Ye Feng answered the phone and said, "I'm swamped. So busy my head is spinning."
"That's perfect. I have some Purple Mountain Ginseng here that cures dizziness. Only a million," Xu Ke said with a smile.
Beside him, Tang Yingchang and Chen Haiming clicked their tongues. Mister Xu is a real shark! An herb he strong-armed from Yihe Pharmaceuticals for a thousand or so yuan, and he's flipping it for this much?
Hearing Xu Ke, Ye Feng replied wearily, "Bro, I'm already exhausted. Can you please not mess with me right now?"
He would have liked to banter with Xu Ke, but after squabbling with his uncles from the Ye Family for half the day, he just didn't have the energy.
Xu Ke feigned injury. "I'm not messing with you! This is to treat your sister's headaches. To help her detox. Isn't that worth a million?"
At those words, Ye Feng fell silent. Then, his voice filled with delighted surprise, he asked, "You got the medicine for Xiao Yu?"
"Of course. I promised you and your sister I'd get it. But you have to trade something for this medicine. The Ye Family needs to show some sincerity," Xu Ke said.
"No problem!" Ye Feng replied without hesitation.
In reality, even without the medicine, Xu Ke had already arranged with Ye Feng to take a portion of the Ye Family's equity. Once Ye Feng took over the Ye Family Corporation, he had to cede a portion of its internal control to Xu Ke. Otherwise, Xu Ke wouldn't be comfortable letting the Ye Family Corporation survive and thrive.
Their camaraderie was one thing, but it was best to clarify their interests to avoid any ugly disputes in the future. As for whether the old guard of the Ye Family would agree to Ye Feng giving away their assets, Xu Ke wasn't worried. If they didn't agree, he would just beat them until they did.
After hanging up with Ye Feng, Xu Ke grabbed a handful of the herbs and had Chen Haiming and Dongfang Mingliang deliver the Purple Mountain Ginseng to Junyue Residence. He told them to have Feng Wei come out and take it to be decocted immediately.
After Chen Haiming left, Xu Ke walked into the clinic and found Xu Yi and Wang Qiya eating snacks. "What are you two eating?" he asked, puzzled.
"Mung bean cakes from my hometown. Want one?" Xu Yi said, pushing the box toward him as crumbs spilled from her mouth.
"No, thanks," Xu Ke said, exasperated. "Could you try to be a little more ladylike? You're acting like a kid."
"Hmph! You can't tell me what to do," Xu Yi retorted, making a face at him. She then smiled at Tang Yingchang. "Elder Tang, would you like some?"
"No, thank you!" Tang Yingchang replied with a cheerful wave.
Another thought occurred to Xu Ke. "Wait, where did you get mung bean cakes?"
"Dad gave them to me!" Xu Yi said.
"Oh, really... huh? Damn it, why didn't he give me any?" Xu Ke didn't think much of it at first, but on second thought, he started cursing. Second Uncle saw me twice, and he never brought me any local specialties! The bastard! And after I even bought him cigarettes!
"Who said he didn't bring you anything? He brought four boxes of cakes, two packs of beef meatballs, and two pounds of freshly sliced beef. It was all meant for you," Xu Yi informed him.
"Then where is it?" Xu Ke asked, stunned as he looked around the room. He hadn't seen a thing.
Hearing this, Wang Qiya could no longer hold back her laughter.
Xu Yi said righteously, "Qi Ya and I ate it all yesterday!"
"You..." Xu Ke fumed. "Have you no respect for me as your older brother?"
Xu Yi was unapologetic, glaring right back at him. "Consider it interest. Who was it that forced me to watch the clinic for free? It's become so inconvenient for me to get to school now, you know? Or, how about this? I'll give you everything back, and you let me return to school."
Hearing that, Xu Ke felt a pang of guilt and fell silent. He coughed twice. "Well, as long as you ate and drank well. That's what's important."
Seeing him back down, Xu Yi burst out, "You're such a scumbag!"
"Oh, right. When did Second Uncle come looking for you? How come I didn't know?" Xu Ke quickly changed the subject.
"Dad came yesterday morning. He dropped off the stuff and said he was going to see you. He also told me not to meddle in your affairs..." Xu Yi trailed off, then asked curiously, "Brother, is my dad a Martial Artist like you?"
Her words took Xu Ke by surprise. "Why do you ask?"
