Chapter 31: The Old Man and Qiao Liu
Chapter 31: The Old Man and Qiao Liu
Yang Qi stopped his movements and said politely, “Old sir, we were just practicing for fun.”
“That’s not what it seems.”
The old man shook his head, walked closer a few steps, narrowed his eyes slightly, and looked Yang Qi and Zhou Mi over again. His gaze lingered on Zhou Mi for a moment before turning to Yang Qi. He said, “That young man has changed a lot.”
Hearing this, Yang Qi felt a slight surprise. Zhou Mi had indeed undergone obvious changes after taking the Muscle Enhancement Potion yesterday. But to have been noticed just like that, this old man’s eyes were not simple.
Just as Yang Qi was about to speak, the old man suddenly took two steady steps toward him. He reached out a hand, his fingers spread loosely, his palm slightly cupped upward before pressing down to grab at Yang Qi’s arm. Seeing this, Yang Qi frowned slightly and shuffled his feet back two steps, dodging the grab.
“Young man, not a slow reaction.”
Seeing this, the old man chuckled. He then took another quick step, pressing toward Yang Qi, changing his palm into a claw, still aiming to grab Yang Qi’s arm.
This time Yang Qi did not retreat. He simply stood his ground and let the old man grab him, not knowing what the old man intended to do.
From his steps and moves, the old man was not an ordinary person. He was definitely not comparable to those who practiced Tai Chi or other flashy but ineffective styles. Although he was at least seventy years old, his body was extremely agile. Those two grabs looked plain and unremarkable, with no fancy movements, yet they were the most simplified, direct, simple, and practical.
The old man caught Yang Qi’s arm. Seeing that Yang Qi did not avoid it, his hand slid down Yang Qi’s arm to his wrist. During this process, it seemed as if he was stroking it. Then he looked at Yang Qi with a half-smile and said, “Young man, are you looking down on this old man because he’s aged, so you don’t deign to spar with him?”
“Though old, sir, your spirit is vigorous.” Yang Qi said, “It’s just that what I practice is brute strength. I don’t understand sparring.”
“Young man, you are too modest. To refine force into your meridians at such a young age is not something an ordinary person can achieve.” The old man looked at Yang Qi, stroked his white beard, and said with a confident and self-satisfied smile.
“Old sir, I don’t know what you’re talking about. In any case, I won’t fight you.” Yang Qi waved his hand and said. Deep down, however, he was slightly surprised. He didn’t know what refining force into meridians meant, but he had just strengthened his bloodline. He wondered if this was related to the old man stroking his arm just now.
“Young man, there’s no need to hide it. Though this old man is getting on in years, my skill in listening to force hasn’t declined.” The old man said, “Moreover, I’ve been watching you for several days. What you’re practicing isn’t random training; it’s a body-refining technique. This old man still has that much discerning eye.”
“Regardless, I will not fight an elder.”
Yang Qi firmly refused. However, he had no choice but to end his training. He said something to Zhou Mi, who stood by looking awkward, and the two of them walked out of the park.
The old man was very strange. Yang Qi naturally didn’t want to attract attention. Once out of the park, he told Zhou Mi that starting tomorrow they would change locations and asked Zhou Mi to find a relatively spacious and hidden spot nearby.
Seeing Yang Qi leave just like that, the white-bearded old man gave a bitter smile to himself and muttered, “This old fool got too excited and eager when he saw something interesting, not knowing if he scared the little fellow. However, to have such skill at such a young age, this little fellow is also not simple. Although I didn’t get a chance to listen to the force throughout his whole body, just one arm is enough to get the general idea. Such robust meridians, if this old man hadn’t seen them with his own eyes, it would be hard to imagine them on such a young fellow! And his body technique is really quite strange; the more I look, the more profound it seems.”
The old man shook his head, feeling great regret at not having crossed hands with Yang Qi. Then he laughed at himself, saying aloud, “The older I get, the more like a child I become. I’ve become indifferent to other matters, but I’ve developed a competitive and curious heart over this.”
…
When he returned home in the evening, as soon as he entered the door, a small figure ran toward Yang Qi and buried herself in his arms.
“Brother Yang Qi, Yuyu could get out of bed by herself today, and she could even run.”
Though Yuyu was panting and looked a bit tired, her face was full of happiness and excited little energy. When she smiled, her eyes curved into crescents.
“Is that so?”
Yang Qi picked up Yuyu, also smiling, and coaxed her, “Yuyu is growing up slowly, so of course your body is slowly getting better. But, your body has just started to improve, so you mustn’t tire yourself out.”
After speaking, Yang Qi pretended to look puzzled at Auntie Chen beside him, asking what had happened.
