Chapter 22: Yi Han’s Revenge—The First Attempt Part II
Yi Han sneaked out of the abandoned building Lao Lao used for training after showering and dressing. He could not wait to take revenge on Bai Zhe any longer. The boy did not realise that his senior was following him at a distance.
Bai Zhe’s School
Bai Zhe had an appointment with Xi Lua after school. He quickly walked out of his school to call a taxi to head to Xi Lua’s office.
“There’s probably been an accident. Cars won’t be able to move for a bit,” said the taxi driver.
“It happens that I have an appointment, too.” Bai Zhe was quite worried about using the technique these days because of all the press trying to find out who he was. Also, he had to beware of other martial artists.
“Shall we use the path along the mountain? Even though it’s a dirt road and few cars use it, the exit is near the Xi Lua Real Estate Company, your destination,” the driver suggested.
“All right. Then, let’s do that. I will increase your fare to serve as the car washing fee,” Bai Zhe said, agreeing with the suggestion.
The taxi driver was driving along the mountain when he saw a boy around 15 years of age standing in the middle of the road. The taxi driver had to hit the brakes.
“Boy, get out of the way right now! I need to drop my passenger off. I don’t have time for you,” the driver shouted, trying to get rid of the boy. However, the boy slammed his fist down onto the bonnet of the car. The bonnet was destroyed in front of the driver's eyes.
“I have something to resolve with your passenger. Do me a favour and get lost. And don’t look back. Or else, I will kill you,” said the boy coldly. Fearfully, the driver turned back and ran away, completely uncaring about Bai Zhe, who was still sitting in the backseat.
“Too scared to move, coward?” The boy used his foot which was boosted by qi power to kick the taxi. It flew off and crashed against a cliff so hard that it was destroyed, and then exploded in the blink of an eye.
“Yi Han, I never thought that you were this vengeful.”
Bai Zhe’s voice sounded from behind Yi Han, taking the boy by surprise. He turned to stare at Bai Zhe.
From a large distance away, Yi Han’s senior was shocked because when Yi Han kicked the car and it hit the cliff and exploded, he saw Bai Zhe still sitting in the backseat. Then, the boy came out of nowhere like a ghost to stand behind Yi Han. He believed that this ‘Bai Zhe’ boy was a warlock.
‘That boy named Bai Zhe must be a warlock. There is no way a martial artist can move that fast. Is this some sort of teleport magic?’ Yi Han’s senior was scared at first. However, when he thought about the teleport he had seen in games and the novels he had read, he was excited instead.
“You...how did you get here? I saw that you were in the car until it exploded in front of me.” Yi Han was shocked. He recalled Lao Lao’s warning.
“Tell me your business. I am in a hurry,” Bai Zhe answered curtly, looking at the time on his wristwatch.
“In short—die!” Yi Han immediately attacked Bai Zhe. Instead of dodging the attack like Lao Lao, Bai Zhe stood still, which delighted Yi Han. Yi Han threw his qi-enhanced fist with all his might, aiming it at Bai Zhe's stomach with the intention of punching through it. At that moment, Bai Zhe uttered a phrase: ‘calm like Bodhisattva.’ He lifted both hands into the gesture of the Buddha pacifying the ocean.
Crush! Crack!
“Ouch!” Yi Han cried out in pain. The sound of the bones breaking in his hand was loud enough for his senior who was far off to hear.
At the moment Yi Han’s fist was about to hit him, Bai Zhe swiftly controlled his qi, sending all his strength to reinforce the point of impact. When Yi Han’s fist made contact, the force was thus bounced back to him, because Bai Zhe’s defense was stronger.
Bai Zhe stopped the qi, he was taking only a split second to do so that even Yi Han’s senior and even Yi Han himself could not sense his qi.
The ‘Calm like Bodhisattva’ was a technique that Tai Si Kong had taught him. It was a trick for defense and counterattack. It was a gathering of all the qi together in one spot. As a result, the person who attacked would receive the damage he meant to cause. This technique had originated from Tai Si Kong, who had never harmed anyone, He kept to his vows and was a lone wolf. Thus, among martial artists, he had been given the alias ‘the Living Bodhisattva’. The ‘Calm like Bodhisattva’ technique was also regarded as the strongest defense technique in the land.
“T…this is nuts. My punch was strengthened by qi. It could even destroy a car easily. How can you still be all right?” Yi Han was in a panic. He looked over at Bai Zhe and wondered if this was really Bai Zhe, the weakling whom he had regularly bullied.
“Are you also a martial artist?” Yi Han said.
Bai Zhe smiled before vanishing and appearing again in front of Yi Han. His hands were not in fists. Instead, his hand looked as if it was preparing to flick something.
