Chapter 343: Utterly Confused and Bewildered
While looking at Han Qingwu's bewildered expression, Tang Xiu's heart was completely chaotic at this moment. He was sure that she should be Xue Qingcheng, albeit vaguely.
Yet, there was something he was unable to figure out. How would Xue Qingcheng have an accident not long after his tragic death in the Immortal World? Logically speaking, they must have snatched his interspatial ring and obtained massive treasures from inside. He himself had even given them the Heavenly Art of Cosmic Genesis cultivation technique. Shouldn't they be celebrating their victory and immersing themselves in practicing it?
What the hell had happened in the Immortal World in the end? Why did Xue Qingcheng transmigrate and reincarnate here?
"What happened to you, Tang Xiu?" Han Qingwu grabbed Tang Xiu's hand with an expression full of concern.
Tang Xiu took a deep breath and temporarily suppressed his chaotic feelings. He shook off Han Qingwu's hand as he shook his head and said, "Teacher Han, I just recalled that I still have some things to do. If you don't have anything else to say, I can no longer accompany you chatting. So I'll take my leave."
"Hey! Hey…"
Ignoring Han Qingwu's shouts, Tang Xiu strode toward the campus gate.
He needed to calm himself! He dared not say with 100% assurance that Han Qingwu was Xue Qingcheng, yet they were way too much alike. Be it their appearances, words, actions, demeanors and also the same three red birthmarks on their left shoulders. Xue Qingcheng had once told him that her three birthmarks would forever accompany her regardless of herself being reincarnated anywhere.
And now, he didn't know how he should face her!
Should I kill her?
However, looking at her bewildered expression just now, Tang Xiu didn't have the heart to do it.
Should I get her back?
Yet, recalling his death in the Immortal World, his heart was torn by a tearing pain. How could it be possible to get together with her again? How could it be possible to love and have affection for her again?
He was at a loss.
With such a chaotic mood, Tang Xiu returned to Bluestar Villa Complex. He took a bath, put on pajamas and sat on the bed. Right now, he needed to calm himself.
After a very long period of time, he gradually calmed down, albeit slowly. He already made up his mind. If Han Qingwu was really Xue Qingcheng, he would definitely kill her personally. However, before he was 100% sure, what he needed to do was distance himself from her.
I gotta vent this feeling!
Tang Xiu dressed up and then dialed Yue Kai's cell number.
"Where are you?"
"In the dormitory. We're about to go to the hospital."
"I'll be waiting for you at the campus gate. Hurry up. We'll go to the hospital together." Said Tang Xiu.
Yue Kai fussed, "Aren't you dating Teacher Han? How…"
"Don't shit about me dating Han Qingwu anymore. I really don't have anything to do with her. If you say any shit again, I won't give you the belle's number." Said Tang Xiu.
"No, no. I promise you I won't say anything! Wait for us there!" said Yue Kai as he then hung up the phone.
Tang Xiu went out of his villa. He took a glance at the garage door and was somewhat at a loss inside. He didn't want to be too high-profile, but the four cars in the garage really made it inconvenient for him to take them out; especially to see his classmates. Thinking about it, should he buy a cheap car?
Ten minutes later, Tang Xiu arrived at the campus gate. Yue Kai hadn't come out yet, so he went to a small supermarket nearby to buy a pack of cigarettes. He took one, lit it up, and pulled a few puffs.
"Huh?"
Tang Xiu creased his brows. Someone he didn't want to see was caught in his line of sight, along with a bunch of hoodlums around him.
"This damn bunch of second-generation nouveau-riches… Can't you live normally once? Living and spending your youth in stupid idly life like you were drunk all day, really meaningless." Tang Xiu looked at them from afar, watching them standing beside supercars as he shook his head secretly.
Two minutes later, a BMW came out of the campus. When it stopped at the corner of the campus gate, Yue Kai, Hu Qingsong, Zhao Liang and some others got off the car.
"Woot, isn't this the famous Young Master Yue? Tsk, tsk… It's so unlike you to be admitted to Shanghai University, huh. Especially, this taste of yours. Seems like you're getting trashier; you're even hanging out with a bunch of hillbillies now." With a cigarette clamped in his lips, Li Zhen leaned on his supercar while shouting aloud with squinted eyes at Yue Kai, who was a few meters away from him.
