According to the original plan, he was supposed to go down the mountain to marry Su Yingxue, and then find a way to break through his cultivation level. But now, the entire plan had been thrown into complete chaos.
When he came down the mountain, his master had only given him five hundred yuan. Counting every last coin, he had less than two hundred left. He was struggling just to make ends meet. Thinking about it now, letting a young lady like Su Yingxue support him actually sounded pretty nice.
As expected, acting cool brings a moment of thrill, but leaves your whole family heading for the crematorium.
Chen Feiyu let out a bitter laugh. Then, puffing out his chest, he declared aloud, "Are you kidding me? From the time I was a kid, whether it was food, clothing, shelter, or transportation, I've always been self-reliant. How could I ever let a woman support me? That is the most ridiculous thing in the world!"
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step—oh wait, no, it begins with a single meal. You have to be well-fed before you can accomplish great things.
So, Chen Feiyu casually found a small snack shop on the street, intending to fill his stomach first.
The snack shop wasn't large, but it was decorated in an antique, highly elegant style. Sitting inside felt extremely comfortable.
Just as Chen Feiyu was about to order, a surprised voice suddenly rang out from beside him, "Gosh! I thought I was seeing things, but it really is you?"
Chen Feiyu raised his head and saw a girl standing before him. She wore a ponytail, looked exceptionally pure and pretty, and seemed very familiar.
At that moment, the girl was looking at him with a mix of surprise and excitement.
A flash of realization hit Chen Feiyu, and a smile couldn't help tugging at the corners of his mouth. "It's you," he said.
This girl was none other than the young woman Chen Feiyu had rescued not long ago.
Never had he imagined they would run into each other here.
Lin Yujia said excitedly, "After you saved me back then, I never even got to thank you properly in person."
"Hey, it was just a matter of lifting a finger. A piece of trash like that wasn't even worth my attention. By the way, what are you doing here?" Chen Feiyu waved a hand with a cocky swagger.
The look of adoration in Lin Yujia's eyes deepened a fraction before she proceeded to introduce herself.
That was how Chen Feiyu learned that this shop was run by Lin Yujia's aunt, and that she worked here to help out.
Upon discovering what was happening, Lin Yujia's aunt had also hurried over. After learning the truth of the matter, she showered Chen Feiyu with boundless gratitude.
Finally, under the persistent urging of the two women, Chen Feiyu "reluctantly" agreed to let them treat him to a meal.
"Brother Yu, have you lived on the mountain ever since you were a child? That must be so miserable."
"Nah, it's fine. Life on the mountain is actually quite interesting."
"Brother Yu, since you're all on your own now, have you figured out where you're going to work?"
"I haven't thought that far yet."
"How about..." Noticing Chen Feiyu's old, worn-out clothes and realizing he clearly had no one to rely on in the city, Lin Yujia mustered her courage and said cautiously, "How about you come help out here at my aunt's place, Brother Yu? Just consider it a stepping stone. What do you think?"
Help out at a snack shop?
Chen Feiyu thought it over. His pockets were indeed currently empty, and he genuinely needed to make money. Besides, this young lady Lin Yujia seemed decent enough, and they hit it off well.
After a brief moment of consideration, Chen Feiyu nodded and smiled, "Alright."
"Yay! That's wonderful!" Overjoyed, Lin Yujia leaped straight up from her seat, drawing the curious gazes of quite a few customers.
Realizing she had lost her composure, Lin Yujia let out a cute little poke of her tongue.
Tang Meilian, which was Lin Yujia's aunt, gave her a reproving look, then turned to Chen Feiyu with a happy smile. "Xiaoyu, I am truly honored that you would condescend to work at my place. But these clothes of yours won't do. Hurry up and finish eating, and I'll take you to the mall for some shopping afterward."
"Yay, we get to go shopping! That's amazing!" Lin Yujia cheered happily, stealing shy glances at Chen Feiyu from the corner of her eye.
After the meal, the snack shop closed for the day. Chen Feiyu climbed into Tang Meilian's BMW X6 and headed toward the commercial building, with Lin Yujia sitting right beside him, chattering nonstop.
A luxury car and beauties.
