After a long while of stunned silence, it was the elderly man who reacted quickly. His expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly retracted his palm technique. His attitude underwent a complete one-hundred-eighty-degree shift as he took a step back, cupped his fists, and said, "I was unaware that a Grandmaster was before me. Please forgive my offense. This old one thanks you for your mercifulness."
As he spoke, he leaned forward, his head bowed deeply. In such a short time, his address had changed from "young man" and "young friend" to "Grandmaster."
"Forget it, just give me the fifty thousand," Du Tianyu said.
"Yes, yes, definitely!" The elderly man lowered his posture considerably.
Why? The elderly man was also deeply knowledgeable in martial arts. That palm strike just now was real. Others might not know, but how could he himself be unclear? That was almost his full-force strike.
It was terrifying! It had been neutralized silently. Even if he wasn't a Grandmaster, he couldn't be far off.
To have rashly attacked without noticing, and even struck a Grandmaster with a palm, had scared the old man witless.
Du Tianyu, unaware of the elderly man's thoughts, stepped forward, walked to Qi Kai, squatted down, and extended his hand, sending a wisp of spiritual energy into his chest.
After a short while, Qi Kai woke up. Seeing Du Tianyu before him, his eyes filled with fear as he clutched his chest and stood up.
"You're fine now. Your temper is too volatile, and the palm technique you practice is extremely forceful. Your Qi and blood aren't circulating properly, and your heart meridian has been damaged. Without treatment, your life will be in danger.
That palm strike just now, that mouthful of blood, can also be considered a stroke of good fortune for you. You won't have the symptoms of chest tightness and pain anymore in the future!"
"This..." Qi Kai looked at Du Tianyu in surprise, his right hand involuntarily touching his chest.
He had suffered from chest tightness and pain for many years, seeing many famous doctors and taking a lot of medicine without any improvement. Today, after a fight, he was cured? Qi Kai still didn't quite believe it.
"Grandmaster, is what you say true?" The elderly man also felt deeply surprised. His son hadn't revealed these things, and he himself was unaware.
"Do I have any reason to lie to you?"
"This old one thanks you, young friend, for saving my son's life." The elderly man hurriedly signaled Qi Kai with his eyes.
Qi Kai also quickly cupped his fists, "Thank you, Grandmaster, for your life-saving grace!"
"No need for thanks, just hurry up and give me the money."
"This, this... We came out for morning exercise early in the morning, where would we have so much money on us?"
"Do you have a hundred or two?"
Du Tianyu looked at their embarrassed expressions and couldn't help but feel utterly disappointed. He had thought he could get the money immediately, but they didn't even have a hundred yuan on them. Not wanting to bother with these two anymore, he turned to leave down the mountain.
"Grandmaster, please wait." Seeing Du Tianyu about to leave, the elderly man quickly stepped forward.
Du Tianyu turned to look at the elderly man, who awkwardly cupped his fists and said, "This old one is Qi Jiuzhou. I still don't know the Grandmaster's esteemed name."
"Why do you need to know my name? Is it to give me money? Oh right, mobile transfer is also fine." Saying this, he took out his phone.
The father and son immediately showed embarrassed expressions again. Du Tianyu once again sized them up and down, then said with utter disappointment, "Damn it, you didn't even bring a phone when you went out."
Turning to leave again, Qi Kai finally spoke, "Grandmaster, my Qi family honors its bets. The fifty thousand will be respectfully presented with both hands when you descend the mountain. We also hope that the Grandmaster can tell us your esteemed name!"
Qi Kai hadn't spoken the whole time. On one hand, he was still reeling from the shock of the events just now. On the other hand, he truly felt the changes in his body, his breathing smoother.
"Our Qi family hopes to befriend the Grandmaster," Qi Jiuzhou also said respectfully.
"Sigh! I don't like trouble, but telling you isn't a big deal. My name is Du Tianyu, an ordinary freshman at Changlan Academy."
After saying this, he thought for a moment and said to Qi Kai, "Note down my phone number. I'll wait for you to give me the money."
…
In the afternoon, at the central library of the school, Du Tianyu took a dozen books at once and sat down in a corner to read.
