Peach Blossom Dual Cultivation - Chapter 21: A Harsh Slap in the Face

Nie Yuanxiong dared to attack Zhou Lang for two reasons: first, he was the CEO of Magnificent Media Co., Ltd. and the son of Deputy Mayor Nie Qingyun; second, because last time he had beaten Zhou Lang, Zhou Lang was easily subdued by him, giving him a psychological advantage.

What he didn’t expect was that in just over ten days, Zhou Lang had undergone a significant change.

Aside from Qianqian Ye’s family and Nie Yuanxiong, Zhou Lang had never held a grudge against anyone. When Nie Yuanxiong kicked at him, Zhou Lang, fueled by anger, couldn’t suppress the surge of inner energy. He originally intended to punch Nie Yuanxiong into the air, but just as he was about to act, he calmed down. Zhou Lang skillfully sidestepped, avoiding Nie Yuanxiong’s kick.

“You dare to dodge?”

This made Nie Yuanxiong think that Zhou Lang feared him, so he became even more arrogant. After cursing, he swung a high roundhouse kick towards Zhou Lang’s head.

Men, especially men like Nie Yuanxiong, love to show off in front of women. Having learned a bit of Taekwondo, he performed this flashy move out of sheer machismo, hoping to impress Qianqian Ye and make her more submissive to him in bed.

“Nie Yuanxiong, if you attack again, I’ll fight back,” Zhou Lang warned after dodging another kick.

“Alright, I want to see how a loser like you plans to fight back!”

Nie Yuanxiong hadn’t realized that Zhou Lang was much more agile than when they last met in the restaurant. He raised his leg for another high downward kick, aiming to smash Zhou Lang’s face.

Standing nearby, Ye Qianqian pushed her sunglasses up to her forehead, chewing gum with a mocking smile, watching the scene unfold. She believed Zhou Lang had followed her into the Nanshan Hotel to talk about their engagement again, so she hoped Nie Yuanxiong would teach him a lesson once more, so he wouldn’t dare bother her again.

To be fair, Nie Yuanxiong did have some minor martial arts skills. His downward kick was swift and reached Zhou Lang in the blink of an eye.

Just as Zhou Lang was about to be hit, he casually reached out, grabbed Nie Yuanxiong’s ankle, and with a light push, sent Nie Yuanxiong flying backward.

Bang!

In the next second, Nie Yuanxiong fell flat on his back, utterly humiliated.

“Ah!”

Ye Qianqian screamed exaggeratedly, glancing fearfully at Zhou Lang, worried that he might come over and hit her because she knew that Zhou Lang’s hatred for her far surpassed his anger toward Nie Yuanxiong.

The commotion attracted several waiters, but when they saw that it was Nie Yuanxiong who had fallen, none of them dared to intervene.

“You… you actually dared to fight back?”

Nie Yuanxiong, humiliated in public, became even more enraged. He pointed at Zhou Lang as he got up from the ground.

“You hit first, I was defending myself.”

Zhou Lang smiled calmly, holding Zhao Xiaorou’s hand as they walked past Nie Yuanxiong and Ye Qianqian.

“I’m going to kill you!”

Feeling utterly ignored by Zhou Lang, Nie Yuanxiong charged at him again, using a woman’s fighting technique, aiming to grab Zhou Lang’s hair.

“How arrogant.”

Zhou Lang snorted, sweeping his leg out horizontally, striking Nie Yuanxiong right in the knee.

Bang!

Even though Zhou Lang used only a fraction of his strength, Nie Yuanxiong couldn’t withstand it and fell to the ground again. The most humiliating part was that he ended up on his knees as if he were begging Zhou Lang for mercy.

The onlooking waiters wanted to laugh but didn’t dare, making the scene very awkward.

Meanwhile, Zhou Lang and Zhao Xiaorou continued their leisurely pace, walking into Private Room No. 1.

“This bastard dared to hit me! I’m going to stab him!”

Nie Yuanxiong got up from the ground, pulled out a knife, and was about to chase after Zhou Lang.

“Young Master Nie, don’t be so impulsive. Zhou Lang seems to be a good fighter. We should call for backup or the police to deal with him. There’s no need for you to get your hands dirty with such a brute.”

Ye Qianqian quickly stopped Nie Yuanxiong. While she was beautiful on the outside, her heart was ugly, but she was also somewhat shrewd.

“Let’s go, we’ll get some people!”

Nie Yuanxiong thought for a moment, put away the knife, and got into the elevator with Ye Qianqian, heading downstairs.

“Young Master Nie, are you okay?”

In the elevator, Ye Qianqian flirtatiously held onto Nie Yuanxiong’s arm. “How did Zhou Lang and that girl end up in Private Room No. 1? How could a poor guy like him afford it? It’s absurd!”

“I’m fine. That guy must be kept by that woman. I bet she has some money, so she brought him to the Nanshan Hotel to show off.”

Although Nie Yuanxiong’s buttocks and knees were still aching, he gritted his teeth and spoke.

“That’s probably it. Young Master Nie, should we get some guys to deal with him, or call the police to arrest him?”

Ye Qianqian pondered for a moment. She knew that Zhou Lang was still a college student and couldn’t possibly have the money to afford such a place. So, she also suspected that Zhou Lang was a kept man or something of the sort.

