Uh...
The three thugs were completely dumbfounded.
The dark-faced man weighed at least 140 pounds, yet he was sent flying by Li Pingfan's slap. The blood spitting from his mouth was mixed with some broken teeth.
This monstrous strength was fundamentally beyond their ability to resist.
"Thud! Thud! Thud!"
The three thugs' legs went weak, and they knelt down one after another, pleading to Lin Xiang: "Auntie! We know we're wrong! We're sorry for you! Please forgive us!"
Lin Xiang stood frozen in place, as if in a dream, completely unable to believe what she was seeing.
After a long daze, she finally said tremblingly: "You can leave..."
As soon as these words were spoken, they sounded like celestial music from heaven.
The three thugs dragged the still-bleeding dark-faced man and ran faster than rabbits.
"Phew..."
Li Pingfan also let out a long breath and immediately dispelled Xiang Yu's power.
A look of exhaustion instantly appeared on his face, and his right palm swelled red. Sharp pains shot through his muscles and bones.
"Although Xiang Yu's power is overbearing, my current physique is too weak to handle it. It's like hurting the enemy by a thousand and damaging myself by eight hundred! This isn't a long-term solution. I still need to find a way to cultivate." Li Pingfan thought to himself.
Ding—
Rescued a victimized woman, gained 1 Three Realms Merit.
Ding—
Borrowed the power of a nether ghost, deducted 3 Three Realms Merits. Current Three Realms Merits: -1. Rank: Bad Guy!
What the hell!
Why is it deducting Three Realms Merits too?
Li Pingfan looked completely confused.
When studying the Nether Battle Eye earlier, he had learned that the historical celebrities in the Three Realms Red Envelope Group were not living humans, but nether ghosts from the underworld!
After death, people have two choices:
First, drink Meng Po's soup, cross the Naihe Bridge, and reincarnate.
Second, stay in the underworld, cultivate as a nether ghost, accumulate Three Realms Merits to become an earth immortal, and thus ascend to the heavenly realm.
It's extremely difficult for nether ghosts to accumulate Three Realms Merits, so most people choose reincarnation after death. Only a few continue to cultivate.
Xiang Yu was one of them!
"So that means, the 3 Three Realms Merits deducted from me are the cost of borrowing power, which has already been transferred to Xiang Yu..."
Li Pingfan calculated briefly and guessed the general idea.
No gain without effort . This is only natural.
But having Three Realms Merits deducted to -1 and being labeled a "Bad Guy" was a bit annoying...
"Li Pingfan... What are you spacing out for?" Lin Xiang walked over and asked softly.
"Oh... Nothing..." Li Pingfan scratched the tip of his nose.
The secrets in his heart couldn't be told to anyone.
"Why is your face so pale? Could you be sick?" Lin Xiang was a very observant woman and immediately noticed Li Pingfan's change.
She stepped closer, raised a fair little hand, and gently placed it on Li Pingfan's forehead.
The slender jade hand brought a faint coolness, moving slowly and tenderly like a gentle breeze and drizzle, soothing Li Pingfan's heart.
Teacher's hand is so soft...
Looking at the gentle woman in front of him and smelling her lily-like fragrance, Li Pingfan's heart wavered.
"You don't have a fever, but your face is still pale... How about I take you to the hospital?" Lin Xiang withdrew her hand and said seriously.
"I'm fine. I'll just go back and sleep it off." Li Pingfan smiled calmly.
There were still two bottles of Small Hundred Herbs Elixir in his Treasure Chest. Just one drop would solve all problems—no need to go to the hospital at all.
As he spoke, he prepared to head back.
"Wait! Li Pingfan... Could you come home with me?" Lin Xiang suddenly spoke, her voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz, her beautiful little face flushing red.
Go... home?
Li Pingfan looked utterly confused, Can't believe his ears.: "Well... Ms. Lin, you're so beautiful, I certainly don't mind going back with you... But isn't this progressing too fast?"
"Progressing what?"
Lin Xiang froze, her earlobes turning completely red: "Don't think nonsense. I'm worried those bad guys might be lurking near my house. I can only feel at ease with you there..."
"Uh..."
Li Pingfan felt extremely embarrassed. He had thought he might get to do something embarrassed at the teacher's house...
But on second thought, he had just slapped that dark-faced man, and the other party was indeed very likely to take revenge.
If Lin Xiang got hurt because of this, it would be really bad.
"Then let's go. I'd be happy to be your flower protector for once." Li Pingfan agreed without hesitation.
"Mm..." Lin Xiang nodded, following behind Li Pingfan like a little wife.
Lin Xiang lived in the slums of West City—an old shantytown house, extremely dilapidated. There wasn't a single valuable piece of furniture in the house.
Logically, as a university teacher, her income shouldn't be low.
The reason she ended up like this must be because of her brother!
Li Pingfan wanted to ask several times and even offered to lend her money, but Lin Xiang avoided the topic entirely and refused his help.
Perhaps, in her heart, Li Pingfan was just a poor peasant boy who couldn't help at all.
In any case, the night passed peacefully.
Li Pingfan slept in Lin Xiang's brother's room. The next day, he took the bus back to school with Lin Xiang.
In the following days, everything was calm.
Besides checking the Three Realms Red Envelope Group every day, Li Pingfan added a new daily routine—exercising.
Since borrowing Xiang Yu's power, Li Pingfan had deeply realized his own weakness and was extremely eager to become a powerful overlord like Xiang Yu!
Second Senior Brother had said that cultivation was a long process.
Now that Li Pingfan had decided to take this path, the first thing he needed to do was overcome himself!
Once a homebody who barely passed physical education, he completely reversed his past lifestyle.
Every day, except for eating and sleeping, he spent all his remaining time exercising crazily on the playground!
Every time his strength was exhausted, he drank a drop of Small Hundred Herbs Elixir. After regaining his strength, he continued exercising.
In just these five short days, the amount of exercise he did was more than the total of the past six months!
Naturally, his crazy efforts brought significant improvements.
With a blink of his Nether Battle Eye, his new attributes appeared:
—Cultivation: 0, Physique: 3, Combat Power: 10.
"No pain, no gain. That's absolutely true!"
Li Pingfan grinned, his smile Exceptionally brilliant.
Although he was still light-years away from being a ten-thousand-enemy overlord like Xiang Yu, such progress was enough to make him proud.
"Ring ring ring..."
At this moment, his phone rang. It was a call from his goddess, Lan Mengchen.
Today was Sunday. She had mentioned earlier that she wanted to treat Li Pingfan to dinner, and there was another thing she wanted to take him to do.
Without hesitation, Li Pingfan rushed toward the school gate.
Uncle Qin wasn't around today, so Lan Mengchen drove a low-key Audi TT herself. As soon as Li Pingfan got in the car, she widened her beautiful eyes.
"Master Li! You've changed!"