As the afterglow of the setting sun spread across half the sky, the whole of Qingzhou, busy for the entire day, began to slowly settle into rest.
Chen Yuan, carrying two bags in his hands, walked on the way home, filled with ingredients he planned to cook a nourishing meal for the little girl, out of gratitude for her care over this long period.
Soon, Chen Yuan arrived outside his small courtyard and saw Wang Zhilin helping her grandpa pack up the vegetable stand.
"Brother Chen, you're back. Did you get accustomed to work today?" The little girl knew it was Chen Yuan's first day at work and was genuinely happy for his change from the bottom of her heart.
Although the little girl was slightly astonished when she found out Chen Yuan worked at a hospital, she had not expected that Chen Yuan also had medical skills.
"I am your Brother Chen, how could I not be accustomed?" Chen Yuan looked at the little girl, affectionately patted her head, "Haven't eaten yet, right? Don't bother cooking tonight, come in quickly and eat."
Wang Zhilin, somewhat puzzled, took the two bags from Chen Yuan's hands, peeked inside, and was instantly startled, "Brother Chen, it's your first day at work, where did you get so much money? These things are quite expensive."
"This is nothing, in the future, whatever you want to eat, I will buy it for you," Chen Yuan said softly.
Upon hearing this, the little girl felt warmth in her heart but still spoke up:
"Brother Chen should not waste money in the future, I'm not used to eating these things, and just starting work, you shouldn't squander money."
Chen Yuan smiled and nodded, casually pushing the tricycle into the courtyard. He originally thought about going to his room, but remembering that his room had nothing more than a wooden bed, the three of them started to have dinner in Wang Zhilin's room.
Not long after they began eating, a series of cursing and shouting came from outside the courtyard.
"Chen surname kid, come out, today is your death day!"
"Dammit, if I don't cripple you today, I'll take your surname!"
The three inside exchanged a glance when they heard this; the little girl pushed the door open and peeked outside, her little face suddenly showing panic:
"Not good, those people have come again."
Hearing the noise outside, Chen Yuan maintained an indifferent expression, lightly sipping his water before standing up and saying, "I'll go take a look, you guys continue eating."
"Brother Chen, you can't go out, there are so many of them, and they're armed," Wang Zhilin's tender little hand clutched at the corner of Chen Yuan's clothes, her eyes filled with pleading and panic, "I'm going to call the police right now, Brother Chen, you better find a place to hide quickly."
"Yes, little brother Chen, you better hide, once people come, they won't dare do anything," Uncle Wang also spoke up.
The little girl, upon saying this, was about to push Chen Yuan towards the inner room.
Chen Yuan stood his ground, didn't move, and smiled gently, "It's nothing."
The landlady, upon hearing the shouting outside, also opened her door.
Chen Yuan stepped out of the house with a calm expression and walked towards Lin Rong and the others.
Seeing Chen Yuan come forward, Lin Rong's eyes revealed a hint of malice, "Kid, you're dead today! If you kneel and beg for mercy and crawl under my crotch, maybe I'll feel generous and go easy on you, not crippling you."
Chen Yuan smiled faintly, "What, didn't get enough last time?"
Lin Rong heard this, remembered how he was kicked away by Chen Yuan a few days ago, and still felt a dull pain in his chest. He instinctively stepped back, looked at the people behind him, and suddenly got a surge of confidence.
No matter how good you can fight, can you beat over a dozen armed men?
"Hehe, kid, on your deathbed and still so tough. Let me tell you, today no one can save you! My brother is also on his way, just wait for your death!" Lin Rong sneered sinisterly.
The landlady and the little girl heard Lin Rong's mention of his brother and their expressions changed.
Wang Zhilin, having grown up here, naturally knew of the powerful backing behind Lin Rong and showed a face full of worry, her dewy eyes misting over as if she was about to cry.
In the midst of this conversation, another commotion came from outside the courtyard.
Lin Rong turned his head to look, and as a burly man with a few underlings entered the gate, he immediately bowed and ran to the sturdy man, ingratiatingly said, "Bro, you're here."
The burly man entered and strode toward Chen Yuan.
A hint of triumph flashed in Lin Rong's eyes, as if he had already seen Chen Yuan beaten crippled.
The next moment, Yang Lin clasped his hands in a greeting, speaking to Chen Yuan obsequiously:
"Mr. Chen, what brings you here, such a coincidence."
The person who entered was none other than Yang Lin, the one who had made a bet with Chen Yuan in the medicine market.
"Bro, what are you doing? This is the kid that needs to be dealt with," Lin Rong, seeing Yang Lin greet Chen Yuan respectfully upon entering, rubbed his eyes in confusion.
"Well, it's quite the coincidence, just a few days and here you are, ready to clean my clock again," Chen Yuan said with an amused smile upon seeing Yang Lin.
Yang Lin turned red with embarrassment the moment he heard that, thinking he was incredibly unlucky.
He hadn't taken it seriously when he heard a few days ago that his cousin had been bullied.
