To be honest, Chen Feiyu was already tempted. He didn't have his own place yet and had been living at Tang Meilian's house, so this villa was precisely what he needed right now.
He was about to accept it when his eyes rolled, and he remained as steady as a mountain.
Jiang Tianhu didn't dare to speak either, cold sweat streaming down his forehead.
Suddenly, Xie Yongguo coughed twice.
Jiang Tianhu's expression shifted slightly. He took a bank card out of his pocket, placed it on top of the keys, and said respectfully, "Mr. Chen, there are five million in here. Please do me the honor of accepting it."
Chen Feiyu still remained as steady as a mountain.
Jiang Tianhu's expression shifted again. Gritting his teeth, he took out another bank card and placed it on top, saying respectfully, "Oh, almost forgot, there are another ten million here, also prepared as a tribute for Mr. Chen."
Jiang Tianhu's heart ached with agony, but on the surface, he still had to maintain a kindly smile—his face was almost stiff.
Chen Feiyu felt it was about time. Only then did he beam with joy, accept the keys and the bank cards, and say, "Since you're being so polite, I'll reluctantly accept them."
He hadn't expected that this trip, besides the medicinal herbs, would yield a villa and fifteen million for free. It was truly a massive harvest.
Jiang Tianhu felt a wave of relief and let out a deep breath. Only then did he realize that his back was actually soaked with cold sweat.
However, Chen Feiyu's next sentence made his heart leap back into his throat.
"Yesterday I was taken to the police station. Did that matter have anything to do with you?"
Jiang Tianhu instantly gave a start. This local bigwig of Mingji City hurriedly explained, "Mr. Chen, it's a misunderstanding, a total misunderstanding! It was all Li Tongwei playing tricks behind the scenes..."
After Jiang Tianhu honestly recounted Li Tongwei's plan, he cautiously glanced at Chen Feiyu.
"Li Tongwei?" Chen Feiyu came to a sudden realization, suddenly remembering—wasn't this the rich second-generation heir who pursued his eldest wife and got severely beaten up by him? He never imagined that the guy would dare to play tricks behind his back.
A sharp glint flashed across Chen Feiyu's eyes.
After agreeing to deliver the Essence-Consolidating Pill tomorrow, Chen Feiyu took his leave and departed.
Since Han Muqing was away, Xie Anxiang had Xie Xingxuan drive him, and Xie Yongguo had specifically instructed her to take Chen Feiyu to the Bay Villa in the suburbs.
Along the way, Xie Xingxuan kept thinking about their bet, terrified that Chen Feiyu would make some outrageous demand. This left her feeling restless, and from time to time she glared at Chen Feiyu through the rearview mirror.
However, Chen Feiyu kept his eyes closed to concentrate the entire time, not even glancing at her once, which left her feeling slightly disappointed.
Halfway through the journey, Chen Feiyu seemed to notice something unusual. He suddenly opened his eyes and frowned, asking, "Do you have bodyguards protecting you?"
Xie Xingxuan shook her head to indicate she didn't, and with a trace of haughtiness said, "In Mingji City, nobody dares to make a move against members of the Xie family. There's simply no need to bring bodyguards."
Chen Feiyu's gaze turned thoughtful, and he suddenly said, "Stop the car."
Xie Xingxuan instinctively slammed on the brakes, her head nearly hitting the steering wheel, and raged, "Are you out of your mind?"
"Wait for me here."
Chen Feiyu pushed the car door open and stepped right out. He had barely taken a few steps when Xie Xingxuan suddenly gritted her teeth and chased after him, shouting, "You haven't told me the conditions of the bet yet!"
Chen Feiyu turned around and looked at Xie Xingxuan, whose exquisite and delicate figure was outlined by her cyan-white cheongsam. A mischievous smirk suddenly appeared at the corner of his mouth, and he walked toward her. Very quickly, he arrived right in front of Xie Xingxuan, so close that the faint, elegant fragrance reached the tip of his nose.
"What... what are you doing?" Xie Xingxuan's breathing suddenly grew somewhat shallow. Could it be that he wanted to kiss her?
Overcome with tension and shyness, her first instinct was to flee back into the car, but on second thought, she had already agreed to lose a condition to Chen Feiyu. If it was just a kiss, it wasn't completely unacceptable.
When Xie Xingxuan did things, she was equally a woman of her word!
