The Jiangbei medicinal herb market is located next to a wealthy residential area in Jiangbei City.
Lin Hao had just stepped out of a ride-hailing car and was about to enter the market when a wave of fragrance suddenly swept over him. A soft, supple body collided directly into his chest.
Lin Hao instinctively lowered his head and reached out to catch her; it was a woman dressed in a tight, pinkish-beige hip-hugging skirt.
He had deactivated his spiritual sense that morning when he left his place. But as this beautiful woman fell into his arms, his spiritual sense was triggered passively.
In an instant, Lin Hao saw the woman’s clothes vanish from his sight. He was greeted by a figure that nearly made him cough up blood; the peaks of her chest, with their flashes of white and red, were blindingly vivid.
He hadn't seen his own girlfriend in over half a year, so even an average woman would have been lethally attractive to him—let alone a stunner like this. He quickly looked away, fearing that if he were accidentally overstimulated, he’d suffer a nosebleed that would be mortifyingly embarrassing.
After steadying her, Lin Hao couldn’t help but take one more peek. Only then did he realize that this woman who had bumped into him looked somewhat familiar.
"I'm so sorry!"
The woman took a step back to steady herself and apologized to Lin Hao.
"It's you!"
The woman looked at Lin Hao with surprise, and Lin Hao recognized her too. They both pointed at each other and gasped.
The woman was Xu Wei, the same one who had hit Lin Hao with her pink Mercedes G-Wagon the day before.
Recognizing her, Lin Hao couldn't help but chuckle: "Beauty, you didn't get enough of hitting people with your car yesterday, so today you've decided to try hitting people with your 'balls' instead?"
As he spoke, he savored the lingering sensation. It must be said, being hit today was a world of difference from yesterday. Being hit by "balls" was far more pleasant than being hit by a car—it was fragrant, springy, soft, and smooth.
He had left the hospital in such a rush yesterday that he hadn't had the chance to enjoy the view. Now, he deactivated his spiritual sense and began to appreciate Xu Wei's curvaceous figure in detail.
Though Xu Wei was slender, she had meat in all the right places, especially a certain area that was of an astonishing scale. Her tight-fitting skirt emphasized her silhouette, making her look clean and sharp. Lin Hao finally realized exactly where that fragrant, soft sensation had come from.
Xu Wei hadn't expected to run into Lin Hao again today. After circling him in surprise, she said, "Why did you run away so fast yesterday? You had me worried for ages. Since we’ve bumped into each other, you have to do me a favor."
"What favor?" Lin Hao asked with a smile.
Since it was Xu Wei who had hit him yesterday and inadvertently led him to his stroke of good fortune, he figured he wouldn't mind helping her out, provided it wasn't too much of a hassle.
"Hmph, some scumbag tried to pull a 'touch porcelain' scam on me. I kicked him hard, but it turns out the scumbag has accomplices. You know how it is—a weak girl like me can't fight off so many people, so I had to ditch my car and run!"
Xu Wei stomped her foot, clenched her pink fists, and added resentfully: "You monster, you were hit by me so hard yesterday and came out just fine; surely you’re enough to teach a few punks a lesson for me."
Hearing this, Lin Hao realized why he’d been bumped into by this woman early in the morning. Looking at the high heels on her feet, he marveled that she could run at all.
As they spoke, four or five thugs with dyed, multi-colored hair suddenly rushed toward them from around a corner of the market.
"You bitch! Why the hell did you stop running? I didn't think someone so pretty could be so vicious. If I hadn't reacted fast enough, you would’ve ruined my lifelong happiness! Do you know how many poor girls in the red-light district are waiting for me to 'alleviate their poverty'? Doesn't your conscience hurt? And you, you hit me and didn't offer any compensation, then kicked me in the crotch—are you even human? This is premeditated assault!"
After the young thugs ran up to Lin Hao and Xu Wei, panting, one of them with green hair and a pale face pointed at Xu Wei and began screaming insults.
Xu Wei was so enraged by the green-haired thug that the peaks of her chest heaved up and down, making Lin Hao pause for a moment.
"You were the one who tried to scam me, and now you're accusing me? You... you..." she shouted, pointing at him.
"What do you mean 'accusing'? You hit me, and you nearly ruined my future. If you don't pay me a hundred or two hundred thousand today, neither you nor this pretty boy is leaving!"
The green-haired thug was short, dark-skinned, and had a scar running across his face that made him look quite hideous. Since looks were his sore spot, being called a "scumbag" by Xu Wei made him bounce with rage. He waved his hand, and the rest of the thugs surrounded them, blocking their retreat.
