"Heh, I suppose you've been having some troubles in your personal life lately? And perhaps your decision to leave the military was also related to such matters?"
The phrase "strength in numbers" may hold some truth, but if we were to replace it with "the most numbers hold the most power," it might not necessarily stand.
Chen Yi disliked arguing with others, as he found the power of words too feeble in comparison to the weight of reality. No matter how eloquent or convincing one's rhetoric might be, it could never rival the force of cold, hard facts.
"How do you know that?"
Li Guangming stared at Chen Yi, his expression filled with puzzlement.
He rarely spoke of his personal affairs, especially this painful chapter of his life, which few knew about. How could Chen Yi possibly know?
From Li Guangming's punches and his style of action, Chen Yi could easily deduce that he had a military background, and not just any ordinary one. Chen Yi had friends who were former soldiers, but their skills paled in comparison to Li Guangming's.
More importantly, Chen Yi could sense a murderous aura emanating from him—a bloodthirsty energy that only those who had killed could possess.
As for why Chen Yi knew about his emotional troubles, that was revealed by his face.
"Fish-tail creases and scars near the temples foretell discord; disfigurement there bodes ill for one's spouse," Chen Yi muttered to himself. The scar between Li Guangming's left temple and the corner of his eye, coupled with its darkened hue, indicated a disturbance in his fate. His Fortune Palace and Spousal Palace also bore a similar dark tone, suggesting that his recent return from the military was likely due to a romantic entanglement.
"I'm a fortune-teller. Naturally, I can see certain things about you. It's nothing extraordinary," Chen Yi said calmly.
He had originally intended to cast a divination to gain a clearer picture, but his body had been severely drained the day before. Attempting a reading now would likely worsen his condition, so he relied solely on face-reading to glean some insights.
"Impressive. You're absolutely right," Li Guangming nodded, his tone carrying newfound respect. "It seems you truly have talent. I acted rashly and misunderstood you, brother. Please accept my apologies."
Ji Hao, caught off guard by the turn of events, hurriedly interjected, "Brother Feng, you can't believe his nonsense. He's just—"
"Shut up!" Li Guangming roared, cutting Ji Hao off mid-sentence. He had now realized that he had been used as a pawn, and his anger was palpable.
"Ji Hao, Feng Kun, I don't care what grievances you have with Brother Chen, but if you dare trouble him again from this day forward, I won't let it slide!"
"Brother Guangming, isn't that a bit much? I came to you as a friend, asking for help. If you don't want to get involved, fine, but you can't dictate what we do," Feng Kun retorted, his tone laced with discontent.
Initially, Feng Kun hadn't planned to involve anyone else. In his mind, no matter how skilled Chen Yi was, he couldn't withstand an overwhelming number of opponents. However, Ji Hao had been utterly terrified and insisted on bringing in reinforcements.
Reluctantly, Feng Kun had agreed. If he acted alone, he might have to resort to knives or guns, which could lead to serious consequences and risk exposing the secrets on his phone. But if he could use someone else—especially someone skilled in hand-to-hand combat—to subdue Chen Yi, the matter would become much simpler.
And so, with Ji Hao's persistence, they lured the recently retired Li Guangming into their scheme.
What they hadn't anticipated was that Chen Yi would actually defeat Li Guangming!
Now that their plan had fallen apart, Feng Kun dropped all pretense.
Ever since being brutally beaten by Chen Yi, Feng Kun had harbored a deep hatred for him, a desire to see him utterly destroyed. Letting Chen Yi go was out of the question, but first, he needed to retrieve his phone.
"What, you disagree with me?"
Li Guangming cracked his knuckles loudly, his gaze sweeping over the men Feng Kun and Ji Hao had brought. To him, they were utterly insignificant.
Feng Kun clapped his hands, and the seven or eight bodyguards behind him simultaneously drew sharp daggers from their waists.
"Brother Guangming, we have no intention of becoming your enemies. You can leave now. I only want to retrieve my phone and make him pay a small price."
"Heh, Feng Kun, you expect me to just walk away? Have you forgotten something?" Li Guangming sneered, unfazed by Feng Kun's threat. "You tricked me into coming here, used me as a pawn, and now you think you can brush it off without giving me an explanation?"
