Chapter 4

Having lived for over two thousand years, it was not as if he had never taken a daoist companion. But... no matter how beautiful a woman was, after looking at her for a long time, she was just that.

"Quit acting!" Fang Xiaopang looked at Ning Chen with disdain, then began chatting with a tall, burly guy at the next table. The tall guy was named Zhang Dachun. He came from the countryside and looked like a simple, honest fellow. As soon as he heard they could look at the school beauties, Zhang Dachun immediately whipped out his phone and logged into the campus forum. "Is this the Xu Shuyan everyone is talking about? Wow, she’s really beautiful, even better-looking than the stars!" Zhang Dachun stared at the photo, his eyes practically popping out of his head. "Stars? She wouldn't even deign to be a star. Do you know the Xu Group? Xu Jingshan is Xu Shuyan's father," Fang Xiaopang said, pushing up his glasses. "Xu Jingshan? That big entrepreneur who is always on TV?" Zhang Dachun was shocked. "The Xu Group has a market value of hundreds of billions. Xu Shuyan probably doesn't even look down on a career as a star," Fang Xiaopang speculated. "You're wrong." Ning Chen suddenly interjected. "Xu Shuyan’s biggest dream is to be a star. That woman isn't as posh as you think; she’s actually quite tacky."

"..." Fang Xiaopang and Zhang Dachun were both stunned. "Ning Chen, didn't you say you weren't interested in the school beauties?" Fang Xiaopang asked. "That's right." "Then how do you know Xu Shuyan wants to be a star?" Fang Xiaopang asked again. "I came to school with her this morning. She said it herself in the car," Ning Chen replied truthfully. "My god, what are you to her..." Fang Xiaopang struggled to suppress a laugh. "I have nothing to do with her. We just happen to know each other," Ning Chen added. "Pfft—wake up, brother. A wealthy 'white-rich-beauty' like Xu Shuyan is someone we can't reach," Zhang Dachun laughed heartily. Ning Chen didn't say anything more.

As more students arrived in the classroom, Zhang Dachun and Fang Xiaopang became even more excited in their discussion. "I heard this Jiang Tang is Xu Shuyan’s best friend. Damn, angel face, devilish figure!" "Su Wanwan, the 'poverty-stricken' school beauty from Nanzhong. She got 718 on the college entrance exam; she's a total genius." "Senior Wen Qinglan from the Ancient Martial Arts Club. I heard she passed the Martial Arts Association exam and is a certified Martial Artist." "Cui Lingxiu, a sophomore. She’s an exchange student from the kimchi country and a beautiful streamer." "Senior Chu Mo, who plays the violin. Sigh, she’s beautiful, has long legs, and a nice name, too. It’s just a pity her last name is Xiong..." Fang Xiaopang and Zhang Dachun discussed it for a long time before eventually deciding to cast their votes for Xu Shuyan. In terms of overall standing, Xu Shuyan was undoubtedly ahead of the other candidates.

Not long after, a group of people burst into the classroom. They looked aggressive. Leading them was a burly young man with bulging muscles, hands on his hips; he looked like someone not to be trifled with. "Brother Peng, it's him!" A young man with cotton balls stuffed in his nostrils and two black eyes scanned the room, then suddenly locked his gaze onto Ning Chen. "He’s the one who beat me up like this!!"

The classroom erupted in an uproar. He hit a senior? Was there actually such an arrogant freshman in their Clinical Class 2? Every eye in the room fell on Ning Chen. "Is that him?" The pure-looking girl sitting in the front row brightened. Ning Chen, who had been engrossed in a particularly exciting part of his novel, felt his mood ruined by the interruption. As for Fang Xiaopang and Zhang Dachun, they looked at him with horror. In their eyes, Ning Chen was just a quiet guy obsessed with web novels. They had no idea he was this bold—daring to hit a senior?

"So you’re the one named Ning Chen? I heard you’re pretty cocky!" The burly young man strode down from the podium. He slammed a foot onto Ning Chen’s desk with a loud "Bang!" The freshmen scrambled to get out of the way. Zhang Dachun, being sturdy and having a strong sense of justice, spoke up: "Hey, senior, what do you think you're—" *Slap!* The burly young man raised his hand and slapped him hard. Zhang Dachun, standing over 1.8 meters tall, staggered and had to grab the desk to keep from falling. "I’m Zhao Lipeng from the Sanshou Club. Get lost!" When those words were uttered, the expressions of several freshmen from Qing University Affiliated High School changed. "Zhao Lipeng, a core member of the Sanshou Club and a municipal Sanshou champion!" "What? A municipal champion? Then this Ning Chen is dead for sure." A group of students huddled together, watching Ning Chen with concern.