"Dad seems incredibly strong. Even Grandpa Dongfang didn't notice when he arrived yesterday," Xu Yi explained.
Though she didn't practice martial arts, she wasn't a fool. Dongfang Mingliang usually acted like a sentry; if anyone came within a hundred meters of the clinic, he would immediately look up to confirm they weren't a threat before looking back down. But when Xu Zhentai arrived, Dongfang Mingliang hadn't detected him at all. If Xu Zhentai hadn't spoken first, Dongfang Mingliang might have gone the whole day without noticing him. Under these circumstances, how could Xu Yi not realize her father was extraordinary?
Hearing this, Xu Ke was stunned. He exchanged a glance with Tang Yingchang, then gave a wry smile. "You're right. He's a Martial Artist, too."
Second Uncle, it's not that I didn't want to keep your secret. You let the cat out of the bag yourself!
At the same time, Xu Ke felt a pang of melancholy. Xu Zhentai had visited Tianhai before, but Xu Ke had never noticed anything unusual about him. If it hadn't been for the encounter with the Fire Guard at the gymnasium, he might never have known that his uncle was a Martial Artist. Yet Xu Yi figured it out almost immediately... How could she be so perceptive? The comparison made him, her older brother, look like a complete idiot!
"Really? Is he very strong?" Xu Yi asked with delighted surprise.
"He is," Xu Ke nodded.
"Extremely impressive!" Tang Yingchang couldn't help but add, his face filled with reverence.
He was unaware that Xu Zhentai's power had its limits. In his eyes, Xu Zhentai was still that formidable Peak Level Martial Artist.
Nearby, Wang Qiya watched with quiet astonishment. Xu Yi didn't know Tang Yingchang's true strength and had always assumed he and Dongfang Mingliang were on a similar level, since they were about the same age. But Wang Qiya knew exactly how powerful Tang Yingchang was. Yet now, his face showed such an expression when mentioning Xu Yi's father? Wang Qiya couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath. Just how strong could Xu Yi's father be?
"Wow," Xu Yi breathed, her eyes shining with pride. Clearly, she hadn't expected her father to command such praise and awe. It made her feel honored by association.
But a moment later, she hesitated. "Then... does that mean he often has to face dangerous situations?"
Xu Ke was taken aback for a second, then smiled. "Don't worry, he doesn't. Your dad washed his hands of that life long ago. Otherwise, he wouldn't have so much free time to stay home and 'educate' us."
Hearing this, Xu Yi realized it was true. Growing up, neither she nor Xu Ke had ever been short on beatings. Thinking it over, she pouted. "You're not pulling my leg, are you? He spent so much of his time beating us two up. It doesn't seem like he'd have had the time to get so powerful."
At her comment, Tang Yingchang froze, then wailed inwardly. He was finally beginning to understand that the entire Xu Family was made up of monsters! In two months, Xu Ke had leaped from being an Acquired Martial Artist to an Innate Martial Artist. And Xu Zhentai, who apparently did nothing all day but beat children, had still managed to reach the Peak Realm... This left Tang Yingchang reeling. He began to question if there was something wrong with his own path of cultivation.
"Don't talk nonsense. Your father was strong long before you were born," Xu Ke said, flicking her on the forehead.
"Ouch..." Xu Yi winced.
Xu Ke looked at her thoughtfully. "Now that you know your dad's a Martial Artist, does it make you want to practice?"
Without a moment's thought, Xu Yi shook her head.
"Why not?" Xu Ke asked, surprised.
"Dad would never want me to do something so dangerous!" she said instantly.
Hearing her words, Wang Qiya felt a pang of envy.
"It's good that you know that," Xu Ke said with a smile.
Xu Yi paused, then smiled herself. "Besides, even if I did get into trouble, wouldn't you and Dad protect me, Brother?"
Gazing into Xu Yi's clear eyes, Xu Ke smiled and said with conviction, "Don't worry. I won't."
"Jerk!" Xu Yi, who had been waiting for his earnest reply, was infuriated. Baring her teeth and claws, she lunged at him.
Xu Ke chuckled and started to dodge.
Just then, a timid and embarrassed voice came from the doorway. "Is Mister Xu here?"
Xu Ke quickly pressed a hand against Xu Yi's face to stop her, turning his head. "I am. May I ask who... Huang Zhenyang? What brings you here?"
When Xu Ke saw the visitor, his expression shifted from surprise to a faint, subtle smile.
