NOVEL NEXT Chapter 8:
Chapter 8: The First Assessment – Curing Androphobia:
A fist the size of a cooking pot was about to land.
Tang Zhong was shocked!
He instinctively wanted to step aside to avoid the oncoming attack. However, as soon as he moved, he pulled on his groin injury!
What was initially a graceful “Flying Crane Spreads Its Wings” maneuver turned into a disaster, and he ended up sitting flat on the ground!
Seeing the rapidly approaching fist in front of his eyes, Tang Zhong quickly came up with a plan and shouted loudly: “You all are martial artists, is it really appropriate to bully a sick man like me!?”
Everyone paused, slightly embarrassed by his words. They all looked toward Song Tie, who stood behind them.
Song Tie remained calm and spoke indifferently, “The rules are clear. If you can’t answer the question, then you deserve a beating!”
“When it comes to the rules of the martial world, who cares if you’re outnumbered?”
The group slapped their foreheads.
Damn, he had a point! As long as the rules were followed, it didn’t matter if it seemed like bullying!
As another fist was about to land, Tang Zhong spoke up again, his voice steady, “This time, I request outside help! If I remember correctly, there’s still 9 minutes left on the clock!”
“Time hasn’t run out yet, so you have no right to hit me!”
Lin Tian, the top disciple of the Xingyi Sect, snorted, spat on the ground, and said, “Bro, why don’t you just take the beating quietly? Stop dragging this out like some old woman!”
Tang Zhong cursed inwardly, “Easy for you to say! It’s not you getting hit!”
Seeing Tang Zhong pull out his phone to call for help, Song Tie calmly took out an old cell phone from his pocket and dialed Tang Qing’s number.
“Hello, Assistant Tang? The kid’s calling for outside help. How should I judge if his answers are right or wrong?”
Soon, Tang Qing’s steady voice came through the phone: “Miss has instructed that Jiang Bai’s answers are the correct ones.”
Jiang Bai’s answers were correct?
Well, that means no matter what answers Tang Zhong gave next, if they weren’t the same as Jiang Bai’s, they were wrong!
And in quantum mechanics, it was impossible for there to be a single numerical answer!
Realizing this, Song Tie looked at Tang Zhong with a hint of sympathy in his eyes.
Even if Tang Zhong were a quantum physics expert, even if Einstein himself were resurrected, he still wouldn’t be able to get the correct answer!
Because the answer wasn’t one that could be calculated. It could only be guessed!
“Assistant Tang, if he doesn’t answer correctly, how do we handle it?”
“The request is simple. Miss wants Tang Zhong to enter the manor lying down!”
Song Tie’s expression hardened slightly. “Understood, Assistant Tang.”
After hanging up, Song Tie studied Tang Zhong for a moment, then turned to Lin Tian and said, “Go find a wooden stick. We’ll need it soon.”
At that moment, Tang Zhong noticed Song Tie’s gaze, and something felt off. Suspiciously, he asked, “Sir, what are you planning?”
“Nothing.” Song Tie’s expression didn’t change as he calmly replied, “From what I see, your legs are as steady as iron. I’m guessing you’ve practiced some excellent leg techniques?”
Hearing Song Tie compliment him so sincerely, Tang Zhong puffed up with pride and said, “Of course! To be honest, I’ve soaked my legs in medicinal water since childhood, making them incredibly strong!”
“I can kick through tree trunks as thick as a bowl with ease!”
“Oh really?” Song Tie pretended to think for a moment before asking, “What about iron rods?”
Tang Zhong froze for a moment, then humbly replied, “Naturally, no.”
Song Tie nodded knowingly and then quietly instructed Lin Tian, “Forget the wooden stick. Get an iron one instead.”
Soon, Lin Tian came back, carrying a small steel rod as thick as an arm.
Seeing this, Tang Zhong’s face changed. He suddenly realized what was happening and, forgetting about his groin injury, bolted like a rabbit, tumbling and crawling away as fast as he could!
In just a few breaths, he disappeared into the crowd.
After searching unsuccessfully, Song Tie had no choice but to call Tang Qing again.
“Assistant Tang, we underestimated Tang Zhong. He ran off too fast.”
…
In the sports car, after hearing Song Tie’s report, Tang Qing wasn’t too surprised.
As the commercial assistant to Tang Guo, she had already thoroughly investigated both Jiang Bai and Tang Zhong’s backgrounds, going back generations.
Of all the files she had reviewed, Tang Zhong’s was the most detailed. Given his combat abilities, if Tang Zhong wanted to escape, nothing would stop him.
But this was all within Tang Qing’s expectations. As long as Jiang Bai reached the manor first, everything would be fine.
Looking into the rearview mirror at Jiang Bai, Tang Qing suddenly asked, “Mr. Jiang, do you know why the Tang family head invited both of you this time?”
Jiang Bai shook his head on the surface, saying, “I’m not sure.” But in his heart, he was crystal clear.
Back when the Tang family was locked in a life-or-death struggle with the rival Song family, the Tang family head was suddenly poisoned and fell gravely ill.
Fortunately, the previous master of the Medicine King Valley stepped in and, using the Taiyi Divine Needle, pulled Tang Long, the Tang family head, back from death’s door.
If not for that, the Tang family would have been completely wiped out!
As a result, Tang Long made an agreement with the previous master of Medicine King Valley:
“If the third generation of my Tang family has a son, he will serve you. If it’s a daughter, she will marry the future master of Medicine King Valley.”
