Chapter 16: A Chance Encounter

The slap landed with such force that the portly shopkeeper howled in pain. But Xu Yang showed no intention of stopping.

Smack! Smack! Smack!

In the blink of an eye, six more heavy slaps rained down, leaving the shopkeeper’s nose and mouth bleeding, seven or eight teeth flying from his mouth.

“Spare me! Spare me!” he pleaded, his face swollen like a pig’s head, blood dribbling from his lips, his words barely intelligible.

“Speak! That celadon jar just now—who broke it?” Xu Yang’s voice was icy, his gaze sharp as a blade.

“I did! It was me!” the shopkeeper cried, his voice choked with sobs, scrambling to answer.

Only now did he realize that Xu Yang’s earlier words had not been a bluff. This young man before him was someone not to be trifled with.

Xu Yang nodded in satisfaction. “Good. So you admit your fault. Now, how do you intend to compensate me for trying to extort money?”

The shopkeeper froze, but one look at Xu Yang’s chilling eyes made him shudder and whimper, “I’ll pay you! I’ll pay compensation!”

“Fine. Transfer two hundred thousand yuan. Otherwise, this won’t end here,” Xu Yang replied coolly, taking out his phone and opening his payment code.

The shopkeeper was stunned. He had set out to dupe others, but now he was forced to pay such a steep price himself. Yet, staring at the menacing Xu Yang, he dared not utter a word of protest. Trembling, he hastily took out his phone and made the payment.

After receiving the money, Xu Yang nodded with satisfaction, then cast his gaze over the array of antiques spread across the stall.

“Tell me, is there a single genuine item among all this junk?”

“No, no, they’re all fake!” The shopkeeper shook his head frantically, not daring to lie.

“In that case, smash them all.”

“What?” The shopkeeper was dumbfounded.

“Why, are you reluctant? Planning to scam more people with these worthless fakes?”

Xu Yang’s voice grew colder, his tone menacing.

“N-no, of course not. I’ll smash them all!” The shopkeeper, cowed by Xu Yang’s terrifying aura, forced himself up and, under the gaze of the crowd, smashed every fake antique with his own hands, reducing them to dust.

The onlookers were stunned. None of them had expected this unassuming young man to be such a formidable character.

Watching his own wares reduced to rubble, the shopkeeper’s heart bled, and he was on the verge of fainting.

“Very good,” Xu Yang said with satisfaction, then looked at the shopkeeper. “Don’t let me see you again. Next time, it won’t be just a slap.”

“Yes, yes, I understand,” the shopkeeper replied, nodding like a pecking chicken, his heart writhing in agony.

Pleased, Xu Yang smiled and finally turned to leave the street stall.

As he passed the kind-hearted young woman who had tried to help him earlier, she wore a self-mocking smile and said, “I’m sorry for meddling back there.”

“No, I appreciate your good intentions. But since I have the strength, I won’t bow my head to scum like this,” Xu Yang replied.

She nodded emphatically, her gaze toward him now tinged with admiration.

Her grandfather also approached with a smile. “Young man, your skills are impressive.”

“You flatter me, sir,” Xu Yang replied with a faint smile, observing the older man’s pallor and lack of spirit.

Recalling the conversation he’d overheard between the two on the bus, Xu Yang added, “Sir, you don’t look well. I’m a doctor. May I check your pulse?”

“Oh? You’re a doctor?” The young woman’s eyes immediately lit up.

But the old man, looking at Xu Yang’s youthful face, shook his head with a wry smile. “No need. I’ve already given up on treatment. Feng’er, let’s go.”

“Grandfather…” Feng’er hesitated, clearly placing her hope in Xu Yang and wishing for him to try and help.

“So many renowned doctors have tried and failed. Let’s not trouble this young man any further,” the old man said with a pale smile, shaking his head.

Feng’er’s expression fell, and she gave Xu Yang an apologetic glance before supporting her grandfather away.

Watching their retreating backs, Xu Yang could only give a helpless smile and then left in another direction.

He wandered aimlessly through the scenic park, basking in the warm sunlight, feeling drowsy. Seeing no one around, he simply lay down on the grass, closed his eyes, and let his mind drift, pondering his own future.

He didn’t know how much time had passed when he heard footsteps approaching. Then, the familiar voice of Feng’er reached his ears.

“Grandfather, you must be tired. Let’s rest here a while.”

“I’m fine. Walking more lifts my spirits,” the old man replied.

“Oh, all right.”

Xu Yang couldn’t help but think fate had brought him and this young woman together again. He smiled and shook his head, though he made no move to reveal himself—after all, they were but casual acquaintances, and to approach now would seem presumptuous.

But just then, a flurry of hurried footsteps sounded behind the grandfather and granddaughter.

Though his eyes were closed, Xu Yang’s keen senses picked up a trace of danger.

Opening his eyes, he saw two masked men rapidly closing in on Feng’er and her grandfather.

Xu Yang frowned and was about to get up when Feng’er’s clear, resolute voice rang out.

“I knew you wouldn’t let this go so easily. But the two of you alone think you can harm my grandfather? How laughable!”

Her words now carried not the gentleness of before, but a decisive, commanding tone.

“Dongfang Tianfeng, do you really think you can stop the two of us?” one of the black-clad men sneered coldly.

“Hmph! Two mere cultivators at the Qi Refining stage—killing you is nothing to me,” Dongfang Tianfeng replied with pride and authority.

Hearing this, Xu Yang was startled. He hadn’t expected that the kind-hearted beauty he’d met possessed such a formidable side.

She didn’t even consider two Qi Refining stage cultivators a threat. Just what level of master was this woman?

At that moment, Xu Yang’s curiosity toward her only deepened.