Xu Mu shook his head slightly. This woman, Feng Yue… she really had sharp eyes.
"Brother Xu, I can tell this pill is amazing," Feng Yue called from the bathroom. "For years my head felt foggy, but now it's been clear for a long while."
When Xu Mu didn't answer right away, she asked, "Are you peeking?"
"I'm really not."
Xu Mu lounged on the sofa—if he was going to look, he'd do it openly. Why sneak?
Maybe because she knew he was waiting just outside, Feng Yue rinsed off quickly and came out wrapped in a bath towel.
Xu Mu glanced at her and nodded. "Not bad—your skin looks more luminous."
Feng Yue paced over on light steps. "Brother Xu, what exactly do you see in me?"
She couldn't understand it. Logically, with something this precious, he should prioritize his own family. Yet he'd chosen to elevate her.
"Because I can tell you repay kindness," Xu Mu said, looking her in the eyes.
"Repay… kindness?"
Feng Yue blinked innocently.
"I have a feeling you're up to something," Xu Mu said, "but I have no evidence." He took out the second pill and handed it to her.
"Please forgive my stubbornness," Feng Yue said solemnly. "If you don't tell me the reason, I won't take it. I just want to know—what have I, Feng Yue, done to deserve this?"
Gone was her usual sultry charm; what he saw now was earnest and unvarnished.
He took a breath and spoke the answer he'd settled on. "Besides my wife, you're the second woman I've been with."
Feng Yue froze, eyes full of disbelief.
[Favorability +20]
Impossible… A man like Xu Mu—shouldn't he be carousing day and night?
"Brother Xu, do you really expect me to believe that?" she said with a hand over her lips, smiling.
"Believe it or not—that's my reason."
Deep down, Xu Mu was conservative. If Feng Yue were some wanton, he wouldn't feel this way. But like Ye Tong, she'd cut straight to the heart. He'd taken her first time; in his mind, she held a place.
"Ah—slipped."
Feng Yue's towel fell to the floor.
…
Xu Mu once again weathered a "Flat Peach Banquet."
Unlike last time—when Feng Yue still harbored resentment and just wanted it over with—this time was different. She no longer disliked him; their hearts were in sync.
Xu Mu had her take the Qi-Gathering Pill later; opening the meridians was painful. But Feng Yue lay limp on the sofa, unable to move—she'd long since run out of strength, her body numb.
All her hard training in Falling Meteor was useless against Xu Mu; his "detonating shock engine" completely overwhelmed her.
"Now that you're a martial artist, stabilize your realm," Xu Mu said, hands in his pockets as he left. "When you can, release your power at full strength to get used to it."
"This man…"
Black text appeared over Feng Yue's head again:
[Favorability +20]
…
Xu Mu had basically finished his tasks for the day. As for Feng Jian—no rush.
Just as he exited the community gate, he saw someone crouched by his car in the distance, reaching under the chassis.
He immediately expanded his perception. Even with the hand under the car, his sensing covered everything below—and he saw the person mounting a tracker on the undercarriage.
That surprised him. Most people wouldn't think to put something there.
He didn't move, just kept sensing. The middle-aged man got into a black Chery sedan and drove off. Xu Mu probed the cabin: disappointingly, it was only the one man—no accomplices. He'd installed the tracker and left.
Who were they, and what did they want? Xu Mu wondered. He'd planned to head home, but that was off the table until he identified them.
He got into his own car and started cruising around Yang City, circling to see if anyone would tail him. If they did, he could locate them with his perception.
After looping the city for a while, he was waiting at a red light downtown when two people came out of a hotel, both wearing sunglasses.
The woman was voluptuous with a perm, about forty. It was Feng Jian's mother, Chen Cai. The other was a crew-cut man—Dai Xiao of the Dai family.
"Master Dai! Look at that car—it's Xu Mu's!" Chen Cai stared at the distant Escalade; she remembered that plate clearly.
Dai Xiao smirked. "So the kid dared come to Yang City again. Last time I told Feng Jian to find people to take care of him, and he brought a bunch of frauds."
"My son's got a hole in his head!" Chen Cai snapped. "Don't know who he takes after!"
"Certainly not me," Dai Xiao quipped, curling his lip.
"This is no time for jokes. He's got our video—I don't want my life ruined," Chen Cai hissed.
Dai Xiao grinned and walked to a nearby Range Rover. Chen Cai hurried into the passenger seat.
"I'll have someone deal with Xu Mu right now. How are you going to repay me?" he asked, phone in hand, smiling at her.
"However Master Dai wants it," Chen Cai purred, resting her hand on his thigh.
He pushed her hand away. "Not here. I like your place—especially when Feng Kang is home."
"You're terrible!" she pouted. Inwardly, she despised him—but they were using each other. If she had the chance, she'd kick him to the curb. For now, she needed him, so she'd comply.
"This time I'll send my bodyguard," Dai Xiao said, glancing at her.
Chen Cai brightened—she knew his bodyguard was a powerful martial artist.
…
After more than an hour of circling, Xu Mu finally spotted a suspicious car tailing him.
"About time. Any later and I'd have gone home," he murmured, then drove toward a large river on the outskirts of Yang City.
He parked and walked to the bank. Willow branches swayed in the breeze; aside from a few anglers in the distance, the place was quiet.
Just then, a scruffy man approached—hair messy as if unwashed for half a month, stubble on his chin, a cigarette in his mouth, arms full of fishing gear. Judging by the loadout, he looked like a "permanent no-catch physique."
"Bro, you fishing here?" the man asked.
"No. Just checking the spot," Xu Mu shook his head.
"Good." The man set down a fishing chair and got busy setting up.
Suddenly, Xu Mu sensed two cars arriving from opposite directions, both stopping nearby. Moments later, two men in sunglasses got out and scanned the riverside. When they spotted Xu Mu, they started walking straight toward him.