Chapter 12. Chen Feng’s Invitation 

   After leaving Yi Han and the senior, Bai Zhe used the floating technique to hop along branches and rocks that lined the road. The boy was thinking about something.

    ‘Who taught Yi Han to use qi? And who’s the guy who was observing us from afar? Based on his qi and his skill, he could not be Yi Han’s teacher,’ thought Bai Zhe. The appearance of the artists and Yi Han who was trained to use qi power confirmed to him that there were still martial artists living in this world. They were merely in hiding, preventing normal people from knowing of their existence. The thing Bai Zhe was most worried about was Yi Han’s teacher, who had taught him to use qi power.

    If this had been him of the past, he would not have to think about fighting with others. But he had only the heart qi at this moment. He feared he could not handle the other party [Office1] if they were to face off for a fight.

    ‘I need to find a way out of this as fast as possible. Let’s start with finding their hideout so I can gather information first,’ thought Bai Zhe.

    Before Bai Zhe left the two, he brought out a spying bug. It was a beast that could be trained. He had it enter the brain of the boy who had observed him and Yi Han. The spying bug could live inside a brain and function like this world’s video cameras.

    Bai Zhe could check on it and use this qi to order it to come back, showing him everything it had recorded.

    He took a short time to arrive at Xi Lua’s company, soaking with sweat. He took off his suit jacket immediately when he entered the building, revealing the soaking white shirt that clung to his body. It made the female staff’s cheeks heat up when they saw the boy.

    Bai Zhe walked to the reception counter before the receptionist guided him to the VIP lift. She keyed in the password, then hurriedly left him, sporting red ears.

    In front of Xi Lua’s office

    Bai Zhe walked out of the lift and greeted Xi Lua’s assistant, who was sitting in front of the office. She called Xi Lua to inform him of the boy’s arrival.

    “Oh Xiao Zhe, why are you sweating so badly?” asked Xi Lua when he came out of his office to see Bai Zhe covered in sweat.

    “There was an accident on the main road. I was afraid that I would be late, so I ran,” answered Bai Zhe.

    “But you cannot go looking like this. Hmm…let me help you,” said Xi Lua, using his smartphone to call someone.

    After a few moments, a man walked out of the VIP lift. Bai Zhe noted that this man was well-dressed, and his hair looked very stylish.

    “He is Xi Mo’s stylist. Xi Mo is abroad now. He is available, so I called him to take care of your hair and clothes. You go take a shower. I will have him prepare clothes for you,” said Xi Lua.

    The stylist nimbly measured the boy's body before going downstairs by the lift to prepare the boy’s clothes. Bai Zhe used the shower in Xi Lua’s private room. He put on the clothes that had been prepared for him by the stylist and then had his hair styled.

    “Don’t I have to wear makeup?” he questioned because he noticed that men wore makeup to cover up what were known as pimples, blemishes, and freckles on their faces.

    Of course, when he met Xi Mo, he saw that Xi Mo was wearing makeup as well. No matter how smoothly the foundation was applied, Bai Zhe was still able to see the powder granules at a 5K Ultra HD level of clarity.

    “For skin like yours, you don’t have to. I have never seen someone with such smooth skin before. Your skin is very good,” answered the stylist.

    A long while later

    “Sorry for keeping you waiting. It’s already past the scheduled appointment time.” Bai Zhe came out wearing a sapphire blue shirt with a classy black tie. A marble grey suit covered his body. Polished leather shoes were on his feet.

    “That’s all right. I’d already called my friend to tell them we are going to be a little bit late.” Xi Lua was satisfied. Though the boy was not his biological grandson like Xi Mo, he loved and felt affection toward Bai Zhe, as if the boy was truly his grandchild. He felt strange about it but assumed that it was because Bai Zhe was a talented, humble, grateful, and honest boy. That was the reason why he wanted to support this boy.

    Xi Lua and Bai Zhe used the lift to go downstairs to their car. While they were walking to the vehicle that was parked at the front of the building, the female staff members who saw the boy sporting this new look each felt their faces heat instantly before many of them felt dizzy and fainted.

    In the car

    After the two got in, the driver took off immediately. Xi Lua brought out his phone to contact Wu Jia.

    “Wu Jia, the master and I are on our way. We’ll arrive there soon,” he said and hung up the phone immediately.