Lin Hao laughed as he watched the scene, enjoying the show. He hadn't expected this woman to be so bold. At the same time, he felt two seconds of sympathy for the green-haired thug—failing to pull off his scam and nearly losing his "little brother" in the process. What a pathetic guy.
"What are you laughing at, you prick? Brothers, let's take care of this pretty boy first, then we’ll deal with this ugly woman! Tell that idiot second-generation kid Lü Liang that the price just went up!"
The green-haired thug couldn't stand anyone better-looking than himself, especially a guy who was as fair and handsome as Lin Hao. Standing there with a top-tier beauty like Xu Wei, they looked like a golden couple. The green-haired thug was jealous to the point of breaking. Furthermore, with four or five of his brothers surrounding them, Lin Hao still dared to laugh. It was a complete insult to his reputation as the "Little Green Dragon of Jiangbei."
The thug signaled his cohorts, intent on dealing with this annoying pretty boy first.
"Are you sent by Lü Liang?"
At the mention of that name, Xu Wei's expression turned icy. Lü Liang was a distant relative—very distant—who was greedy, lecherous, and of poor character. He had used the Xu Family’s influence to commit countless misdeeds behind the scenes.
"What Lü Liang? I don't know him, I didn't say that! Don't spout nonsense, you bitch! Brothers, finish off this pretty boy!"
The green-haired thug’s eyes flickered, and with a wave of his hand, he charged toward Lin Hao.
Xu Wei screamed, intending to fight alongside him, but Lin Hao gave her a look that told her to relax.
Not to mention that he was now an Eighth Layer of Body Tempering Stage cultivator, he had also been deeply interested in acupuncture back in medical school, though he hadn't learned much since it was a niche subject. The medical inheritance he received from Xianyimen had acupuncture as one of its hallmarks. Lin Hao was like a child with a new toy—he just wanted to prick everyone he saw.
He had brought the remaining silver needles with him when he left Jiangbei Hospital. Just as the thugs' fists and kicks were about to land, Lin Hao flicked his fingers, silently sending the fine silver needles into specific pressure points on the thugs' bodies.
The needles were incredibly thin; the thugs only felt a quick flick.
Suddenly, the green-haired youth burst into uncontrollable laughter. Then, a series of incredibly loud "pffft" sounds erupted from beneath his pants. A pungent, foul stench began to fill the air.
Lin Hao and Xu Wei quickly covered their noses in disgust. As for the other thugs, some were wailing in despair, some were shrieking, and others were coughing incessantly.
The spectacle drew a crowd of onlookers. Even Xu Wei was stunned, staring at the thugs who were acting like lunatics. The green-haired youth, in particular, was laughing and farting non-stop, leaving the crowd completely dumbfounded.
Some kind-hearted people thought they were suffering from some sudden disease and rushed up to pinch their philtrums or slap their faces, but it had no effect. The thugs' eyes were filled with terror. A yellow-haired thug, seemingly the smartest of the bunch, realized something and knelt before Lin Hao.
He wailed, "Big Brother, no, Great Immortal! Please, have mercy! I’ll never do it again!"
His cohorts realized what was happening, and even the green-haired youth struggled to his knees in a row with the others, begging for mercy at the top of his lungs.
Lin Hao turned to Xu Wei and smiled, "Well, satisfied now? I’ll leave the rest to you."
Xu Wei was shocked. "Are you really a Great Immortal?"
She couldn't be blamed for thinking so; yesterday, she had hit him with a car and he was fine after a nap. Today, he had inexplicably turned these thugs into this state. Seeing them kneeling and wailing, she was confused.
Lin Hao laughed, "I'm no Great Immortal. I'm a practitioner of Chinese medicine. I just pricked their pressure points for laughter, crying, and coughing. As for this green-haired turtle, I just gave him an extra prick in his 'Gas Gate' point. It's for his own good; that point is also called the 'Deflation Point'—it’s excellent for detox!"
Xu Wei couldn't help but burst into laughter. "You're so bad!"
"How was that for a favor? Feeling better?" Lin Hao asked.
Xu Wei nodded with a sweet smile, "Yes, much better!"
The onlookers finally understood. Once Xu Wei explained what had happened, they looked at the thugs on the ground with contempt, some even reaching for eggs to throw.
Just as Lin Hao and Xu Wei were discussing how to deal with the thugs, a young man in a suit, with slicked-back hair, came sprinting toward them, shouting, "You villains! Let that girl go and come at me instead!"
***
As soon as she heard the voice, Xu Wei’s pretty face turned cold, her eyes filled with disgust. Lin Hao, however, saw the look and thought that even when she was angry, she was beautiful.
