Demonic King of the Metropolis

from below, filled him with a mix of shame and fury. His expression turned vicious as he spread his arms wide, channeling all his true qi into one place. Tang Jie seemed to see a massive sphere of true qi materializing before him, growing larger and larger. The sphere stirred up strong gusts of wind, causing the surrounding objects to tremble and stir.

Tang Jie sneered coldly, directing all his qi into his right hand, clenching it tightly into a fist. Before him, Chen Nan’s true qi sphere grew enormous, surging with overwhelming momentum as it reached its peak. Taking a deep breath, Chen Nan abruptly pushed the true qi sphere towards Tang Jie. Tang Jie, aware there was no room to dodge, understood that if the sphere exploded, its force would devastate the empty space behind him.

Tang Jie’s eyes glinted with icy determination as he gathered all his qi into his fist and launched it forward, meeting Chen Nan’s sphere head-on. The two masses of qi clashed fiercely in midair, holding steady in a deadlock for what felt like an eternity. Chen Nan mobilized more qi, and the sphere suddenly surged toward Tang Jie with renewed vigor. Tang Jie’s grin vanished as he raised his free hand, making a subtle arc through the air before casually striking at Chen Nan’s sphere with a seemingly effortless motion.

“Buzz!” Everyone present felt their ears resonate with a strange vibration, followed by an indescribable shockwave that rippled through the arena. Chen Nan’s face contorted into an expression of utter disbelief as his entire body was hurled backward.

“Bang! Bang!” Chen Nan’s body crashed heavily onto the empty ground in the stands behind him, toppling an entire row of chairs. Beneath him, the chairs shattered instantly into pieces.

Blood sprayed from Chen Nan’s mouth as he lay on the ground. He stared up at Tang Jie, who stood tall above him, his wide eyes filled with disbelief and unwillingness to accept defeat.

A thunderous round of applause and cheers erupted from the stands. Tang Jie turned to see Wang Qianya, along with her parents, wearing expressions brimming with excitement. In this moment, he had secured a victory for the Wang family over the Chen family.

Standing on the arena, Tang Jie looked toward Chen Nan, who struggled to his feet with great effort. A flash of satisfaction and vindication crossed Tang Jie’s face-a sense of triumph after exacting long-awaited revenge.

There was no doubt about the outcome of the remaining competitions. Tang Jie, representing the Wang family, secured the championship title in the ancient martial arts competition. He earned the million-yuan prize and elevated the Wang family’s status to a leading position in the entire ancient martial arts world.

For Tang Jie, this victory brought fame, while the enmity with the Chen family only deepened.

Back at the Wang family’s villa, Wang Qianya gazed at Tang Jie, her eyes filled with admiration and an affectionate sparkle that bordered on reverence.

“I never thought you’d actually win the competition.” Wang Qianya looked at him, her mind replaying the scene from the tournament over and over again. To her, Tang Jie had become the very image of a hero-a figure she had always idolized in her dreams.

“Of course I had to win. I was competing on your behalf,” Tang Jie replied with a calm smile, meeting Wang Qianya’s gaze.

In truth, Tang Jie would have fought to win even if he hadn’t been representing the Wang family. Victory was not just his dream but his ultimate goal. And when it came to the Chen family, defeating them was something he was determined to achieve.

“What are you planning to do next?” Wang Qianya looked at Tang Jie, her heart quietly hoping he would stay. Her parents had already told her earlier that they would be more than happy if Tang Jie decided to stay with the Wang family. But she wasn’t sure how Tang Jie felt about the idea, and she didn’t want to pressure him, so she didn’t bring it up directly.

“My leave is almost over. I need to go back to G City,” Tang Jie replied honestly. After all, his task of protecting Chen Shuran was not yet complete. He couldn’t just act on his own impulses and do whatever he wanted.

Wang Qianya had anticipated this response, and a fleeting look of disappointment flashed across her eyes, though she said nothing. She understood the promise Tang Jie had made to his master. If it weren’t for her injury not being fully healed and her parents’ unwillingness to let her leave, she would have followed Tang Jie back without hesitation.

The thought of their imminent separation caused an unmistakable sadness to surface on Wang Qianya’s face.

Tang Jie noticed her expression and felt a pang of reluctance in his heart. He didn’t want to leave either, but he needed to honor his commitment. All he could do was hope that his mission to protect Chen Shuran would end soon.

“By the way, it seems like you still owe me something.” Seeing Wang Qianya’s unhappiness, Tang Jie recalled the promise she had made to him during the ancient martial arts tournament.

“Hmm? I owe you something?” Wang Qianya blinked in confusion, staring at Tang Jie blankly as she tried to recall what he meant.

Tang Jie chuckled mischievously, his eyes narrowing with a playful gleam.

“Have you forgotten? You said that as long as I won, whatever I wanted, you would give me.”

Wang Qianya’s large, sparkling eyes widened in sudden realization. Slowly, her memory of that moment returned, and when she caught sight of Tang Jie’s mischievous grin, her face immediately flushed crimson.

“So, what do you want?” Though she sensed a hint of mischief in Tang Jie’s tone, Wang Qianya resolved to agree to whatever he asked. By now, she had already silently given him her heart-it was just a matter of whether or not he felt the same.

“Heh, what I want is very simple, and that is…” Tang Jie began, intentionally pausing to create suspense.

“What is it? Just say it already!” Wang Qianya dipped her head shyly and asked in a quiet, flustered voice.

“Make me a meal,” Tang Jie finally revealed, a smile playing at the corners of his lips. His usually carefree expression was tinged with an unexpected gentleness.

Wang Qianya looked up at him, catching the rare tenderness in his gaze. A warm feeling spread through her heart, though she couldn’t help being a little disappointed.

