Hedonist Prodigy

Chapter 101: The Attentive Brother Xiong

A minute later, Jiang Feng was ushered into the villa’s living room by Brother Xiong.

Brother Xiong personally poured him a cup of tea and ordered his men in a deep voice, “Listen up, all of you. I’m giving you half an hour. Even if you have to turn the entire city of Baishan upside down, find Er Gou for me. How dare he scheme against me behind my back! I’ll personally teach him a lesson in death.”

Jiang Feng sipped his tea and said calmly, “No need to look anymore. He’s already dead.”

“This…” Brother Xiong’s expression changed.

Jiang Feng wasn’t worried about Brother Xiong playing tricks on him. Brother Xiong was good at scaring ordinary people, but trying to fool him was a piece of cake.

He was willing to come in to see Brother Xiong’s attitude. If it was confirmed that it was just Er Gou’s doing, and Er Gou was already dead, he wouldn’t pursue the matter further. If Brother Xiong had deceived him, then Brother Xiong would definitely be dead beyond redemption.

“I killed him, do you have a problem with that?” Jiang Feng said unhappily. Brother Xiong hurriedly said, “No, no, even if you didn’t kill him, I would have done it myself. Anyone who tarnishes the reputation of the Xiong Gang must die.”

Jiang Feng naturally didn’t think a small-town gang could have any reputation, especially since this place wasn’t wealthy; their methods of making money were probably not very respectable.

But where there are people, there is a world of intrigue and conflict. Everyone has their own way of surviving, and Jiang Feng wouldn’t concern himself with that.

After a moment of trepidation, seeing that Jiang Feng didn’t intend to pursue the matter, Brother Xiong finally said, “Brother, may I ask your name?”

“Jiang Feng,” Jiang Feng replied casually.

“A good name,” Brother Xiong immediately praised, his old face turning bright red. He continued, “I, Old Xiong, have been around for many years, and although I haven’t made a name for myself, I still have a good eye for people. Brother Jiang, you’re clearly no ordinary person. It’s not shameful for me, Old Xiong, to back down.”

“You think I’ll let this go with just a simple ‘back down’?” Jiang Feng asked with interest. Brother Xiong’s expression changed again. He hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth, grabbed a fruit knife from the table, and plunged it into his thigh. Gasping for breath, he said, “Brother Jiang, you’re right. Even if I didn’t know what Er Gou had been doing outside, he’s still my underling. I can’t shirk responsibility for that.”

Jiang Feng hadn’t expected Brother Xiong to be such a ruthless person. If someone could be so ruthless to themselves, they would be even more ruthless to outsiders. Now he finally understood why Brother Xiong had achieved his current status.

Unfazed, Jiang Feng reached forward and pulled the fruit knife from Brother Xiong’s thigh. He then stabbed it into the marble tabletop, saying calmly, “You’re a bit clever, but not ruthless enough. If you were truly ruthless, you wouldn’t have stabbed yourself in the thigh; you should have stabbed yourself in the abdomen. That way, perhaps I would actually believe you.”

After a pause, Jiang Feng continued, “Besides, all your skills are in your hands. That’s why you constantly play with iron balls to maintain wrist flexibility. Injuring your thigh won’t affect your fighting ability, will it?”

Hearing Jiang Feng’s words, cold sweat poured down Brother Xiong’s forehead. Indeed, his skills were all in his hands, requiring little from his lower body. Moreover, the fruit knife wasn’t sharp; his stab to the thigh, though seemingly vicious, was merely a superficial wound that would heal in a few days.

He had only done this as a show, to make Jiang Feng drop the matter.

He hadn’t expected Jiang Feng to be so skilled, seeing through his little trick at a glance. Then he watched as Jiang Feng casually stabbed the fruit knife into the marble tabletop. Putting everything else aside, the sheer strength in his arm was astonishing, something he’d never seen before.

Brother Xiong was now quite glad he’d been wise enough not to fight Jiang Feng earlier. Otherwise, he’d probably be dead by now. After all, Jiang Feng had already killed Er Gou and wouldn’t mind killing another one.

Brother Xiong stared blankly at Jiang Feng, unsure how to react for a long time. Then Jiang Feng said, “I think this place is nice. How about I stay here for a few days?”

“Of course! As long as you’re willing, Brother Jiang, stay as long as you want,” Brother Xiong hurriedly nodded.

He was afraid Jiang Feng wouldn’t make a request, because that would leave no room for negotiation. The fact that Jiang Feng made a request meant things were still negotiable.

Even if Jiang Feng only wanted to stay for a few days, he would have no choice but to accept the loss, even if he were given the entire villa. It was quite possible that Jiang Feng, while claiming to only want the villa for a few days, actually intended to take it for himself.

Jiang Feng wasn’t surprised that Brother Xiong agreed so readily. He waved his hand, telling him to get lost with his men.

