Chapter Fourteen: Coincidence?

Jiang Xiaotian couldn’t help but laugh, a grin spreading across his face. Were these people out of their minds, actually thinking he was in league with them? No wonder they hadn’t tried to drive him away just now—everything suddenly made sense to him.

But they were in for disappointment.

Clearing his throat, Jiang Xiaotian prepared to deliver a dramatic reversal. Yet the moment he stood, a surge of danger jolted through him, making him involuntarily stumble backward.

In the next instant, Ye Wan’er was already before him, one slender leg whipping toward him like a lash.

She struck without the slightest hesitation, with even more force than usual. This despicable man was clearly up to no good—she’d disliked him from the start! And now, knowing he was a martial artist and might be her enemy, Jiang Xiaotian became the perfect outlet for her rage.

He barely had time to react before he was sent flying, crashing into the iron gate with a cry of pain.

Though Jiang Xiaotian’s body was far stronger than most, he’d never received systematic combat training—his strength simply came from absorbing spiritual energy. Ye Wan’er, on the other hand, was skilled in all manner of martial arts and landed a direct, crushing blow. Even with his reflexes, he hadn’t managed to evade.

When Jiang Xiaotian finally staggered to his feet, groaning, Ye Wan’er was upon him in a flash.

“Dammit!” he yelped, turning and bolting through the door.

Ye Wan’er hadn’t expected him to run. Glancing back at the others, she tossed out a warning—“None of you better try to escape!”—and set off after Jiang Xiaotian.

The two of them shot out like rockets, leaving the others dumbstruck. “What’s going on? Isn’t that gentleman a martial artist?”

“Not a chance! Why don’t you try taking a kick like that? If you can still get up and run, I’ll eat my hat.”

Finally, the man with the slicked-back hair took a deep breath and said, “Don’t you see? He’s drawing Ye Wan’er away on purpose—to protect us!”

The rest sighed in awe, their admiration for Jiang Xiaotian only growing, unaware that he was cursing their ancestors in his heart.

Ye Wan’er chased him like a madwoman, never letting him out of her sight, no matter how he tried to escape. It wasn’t that he wouldn’t explain—she simply gave him no chance.

Don’t believe it? Try explaining to your girlfriend when she’s angry—see how far that gets you.

Ye Wan’er herself couldn’t put her feelings into words. From the first moment she’d seen Jiang Xiaotian, a strange irritation had seized her, an overwhelming urge to hit him. Now that the opportunity presented itself, how could she let it pass?

Yet, though Jiang Xiaotian wasn’t a professional, he had learned the Dragon Breath Technique.

Soon, Ye Wan’er realized she was growing tired, while the man she pursued remained light on his feet, barely winded. Time and again, he slipped out of reach, dodging her attacks as if he had eyes in the back of his head.

Given the chaos of the old street, their chase raised little alarm.

At last, breathless and exhausted, Ye Wan’er slowed and stopped, gasping for air, vowing to herself that this man would pay.

Her fury peaked when she saw Jiang Xiaotian actually turn around, emboldened by her fatigue.

“Your surname’s Ye, right? Actually, I know Han Yue too—she’s my sister-in-law…”

Ye Wan’er heard nothing but mocking words about her best friend, veins bulging on her forehead in rage. “Are you insane?”

Jiang Xiaotian grinned cheekily. “Oh? And now you’re resorting to insults!”

And so, they were off again. Eventually, Ye Wan’er, too exhausted to continue, leaned against a wall in frustration. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t catch this wretched man!

Jiang Xiaotian, on the other hand, was completely at ease once he figured out the trick. Thanks to spiritual energy, he wasn’t even out of breath. He found the whole misunderstanding exasperating, but decided to let Ye Wan’er cool off for now. Eventually, he’d have to explain.

As he pondered this, a strange figure appeared.

A man with disheveled hair, yawning as he approached, wearing a dinosaur-print pajama suit and exuding laziness.

“Finally found you. You sure can run.”

Jiang Xiaotian immediately tensed, retreating several steps. He sensed a familiar aura around this man—much like Ye Wan’er’s.

“Ah, running again? Which school of martial arts do you practice? I can’t figure it out. But since you’ve impersonated me, you owe me an explanation, don’t you?”

The man sauntered closer, prompting Jiang Xiaotian to retreat further.

So this was the martial artist Long-ge had hired?