Tension filling her, Xie Xingxuan closed her eyes as if facing certain death; only her reddened cheeks and slightly trembling eyelids revealed the shyness and nervousness in her heart.
The next moment, the scene was not quite what Xie Xingxuan had imagined.
Chen Feiyu didn't kiss her. Instead, he reached out and pulled her into an embrace, blew a breath gently into her ear, and teased with a hint of playfulness, "When I've figured it out, I'll tell you. Be a good girl and wait for me in the car now, don't come out, I'll be right back."
It was Xie Xingxuan's first time being so intimate with a man, and her earlobe was particularly sensitive. As Chen Feiyu's warm breath blew against it, she felt her entire body go weak; had Chen Feiyu not been holding her up, she almost would have lost her footing.
After letting her go, Chen Feiyu turned and walked forward as a fine, misty drizzle began to fall from the sky.
Watching Chen Feiyu's back, Xie Xingxuan's gaze grew complex.
Chen Feiyu walked forward for a distance until he reached a stone bridge. The place was rather remote with hardly any pedestrians.
Suddenly, on the opposite side of the small bridge, a man in black appeared. His gaze was cold, and a biting aura radiated from his entire body—one could tell at a glance that he meant trouble.
"I don't think I know you. Why are you following me?" Chen Feiyu put his hands in his pockets, his demeanor relaxed and at ease.
Earlier while in Xie Xingxuan's car, he had already noticed he was being followed, and the person was exuding intense killing intent. That was why Chen Feiyu had deliberately gotten out of the car and found a remote spot—all to lure the snake out of its hole.
It seemed the person tracking him was the man in black right before him.
The man in black said coldly, "You are merely an ant from the lower classes, so naturally it's impossible for you to know me. I come from the Zhao Family of the Provincial Capital, an existence that is like a colossal giant to the likes of you."
"The Provincial Capital's Zhao Family?"
This was already the second time Chen Feiyu had heard of the Provincial Capital's Zhao Family.
The man in black continued, "Young Master Zhao sent me to secretly investigate Xie Xingxuan, because Xie Xingxuan has already caught Young Master Zhao's eye. And Young Master Zhao is a neat freak; he doesn't like others touching his women. Since you've hugged Xie Xingxuan, you must die!"
The man in black drew a short sword. The blade was very narrow, yet extremely sharp, exuding a heavy murderous aura.
The atmosphere grew heavy, ready to snap at the slightest touch.
At that exact moment, behind a willow tree not far away, a beautiful young matron wore a look of shock in her eyes.
"It's actually him. Things are going to be troublesome now."
Her name was Su Wanbai. She had been sent by Su Yingxue to protect Chen Feiyu, and having already reached the Qi Combination Mid-stage herself, she could be considered a rare expert.
However, at this moment, her heart sank to the bottom because she had already recognized that the man in black was Zhao Tianlai, an expert from the Zhao Family. Rumor had it that he had already reached the realm of Netherworld Access Early-stage, and relying on the short sword in his hand, he had once taken on ten special forces squads single-handedly and won without a single injury. From then on, his reputation skyrocketed, and he was known as "Zhao Wushang" (Zhao the Uninjured).
With Zhao Tianlai making a move now, Chen Feiyu was practically dead without a doubt!
"Zhao Tianlai is a full rank higher than me. Even if I went up to stall him and buy a chance for Chen Feiyu to escape, I'd probably just be throwing my life away for nothing. What on earth should I do?" Su Wanbai's heart was filled with internal conflict, and there was even a look of despair in her eyes.
On the small bridge, the rain continued to fall, even tending to grow heavier.
Chen Feiyu raised an eyebrow and said, "Are you certain you can kill me?"
"Because I want to kill you, you will undoubtedly die. Remember, my name is Zhao Tianlai, also known as Zhao Wushang." Zhao Tianlai said slowly, the killing intent radiating from his body growing even denser.
Chen Feiyu shrugged and said, "The heavens will rain, and a mother must remarry; you're bent on rushing to your death, so I have no choice but to grant your wish."
Invincible Medical Immortal God of War Chapter 31: Hidden Dragon
A trace of disdain flashed across Zhao Tianlai's eyes because he could not sense the slightest martial artist's aura whatsoever from Chen Feiyu.
To deal with such an ordinary person, a single sword strike would be enough to finish him in a second!
Wielding his sword, he strode forward with blinding speed, splashing countless droplets of water beneath his feet.
Chen Feiyu stood right where he was, his hands still tucked in his pockets.
