Demonic King of the Metropolis - Chapter 75 - A Provocation
The ride was quiet, and soon, Tang Jie arrived at the school gate of No. 2 High School. After paying the taxi fare and getting out of the car, he immediately noticed a dark blue sports car parked next to the entrance. Upon closer inspection, he felt that the car looked somewhat familiar.
Just as Tang Jie was puzzling over this, the driver’s side door of the dark blue sports car opened, and out stepped Qin Haozhong, dressed in a white casual outfit and wearing light brown sunglasses.
Tang Jie halted his steps as Qin Haozhong approached him with a cheerful expression, saying, “I’ve been looking for you for a long time, and I finally found you.”
Tang Jie was taken aback by Qin Haozhong’s words. “You were looking for me? What’s up?”
With a playful smile, Qin Haozhong replied, “I want to thank you for saving me last time, and I need a favor from you.”
Seeing Qin Haozhong’s charming demeanor and his current playful attitude, Tang Jie couldn’t help but wonder, does he need my help? Has he gotten into some trouble? Is his family’s enemy causing problems for them?
“Get in the car; let’s find a place to talk.”
While Tang Jie was still contemplating, Qin Haozhong had already opened the door of his blue sports car. Tang Jie glanced back at the school gate, hesitating for a moment before getting into the car with Qin Haozhong.
At this point, Chen Shuran didn’t know he had returned, so it wouldn’t be a big deal if he went in later.
Qin Haozhong took Tang Jie to a KTV private room in the city center. Once inside the room, just as Tang Jie was about to ask Qin Haozhong why he needed to see him, Qin Haozhong unexpectedly closed the door and abruptly knelt down in front of Tang Jie.
“What are you doing?” Tang Jie was stunned and quickly went to help Qin Haozhong up, but Qin Haozhong refused to rise.
“If you agree to help me today, I’ll get up. Otherwise, I’ll stay down here.”
Stay down here? Looking at Qin Haozhong’s wrinkled face and his clean, crisp white outfit, Tang Jie felt a pang of sympathy; he didn’t want the clothes to get dirty.
“Just get up already; let’s talk about what you need.”
Tang Jie firmly pulled Qin Haozhong up and sat him down on the nearby sofa, regardless of whether he wanted to or not. With Tang Jie’s strength, there was no chance for Qin Haozhong to resist. As both of them settled on the sofa, Tang Jie finally relaxed a bit and asked, “Now, tell me, have you encountered some trouble?”
Given that Tang Jie had asked so directly, Qin Haozhong no longer hid anything and revealed a serious expression. “Last time when my dad was on a business trip, the car he was in was rigged with a bomb. Fortunately, the driver had to stop for gas and changed vehicles midway, which allowed my dad to escape just in time.”
Tang Jie listened, feeling a bit speechless. He thought to himself, “What does it have to do with me that your dad was framed? I don’t even know your dad!”
“You came to find me just for this?” After a while, seeing that Qin Haozhong didn’t say anything, Tang Jie finally asked.
Qin Haozhong looked at Tang Jie, seemingly hesitant, but after thinking for a moment, he finally spoke up. “Tang Jie, I know you’re not an ordinary person. I want to be your disciple.”
Tang Jie was surprised that Qin Haozhong’s intention was this. He sized him up and reflected on the idea of taking on a disciple, which had never crossed his mind. It wasn’t that he couldn’t do it; it was just that he felt Qin Haozhong… probably didn’t have the talent.
Seeing Tang Jie looking him over without saying a word, Qin Haozhong’s face revealed disappointment. “Is it because I’m not capable? Is it because I’m not cut out for martial arts?”
At this point, Tang Jie glanced at Qin Haozhong and, noticing the complex expression on his face, felt a flicker of curiosity. He asked, “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
Hearing Tang Jie’s words, Qin Haozhong finally smiled bitterly and explained the situation. It turned out that during his hospital stay, he learned from his father that Tang Jie was not an ordinary person who saved him, but rather an ancient martial artist!
For some secular people, the term ancient martial artist was completely unfamiliar, but for certain wealthy and influential groups in the secular world, it was not strange at all.
In fact, some bosses of these groups would hire ancient martial artists at high salaries to serve as their personal bodyguards, conducting shady dealings on their behalf.
Of course, those ancient martial artists working as bodyguards in the secular world were mostly in the Acquired Realm; those with higher levels of cultivation would disdain becoming mere henchmen, as it was against their dignity!
However, Qin Haozhong’s father’s recent incident was a result of a plot by enemies. Although the first ambush had failed, the subsequent retaliatory attacks made Qin Haozhong suddenly feel a sense of unease.
Yet, he could only sit and worry, as he was just an ordinary person and couldn’t do much to help. After thinking it over, he finally thought of Tang Jie. Realizing that he was not an ordinary person but an ancient martial artist, the idea of becoming his disciple began to take root in his heart.