Rather than reading, it was more like flipping through the pages. The speed of turning pages was very fast, as if he was counting the number of pages. He would stop after counting for a while, then stare blankly for a long time, as if he had forgotten where he had counted to.
Even flipping through one page at a time, so many books would take half a day, but Du Tianyu enjoyed it immensely.
Just then, a beautiful figure walked by. She seemed to see something, then walked back, looked at Du Tianyu in the corner, and ran over with surprise, saying, "Du Tianyu? Why did you run back from the hospital?"
Du Tianyu, who was seriously counting pages, stopped flipping the book, raised his head, and looked towards the voice. It turned out to be Mu Xue, the girl he had saved.
"Nothing much, I was discharged," he said, then lowered his head to continue counting.
Mu Xue was a campus belle. Usually, if she took the initiative to talk to any boy, that boy would be so excited that he would quickly stand up and try to chat with her.
Seeing Du Tianyu's reaction, she immediately felt like she had been snubbed for the first time in her life. But after all, he had saved her. Although everyone said he had ulterior motives and it was just a coincidence, how many people would step forward at such a critical moment?
"Tianyu, are you looking for something in the books?" Mu Xue asked curiously.
"I'm reading!" He didn't even lift his head.
Mu Xue looked at Du Tianyu seriously flipping through the pages and couldn't help but want to laugh. Who read books like that? Then, a thought flashed through her mind, and she immediately understood: "He's deliberately putting on an act to get my attention."
"Well then, I'm leaving!" Mu Xue deliberately said she was leaving, thinking that he definitely wouldn't be able to keep up the act and would definitely try to make her stay.
"Oh!" He still didn't lift his head, continuing to flip through the pages. Suddenly, Du Tianyu stopped.
Mu Xue chuckled inwardly, "See, he couldn't resist."
Then, she saw Du Tianyu seem to think of something and start flipping the pages quickly again.
Mu Xue felt utterly frustrated. Why didn't this guy play by the rules? She took a few steps away in anger, but seeing that he still hadn't reacted, she had no choice but to walk back.
"Du Tianyu, I have something to tell you."
"Ah?" Only then did Du Tianyu stop and look up at Mu Xue.
"What is it?"
"Thank you for saving me. Otherwise..." She was interrupted before she could finish.
"Oh, if it's about that, then forget it. There's nothing to thank me for. Any man would have done that in that situation. Don't take it to heart."
"That won't do. My parents said they want to take the time to personally thank you in person. Aren't you alright now? It just so happens that it's my birthday on Sunday. I'm inviting you on behalf of my parents."
"Ah?" Du Tianyu looked troubled. A beautiful woman was inviting him. In the past, he would have agreed without hesitation.
But ever since the Nine Souls became one, he suddenly lost interest in the things he used to be enthusiastic about, and he no longer cared so much about beautiful girls.
"Will there be a lot of delicious food?"
"That's for sure! And many beautiful classmates will be attending!" Mu Xue deliberately emphasized the word "beautiful."
"Oh, if there are many people, there should be more food. Okay, I'll reluctantly go."
Mu Xue was speechless. Such a beautiful woman was inviting him, and he was still acting reluctant? If he hadn't saved her life, she really wanted to slap him across the face.
"I'll go. Aren't you leaving yet? I still need to hurry up and finish reading these books."
Mu Xue stood there dumbfounded. Where was she? Who was she? Had she been rejected? Stomping her little foot in anger, she turned and left.
Another twenty minutes or so passed before Du Tianyu finished flipping through the last book. He stretched, picked up the stack of books, and returned them to their original places one by one.
Coming out of the library, the sky was already getting dark. He reached into his pockets, finding them empty. Du Tianyu suddenly wondered why there was still no news about the fifty thousand. He hadn't eaten lunch and was so hungry his stomach was growling.
He involuntarily blurted out, "You're really useless. You should have just followed them and taken the money back!"
"I'm useless? What about you? You lived eight lifetimes and didn't even leave behind a single hair!"
"Can you have some shame? The cultivation methods, Taoist arts, and pill refining techniques I brought you, which one isn't priceless? Just taking out a little bit from the cultivation world could exchange for endless wealth."
"You're just bragging!"
"Bragging? One fart from me when I was alive could have blown you to smithereens! Damn it, you're infuriating me!"