"Hahaha. He's really hopeless! Had it not been because Yue Yan covered his ass before, could he even be able to enter the count?" Another yellow-dyed haired youth loudly echoed, full of sarcasm.
As Yue Kai saw Li Zhen's gang, his expression immediately changed. Anger was written on his handsome face as he shouted back, "Li Zhen, Qin Yusheng. You wanna have a fucking brawl here, don't you?"
Rolling his eyes in response, Li Zheng taunted, "What if this Big Daddy wants to have a brawl, huh? You wanna play with us?"
Hu Qingsong strode out and looked at Li Zhen and his gang, saying, "You wanna brawl, we'll accompany you. This Big Daddy has never been afraid of anyone other than my own old man."
Li Zhen's complexion changed and waved his hands. Following him, several people walked toward Yue Kai and Hu Qingsong!
Standing in the distance, Tang Xiu watched them. A helpless expression emerged on his face. The reason why he made a bet with Li Zheng before was not entirely because Li Zhen was a sore in his eyes. The main reason was that he would have to get along with Yue Kai in the future. Hence, he hoped that Li Zhen would be far away from him. Thus, he got rid of him to solve the problem beforehand, as to avoid a conflict between these two.
Yet, now, they unexpectedly ran into each other at entrance of Shanghai University.
While stuffing one of his hands in his trousers' pocket and the other holding a cigarette, Tang Xiu walked toward the two gangs. When he was ten meters away from them, he dashed and traversed four or five meters forward in an instant.
"Bugger off!"
Tang Xiu glared at Li Zhen and indifferently said.
Upon seeing Tang Xiu, Li Zhen's complexion abruptly changed. Next to him was a young man who had never seen Tang Xiu, who then rolled up his sleeve and cussed, "Who the fuck are you jumping in here? Why don't you mind your own fucking business? You wanna get trashed?"
Pa!
Tang Xiu didn't stop his pace as he strode before that youth and fiercely slapped him. The slap was fast and also exerted a bit of strength, causing the youth to be thrown four or five meters away before heavily slamming on the ground and fainting.
"Are you not going to get the fucking lost?" Tang Xiu glared at Li Zhen again.
Li Zhen and the seven or eight youths around him had their facial expressions turn unsightly. However, they didn't make impertinent remarks like the beaten youth and just angrily glared at Tang Xiu.
"Let's get the hell out of here!"
Gritting his teeth, Li Zhen quickly walked to the fainted youth's side. After he pulled him up from the ground, he then gave the youth to his gang and left.
"What the heck is this?"
Yue Kai was dumbfounded. Hu Qingsong was stunned, whereas Zhao Liang and the others were left dumbstruck.
The gang that was about to clash with them unexpectedly looked walked away with their tails between their legs?
What was that "we'll get the hell out" for?
Turning his head to look at Tang Xiu, Yue Kai asked with difficulty, "Eldest Brother Tang, what the heck just happened? That son of bitch Li Zhen… seemed afraid of you?"
Zhao Liang nodded and echoed, "Yeah, how come he was like a mouse bumping into a cat when he saw you?"
"Never mind it." Tang Xiu let out a pale smile and said, "Maybe I look scarier or something. Or maybe it was because there was another person coming to aid you, so they could only leave with their tails between their legs."
"No way. Eldest Brother Tang, we are brothers who sleep next to you, so don't try hiding it from us," Yue Kai shook his head and said, "I grew up knowing Li Zhen and his gang. This bunch of bastards are not pushovers. Even if someone helped us, they wouldn't be afraid like that. Besides, apart from that kiddo who was hit by you, it was not only Li Zhen who was afraid of you, so were his other gangs."
"Okay, okay!" Tang Xiu forced a smile and said, "I was idle and got bored last night, so I went to Laoshan in Changxi City. I bet a wager with him before the race. That was: he must immediately avoid me like the plague were he to see me later. He lost, so he just straightly left. That's it."
"You mean… you competed with him in a car race in Laoshan Highway and won?" asked Yue Kai, astounded.
"You can say it was my win. But I was not the champion, though." Tang Xiu nodded and said, "I only got the runner-up."