After Qin Haozhong finished speaking, he looked at Tang Jie, who had no reaction, and forced a bitter smile. “I know I might not have the talent, but…”
Seeing that Qin Haozhong lacked confidence in himself, Tang Jie quickly replied, “That’s not the case! Even if you don’t have talent, I have ways to help you acquire it. But you’ll need to be patient.”
After Tang Jie finished speaking, he began to make plans in his mind. Since Qin Haozhong wanted to protect his family by relying on his own abilities, Tang Jie found this commendable. He hadn’t expected that beneath Qin Haozhong’s playboy facade lay a sense of justice and responsibility, making him one of the few people Tang Jie knew who had such qualities.
Moreover, teaching him would provide Tang Jie with an additional helper in the future.
With this thought in mind, Tang Jie decided to assist Qin Haozhong. However, he needed time to concoct some pills that would help Qin Haozhong quickly open his meridians, making it easier for him to learn.
Upon hearing Tang Jie’s words, Qin Haozhong’s face lit up with joy.
“What about your father’s situation?” Tang Jie asked, now that he had made his decision.
“My father is temporarily abroad and has added more bodyguards for protection. He’s entrusted domestic affairs to someone else for now, so there’s no need to worry at the moment.”
“Oh.” Tang Jie responded casually, glancing at the time. It was nearly the end of the school day, and he needed to hurry back to No. 2 High School.
Knowing that Tang Jie was heading back to school, Qin Haozhong, having already received his agreement, didn’t want to delay him further. After exiting the KTV, he drove Tang Jie back to the school gate.
“Master, how will I find you in the future?”
Before leaving, Qin Haozhong looked at Tang Jie with admiration. Hearing the title “master” from someone around his age felt a bit strange to Tang Jie.
“In the future, if you need anything, just come here to find me. I won’t be leaving for a while,” Tang Jie said.
“Great! Then I’ll take my leave, Master.”
With a look of excitement, Qin Haozhong drove off. Tang Jie turned and walked through the gate of No. 2 High School. A large group of students had already come out of the teaching building; it was lunchtime.
As Tang Jie observed the throngs of students, he frowned slightly, deciding against joining the rush. Instead, he waited at the entrance for Chen Shuran to come out. It had been a while since they last met, and he couldn’t help but recall her smiling face, along with her cute, angry expression; he felt a pang of longing. With this thought, Tang Jie let out a silly chuckle and leaned against a tree next to the gate, casually plucking a leaf to chew on.
With that demeanor, he appeared to be quite the rascal. Having driven away Wang Shiwen and given Fat Zhou a beating, he had become a well-known figure in No. 2 High School, and after disappearing for several days, his sudden reappearance was bound to attract attention.
“Hey, look! Isn’t that Tang Jie?”
“Ah! It is him! He’s back! I thought he transferred schools!”
“Wow, look at him! So handsome! Absolutely stunning!”
“Ah! … He’s my idol!”
As Tang Jie stood there, he heard the buzz of excitement from the crowd of students flowing out of the school. He squinted in the sunlight, enjoying the warmth on his face. His heart felt as light as a flower blooming.
So he really had this kind of charm; it turned out there were already people who had secretly admired him for so long…
Tang Jie savored the compliments he’d overheard, and a pleased smile naturally spread across his face. He was lost in the moment when suddenly, “Ouch!” he exclaimed in pain, jolting awake as he reached for his sore left shoulder. Gritting his teeth, he scanned for the culprit behind the sneak attack, only to find Chen Shuran standing in front of him with a cold expression, holding her book bag-the weapon that had struck him.
Seeing it was Chen Shuran, Tang Jie quickly wiped the pain away with a smile. “Let’s go! I was waiting for you to finish school so we could get something to eat.”
“Tang Jie, you’re back!”
As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Ran, who had caught up from behind, shouted with excitement upon seeing him. The moment she noticed Chen Shuran’s fuming expression, she understood the situation.
“Tang Jie, you heartless person! Do you know Shuran-Jie has been waiting for you every day to come back…?”
“Xiao Ran!”
Chen Shuran reprimanded Xiao Ran quickly, her face adorably flushed with embarrassment.
Xiao Ran made a silly face at Tang Jie, standing beside Chen Shuran. Hearing what she had just said, Tang Jie glanced at Chen Shuran’s rosy cheeks and thought that for the first time, the chatty little Xiao Ran seemed especially cute today.
“Come on, let’s go eat! I’m starving-I haven’t eaten all day!”
Tang Jie feigned a pitiful expression, looking at Chen Shuran as if he were a hungry cat trying to charm her.
Seeing him act that way, Chen Shuran finally couldn’t hold back her smile. Sensing that she wasn’t angry anymore, Tang Jie quickly turned to walk toward the school gate, thinking to himself, “Women are fickle; beauties even more so. The school beauty might be as changeable as a chameleon. If I don’t hurry, who knows what mood Chen Shuran will be in later.”
