Chapter 2 Turn of Events

"Boom..." The intense cold current, bursting from Du Fei's palm, seemed to freeze the surrounding air in an instant. Soon after, the chilling aura and turbulent air collided fiercely, causing both of their figures to violently shake. "Hmmph..." Long Aotian let out a strange and inexplicable sound. His previously calm face changed dramatically, retreating quickly as if he had seen a ghost. Landing on the ground, he stumbled back several steps, "Thud thud thud..." leaving deep footprints as his complexion grew worse. On the other hand, Du Fei's body also propelled backward quickly. However, his fall wasn't as graceful as Long Aotian and ended up crashing clumsily into the wall at the end of the alley. His body finally came to an abrupt stop, and almost immediately, he felt a taste in his throat, and a mouthful of blood spurted out. "What's going on? Why do I have Qi inside me?" Given his condition and years of fruitless effort, Du Fei was well aware that his meridians were blocked. He couldn't harness the Primordial Force from the heavens and earth into his body, making cultivation impossible. But why was there an absolutely impossible presence of Qi within him now? And what about that cold electronic voice in his mind? System? The computer system he was familiar with from his previous life? But if it was a computer system, why would it appear in his own mind? All these questions arose simultaneously, stirring great doubts in Du Fei's heart. However, at this moment, Du Fei didn't have the time to slowly unravel these mysteries. After all, the imminent threat in front of him was still unresolved... "Beep...Temporary crisis cessation. Due to the heavy mental and physical strain caused by automatic retaliation, the automatic defense mode is temporarily deactivated." With the cold "beep" sound echoing, the icy sensation all over Du Fei's body quickly faded, replaced by an intense soreness in his muscles, as if he had overexerted himself. "Young Master Long, are you..." Across from Du Fei, in the shadows of the alley, several men in black suddenly sprang out. Another figure, who seemed to be their leader, quickly approached Long Aotian, inquiring in a low voice. "It's nothing." Long Aotian shook his head slightly, casting a peculiar gaze onto Du Fei. He coldly remarked, "The intelligence was wrong. Wasn't it said that this Du Fei is a once-in-a-century good-for-nothing, unable to practice martial arts in this lifetime? How can this Du Fei use the Ice Heart Qi? Moreover, by invoking the Ice Heart Qi within Buyue City, those old ghosts of the Du Family must have noticed. Today's mission can be considered a failure..." "Then, Young Master Long, what should we do now? Should we kill the kid directly?" The man in black asked in a sinister tone. "Do you still need me to tell you?" Long Aotian scoffed, a clear murderous intent in his eyes, "If you don't remove the roots after you cut the grass, it will grow back when the spring winds blow!" As his words fell, Long Aotian stomped his foot hard against the ground, his figure darting towards Du Fei like a shadow. At the same time, a faint blue glow radiated from him, and his claw descended towards Du Fei! "System rebooting..." Almost simultaneously, a cold "beep" sound resonated. Du Fei naturally retreated half a step. His right leg felt a chill, and he swiftly kicked it towards Long Aotian's chest... "Thud..." With his body heavily slammed onto the ground, Long Aotian spewed out a mouthful of blood. A shocked expression flashed across his face, displaying a look of utter disbelief. "Du Family's Ice Peak Leg?" "How is it possible!?" Long Aotian's face twisted in rage. He struggled to his feet, his peculiar gaze resting on Du Fei for a long moment, before suddenly shifting. Then, he glanced in the eastern direction of the city, "The Du Family's keen senses, as sharp as ever! I'll settle the score with this Du Fei another day. Retreat!" Having said this, Long Aotian gave Du Fei a cold glance, scoffed, and rapidly dashed backward. The several men in black exchanged glances and also quickly retreated, vanishing into the alley in an instant. "They've left?" Du Fei's body shuddered slightly as he spat out another mouthful of blood. Still, he managed to move next to Little Ai, reaching out to check her pulse. After a brief moment, he sighed in relief, "Thank goodness..." Before he could finish his words, Du Fei's vision darkened, and he collapsed. However, just as he fell, a faint icy-blue radiance momentarily shone from his body. Moments later, it completely vanished into his frame. This was a sign that should have appeared only on an Eighth-grade Martial Artist. For it to manifest on Du Fei now was absolutely impossible. If anyone saw this, they would undoubtedly refuse to believe it. Moments later, within the dim night sky, a few figures rapidly emerged. After a moment's hesitation, they all descended into the alley. Leading them was an old man with a sallow complexion. Behind him were several young men and women dressed in sturdy robes. After their gaze briefly scanned the ground, one particularly