Even Chen Feiyu found the scenery quite pleasing to the eye.
When the three of them arrived at the trade building, Lin Yujia's pure and adorable appearance already gave her an extremely high head-turn rate. In contrast, Chen Feiyu's outfit of cheap street-stall clothes made him look entirely out of place, yet the fact that they were walking together drew plenty of curious stares from passersby.
Chen Feiyu, however, didn't care in the least; in fact, he looked thoroughly pleased with himself.
Lin Yujia and Tang Meilian lacked his thick skin, so they quickened their pace. They had Chen Feiyu get a haircut and picked out several new outfits for him.
It had to be said that the two women had an exceptional eye. Once Chen Feiyu changed into a casual outfit, his overall image and bearing instantly jumped up several notches. Under this stark contrast, even Tang Meilian's eyes flickered with a hint of satisfaction, to say nothing of Lin Yujia.
The three of them originally planned to leave, but as they reached the entrance of the building, two brawny men walked straight toward them. One of them had a green dragon tattooed on his arm, while the other was bald and looked as fierce as a demon—one could tell at a glance that they were thugs from the streets.
Upon spotting Lin Yujia, the two men immediately wore looks of stunned admiration and undisguised lust.
The tattooed man immediately grinned and said, "Hey miss, you walk so fast. You just bumped into us brothers. Aren't you going to compensate us a little before leaving?"
Chapter 9: Picking a fight with me—pure overestimation of your abilities!
Lin Yujia was startled and instinctively shrank behind Chen Feiyu. Tang Meilian frowned and said, "Don't go spouting nonsense! You claim we bumped into you, but do you have any proof?"
"Proof? My word is proof!" The tattooed man burst into laughter, acting with extreme arrogance. "People on the streets call me Snake. Go ask around—nobody in this neighborhood dares to cross us."
The bald man chimed in, "Snake isn't someone you want to mess with. How about this: we'll do you a favor today and won't make you pay money. Just come out for a drink with us brothers later to make amends. How's that?"
"As for this pretty boy next to you, you'd better beat it while you can, or if you piss me off, I'll cripple you on the spot."
As the two spoke, they kept casting scorching glances at the chests of Tang Meilian and Lin Yujia, making no effort to conceal the desire in their eyes.
Tang Meilian and Lin Yujia were both furious and anxious. Having run into such shameless scoundrels, they had no idea what to do.
Suddenly, a handsome man wearing gold-rimmed glasses stepped out from the side, looking righteous as he shouted, "Stop right there! Flaunting your hooliganism in broad daylight—watch out or I'll call the cops!"
"Call the cops?" Snake's expression turned cold, and he exchanged a glance with the bald man.
The bespectacled man assumed they had been cowed by him. Imagining how he could show off in front of such gorgeous beauties—and perhaps even win the heart of a beauty in the process—he swelled with bravado and raised his voice. "That's right! I'll give you three minutes to get lost..."
"Fuck your mother!" Before he could finish speaking, the bald man suddenly kicked the bespectacled man straight to the ground, shattering his glasses.
Still unsatisfied, the bald man rushed forward and landed a few more kicks, cursing, "Damn it, trying to play the hero saving the damsel in distress without even looking at what kind of trash you are!"
The bespectacled man hadn't expected them to resort to violence without a word. He was beaten until he wailed like a slaughtered pig. Fearing trouble might rub off on them, not a single person in the surrounding crowd dared to step forward.
Just then, the security guards rushed over. Before they could say anything, Snake sneered coldly, "I roll with Tiger. If you don't want to die, get lost."
"T-Tiger?"
Those two words seemed to possess some kind of magic. Fear flashed in the eyes of the security guards, and their legs even began to tremble. They cast a guilt-ridden glance at Lin Yujia before turning around and fleeing.
Even the bespectacled man wore a look of shock. Tiger's full name was Jiang Tianhu, a figure who struck terror throughout all of Mingji City. Since Snake was his subordinate, his beating was for nothing.
Snake laughed triumphantly. "Haha, beauty, now that the eyesores are gone, come along with us."
As for Chen Feiyu, Snake had automatically written him off entirely.
