Luo Ren nodded, saying, "Good, it's already great that three masters can come." He paused and continued, "For these three days, I need to meditate and purify myself. Don't disturb me."
Duyan said, "Yes, Brother." Then he asked, "Brother, do you have confidence in defeating Chen Yang?"
Luo Ren replied, "Chen Yang is an absolute formidable opponent. Our decisive battle will depend on factors like timing, location, and circumstances. As of now, I'd say our chances are fifty-fifty."
Duyan paled, never expecting Chen Yang to be so formidable.
"Go now," Luo Ren said afterward.
Duyan then let Qi Qiaoqiao put down the vegetarian meal as they respectfully withdrew.
This time, Duyan had deceived Luo Ren into coming. Upon Luo Ren's arrival, Duyan told a partial truth, saying Chen Yang had threatened and insulted him.
Luo Ren felt obligated to stand up for his brother disciple since he was already here.
No matter how disapproving Luo Ren was of Duyan, they were still fellow disciples. Sworn brothers had to support each other.
For comrades, classmates, and fellow disciples, such bonds were something outsiders couldn't understand. At critical moments, there was no distinction between public and private – you had to help your own.
Chen Yang went to take a shower first, then put on boxer shorts and a plain white T-shirt to sleep.
His outfit was very simple, just some cheap street apparel costing a few dozen yuan.
This guy really didn't care about his personal appearance at all.
It wasn't hard to understand why Chen Yang didn't bother with his looks. He had no intention of dressing up to impress women. He didn't care what others thought of him, so he just did whatever was comfortable.
As Chen Yang was about to sleep, he suddenly heard a faint sound of braking from outside.
Chen Yang sat up, knowing someone had come to see him without needing to be told.
It was his instinct.
Then, a knock sounded at the door.
Chen Yang wondered who it could be as the voice outside called out, "Chen Yang, it's me."
It was Mu Jing's voice, surprisingly.
Without a doubt, Mu Jing had investigated Chen Yang, so she was well-informed about his activities.
Chen Yang couldn't help but wonder what this woman wanted with him.
He got up and opened the door.
As soon as the door opened, Chen Yang saw the elegant Mu Jing standing there. She was wearing a white tracksuit with her hair tied back, looking very fresh.
Chen Yang's gaze couldn't help but sweep over her ample bust protruding beneath her white tracksuit.
Mu Jing frowned slightly and said, "I know what kind of person you are, so drop that lecherous look."
Chen Yang felt sheepish and simply said, "What brings you here so late? We're not close."
Mu Jing replied, "Let's chat."
"If it's about love and romance, I'm interested," Chen Yang said.
Mu Jing felt exasperated and said, "Get in the car with me. I'll treat you to a drink."
Chen Yang said, "It's too late. I'm afraid you'll take advantage of me after getting me drunk."
Mu Jing sensed Chen Yang's reluctance, understanding that he disliked others knowing too much about him. Once someone knew him, he didn't want further contact.
Mu Jing then said, "The one challenging you to a duel is Luo Ren. You should learn more about Duyan, Luo Ren, and those people. Otherwise, you'll face endless troubles."
Chen Yang pondered for a moment before saying, "Alright, I'll go with you."
Mu Jing had arrived in a Porsche. She approached the car door and tossed Chen Yang the keys, saying, "You drive."
Chen Yang caught the keys and nodded. After they got in the car, Chen Yang started it smoothly and drove off quickly.
"Figured anything out yet?" Chen Yang suddenly asked.
He knew Mu Jing's intention in having him drive was to probe his background.
"You drive very well," Mu Jing said with a faint smile.
Chen Yang said, "You don't need to rack your brain trying to guess what I used to do. I can tell you – I used to be a mercenary, taking money for jobs."
Mu Jing said, "With your skills, you couldn't have been an unknown in the mercenary world. Tell me more, perhaps I've heard of you."
Chen Yang chuckled and said, "It seems I haven't asked you anything. That's not a good habit of yours."
Seeing Chen Yang's unwillingness to share, Mu Jing didn't press further.
Chen Yang took Mu Jing to a bar street by the sea.
They casually entered a bar that featured live performances, with heavy metal music thumping wildly as men and women danced like possessed beings on the dance floor.
Chen Yang felt his blood boiling, tempted to join the fray and take some liberties. But with Mu Jing present, he felt a bit shy.
They found a corner spot and sat down. Mu Jing ordered a Mirage Cocktail while Chen Yang opted for an iced beer.
Chen Yang's gaze kept wandering to other beautiful women, occasionally blowing a kiss, but his shabby attire meant the ladies paid him no mind.
Soon, their drinks arrived. Mu Jing said, "Let's toast."
Chen Yang raised his glass.
Afterward, Mu Jing said, "From what I know, Luo Ren has been meditating and purifying himself recently. He places great importance on this duel with you. But you don't seem too concerned – do you think you'll definitely win?"