handsome young man frowned and said, "Third Elder, it's the only son of Fourth-in-command's family, and it seems the other is his personal maid... However, didn't we receive news a few days ago that everyone in Fourth-in-command's family had been wiped out? Why would he appear here?" "The good-for-nothing from Fourth-in-command's family?" The one addressed as Third Elder's expression noticeably darkened. After a moment, he waved his sleeve and indifferently said, "Fourth-in-command severed ties with our Du Family all those years ago for that woman's sake. He completely disgraced our eldest brother. This son of Fourth-in-command... the offspring of that witch?" His expression shifted for a brief moment before the Third Elder reluctantly said, "If it were up to me, I'd let the boy fend for himself. However, our eldest brother sensed the Ice Heart Qi of our Du Family just now... After all, he is a member of the Du Family. If he died here, it would be a disgrace to us. Let's take him back. I believe our eldest brother will definitely want to clarify things about Fourth-in-command... after all..." As he said this, the Third Elder coughed softly, refraining from saying more. He made a gesture and his figure flickered, disappearing from the spot without a trace. The remaining young men and women exchanged glances. A moment later, the leading young man gave a slight nod. The rest swiftly helped Du Fei and Little Ai up, and then, they dashed towards the eastern part of the city. "Little Ai..." When Du Fei mustered the strength to open his eyes, he found himself in a room that felt both unfamiliar yet strangely familiar. This baffling scene left him momentarily stunned. He quickly turned his head, only to see the delicate face of the young girl resting on his chest. Her lovely face had faint traces of tears. Whether she had cried herself to exhaustion or had finally felt relief, the young girl was clearly deep in sleep at that moment. "What's going on..." After looking around in confusion, Du Fei carefully moved Little Ai off him. However, this slight movement still woke Little Ai up. She quickly wiped the tear marks off her face and then joyfully said, "Young Master, are you alright... Don't worry, we're now at the main residence of the Du Family. Lord Patriarch has already sent for a physician to help treat you. The physician said that even though you were injured, the assailant didn't strike with lethal intent. So, you're not in grave danger. With some rest, you should recover." "Is that so?" Du Fei smiled, though the pain in his chest made him wince. Nevertheless, he refrained from expressing any discomfort. Propping himself up, he leaned against the bed and softly asked, "What's the current situation?" Upon hearing this, Little Ai furrowed her brows slightly and after a pause whispered, "Over these days, I've heard from the servants of the Du Family that we were found unconscious in the alley. It was the Du Family's Third Elder who came with people to rescue us. We're now resting in a small courtyard within the Du Family residence. I heard this place used to be where the Old Master lived during his youth." "My father's old place?" Hearing this, Du Fei turned his head and took a closer look, then nodded slightly. No wonder he felt both familiarity and strangeness here; the layout of this place was quite similar to his father's room. After observing for a moment, Du Fei took a deep breath. A flash of resentment appeared in his eyes, and after a pause, he said gravely, "I remember my father once told me that he was originally an inside member of Buyue City's Du Family. However, he betrayed the Du Family... And the current patriarch of the Du Family is my grandfather... In these past few days, has anyone come to ask about our family's affairs?" Little Ai's face held a hint of complexity. After a moment, she sighed and replied, "No one has, but I believe they might be waiting for you to regain consciousness before they ask. Young Master, you should rest now. I'll go out and gather information." Having said that, Little Ai stood up, intending to help Du Fei get comfortable. "Forget it..." Du Fei sighed softly, then whispered, "Now that both of us are at the mercy of others, it's better to avoid making unnecessary moves." There was something else Du Fei didn't say, Du Tian's position within the Du Family was awkward, and now that the two of them had come to seek refuge with the Du Family, they were in an even more embarassing position. It was completely normal for the people of the Du Family to be unwelcoming to them. Not to mention, his own reputation as a good-for-nothing... Thinking of this, Du Fei suddenly slapped his forehead. He had almost forgotten that before he was knocked out by Long Aotian, it seemed that some system had protected him, allowing him to use his Qi? Although he wasn't sure why or what that system was, perhaps if he could make good use of this so-called system, he would have the opportunity to cultivate! However, now wasn't the right time. He should wait until the dead of night to thoroughly investigate what this so-called system really was.