Tang Meilian's face was livid. Her life and career had been smooth sailing from childhood; when had she ever suffered such humiliation?
Yet, the performance of another person left her bitterly disappointed.
Chen Feiyu hadn't stood up from start to finish, clearly frightened by Jiang Tianhu's reputation.
A wave of disappointment and contempt washed over Tang Meilian, and she let out a silent sigh. *Oh Yujia, Yujia, it seems Chen Feiyu isn't as outstanding as you claimed. He's just not right for you.*
Many people in the surrounding crowd also cast contemptuous looks at Chen Feiyu, secretly mocking him as a coward.
Only Lin Yujia remained full of confidence in Chen Feiyu.
Tang Meilian pulled out her phone, preparing to make a call.
Snake frowned slightly. He assumed Tang Meilian was about to call the police; while he didn't care, he wanted to avoid unnecessary complications, so he immediately stepped forward and snatched for the phone.
Suddenly, a hand clamped down on Snake's wrist.
"Right in front of me, you harass my friend and try to grab her things. Have you prepared yourself to bear the brunt of my wrath?"
Chen Feiyu still wore a harmless smile, but his eyes were ice-cold—terrifyingly cold.
*Brother Yu looks so imposing!* Lin Yujia thought with a hint of adoration.
Compared to Snake, Chen Feiyu's build appeared slightly slender, yet Snake's wrist was held in his grip like an iron clamp, completely motionless.
Tang Meilian hesitated slightly, and the phone she had just picked up was lowered back down.
"If you don't want to die, let go of me right now! I'm one of Tiger's men. Who the hell do you think you are?" Snake sneered.
"The one who's taking your life!" Chen Feiyu chuckled coldly, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
"Damn it!" Snake cursed furiously, winding up a punch and smashing it straight toward Chen Feiyu's face.
Chen Feiyu shifted his stance slightly, effortlessly dodging the attack while simultaneously delivering a fierce, ringing slap across Snake's face. If he hadn't still been holding Snake's wrist, that blow probably would have sent him flying.
The spectators' jaws dropped. They never expected this seemingly frail kid to pack such a ferocious punch in a fight.
The beaten bespectacled man scrambled back to his feet by this point, mockery surfacing in his eyes. Daring to pick a fight with Tiger's subordinates was pure suicide! A wise man submits to circumstances; backing down like he did was the right path!
"How dare you hit me! Baldy, waste him!" Furious, Snake lashed out with a kick toward Chen Feiyu.
At the same time, the bald man threw a fist the size of a sandbag, aiming a vicious blow at the back of Chen Feiyu's head!
With a pincer attack from both sides, Chen Feiyu was at a complete disadvantage in terms of both physical build and numbers.
Chen Feiyu was done for!
The surrounding onlookers instinctively made that judgment.
Even Tang Meilian's pretty face changed color.
Lin Yujia covered her mouth in a gasp, crying out, "Brother Yu, watch out!"
"Hmph, trying to fight me—pure overestimation of your abilities!"
Chen Feiyu sneered, his gaze narrowing. Two tiny silver needles materialized between his fingers once more. With a flick of his wrist, the silver light moved with astonishing speed, piercing straight into the bodies of Snake and the bald man respectively.
Snake and the bald man instantly felt a wave of numbness wash over them. Their fiercely fierce momentum turned limp and powerless halfway through, drooping weakly to the point where they could barely even stand steady.
Both men's expressions changed drastically. Snake asked in shock, "Y-What did you do to us?"
Chapter 9 [Note: Chapter 10 in Chinese text]: Do you submit or not?
From the perspective of the onlookers, a very bizarre scene unfolded.
Chen Feiyu stood right in the middle. Just as Snake and the bald man were about to strike him, the two of them suddenly stopped simultaneously, swaying on their feet like they were completely drunk.
Strange expressions immediately appeared on the faces of the crowd.
Even the bespectacled man's jaw dropped, and he secretly suspected that Snake and the bald man were deliberately holding back.
Tang Meilian's eyes widened, filled with intense curiosity.
Lin Yujia grew excited. She remembered very clearly that Chen Feiyu had relied on a few silver needles to rescue her from the wanted fugitive back then. Seeing him use the same trick again now, she couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.