After being humiliated by Chen Yuan at the black market, his anger was far from quelled. He was scolded by his own uncle, who instructed that in the future, upon meeting Chen Yuan, he must ingratiate himself and not offend, for no other reason than the fact that Chen Yuan was Elder Fu's man from Jishi Hall.
Though Jishi Hall was just a hospital, the connections behind it were immense. Wealthy tycoons in Lingnan Province had more or less some relations with Jishi Hall. Under such circumstances, who would want to offend someone from Jishi Hall, let alone someone favored by Dean Fu?
That's exactly why he had been holding his breath, aiming to help his cousin get revenge today and alleviate his frustration.
Who would have thought that the very same person who had beaten up his cousin was Chen Yuan.
"Oh no, no, Mr. Chen, you really do have a sense of humor, haha," Yang Lin said while wiping sweat from his forehead, his face sporting an apologetic smile.
He then turned around, slapped Lin Rong on the head, and shouted angrily, "You good-for-nothing, how dare you offend Mr. Chen! Hurry up and apologize!"
Chen Yuan watched this scene unfold before him and couldn't help but recall Zhang Bojun's slap to Yang Lin at the black market, which he found rather amusing.
Lin Rong, smarting from the slap, suddenly regained his wits. Although he was a failure in life, he did have some street smarts; he quickly realized the young man before him was someone even his brother had to suck up to.
"Brother, Brother Chen, Mr. Chen, you are a magnanimous person, please don't stoop to my level," Lin Rong's expression changed instantly from fierceness to a fawning obsequiousness.
Without waiting for Chen Yuan to respond, he then patted his chest and shouted, "From now on, whatever you need, just command me. Your business is my business; I'll be your loyal follower from now on."
Lin Rong was quick to speak, as he usually relied on Yang Lin. Now, seeing Yang Lin so courteous toward Chen Yuan, he immediately decided to switch his allegiance.
Yang Lin did not expect Lin Rong to switch sides so quickly. He was taken aback for a moment, then cursed inwardly – I haven't even started sucking up, and you're already clinging on?
"Mr. Chen, my brother means what I mean. Whatever you command in the future, just let me know, alright?" Yang Lin recovered and said eagerly, wiping his hands to show his willingness to please.
The onlookers who saw two muscular brutes in such a sycophantic manner were utterly bemused.
Were these the same tough guys who would start a fight over anything?
What the hell was going on, wasn't Chen Yuan supposed to be the one getting beaten and begging for mercy?
Even the dozen or so men behind Lin Rong were confused and exchanged awkward looks.
What the hell is this, weren't we supposed to fight?
Why does it feel like they're recognizing a big brother?
Wang Zhilin was also stunned at this turn of events. She had not expected Lin Rong to invite a 'big shot' who would end up sucking up to Chen Yuan.
Her bright eyes looked at Chen Yuan, who remained calm and collected in the courtyard, feeling as though the Chen Yuan she knew was becoming a stranger to her and that he was surrounded by too many mysteries she didn't understand.
You don't hit someone who is smiling at you, and Chen Yuan didn't want to fuss over trivialities with these ordinary people, either. After declining their offer to eat together and exchanging a few words with Wang Zhilin and the others, he walked away with his hands clasped behind his back, leaving only a cool silhouette as he turned and entered the room.
...
After Chen Yuan entered the room and cultivated for a while, night had fallen.
He set up an Isolation Array and took out the Jade Pendant with the Pixiu carved on it, planning to start the crafting process.
"I didn't expect to find something like this on Earth, a place nearly devoid of Spiritual Energy, enough to create a prototype of a 'magical treasure,'" Chen Yuan smiled genuinely. Once he successfully refined the jade, he would no longer need to fear ordinary firearms.
He was only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment and still mortal. If hit by a bullet, he likely faced mortal danger.
Thinking this, Chen Yuan activated the Magic Formulas, summoning a white flame around the Jade Pendant to begin the burning process.
Before long, the Jade Pendant emitted a series of crackling noises in the true fire, shedding the outer layer carved with the Pixiu, revealing a luminescent and colorful piece of jade smaller than a baby's palm.
He then concentrated his spiritual power, and the air in the room seemed to freeze. Fine golden runes, invisible to the naked eye, appeared on the Jade Pendant.
Moments later, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked at the Jade Pendant in his hand, shining with a soft luster, satisfied with a smile.
"It's finally done."
Chen Yuan was only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment and had not yet developed Divine Sense, because, in addition to a rudimentary version of the protector's array carved inside and out, he had also inscribed an incomplete version of the Heavenly Consciousness Array inside.
Though incomplete, the Heavenly Consciousness Array allowed him to sense everything within a fifty-meter radius. And for those with weak mental willpower, by activating the corresponding Magic Formulas, he could even penetrate their Divine Sense and explore their thoughts.
Chen Yuan, content with the Jade Pendant, wore it and settled down to continue his cultivation.
...