"Little fatty, do you want to try it too?" After knocking Zhang Dachun aside, Zhao Lipeng sneered at Fang Xiaopang, who was shaking so hard he couldn't stand straight. "N-n-no... Senior, I..." *SLAP!!!* Another slapping sound rang out. Fang Xiaopang shut his eyes tightly, but he didn't feel any pain on his face. An incredible scene unfolded. Liu Di, the vice president of the photography club, was lying on the floor, holding his bright red cheek and howling in pain: "Zhao Lipeng! Are you crazy? Why did you hit me?" Liu Di spat out a mouthful of blood and half a broken tooth. "I... I don't know, it wasn't me..." Zhao Lipeng stared at his own right hand, backing away with a look of having seen a ghost. The members of the Sanshou Club stared at each other in confusion. Had Brother Peng practiced martial arts so hard he’d gone "insane" and couldn't distinguish friend from foe? "If it wasn't you, was it a ghost? Everyone saw you move your hand." Ning Chen was still sitting in his seat. As he spoke, the index finger of his right hand, hidden under the desk, gave a light flick. "It really wasn't me, damn it!!" No sooner had Zhao Lipeng roared this than his right arm swung on its own, delivering a heavy blow to the face of Liu Di, who had just managed to crawl up. Liu Di’s poor nose, which had just stopped bleeding, took another heavy hit. *Swoosh—swoosh—* Two cotton balls were sent flying by a torrent of blood. Liu Di fell flat on his back, muttering, "Zhao Lipeng, I'm going to kill your grandpa..." "What the hell is going on!" "Can I really go insane just from practicing Sanshou?" Zhao Lipeng was on the verge of a breakdown, slapping himself hard across the face. *Slap! Slap! Slap!* Blood began to trickle from the corners of his mouth. Ning Chen shrugged, signaling that these slaps had nothing to do with him, and then helped Zhang Dachun up from the floor. He decided this big guy was worth keeping as a friend; he was the type to actually step up when things went wrong.

"Teacher, that's him! He wanted to beat up people in our class! Please help—uh?" At that moment, the pure-looking girl returned with two teachers, only to see Zhao Lipeng frantically slapping himself, looking completely devastated and terrified. The pure-looking girl was baffled. What had happened here? The two teachers quickly took the members of the Sanshou Club away. "Classmate, are you alright?" The pure-looking girl walked up to Ning Chen. "It's you?" Ning Chen recognized her; wasn't she the daughter of the woman who owned the barbecue shop from last night? Su Wanwan, he thought she was called. Su Wanwan’s eyes lit up, and she was just about to strike up a conversation when the counselor walked in. She had no choice but to go back and sit down. The counselor, whose surname was Wang, expressed his concern to Ning Chen before announcing the details for tomorrow's military training. Once he finished, Su Wanwan eagerly went to find Ning Chen, only to discover that he had already left. "Hi, do you know where the classmate who was just here went?" Su Wanwan asked Fang Xiaopang and Zhang Dachun. Fang Xiaopang, who had never spoken to such a beautiful girl, blushed scarlet. "N-no... I don't know. He... he should have gone to the bathroom." Zhang Dachun, meanwhile, was holding his cheek, secretly marveling at how Ning Chen hadn't been boasting. His traditional Chinese massage techniques were truly incredible; a light rub and his face didn't hurt anymore. "Alright, thank you." A look of disappointment flickered across Su Wanwan’s pure face.

...

Ning Chen didn't live in the dormitory, so he didn't have any roommates. He found a quiet spot and read his novel in peace. In the evening, he went to the food street outside campus for dinner. Inside Li Mei’s Barbecue Shop, a few fierce-looking thugs were pressuring the mother and daughter for Ning Chen’s phone number. Among these thugs, half had crooked mouths or squinty eyes, and the leader, Ma Kun, had a severe case of cross-eyes. The scene was quite comical, but Li Mei and Su Wanwan couldn't find anything to laugh about. "I can't do that, Brother Kun. A customer’s contact information is private; I can't give it to you." Li Mei pleaded, "Please, just let us be." "To hell with privacy! That kid beat me up like this; if I don't finish him, how am I supposed to hold my head up?" Ma Kun gnashed his teeth and threatened, "Either you let me trash your shop today, or you hand over that kid’s number. You choose." "He... he is actually..." Su Wanwan was torn. Should she reveal Ning Chen's identity? Suddenly, Ning Chen’s voice came from the shop entrance. "Are you looking for me?" The thugs turned around to see Ning Chen walking into the shop, hands tucked into his tracksuit pockets, looking every bit the student. "Good kid, you dare show your face?" Ma Kun pointed at his crossed eyes. "The hospital couldn't even fix this mess. Tell me, was it you who did this?" "Yes, it was me. If you have any grievances, bring them to me." Ning Chen admitted it honestly and swept a glance over them. "Come at me all at once. Don't waste time; I haven't eaten yet."