This woman couldn’t have imagined that Zhou Lang, after a stroke of luck, had obtained the ancestral Dual Cultivation Manual, becoming a cultivator and forming a brotherly bond with a great figure like General Qin.

“Call the police. We’ll get him locked up, so he won’t bother you again.”

Nie Yuanxiong finally decided.

…

When Zhou Lang entered Private Room No. 1, General Qin and his grandson Qin Potian had already arrived, along with four of the general’s bodyguards.

Zhou Lang felt slightly unsettled. Just over ten days ago, when he was humiliated by Ye Qianqian and Nie Yuanxiong, he had sworn to avenge that humiliation. He hadn’t expected that his wish would come true so quickly.

“Master Zhou, Miss Zhao, you’ve arrived. Please, take a seat.”

General Qin, seeing Zhou Lang and Zhao Xiaorou arrive, stood up to greet them. His leg had healed well, allowing him to stand up easily.

Zhou Lang and Zhao Xiaorou sat side by side, and the general asked, “It seemed like you had a bit of trouble outside?”

“It’s a small world,” Zhou Lang sighed.

“Brother Lang, what happened? That arrogant couple seems to know you,” Zhao Xiaorou asked. Though she was still quite young, she was perceptive.

“More than just acquaintances; they are truly my enemies,” Zhou Lang began to explain.

“The woman is Ye Qianqian, daughter of Ye Tian, the owner of Zhongtian Group, and she’s also a singer under the banner of Magnificent Media Co., Ltd. In Feiyun City, she’s incredibly popular. As for the man, his name is Nie Yuanxiong, the son of Deputy Mayor Nie Qingyun and CEO of Magnificent Media. Originally, I had nothing to do with them, but when I was young, my grandfather and Ye Qianqian’s grandfather arranged a marriage between me and her. Recently, I met with Ye Qianqian, but she looked down on my family’s decline, broke off the engagement, and had Nie Yuanxiong—whom she claimed was her boyfriend—beat me up and tear up the engagement agreement.”

“Brother Lang, you’re so powerful, how could someone beat you up?” Zhao Xiaorou exclaimed in surprise. To her, Zhou Lang was a master, so how could he be beaten?

“At that time, my master had just passed away less than three years prior. In my sect, there’s a rule that we must observe a three-year mourning period before we can use martial arts. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been a problem even if there were a hundred Nie Yuanxiongs, let alone just one.” Zhou Lang had to come up with an excuse.

“I wasn’t insisting that Ye Qianqian marry me. The engagement was set by my grandfather, and I just wanted to talk to her. If we truly weren’t compatible, I would have given up on the engagement. But when Nie Yuanxiong saw me here earlier, he not only insulted me but also attacked first, so I gave him a small lesson.”

“People like them deserve to be taught a lesson. Ye Qianqian is shallow and materialistic; she’s not worthy of you,” General Qin remarked.

“If nothing unexpected happens, they’ll likely come looking for trouble again. You’ve healed my leg, and I haven’t had the chance to thank you properly yet. Let me handle this problem for you.”

“Thank you very much, General,” Zhou Lang replied after thinking it over. To deal with someone like Nie Yuanxiong, he indeed needed the power of General Qin. Although his martial arts were formidable, in a society governed by law, if Nie Yuanxiong brought the police, Zhou Lang couldn’t just take them all down—that would have serious consequences.

“This is just a small matter,” General Qin said.

“From now on, don’t call me General anymore; just call me Brother. Today, we’re going to have a good drink.”

“Brother, I gladly accept.”

Zhou Lang wasn’t one to be overly formal, so he immediately obliged.

“That’s the spirit! It’s an honor to have a younger brother like you,” General Qin laughed.

Qin Potian waved his hand, and a beautiful waitress in a qipao standing by the door came over and asked, “Sir, shall we start serving the food?”

“Everyone’s here, let’s start,” Qin Potian replied.

“Sir, you should eat quickly and leave. You’ve offended Young Master Nie, and things could turn out badly for you,” the beautiful waitress hesitated for a moment before quietly warning them.

“Oh, Nie Yuanxiong attacked first, so why should we back down?”

Zhou Lang responded calmly. He now exuded an aura of unshakeable calm, something rare among ordinary college students.

“Young Master Nie is notorious for bullying people in Feiyun City; no one dares to cross him. He’s the deputy mayor’s son, so even if you’re in the right, you’ll still suffer,” the waitress whispered before quickly leaving.

Soon, the food and drinks were served, but they hadn’t even had a few sips when a commotion of footsteps was heard outside the private room.

“It seems Nie Yuanxiong is indeed arrogant and domineering. He’s called for backup already,” Qin Potian remarked with a slight smile.

Bang!

Before his words had even finished, the door to the private room was violently pushed open, and seven or eight policemen stormed in.

“Who is Zhou Lang?” the lead officer, a stout man, shouted.

“I am,” Zhou Lang calmly replied, glancing at the officers as he continued to eat. With General Qin, a founding general of the nation, present, Zhou Lang had nothing to fear—not even if Deputy Mayor Nie himself showed up.

“Officer Liu, this is the guy who hit me. Arrest him immediately,” Nie Yuanxiong demanded as he and Ye Qianqian, out of breath, entered the room. Nie Yuanxiong pointed at Zhou Lang with a look of smug satisfaction. To him, Zhou Lang was now a sitting duck, entirely at his mercy.