“Alright, I’ll go prepare one now,” she agreed without hesitation, even though a sense of mild letdown lingered. In truth, she had assumed he might make a bolder or more “improper” request, and if he had, she wouldn’t have hesitated to say yes. But why didn’t he? That was the thought leaving her feeling disheartened.

During dinner, Mr. and Mrs. Wang, upon learning of Tang Jie’s departure, specially prepared a grand banquet in his honor. Wang Qianya’s third granduncle also attended the meal. Throughout dinner, he couldn’t stop praising Tang Jie for his exceptional performance during the ancient martial arts tournament. Unbeknownst to them, Tang Jie had deciphered the content of the mysterious iron piece, so everyone simply assumed he had shined with extraordinary skill.

Tang Jie didn’t offer any explanations; he merely responded to the compliments with a polite smile.

“Tang Jie, your aunt and I have always hoped that you could stay. As you know, the Wang family has only Qianya as our daughter,” Wang Qianya’s father said meaningfully, his gaze resting on Tang Jie as the meal neared its end.

“Yes, Tang Jie,” Qianya’s mother chimed in, her tone equally expectant. “You don’t really have family of your own, and with your master not here, why don’t you just stay?” After saying this, she exchanged a glance with Mr. Wang, their thoughts perfectly aligned.

The third granduncle observed the scene with an approving smile, nodding occasionally. His sentiments clearly mirrored those of the Wang couple. Tang Jie, of course, understood their implication, but his decision had already been made-he would never defy his master’s order.

“Uncle Wang, I deeply appreciate your kindness, but as long as I haven’t completed my master’s instructions, I can’t yet act on my own desires,” Tang Jie replied tactfully. Mr. and Mrs. Wang read between the lines of his polite refusal and chose not to press him further.

At that moment, the third granduncle spoke up. “Tang Jie, where is your master now? I’ve heard he is a man of great wisdom. I’d love the chance to meet him someday.”

“I’m not sure where he is-or how to find him, for that matter. He’s probably traveling the world as usual,” Tang Jie replied truthfully, meeting third granduncle’s gaze.

“Well, I believe the opportunity will come eventually. When you do see your master, please pass along my regards,” the older man said with a genial smile. Tang Jie nodded in agreement.

The next morning, Wang Qianya accompanied Tang Jie to the station in the Wang family’s private car. As Tang Jie prepared to board, Qianya’s face was filled with reluctance, her gaze lingering on him as though she couldn’t bear to let him go. Even after the car engine started, she stayed standing in place, watching him leave.

From his seat, Tang Jie looked back at Qianya, standing in the distance, and thought he saw the glimmer of tears in her eyes. A pang of sorrow settled in his heart. He silently vowed to himself that once he returned and completed his mission to protect Chen Shuran, he would immediately come back to be with Wang Qianya and never part from her again.

With this thought in mind, the car gradually sped out of the city center and quickly merged onto the highway.

On the journey back, Tang Jie took a nap. When he opened his eyes, the car was already nearing G City. His thoughts began to drift-once he returned to G City, he planned to visit the blind man who did fortune telling. There were still some parts of the iron piece’s contents he hadn’t fully deciphered. Even though his progress in recent days had been swift, he remained dissatisfied with the pace of his improvement.

After getting off the bus in G City, Tang Jie flagged down a taxi and headed back to the villa. Once the cab dropped him off, he started walking toward the gate. As he walked, he took out his phone, intending to call Chen Shuran and let her know he had returned.

Just as Tang Jie reached the villa’s gate and was about to dial, he heard someone call his name. Turning around, he saw Li Feifei stepping out of an SUV parked by the roadside and walking toward him.

Tang Jie halted in his tracks, his gaze falling on Li Feifei’s wrist. The bandages he had seen the last time were now gone. He clearly remembered, during their previous encounter in class, noticing her wrist wrapped in blood-stained gauze. Seeing her now, the memory of that incident suddenly resurfaced.

“What are you doing here?” Tang Jie asked, looking at Li Feifei with confusion.

“I was waiting for you. Get in the car,” Li Feifei replied as she approached him, a smile appearing on her face. Her cold, stunningly beautiful features instantly softened, revealing a lively and irresistible charm.

“Where are we going?” Tang Jie didn’t move. Hearing her say she had been waiting for him struck him as odd. Could she really have fallen for him at first sight and was now hopelessly smitten?

Still, something about her sudden appearance didn’t sit right with him-it felt a little too coincidental.

“What? Am I so unworthy in your eyes? Do I not even have the right to ask you out for a date?” Li Feifei said, her smile suddenly carrying a hint of bitterness. Seeing her expression, Tang Jie felt a strange pang of guilt.

“Fine, where to?” Tang Jie finally relented, silently cursing himself for once again succumbing to the allure of beauty. But then he reasoned with himself-after all, Chen Shuran didn’t yet know he was back. According to his schedule, it was still his vacation time, so going out on a casual “date” with a beauty like Li Feifei wouldn’t hurt.

“Just get in the car,” Li Feifei replied with a faint smile, turning back toward the vehicle. Tang Jie hesitated briefly before following her into the car.

Once inside, Tang Jie noticed for the first time that Li Feifei was now wearing a strikingly beautiful bead string on the wrist that had previously been bandaged. He stared at it for a moment, unable to stop himself from speculating-had she really been injured last time? Still, after discreetly testing her aura, Tang Jie was certain that Li Feifei wasn’t a master. She had no inner strength at all and seemed to be just an ordinary person. So why had she been hurt?

Lost in his thoughts, Tang Jie barely noticed as Li Feifei drove them into the city center and pulled up in front of a bar.