...

"Damn it! So arrogant? Kill him!" Ma Kun pulled a telescopic baton from his waist and charged with his ten underlings. Inside the restaurant, tables were overturned and bowls were shattered—it was pure chaos. "Ning Chen, stop playing the hero! Run!" Su Wanwan didn't know where she got the courage, but she screamed at the top of her lungs. These were ten thugs armed with weapons! How could one person possibly win? But in the next second, she witnessed a miracle. Ning Chen took down a thug with a single punch; when a baton struck him, he didn't seem to feel it at all. In the blink of an eye, all ten thugs were lying on the ground, wailing in pain. "I’m from the Qing University Sanshou Club; my name is Zhao Lipeng!" "Don't let me see you on this street again, or I’ll beat you every time I do!" After saying this, Ning Chen kicked them out of the door like garbage, then found a seat and started ordering his meal. Li Mei and Su Wanwan were stunned. The security on Shuiyue Street was terrible, and they had seen plenty of fights, but they had never seen anyone this powerful. He had taken down ten people by himself, and it looked like he hadn't even broken a sweat. Could he be one of those "Martial Artists" they talked about on the internet? "Classmate, are... are you alright? I saw you get hit by a baton earlier," Su Wanwan said, stepping forward with concern. "I'm fine," Ning Chen replied. He could have dodged it, but it hadn't been necessary. Forget a baton, even a bullet couldn't pierce his true qi. "By the way, besides barbecue, do you have any stir-fried dishes?" Ning Chen asked. "..." Su Wanwan was speechless. She couldn't help but feel that this man didn't care about the fight at all. Just what was his background? "Yes, we do!" Li Mei stepped forward, smiling, "Young man, tell me what you want to eat, and I'll make it for you!" "I want to eat dragon meat," Ning Chen blurted out. "Huh?" Li Mei froze. "I mean, stir-fried beef," Ning Chen corrected himself. "Yes, yes, of course! I’ll go make it right now!" Li Mei turned into the kitchen, giving Su Wanwan a look that seemed to imply something.

...

The thugs from Shuiyue Street were back in the hospital. But they weren't convinced. "Brother... Brother Kun, how is that Zhao Lipeng so strong? His fists feel like iron hammers. I probably won’t be able to get out of bed for three months, ouch..." A green-haired thug lay on a hospital bed while an orthopedist examined him. They were regulars; the doctors and nurses were long since used to it. "I didn't expect that kid to be such a tough nut to crack!" Ma Kun’s face was swollen like a pig’s head, and his cross-eyes were filled with rage. "I reckon he’s trained at the Shaolin Temple. He might even know the Golden Bell Shield!" "Golden Bell Shield?" The thugs’ faces changed. "Didn't you see us hitting him with batons? He didn't even react! If that’s not Golden Bell Shield or Iron Shirt, what is it!" Ma Kun gnashed his teeth. "This won't do. I have to call Brother Xiao. This matter cannot end like this." He immediately dialed his boss, Bai Xiao of Shuiyue Street. "Trash! You are truly a piece of trash!" After hearing the whole story, Bai Xiao cursed, "You couldn't even take care of one student? I’ve been wasting my money raising you lot!" "Brother Xiao, it’s really not our fault..." Ma Kun felt aggrieved. "The kid has practiced Golden Bell Shield and Iron Shirt; I hit him with a baton and he didn't even grunt." "Where is that kid now? I’ll send Leopard and Wolf over," Bai Xiao said in a low voice. "Brother Leopard? Brother Wolf?" Ma Kun was startled and stammered, "B-Brother Xiao, is there really a need for that? He’s just a student..." "Cut the crap! Tell me!" Bai Xiao’s roar came through the phone, accompanied by the pained whimpering of a woman. "Y-yes, yes..." Ma Kun held the phone away from his ear. "He’s eating at Li Mei’s Barbecue Shop. He might still be there." Bai Xiao hung up directly. "Brother Xiao, is it really necessary to send Leopard and Wolf to deal with a student?" "They are the gold-medal fighters of our gang." In a hotel suite, the lights were dim, and a woman’s seductive voice came from the bed. "What do you know?" Bai Xiao was a man in his forties. He sat on the bed with his legs splayed, snorting, "Shuiyue Street is a fat piece of meat. Countless gangs in Qingzhou are eyeing it. Do you think that kid is really just a student?" "Anyone who thinks like that will never become a boss in their lifetime!" The woman was stunned for a moment, then laughed, "Brother Xiao is as wise as ever~"

...

