Jiangcheng — Marriott Hotel.
Tonight, the entire hotel had been reserved by the Shen family. Inside the dazzling ballroom, luxury perfumes mingled with expensive suits and glittering gowns. Nearly every influential figure in Jiangcheng was present. Everyone was curious—after Old Master Shen's miraculous recovery, who would be the true star of this first grand banquet?
Jiang Che walked in wearing a black tracksuit he'd bought at the campus convenience store for less than a hundred yuan, along with a pair of slightly worn canvas sneakers. He was stopped by security three separate times before being allowed inside.
"Mr. Jiang—you finally made it." Shen Qingqiu hurried toward him from across the hall.
Tonight she wore a deep-purple backless evening gown, like a cold and elegant midnight rose. Instantly, all eyes turned to her.
"So that's the 'miracle doctor' who saved Old Master Shen?"
"You've got to be kidding—his whole outfit doesn't even cost two hundred."
"He looks like a food delivery guy."
"Did President Shen drink some kind of love potion?"
Jiang Che ignored the whispers. Inside his mind, the old master chuckled. "Kid, even for Daoists who value freedom, your outfit is… aggressively casual."
Jiang Che casually picked up a glass of juice and smiled faintly. "Clothes are for people to wear—not for dogs to judge."
"Well said—clothes aren't for dogs to judge!"
A slightly frivolous voice echoed through the hall. At the main entrance, a handsome young man in a white custom-made suit strode in under the lights. Two elderly men followed behind him, their presence heavy and oppressive, the air around them subtly distorting.
Ye Fan of the Ye family from the capital.
The moment Shen Qingqiu saw him, her brows tightened, and she instinctively moved closer to Jiang Che.
"Qingqiu, long time no see—you're still stunning," Ye Fan said, completely ignoring Jiang Che as he gazed at her with exaggerated affection. "I heard Old Master Shen was ill, so I rushed here from the capital. I even brought a 'Minor Rejuvenation Pill' from the Ye family."
Then he turned toward Jiang Che, his gaze venomous. "So you're the one who 'treated' Old Master Shen? Practicing medicine without a license gets your hands cut off in the capital. And since when has the Shen family's threshold been so low that… things like you can walk in?"
"Ye Fan, watch your mouth. Mr. Jiang is an honored guest of the Shen family," Shen Qingqiu said coldly.
"Honored guest?" Ye Fan chuckled and flicked his finger.
The juice glass in Jiang Che's hand suddenly floated upward, trembling violently as if about to explode above his head.
"Telekinesis?" Jiang Che narrowed his eyes.
"That's the power of an S-Class Awakener," Ye Fan whispered, a murderous glint flashing in his eyes. "Country bumpkin—the world is big. Some people are far beyond your reach. Kneel, crawl out, and I might spare your life."
"S-Class?" Jiang Che shook his head. The wildly shaking juice glass instantly became perfectly still the moment his fingertip touched its base.
"The old master was right—people who borrow a tiny bit of natural energy and think they're invincible really deserve a beating."
He flicked his finger lightly.
Crack!
A brutal surge of innate qi traveled back along the telekinetic thread. Ye Fan's face turned pale as a mountain-crushing force slammed into his chest. He staggered back five steps. The wineglass in his hand exploded, drenching him in red wine, leaving him utterly disheveled.
The ballroom fell silent.
"You dare attack me?!" Ye Fan wiped wine from his face, his handsome features twisted with rage.
At that moment, Shen Wanshan entered the hall with the help of his steward. Seeing Ye Fan, the old man greeted him politely but with distance. "Young Master Ye, how is your father's health?"
"Grandpa Shen, my father sends his regards—and a longevity pill as a gift." Ye Fan suppressed his anger and produced a delicate jade bottle.
Recently, Shen Wanshan had felt bone-chilling cold inside his body. Even with Jiang Che's talisman, he still felt weak. Just as he was about to take the pill, Jiang Che's cold voice cut through the room.
"Old Master Shen—if you want to die immediately, go ahead and swallow it."
Ye Fan exploded in fury. "Jiang Che! You dare question the Ye family's medicine? This is a top-tier product from the Kunlun Paranormal Research Institute!"
Shen Wanshan hesitated—but out of absolute trust in Jiang Che, he lowered the bottle.
"Mr. Jiang… is there a problem with it?"
"This isn't a longevity pill. It's a Blood-Burn Pill." Jiang Che walked over, snatched the jade bottle, and crushed it in his hand. A strange, metallic scent of blood filled the air. "It forces the body to burn through its life force. You'll look energetic at first—but within three days, your blood will dry up and you'll die. Young Master Ye… were you hoping the Shen family would hold a funeral soon so your family could take over their assets?"
"You're spouting nonsense! You want to die!" Exposed and enraged, Ye Fan unleashed his telekinetic power. Chandeliers began to sway violently, and countless pieces of silverware rose into the air, their sharp tips pointing at Jiang Che.
"Die!"
Forks shot toward him like a storm.
Jiang Che snorted. He didn't even use thunder arts. Instead, he took out the monk's sacred tooth from Wolong Temple and stomped it lightly against the ground.
"Sacred Relic—Vajra Protection—Suppress!"
A brilliant golden Buddhist light exploded outward from him. Every telekinetically controlled utensil turned to dust upon contact.
Jiang Che vanished and crossed ten meters in an instant, appearing directly in front of Ye Fan.
SMACK!
A loud slap echoed through the hall.
Ye Fan spun three times in midair, half his teeth shattered, before crashing into a champagne tower.
"Y-You dared to strike the Ye family…" The two elderly guards behind him were shocked and prepared to intervene.
"Move one more inch and I'll personally send your master to reincarnation," Jiang Che said coldly. With a simple downward gesture, an overwhelming pressure crashed down on them. Their knees buckled, slamming into the floor hard enough to crack the marble tiles.
Jiang Che stepped on Ye Fan's face and swept his gaze across the room. His voice thundered in everyone's ears:
"The Ye family from the capital? To me, you're no different from the Lin family. Go back and tell your patriarch—the Shen family is under my protection. If he's unhappy, he can come kneel before me himself."
No one dared to breathe.
At that moment, the "poor student" in their eyes looked like a god of destruction walking among mortals.
Shen Qingqiu's eyes shone with brilliant light. She knew—from this day forward, Jiangcheng would no longer revolve around the Shen family.
There would only be Mr. Jiang.