At the time, the Tang family was only a third-tier family. Marrying into Medicine King Valley, which was a giant in comparison, was considered a huge step up.
But now, after decades of growth, the Tang family has successfully become one of the top ten royal families in Longguo.
Whether in politics or economics, they wielded incredible influence. The family businesses spanned industries from dining, retail, jewelry, and new energy to high-tech aerospace materials.
Their power and wealth extended across the entire triangle region, making them one of the wealthiest families in the world.
It was clear that whoever married Tang Guo would essentially inherit a commercial empire!
In the original novel, Tang Zhong used the support of the Tang family to defeat Jiang Bai and eventually became the head of Medicine King Valley!
Returning to the present, Tang Qing continued, “Mr. Jiang, to be honest, the reason you both were invited is twofold. First, it’s to test you both to determine who will be the future heir to the Tang family’s commercial empire.
“Second, it’s to cure Miss Shen’s psychological condition.”
What?
Miss Shen?
Psychological condition?
Wasn’t this part of the protagonist’s hidden side quest?
How did I unlock it?
Seeing Jiang Bai’s confused expression, Tang Qing assumed he didn’t understand and gently explained: “Miss Shen Mounong, the eldest daughter of the Shen family, is as close as a sister to my lady.
“But Miss Shen suffers from androphobia, a fear of men, which has made her refuse to interact with any male for years.
“In recent years, her condition has worsened to the point where she gets anxious just by seeing a man.
“So this time, both of you will need to help treat her condition.”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Bai chuckled to himself.
Androphobia?
It’s usually related to an individual’s past experiences, especially stemming from early adolescence or some sexual trauma.
Perhaps it was during her teenage years when she encountered some repulsive men, or maybe she witnessed some ugly, violent behavior.
In Shen Monong’s case, it was the latter.
When she was young, Shen Monong’s father passed away early, and the uncle she depended on the most, who played a half-father role, Shen Chun, even hired assassins to kill her.
After discovering the truth, Shen Monong’s mental defenses completely collapsed, leading to the current situation!
However, aside from this, Shen Monong was also a highly capable businesswoman.
In the original novel, the reason Jiang Bai was utterly bankrupted was primarily because of her!
And if he wanted to cure her illness, the best way was to make her fall in love with him.
But for him, that was a pipe dream!
After all, he didn’t have the protagonist’s ring!
In the plot, even the former master of Medicine Valley couldn’t cure Shen Monong.
It was only the protagonist who, with his ring, forcefully activated a lowering IQ aura and won her heart.
Now think about it: even for Tang Zhong, who had the protagonist’s aura, it was incredibly difficult to treat her.
And me? I haven’t even mastered the Taiyi Divine Needle technique!
How could I possibly take on such a responsibility?
According to the plot development, next, I will attempt to treat Shen Monong, only to get embarrassed on the spot and be driven away.
Then I’ll watch helplessly as the protagonist shows off, unable to vent my frustration!
This familiar feeling—hasn’t it returned?
Wuhu!
Time to take off!
This is rock solid!
This time, I’m definitely going to lose!
Not even Jesus could help me win!
Jiang Bai had already made up his mind.
When treating Shen Monong, he planned to act as arrogant and spoiled as possible.
The more she hated him, the better!
He wanted to push things forward quickly and intensify the conflict.
That way, the climax would come sooner, and he could fast-forward to the ending!
Although his heart was racing with excitement, Jiang Bai still maintained a calm and confident expression. He said, “Don’t worry. With my medical skills, I guarantee the sickness will be cured the moment I show up!”
Tang Qing nodded and added, “Also, Mr. Jiang, this is part of Old Master Tang’s assessment. Whoever can cure Miss Shen will earn his favor.”
“Part of the assessment?”
“Good! That’s great!”
“How could I possibly lose when the odds are this stacked in my favor?”
At this moment, Jiang Bai suddenly felt like his future was looking bright!
…
Soon, the car arrived at 21 Shengnu Road, Immortal Maiden Mountain, Imperial Capital.
This was a large estate built on Shengnu Slope, a 5A-rated scenic area.
Because of its excellent location, the entire Immortal Maiden Mountain had essentially become the estate’s backyard.
Whenever it rained, one could see the peaks of Immortal Maiden Mountain shrouded in thick mist, a truly breathtaking sight.
Various magnificent, ancient Dragon Kingdom-style buildings were hidden in the lush green landscape, with the occasional red-crowned crane flying by, exuding an air of long-standing elegance.
Near the Tang estate, there were a few other estates as well.
They looked equally grand, rich in classic charm.
According to Tang Qing, these other estates belonged to other royal-level families.
Ordinary people had no idea who they were.
This area also featured a Western-style ranch park and the largest racetrack in the East.
In summer, one could go surfing at Immortal Maiden Lake or have fun.
In winter, skiing on the main peak of Immortal Maiden Mountain was the thing to do.
“Mr. Jiang, we’ve arrived.”
As the car came to a halt, Tang Qing gracefully stepped out, her long, black legs moving like a swaying rose as she opened the door for Jiang Bai.
Looking at Tang Qing’s stunning profile, even Jiang Bai, who had lived through nine lifetimes, couldn’t help but softly praise,
“With such elegance and delicate beauty, she draws half the allure, yet leaves a hint of shy charm.”
A burly bodyguard standing nearby scratched his head in confusion and asked, “Old Hei, what does Mr. Jiang mean by that?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
Staring at Tang Qing’s graceful figure, his companion replied enviously, “You can’t even imagine how happy rich people must be!”