Back at Li Mei’s Barbecue Shop, Su Wanwan finally couldn't help herself. "How are you able to eat so much?" Ning Chen had just shoved a plate of beef chow fun into his mouth. He chewed and said, "It’s none of your business. It’s not like I’m not paying." Su Wanwan: "..." Ning Chen grabbed a large handful of beef skewers. "Have you heard of competitive eaters?" Su Wanwan nodded. Ning Chen: "Doesn't have anything to do with me." Su Wanwan felt a headache coming on. The plates were stacked higher and higher. After eating about a thousand yuan's worth of food, Ning Chen finally stopped. If he ate any more, they’d start treating him like a monster. Just as he was about to pay, Li Mei hurriedly stopped him. "Young man, thank you for your help these past two days. This meal is on the house." "No need." Ning Chen knew exactly what Li Mei was thinking—she wanted him to protect them. He was a person who hated trouble, and if it wasn't for Li Mei’s good cooking, he would never have come back. He paid and left. Both mother and daughter wore expressions of disappointment.

Walking on the road, Ning Chen contemplated a problem. At this rate of eating, the twenty thousand yuan for living expenses his mother gave him would soon be gone. Where could he get some money? Turning stone into gold and creating a mountain of treasure? Refining magical artifacts to sell for a high price? Or finding super-rich people who were dying and performing rituals to extend their lives? These things seemed to require consuming spiritual qi... Ning Chen sighed. Suddenly, he made a sharp turn into a pitch-black alley. "Where is he?" "On the left, chase him!" Two men in black trench coats followed close behind. As they entered the alley, Ning Chen’s voice came out of the darkness. "Looking for me?" "He actually noticed us!" The two trench-coated men exchanged surprised looks. "Zhao Lipeng, right? Being able to spot us following you—you really are a trained fighter." Ning Chen had his hands in his pockets. "Speak your piece. Who sent you?" "Kid, that’s the question we should be asking you!" The man on the left lifted his hood, revealing a face covered in scars. If any gang member were here, they would recognize him immediately: Chen Zibao, one of the two gold-medal fighters under Brother Xiao! "Sihai Gang, Qinglong Society, Tiger Gate—speak! Which side are you on?" Chen Zibao drew a dagger from his coat, the blade glimmering coldly. Ning Chen sighed first, then said quite earnestly, "I am from the Pure Yang Wuji Palace." "Pure Yang Wuji... Are you kidding me with this fantasy novel crap!" "Do you believe I’ll kill you right now?" Chen Zibao roared, brandishing the knife. "Bao, stop wasting time with him. Let’s drag him back and beat the hell out of him to see if his bones are harder than our sticks." Chen Zibao’s brother, Chen Zilang, was also a ruthless man with a massive build. As he spoke, his center of gravity dropped, and he lunged forward like a sharp arrow. *Whoosh—* Ning Chen saw at a glance that this man’s physical fitness was ten times better than an ordinary thug, but he was still a long way from the minimum requirements for the "Qi Condensation Stage." He met the attack with a single kick! Chen Zilang didn't expect Ning Chen to be so fast. He took the kick square in the chest, several ribs broke on the spot, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. "Brother!" Chen Zibao was shocked. He lunged forward with the knife. "I’ll kill you!" Ning Chen didn't dodge. He reached out, grabbed the dagger, and crushed it into iron paste right in front of Chen Zibao. "Y-you... you..." Chen Zibao had never seen such a terrifying sight; he was scared witless. "You're not even as good as your brother," Ning Chen said coldly, flicking his right index finger. A translucent thread of true qi seeped from his fingertip, connecting to Chen Zilang, who was lying on the ground. "This... what’s... what’s going on with me!?" Chen Zilang stiffly crawled up, finding that his body no longer obeyed his commands. "Brother? What’s wrong with you?" "Bao, get out of the way! I can’t control myself! What the hell is happening?" Chen Zilang was like a marionette. As he spoke, he threw a punch that sent Chen Zibao’s nose bleeding profusely. *Crack, thud!* The two brothers grappled, beating each other black and blue until they both had concussions. Ning Chen turned and left the alley, casually dialing the police. "Hello?" "I want to report a fight. Someone is fighting, it’s really violent, it’s terrifying..."

Ning Chen strolled all the way back to the Rose Garden.