Chapter 20: Dissatisfaction

“Drink! Everyone, drink!”

Inside a restaurant, Pu Liao was clinking glasses with several people, his expression appearing extremely jubilant.

“It’s getting late, and the shop is about to close. Let’s call it a night,” a guard asked with a smile.

“The wine isn't even finished yet, what do you mean close!” Pu Liao turned his head and spat a thick glob of phlegm onto the ground.

The guards exchanged glances, some secretly curling their lips in disdain. Although Pu Liao was currently injured and had difficulty walking, the Zhang family had not discarded him like a spent tool; instead, they had kept him at the North City Medical Clinic.

However, with a broken leg, Pu Liao’s life was essentially over. Though he was still their leader, his influence was nowhere near what it once was.

It took a full half an hour before Pu Liao was finally full and satisfied. He began to walk toward his residence, trembling and limping.

The night was deep and silent, and there were no pedestrians left in the county. Pu Liao was not afraid; he even hummed a few tunes loudly.

His mood had been excellent for the past few days. Even his injured leg could not dampen his spirits. This kind of drinking and feasting had been going on for several days now.

*Creak!*

The old door made a sound as it was pushed open. Pu Liao entered, locked the door, and lit a candle. Just as he was about to take a sip of the tea on the table, he suddenly caught sight of a figure sitting upright in the corner.

Pu Liao’s intoxication was instantly shaken off by terror. A cold sweat broke out across his body. He gripped his longsword tightly and looked closely at the figure—it was Chen Fei.

“What are you doing in my place!”

Pu Liao was startled, but he feigned composure and demanded of Chen Fei. His eyes darted left and right, searching for a way to escape.

Since Chen Fei had suddenly appeared here, the assassination attempt had likely failed. Chen Fei was clearly only in the Skin Refining Realm; how could he be completely unscathed?

Pu Liao could not fathom what had happened, but for now, he had to stabilize Chen Fei.

“Why did you send someone to kill me? When we encountered those mountain bandits back then, it was I who carried you back on my back,” Chen Fei said, looking at Pu Liao expressionlessly. This was something Chen Fei had never been able to figure out.

If there was any grievance between them, the most it could be was the matter of teaching him cultivation techniques. Could he really have sent someone to kill him over something like that?

“When did I ever send anyone to kill you!”

Pu Liao looked at Chen Fei with a face of pure bewilderment. “Who is framing me? This is sheer slander!”

“Your emotions are far too different from your usual self. It really was you!”

Holding his longsword, Chen Fei began to walk toward Pu Liao step by step. Since he couldn't get an answer, Chen Fei simply stopped asking. In this world, many things simply had no reason.

“It has nothing to do with me! Even if you want to kill me, you can't use such a clumsy excuse!”

Seeing Chen Fei approach, Pu Liao’s heart raced with panic. He roared, “I was wrong to intentionally make things difficult when I taught you those techniques. I can apologize to you, I can even host several tables at Yanfei Pavilion tomorrow and admit my mistake publicly!”

As Pu Liao shouted, he continued to back away.

“There is no need,” Chen Fei said, shaking his head.

“If the Zhang family finds out I’ve been killed, they will investigate thoroughly. Everything must be based on evidence! If you have proof that I ordered a killing, I will die without resentment. But to just pick a random pretext like this today—I will not accept it!” Pu Liao shouted in terror.

Chen Fei stopped his footsteps. Seeing this, Pu Liao breathed a slight sigh of relief. Just as he was about to speak, a cold flash of light streaked through the dim room.

Pu Liao’s body suddenly stiffened. A bloody line appeared on his forehead. He stared at Chen Fei, thinking he had successfully stabilized him and could escape this disaster.

“In my case, evidence is not required.”

Watching Pu Liao draw his last breath, Chen Fei searched the room once before his figure flickered, and he departed the room.

A moment later, Chen Fei returned to his rented courtyard.

Looking up at the bright moon, Chen Fei let out a soft sigh. He only wanted to cultivate in peace, but clearly, this world would not grant him such an opportunity.