    ‘I really want to know if he is going to be shocked when he meets the actual master who created those art pieces.’ Xi Lua smiled, trying to hold back his laughter.

    “You did not tell him that I am just a 15-year-old boy?” asked Bai Zhe. Xi Lua's manner was exactly like that when he was trying to prank someone.

    “Hahaha, I wouldn’t get to see his face when he meets you if I told him.” Xi Lua laughed heartily while Bai Zhe had a resigned smile on his face.

    Xan Long Publishing Company

    Since the morning, Wu Jia had been busy organizing a room to welcome the master whom he respected due to the paintings that had been promoted to be national treasures. He even posted [the lounge for welcoming the master] on the calligraphy painting enthusiast club’s website.

    People went crazy on the website not long afterwards. Many people who had not gone to Xi Lua’s exhibition were regretful that they had missed the chance to meet the master who had created the priceless paintings. They wanted to come to Wu Jia’s publishing company to meet the master. Wu Jia did not deny their request because the club members were powerful people from many fields. If he refused, he might get into trouble later.

    “Mr. Wu, Mr. Qian Mo, and Mr. Chen Feng have arrived,” Wu Jia’s assistant hurriedly reported the two’s arrival.

    “Take them to the lounge first. I will go and wait for Xi Lua in front,” Wu Jia told his secretary before walking to the front of the building.

    A black car drove in, and Wu Jia recognized immediately that it belonged to Xi Lua. The car slowed down and pulled up to the front of the publisher’s building.

    Xi Lua got out of the car. He was wearing a classy black suit. Even though he was of an advanced age, he still looked attractive and dignified. Bai Zhe followed closely behind the old man and became the centre of everyone’s attention immediately.

    Wu Jia looked at the boy who had gotten out of the car after Xi Lua. Just seeing him started to give him cognitive dissonance. In front of him was a boy with good looks, that, when combined with his fashion, made it seem like there was a light shining from him. This made Wu Jia unable to take his eyes off the boy. However, the refined and distinguished aura around the boy that he sensed contrasted strongly with the boy’s age.

    It was not only Wu Jia; even Qian Mo and Chen Feng who had met the boy before, were amazed at the aura that Bai Zhe was radiating. They felt that the boy looked even more august than the last time they had met.

    “Xi Lua, don’t tell me that this young boy is…” whispered Wu Jia to Xi Lua. He knew the answer after his friend nodded.

    “Let me introduce you to Master Bai or Bai Zhe. He’s now my adopted grandson. The artist of the calligraphy paintings ‘Bai Hu Tian Di’ and ‘Tai Si Kong’, as well as the writer of the novel that has been purchased by Xan Long Publishing, the sales contract for which will be signed today. The boy whom people call the master of calligraphy paintings,” Xi Lua said, introducing Bai Zhe to Wu Jia and members of the calligraphy painting enthusiast club.

    “It’s an honour to meet you all.” Bai Zhe folded his hands and bowed to show his respects while all of the elder people’s jaws dropped. They had never thought that the artist of such works would be a 15-year-old boy. The reason why people did not know that the master was just fifteen was that Xi Lua had asked the exhibition guests not to reveal the boy’s age.

    “Son, um, Master Bai, it’s an honour to meet you, too,” some of them said, still not quite finding the right words. Some still did not believe it, so they still looked at the boy to catch his lie. Some felt resentful. When they saw Bai Zhe, they thought about their younger selves that had not been as talented as this or possessed a face that would have made girls fall for them.

    The faces of some female members who were in their 40s and 50s turned red. They felt like they had gone back to the time when they were young women after they had not felt any excitement from meeting a young man for a long time. If they had been in their thirties, they would not have hesitated to fight over him with others.

    “Hmm, Master Bai, please come inside. I will get the contract for you to read.” Wu Jia invited the boy to go inside the building immediately.

    Bai Zhe read the contract and asked some questions. He had a lawyer whom Xi Lua had hired to answer his questions about legal matters. He signed the contract after he was sure that it was all right. Xi Lua, who was now his guardian, signed to certify the document as well, because the boy was not yet of age to enter into a contract by himself.

    Naturally, the contract signing happened without any trouble, which made Wu Jia happy. He wanted to scream with happiness from just imagining the sales. He had never thought that Bai Zhe would ask questions about some of the conditions and note them down on a piece of paper. The boy had even gotten him to sign on the paper to guarantee that the notes he had made were correct and that they had the same understanding of the content.