Crack. Clunk. Thump.
These were the sounds of Bai Zhe's fingers flicking Yi Han’s forehead. His body flew away like a kite that had had its line cut. Yi Han hit the cliff and slumped next to the wrecked taxi.
“Yi Han has lost consciousness. I’m in a hurry. If you want to fight, I ask that you bring it on.” Bai Zhe suddenly appeared behind Yi Han’s senior who was about 100 metres away from Yi Han. Bai Zhe’s appearance made him freeze. Cold sweat broke out on his back. The senior decided to draw the sword that had been hanging around his waist and swing it toward Bai Zhe.
Snick.
His sword stopped moving. Yi Han’s senior was even more stunned when he saw Bai Zhe use the middle and index fingers of just one hand, which were shining slightly, to hold onto his sword in a highly relaxed manner. It was looking like an adult playing with a little child. Furthermore, the senior could not sense his qi. The only thing he could think was that the other person was some sort of magic user.
“Tiger Eyes.” Bai Zhe opened his eyes wide as a light shone out of them. The senior hallucinated that he saw himself standing in front of a gigantic white tiger. It opened its mouth and ate him in one bite.
“Ahh!” A scream sounded, along with urine and feces being expelled into his pants. Yi Han’s senior slumped to the ground, his eyes revealing his fear. After he saw him in that state, Bai Zhe used his transport trick to leave the area and head toward Xi Lua’s company immediately.
Chapter 23: Chen Feng’s Invitation Part I
After leaving Yi Han and the senior, Bai Zhe used the floating technique to hop along branches and rocks that lined the road. The boy was thinking about something.
‘Who taught Yi Han to use qi? And who’s the guy who was observing us from afar? Based on his qi and his skill, he could not be Yi Han’s teacher,’ thought Bai Zhe. The appearance of the artists and Yi Han who was trained to use qi power confirmed to him that there were still martial artists living in this world. They were merely in hiding, preventing normal people from knowing of their existence. The thing Bai Zhe was most worried about was Yi Han’s teacher, who had taught him to use qi power.
If this had been him of the past, he would not have to think about fighting with others. But he had only the heart qi at this moment. He feared he could not handle the other party if they were to face off for a fight.
‘I need to find a way out of this as fast as possible. Let’s start with finding their hideout so I can gather information first,’ thought Bai Zhe.
Before Bai Zhe left the two, he brought out a spying bug. It was a beast that could be trained. He had it enter the brain of the boy who had observed him and Yi Han. The spying bug could live inside a brain and function like this world’s video cameras.
Bai Zhe could check on it and use this qi to order it to come back, showing him everything it had recorded.
He took a short time to arrive at Xi Lua’s company, soaking with sweat. He took off his suit jacket immediately when he entered the building, revealing the soaking white shirt that clung to his body. It made the female staff’s cheeks heat up when they saw the boy.
Bai Zhe walked to the reception counter before the receptionist guided him to the VIP lift. She keyed in the password, then hurriedly left him, sporting red ears.
In front of Xi Lua’s Office
Bai Zhe walked out of the lift and greeted Xi Lua’s assistant, who was sitting in front of the office. She called Xi Lua to inform him of the boy’s arrival.
“Oh Xiao Zhe, why are you sweating so badly?” asked Xi Lua when he came out of his office to see Bai Zhe covered in sweat.
“There was an accident on the main road. I was afraid that I would be late, so I ran,” answered Bai Zhe.
“But you cannot go looking like this. Hmm…let me help you,” said Xi Lua, using his smartphone to call someone.
After a few moments, a man walked out of the VIP lift. Bai Zhe noted that this man was well-dressed, and his hair looked very stylish.
“He is Xi Mo’s stylist. Xi Mo is abroad now. He is available, so I called him to take care of your hair and clothes. You go take a shower. I will have him prepare clothes for you,” said Xi Lua.
The stylist nimbly measured the boy's body before going downstairs by the lift to prepare the boy’s clothes. Bai Zhe used the shower in Xi Lua’s private room. He put on the clothes that had been prepared for him by the stylist and then had his hair styled.
“Don’t I have to wear makeup?” he questioned because he noticed that men wore makeup to cover up what were known as pimples, blemishes, and freckles on their faces.
Of course, when he met Xi Mo, he saw that Xi Mo was wearing makeup as well. No matter how smoothly the foundation was applied, Bai Zhe was still able to see the powder granules at a 5K Ultra HD level of clarity.
“For skin like yours, you don’t have to. I have never seen someone with such smooth skin before. Your skin is very good,” answered the stylist.
