Demonic King of the Metropolis - Chapter 102 - Trouble Ahead

In the evening, as school ended, Tang Jie and Chen Shuran walked out of the school gate, one after the other. Just as they stepped outside, they noticed a familiar sports car parked by the gate-a blue Porsche. Sitting on it was a handsome guy wearing sunglasses and a white shirt. The moment Tang Jie and Chen Shuran emerged, Qin Haozhong stepped out of the car and walked toward them.

“Why is he here again?” Chen Shuran mumbled to Tang Jie. She assumed Qin Haozhong was looking for Tang Jie again, which would cut into her time alone with him. Feeling a bit annoyed, she turned to glance behind her, realizing that something seemed off. Where was Xiao Ran?

As she was mulling it over, Qin Haozhong reached them. After glancing at both Tang Jie and Chen Shuran, he directed his gaze behind them, as if searching for someone.

“Where’s Little Apple?” Qin Haozhong asked as he approached Tang Jie, still looking behind him at the school gate. Tang Jie immediately understood who he was referring to.

“Are you looking for Xiao Ran?” Chen Shuran asked, finally catching on to what Qin Haozhong was searching for.

“Yeah, she promised to hang out with me, but now she’s nowhere to be seen. Want to come with us?” Qin Haozhong said, looking at both Tang Jie and Chen Shuran.

The two instantly understood the situation. No wonder Xiao Ran was dressed so… differently today. She was planning to go on a date. But how could it possibly be… with Qin Haozhong?

They were genuinely shocked by this revelation.

“She’s behind us, probably too shy to come out. She even dressed up specifically for you today,” Tang Jie teased with a playful grin. Then he added, “We won’t get in your way. Just be careful, and don’t come crying to me if you guys get mugged!”

With that, Tang Jie and Chen Shuran left the school gate. Qin Haozhong, looking a bit self-conscious, turned back as Xiao Ran, her apple face glowing red, slowly emerged from the school gate.

On the way home, Chen Shuran wore a puzzled expression the entire time. How could Xiao Ran and Qin Haozhong…?

“What’s there to be confused about? They probably just hit it off,” Tang Jie said, noticing her confusion and laughing. He couldn’t help but think that Qin Haozhong, the playboy, might have simply decided to switch things up for a change. Thinking about the possibility of Qin Haozhong being driven crazy by Xiao Ran, Tang Jie found the idea amusing and even a little satisfying.

“I never would’ve guessed Xiao Ran had it in her,” Chen Shuran said with a smile. She, too, was more than surprised that Xiao Ran managed to win over Qin Haozhong. It seemed like tomorrow she’d have to get Xiao Ran to confess all the juicy details.

When Tang Jie returned to the villa, he was surprised to find Uncle Zhao waiting there.

It turned out that Chen Jiankai wanted Chen Shuran to return home for a while, saying he had something to discuss with her. Tang Jie could have gone with her, but he suddenly remembered something and made an excuse to stay behind.

Chen Shuran was clearly a little disappointed, but when she thought about how Tang Jie had been staying with her every single day recently, leaving him with no personal space at all, she felt a bit conflicted. Although Tang Jie’s official role was her bodyguard, in her heart, she had long stopped seeing him merely as her bodyguard, but rather as…

“Make sure to eat, okay? And… I’ll be back soon,” Chen Shuran said before leaving, her face tinged with shyness. Her concern warmed Tang Jie’s heart, and he reassured her again and again.

After Uncle Zhao and Chen Shuran left, Tang Jie returned to the villa on his own. After taking a quick shower, he locked himself in his room, sitting down to concentrate and cultivate the true qi within his body. After some time passed without much progress, he decided to take out the iron piece. He stared at it for ages but still couldn’t figure out a better way to achieve a breakthrough.

Just then, his phone rang. Seeing that it was Wang Qianya, he brightened up and answered it immediately.