Yue Kai's lips quivered before he suddenly said, "Eldest Brother Tang, you really lie low. I only got know this now. You should be very…"
Raising his hand to interrupt him, Tang Xiu then said, "Well, I'm very capable. For you to worship me is normal. Anyways, let's go to the hospital! Also, your car won't be able to take all of us."
Yue Kai's mouth opened a few times, wanting to say something, yet he gulped the words back. He was not a brainless person; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to enter Shanghai University. From Tang Xiu's reaction, he could infer that Tang Xiu didn't want him to speak out the following words.
"Alright, I'll ride a cab with Eldest Brother Tang! If you arrive at the hospital before us, remember to wait for us at the gate!" said Hu Qingsong.
"Alright!" After a slight hesitation, Yue Kai nodded.
As the BMW left, Hu Qingsong turned his head to Tang Xiu and said with a smile, "Eldest Brother Tang, I know that Yue Kai wanted to say that you were also very rich, right? I was indeed unable to see that you just kept yourself under the radar. It turns out that you're a second generation nouveau-riche as well."
Tang Xiu couldn't help chuckle to himself, "I'm wealthy? I always thought that having money from your family is not as interesting as making money yourself. Hence, apart from the money my family gave me, the rest of the money I spent was earned by myself."
"You earned it? How?" asked Hu Qingsong, astounded.
"Setting up my own enterprise, selling calligraphies and paintings, and also working as a doctor. Shortly put, I do what I can to make money." Laughed Tang Xiu.
Hu Qingsong rolled his eyes. He was simply unable to believe everything Tang Xiu said from the start. He just smiled and cussed, "Eldest Brother, I just realized that your big talk is the most powerful amongst us!"
"Hahaha, don't you think that bragging is also a good skill in itself?" Laughed Tang Xiu and said, "There's a good saying for that: Having good intentions is not as good as having a silver tongue. You too know that a silver-tongue people is very popular nowadays, no?!"
"What an absurd fallacy!" Hu Qingsong said, "Those whose mouths are hyping about something are people who are usually up to no good. That's not a good thing at all."
"Hahaha…"
Not wanting to talk about this topic anymore, Hu Qingsong then said, "Let's go! Let's not have Yue Kai and the others wait for us for too long."
They quickly caught a cab and rushed towards Shanghai Hospital.
Chapter 344: Giving a bit of Advice
Shanghai, Dynasty Clubhouse.
An expensive supercar roared as it entered the clubhouse entrance and then stopped in the parking lot. Following that, several security guards hurriedly opened the car's doors.
"Get Yu Zhi inside."
Li Zhen got off and said with a cold and detached expression.
Li Zhen's gang quickly entered the main hall. They then took the elevator straight to the third floor to a magnificently decorated and spacious lounge. The several security guards who followed them then put the fainted youth on the sofa before leaving one after another.
"Fuck! He's too rampant. Too arrogant! Brother Zhen, I can't stomach this insult!" A young man dressed in outlandish clothes cried out angrily.
Li Zheng coldly stared at him and then asked, "You can't stomach this insult, but do you think we can? The fucking damned thing is that we can't. And we have no means to retaliate."
That youth's brows creased and indignantly replied, "Why can't we? Does that punk have some underlings with real abilities or something? Yu Zhi was beaten by him and hasn't woken until now. I'm afraid he got a brain concussion."
While looking at Yu Zhi who was lying down on the sofa in front of him, Li Zhen lit up a cigarette and sat on the sofa in silence. If he not met Tang Xiu in Changxi City beforehand and competed with him in the race, he would have retaliated without hesitation.
However, he absolutely couldn't dare to do that right now.
"Brother Zhen, you actually say that! Are we really unable to break off from the bet that time and must avoid him at all costs? From when we were still kids until now, since when anyone who dares to shit on our head ends up well?" That youth furiously cried.
Taking out a deep breath, Li Zhen forced a smile and said, "Do you think I don't wanna trash that punk? But if we do exact our revenge and fail and then he figures out it was us, I'm afraid that we will be dead meat."
The youth was stunned. He then asked with a confused expression, "What do you mean?"
"Like the saying goes, know thy enemy and know yourself, only then will you be victorious in battle." Li Zhen replied in a heavy voice, "Let me ask you, do we know this surnamed Tang's background? Were we to provoke a terrifying figure rashly, only bad luck will be waiting for us. Besides, there's another thing I didn't tell you. Last night in the car race, Chi Nan almost had Huan Yu killed. If not for Tang Xiu, Huan Yu would be dead."