Yet the man didn’t seem hostile. Seeing Jiang Xiaotian continue to escape, he clicked his tongue in annoyance. “Are you mad? Why run? If I wanted to hurt you, would I be out here talking? I’m just curious—are all martial artists in Beihai this young? That girl just now, and now you.”

“Who are you? What do you mean?” Jiang Xiaotian remained on guard.

The man stopped approaching, maintaining a distance. If Jiang Xiaotian chose to run, he knew he couldn’t catch up.

“No need to know who I am. I’m giving you my identity. From now on, you’re the martial artist Long-ge hired. I can’t be bothered with this anymore.”

Jiang Xiaotian was far from pleased—he wanted no part of this mess. “No thanks. I have principles.”

The man nodded. “So do I. That’s why I quit.”

Jiang Xiaotian was utterly bewildered. What on earth was wrong with this guy? Why was today so full of inexplicable events?

“I’ll give you a hundred thousand yuan. Just play the part—you don’t have to do anything. If there’s danger, you don’t have to show up. Of course, you can change things here if you want. Well?”

Jiang Xiaotian would have refused outright, but at the mention of a hundred thousand, he faltered. Still, there was no such thing as a free lunch—this had to be a trap.

Seeing his hesitation, the man raised two fingers. “Two hundred thousand. If you agree, I’ll transfer it to you right now.”

“I’m in!”

Two hundred thousand was no small sum. His fancy car and mansion were all thanks to Ling’er—they weren’t really his. But this money was real!

The man didn’t waste time, added him as a contact, and transferred the money at once.

As the notification chimed—two hundred thousand received—Jiang Xiaotian froze in disbelief.

Had fortune really fallen from the sky?

“Remember, your identity is your identity. You can’t let it slip.”

He stood there in a daze, hardly able to believe it. The pajama-clad man was already walking away, cursing after stepping in something foul, looking for all the world like a lunatic.

Yet the money was real…

Only now did Jiang Xiaotian realize he might have agreed to something less than ideal.

But was it really all coincidence? Why did it feel so orchestrated?

Suddenly, a hand clamped down on his shoulder.

Jiang Xiaotian didn’t react at first, still lost in thoughts of two hundred thousand. But when he turned around, two words escaped his lips: “Oh no.”

“Not running anymore?” Ye Wan’er’s icy face twisted into a terrifying smile.

Jiang Xiaotian had no time for her now. After that chase, he knew Ye Wan’er was no match for him.

Seeing she was about to attack, he summoned his spiritual energy, seized the initiative, and caught hold of Ye Wan’er.

She was stunned, never expecting this turn of events—especially in this empty alley. She began to struggle, panicked. “What are you doing?!”

Jiang Xiaotian wanted to explain, but remembered the promise he’d just made, and grew conflicted.

But Ye Wan’er, knowing nothing, flailed like a fish out of water.

Annoyed, Jiang Xiaotian decided to teach her a lesson and aimed a palm strike at her back.

Unfortunately, she twisted at the last moment, and his hand landed squarely on her rear.

Ye Wan’er shuddered, freezing in place.

Jiang Xiaotian’s heart skipped a beat. He was in trouble.

He quickly withdrew his hand and let her go.

Ye Wan’er turned, staring at him in shock.

Jiang Xiaotian gave an awkward laugh. “Haha, it was an accident, really—ha ha…”

Ye Wan’er’s eyes filled with fury, no longer cold but blazing red. “I’ll kill you!”

Jiang Xiaotian didn’t dare linger—he dashed off like a rabbit.

This time, he ran for his life, because Ye Wan’er truly meant to kill him.

When both had vanished, the dark alley suddenly revealed two figures, one tall, one short.

One was the pajama-clad man from before, and beside him stood a petite, delicate girl.

The girl pouted, eating her ice cream. “What a lecher! Hmph!”

The man yawned again. “Say, Sister Xuan, what’s so interesting about this Jiang Xiaotian? I don’t see anything special about him—except maybe his martial arts are a bit odd…”

Long Xuan’er didn’t answer. She finished her ice cream in one bite and clapped her hands. “Did you do what I asked?”

“Don’t worry. That martial artist has vanished from this world, and so have all who saw his face. From now on, Jiang Xiaotian is him, and he is Jiang Xiaotian. Even if he regrets it, there’s no going back.”

Long Xuan’er nodded in satisfaction. She hadn’t expected her sister to teach him the Dragon Breath Technique. Since that was the case, why not make things a bit more interesting?