Chapter 109: The Foolish Father and Son

Without hesitation, Cheng Yushui rushed to the hospital immediately.

Upon entering the ward, he saw the bodyguards who had accompanied him on the trip last night.

These bodyguards were absolutely loyal to him, each having served him for over three years!

“Close the door,” Cheng Yushui ordered, and his men complied, stepping outside.

Cheng Yushui scanned the group. “Do you all... remember what happened last night?”

The bodyguards were all wrapped in bandages, exchanging glances with pale faces—clearly reluctant to recall the events.

Yet, at this moment, shock was plainly visible on their faces.

“Master... you... you were like that last night... why... why...?”

Cheng Yushui said, “Are you asking why I seem fine now?”

They all nodded vigorously.

A strange light flickered in Cheng Yushui’s eyes as he shook his head slightly. “I... want to know that too.”

After a pause, he asked, “Did you tell anyone about last night?”

“No!”

“Absolutely not!”

They all shook their heads. “We have followed Master for years and know your temper. We will remain silent unless you give the word!”

Cheng Yushui took a deep breath and nodded. “Good.”

“Master... how do you plan to deal with that guy this time?”

“Deal with him?”

At those words, Cheng Yushui laughed quietly. “Deal with Ling Qiu? Don’t even think about it. Never.”

The bodyguards were stunned.

After suffering such a heavy loss, and no revenge?

Is this still their master?

Could it be... their master was truly cowed?

Yes...

Indeed, he was thoroughly cowed!

But if it were just fear, Cheng Yushui wouldn’t have abandoned the idea of revenge altogether. He would have silently noted the grudge, planning to settle the score later.

What truly made Cheng Yushui surrender completely was...

Ling Qiu’s hidden identity and his methods!

Cheng Yushui was a man of insight, knowing things ordinary people did not.

He understood that there were many powerful masters in this world.

These masters possessed mysterious techniques and rare medicines.

Such masters, even those ranked among the top ten on the “Tiger List,” would respectfully address them as “Sir” upon meeting.

Judging by all current evidence...

Ling Qiu was very likely such a terrifying existence!

A great hermit concealed among the masses.

Otherwise, how to explain his ability to toy with life and death as if it were in the palm of his hand?

And that miraculous pill!

A man on the brink of death, after swallowing it, recovered completely!

Such means were outrageously abnormal!

Therefore...

At this moment, Cheng Yushui felt a desire to forge an alliance!

To be honest, he still harbored some resentment toward Ling Qiu.

But more than that was fear—a sense of helpless admiration.

It was like a martial arts master beating you into a cripple. You might fear him, but you wouldn’t stop hating him.

Because at least he was still human.

But if...

Heaven suddenly struck you down with lightning, nearly killing you.

What can you do but curse fate? How can you fight against heaven?

Exactly—that was the feeling!

Facing Ling Qiu, this profound helplessness instantly spread throughout Cheng Yushui’s entire being.

So, he wanted to make an alliance.

Why?

It was simple...

Cheng Yushui had always dreamed of apprenticing under a true master to learn genuine skills!

But...

The rules in the Cheng family were strict.

Cheng Yushui was the third son. Only the eldest, Cheng Yujin, could use family resources to apprentice under a master and learn real skills.

The others had no such right.

This was the classic case of being born too late, not too good.

But princes and generals rarely inherit their rank by birth alone. Cheng Yushui kept striving, even secretly practicing martial arts. Unfortunately, sneaking around to find a path couldn’t compare to family resources. Moreover, true masters were not easily found.

So...

Taking a deep breath, Cheng Yushui said to his bodyguards, “Remember, our story is the same to outsiders. If anyone asks, say it was just a simple car accident! If anyone slips up, you all know my methods well enough!”

“Yes, yes!”

The bodyguards shivered and nodded repeatedly.

This arrangement served two purposes: one, to hide Ling Qiu’s true abilities, respecting his likely low-profile nature; two...

Quite simply, Cheng Yushui didn’t want to lose face!

After being beaten to such a state, it would be a huge embarrassment if word got out.

After a few reminders, Cheng Yushui turned and left.

His men hurriedly asked, “Master, where... where are you going?”

Cheng Yushui casually replied, “To find a master.”

The bodyguards exchanged bewildered looks.

...

Jiangnan University.

The snack street.

A Xinjiang Big Plate Chicken restaurant.

Ling Qiu, bleeding heavily from his recent ordeal, reserved a private room and ordered four dishes and one soup.

A large table.

Only two people seated.

Ling Qiu and Cheng Youyou.

“Eat,” Ling Qiu said with a faint smile, spreading his hands. “Don’t hold back, don’t save money on me. Oh, and the noodles are all-you-can-eat. If you want more, just get more noodles—no need to order extra dishes, okay?”

Cheng Youyou gave a wry smile, glancing at the dishes on the table. “Wow, you’re really generous... All this food costs less than a hundred yuan. Why do you look like you’re bleeding money? Don’t be so stingy.”

Ling Qiu shrugged. “My family kicked me out. I’m proud and won’t take the pocket money my aunt gave me. So... I’m very poor.”

“Tch.”

Cheng Youyou pouted, crossing her arms with a haughty air. “I helped you so much, and you’re this ungrateful? I won’t eat!”

“Fine, if you’re not grateful, then forget it.”

Ling Qiu stood up helplessly.

“Hey! What are you doing?”

“You’re not eating, so I’m leaving. I’m not hungry anyway.”

Cheng Youyou: ...

“You’re... too much... you...”

She held back her anger before finally picking up her chopsticks and, in a fit of temper, bit into a piece of chicken, chewing stubbornly. “I’m eating—can’t I?”

Ling Qiu couldn’t help but laugh. “Cheng Youyou, haven’t you noticed? You look fresh-faced, but your tastes are so heavy.”

“What do you mean?”

“The chicken butt—is it tasty?”

“Ah?!”

Cheng Youyou’s face instantly paled. She quickly spit out the half-chewed chicken butt!

Ling Qiu laughed heartily. Perhaps because of Cheng Youyou’s previous loyalty, he found her increasingly interesting and increasingly likable.

Just then, an angry shout came from outside the private room: “I don’t care about anything else! Today, I must eat here, and it has to be this private room!”

No sooner had the words fallen than there was a bang!

The door to the private room was kicked open from outside!

“Everyone in this room, get out now!”

[Fourth update complete! Sorry for the late writing, stayed up all night again—thank you all for waiting! Oh, and by the way... IG is amazing!]