Chapter 6: Birthday Brawl and a Cuckolded Heart

“Girl, what are you doing here?” A profound shock reverberated within him.

Normally, he should have been overjoyed to see the person he liked, but at this moment, Lan Wu Xi found himself utterly incapable of feeling happy.

“This…” The forced smile vanished from his face, replaced by a sudden gloom, his heart feeling as unpleasantly clogged as if by a toilet plunger.

‘What’s going on? Why is she here?’

Lan Wu Xi’s already jumbled and nervous thoughts instantly exploded, his limited mental capacity allowing him to grasp only one possible explanation for the current situation.

He glanced at Yun Jingping, standing beside Lin Yufei, and then recalled the information he had just overheard; the answer became glaringly obvious.

‘I only stepped out for a moment, and I’ve already been cuckolded by the protagonist?!’

Instantly, Lan Wu Xi felt a herd of dairy cows, hailing from the Xilingol Grassland, graze happily upon the tender, succulent water plants on his head.

Cough, cough.

The situation wasn’t quite that dire.

Yet, one thing was certain: the plot was already unfolding precisely as the system had orchestrated.

‘Damn it… I actually forgot about this development.’

Well, he had a general grasp of the situation. According to the protagonist’s damned harem law, the girl must have met the protagonist through some accident, then inadvertently become entangled in the dispute between Yun Jingping and Lin Yunxi. As a result, the protagonist had opportunistically performed a heroic rescue… Bah! More accurately, he had taken advantage of the situation to boost his favorability in front of the girl.

“You two… know each other?” Yun Jingping asked, a hint of surprise in his voice, after witnessing Lan Wu Xi and Lin Yufei’s exchange.

In his estimation, Lan Wu Xi was a sinister and ruthless schemer, adept at manipulating others, and given the “special attention” he had frequently received from the man, Yun Jingping had always considered Lan Wu Xi to be a feared and chaotic overlord.

However, this beautiful woman he had just met, Lin Yufei, appeared so gentle, kind, and considerate. It was difficult to imagine her knowing someone like Lan Wu Xi; wasn’t this clearly a lamb walking into a tiger’s den?

“Hm! Idiot, why are you here? Are you with him?” Lin Yufei gazed at Lan Wu Xi with a displeased expression.

As Lin Yufei’s childhood sweetheart, Lan Wu Xi instantly discerned a flicker of disappointment in her beautiful eyes, and his heart felt as though it had been pierced by a dagger.

“No… it’s not… girl, listen to me…”

Lan Wu Xi frantically shook his head, desperate to explain, when Lin Yunxi, standing behind him, loudly interjected.

“Brother Lan, why are you still dawdling with them? Hurry up and deal with them!”

“I…”

Lan Wu Xi suddenly felt like a mute who had swallowed bitter herbs, unable to voice his grievances. He could only glare profoundly at Lin Yunxi, who seemed utterly oblivious to the atmosphere, silently warning him against uttering any more superfluous words.

This, truly, was the definition of a useless teammate.

“Girl, I’ll explain this to you when we get back. Come over here for now.” Despite his inner turmoil, Lan Wu Xi beckoned, hoping Lin Yufei would join him.

In his mind, Lin Yufei had always placed absolute trust in his words—a silent understanding only childhood sweethearts possessed. He was certain that, given the choice between her childhood friend and this sudden third party, Lin Yufei would unequivocally choose…

“No, I’m not coming over unless you explain yourself clearly right now!” Lin Yufei flatly refused, even taking a step back behind Yun Jingping and playfully sticking out her tongue at Lan Wu Xi.

Lan Wu Xi instantly felt as though his entire world had crumbled, his eyes vacant and lifeless.

He felt as though he lay sprawled on the vast, picturesque Hulunbuir Grassland, the setting sun casting its remaining rays upon him, bathing his entire body in a shimmering, iridescent hue. Beside him, Lin Yufei, adorned with a dazzling diamond ring, leaned happily against his shoulder. Everything felt so perfect, so fulfilling, so blissful…

Just then, a figure, their face obscured by a straw hat, slowly stumbled forward until they stood before him. They then removed their hat, gently placing it upon his head, revealing a terrifying face that Lan Wu Xi could never forget.

“Yun Jingping! How could it be you?”

Lan Wu Xi uttered in astonishment, yet Yun Jingping remained silent. Instead, he gracefully performed a gentleman’s bow towards Lin Yufei, who stood beside Lan Wu Xi, and extended his hand.

“Girl, don’t…”

It happened so abruptly. Lan Wu Xi harbored a final sliver of hope, making a last desperate plea, but Lin Yufei seemed not to hear him. She smiled sweetly at Yun Jingping, then, daintily pinching the hem of her skirt, rose and gently placed her fair, delicate hand into Yun Jingping’s.

“I don’t believe it… This isn’t real…”

Witnessing this, he desperately tried to stand and intervene, but his legs felt as if bound by invisible shackles; no matter how much force he exerted, he could not rise. Ultimately, he could only watch helplessly as Yun Jingping, holding the hand of a beaming Lin Yufei, walked away before him, the hat on his head gradually merging with the verdant grass, imbued with the vibrancy of life.