On the other end, Wang Qianya told him she had returned home. Tang Jie asked about the stolen secret manual she had been investigating the last time they spoke. She explained that she had put the matter aside for now because the ancient martial arts tournament was drawing near. Her parents had called her home to prepare, and she wanted Tang Jie to attend the tournament as well.

Tang Jie mulled it over. He had been looking for ways to improve his abilities lately, and the tournament might just provide an opportunity for advancement. Thinking of this, he agreed. He could hear the excitement in Wang Qianya’s voice, which made him smile-he was looking forward to seeing her again as well.

After hanging up, Tang Jie thought about how to approach Chen Jiankai to request some time off. He wanted to take an extended leave because, after the tournament, he planned to visit Lifedeath Cliff to see what he could uncover. But before that, he needed to ask Uncle Zhao for more details about the place.

With this thought in mind, Tang Jie decided to first handle dinner and then call Chen Jiankai and Uncle Zhao later in the evening. He left his room and headed to the living room, rummaging through the fridge for something to eat. After heating up some food, he switched on the television.

A news report was playing, and as Tang Jie glanced at it, he froze. On the screen, he saw a fleeting figure that looked incredibly familiar. His brows furrowed in thought-wasn’t that Chen Nan? After a brief moment of reflection, he was sure of it. The man on TV was indeed Chen Nan. The last time they fought, Tang Jie had been defeated. If Chen Nan was attending the ancient martial arts tournament, things just got a lot more complicated.

No, he needed to act quickly. Tang Jie grabbed his phone and prepared to call Uncle Zhao. His immediate priority was to locate the blind man and see if there was any way to restore himself to the Heaven-Man Realm. Without it, he wouldn’t stand a chance against Chen Nan at the tournament-and that would mean losing any hope of competing.

Tang Jie took out his phone and called Uncle Zhao. After hearing what Tang Jie had to say, Uncle Zhao provided him with an address, saying the blind fortune teller was there at the moment. Tang Jie thanked Uncle Zhao and quickly left his apartment. At the gate, he hailed a taxi and headed straight to the address Uncle Zhao had given him.

When Tang Jie got out of the car, he found himself standing in front of a quiet alley. He paused at the entrance, observing the row of gray-brick single-story houses inside. They looked clean and orderly, but there wasn’t a single person in sight. After a moment of hesitation, Tang Jie decided to walk into the alley, following the narrow path underfoot. He walked all the way to the end of the alley but still found no sign of the blind man. Just as he was about to pull out his phone to call Uncle Zhao again, he suddenly heard a voice.

“You’ve arrived!”

The voice was old and raspy, as if it had come from the heavens. Tang Jie froze, scanning his surroundings carefully, but there wasn’t a soul in sight. After listening closely again, he realized it seemed to be coming from one of the houses ahead. The voice also felt eerily familiar.

After confirming the source of the sound, Tang Jie walked toward a house about ten meters ahead. When he reached the door, he noticed it was slightly ajar. Inside the courtyard, someone was sitting in the shadows, motionless, as if they were watching him.

Tang Jie stepped inside and took a closer look-it was the blind fortune teller he was searching for.

“I already knew you’d come. Sit down,” the blind man said, gesturing to the stone stool beside him just as Tang Jie entered the courtyard. Tang Jie walked over and sat down as instructed. He glanced around at the surroundings, noting that the courtyard was pitch black, without any lighting, yet it was impeccably clean. The air carried a kind of indescribable coolness, adding to the mysterious atmosphere.

“How did you know I was looking for you?” Tang Jie couldn’t help but ask, though he cursed himself internally for asking such a foolish question. He figured Uncle Zhao must have told him.

“Of course I knew. Did you forget I can read fortunes?” the blind man replied matter-of-factly. Before Tang Jie could respond, the blind man continued, “I also know you’ve run into trouble. You’ve regressed in your strength, haven’t you?”