Auntie Chen said with great joy, “This morning when she got up, this little girl Yuyu got out of bed by herself. I was almost scared to death when I saw it. Later, seeing she was fine, I asked about her condition. This little girl said her body seemed to have gotten a little better. At first I didn’t believe it, but then the little girl took a few steps, lifted her arm for a long time, and insisted on not having porridge but eating a whole bowl of rice. It seems she really has gotten better. Heaven be merciful!”
After saying a few words, she nearly shed tears again. Auntie Chen wiped her eyes and continued, “A’Yang, you got better, and now Yuyu is showing signs of improving too. It seems Heaven has truly opened its eyes. I really hope that one day every child in this Courtyard will become well, able to run, jump, play, and be noisy like normal children!”
“They will!”
Yang Qi thought to himself.
…
Several days passed. Every night, Yang Qi gave Yuyu the Muscle Enhancement Potion to drink, gradually increasing the dose. After a few days, she drank a whole bottle’s worth. Now, Yuyu was not much different from a normal child. This made everyone in the big Courtyard smile from ear to ear.
In the blink of an eye, Friday arrived. Today was quite an important day for Yang Qi. He had a basketball match in the evening, and after it finished, he could obtain up to 7 Energy Stones.
At four in the morning, Yang Qi got up, preparing to go to the new place to practice with Zhou Mi. Unexpectedly, just after getting up, he received a call from Shen Zhengfeng. After hanging up, Yang Qi immediately left home, took out the Phantom Chariot, and sped off in one direction.
Shen Zhengfeng had just called to say he got exact information that in ten more minutes, Qiao Liu would meet with Water Snake, a local tough guy from Boshan. This was information Shen Zhengfeng obtained last minute, and he didn’t dare delay, informing Yang Qi immediately.
“Really knows how to pick the time.”
The sky was dark now, but the visibility by the sea was not bad. Yang Qi drove the Phantom Chariot at its maximum speed and soon arrived at the address Shen Zhengfeng gave. This time it wasn’t Boshan Dock, but a place called Jiaozhu Bay. This place was in the South China Sea of Huaxia, an extremely remote location.
That Water Snake actually came to meet Qiao Liu at a place so far from Boshan. Most likely, Qiao Liu requested it. Whether Water Snake was too afraid of Qiao Liu’s retaliation or felt secure enough, otherwise he wouldn’t have easily left his main base.
Yang Qi stabilized the Phantom Chariot at an altitude from which he could observe the scene below using the Detection Tube. He didn’t dare get too close to the ground to avoid being discovered.
The Detection Tube was a high-tech product from planet SM69. Although it was standard equipment for patrol officers, it was far superior to ordinary telescopes.
Soon, Yang Qi saw some figures near Jiaozhu Bay through the Detection Tube. Adjusting it further, he saw at least thirty people. He could even see their faces clearly. Among them was Qiao Liu!
“Finally, I see you!”
A gleam of sharp light flashed involuntarily in Yang Qi’s eyes. The matter of Qiao Liu wanting to buy the Courtyard had been like a bone stuck in his throat, making Yang Qi uneasy. If it were someone else, Yang Qi might have relaxed a bit, but this Qiao Liu was a fugitive who feared nothing. Although it was still unknown why he insisted on buying the Courtyard, Yang Qi didn’t dare relax even a little.
These thirty-plus people were clearly divided into two groups. One group of about twenty stood by Qiao Liu’s side, while the other group of about ten stood opposite. Their leader was probably the person from Boshan nicknamed Water Snake.
Water Snake said something to Qiao Liu, his face showing sincerity and a smile. The Qiao Liu opposite him looked like a very refined and scholarly man, not at all like a fugitive. A smile was always on his face—a smile that looked very warm and peaceful, yet it also made people feel an uncontrollable creepiness!
Another unknown exchange took place. Water Snake had one of his men bring over a large suitcase, which he handed to Qiao Liu. Qiao Liu nodded, patted Water Snake on the shoulder, and then had his own men take it. Then, he suddenly made a move. He sharply pulled Water Snake, and a small dagger that somehow appeared in his hand sliced off one of Water Snake’s fingers.
The process was very fast. By the time people on both sides reacted and drew their guns to face off, Water Snake told his own men to lower their weapons. He continued to smile apologetically at Qiao Liu.
Qiao Liu casually tossed the severed finger into the water and waved his hand for his own men to also lower their guns. He let Water Snake and his men leave. His expression seemed to suggest that since Water Snake had cost him a capable right-hand man like Chen Haodong, cutting off just one of his fingers was showing him a lot of mercy.
After Water Snake and his men left, Qiao Liu also had his men board the boat, preparing to leave the area.
Throughout this whole process, Yang Qi remained very calm. Only after they all went out to sea and started moving did Yang Qi finally urge the Phantom Chariot to dive sharply downward.