Cough, cough! In short, he had been cuckolded…

“No!!!”

Lan Wu Xi let out a long, furious howl towards the sky, startling everyone into stunned silence.

“No?”

Lan Wu Xi’s sudden outburst caused Yun Jingping’s eyebrows to twitch sharply, and an ominous premonition stirred within him.

‘Oh no, what’s wrong with that idiot? I should have just swallowed my pride and gone over when he asked. I’m so worried about him…’

Lin Yufei, too, was so startled by Lan Wu Xi’s actions that she dared not speak, filled with immense regret.

Primarily, the brute Lin Yunxi had publicly attempted to violate her, leaving her still shaken. How could she possibly go over?

“Haha!” The sycophantic Lin Yunxi, believing he had grasped the meaning of Lan Wu Xi’s words, leaped forward a step, pointed at Yun Jingping and his companions, and sneered.

“Brother Lan means none of you will leave here today. You’re finished, hahahaha.”

‘We can’t delay any longer; we must strike first!’

Yun Jingping moved first, covering the less than five-meter distance to Lan Wu Xi’s attack range in mere breaths. His qi surged forth like the Yellow River, and he unleashed a palm strike towards Lan Wu Xi’s chest with heart-stopping speed.

“Break for me!”

At this moment, Lan Wu Xi, his rage making his hair feel as if it would burst from his head, found his senses subtly amplified countless times. He had perceived Yun Jingping’s assault long before it arrived, and he met it head-on with a swing of his own palm. Their hands collided, unleashing a tremendous shockwave behind them, the *qi* gale scattering loose pebbles from the ground into the air.

“Heavenly Origin Palm!”

“Spilled Water Palm!”

The martial arts techniques each had mastered converged and erupted from their palms. Both men coughed up a mouthful of stagnant blood, staggering back several steps before regaining their balance.

‘I never expected Lan Wu Xi to be this powerful. He truly deserves to be my number one enemy!’

‘Damn it, as expected of the protagonist. My full-power palm strike only resulted in a mutual injury. If the protagonist were to get serious, wouldn’t I die here today?’

Lan Wu Xi’s palm still trembled involuntarily. He had just mobilized nearly all of his strength, yet only managed to fight the other party to a draw. It seemed the opponent was merely testing his abilities. If they were to realize he was merely a paper tiger, wouldn’t he be in grave danger?

‘Although I was mentally prepared, he actually used a low-tier palm technique to neutralize my attack. My Heavenly Origin Palm is, after all, a mid-to-high-grade martial art in my family. Lan Wu Xi, you truly are not simple!’

Yun Jingping cast a deep glance at Lan Wu Xi, his apprehension towards him growing even stronger.

‘And here I was, worried that idiot would get hurt. Who knew he was so strong? Hmph, it’s not like I care about him anyway.’

Lin Yufei breathed a sigh of relief, seeing that neither party appeared to be seriously harmed. Although Yun Jingping was her savior, her heart still leaned more towards that idiot; after all, over a decade of shared history was something no outsider could rival… for now.

Though she had only met Yun Jingping once, a persistent urge to grow closer to him kept surfacing in her mind, causing the cheeks of the girl, who had never experienced the taste of love, to instantly flush crimson.

‘What’s happening to me… I can’t control it…’ Her gaze subtly drifted, stealing a glance at Yun Jingping. This profound shift in Lin Yufei’s demeanor was, unbeknownst to her, entirely observed by Lan Wu Xi.

That gaze, unmistakably akin to one reserved for a lover, caused Lan Wu Xi’s mind to once again lose all reason. He roared in anger, his spiritual energy surging like tempestuous waves, and his azure eyes turned blood red. His rising aura made Yun Jingping’s expression intensely solemn, prompting him to decide against concealing his strength any further. Yun Jingping, who had been at the Qi Refining stage, now shattered the tenth barrier of Qi Refining, breaking through to the Profound Wheel Realm.

Lin Yunxi’s eyes widened dramatically, his jaw nearly dislocating from sheer astonishment. Yun Jingping was actually in the Profound Wheel Realm! This was simply impossible. Only a few months ago, he had been at the second level of Qi Refining. Yet now, in just over three months, he had surpassed Lin Yunxi and even entered the Profound Wheel Realm. “Genius” no longer sufficed to describe him; “monstrous” was far more fitting.

“Lan Wu Xi!”

“Yun Jingping!”

No longer holding back, both men unleashed their most powerful techniques. The surrounding space itself began to warp as their qi constantly intertwined, then burst forth like exploding lotuses, creating waves of energy. The shops in the vicinity, centered around the two, were already in ruins.

“Enough!”

Lin Yufei cried out loudly, causing both men to pause in surprise. Lan Wu Xi, in particular, was jolted back to his senses by her shout, finally realizing the gravity of his actions. Wasn’t he courting death? Clashing head-on with the protagonist was practically offering himself as experience points.

Consequently, Lan Wu Xi hastily stepped back, retracting his imposing aura.