Huh? Tang Jie was startled. This was new-Uncle Zhao hadn’t mentioned his regression, so how could this blind man know? Could he really have some skill in fortune telling?

Well, given that the iron piece also came from this blind man, Tang Jie thought it wouldn’t be too strange if he genuinely had some extraordinary abilities. Deciding he didn’t need to hide anything, Tang Jie got straight to the point and explained why he had come.

“Reaching the Heaven-Man Realm again isn’t impossible,” the blind man said calmly, “but it will require the right opportunity. I’ve heard the ancient martial arts tournament is about to begin. If you participate, you’ll likely find a chance to recover your former strength. However, until then, you must be careful.”

With that, the blind man leaned back and closed his eyes, slipping into a meditative state. His entire demeanor screamed “conversation over.” Tang Jie realized he wouldn’t get anything more out of him. Accepting this, Tang Jie stood up, thanked the blind man, and walked out of the courtyard.

When Tang Jie returned to the villa, the first thing he did was call Chen Jiankai to request some time off. Surprisingly, Chen Jiankai agreed without hesitation. However, Tang Jie could hear Chen Shuran on the other end of the call, and it seemed she was upset upon learning he would be leaving for a while. A moment later, her voice came through the phone.

“Hey, where are you going? I want to go too!” Chen Shuran had taken the phone from her father, her tone full of reluctance.

“I…” Tang Jie began to explain, but before he could finish, Chen Jiankai’s stern voice interrupted.

“Shuran!” Chen Jiankai scolded her, clearly displeased with her attempt to interfere with Tang Jie’s leave.

“Then wait for me to come back. Don’t leave until I’m back, okay?” Chen Shuran said firmly before abruptly hanging up the call.

Tang Jie initially planned to leave right away but, after thinking it over, he decided to wait for her return. After all, Uncle Zhao would surely be bringing her back, and Tang Jie could use the opportunity to consult with Uncle Zhao about Lifedeath Cliff in person.

As expected, within thirty minutes, Uncle Zhao arrived at the villa with Chen Shuran.

“Tang, you must be extremely careful this time,” Uncle Zhao said as soon as he was inside, immediately understanding where Tang Jie was planning to go. His concern was evident.

“I will. Thank you, Uncle Zhao,” Tang Jie replied. Turning, he noticed Chen Shuran standing quietly, her expression full of reluctance. She glanced at him briefly, her eyes filled with emotions she hadn’t voiced. Without saying a word, she turned and walked back to her room.

“Well then, I have something else to take care of, so I’ll go ahead and step out for now,” Uncle Zhao said with a meaningful smile, clearly aware of the tension between the two. Without waiting for any objections, he stood and headed toward the door.

Tang Jie understood Uncle Zhao’s intentions-he was giving them space to talk. Feeling slightly embarrassed, Tang Jie smiled awkwardly and walked Uncle Zhao to the door.

After Uncle Zhao left, Tang Jie went to Chen Shuran’s room. Standing outside her door, he hesitated before knocking. A moment later, Chen Shuran opened the door, her unhappiness plainly written on her face.

“What’s wrong? Are you upset?” Tang Jie asked, puzzled. Deep down, he already had a sense of why she was acting this way. Ever since the cemetery incident, Chen Shuran seemed to have grown completely dependent on him. She didn’t want him to leave because, without him, she wouldn’t have anyone to accompany her to school or to watch over her.

Tang Jie couldn’t deny that he felt uneasy as well. If he were being honest with himself, he had grown completely accustomed to spending his days with Chen Shuran. The thought of those moments-her laughter, her teasing-brought a sense of joy that was hard to deny. More and more, it felt like their relationship had moved beyond that of a bodyguard and his charge. Somewhere along the way, Tang Jie had started seeing himself as her boyfriend instead.

But every time his mind wandered down that path, a different face would flash through his thoughts: Wang Qianya.

When he thought of her, his heart felt conflicted, torn between two women who had both unknowingly become irreplaceable in their own ways.