Every time Jiang Fei went to the sanatorium to treat Old Master Ye Zhennan, Ye Yuanyuan would personally pick him up.
The sanatorium was located far away, and its route was top-secret, not marked on any navigation system. As someone with a poor sense of direction and a tendency to get lost, Jiang Fei would have a hard time driving there on his own.
Moreover, the sanatorium had multiple security checkpoints that ordinary vehicles and people couldn’t pass. Only with Ye Yuanyuan’s escort could Jiang Fei enter and exit freely.
The off-road vehicle sped along, and two hours later, they arrived at the sanatorium.
“Has your new batch of rice wine finished fermenting?” Ye Yuanyuan asked as they walked toward the small courtyard after getting out of the car. After asking, she added with a cold expression, as if trying to cover up her real intentions, “Well, my grandfather asked me to check. He’s finished the last batch you gave him.”
As a perceptive man, Jiang Fei could easily tell when someone was being genuine or not. So, he automatically ignored the second half of Ye Yuanyuan’s sentence.
“How’s the effect of my rice wine?” Jiang Fei asked with a smile, his eyes unconsciously glancing at Ye Yuanyuan’s chest.
Did it work?
It seemed like there was a slight improvement.
Of course, the progress wasn’t significant. She was still, by traditional standards, a “flat-chested princess.”
“If you keep staring, I’ll gouge your eyes out!” Ye Yuanyuan, sensitive to his gaze, blushed and said fiercely.
This jerk was truly shameless. Even if he had guessed her real reason for wanting the rice wine, couldn’t he just play along instead of exposing her like that?
Did he have to tear off her fig leaf like this? It felt like he was getting back at her!
“I wasn’t staring. Besides… there’s not much to look at anyway,” Jiang Fei said with a smirk, turning his gaze away with an air of righteous indifference.
Boom!
Seeing Jiang Fei’s expression, Ye Yuanyuan couldn’t hold back. She swiftly turned her body and threw a punch at Jiang Fei with lightning speed, aiming for his face.
Her punch was fast and direct, but Jiang Fei had anticipated her violent temper and was prepared. He took a small step back with his left foot and tilted his body slightly. Though his movement seemed slow and simple, like an old woman walking, it carried an inexplicable rhythm that allowed him to dodge Ye Yuanyuan’s fierce punch effortlessly.
Jiang Fei’s left hand reached out, not to grab but to gently guide Ye Yuanyuan’s arm in a circular motion.
Tai Chi!
Cloud Hands!
Thud!
With a crisp sound, Ye Yuanyuan stumbled, her usually stable stance disrupted. Jiang Fei’s seemingly soft and powerless circular motion had redirected her force, sending her fist crashing into a nearby tree.
After dissipating the force, Ye Yuanyuan steadied herself, looking at Jiang Fei with a mix of shock and anger. Her already large eyes widened further as she asked, “Tai Chi? How do you know Tai Chi? And why are you so good at it?”
During their first encounter, Ye Yuanyuan had briefly sparred with Jiang Fei. Since then, Jiang Fei had often provoked her, leading to several more exchanges. But never before had she seen him use Tai Chi.
How had Jiang Fei suddenly become so proficient in Tai Chi? His skill was so refined that he could effortlessly manipulate her movements. In Ye Yuanyuan’s eyes, his mastery was on par with a Tai Chi grandmaster, far surpassing the so-called “experts” who were all talk and no substance.
Jiang Fei, with the demeanor of a true master, clapped his hands and then placed them behind his back, walking forward without looking back.
As he walked, he said nonchalantly, “Why can’t I know Tai Chi? Do I have to tell you that I’m the 18th-generation disciple of Zhang Sanfeng or something?”
Ye Yuanyuan was amused by Jiang Fei’s pretentious act, and her earlier frustration faded. She muttered to herself, “What a mysterious jerk. Medicine, cooking, brewing, martial arts—it’s like there’s nothing he can’t do! Is there anything this guy doesn’t know?”
The two walked upstairs and entered Old Master Ye Zhennan’s room.
