Chapter 203

Liu Feifei said, “Hey, can someone explain who this Nangong Qingyan is? No one’s going to say anything?”

Cao Zijing said, “Black clothes, habitual short hair, likes wearing leather. What do you think comes to mind?”

Liu Feifei said, “Isn’t that the boss of Modu’s underground world? What’s the big deal? Wait, that’s not Nangong Qingyan, is it?”

Ye Ziyue said, “Yes, and this woman is unpredictable. Her name sounds gentle, but she’s extremely ruthless. The reason she became the head of the Nangong family is because of her power in the underground world. Otherwise, why do you think we say it’s tricky?”

Liu Feifei said, “That doesn’t add up. If she’s that powerful, why is the Nangong family only ranked third?”

“No idea. There’s no information to dig up on her. Number Seven, got any sources?”

Number Seven said, “No chance. This woman gives no info at all. By the way, could she also like Ye Aotian?”

The group fell silent, but after checking the diary several times, there were no further updates. Could it be that this woman doesn’t like Ye Aotian—or the villain?

Chen Fan finished writing the diary and happily claimed today’s reward.

[Ding, congratulations to the host for successfully uploading the diary. Reward obtained: Beiming Divine Art.]

Great, another freakish existence has appeared. Isn’t this thing basically a bug?

[Natural Operation: Stealing the Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth.]

Phew, alright, alright.

Chen Fan was genuinely worried that this thing would directly steal other people’s internal energy or something. That would’ve been a real concern—everyone would end up crippled, and how would he continue acting in this story?

Nangong Qingyan. Chen Fan muttered this name, helplessly shaking his head.

This person isn’t a villain, nor part of the protagonist’s crew, but in the novel, she’s a very interesting existence—a neutral one.

The most profitable business for Nangong Qingyan was never the underground gambling tables but auctions.

Every novel needs an auction house. These places are where the protagonist finds opportunities or even reasons to grow stronger. This is an urban setting, so auction houses mostly deal with antiques, jade, and the like. Of course, there are also some incomplete cultivation manuals or similar things. As always, the fact that this author didn’t write about immortal cultivation is the greatest respect paid to the urban genre.

Nangong Qingyan has two distinct traits. The first is that she loves wearing black leather outfits and often goes out drinking. The second is that she likes wearing a purple cheongsam, showing off at auction venues.

If one were to pin down the inspiration for this woman’s character, Chen Fan vaguely felt it was probably Zi Nü (Purple Girl).

This woman was a ruthless one—she even had tattoos. Pretty intimidating. Her favorite things were fairly common: jade hairpins and money.

The Nangong family was the most stable among the ten major families. You’ll notice that no matter which storyline or “instance,” they always show up. Pawnshops and auction houses—these were the Nangong family’s established strengths.

She’s had some interactions with the protagonist, but only to offer minor benefits, slightly closer than others.

The reason she didn’t join the harem, Chen Fan figured, was probably because the author forgot about her. After all, in this storyline, the third female lead is the core, and the second female lead is just a sidekick.

As for her, she has another hobby—disguises.

Yes, that’s her twisted sense of fun. And Qian Daode was one of the few who could see through her disguises. Naturally, he set up a trap for Chen Fan to jump into.

For now, though, the focus was on the movie’s promotional event. That plot happened in the evening, so there was still time.

After reading the diary, the female leads started preparing.

Cao Zijing and Liu Feifei received notifications from the director, got their makeup done, and headed out. But they had other preparations too—they secretly hired some extra security.

Liu Feifei thought, This scene absolutely cannot happen. Damn it, it’s just too embarrassing.

There’s no way she’d act like a fangirl. If she were to fangirl over anyone, it’d be Brother Chen Fan.

Once everyone left, the huge house felt a bit empty. Chen Fan happily turned on the TV.

He planned to watch for a bit.

Maybe catch the protagonist showing off?

“Hey, ha!”

Chen Fan turned around, looking at the woman practicing boxing behind him, helplessly rubbing his forehead.

This damn woman—she’d stop at nothing to improve herself.

Wu Meiniang said, “Chen Fan, teach me, please, okay?”

“No way. I don’t know martial arts, nothing at all.”

“Just teach me a little, please? I really don’t know how to improve my strength.”

Chen Fan still refused. Are you kidding? If you find out I’m actually strong, that’s already breaking the rules. If you get stronger, what’s the protagonist supposed to do?

Wait a second.

Chen Fan seemed to realize something.

It’s not entirely impossible. Her role was to be his final protective shield, meaning her strength was supposed to be sufficient until the very end.

She’s someone who can hold her own against many others. Otherwise, he would’ve died halfway through the story.

The plot seems to have escalated now. While the main storyline hasn’t changed, a lot of people have gotten stronger.

Chen Fan knew Zhu Yeqing had grown stronger, but the world’s timeline correction would also make the protagonist’s side stronger.

In that case, Wu Meiniang, who’s by his side, might not be strong enough anymore.

“I can teach you, but you have to promise me one thing: no matter what mistakes I make in the future, you’re not allowed to punish me.”

“I … wouldn’t dare. You hit hard.”

Zhu Yeqing, standing nearby, held back a laugh. She naturally understood what Chen Fan meant. Chen Fan hitting Cao Zijing was part of the plot.

Similarly, Wu Meiniang hitting Chen Fan was also part of the plot.

“Fine, you wouldn’t get it even if I explained. Come here.”

Wu Meiniang sat next to Chen Fan. Chen Fan thought for a moment, placed his hand on her shoulder, and gave her a quick check. He roughly figured out what was going on.

Interestingly, the internal energy in his body automatically started guiding Wu Meiniang’s internal energy, and they moved in sync, in the same direction.

What Chen Fan didn’t know was that during this process, Wu Meiniang’s heart gradually began to hold an image of him.

It was like a seed—similar to a Taoist “Dao Embryo” or a Buddhist “relic.”

But for this naturally dim-witted girl, she didn’t understand these things at all. She just thought Chen Fan looked kind of good—really good, in a weirdly attractive way.

“How’s it feel?”

“I feel something.”

“What kind of feeling?”

“I don’t know, just a feeling. Like there was a door, and I punched it to pieces. Then a bridge appeared, and I jumped across it. But I can’t see what’s ahead—it’s all foggy, just mountains.”

“Try sparring with Zhu Yeqing. I don’t get it either.”

In the living room, the two didn’t hesitate and threw punches at each other.

This time, Zhu Yeqing was forced back a dozen steps. If Wu Meiniang hadn’t held back, Zhu Yeqing might’ve been knocked out with one punch.

“You … how did you suddenly get so strong?”

“I don’t know! I just feel like my strength increased, like I’ve become super strong.”

As she spoke, Wu Meiniang picked up a fruit knife and swiped it across the back of her hand.

The knife’s edge curled.

Chen Fan was outright shocked. Wow, he hadn’t expected that with all the techniques he’d accumulated, the people around him would gain similar effects. And it seemed her results were pretty impressive.

“Hmm, you’re probably never getting married.”

What does that mean?

Wu Meiniang didn’t get the joke, but Zhu Yeqing did.

She smiled without saying anything. Little girls wouldn’t understand—this was something for adults.