The next moment, Zhao Tianlai had already closed in on Chen Feiyu, his short sword slashing down in an instant. Faint silver sword qi appeared on the blade, cleaving the raindrops apart.
Judging solely by the momentum of this single strike, it was already several tiers stronger than Leng Dao's "Double Saber Cross Slash," living up to his reputation as a Netherworld Access Early-stage expert.
Not far away, Su Wanbai closed her eyes in despair, unable to bear watching Chen Feiyu die tragically under the sword.
Zhao Tianlai felt a surge of triumph inwardly; it seemed his strength had improved once again. This single strike was enough to cleave Chen Feiyu in half!
Suddenly, Chen Feiyu's gaze sharpened, and he abruptly extended two fingers. That fiercely imposing sword strike was shockingly caught right between his fingertips.
Zhao Tianlai's eyes snapped wide open, revealing a look of sheer disbelief.
"Before me, you aren't worthy of wielding a sword!" Chen Feiyu clenched his other hand into a fist and struck squarely against Zhao Tianlai's chest.
Zhao Tianlai let out a muffled groan and flew backward through the air. Several of his ribs shattered, and the short sword slipped from his grip as well.
After retreating for some ten meters or so, Zhao Tianlai finally managed to check his momentum. Suddenly, with a "blech," he vomited a large mouthful of fresh blood.
Having not heard the anticipated scream of agony, Su Wanbai curiously opened her eyes and was immediately struck dumb.
"Wh—what on earth happened here? Why is Chen Feiyu completely unharmed, while Zhao Tianlai is heavily injured?"
Su Wanbai suddenly felt that her brain wasn't keeping up, utterly incapable of comprehending what had just unfolded before her eyes.
With the sword in hand, Chen Feiyu walked slowly forward and said indifferently, "Now, let me show you what true swordsmanship is."
"Who... who are you?" Zhao Tianlai asked in shock.
"My name is Chen Feiyu, the one about to kill you." Chen Feiyu smiled indifferently, continuing his advance toward Zhao Tianlai.
Feeling the arrival of the Grim Reaper, Zhao Tianlai's face twisted in terror.
He himself was a Netherworld Access Early-stage expert, particularly skilled with the short sword, and its power was enough to split mountains and shatter rocks.
Yet his full-strength sword strike had actually been caught between two fingers by Chen Feiyu.
Did that not mean Chen Feiyu's strength was far superior to his own?
Could Chen Feiyu be a supreme expert of the Netherworld Access Late-stage?
"Damn it, the investigation was completely botched!" Zhao Tianlai cursed viciously, then abruptly spun around and bolted into the distance.
"Want to flee? How could it be that easy?"
With a flick of his feet, Chen Feiyu splashed countless water droplets as his body shot forward like an arrow released from a bow. Moving faster than the fleeing target, in the blink of an eye he closed in on Zhao Tianlai and brought his sword down, cleanly slicing off Zhao Tianlai's right arm.
Zhao Tianlai let out a miserable scream as blood spewed from his severed limb, and with a kick from Chen Feiyu, he was sent crashing to the ground, covered entirely in blood and rain.
"You... you can't kill me! If you kill me, the Provincial Capital's Zhao Family will definitely avenge me, and by then you won't even have a place to be buried!" Zhao Tianlai threatened viciously.
"The Provincial Capital's Zhao Family? Feel free to try and avenge him. Once you've provoked me, Chen Feiyu, I don't care if it's the Zhao Family or the Wang Family—I'll make them all vanish into thin air!" Chen Feiyu said playfully, "I already told you: the heavens will rain, and a mother must remarry; since you insist on rushing to your death, I can't help it either and can only fulfill your wish."
With that, Chen Feiyu closed in. The short sword in his hand seemed to possess a life of its own, its sword momentum as unfathomable as an antelope hanging its horns by its hooves, leaving no trace to follow.
Wherever the sword light flashed, deep-to-the-bone wounds appeared one after another on Zhao Tianlai's body, blood continually flowing out and dyeing the surrounding rainwater red.
Su Wanbai was completely dumbfounded. Zhao Tianlai, who was respectfully referred to as "Zhao Wushang," was actually being thoroughly tormented and battered by Chen Feiyu.
Aside from a Netherworld Access Late-stage expert, who else could possess such capability?
Could it be that Chen Feiyu, despite his young age, was already a Netherworld Access Late-stage expert?