"Now, it's my turn."
Chen Feiyu's cold voice rang out, and all eyes turned to him in unison.
Right under the watchful gaze of the crowd, Chen Feiyu extended his right hand—his hand was fair, his fingers long—and said to Snake, "This slap is going on your right cheek, as punishment for your malicious slander and for smearing my friend."
*Smack!*
Chen Feiyu lashed out with a palm strike. Snake was so unsteady on his feet that dodging was completely out of the question.
Snake's right cheek instantly swelled up high and red.
Chen Feiyu kept his right hand raised and said, "This slap is for your left cheek, as punishment for speaking insolently to my friend."
*Smack!*
Snake was beaten dizzy, seeing stars.
"And this slap is punishment for your arrogance, trying to snatch my elder's phone!"
With a *slap*, Snake was sent flying directly through the air, crashing onto the ground and unable to get back up.
The crowd was utterly shocked, and even Tang Meilian's eyes flashed with a hint of brilliance.
"Brother Yu is so amazing! Go get 'em!" Lin Yujia cheered gleefully.
The next moment, Chen Feiyu turned around to face the bald man, flashing a smile as he walked toward him.
The bald man's expression shifted drastically. His body was already weak and numb, and frightened by Chen Feiyu's advance, he let out a *thud* and collapsed onto his butt on the ground. Putting up a bold front while feeling terrified inside, he stammered, "I'm one of Tiger's men! Haven't you heard of Jiang Tianhu? The tiger known as the number one tiger of Mingji! If you dare hit me, Tiger will never let you off!"
Chen Feiyu's expression remained calm. He walked up to the bald man, looking down at him with a sidelong glance, and sneered, "In front of me, tigers have to lie down and dragons have to coil. No matter what Tiger or Cat you are, you have no right to act arrogant in front of me. Watch closely—this kick of mine is going to crush your right hand, as punishment for attacking me!"
Chen Feiyu slowly raised his foot.
The bald man's face drained of color, and he shrieked shrilly, "You wouldn't dare! Watch out or Tiger will wipe out your whole family..."
Chen Feiyu's expression didn't change as he brought his foot down viciously.
With a *crack*, the bones in the bald man's right hand were instantly shattered into pieces, and he let out a shriek like a slaughtered pig.
The onlookers looked as if they had seen a ghost. *Holy shit, this kid hits so ruthlessly! Is he really not afraid of Tiger's retaliation?*
The bespectacled man, on the other hand, was fit to burst with frustration and anger. He had assumed Chen Feiyu would end up beaten to a pulp just like him, but now that Chen Feiyu was showing off such overwhelming might, didn't that just make him look like a total moron?
*Hmph, it doesn't matter. Snake is one of Tiger's men. Once you've offended Tiger, you're just waiting to be tortured to death. The one who laughs last is the real winner.*
A sinister smile crept across the bespectacled man's face.
Chen Feiyu sent the bald man flying with a kick, then strolled leisurely over to Snake. He grabbed a handful of Snake's hair and sneered, "I've beaten the crap out of you both. Do you submit or not?"
"I submit, I submit, Big Brother! Just let me go, please," Snake said, a flash of deep-seated hatred briefly crossing his eyes.
Chen Feiyu sneered, "Even if your mouth submits while your heart doesn't, I couldn't care less. Remember this: my name is Chen Feiyu, and I am a doctor—a highly skilled Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner. I've already planted a secret affliction inside both of you. In three days, you'll find out what it means to wish you were dead. That is the real punishment for you."
With that, Chen Feiyu paid them no further mind. He walked over to Lin Yujia, took the shopping bags from her, and said with a cheeky grin, "Let's go. Time to head home."
"Mmm," Lin Yujia nodded heavily.
Tang Meilian took it all in and let out a soft sigh inwardly. As Lin Yujia's aunt, she could naturally tell that Lin Yujia had deep feelings for Chen Feiyu. After today's events, those feelings would likely grow even stronger, perhaps even turning into genuine love.