However, this time, the situation in the room was different.
Sitting in the room was a man dressed in a long robe, giving off a retro vibe. In modern society, men wearing long robes were rarer than women wearing cheongsams, making his appearance quite striking.
The man wasn’t old, likely in his mid-twenties, around Jiang Fei’s age. Despite his youth, his demeanor perfectly matched the gray robe he wore, suggesting that this wasn’t a one-time outfit for show but something he wore regularly.
“Someone who’s worn robes since childhood? That’s rare,” Jiang Fei thought, feeling a hint of envy as he observed the man.
The man’s features were ordinary, with no particularly striking traits. His skin was clear, and he seemed to take good care of his health, much like Jiang Fei.
However, the ordinary-looking man’s robe gave him a unique charm, exuding a scholarly aura reminiscent of intellectuals from the Republic of China era.
Jiang Fei also noticed a distinctive emblem on the left chest of the man’s robe.
The emblem… looked like a dragon?
A fire dragon?
It was intricately embroidered, giving off an air of sophistication and grandeur.
Jiang Fei thought that if he wore such a robe, it might enhance his charm and make him look even more handsome.
“And this man is proud,” Jiang Fei concluded after locking eyes with the man for a few seconds.
Not only was the man proud, but he also seemed hostile, as if he had come with ill intentions.
“Grandpa, who is this?” Ye Yuanyuan asked, frowning.
She had little interest in unfamiliar men, just as she had been indifferent to Jiang Fei during their first meeting. It was only after getting to know him that her interest grew.
“Are you Jiang Fei?” The robed man spoke before Old Master Ye could answer. His eyes remained fixed on Jiang Fei as he asked.
“Yes, I am,” Jiang Fei replied. “And you are?”
Jiang Fei was more interested in the man’s attire, thinking that as a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, he might consider getting a similar outfit for himself.
But as for the man himself, Jiang Fei had no interest.
“I heard you’re called the ‘King of Acupuncture’?” the robed man asked arrogantly. Unlike Qin Zhengming or Yu Qingsong, who had outright dismissed Jiang Fei’s title, this man didn’t directly insult him. However, his tone and demeanor were equally aggressive.
“That’s right,” Jiang Fei answered succinctly.
He was growing increasingly annoyed with this guy.
Because he had a pretty good idea of who this man was and why he was here.
He was undoubtedly from the Chinese Medicine Association, and he was here to challenge Jiang Fei’s title as the “King of Acupuncture.”
But this guy was young. After Qin Zhengming and Yu Qingsong had failed to take Jiang Fei down, why did he still dare to come? He must have some confidence in his medical skills.
“Do you think you’re worthy of that title?” the robed man asked, staring at Jiang Fei.
“I don’t know if I’m worthy, and I don’t need to know. This title was given to me by my patients, so I value it. But if it were given to me by some so-called ‘association,’ I’d consider it worthless!” Jiang Fei retorted coldly.
“You…” The robed man’s face turned red with anger, his earlier confidence shattered.
Jiang Fei’s words were too cutting, too insulting.
By calling the Chinese Medicine Association “worthless,” Jiang Fei had essentially slapped the entire organization in the face!
“Enough!” Old Master Ye Zhennan finally spoke, his voice filled with authority. “Jiang Fei, let me introduce you. This is Cui Xiuping, the grandson of the renowned ‘Ghost Gate Acupuncture’ Master Cui. Master Cui is currently abroad and won’t be back for a while, so he sent his grandson to treat my legs.”
“Master Cui’s grandson?” Jiang Fei was surprised.
Although he didn’t know Master Cui or how skilled he was, given the reverence Qin Zhengming and Yu Qingsong had for him, and the fact that he had been invited abroad by foreign leaders, Master Cui was undoubtedly a true medical genius, likely even more skilled than Jiang Fei with his level 7 medical expertise.
But even if Master Cui was more skilled than Jiang Fei, what did that matter?
What did this grandson of his think he was?
Did he really think he could challenge Jiang Fei?
What a joke!