A long while later
“Sorry for keeping you waiting. It’s already past the scheduled appointment time.” Bai Zhe came out wearing a sapphire blue shirt with a classy black tie. A marble grey suit covered his body. Polished leather shoes were on his feet.
“That’s all right. I’d already called my friend to tell them we are going to be a little bit late.” Xi Lua was satisfied. Though the boy was not his biological grandson like Xi Mo, he loved and felt affection toward Bai Zhe, as if the boy was truly his grandchild. He felt strange about it but assumed that it was because Bai Zhe was a talented, humble, grateful, and honest boy. That was the reason why he wanted to support this boy.
Xi Lua and Bai Zhe used the lift to go downstairs to their car. While they were walking to the vehicle that was parked at the front of the building, the female staff members who saw the boy sporting this new look each felt their faces heat instantly before many of them felt dizzy and fainted.
In the car
After the two got in, the driver took off immediately. Xi Lua brought out his phone to contact Wu Jia.
“Wu Jia, the master and I are on our way. We’ll arrive there soon,” he said and hung up the phone immediately.
‘I really want to know if he is going to be shocked when he meets the actual master who created those art pieces.’ Xi Lua smiled, trying to hold back his laughter.
“You did not tell him that I am just a 15-year-old boy?” asked Bai Zhe. Xi Lua's manner was exactly like that when he was trying to prank someone.
“Hahaha, I wouldn’t get to see his face when he meets you if I told him.” Xi Lua laughed heartily while Bai Zhe had a resigned smile on his face.
Xan Long Publishing Company
Since the morning, Wu Jia had been busy organizing a room to welcome the master whom he respected due to the paintings that had been promoted to be national treasures. He even posted [the lounge for welcoming the master] on the calligraphy painting enthusiast club’s website.
People went crazy on the website not long afterwards. Many people who had not gone to Xi Lua’s exhibition were regretful that they had missed the chance to meet the master who had created the priceless paintings. They wanted to come to Wu Jia’s publishing company to meet the master. Wu Jia did not deny their request because the club members were powerful people from many fields. If he refused, he might get into trouble later.
“Mr. Wu, Mr. Qian Mo, and Mr. Chen Feng have arrived,” Wu Jia’s assistant hurriedly reported the two’s arrival.
“Take them to the lounge first. I will go and wait for Xi Lua in front,” Wu Jia told his secretary before walking to the front of the building.
A black car drove in, and Wu Jia recognized immediately that it belonged to Xi Lua. The car slowed down and pulled up to the front of the publisher’s building.
Xi Lua got out of the car. He was wearing a classy black suit. Even though he was of an advanced age, he still looked attractive and dignified. Bai Zhe followed closely behind the old man and became the centre of everyone’s attention immediately.
Wu Jia looked at the boy who had gotten out of the car after Xi Lua. Just seeing him started to give him cognitive dissonance. In front of him was a boy with good looks, that, when combined with his fashion, made it seem like there was a light shining from him. This made Wu Jia unable to take his eyes off the boy. However, the refined and distinguished aura around the boy that he sensed contrasted strongly with the boy’s age.
It was not only Wu Jia; even Qian Mo and Chen Feng who had met the boy before, were amazed at the aura that Bai Zhe was radiating. They felt that the boy looked even more august than the last time they had met.
“Xi Lua, don’t tell me that this young boy is…” whispered Wu Jia to Xi Lua. He knew the answer after his friend nodded.
“Let me introduce you to Master Bai or Bai Zhe. He’s now my adopted grandson. The artist of the calligraphy paintings ‘Bai Hu Tian Di’ and ‘Tai Si Kong’, as well as the writer of the novel that has been purchased by Xan Long Publishing, the sales contract for which will be signed today. The boy whom people call the master of calligraphy paintings,” Xi Lua said, introducing Bai Zhe to Wu Jia and members of the calligraphy painting enthusiast club.
“It’s an honour to meet you all.” Bai Zhe folded his hands and bowed to show his respects while all of the elder people’s jaws dropped. They had never thought that the artist of such works would be a 15-year-old boy. The reason why people did not know that the master was just fifteen was that Xi Lua had asked the exhibition guests not to reveal the boy’s age.
“Son, um, Master Bai, it’s an honour to meet you, too,” some of them said, still not quite finding the right words. Some still did not believe it, so they still looked at the boy to catch his lie. Some felt resentful. When they saw Bai Zhe, they thought about their younger selves that had not been as talented as this or possessed a face that would have made girls fall for them.
The faces of some female members who were in their 40s and 50s turned red. They felt like they had gone back to the time when they were young women after they had not felt any excitement from meeting a young man for a long time. If they had been in their thirties, they would not have hesitated to fight over him with others.
“Hmm, Master Bai, please come inside. I will get the contract for you to read.”
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