Yun Jingping had not anticipated Lan Wu Xi’s sudden decision to withdraw from the fight. With Lin Yufei continuously urging him to stop, and the strong possibility of accidentally harming those nearby if he continued his impulsive actions, he had no choice but to likewise retract his aura.

“Idiot, stop making trouble! It’s your birthday today, and if you keep this up, I won’t celebrate it with you, hmph~” Lin Yufei’s cheeks puffed out like steamed buns, her hands on her hips, as she turned her head away with a resentful expression.

“What… To… today is my birthday?”

Hearing Lin Yufei’s words, a dawning realization struck Lan Wu Xi; he finally understood that today was a special day. No wonder the girl, who rarely wandered about, was present at the Lin family’s market: she had come to buy him a gift.

A wave of warmth washed over Lan Wu Xi as he considered this, and his resentment towards Yun Jingping dissipated by more than half.

Though he was currently quite popular with girls, before his reincarnation, he had been a shut-in—precisely the kind you might imagine: spending every day playing games, watching TV, eating, drinking, and generally idling away his time in a hazy, unproductive existence.

I apologize, everything Lan Wu Xi said before was false; you surely didn’t expect that, did you?

Naturally, such a person had never experienced romance, being completely oblivious to love. It was only after his reincarnation, and gaining a beautiful childhood sweetheart, that his former *shut-in* inferiority complex had somewhat eased. However, with Yun Jingping’s appearance, those old feelings of inferiority, cowardice, and timidity had all resurfaced, leading to Lan Wu Xi’s subsequent outburst and loss of reason.

Now, hearing that Lin Yufei had been forced into this predicament because of him, Lan Wu Xi’s emotional knot finally unraveled. He regained his rationality, no longer daring to act rashly, fearing he might once again bring trouble upon himself.

‘Phew, that was close. I almost got ambushed. Lan Wu Xi, you truly are not simple.’

Yun Jingping, who had hastily retracted his aura, was initially slow to react. Now, after a moment of careful thought, a wave of apprehension washed over him.

If he had truly attacked just now, he might not only have accidentally injured Lin Yufei but also earned the reputation of a despicable sneak attacker who won unfairly. If such a rumor spread, it would severely damage the Yun family’s reputation. Furthermore, Lan Wu Xi’s resolute withdrawal, unafraid of his assault, strongly suggested he had a hidden trump card. Truly, Lan Wu Xi was cunning and deceitful.

‘Phew, that was a close call. I got a bit carried away and forgot I was fighting the protagonist. Good thing the protagonist didn’t strike. Thank goodness~ Thank goodness~ Phew~’

“Brother Lan, what’s wrong with you? Hurry up… Go teach them a lesson!”

Lin Yunxi, realizing things were steadily going awry, spoke with a hastened, almost commanding tone.

“Lin Yunxi, you truly are shameless. You molest a girl and then fan the flames, adding fuel to the fire. How can there be such an impudent person like you?” Yun Jingping scoffed, glaring coldly at Lin Yunxi. He now genuinely regretted not having cut him down with a sword earlier.

“Heh heh, still running your mouth even when you’re almost dead. Brother Lan, look, this guy is disrespecting you so much now; in the future, he’ll be stepping all over you.”

“Wait, I heard you were the one who started this, and you even harassed the girl?”

Lan Wu Xi suddenly turned to face Lin Yunxi, and a question imbued with spiritual energy burst from his lips. The deafening sound reverberated through Lin Yunxi’s head, which was temporarily without spiritual protection, causing him intense pain.

“Boss, forgive me! She’s just a woman. If you want, your humble subordinate will send you a hundred women, each a hundred times prettier than her, as a tribute later.” Lin Yunxi said, clutching his head, attempting to appease Lan Wu Xi with this offer. However, his words had the opposite effect, piercing Lan Wu Xi’s very core.

“Slap!”

This time, the slap came from Lan Wu Xi. So sudden and forceful was it that it sent Lin Yunxi’s unprepared teeth flying. He even plunged headfirst into the ground, motionless, seemingly quite destined for a beating.

It wasn’t over. Hearing Lin Yunxi’s blatant insult towards Lin Yufei, Lan Wu Xi actually yanked the head-planted Lin Yunxi out of the ground like a radish. He then delivered several more resounding slaps to his already swollen face, utterly disfiguring him. Only upon close inspection might one discern a faint resemblance between this bizarre creature and a pig’s head. It seemed the Young Master Lin would be bedridden for at least a month.

Upon seeing their Young Master being beaten, the Lin family guards initially intended to intervene, but found their feet rooted to the spot. Lan Wu Xi’s appearance at that moment was particularly terrifying, as if he intended to devour Lin Yunxi alive. Even after the poor Lin Yunxi had fallen unconscious, Lan Wu Xi continued to slap him relentlessly for over a dozen times.

Finally, it was only after all the Lin family guards knelt, pleading for their master’s life, that Lan Wu Xi’s rage finally subsided. He tossed the barely conscious Lin Yunxi to the guards like a piece of trash, then clapped his hands, smiled, and sidled up to Lin Yufei. Under Yun Jingping’s aghast gaze, he walked away with her, enduring her complaints all the while.