Chapter 13 Lian Zhen

After leaving the quaint shop, Du Fei squinted slightly against the light. It took a moment for him to adjust to the bustling street again. Behind him, a puzzled Little Ai, holding a jade box, said, "Young Master, are you really going to consume these things? Isn't that a bit too exaggerated?" "What do you think?" Du Fei smiled, replying nonchalantly, "Hold onto these items carefully. Next, we need to find one more thing..." "What thing?" "A medicine tripod!" Hearing this, Little Ai's face froze momentarily, and she looked at him with disbelief. She had been living with Du Fei since they were kids and had never seen him look for such things before. Du Fei's sudden mastery of martial arts and these recent events made Little Ai feel that her young master was becoming more and more inscrutable. However, she didn't overthink things. Whatever Du Fei said or did, she didn't ponder on it too deeply. Towards her young master, she held only unwavering trust. "But Young Master, couldn't you have looked for a medicine tripod in the shop we just left?" Slightly tilting her head, Little Ai stepped closer to Du Fei, asking softly. "Silly girl..." Du Fei gently tapped Little Ai's head, whispering, "If we did that, wouldn't everyone know what I'm up to?" Hearing this, Little Ai playfully stuck out her tongue, her face wearing a look of sudden realization. Du Fei quite liked Little Ai's naive and simple nature. He just smiled and continued wandering around the market with her. After wandering through the marketplace for a while, Du Fei's steps gradually slowed as he approached a rather large stall. His gaze settled on an ancient-looking, quaint cauldron. Taking a deep breath, he said, "I finally found it!" After examining the old cauldron for a moment, Du Fei slowly crouched down and picked it up, caressing its surface. He then asked calmly, "How much is this?" "Hehe, young master has a good eye! This item was recently discovered in some ruins. I believe it was probably a medicine tripod used by an alchemist in the past... However, for ordinary people like us, there's no use for such an item. If you're interested, I can offer it to you for just five hundred gold coins?" Seeing Du Fei's interest, the merchant couldn't help but say in a low voice. Hearing this, Du Fei hesitated, then put the item back on the stall, replying indifferently, "I am not an alchemist. Whether it's a medicine tripod or not doesn't matter to me. I just thought its ancient design was rather intriguing and wanted to purchase it for leisure... If you're hoping to find a fool to swindle, you might want to wait for someone else." Having said that, Du Fei didn't spare another glance at the stall. He took Little Ai's hand, ready to turn around and leave. "Ah, young master, please wait..." Seeing Du Fei about to leave, the merchant hesitated for a moment before speaking. "What is it?" Du Fei turned around and asked with a light smile. "Well..." The merchant hesitated for another moment, then chuckled, "Since you are interested in this item, why not make an offer?" "Fifty gold coins!" Du Fei replied without batting an eye. "Fifty?" The merchant's mouth twitched involuntarily, "Young master, are you joking with me? This item for fifty gold coins? Why don't you sell it to me instead?" "How much do you want then?" Du Fei asked calmly. "At least a hundred gold coins!" The merchant replied with a dry laugh. "Eighty!" "Ah..." The merchant's mouth twitched again. After a moment, he gritted his teeth and sighed, "Fine, eighty it is..." With a look of resignation, the merchant watched as Du Fei, without any further ado, signaled to Little Ai. She counted out eighty gold coins and handed them over. Du Fei then picked up the medicine tripod and walked away at a leisurely pace. Having acquired all the items he needed, Du Fei was quite pleased. He didn't intend to stay any longer and quickly left the market with Little Ai in tow. They hadn't walked far when they suddenly heard a faint laughter from ahead. "This must be the famous Miss Ai from the Du Family that I've heard so much about recently. Truly, seeing is believing!" Both Du Fei and Little Ai furrowed their brows, turning their attention to the source of the voice. At the entrance of the market, there was a group of people surrounding a young man dressed in quite extravagant attire, who was slowly walking towards the duo. The young man appeared to be around twenty years old. He had a handsome face and a tall, upright figure. His clothes were immaculate, and he held a plain white folding fan in his hand, gently swaying it back and forth. At that moment, his slightly squinted eyes were fixed on Little Ai. Within those eyes, an undeniable hint of desire flashed briefly. Seeing this man, Little Ai instinctively stepped half a step forward, positioning herself in front of Du Fei, a look of disgust flashing across her face. Du Fei also slightly furrowed his brows for a moment before asking in a deep voice, "May I ask why you are blocking our path?" "You are Du Fei?" The young man finally shifted his gaze to Du Fei, and then faintly smiled, "I've heard of your name. Seeing