    “The paperwork is done. I would like to invite Master Bai and everyone from the club to the main meeting room. There is a buffet ready there. We could walk around and have a chat. I have to take care of the contract documentation first,” said Wu Jia before leaving.

    After Wu Jia left, Xi Lua and Bai Zhe, guided by the publisher’s staff, went to the main meeting room, which was turned into a dining area.

    The main meeting room, Xan Long Publishing Company

    Qian Mo was the first person who greeted Bai Zhe when the boy arrived at the reception. His gesture looked like that of a junior paying respect to a senior, which made Bai Zhe feel awkward. Because his body was just 15 years old, it would not seem appropriate if other people saw this.

    “Master Bai.” Qian Mo folded his hands and slightly bowed to show his respects to the boy. Still, Bai Zhe was a great deal younger than him.

    “Mr. Qian.” Bai Zhe also folded his hands and bowed. Certainly, his bow was lower than him because Qian Mo was older than him in this body.

    “Master Bai, could you please make me a calligraphy painting?” Qian Mo walked over to the boy and whispered.

    “Mr. Qian, if he does calligraphy for you, soon everyone will ask him to do the same,” said Xi Lua, making Qian Mo’s expression become one of disappointment.

    “I can do that. But you have to show it to others after your birthday,” said Bai Zhe. He thought that this was the best solution to this problem.

    “Really? Thank you so much, Master Bai. I promise that when this novel is published, I will help to advertise it to the best of my ability,” said Qian Mo.

    Many people came over to talk to Bai Zhe after that. For sure, some of them asked Bai Zhe to create calligraphy paintings for them, but the boy refused. Moreover, the executives of TV stations told him that if his novel became famous, they wanted him to appear on their TV programs. Of course, Bai Zhe accepted their invitations in a friendly manner. These were the opportunities that he wanted.

    “Master Bai, can we continue our conversation from the other day?” Chen Feng walked over to Bai Zhe, making the executive who was talking to Bai Zhe immediately end their conversation. Chen Feng was a producer with a Midas touch whose skills and reputation were well-respected by many TV station executives.

    Chen Feng took the boy to the room next to the meeting room where Xi Lua was already sitting on the sofa comfortably sipping his wine.

    The producer made Bai Zhe stand straight before pulling out his phone to take the boy’s picture from different angles. It made the boy curious about what Chen Feng was doing.

    “Uh…that is…what are you doing, sir?” the boy asked, tilting his head a little with curiosity. The boy’s reaction made Xi Lua, who was about to swallow his red wine, spit it out.

    ‘C…cute. My grandson is so cute.’ Xi Lua’s face looked like a person who had fallen head over heels for his newborn grandchild.

    ‘H…he’s devastatingly handsome. I was right. He’s really suited to be a superstar.’ Chen Feng was mentally affected as well, and this made him feel even more confident that the boy could be in show business.

    “Master Bai, are you interested in working in the entertainment industry?”

    “Eh? Can I? I don’t have the knowledge or foundation for it,” said Bai Zhe. He was not that confident, even though he had watched video clips and news from the internet. It was like looking at the bottom of the ocean from a yacht. He could not know the ins and outs of the industry.

    “These things can be practiced. Look at Xi Mo, Mr. Xi Lua’s grandson. When I asked him to consider working in show business, he said something similar. I put him through many training courses until he could become a famous model these days,” said Chen Feng proudly.

    “Stop right there, Feng. You have already taken one of my grandsons. Now, you want to take another? Can you just let me have one to pamper?” Xi Lua pulled Bai Zhe into his embrace, looking at Chen Feng sulkily.

    ‘Is this old man being possessive of someone who is not even his flesh and blood grandson?’ thought Chen Feng.

    “Xi Lua, you have turned into a lonely grandpa. I didn’t forbid you from meeting your grandson. You are a workaholic. Do you even have time for him?” asked Chen Feng.

    Bai Zhe saw that the two had started to argue. He had to find a way to stop this before it escalated. He took both of their hands and walked them to the meeting room, then walked up onto the stage.

