Cultivation by Trial and Error

How was he going to bring his conflicts with Qian Bing and his group to a final end?

Chen Hai had actually been contemplating this issue for some time.

When it really came down to it, Zhang Yong, Li Ming, and the others were just fair-weather friends.

Without Qian Bing, they would lose their backbone and become completely disorganized.

Therefore, the key to solving the problem still lay with Qian Bing.

Just scaring him would probably not be enough; this guy likely wouldn't learn his lesson.

On his body, Chen Hai left a yin qi mark.

With this mark in place, Qian Bing should feel unsettled and somewhat out of sorts for the next while.

Apart from having nightmares, he might also experience hallucinations at night, when yin qi was at its thickest, and see all sorts of strange things.

Only after the yin qi mark was completely exhausted could he fully return to normal.

Chen Hai estimated that the yin qi mark he left should last around ten to twenty days, which should not pose a problem.

This method was a trick Chen Hai had pondered from the strange and ancient streams of information in his mind.

Soul's influence over matter was a technique only Great Powers possessed.

Chen Hai still had a long way to go to reach that level of Cultivation.

At present, he could only use his ethereal soul to influence others' spirits and create some illusions to scare them.

With the yin qi mark in place, Qian Bing should lose the wherewithal to continue causing trouble for him!

As for Li Ming, Zhang Yong, and the others, Chen Hai didn't do anything to them.

After all, there was no deep hatred between them; taking revenge on them with Taoist Skill just because they'd followed Qian Bing to hassle him was totally unnecessary.

Zhang Yong, who had fainted, was someone Chen Hai scared into unconsciousness; his leech-like soul hadn't touched him at all.

After waking up, Zhang Yong would probably be lethargic for a couple of days, but normally, there should be no other side effects.

"With Qian Bing's nature, he's probably going to have to stay in the county hospital for a few days!"

"Before the yin qi mark is completely exhausted, I should be able to enjoy some peace."

"After this incident, I hope Qian Bing learns his lesson and doesn't come looking for trouble again!"

Having dealt with the matter, and after delaying for just over half an hour, Chen Hai rushed back to the school gate to find it still open, with people coming and going.

Taking advantage of the gatekeeper Master's inattention, he snuck into the campus and hurried towards the dormitory.

In Liuyuan County, at the entrance of Guanyin Lane.

"Jun, your dad is still lying in the hospital bed, and this is the last of our family's savings, you really can't take it!"

"Old fool, I already told you, my luck is solid today, and once I win back the money I lost the other days, I'll pay you back double!"

"Jun, our family has almost lost everything to gambling, and playing cards isn't a sustainable path. Why can't you settle down, be honest, and do some proper work!"

"Cut the crap, I'm just asking you one thing—will you give it or not? If you won't, I'll slap you right across the face!"

An old lady and a man in his thirties were pushing and arguing at the alley entrance.

The young man did indeed slap the old lady to the ground and, after snatching a small yellow cloth bundle she was clutching in her hands, strutted away.

The old lady sat on the filthy ground at the alley entrance, utterly heartbroken, tears streaming down her face.

"Poor Old Mrs. Zhang, her son Ma Wei is a real piece of work."

"They say 'raise sons for your old age,' but with such a son, who knows what kind of bad karma Old Mrs. Zhang and her husband have incurred."

"Old Mrs. Zhang has been beaten by her son before. Her husband is sick and should be eating nutritiously, but a few days ago, I saw her picking up vegetable leaves in the market. How is she supposed to carry on living like this!"

Many people nearby were pointing and talking about Old Mrs. Zhang lying on the ground.

No one felt she wasn't pitiable, yet no one actually stepped forward, wanting to help her.

Of course, even though people's minds may have become somewhat restless nowadays, many still possessed compassion.

However, with the current spate of layoffs, most people's lives were also very tough.

Even if someone wanted to help Old Mrs. Zhang, they wouldn't know how.

"Ma'am, where do you live? Let me help you get home first!"

Finally, someone emerged from the crowd.

It was a man in his forties, wearing cloth shoes and a traditional Chinese jacket, looking quite spirited.

Old Mrs. Zhang's eyes were blurred with tears, spilling out like beads slipping off a broken string.

Faced with the man's kind offer to help, she reluctantly nodded her head.

Old Mrs. Zhang's home was within Guanyin Lane.

The man supported her and walked slowly toward the alley; in the blink of an eye, they had disappeared from the view of the onlookers at the alley's entrance.

"That man just now, looking at his demeanor, he seemed extraordinary."

"I feel like I've seen him somewhere before too."

"Hou Donggui? That's the legendary figure Hou Donggui..."

"Isn't the recent hit TV series 'Hou Donggui's Legend' adapted from his life story?"

"The actor in the series was specially chosen to resemble him; they share some similarities. No wonder I felt he looked familiar when I saw him just now."

"Old Mrs. Zhang is lucky; Hou Donggui is a great philanthropist. Since he's helping Old Mrs. Zhang home, he will definitely lend a hand to her family!"

...

Once someone recognized the man's background, those present nearby began to chatter animatedly.

The mentioned Hou Donggui was originally from neighboring Hanshou County; as a child, he had begged his way to Liuyuan County and settled down here.

In earlier years, before he made his fortune, he had worked in the county's theatrical troupe.

Later, nobody knew where he had acquired a set of skills, and he had become famous throughout the world.

Most of the time, he roamed all over the world, but when he had free time, he still liked to return to Liuyuan County to catch up with old friends.

In Old Mrs. Zhang's empty house, Hou Donggui, who had escorted her home, had already taken a look around.

The dilapidated old wooden house was literally empty.

Hou Donggui also checked on Old Mrs. Zhang's bedridden husband but did not say much.

"Young man, would you like some tea?" Old Mrs. Zhang, sitting by her husband's bedside and sighing, politely asked Hou Donggui.

"No need; I will be leaving soon."

With a profound and indifferent smile, Hou Donggui pointed to the drawer beside the bed and said, "Madam, open this drawer; there is ten yuan inside. Although it's not much, it can help improve your life a bit."

Hearing him say that, Old Mrs. Zhang looked skeptical and hurried to open the drawer.

When she saw a brand-new banknote lying inside, her entire person was stunned.

"From now on, you can open the drawer once a day, and there will be ten yuan inside each time."

"But remember, you must not be greedy, or else there will be trouble!"

Hou Donggui, without waiting for any further reaction from Old Mrs. Zhang, dropped a few words and turned to leave.

'Drip drip drip...' A sudden sound rang out.

Hou Donggui, who had just left Old Mrs. Zhang's house, took out the pager from his pocket and glanced at the number on it.

"Is that the Qian family's phone number? Isn't he doing well as the deputy mayor in Wuyang Town? Why is he suddenly paging me?"

After a brief pause, Hou Donggui walked toward a nearby public phone booth.