Not until Zhang Bin had disappeared from sight did all the troublemakers stare blankly at the twisted rebar on the ground, their faces filled with shock and terror.
SMACK!
Wang Hu slapped Xu Xiaobing across the face. "Your village has such a terrifying expert! Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"Brother Hu, I didn't know he was so powerful. He's never shown it before," Xu Xiaobing said, his face the picture of misery.
"Idiot! Aren't you going to compensate them?" Wang Hu landed another slap on Xu Xiaobing's face. "Are you trying to get us all killed?"
Xu Xiaobing started paying compensation, delivering money door to door.
The villagers were truly stunned. They began to regard Zhang Bin as some kind of immortal. How else could he make such formidable thugs submit and offer compensation willingly?
Liu Xin, in particular, was shocked to her core. She foolishly followed Zhang Bin into his house and then right into his room.
"Sister Xin, is there something else?" Zhang Bin asked, a bit embarrassed. Having such an enticing beauty follow him into his room made it hard for him to control himself.
"Ah... I-I just came to thank you..." Liu Xin finally came to her senses. After blurting this out, she spun around and ran outside.
When she saw Mother Zhang standing in the main hall with a knowing smile, her pretty face flushed with embarrassment. She mumbled a greeting and then hurriedly bolted out the front door.
"Dear, it seems Liu Xin likes our Xiao Bin. What do you think?" Mother Zhang said to Father Zhang, who had also come out of his room, her face animated with excitement.
Having drunk the Spiritual Water yesterday and today, Father Zhang had improved a lot. He could now get out of bed by himself and walk slowly.
"Liu Xin is a good woman. If Xiao Bin is willing, I have no objections," Father Zhang said slowly.
Truth be told, both Father Zhang and Mother Zhang were very fond of a loyal and sincere woman like Liu Xin.
"Should I ask Xiao Bin?" Mother Zhang whispered.
"Asking wouldn't hurt," Father Zhang replied with a smile. He was naturally aware of his wife's fondness for Liu Xin.
So, Mother Zhang went into Zhang Bin's room and said hesitantly, "Xiao Bin, Xiao Fang is certainly a very good girl, but she's not right for you. Her family's demands are too high; they're asking for a huge villa. We can't afford that. You should marry Liu Xin instead. Once your father's illness is cured, our family won't be so poor. We can still manage to feed another two mouths."
"Mom, I'm only twenty years old. Why are you in such a rush?" Zhang Bin said in astonishment.
Mother Zhang walked out, a bit despondent. She knew very well that Zhang Bin still preferred Xiao Fang.
Zhang Bin locked the door and sat cross-legged on his bed, his face taking on a thoughtful expression. The speed at which his body absorbed Spiritual Energy had slowed considerably, almost to a halt.
Could it be? After just half a month of cultivation, have I mastered the first Realm of the Qingmu Longevity Technique and reached its Peak? Do I now possess the strength of an ox? Has my speed reached ten meters per second? Does that mean I can start practicing the subsequent Cultivation Techniques?
He finally managed to calm himself and began to meditate, focusing his mind on his Dantian and imagining qi flowing into it. Gradually, he entered a mysterious state of cultivation.
BOOM!
After an indeterminate amount of time, a thunderous sound erupted from within his body. It felt as if heaven and earth were splitting apart at his Dantian, which then burst explosively. A bubble-like space appeared there, only the size of a peanut. Then, wisps of gas began to seep into it, floating within.
Wonderful! I've finally forged my Dantian and reached the Qi Refining Realm. I can now cultivate Longevity Qi! Joy spread across Zhang Bin's face. He knew that only by cultivating Longevity Qi and entering the Qi Refining Realm had he truly stepped through the great gate of cultivation. Longevity Qi was the most precious of substances, capable of prolonging life, healing illness, and saving people.
Zhang Bin continued to meditate, guiding more qi into his Dantian. His body had already absorbed a great deal of Spiritual Energy, which had brought about miraculous changes. Threads of True Qi began to emerge from every part of him, converging in his Dantian.
The gas in his Dantian gradually increased, making it swell like an inflating balloon. This Longevity Qi was different from Spiritual Energy; it possessed a faint golden hue.
This is Longevity Qi? The Longevity Qi that can cure diseases and save lives? Zhang Bin was so thrilled he felt like he could float away.
From this day forward, his cultivation routine would change: gathering Qi in the morning and refining it at night.
「The next afternoon.」
A visitor came to Zhang Bin's home. It was his paternal aunt.
She was here to collect money. When Father Zhang fell ill, the family had borrowed one hundred thousand from her. This year, her son was graduating from high school with good grades and was sure to get into a university, so she needed money for his tuition and living expenses. She had come to collect twenty thousand. Mother Zhang promised to find a way, but where could they possibly get twenty thousand from? Even finding two thousand was a struggle.
What depressed Zhang Bin even more was that Xiao Fang snuck over to his house that evening. "Brother Bin," she said anxiously, "my mother has arranged for a prospective suitor to visit our house tomorrow."
"Your mother is going back on her word?" Zhang Bin shot up in anger.
"It's not that she's going back on her word. She's completely forgotten what she said because she doesn't believe for a second that you can do it," Xiao Fang said helplessly.
"What about you? Do you believe me?" Zhang Bin boldly wrapped his arms around Xiao Fang's waist, a wicked smile on his face.
"I don't know," Xiao Fang shyly broke free and shot him a fierce glare.
"So, what are you going to do tomorrow?" Zhang Bin asked.
"If my parents like him, I guess I'll just agree," Xiao Fang said with a mischievous smile.
"You dare!" Zhang Bin said, furious.
"Then if you're so capable, why don't you stop him from even entering my house tomorrow?" Xiao Fang said, looking aggrieved.
Zhang Bin's eyes lit up. "That's actually a good idea."
"Don't do anything reckless! I heard the guy is rich and powerful," Xiao Fang said worriedly. "Anyway, my mom is very pleased with him."
"What about your dad?" Zhang Bin asked, frowning.
"Even though my dad is the village head, he mostly listens to my mom," Xiao Fang said.
"Then can't you just refuse?" Zhang Bin said.
"That would put me under a lot of pressure," Xiao Fang said coquettishly. "You have to do something impressive to change my mom's opinion of you."
Xiao Fang really does like me! Wahaha! Zhang Bin was ecstatic. Thumping his chest, he declared, "Then promise me this: tomorrow, you will reject him outright. In return, I'll make a huge sum of money to show your mom."
He finally understood now. Merely waiting two years to sell the ginseng wasn't going to work. Not only might Xiao Fang be forced into a marriage, but the debt to his aunt had to be repaid.
"Mmm-hmm," Xiao Fang nodded obediently and slipped out shyly.
However, Mother Zhang saw her leave. She beamed with joy, thinking to herself that her son really had a way with women, to have even Xiao Fang coming to find him on her own initiative.
Zhang Bin, meanwhile, was pacing around his room in turmoil. How in the world am I going to make a large sum of money?