Su Wanbai was utterly and thoroughly shocked.
With Chen Feiyu's final sword strike slashing across Zhao Tianlai's throat, this expert who had soloed ten special forces squads and emerged without a scratch completely perished at Chen Feiyu's hands.
"If this battle gets out, Chen Feiyu's reputation is bound to skyrocket. It's just that since he killed someone from the Provincial Capital's Zhao Family, they certainly won't let the matter rest," Su Wanbai said with a worry.
Suddenly, she noticed Chen Feiyu's figure vanish from where he stood, catching her completely off guard.
"Who are you, and why have you been following me?"
The next moment, Chen Feiyu's voice rang out right behind her like a ghost.
Startled, Su Wanbai whipped around to look.
In a flash, her vision blurred as her neck was already seized in Chen Feiyu's grip.
In a fraction of a second, she was subdued in a single move!
At that moment, Su Wanbai felt the threat of death, and cold sweat broke out instantly.
Chen Feiyu had already discarded the short sword, one hand tucked in his pocket while the other clamped around Su Wanbai's neck.
Upon seeing Su Wanbai's exquisite and charming face clearly, Chen Feiyu felt a slight pang of surprise. Coupled with the fact that she was wearing a red cheongsam revealing her fair, slender legs, she appeared even more alluring and captivating.
"A beauty like you, following me around all this time—don't tell me you've taken a fancy to me?" Chen Feiyu chuckled, reaching out to stroke Su Wanbai's beautiful leg.
A look of humiliation surfaced in Su Wanbai's eyes, and she quickly blurted out, "I... I was sent by Miss Su Yingxue to protect you."
"Uh..."
Chen Feiyu was dumbstruck, his hand stopping mid-air. He never imagined he would end up flirting with the person sent by his own eldest wife.
Releasing his grip, he laughed awkwardly, "A misunderstanding. Turns out we're on the same side."
Having just regained her freedom, Su Wanbai coughed painfully a couple of times, took a deep gasp of fresh air, and then glared fiercely at Chen Feiyu.
Chen Feiyu awkwardly said, "You said you were sent by my eldest wife—what's this all about?"
Though curious as to why Chen Feiyu referred to Su Yingxue as his eldest wife, Su Wanbai didn't dare to ask too much, so she had no choice but to explain honestly, "Because you just arrived and offended Li Tongwei, Miss was worried you might run into danger, so she sent me to keep an eye on you and protect you in secret."
Of course, there was also the part about reporting Chen Feiyu's whereabouts at any time to see if he could prove himself successful in his endeavors.
That detail was something Su Wanbai thought best not to mention.
With a strange look on his face, Chen Feiyu remarked, "My eldest wife looks as cold as frost, but I never imagined she'd actually be quite good to me."
Su Wanbai lowered her gaze and remained silent, but massive waves were already churning in her heart.
*My good eldest miss,* she thought, *if you had known Chen Feiyu was this monstrously strong, why on earth did you send me to protect him? It's more like he should be protecting me!*
Chen Feiyu mused aloud, "Go back and tell Su Yingxue that she doesn't need to have anyone follow me anymore." With that, Chen Feiyu turned and walked away, vanishing into the hazy, misty rain.
"Oh, Miss, you simply must seize this opportunity. Chen Feiyu is a true hidden dragon," Su Wanbai sighed to herself. Then, an idea suddenly sparked in her eyes, and she muttered, "Still, this husband of ours is quite bold—he even dares to kill people from the Zhao Family. I'd better help him dispose of Zhao Tianlai's body to stall the Zhao Family for a little longer."
Riding in Xie Xingxuan's luxury car, Chen Feiyu arrived at the Bay Villa gifted by Jiang Tianhu, after which Xie Xingxuan fled as if running for her life.
Though he already knew the villa would undoubtedly be high-end, once he stepped inside, Chen Feiyu was still thoroughly awed.
Standing at four stories tall altogether, the standalone mega-villa—complete with a two-level underground parking garage—easily spanned over ten thousand square feet. The living room featured numerous authentic paintings and calligraphy works by Ming and Qing dynasty masters, maintaining a magnificent splendor without losing any elegance.
Standing before the floor-to-ceiling windows on the second floor, one could even catch sight of the vast, distant sea, filling one's body and mind with a sense of refreshing ease.
"No wonder Jiang Tianhu can become a local overlord; when he makes a move, he really has backbone. A villa like this must have cost at least tens of millions. Tsk tsk."