The youth was confused, "I did hear Huan Yu mentioning this after the car race yesterday. Turns out this is for real?"
"Yes, it's real." Li Zhen nodded and said, "I saw the accident site. I also took a look at Huan Yu's car. It was indeed like what he said. If not for Tang Xiu, he would've died in Chi Nan's hands back then. This explains that Chi Nan is a vicious and merciless woman who sees lives as worthless things. Yet, she's unexpectedly very reverent and respectful toward Tang Xiu. From this, can't you figure out the crux of the problem?"
"Brother Zhen, you mean that Tang Xiu has a terrifying identity and background?" The youth was shocked.
"The Everlasting Feast Hall is an upscale restaurant in Shanghai. So I can tell that the Big Boss behind it is perhaps very extraordinary." Li Zhen sneered and said, "I suspect that Tang Xiu and this Everlasting Feast Hall have a deep relationship. Thus, if you want to deal with him, you gotta thoroughly investigate him first. Otherwise, you will highly likely be out of luck were you to act rashly."
In an instant, the other five or six people fell into silence. If Li Zhen's analysis was correct, then they really couldn't act against Tang Xiu that easily. After all, someone who could make Chi Nan keep acting respectfully toward him was evident that the person possessed an extraordinary background. In the case that they provoked him, the other party would send someone to kill them.
"Just wait until he wakes up and we'll talk about it again!"
Li Zhen sighed inside, feeling slightly vexed. He then grabbed the beer on the table, opened it and gulped it down without reservation.
At Shanghai First Public Hospital.
Tang Xiu and Hu Qingsong got down from the taxi. There, Yue Kai and several others were already waiting for them at the entrance. The group of six then bought a basket of fruits in the vicinity and then rushed to the hospital's Inpatient Department's ward Yue Kai had asked around.
Inpatient Department, ward #608.
Xue Chao leaned on the bedhead, feeling all bored while rotating the mobile phone in his hand. However, he didn't even glance at it. After coming out from a backwoods region, he originally intended to go around the metropolis and see the world, as well as learn some useful things. Yet he didn't expect that he would get injured right on his first day in Shanghai.
Damn! I was way too careless! Those little bastards only knew trivial Kung Fu, yet I got stabbed by their knives. If that old man of mine were to know about this, he would have jumped out of his grave out of fury to beat me violently, no? Holy fucking shit! I must never mention anything about this shit. Otherwise, my precious son will surely be laughing at me—his father in the future.
Xue Chao yawned and became more and more listless.
However, saving others also gave him some benefits. Recalling the promise from the campus that he was exempted from tuition fee, a smile was revealed on his face. He didn't much money at home. He did leave a big sum of money money there, but it was only sufficient for his son's milk money.
I gotta make money! I have to!
That old man of mine didn't have any skills. So I won't let my son think the same in the future; that his father also has no skills. So be it. I'll take any work when I'm not busy with my studies. Carrying bricks, moving cement—I, this father, have done it for some time! So it won't be a problem. I walked in the mountain back at home since I was a small child and I'm the son of a hunter, so it will definitely not be a problem.
Amid his thoughts, he glanced at the sickbed next to him. A young man about his age, looking refined with his delicate, fair skin and wearing glasses, was surrounded by his parents and grandparents. Even his aunt stayed there for a couple of hours.
Suddenly, he was somewhat envious of that pampered kid. The kiddo merely broke his leg after falling accidentally. Just because of that, his entire family ran over here to ask how he was?
Aaaah, I'm so damn bored!
Sorrowfully screaming and crying deep down inside, he then turned his head to look out of the window.
"Who here is named Xue Chao?"
A loud voice with a thick Northeast accent came from the ward door.
For a moment, Xue Chao stared blankly, surprised. As he saw a group of young men about his age coming into the ward, his complexion abruptly changed. His hand instantly grabbed the steel nail hidden under the pillow.
Don't tell me these punks are the comrades of those criminals and came to the hospital to retaliate against me?
He whispered to himself inside as a cold light instantly flashed in his eyes.
"It's me!"