The next afternoon, news of Pu Liao’s death spread throughout the North City Medical Clinic.

“It couldn't be those mountain bandits again, could it? It’s only been quiet for a few days, and they’re back!”

“It might not be them. The previous killings were all high-status households. Pu Liao was just a guard; he shouldn't have been targeted.”

“Who knows for sure? It might be better to stay in the clinic for now. There are more people here, so it's safer.”

Inside the North City Medical Clinic, people were discussing the matter fervently. Liu Jun even came specifically to report the news to Chen Fei.

No one would link Pu Liao’s death to Chen Fei, an alchemist.

Many knew that Chen Fei had only recently broken through to the Skin Refining Realm, and his main focus was on refining pills. Furthermore, he had no grudge against Pu Liao.

No matter how one looked at it, there would be no conflict between the two, and Chen Fei lacked the strength to kill Pu Liao.

Chen Fei went about his usual routine of refining Blood Qi Pills to increase his proficiency with Grass Return Pills. In his mind, he was calculating his trip to the black market that evening to deliver that batch of medicinal herbs.

Once the herbs arrived, Chen Fei could refine Grass Return Pills and sell them in the black market.

Although last night's incident had been resolved without incident, Chen Fei's desire for strength continued to grow. Danger could arrive at any moment; only by becoming strong enough could he avoid it.

As evening approached, just as Chen Fei was about to set up his furnace to refine his final batch of Blood Qi Pills for the day, he was suddenly notified to go to the Zhang residence.

Chen Fei was somewhat surprised. He thought of the eldest young lady, Zhang Sinan; it was possible she wanted to inquire about the North City Medical Clinic, or perhaps it was about Pu Liao's death.

After a quick tidy-up, Chen Fei arrived at the Zhang residence.

With its high walls, golden roofs, and stone structures, the Zhang estate appeared magnificent and imposing. This was Chen Fei's first time visiting the Zhang family. He entered through a side gate and followed a servant to a separate courtyard.

Looking up, Chen Fei saw that Zhang Sinan was currently conversing with Zeng Defang.

“Greetings, Eldest Young Lady. Greetings, Elder Zeng!” Chen Fei stepped forward and cupped his hands.

“Have you been adjusting well at the North City Medical Clinic?”

Zhang Sinan turned to look at Chen Fei, sizing him up. Compared to when he was assisting with disaster relief, Chen Fei appeared much more robust now, making him somewhat more pleasing to the eye.

Previously, his dark and thin appearance had been somewhat off-putting. If not for his alchemy skills, Chen Fei would never have caught Zhang Sinan's eye.

“Thank you for your concern, Eldest Young Lady. Everything is well.”

“Have you discovered anything at the North City Medical Clinic?” Zhang Sinan asked plainly.

Having heard the news of Pu Liao's death today, Zhang Sinan had been reminded of Chen Fei and the task she had previously assigned him. She had decided to call him over to get some clarity.

“Everything at the North City Medical Clinic is handled by Manager Sun. I rarely have the opportunity to get involved,” Chen Fei spoke the truth.

“Sun Shu is a naturally cautious man. It is only normal for him to be on guard given how suddenly Chen Fei went to the clinic,” Zeng Defang interjected, trying to ease the tension as he saw Zhang Sinan frown.

And that was indeed the case. Sun Shu did not trust Chen Fei at all. If Chen Fei hadn't been diligently refining pills lately without meddling in other affairs, the North City Medical Clinic would not be this peaceful.

“I said before that if you discovered any problems, I could authorize the recipe for the Spirit Pill for you. But if there is no progress on this matter, I may eventually have to send you back to your original place, and your share of the pill profits will be reverted to the original thirty percent.”

Zhang Sinan spoke with a hint of dissatisfaction and a cold expression. “Think it over carefully! If there is nothing else, you may leave.”

Zhang Sinan issued the dismissal, clearly dissatisfied with Chen Fei's performance.

(End of Chapter)