After Liu Qiyue pushed Lin Tiannan away in the wheelchair, Jiang Che returned to Room 101. He retrieved the recording equipment he had used earlier from under the sofa, placed it in his pocket, and left quietly. With the recording equipment in hand, all he needed to do next was find an opportunity to threaten Liu Qiyue.
...
After returning to Ivy Villa, Jiang Che went straight into his bedroom. He had not yet irrigated the Qinghong Youshen Step rewarded by the system last time, so he decided to take advantage of this opportunity to irrigate it directly.
"System, I want to irrigate the 'Wandering God Steps.'"
"Ding, deducting 1,000 plot points, instilling..."
As the system's voice faded, Jiang Che quickly closed his eyes and fell into a mysterious state. A series of images flashed in his mind, showing a figure moving in an extremely strange posture in the pitch-black space. Jiang Che was secretly shocked by what he saw and recorded the figure's movements in his mind, practicing it over and over again.
...
Three hours later, Jiang Che slowly opened his eyes. Getting up from the bed, he flew out of the window in an instant, and when he reappeared, he was already perched on a large tree tens of meters away.
"With Grandmaster-level mid-stage power combined with the Wandering God Steps, my speed is truly terrifying..." Standing on the treetop, Jiang Che thought to himself. He moved his body, and when he reappeared, he was back in his bedroom. After taking a hot bath, Jiang Che lay down on the bed and quickly fell asleep.
The next morning, after washing up and having breakfast, Jiang Che drove directly to the company. Sitting in his office chair, he listened to Chen Xuewei's report on the situation.
"Mr. Jiang, we have already found the spokesperson for the Beauty Pill, and a press conference will be held in the next few days." Holding a stack of documents in her arms, Chen Xuewei reported the latest work progress to Jiang Che.
"Oh?" Jiang Che asked, intrigued. "Who did you find?"
"It's Luo Qingxuan, the queen who has recently been very popular in the music world." Chen Xuewei explained that they had put in a lot of effort to invite her to endorse the product. Overall, it was worth it; Luo Qingxuan had significant influence, especially among female fans in Kyushu, which aligned perfectly with the Beauty Pill's target market.
"The queen, Luo Qingxuan..." While tapping his fingers on the chair, Jiang Che fell into deep thought. Since she was a queen, perhaps she was the heroine in some other story. After all, in traditional urban YY novels, this type of queen heroine was often essential. However, Luo Qingxuan had not been mentioned in Lin Fan's script. Once she arrived in Jiangbei City, she would surely attract the attention of other protagonists. This was also beneficial for Jiang Che, as the more protagonists there were, the more people he could potentially blackmail.
"When is she arriving?"
"She'll arrive tomorrow."
"Then we should hold the press conference immediately. Go down and get ready."
Jiang Che thought for a moment and said that in two or three days, Lin Fan would be back. To focus on dealing with him, it would be better to settle the Beauty Pill matter in advance.
"Okay, Mr. Jiang." Chen Xuewei responded, swaying her hips as she left.
...
On an isolated island far away overseas, at dusk, Lin Fan returned to the door of his wooden house after a day of practice. An old man with white hair and a beard was standing there.
"Master…" Upon seeing the old man, Lin Fan spoke respectfully. The old man was Xiao Shan, who had rescued him eight years ago.
Without him, Lin Fan might have perished on that rainy night long ago.
"Your cultivation has already broken through to the peak of strength?" Xiao Shan glanced at Lin Fan casually and asked in surprise. He had not expected that after just a few days away, his apprentice had already broken through the realm that had remained stable for six months.
"Yes, master."
"Tu'er just broke through the day before yesterday." Lin Fan replied respectfully.
"Since you have broken through to the peak of Huajin, you can leave as we agreed." Xiao Shan stroked his white beard and smiled. He understood that Lin Fan's state of mind was not entirely settled and that he carried emotional burdens. This was not good for a warrior; if one held onto emotional burdens, their cultivation speed would slow significantly. This was why Lin Fan had struggled to break through for so long. That was also why Xiao Shan had previously promised that once Lin Fan reached the peak of Huajin, he would be allowed to leave for Jiangbei City.
Although the power at the peak of Huajin could not be deemed exceptionally strong, it was certainly not weak. In this crisis-ridden world, it provided a measure of self-protection.
"Thank you, master!" Lin Fan exclaimed excitedly upon hearing that Xiao Shan was finally willing to let him go. He had eagerly awaited this day. Though eight years had passed, the hatred in Lin Fan's heart had not diminished; instead, it had deepened with time. He was now eager to tear Liu Qiyue to pieces! It was all thanks to her that he had been kicked out of his home all those years ago!
"Take these with you as well." Xiao Shan returned to the wooden house, took out some bottles and jars, stuffed them into a canvas bag, and handed it to Lin Fan. Since ancient times, there had been no distinction between medicine and martial arts. These were healing elixirs made from herbs he had gathered, as well as some pills that could enhance internal strength. They could prevent potential problems, and if Lin Fan were injured, he could recover quickly.
"Thank you, master!" Holding the canvas bag, Lin Fan felt its weight. He looked at Xiao Shan with tears in his eyes. In this world, besides his family, Xiao Shan was undoubtedly the person who had treated him the best. Over the years, he had not only practiced martial arts but had also traveled with Xiao Shan, gaining invaluable knowledge.
"Don't get too sentimental; hurry up and cook. I'm hungry," Xiao Shan chided with a smile.
"Okay, master!" Lin Fan responded eagerly, walking directly into the wooden house. He took out a large iron pot, chopped vegetables, set up a bonfire on the beach, and began cooking.