"This matter can be discussed later. I'll give you a satisfactory answer, but today, I must take back my phone," Feng Kun replied firmly, unwilling to back down.
"Later? I prefer to settle things face-to-face and leave no loose ends!"
"What exactly do you want?" Feng Kun demanded, his brows furrowing as his expression darkened.
Smack!
Li Guangming raised his hand and slapped Feng Kun hard across the face.
"You dare hit me?"
Feng Kun barely had time to react before—
Smack!
Another slap landed, this one so forceful that blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
"Kill him!"
Humiliated and enraged, Feng Kun lost all composure. "What are you all standing there for? Didn't you hear me? Kill him!"
Before the bodyguards could act, the cold, dark barrel of a gun was pressed against Feng Kun's forehead.
"Plenty of people want me dead, but you're not qualified to be one of them," Li Guangming said coldly.
Feng Kun froze in terror.
A gun!
How did he have a gun?
"Don't doubt what you're seeing. I've already taken enough lives; adding yours won't make a difference," Li Guangming said, his voice calm yet thunderous in Feng Kun's ears.
Even after retiring, how could he still possess a firearm? What kind of man was this?
Feng Kun had heard whispers of a group in Quancheng—men who were legally permitted to carry guns and authorized to kill under special circumstances.
"Who… who are you?" Feng Kun stammered, his voice trembling as sweat poured down his face.
Smack!
Another slap landed.
"You're not worthy of knowing who I am. Now get lost!"
Feng Kun clenched his fists tightly, his teeth grinding audibly.
He was furious—furious at being slapped, furious at being treated like a dog and told to leave.
But what could he do?
Li Guangming held a gun, its barrel pressed firmly against his head.
Feng Kun's expression shifted between fury and humiliation before he finally let out a cold snort and left with his men.
"Brother Chen, I owe you an apology. I acted recklessly and fell for the schemes of petty men," Li Guangming said sincerely after Feng Kun's departure, putting away his gun.
Chen Yi didn't hold it against him. Feng Kun and Ji Hao were clearly the culprits, and Li Guangming, fresh out of the military, still carried the straightforward decisiveness of a soldier. It was only natural that he had been deceived.
"It's fine. Ignorance is no crime. If there's nothing else, I'll be on my way—I have matters to attend to," Chen Yi said, not wanting to linger any longer. The earlier fight had left his qi and blood churning uncomfortably.
"Are you sure you won't reconsider? With your skills, you'd do far better in the military than I ever did. In just a few years, you could easily surpass me," Li Guangming persisted, unwilling to give up on such a rare talent.
"Thanks, but no thanks, Brother Guangming. I'm used to my freedom and don't take well to discipline. I appreciate the thought, though."
Chen Yi had no interest in joining the military. Why trade his current carefree life for the rigid confines of a barracks? Besides, he already had a policewoman by his side and a flirtatious overseas beauty at home. Life was good—why give it up for hardship?
Moreover, enlisting would mean becoming a soldier of the people. How could he continue his lucrative feng shui business, swindling wealthy clients? And what about the orphanage? He couldn't bear to see the children there suffer as he once had, lacking resources and opportunities.
"Alright, if you're not interested, I won't push it," Li Guangming said, his disappointment evident. But he respected Chen Yi's choice.
"Brother Chen, is someone in your family unwell? If so, I can help you arrange for hospital care—it's the least I can do to make up for my mistake."
Seeing Chen Yi pick up the herbal medicine he had dropped earlier, Li Guangming assumed it was for a sick family member and offered his assistance.
Chen Yi smiled wryly. Li Guangming truly had a kind heart—no wonder he had been duped by Feng Kun and Ji Hao. In a world where money ruled, being a good person was increasingly rare.
"No, you've misunderstood. The medicine is for me—I've been feeling unwell."
"For you?" Li Guangming looked at him incredulously. How could someone who had just bested him in combat claim to be unwell? The world suddenly felt surreal.
"Heh, I overexerted myself during training yesterday and coughed up some blood. I'm just buying some supplements to recover," Chen Yi explained.
Li Guangming stared at him as though he were some kind of monster.