Bao'er worked efficiently and soon returned with clothing and herbs. After a simple wash, Chu Yan changed into fresh clothes. Bao'er helped him dry and comb his hair, then he glanced at the copper mirror. Satisfied with his sharply defined features and deep, knife-like eyes, he smiled and said, “Now this is right; this handsome appearance is worthy of a young master like me.”
Bao'er, watching from the side, felt a hint of infatuation. The current Chu Yan, dressed in a flowing white robe, stood tall, a stark contrast to the beggar he once was.
“Master, you are truly handsome!”
“Bao'er, your words are sweet; here’s a reward for you.” Chu Yan took some low-grade blood tonic herbs from what Bao'er had bought and handed them to her. “Take one each morning and evening for seven days, then come find me.”
“Thank you, Master!” Bao'er was overjoyed, knowing that while the blood tonic was cheap, it was not something servants like her could normally use. Chu Yan smiled and nodded, then lowered his head. Now that he was clean, he wanted to check his condition.
With this thought, Chu Yan sat in meditation, closing his senses, and soon his primordial spirit appeared before the Nine Heavens Mysterious Tower in his dantian. Gazing at the tower, he mobilized his energy, and three star phases appeared in his dantian.
“A three-star fate body?” Chu Yan smiled. Although a three-star fate body was not high, it had reached the level of an ordinary person. He was not in a hurry; the Nine Heavens Mysterious Tower had only opened its first layer. As he progressed, his fate body would continue to rise, ultimately breaking through to nine stars. Thus, he didn’t dwell on the fate body and instead directly probed his cultivation and physical state.
“Earthly Realm, Third Layer, One Thousand Jin Body.” Chu Yan felt increasingly excited. This proved he had completely shed the label of waste, having broken through two layers overnight.
Confirming his physical condition, Chu Yan stood up, determined to take a walk. After all, this would be his home, and he needed to familiarize himself with it. Unexpectedly, as soon as he stepped outside, he spotted two sneaky figures, leaving him momentarily stunned before he laughed. These two figures were none other than the guards who had stopped him yesterday!
“You two, halt!” Chu Yan shouted. The two guards were startled and immediately tried to pretend they didn’t see him and attempted to flee the scene. Chu Yan was taken aback by their attitude; hastily circling around, he smiled, “Hehe, you two knelt down yesterday—how can you not recognize your elder brother today?”
The guards looked aggrieved, with Zhao Wu glaring at Chu Yan. “How dare you say that! You, a waste, acting so grand, claiming to protect us two. Had we known you were a waste, we would never have knelt!”
“Exactly!” Zhao Liu chimed in. Hearing their words, Chu Yan couldn’t help but laugh, then coughed twice. “How do you know that I am a waste?”
“This is known throughout Tianyong City; is there any doubt?”
“Why can’t there be doubt?” Chu Yan smiled. “Let me ask you: if I were truly a waste, would Uncle Liu allow Qingcheng to marry me?”
The two frowned; it did sound somewhat reasonable. However, Zhao Wu still refused to back down. “Then why do they say you are a waste?”
“I’ll let you in on a secret: I’m not a waste at all, but rather a genius, a peerless genius. Uncle Liu is worried I might be sought after by other families and taken away as a son-in-law, so he has let others believe I’m a waste.” Chu Yan blinked innocently, spinning a tall tale.
Yet, what was most surprising was that Zhao Wu and Zhao Liu actually believed him. In truth, Chu Yan hadn’t lied; he was no longer a waste, and soon he would indeed become a genius.
Feigning a mature demeanor, Chu Yan patted the two on the shoulders. “Silly boys, since you knelt before me yesterday, just follow me in the future, and I will not treat you poorly.”
“Thank you, Young Master!” Zhao Wu and Zhao Liu pledged their allegiance to Chu Yan once more.
Just then, a commotion broke out outside the Liu residence as Qin Feng arrived with several disciples from the Qin family. The female disciples of the Liu family were instantly starstruck upon seeing Qin Feng.
“Look, it’s the third young master of the Qin family!”
“So handsome! And I hear he has exceptional talent. Sigh, if only Sister Qingcheng could marry him, the marriage between the Qin and Liu families would surely become a tale of legend in Tianyong City. What a pity that the young lady must marry that waste, Chu Yan.”
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Hearing the praises from the Liu family’s female disciples, Qin Feng’s lips curved into a smug smile. Although he could not marry Liu Qingcheng, he still felt elated by their words. “Is this what you call handsome? In that case, I’ll be the one to dazzle Tianyong City!”
Seeing Qin Feng from behind, Chu Yan grinned, then tilted his head, asking Zhao Wu and Zhao Liu, “Let me ask you, who is this guy?”
“This guy?” Zhao Wu and Zhao Liu felt awkward at the term. In Tianyong City, very few would dare refer to Qin Feng in such a manner. “Young Master, you don’t know? He is the third young master of the Qin family, having awakened a four-star fate body. He is currently being prioritized for training by the Qin family and is quite famous in Tianyong City.”
“A four-star fate body? Is that impressive?” Chu Yan smacked his lips.
“……!” Zhao Wu and Zhao Liu were at a loss for words. You, with a one-star fate body, dare to say that?
“However, Young Master, you should be cautious. This Qin San Shao has always been the number one suitor of Miss Qingcheng, and he is ruthless and unscrupulous. If you intend to marry Miss Qingcheng, he likely won’t let it go easily.”