Hu Qingsong strode forward. When he looked at the grim looking Xue Chao as well as saw the particularly obvious lump of muscles all over his body, he immediately cried out, "Wow, so you're Xue Chao, eh? Not bad, not bad. Though you don't look as handsome as me, your physique is quite great. Well, I gotta introduce myself. I'm Hu Qingsong, you can call me Old Hu, Qingsong, or of course, you can call me Brother Hu as well."
Xue Chao's gaze shifted from Hu Qingsong when he saw someone behind him carrying a basket of fruits. The restlessness inside his heart relaxed a lot as he then asked, "Pardon me, who are you?"
Surprised for a moment, Hu Qingsong suddenly realized that he had just spouted many nonsensical things. With an embarrassed expression on his face, he said, "We're students from Shanghai University! This is Yue Kai and he's Tang Xiu; the three of us are dorm mates. That one is Zhao Liang, Yang Hu, and Sun Xiaoquan. Their dorm is right in front of ours. Ah, that's right. We're all your classmates."
Fellow students?
Observing and sizing them up, Xue Chao then extended his hand with the steel nail under the quilt and said with a smile, "Great fellow students… I never expected that all of you would actually come to see me here."
Yue Kai sat next to the bedside and said with a smile, "Well, you're a big hero in our eyes. Ever since we heard about your glorious and honorable deeds, we decided to visit you! Anyways, we'll become comrades for the next four years."
Echoing him, Hu Qingsong also followed, "That's right. Once fellow students, brothers for life. We're not only fellow students, but we'll also stay together later. So to say, the relationship is doubled. But it's a pity that I'm not a woman, though. Otherwise, I'd let you brother have some straightforward pleasure!"
Cough, cough!
Xue Chao was choked by a mouthful of his own saliva as he looked at Yue Kai and Hu Qingsong with a weird expression. Inwardly, he secretly lamented, What kind of ghosts are these fellow students of mine?
Tang Xiu walked a few steps toward Xue Chao and said, "How can you be here by yourself? Is there no one looking after you?"
Waving his hand, Xue Chao replied, "I came to university by myself, how would I have someone to look after me? It's just a small wound, so I'll be discharged after two days. Besides, I gotta get back to the campus!"
"I'll contact the nurse in the hospital later so they will take care of your food well. We'll be coming often to visit you here since we got nothing to do for this period of time. If you have anything you want, don't hesitate to tell us." Said Tang Xiu.
After staring in a daze at Tang Xiu for a long while, only then did Xue Chao shake his head and said, "No need. It's alright, my injury is nothing to be concerned of. You don't need to waste your money. It's not easy to make money nowadays."
"You don't need to worry about it. You just need to recuperate from your injury. If you have any problems, let us know immediately. And don't refuse it. If you do, that means you regard us as strangers." Said Tang Xiu with a smile.
"This…"
After a slight hesitation, Xue Chao eventually nodded.
"Xue Chao, I heard you knocked down three criminals by yourself? Have you practiced any martial arts before?" asked Yue Kai.
"No. It's just that my family lives on a mountain. My family has been hunters for generations. Although I've never practiced any martial arts since I was small, I'm a mountain's monkey, nevertheless. If it were not for me spending my time desperately studying in the past few years, let alone three criminals, even if three more were added to them, I could still kill them."
Hunters family?
Yue Kai's eyes brightened up as he exclaimed in admiration, "Holy cow! That's amazing! I heard that hunters are very strong. I never thought I would finally witness it today. So to say, our gang totally consist of powerhouses. When Old Hu had just arrived at the campus to register, he became the hero who saved the belle by beating several small scoundrels. As a result, those little hoodlums retaliated against him, whereas Eldest Brother Tang then used his invincible might to scare the shit out of them. And with you added to the gang, our dormitory, more or less, has Four Heavenly Guardians now."
Four Heavenly Guardians?
Tang Xiu took a step back and flung his face aside. Expressing that he didn't know him.
With a contemptuous look, Hu Qingsong spoke to Yue Kai, "Hey Old Yue, don't speak shit so carelessly. Four Great Heavenly Kings? It's okay for us three to stand up and clean up a few small thugs and hoodlums. But with that face of yours that looks even more beautiful than women, I'm afraid that you will be just like all show and no go, right? Hmph… what Heavenly King, eh. I think you'd better be called as the Imperial Concubine."
"Hey, you wanna fight with me?!" roared Yue Kai angrily.