rat Demon Beasts—especially those at the Intermediate or even Senior Martial Disciple Level!

With every passing moment, Lin Yi’s Qi and Blood was subtly increasing.

Time slipped by quietly, divided between focused teaching and tense hunting.

Just as the hands of the wall clock were about to strike ten o’clock at night...

[Mosquito Avatar Experience Points +1!]

[Mosquito Avatar upgraded to Level 10!]

’The avatar reached Level 10?’

Lin Yi was pleased, quite satisfied with his Mosquito Avatar’s leveling speed.

A few minutes later.

He ended the lesson right on time.

”Alright, that’s all for today. Remember the key points I just went over. Focus on feeling the pathways of your qi, and practice the static stances whenever you have a free moment to get a better feel for it.”

”Uh-huh, I’ll remember!” Zhou Meng wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead, her face flushed with a look of satisfaction from the workout. ”Thanks, Teacher! See you tomorrow!”

”Actually... I won’t be coming tomorrow.” Lin Yi shook his head.

”You’re not coming?” Zhou Meng’s bright eyes instantly clouded over with confusion and disappointment. She asked reflexively, ”Teacher, do you have something to do tomorrow? Is it important?”

Lin Yi’s gaze was steady, and his voice was clear. ”I’ve decided to quit my tutoring job. The college entrance exam is only six months away, and I plan to focus completely, without any distractions, and pour all my energy into preparing for it.”

’With the Mosquito Avatar, tutoring for a little extra cash is just a waste of time.’

That’s why he decided to quit.

Zhou Meng’s heart sank, and a powerful sense of loss gripped her.

Although she was incredibly reluctant to see him go, she knew what senior year meant for Lin Yi.

She forced a smile, trying to lighten the mood, but her tone couldn’t hide her disappointment. ”You’re so amazing, Teacher, talented in both academics and martial arts. I’m sure you’ll have no problem getting into a top-ten martial arts university!”

She paused, unconsciously twisting the hem of her shirt, her voice filled with cautious hope. ”So... Teacher, even if you’re not teaching me anymore... can I... can I still come and hang out with you?”

Watching her try so hard to look cheerful, Lin Yi felt a warmth in his heart. He smiled gently and gave a firm nod. ”Of course. We’re friends.”

With that, Lin Yi didn’t linger. He turned, pushed open the heavy door to the Martial Dao room, and walked out.

The hallway outside was dimly lit.

The butler stood waiting like a silent shadow, hands clasped respectfully. ”Mr. Lin, Mr. Zhou would like to see you. Please come with me to the study.”

”Mr. Zhou wants to see me?” Lin Yi nodded. ”Alright. I’ll trouble you to lead the way.”

This was perfect, as he needed to formally tender his resignation to Zhou Meng’s father, Zhou Tiankuo, anyway.

The study was exceptionally grand. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows lay a view of a meticulously manicured courtyard.

Behind a massive mahogany desk stood a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf packed with all sorts of books and ancient texts.

Lin Yi set down his simple backpack but didn’t take a seat. His gaze was drawn to an enormous electronic sand table to the side of the desk. It was a three-dimensional projection of Yang City and its surrounding areas, glittering with various colored light points and icons that marked energy nodes, transportation hubs, known Demon Beast activity zones, and even a few locations denoted with special symbols.

This was clearly not something one would find in an ordinary family’s study; it spoke volumes about the Zhou family’s profound and extraordinary background.

As Lin Yi watched silently, Luo Qian’s words involuntarily surfaced in his mind: ”...My dad made his fortune as a tomb raider...”

’Could the ruin markers on the Zhou family’s sand table be related to that?’

Just as he was pondering this...

The study door was pushed open.

Zhou Tiankuo walked in.

”’Lin Yi, you’re here.’” Zhou Tiankuo’s face wore a gentle smile as his gaze fell upon Lin Yi. It was a calm gaze, yet it seemed to possess a certain Penetration Power that made Lin Yi’s heart tighten.

He could feel an invisible pressure, one that came not just from wealth and status, but from the aura of a true expert.

’Zhou Tiankuo is definitely a master Martial Artist whose strength far exceeds the First Grade Realm!’

”Uncle Zhou.” Lin Yi bowed slightly, his attitude respectful but neither servile nor arrogant.

Zhou Tiankuo nodded and walked over to a nearby sofa, sitting down with a relaxed posture. ”Xiaomeng did very well on her exam this time, and Teacher Lin’s contribution was indispensable! I’m a simple man and couldn’t think of a more original thank-you gift. Please, you must accept this small red envelope as a token of my appreciation.”

As he spoke, Zhou Tiankuo took a thick, bulging red envelope from the inner pocket of his suit jacket and handed it over.

Lin Yi’s gaze lingered on the envelope for a moment. He could feel its considerable weight.

He was indeed short on cash and in urgent need of money, so he didn’t feign politeness and refuse. He reached out, accepted it with a steady hand, and said earnestly, ”Thank you, Uncle Zhou. This is too generous.”

Zhou Tiankuo’s smile deepened, clearly appreciative of Lin Yi’s straightforward and practical nature. ”It’s a small thing! Now, I’ll have the driver take you home.”

”Uncle Zhou...” Lin Yi knew he couldn’t put it off any longer. He took a deep breath and stated his purpose frankly, explaining that he wished to resign from his tutoring position. He then added apologetically, ”I know this is rather sudden, and I’m very sorry to disrupt your arrangements. If you have trouble finding a suitable replacement right away, I can wait until you’ve found a new tutor before I officially depart.”

Hearing this, Zhou Tiankuo waved his hand dismissively. ”Nonsense. The college entrance exam is one of life’s major events, a primary battlefield. You absolutely should give it your all. Don’t worry about Xiaomeng’s lessons; I’ll handle the arrangements. You just focus on your exam preparations.”

A weight lifted from Lin Yi’s shoulders. ”Thank you for your understanding, Uncle Zhou!” he said, genuinely grateful.

Afterward, Zhou Tiankuo gave detailed instructions to the butler, arranging for a discreet but comfortable sedan to take Lin Yi all the way back to his somewhat dilapidated tenement building.

Back in his own small, simple, yet tidy room, he closed the door, shutting out the noise from the world outside.

Under the lamplight, with a mix of curiosity and anticipation, Lin Yi finally opened the heavy red envelope.

Inside were three hundred crisp, new, one-hundred-yuan bills.

A full thirty thousand yuan!

A sharp glint flashed in Lin Yi’s eyes. To him, this was a fortune!

It was enough to buy ten high-quality Qi Blood Pills!

’Zhou Tiankuo’s gift was truly generous!’

After stashing the cash safely inside his bedside table...

Lin Yi wasted no time and immediately got moving.

He slung three waterproof backpacks over his shoulders, left the tenement building again, and headed toward the manhole cover that led to the sewers.

He had brought two extra backpacks this time, worried he might run out of space for his spoils. After all, the Mosquito Avatar’s hunting efficiency was incredibly high now.

Under the cover of darkness, he navigated with practiced ease and once again slipped into the city’s vast and complex network of underground pipes.

The faint gurgle of sewage created a hollow echo within the pipes, and a damp, musty odor washed over him.

Getting feedback on the avatar’s current location, Lin Yi began to move quickly in its direction.

As he walked,

he pulled up his system panel to take a look.

[Qi and Blood]: 9.954

The number was clear: his Qi and Blood Power had steadily climbed to the 9.954 threshold, bringing him ever closer to the crucial boundary of a Martial Artist!

[Level]: LV10 (58/100)

’At this rate, the Mosquito Avatar will probably break through to the First Grade Realm before I do!’

Lin Yi marveled to himself.