He glanced at the newcomer, connected it with what the green-haired thug had said earlier, and a playful smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.
The young man, Lü Liang, ran up to them, gasping for air. Seeing Xu Wei glare at him, he hurriedly pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his sweat, then pulled out a comb to slick back his hair before saying with feigned concern, "Cousin, are you alright?"
"Lü Liang, what are you doing here? I was in a good mood, but seeing you has ruined everything!" Xu Wei said with utter distaste. "I warned you last time—if you dare pester me again, I’ll beat you every time I see you. Did you forget that quickly?"
Xu Wei waved her fist at him. Lü Liang jumped back, then looked at the pathetic state of the thugs and kept his head down, not daring to meet her eyes. He was full of questions.
The plan was for the green-haired thug to scam Xu Wei, then the others would threaten her, and he would appear like a hero to drive them off and win her heart. So what was happening now?
Lü Liang stepped back, wiped his sweat, and squeezed out a smile: "Cousin, I heard you were in danger and came to save you! I’m just glad you’re safe."
Xu Wei’s eyes blazed with fury. "Shut up! 'Cousin'? Lü Liang, let me tell you, we have nothing to do with each other. If you call me that again, I’ll tear your mouth open. Besides, my boyfriend will protect me—I don’t need you!"
"Boyfriend?" Lü Liang was stunned, then laughed. "Cousin, don't joke, how could you have a boyfriend?"
"Hmph! Why couldn't I?" Xu Wei grabbed Lin Hao, planted a big kiss on his face, and hugged his arm. "Let me introduce you—this is my boyfriend, Lin Hao!"
Earlier, after the thugs had confessed their motives, Lin Hao had flicked a thread of invisible true qi into their pressure points, lifting the effects. The thugs were terrified of Lin Hao, viewing him as a devil, and remained on their knees, not daring to move or breathe.
Just as Lin Hao was about to let them go, he didn't expect Xu Wei to kiss him and grab his arm. Feeling the softness against his arm and the faint, sweet scent, Lin Hao was a bit intoxicated.
When he heard her call him her boyfriend, he immediately understood her intent. He played along, "Weiwei, why don't you introduce your relative to me?"
He reached out and wrapped his arm around Xu Wei’s waist. Her waist was incredibly thin and firm, and the material of her skirt was thin. Lin Hao felt the softness and smoothness at his fingertips; the sensation was so good he started to envy his own right hand.
Xu Wei stiffened as he held her, her cheeks flushing red. She glared at him in annoyance but allowed him to keep his arm there.
Lü Liang watched, his eyes practically spitting fire. He felt like he was about to explode. Ever since he had first met Xu Wei at ten years old, she had been his goddess. He had vowed to make her his woman. Over the years, he had tried every excuse to visit the Xu family just to see her. When he was an awkward adolescent, he would even steal her personal items—that was his wasted youth!
Now that he was older, he knew the gap between their families made marriage difficult, but he wouldn't give up.
"Cousin, why? Why would you prefer a scumbag like him over me? I’ve loved you since we were kids, can’t you see that?" Lü Liang shouted, his eyes red.
Xu Wei was freezing cold. "Enough! Do you think I don't know what you’ve been doing? The thought of you taking my personal items to do those disgusting things makes me sick! If it weren't for our families' connections, I would’ve had you arrested long ago!"
"Slander! Someone is slandering me! I would never do that! You have to believe me, my heart is true!" Lü Liang panicked, fearing she had actually found out.
Xu Wei looked at Lin Hao for help. Lin Hao patted her shoulder and signaled for her to calm down, then looked at Lü Liang mockingly. "I didn't realize there were perverts like you in this world."
Lü Liang jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "You're the pervert! Your whole family is! I’m warning you, don’t spread rumors, or I’ll sue you for slander!"
"Really? Since you say so, I won't hold back."
Lin Hao reached out and, with lightning speed, pulled a pink, translucent item from Lü Liang’s pocket. He held it up and teased, "Mr. Lü, care to explain?"
Xu Wei’s face turned bright red the moment she saw the item. Lin Hao, sensing her embarrassment, mischievously tucked the item into Xu Wei’s bag with a sleight of hand.
Xu Wei felt grateful, her impression of Lin Hao increasing significantly.
Lü Liang was stunned. He had spent a fortune to have someone steal this from Xu Wei’s room, and he cherished it like a treasure, keeping it on him at all times. He never imagined Lin Hao would find it and expose it publicly.
The surrounding crowd started whispering.
"Damn, he really is a pervert!"
"Not only a pervert, but an idiot to carry that around!"
Lü Liang tried to defend himself: "Cousin, listen to me, this guy is trying to frame me!"