Chen Yang took a big gulp of beer, grinned, and said, "I've never lost. Do you believe me?"
Mu Jing smiled wryly and said, "I do." Then she continued, "However, Luo Ren's cultivation is indeed formidable. He's the most outstanding among the secular disciples of the Heng generation at Shaolin."
Chen Yang said, "I figured Duyan had some connection to Shaolin Temple. I didn't expect him to actually be a secular disciple. Isn't Shaolin preparing to go public? How can they not keep these secular disciples in check?"
Mu Jing smiled faintly and said, "Shaolin intentionally accepts some talented individuals from good family backgrounds as secular disciples. These disciples form Shaolin's network and are a means for them. These secular disciples have already grown significantly in scale. Even if you defeat Luo Ren, the others will come after you."
Chen Yang felt a headache coming on and said, "But if Luo Ren is the most outstanding, and I beat him, what can the others do?"
Mu Jing said, "You're mistaken. I said Luo Ren is the most outstanding of the Heng generation disciples. There are still the Yan generation above them and the Yong generation above that."
"Damn!" Chen Yang couldn't help but curse. The Yong generation was no joke – the current Abbot Shi Yongxin belonged to it.
Despite the curse, Chen Yang's mind remained clear. After a moment's contemplation, he said, "I didn't initiate this conflict. Luo Ren came to me, so I have no choice but to fight. No matter how formidable these Shaolin secular disciples are, since he's already here, I'll have to cross swords with him. If they truly become unreasonable later, I'll show them my capabilities."
Mu Jing smiled faintly and said, "The reason I'm telling you this is to remind you not to underestimate Shaolin Temple. Your strength alone will be difficult to contend with them. In three days, during the decisive battle, Luo Ren has invited many witnesses who are renowned masters in the martial arts world. You can clarify matters with them before the duel – no matter the outcome, you won't accept further challenges from Shaolin disciples, and they can't seek revenge against you."
Chen Yang's eyes lit up. Since Luo Ren and the others were Shaolin secular disciples acting under Shaolin's name, they had to protect their reputation. This solution was indeed feasible.
"Why?" Chen Yang looked at Mu Jing and asked, "Why are you helping me?"
Mu Jing smiled faintly and replied, "I'm a businesswoman. Isn't it normal for businesspeople to be opportunistic?"
Chen Yang said, "But this doesn't seem like a profitable deal for you. Once I defeat Luo Ren, all those Shaolin secular disciples will resent me. If you get close to me, won't they hold a grudge against you too?"
Mu Jing turned serious and said, "There's no deep reason, money and wealth are external to me. You intrigue me, it's that simple."
Chen Yang proactively raised his glass and said, "Cheers!"
After finishing their drinks, Chen Yang bid farewell to Mu Jing. As he was leaving, Chen Yang did something that left Mu Jing speechless again. He said, "You're the one who said you'd treat me to drinks, so you have to pay the bill!"
Mu Jing smiled wryly.
Chen Yang left the bar and took a taxi back home.
The next morning, Chen Yang didn't have a car to drive Su Qing to work. At this point, he didn't feel comfortable going to the Yadi Company to take that car. He wouldn't go to Yadi until after the decisive battle.
However, even without a car, Chen Yang still insisted on escorting Su Qing to work by taking public transportation with her. He protected Su Qing well on the crowded bus, but of course, he didn't take any liberties with her either.
With him as her chaperone, no one dared to make any unwanted advances.
After seeing Su Qing to the mobile phone store where she worked, Chen Yang said, "Qing-jie, I'll come pick you up after work."
Su Qing looked slightly taken aback, then her face reddened a bit, but she didn't say anything further, essentially accepting his offer.
Seeing her reaction, Chen Yang was even more delighted, feeling that his relationship with Su Qing had progressed significantly.
However, not having a car was still inconvenient. Soon after, Chen Yang went to a used car market and bought a well-maintained Charade car for 80,000 yuan, including the license plate transfer fees. The money, of course, came from the card Lin Qingxue had given him. Chen Yang spent it without any guilt since it was his hard-earned income!
After completing this task, Chen Yang took his Charade out for a spin. Though not as impressive as a BMW, it was still his own car, which felt great.
Afterward, Chen Yang went to buy a new set of cookware and groceries.
He prepared the ingredients and so on.
By the time everything was ready, it was already 5 PM.
The vegetables were all chopped, and the rice was cooked. He had even bought a small refrigerator.
He was quite the savvy spender – the 100,000 yuan dwindled quickly, but he didn't feel the slightest reluctance in spending it.
With all that done, Chen Yang drove his Charade to pick Su Qing up from work.
Upon seeing Chen Yang driving a car, Su Qing was surprised and asked, "This car?"
Chen Yang grinned and said, "Qing-jie, I bought this from the used car market. From now on, this will be our car."