    It made Xi Lua and Chen Feng, who were in the middle of an argument, stop and look at Bai Zhe. They tried to figure out what the boy was doing. Everyone in the room stopped their conversations and looked at Bai Zhe with interest.

    When he noticed that everyone’s eyes were looking at him, Bai Zhe started to sing the Tai Si Kong ballad in a voice that held the intention of tranquillity. It made everyone close their eyes and sink into the swirl of emotion of the ballad that Bai Zhe sang. When the ballad ended, they slowly woke up from their reveries as loud applause sounded.

    “So, this is how the Tai Si Kong ballad is sung. It was beautifully melodic.”

    “Excellent, truly excellent. I’m lucky that I was here.”

    “Did anyone record this?”

    “I just happened to.”

    [[[Send it to me.]]] Without it being planned ahead, everyone in the room yelled at the same time after they heard that someone recorded a video for that person to send it to them.

    The atmosphere in the room became lively again. Bai Zhe was surrounded by club members. It took quite some time for him to part from them.

    “I accept your invitation,” Bai Zhe said to Chen Feng, while Xi Lua looked like he was about to cry. For an old man like him, his friends could die at any moment, and his younger generation was managing the affiliate companies, so they met up only two to three times a year. Also, his real grandson was so busy that they barely met.

    “Great. I will send you the schedule for the training courses later,” said Chen Feng.

    “Grandpa, don’t be sad. I promise I will video call you every day,” said Bai Zhe.

    Before the event was over, Wu Jia came over to ask Bai Zhe for permission to give the guests the manuscript of his first novel on the one condition that they all had to help advertise the novel.

    There was no need to think about it much. All of the guests agreed and went home to read the novel immediately. Xi Lua had his driver drive the boy home.

    The abandoned building, Lao Lao’s Sect.

    Yi Han's naked body was lying on a bed. His limbs were chained. He slowly opened his eyes when he regained his consciousness. The first thing he saw was Lao Lao’s face; he was staring at him angrily. Yi Han gave a start and rose, trying to escape. But he found himself chained to the bed.

    “What is this, Master?” asked Yi Han. He had a feeling something bad was going to happen. He became more panicked when he saw his body was naked.

    “What is this, you dare ask? I already ordered you not to try anything with Bai Zhe yet,” Lao Lao scolded him.

    “He’s just an ordinary boy…” Yi Han had not even finished his sentence when Lao Lao slapped him. He tasted blood in his mouth and the red liquid dripped from the corners of his lips.

    “Ordinary boy? Your senior is screaming like a crazy person. He keeps screaming, ‘Help! The big white tiger is trying to eat me!’ I had to inject him with a sedative. Luckily, he could tell the story,” said Lao Lao.

    “Bai Zhe is not a normal boy?” Yi Han asked.

    “From what I have heard, he was found to have used qi power, but he could make you lose consciousness, which is not normal. I think he is a warlock,” answered Lao Lao.

    “W-warlock? How could that be? It’s impossible,” said Yi Han.

    “The qi power that you thought did not exist is real. So, you better be careful. This time, he didn’t intend to kill you. You are lucky that you are alive. But…” Lao Lao’s tone changed to one filled with anger, sending a shiver down the boy’s spine.

    “M…Master, don’t tell me that I have to be punished by my yang being pumped out.” Yi Han struggled back and forth, trying to make the chains that bound him break, while Lao Lao stripped off his clothes.

    “As a teacher, the student who does not obey must be punished. I just thought of a punishment that would make you unable to go anywhere for two to three days,” said Lao Lao. He then parted the boy’s thighs and placed his legs up onto his shoulders.

    “W…wait. Master, don’t say that…” The boy had yet to finish his sentence when Lao Lao pushed his length into Yi Han.

    “Ahh! Master, I’m sorry. I…ouch…won’t…do…ah...it again…ahhhh. Master!” Yi Han screamed in pain and from the feeling of being filled to bursting. Instead of stopping, Lao Lao quickened his pace.

    Hearing Yi Han screeching in pain, Lao Lao’s other students, who were outside, were breaking into cold beads of sweat, their hands covering their buttocks.

    No one had ever had a special punishment like this since they had started living with Lao Lao. It looked like their master was more furious than he had ever been, which made the students too scared to stop him, for fear of being dragged into it. They did not want to be a part of this. The only thing they could do was to pray for Yi Han, hoping the boy could get through this night.