Jiang Feng’s offer to stay a few days wasn’t because he coveted the villa. He wouldn’t be staying in Baishan City for long, and even if he took the villa, it wouldn’t make a difference. His reason for asking was that the environment was quite nice and quiet.

While at the hotel, he had considered finding a quiet place. Hotels were crowded and noisy, making many things inconvenient. This place was perfect.

He stayed for a few days for two reasons: first, to break through to the fourth level of Body Refinement; and second, to see Brother Xiong’s true character. If Brother Xiong dared to be disobedient to him, he would still kill him without hesitation.

After Brother Xiong’s men left, Jiang Feng went directly to a guest room on the second floor, sat cross-legged on the bed, and began to cultivate.

*****

“Brother Xiong, are we just leaving like this?” A thin man asked Brother Xiong from the wall outside the villa, his eyes blazing with resentful anger.

“No, what do you want?” Brother Xiong sneered.

“But…” the man tried to speak.

“No buts. Remember this: we absolutely cannot afford to offend Jiang Feng. If you try anything behind his back, don’t blame me for not warning you beforehand. Even if Jiang Feng doesn’t kill you, I’ll personally kill you.” Brother Xiong said grimly.

“Boss, what are you doing…”

“Alright, enough nonsense, let’s go.” Brother Xiong said decisively.

Others may not have witnessed Jiang Feng’s true power, but he had seen it with his own eyes. If he truly angered Jiang Feng, his empire built over so many years could be destroyed in an instant. He couldn’t and dared not take that risk. Moreover, since Jiang Feng dared to stay here, it meant he was fearless and definitely not someone they could afford to offend.

No, not only could they not offend him, but they had to do everything they could to curry favor with him and satisfy all his needs. Only in this way could he have a chance to survive; otherwise, Er Gou’s fate would be his fate.

Brother Xiong had been in this area for decades and understood this clearly. If he didn’t have this insight, he probably would have died countless times already.

*****

At dawn, Jiang Feng finally left his room and went into the courtyard.

When Brother Xiong saw him come out, a look of joy appeared on his face, but he still stood outside the courtyard, not daring to come over.

Jiang Feng had known Brother Xiong was coming while he was upstairs, but he didn’t show up because he wanted to see how patient Brother Xiong really was.

It has to be said that Brother Xiong had waited outside for several hours just to see him, which surprised him somewhat.

“What is it?” Jiang Feng asked.

He chose to stay here because he found it quiet enough; whatever Brother Xiong’s purpose in coming, he seemed to be making him impatient.

Brother Xiong, ever observant, could easily read Jiang Feng’s mood. He said, “Brother Jiang, it’s like this. I heard you were staying here for a few days, so I found a housekeeper to take care of your needs. I’ve brought her. Are you satisfied?”

As he spoke, he opened the car door, and a kind-looking middle-aged woman got out.

Jiang Feng glanced at her and nodded slightly. Brother Xiong gave the woman a few instructions, then took a black burlap sack from the car and handed it to her.

Jiang Feng hadn’t expected Brother Xiong to be such a thoughtful person. Despite his burly appearance, he had considered even such trivial matters.

Regardless of his true character, this alone was enough to impress Jiang Feng. He glanced at the bag in the middle-aged woman’s hand and asked, “What’s this?”

Brother Xiong rubbed his hands, embarrassed, and said, “It’s just a little money. I know you won’t care, Brother Jiang, but it’s a token of my appreciation. Please don’t refuse.”

Money?

Jiang Feng found it amusing. He rarely used money unless absolutely necessary. He was about to let Brother Xiong take it when a thought struck him. He asked, “Do you know where there’s a large pharmacy?”

Without spiritual energy to aid him here, he felt he had reached the bottleneck of the third level of body refinement during his cultivation, so he decided to buy some medicinal herbs.

But he didn’t know where to buy them. Brother Xiong was a local expert and should know something about these things.

Brother Xiong glanced at Jiang Feng, seeing that Jiang Feng didn’t seem injured. He wasn’t sure why Jiang Feng wanted to ask about the pharmacy, but still said, “Yes, I know one along the riverside road. They have a pretty complete selection of medicinal herbs.”

“That’s good. Could you do me a favor and buy some herbs? Forget about the money; such a small amount isn’t worth my time,” Jiang Feng said.

Brother Xiong nodded eagerly, saying, “Brother Jiang, I’ve already brought the money; there’s no reason to take it back. Just use it. If it’s not enough, I’ll find another way.”

Seeing his eagerness, Jiang Feng didn’t say anything more. He turned and went back to his room to write a prescription for Brother Xiong. He wasn’t worried that Brother Xiong would glean anything from the prescription, because the herbs were all relatively common. Although a few were more expensive, they weren’t extremely rare; anyone with money could buy them.

He also added a few more herbs to the prescription. Although he didn’t need to be wary of Brother Xiong, Jiang Feng still kept a watchful eye.