Chapter 38: Another Windfall

To advance quickly, the aid of elixirs was undoubtedly crucial. But to obtain elixirs, one needed money! Without the funds to buy medicinal ingredients, it was like trying to cook without rice—impossible.

“Fine, I can spare you a beating. Now tell me, how much are you going to give me?” Zhang Pu got straight to the point.

At that moment, he noticed a look of puzzlement on Liu Qingyan’s face—just a moment ago, after he had rescued someone and then displayed his startling martial prowess in punishing evil, Zhang Pu had, in Liu Qingyan’s eyes, become a tall and imposing figure, perhaps even one worthy of admiration, if not outright reverence.

But suddenly, as if out of nowhere, he seemed to reveal a flaw that diminished his stature! Wasn’t it true? At that moment, he appeared nothing more than a greedy opportunist.

Though he couldn’t explain himself to Liu Qingyan, Zhang Pu had no intention of giving up the money Wu Yu was about to offer. Whether Liu Qingyan misunderstood him or not paled in comparison to his broader cultivation ambitions. Besides, wasn’t it only fitting to extract some compensation from scoundrels like Wu Yu? Punishing such villains was, in a way, doing the public a service! After all, if it had been an ordinary student in his place today, wouldn’t they have been beaten senseless by Wu Yu and his thuggish security guards? Even if they tried to seek justice, Wu Yu’s father could simply use his wealth to smooth things over, leaving the poor to swallow their grievances.

Since Zhang Pu was now openly demanding payment, Wu Yu, relieved to escape a beating, couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret: he had no cash on him, but he could transfer the money via his mobile payment app. Unfortunately, his digital wallet still contained tens of thousands.

Those tens of thousands…

Sure enough, Zhang Pu glanced at Wu Yu’s open wallet and saw the figure.

“I’ll take all of it,” Zhang Pu declared.

He paid no mind to Wu Yu’s obvious anguish or to Liu Qingyan’s frown; he simply thought, If it hadn’t been me here today, another student would have ended up in the hospital, spending far more than this. This is what it means to be ruthless with evil—show no mercy!

Mercy to the wicked is cruelty to the good.

Glancing at the security guards still sprawled on the floor, Wu Yu gritted his teeth, operated his phone, and transferred the entirety of his funds to Zhang Pu.

Zhang Pu happily accepted.

Liu Qingyan stood by, dumbfounded.

After collecting the money, Zhang Pu told Wu Yu, “Those security guards will be fine; give them a little time and they’ll be back on their feet. As for what happens next, that’s up to you. But if word gets out…you know what will happen.”

With that, Zhang Pu strode out. Liu Qingyan lingered for a moment, gave Wu Yu a glance, and then followed him out of the building.

Once outside, Zhang Pu slowed his pace and glanced back to see that Liu Qingyan had indeed followed. It was as if he had been waiting for her.

“I know you’re skilled, but…” Liu Qingyan caught up to him, hesitated, but continued.

“But his family is one of the major shareholders here, and his father is a powerful figure on Lake Weiming, isn’t he?” Zhang Pu finished her thought.

“Yes!” Liu Qingyan now wore a look of genuine concern. “You’re just a student. There’s no need to—”

“That’s enough,” Zhang Pu interrupted her, rather bluntly. “Ha! I made a fortune today. Come on, let me buy you a drink!”

Not only that, Zhang Pu was in the mood for some romance.

But Liu Qingyan stopped in her tracks. “You’re really so relaxed and carefree? Aren’t you afraid that an even larger group will come after you soon?”

Zhang Pu burst out laughing, his eyes flashing with a brilliance brighter than the stars—a look that startled Liu Qingyan.

“Didn’t you say you admired my fighting skills?” Zhang Pu replied, enunciating each word. “Besides, there’s you.”

“I…” Liu Qingyan was momentarily at a loss for words.

“That’s right,” Zhang Pu said. “I believe your skills are at least as formidable as mine.”

Ever since he had realized that the mysterious figure from before was Liu Qingyan, Zhang Pu hadn’t intended to reveal it so soon, but her words seemed to force his hand.

Liu Qingyan looked steadily at him but chose not to pursue the topic further.

“Let’s go. Didn’t you say you’d buy me a drink?”

And with that, she strode ahead, leading the way.

Wait, wasn’t I supposed to be treating you? Why are you taking the lead? Zhang Pu grumbled inwardly.

So far, Zhang Pu hadn’t identified a second cultivator in this world besides himself, but he knew: some martial artists, like those legendary masters of old, once they surpassed the grandmaster level, could attain a state close to immortality.

Moreover, even without a thousand years of experience in the cultivation world, the universal art he possessed had taught him that, aside from spiritual energy, there were other forces at play in this vast universe—there were those who cultivated as demons, as spirits, and so on.

Some demons, monsters, and gods, upon reaching a high enough level, could easily rival cultivators in battle, with outcomes never certain.

Now, Zhang Pu wondered in secret what path Liu Qingyan was following.

When she had tracked him to Hong Yingying and Wu Xiaomei’s room, and then disappeared like a ghost, it was clear her skills were extraordinary. Had it been anyone else, they would never have noticed her.

Not to mention those mysterious and unfathomable practices like demon or spirit cultivation—martial arts alone contained countless sects and bizarre techniques! That masked assailant who attacked him at night seemed to practice some kind of sinister death energy.

“What are you thinking about?” Liu Qingyan suddenly asked as Zhang Pu walked in silence. “Are you treating me, or am I treating you?”

He snapped out of his thoughts. By now, they were almost at the edge of the water park, though the outer area was still lively.

“What would you like to eat or drink?” Zhang Pu asked.

Just now, Wu Yu had transferred him tens of thousands.

He’d already enjoyed Wu Yu’s hospitality for free today; who would have thought the man would end up covering his late-night snack as well? Zhang Pu felt a surge of delight. What happiness!

Liu Qingyan’s gaze landed on a nearby, beach-like spot by the water, where someone was selling a variety of drinks. There were viewing seats set up, and since it was getting late, the place was nearly deserted—a touch of romance in the air.

Zhang Pu followed Liu Qingyan over.

“How about here?” Liu Qingyan asked casually.

To her surprise, Zhang Pu replied, “Whatever you think is best is fine with me.”

What kind of answer is that? Liu Qingyan frowned slightly—here she was, making an effort to spend time with him, and he couldn’t muster a single romantic word? Honestly!