Still, Tang Meilian was open-minded enough. Chen Feiyu certainly possessed a strong sense of responsibility; although he was a bit poor, he was a stock with potential, so he wasn't entirely unworthy of Yujia. It was just that getting past Yujia's parents would probably be a difficult hurdle—the two youngsters were bound to face some hard times ahead.
Thinking of Lin Yujia's parents, Tang Meilian let out a wry smile and walked outside alongside the two of them.
In the eyes of the onlookers, Chen Feiyu had already become something of a demon king. The crowd parted like the tide, retreating to both sides and clearing a wide path for them.
"Hold on, you two. Please slow down."
A very pleasant-sounding voice drifted over from behind.
Chen Feiyu turned his head to see a strikingly beautiful, mature woman dressed in a black professional suit. A beauty mole graced the corner of her lips; far from detracting from her appeal, it only added an extra layer of allure. Behind her trailed a gorgeous female secretary.
She was none other than Han Qingmu, the manager of the Mingji Trade Building. At only twenty-eight years old, she had already risen to become the general manager of the trade building, with a limitless future ahead of her.
She had witnessed the entire process of Chen Feiyu disciplining Snake. At first, she hadn't paid much attention, but when Chen Feiyu used silver needles to paralyze Snake, she was completely shocked.
Generally, only TCM practitioners used silver needles, and anyone capable of locating acupoints with the precision Chen Feiyu displayed was undoubtedly an expert practitioner. An idea had immediately formed in her mind.
Clearly, quite a few people in the surrounding crowd recognized her and had already begun whispering among themselves.
Chen Feiyu wore a playful smile as he pointed at Snake and said, "What? Are you planning to stand up for them?"
Chapter 11: Han Muqing
"No, no, no. You've misunderstood, sir," Han Muqing said with a polite smile. "As the person in charge here, I sincerely apologize that the two of you were subjected to unprovoked harassment on our premises."
With that, Han Muqing's expression turned serious as she instructed her secretary behind her, "Xiao Liu, these two are VIP guests of the trade building. From now on, all their purchases here will enjoy a thirty percent discount. Furthermore, today's on-duty security guards were derelict in their duties—fire them all."
"Understood, Sister Han." Secretary Xiao Liu was thoroughly shocked. A thirty-percent discount on all goods was a massive gesture; even as an apology, there was no need to bleed this much, was there?
The surrounding onlookers were simultaneously shocked and envious.
The faces of the on-duty security guards at the entrance instantly turned the color of dirt. They collapsed onto the ground, weeping without tears. "It's over... It's all over. My rice bowl is gone."
Only an idiot turns down a free bargain. Chen Feiyu flashed a grin and said, "You certainly are reasonable. Thanks a lot for the kindness."
The next moment, Han Muqing turned to face Chen Feiyu. With a trace of deference, she extended her business card and said, "Mr. Chen, although it might be a bit abrupt, there is something I need to verify with you."
"Alright, go ahead," Chen Feiyu said curiously.
"May I ask... do you truly know how to practice medicine?" Han Muqing asked, tension coloring her tone.
"That's right."
"Is your medical skill very high?"
Chen Feiyu suddenly looked Han Muqing up and down, a playful smile surfacing in his eyes as he said, "Lately, your saliva has been a bit dry and slightly bitter, you've been irritable, suffered from insomnia and vivid dreams, and frequently dreamed of vast black water. Am I right?"
"How do you know that?" Han Muqing was stunned, because everything Chen Feiyu said was entirely accurate.
Yet, bitter saliva, insomnia, and vivid dreams were things a skilled TCM doctor could glean from facial complexion. But for him to even know she dreamed of vast black water—wasn't this Chen Feiyu just a bit too miraculous?
Chen Feiyu chuckled, "Right now it's late summer, and the five elements associate it with earth. Looking at your complexion, there's a faint yellowish tint, which clearly indicates an overactive spleen and stomach Qi, leading to some deficiency in Kidney Qi. The kidneys correspond to black and water, so naturally, you'd dream of vast black water. Additionally, you're showing early signs of irregular menstruation. Go home, eat two red dates a day to nourish your blood, and take some Liuwei Dihuang Pills, and you'll be fine."
*Irregular menstruation?*