"Okay, you win!" Arke pulled back his hand abruptly and started massaging it.
Seeing this, Gail nodded. Then she helped Apollo stand on his feet.
"Thanks," Apollo said, his eyes never leaving the young man named Arke.
"Is he your brother?" Arke asked, confusion evident on his face.
"None of your business," Gail said. Although she's always shy around her boss, she is cold to others, especially if she doesn't like them. Just man, Arke.
"It could be or it could be not," Arke said, glancing at the kid. "Hey you, consider yourself lucky, at least for now."
"I'm not into someone who's older than me, especially if we are the same gender," Apollo said, a mocking smile on his face. "I know I'm handsome, but hunt someone else! Not a kid like me!"
Hearing this caused Gail to look at Arke with a strange and disgusted expression. Even some passersby glanced at Arke with the same look.
"You!" Arke pointed a finger at the beggar, his face red with anger. When did that become my intention?! This kid! "You are good!"
Feeling the intense gazes from around him, Arke harrumphed and started walking away. He realized that the kid was good with words and if he tried to say something more, the kid would turn it around on him. It was better to walk away and get revenge later. Besides, from how Gail behaved, the two were not related.
Furthermore, if the kid was a beggar, even if he didn't get revenge, someone else would, and that someone would be formidable.
Seeing that Arke had left, Gail shook her head with a sigh. She glanced at the beggar and couldn't help but think that this kid was very cunning.
"What's his name?" Apollo asked.
"Arke, a cultivator at the 4th-Step stage of Foundation Building. He is quite strong," Gail said, her tone indicating that she did not underestimate the young man.
A 4th-step?! Hearing that word almost caused Apollo to choke.
"Are you okay?" Gail asked worriedly.
"Y-yeah," Apollo took a deep breath to calm his heart. Woah, fortunately I didn't try to do anything funny besides what I said! "But, if he is strong, how come you managed to force his hands away from me?"
"Well, we can say that I have the advantage in strength," Gail explained while scratching her cheek.
"Oh, I see," Then that means this woman is also at the 4th-Step Foundation Building stage. So she went easy on me when she subdued me that night. Apollo glanced at the fair-looking woman beside him. She looks like she doesn't work out, but behind that fair skin is a strength that he couldn't even imagine.
"By the way, how's the journal? Did you guys manage to create something out of it?" Apollo asked, curious.
"Yes," Gail answered and bowed her head. "Thank you for that. We now stand a chance to get back on our feet."
"Well, if you guys don't bother me anymore for staying beside your restaurant, then that's good," Apollo waved his hand while glancing inside the Filly restaurant. The restaurant was almost deserted, with only a few diners eating.
"Do you want to go inside? Miss Filly will be happy to see you," Gail offered. If this kid could help them personally, then their progress would surely increase. However, Miss Filly said that she didn't want to bother the 'kid' yet, as he looked like he didn't want to be bothered either. But now that the 'beggar' was in front of her, Gail didn't want to miss the chance.
"Nah, if there's some progress with the journal, then it means you guys can copy everything inside," Apollo shook his head. "I should get going! See ya!"
"W-wait!" Gail shouted, but Apollo had already run off into the distance.
She couldn't help but sigh. "I didn't even get to say sorry."
"You are alive!" Big Chub's eyes widened when he saw Apollo standing in front of him without any bruises on his body. "Haha, I knew nothing would happen to you."
"What happened here?" Apollo asked, looking around at the destroyed stall with broken pieces of wood and bread on the ground.
"Have you met that young man from the Great Serpent Cultivation School?" Big Chub asked while placing the wood to the side.
"Yes, I've met that d*ck," Apollo nodded.
"He was the one who caused this," Big Chub said, frustration evident in his voice. "If I wasn't holding myself back, I would have beat the sh*t out of him!"
Apollo didn't believe the vendor's last words, but deep inside, his anger towards that man Arke increased. "Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"
"I'm fine, haha, but that man gave me one gold coin. That's more than enough to buy a new table and replace all the bread here," Big Chub said with a laugh.
"At least he knows he has to pay for collateral damage," Apollo said with a nod. "Did he say something?"
Big Chub stood up and stared at the beggar. "Yes."
"What is it?" Apollo asked.
"He asked me if I saw a kid, black hair and blue eyes, with brown robes, around 7 to 8 years old," Big Chub explained, staring at the beggar intently.
"Oh?" Hearing this made Apollo raise an eyebrow. Then a knowing smile appeared on his face. Found you. "Is that all he asked?"
"Yeah," Big Chub nodded. He looked around before he lowered his body and whispered, "Hey kid, tell me the truth, it's you, right?"
"I can't tell you that," Apollo shook his head. He couldn't help but think about the threat, that young man, and the cultivator who destroyed this original body's family. "You will only hurt yourself."
"Haha," Big Chub laughed, his belly shaking along with him. "I knew it. Don't you worry, kid, I will protect you!"
"Well, good luck if you can," Apollo said with a smile. "Let me help you with that."
"I wouldn't refuse, this is part of your problem," Big Chub said, slapping the kid's back, causing him to look at him. "Haha, I'm just kidding!"
The two cleaned up the stall, and soon enough, it became more presentable.
"I know you are here to buy some of my bread," Big Chub took two pieces of bread from the side. "Here, you can take this, it's clean."
Apollo took the bread and took a bite out of it. "Thanks. I should get going now."
"Alright, just be careful," Big Chub nodded.