“Why should I care about him marrying a wife?” Chu Yan scoffed dismissively, viewing Qin Feng as a minor character who posed no threat.
At that moment, Zhao Tu hurriedly walked out from the mansion and, upon seeing Qin Feng, was quite courteous. “Qin San Shao, what brings you here today?”
“Where is Qingcheng?” Qin Feng asked coldly. “I heard she is getting married, and I came specifically to offer my congratulations.”
Zhao Tu furrowed his brow. He wasn’t foolish; even though Qin Feng was Liu Qingcheng’s foremost suitor, would he really come to offer congratulations on her marriage? Thus, he was unsure whether to allow Qin Feng to meet Liu Qingcheng.
“My wife is not here; if you have something to say, please do.” Just as Zhao Tu felt at a loss, an unsightly voice cut through the air. Chu Yan, with a straw in his mouth and hands in his pockets, made his way through the crowd, with Zhao Wu and Zhao Liu following closely behind, exuding an aura that rivaled Qin Feng’s.
“Hmm, who is this?” The girls from the Liu family were taken aback at the sight of Chu Yan.
“Yeah, he’s really good-looking, even more so than the third young master of the Qin family.”
“Look closely; doesn’t he bear some resemblance to that Chu Yan?”
“Now that you mention it, he really does. By the way, he just said that Sister Qingcheng is his wife. Could he be that filthy Chu Yan from earlier?” The Liu girls gasped in astonishment.
Zhao Tu looked at Chu Yan, feeling a headache coming on. Dealing with Qin Feng was already enough trouble; now another Chu Yan had appeared? Yet, he couldn’t shake the feeling that this one was somehow different. Having spent considerable time in the Liu family, Zhao Tu had seen countless people, but now when he looked at Chu Yan, he found him somewhat inscrutable, as if radiating a unique aura, tinged with a hint of wickedness.
“Qin Shao, this is the Chu Yan I mentioned.” A disciple beside Qin Feng whispered.
Qin Feng nodded, sizing Chu Yan up, then revealing a playful smile. “So you are Qingcheng’s fiancé.”
“Indeed, I know you as well. I’ve heard you’ve been pursuing my wife, but she hasn’t agreed to you, has she? No worries, even after we marry, you can continue your pursuit. Rest assured, I won’t be jealous; after all, my wife is beautiful, and it’s only fitting that a beautiful woman has a few backup suitors.” Chu Yan smirked coldly.
“Gasp—!” The Liu family members collectively inhaled sharply, and Zhao Tu’s face stiffened. He hadn’t expected Chu Yan to begin with such a vicious insult directed at Qin Feng.
Qin Feng clenched his fists but soon relaxed. He was not the impulsive type; rather, he understood the importance of patience and striking when it mattered most. “Hehe, kid, you can rest assured that I will continue to pursue her. Just don’t be surprised when your wife ends up with me, and you find yourself with nowhere to cry.”
“Don’t worry; my wife’s eyes are not blind!”
“You…”
Qin Feng’s features twitched. At this moment, a disciple from the Qin family could no longer contain himself. “Kid, you’re so bold! We are from the Qin family; even Liu Tianfeng shows courtesy to our young master, let alone you, some unknown wild seed!”
Whoosh! Chu Yan’s eyes transformed, and the atmosphere around him became dense with tension as he turned to the Qin family disciple. “What did you just say? Say it again!”
Chu Yan’s transformation was evident, startling everyone, and even Zhao Tu looked on in surprise. He seemed to exude the aura of a born ruler.
The Qin family disciple was taken aback, but being a Qin family member, with Qin Feng beside him, he quickly steadied himself. “I said you are a wild seed! What can you do to me?”
“Slap!” As soon as the disciple spoke, Chu Yan flicked his wrist, sending a gust of wind that slapped the disciple across the face.
The force was tremendous; the disciple coughed up blood and staggered back several steps, glaring at Chu Yan with malice. “Little brat, even the Liu family doesn’t dare to offend our Qin family. How dare you hit me?”
“The Qin family? Descendants of Qin Posheng? Qin Posheng was indeed impressive, having served as the General of the Gallant Cavalry in the Long Dragon Kingdom. Thirty-six years after the kingdom’s founding, the northern barbarians launched a massive attack, and Qin Posheng single-handedly led a hundred-man team to strike deep into the enemy’s territory, claiming the enemy’s head from millions and breaking the enemy’s ranks.” Chu Yan spoke blandly.
The Qin family disciple was momentarily stunned, having no knowledge of who Qin Posheng was. All he knew was that the ancestor of the Qin family had indeed served as the General of the Gallant Cavalry, which made him puff out his chest. “What now? Are you scared?”
However, Chu Yan merely gave him a disdainful glance. “But… so what? Is that impressive? Don’t think that just because Qin Posheng is dead, he can rise from the grave and take charge of your Qin family. Ask him if he dares to touch me. Perhaps the Liu family fears you, but I, Chu Yan, am not afraid. Don’t think I won’t kill you; even if I do, the Qin family wouldn’t dare to make a sound!”
Arrogant! Chu Yan’s words left everyone in stunned silence, especially Zhao Tu, who eyed Chu Yan with a hint of suspicion. He had been curious about who Chu Yan was, someone capable of keeping the Liu family standing strong for a decade, and now he had casually mentioned the founding ancestor of the Qin family?