Peach Blossom Dual Cultivation

“My friend’s lost money has been recovered, so the matter is resolved. As long as you behave yourselves in the future, I won’t trouble you. We don’t need your compensation, so you can rest easy,” Zhou Lang said to Duan Wei. Though he was poor, he didn’t want to accept this kind of money.

“Mr. Zhou, this whole incident is indeed the fault of my people. If you don’t accept this small token of mine, I really won’t feel at ease,” Duan Wei said nervously, sensing Zhou Lang’s tone.

Who knew if Zhou Lang was truly letting them off the hook? Duan Wei recognized that Zhou Lang was a powerful individual and didn’t dare to offend him.

“Alright, I’ll accept your VIP card then,” Zhou Lang said, having a sudden thought. Since Duan Wei had admitted his mistake, Zhou Lang wasn’t the type to be unforgiving; he needed to give him a way out.

“This is my phone number. If you need anything, feel free to call me. In Feiyun City, I can handle small matters,” Duan Wei said, secretly relieved. He had realized that Zhou Lang was no ordinary person and didn’t want to get on his bad side.

A few years ago, a local thug named Wang Dapao had offended a man with mysterious powers and ended up dying mysteriously after days of agonizing headaches. Seeing Zhou Lang easily bend a steel pipe as thick as a child’s arm, Duan Wei figured that such strength was unnatural and possibly linked to some mystical art. He was worried that he might meet a similarly gruesome end.

“Alright,” Zhou Lang replied noncommittally, accepting the VIP card and business card, then left with Zhao Xiaorou.

…

“Brother Lang, you handled that pretty well, scaring Duan Wei and Duan Xiaohu’s gang to the point of wetting their pants. You avenged me,” Zhao Xiaorou said with a wide smile after they left Wei’s KTV. Recovering the money stolen the night before had put her in a great mood.

“It’s already 6 PM; I need to get to work,” Zhou Lang said.

“I completely forgot to request leave while helping you find Duan Wei. Now I’m going to get scolded and probably have a day’s pay docked.”

“Brother Lang, aren’t you a student at Dianxi University? Why are you working?”

Zhao Xiaorou asked curiously.

“I work part-time as a waiter at the Lovers’ Bar. Like you, I’m an orphan. If I don’t earn money myself, how would I pay for school and food?”

Zhou Lang explained.

“No wonder you knew those thugs were going to come after me last night,” Zhao Xiaorou realized. Then she added, “With your skills, working as a waiter in a bar is a waste of talent.”

“I need to go now,” Zhou Lang said with a smile. Previously, he had been just a regular college student; what else could he do besides part-time jobs?

“What about me?”

Zhao Xiaorou asked.

“You can go back to where we stayed last night and rest. Tomorrow, find a place to rent and look for a job,” Zhou Lang suggested. He felt that it wasn’t good for a girl to be idle all the time; it was better to have something to do.

“You’re just going to leave me like this? We even slept together last night!” Zhao Xiaorou said loudly, seemingly dissatisfied.

“Keep your voice down! I didn’t do anything last night,” Zhou Lang quickly clarified as he noticed people around them giving him strange looks.

“I didn’t say you did, but we did sleep together,” Zhao Xiaorou said with a mischievous smile.

“I have no one to rely on, so I’m sticking with you from now on.”

“I can’t afford to support you,” Zhou Lang responded quickly. The money he earned from part-time jobs barely covered his tuition and living expenses.

“Who said you have to support me? I’ll find a job. I just think you’re good at martial arts and can protect me, so I plan to share a place with you,” Zhao Xiaorou said casually, showing no embarrassment about the idea of cohabiting with a guy.

“I don’t have money, so I’ll stay in the dorms,” Zhou Lang replied. He only had 800 yuan left, of which 300 had been spent on the hotel and clothes the night before, leaving him with just 500 yuan—barely enough to get by.

“I’ll pay the rent,” Zhao Xiaorou offered, handing Zhou Lang a few hundred yuan.

“This is the money you spent on me last night.”

“I’m a man; I can’t let you pay the rent,” Zhou Lang said, refusing to take the money and declining the idea of sharing a place with her. Although the thought of sharing a place with a stunning beauty was tempting, renting an apartment was expensive. Even if they split the cost, it would still be at least 500 or 600 yuan a month—something he couldn’t afford right now.

“I need to rent a place anyway. If you don’t stay with me, it’ll be a waste. Plus, if we live together, you can protect me. Who knows if Duan Wei or Duan Xiaohu might come after me again?”

Zhao Xiaorou argued, her tone shifting between tough, clever, and persuasive.

“Alright, let’s go rest for now. We’ll stay in touch, and you can cover the rent for now. I’ll pay you back when I can,” Zhou Lang finally agreed after thinking it over. Now that he was a cultivator, making money shouldn’t be too difficult.

“Alright,” Zhao Xiaorou nodded, finally satisfied.

Zhou Lang then hopped on his bicycle and headed towards Lovers’ Bar. It was his means of transportation that day as he took Zhao Xiaorou around to find Duan Wei and Duan Xiaohu.

…

After Zhou Lang and Zhao Xiaorou left, Duan Wei called Duan Xiaohu and Scarface into his room.

“Uncle, are we really going to let this go?”

Duan Xiaohu asked timidly. Duan Wei had never hit him before, but this time, he had been forced to kneel and slapped in the face, leaving him shaken.

“I called you in to tell you both that from now on, you are not to provoke Zhou Lang or Zhao Xiaorou again. Zhou Lang is a highly skilled individual. If you encounter him, you must treat him with the utmost respect and fulfill any of his needs. Do you understand?”

Duan Wei said sternly. Although he was a thug, he wasn’t inherently evil; it was mainly Duan Xiaohu who liked to use his influence to cause trouble.

“Uncle, that guy is tough, but we could get some guns from the black market and take him out secretly,” Duan Xiaohu hesitated before suggesting.

“A hidden attack is harder to dodge; I don’t believe he can avoid it.”

Duan Xiaohu had developed a lustful interest in Zhao Xiaorou and wanted to eliminate Zhou Lang to get to her.

Smack!

Duan Wei was furious and slapped Duan Xiaohu hard, yelling, “Didn’t you hear what I just said? Do you think someone who can bend a steel pipe for fun is just skilled in martial arts? Have you forgotten the story I told you about Wang Dapao? Let me tell you, if Zhou Lang wants you dead, he won’t even have to lift a finger; he can make you die a horrible death!”

Duan Xiaohu was left dazed by the slap, and Scarface, standing by, felt a chill in his heart. He hadn’t expected Duan Wei to be so furious this time.

“Uncle, is it true that Wang Dapao offended a strange man and ended up dying after seven days of headaches?”

Duan Xiaohu asked, holding his slapped face.

“But I just saw Zhou Lang. He came to our KTV on a bicycle. There’s no way he’s a strange man or some kind of master.”

“Strange people or masters are usually low-key. That’s called showing off; do you understand?”

Duan Wei snapped.

“I won’t dare to do it again, Uncle,” Duan Xiaohu said, feeling a chill in his heart.

“Boss Wei, I won’t dare either,” Scarface added, equally frightened.

…

When Zhou Lang arrived at Lovers’ Bar, he was immediately approached by the Russian bartender, Ivanova, who said, “Why are you so late? The boss found out you were late today and wants you to go to his office as soon as you arrive.”

“Looks like I’m going to have my pay docked today,” Zhou Lang thought, picturing the bar owner’s voluptuous figure in his mind.