you now, I think you're just ordinary." After saying that, the young man no longer paid any attention to Du Fei. Instead, he turned to Little Ai with a smile and said, "Miss Ai, I am Lian Zhen. I've admired you for a long time. Today, I wish to invite Miss Ai to the Jinxiu Building for a little chat. I wonder if you would honor me with your presence..." Lian Zhen? Du Fei couldn't help but curl the corner of his lips, unsure whether to laugh or feel frustrated. He had heard of Lian Zhen a few times before. The three major powers in Buyue City were the Du Family, Lian Family, and Gongsun Family. The three families maintained a balanced triad within Buyue City. None of them could outdo the other, so even though there were frequent minor disputes in recent years, there were no significant conflicts. As for Lian Zhen, he was renowned as the most talented individual of his generation in the Lian Family. It was said that at a very young age, he had already advanced to the ninth level of body-forging, just a step away from becoming a Ninth-grade Martial Artist. The fact that such a talented individual came out to pick a quarrel now caused Du Fei to chuckle bitterly inside. Indeed, beauty could bring about trouble! However, even with those thoughts, Du Fei curled his lips and replied with a faint smile, "So it's the renowned Young Master Lian Zhen of the Lian Family. I've long heard of your great reputation... However, even if Young Master Lian Zhen wishes to extend an invitation, my Little Ai is quite busy. Thus, I'm afraid we must decline your offer." Having said that, Du Fei no longer paid attention to Lian Zhen's rather displeased expression. Instead, he took Little Ai by the hand, and the two of them began walking towards the other side of the market. "Who said you could leave..." Seeing Du Fei disregard his dignity and holding the hand of the woman he fancied, a flash of anger passed over Lian Zhen's handsome face. Soon after, the corner of his mouth twitched with a hint of grinding resentment. Following Lian Zhen's display of anger, his subordinates, without waiting for his order, spread out instantly. In no time, they surrounded Du Fei and Little Ai, creating an immediately tense atmosphere. Observing the actions of Lian Zhen's group, Du Fei's pupils slightly contracted. After a brief pause, he slowly turned around, his indifferent gaze falling on Lian Zhen as he coldly said, "Young Master Lian Zhen, what... do you mean by this?" "What do I mean?" The corner of Lian Zhen's mouth twitched again, followed by a cold laugh. He replied, "That question, shouldn't I be asking you, Young Master Du Fei? With my status and position in Buyue City, what concern is it of yours whom Miss Ai chooses to meet with?" Du Fei chuckled lightly and responded, "Originally, this matter had little to do with me. However... my Little Ai would never go out with irrelevant people. Please understand this, Young Master Lian Zhen." "Understand?" Lian Zhen laughed heartily, "Such understanding! In that case, Young Master Du Fei, I hope you'll also 'understand' today!" After he spoke, Lian Zhen's fierce eyes swept the surroundings, and he coldly ordered, "If anyone dares to intervene today, they're declaring enmity against the Lian Family... Attack!" Upon Lian Zhen's command, the ten or so subordinates surrounding Du Fei and Little Ai charged forward with grim expressions. Du Fei didn't expect Lian Zhen to take action so impulsively without any regard for consequences. He sneered, handed the medicine tripod he held to Little Ai, and signaled her to step back. Only then did he step forward and slap the face of the first burly man who charged at him. "Smack..." With a loud smack, the first burly man was already sent spinning in place by Du Fei's slap. Shortly after, he fell to the ground in a daze. Du Fei, however, didn't spare him another glance. He continued to step forward, each of his seemingly effortless strikes knocking down one of the opponents. By the time he delivered his final slap, even Lian Zhen's last guard was lying on the ground with a bruised face, wailing in pain. Truth be told, these guards were not weak. Each of them possessed at least the strength of the third or fourth level of Body-forging Fist. Yet, in front of Du Fei, they seemed somewhat inadequate. The reason was simple, the Body-forging Fist they practiced was just too rudimentary. Seeing that his last guard had also fallen, the muscles on Lian Zhen's face twitched uncontrollably. After a brief moment, he inhaled slightly and said coldly, "Impressive. You managed to take down all these useless men. It seems Young Master Du Fei truly has some skills..." Du Fei's expression remained unchanged. He simply chuckled, casually shook his hand, and said indifferently, "People these days really have thick skins. My hand hurts from all the slapping. What bad luck..." Having said that, Du Fei nonchalantly shook his head and remarked, "If there's nothing else, then I shall take my leave, Young Master Lian Zhen." "Take your leave?" Lian Zhen laughed in anger, "Du Fei, you can't possibly think today's matter will end just like this, can you?"