Chen Feiyu first called Tang Meilian to let her know he had found a place outside and would be moving out starting today. After Tang Meilian offered a few words of concern and told him to come over for a meal in a few days, the two hung up.
Carrying the medicinal herbs into the bedroom, Chen Feiyu began refining pills.
Ever since he was a child, he had always consumed various rare medicinal pills to assist his martial arts training. However, precious herbs were difficult to come by after all, and by now nearly all the herbs on the mountain had been exhausted by him, leaving his cultivation at a bottleneck. That was why he had no choice but to come down the mountain to search for rare herbs and refine pills to aid his breakthrough.
On the other hand, alchemy was his specialty, surpassing even his medical skills.
"Missing the Cyan Jade Ganoderma, Fire Spirit Grass, and Tianxin Fruit... well, nothing for it, I'll just have to make do and try my luck. Hopefully, I can concoct the 'Xuanyang Pill'."
With that, Chen Feiyu laid out the required herbs in front of him, and then retrieved a small bronze tripod from inside his tunic. Inscribed upon it were the patterns of the sun, moon, and stars, making it look archaic and profound.
The "Immortal Martial Synthesis Art" he practiced inherently drew upon the pure yang genuine qi of heaven and earth for his own use, so naturally, it could also extract the vital essence contained within medicinal herbs.
"Heaven and earth intersect and transform, the two symbols merge to true form, yin and yang descend their breath, matching above to the nine mysterious depths. Flowing cinnabar through nine turns, condensing breath into spirit."
Chen Feiyu sat cross-legged, focused his mind, and chanted the incantation.
One could see wisps of cyan gas rising from the medicinal herbs laid out before him, continually converging into the small bronze tripod, swirling and misting within the vessel.
As Chen Feiyu circulated the genuine qi within his body, the small bronze tripod floated up into mid-air, while a ball of flame spontaneously ignited beneath it, burning fiercely.
A moment later, with the heat timing perfected, the rich medicinal fragrance transformed into white gas, appearing almost tangible as it misted throughout the entire bedroom. To smell it was enough to make one's body and mind feel refreshed.
"Inveigle the essence of sun and moon, chase the wonder of the dual luminaries. A treasure of supreme wonder, bring forth the divine pill!"
Chen Feiyu formed hand seals, and the flames vanished. At the same time, the medicinal aura filling the room was sucked into the tripod like a long whale drinking water, condensing into twelve crimson-red medicinal pills.
Just looking at the quality of the pills, one could sense the boundless vitality contained within them.
Yet a trace of disappointment flashed in Chen Feiyu's eyes as he frowned, muttering, "As expected, I overestimated myself. Lacking several key medicinal ingredients, the Xuanyang Pill still cannot be refined. Still, although it's a failed product, it should be more than enough to cure Uncle Zhong's stubborn ailment."
Chen Feiyu decided to name this batch of failed products "Lesser Xuanyang Pills."
The reason they were called "Lesser Xuanyang Pills" was because, compared to true "Xuanyang Pills," their efficacy fell short by a hundredfold at the very least, rendering them of little use to Chen Feiyu himself.
After casually refining some "Essence-Consolidating Pills," Chen Feiyu tossed a "Lesser Xuanyang Pill" into his mouth and began meditating in cultivation. Although a breakthrough was impossible, it was better than nothing at all.
Chapter 32: Xie Anxiang's Excitement
The next morning, after asking Tang Meilian for another day off, Chen Feiyu called Han Muqing and asked her to come pick him up.
Han Muqing didn't know that Chen Feiyu had moved into the Bay Villa. When she arrived according to the address specified by Chen Feiyu, she was given a massive fright.
You must know, she had worked as the general manager at the Mingji Trade Building for three years and had now become the president; her annual salaries added together over all these years wouldn't be enough to buy this single villa, yet Chen Feiyu had managed to get it in just a few short days. Truly, comparing people to one another only made one want to die of frustration.
Seeing the shock and admiration in Han Muqing's eyes, Chen Feiyu felt a quiet sense of triumph inside.
Along the way, Chen Feiyu noticed that Han Muqing's complexion wasn't looking too good, and she had dark circles under her eyes—evidently, she had stayed up late last night.
"Sister Qing, have you had something troubling you lately?" Chen Feiyu asked with concern.
"It's nothing." Han Muqing forced a faint smile.