Chapter 13 – Taking In

Due to his overly excited and saliva-spewing tirade, when Zeng Jingxuan walked back into the ward, the old swindler couldn’t stop himself in time. His old face twisted comically for a few seconds before he let out a groan and slumped back onto the hospital bed, plastering on an ingratiating smile. “Master Zeng… Uh… Look at us here…”

Zeng Jingxuan ignored him and instead turned his gaze to the young man sitting to the side. Wei Yang didn’t speak but merely smiled and nodded. Everything was understood without words.

This outcome, of course, didn’t come as a surprise to Master Zeng. He withdrew his gaze and politely said to Sun Chengfeng, “I’m truly sorry for delaying your shop’s work this time. If you don’t mind, I’ll have Xiuqi stay for a while to help take care of the shop. He’s learned quite a bit of Longhu Mountain’s Taoist arts and is a descendant of the Zeng Family of Sanliao Village. He’s quite capable.”

Sun Chengfeng was dumbfounded. This wasn’t what he had expected! But the old swindler’s reflexes were quick, and he immediately grinned, “That’s great! I mean, your nephew looks like a fine young man, definitely a skilled hand… Uh… But you see, our little shop is just a small operation. It’s such a waste of his talents…”

“Not at all. You don’t need to pay him. Just give him a place to stay,” Zeng Jingxuan replied with a smile, his calm demeanor making him appear even more graceful and sincere.

Sun Chengfeng was indeed a master of reading people. After carefully studying Master Zeng’s expression, he realized this wasn’t just a polite gesture or an excuse. Master Zeng genuinely wanted to leave his nephew here to work for him. This was like a pie falling from the sky! Regardless of the young man’s abilities, he surely wouldn’t be as difficult to deal with as the slippery Master Zeng, right? The older one was clearly hard to fool, but if he could keep the younger one around, he might just be able to extract some of their secret techniques. Besides, he couldn’t take on any jobs himself while he was recovering—it would ruin his image. But with Wei Yang, the little swindler, and Zhang Xiuqi, the real expert, they might even make more money than when he was around. Plus, both of them were younger, so if they made a name for themselves, he could claim they were his disciples. This was a win-win situation!

At this thought, the old swindler grinned so widely his gums showed, nodding repeatedly. “Accommodation is no problem. I have a guest room at home… Ouch!”

This time, he got too excited and accidentally touched his wound, causing him to wince in pain. Wei Yang quickly took over, “Uncle Sun, let him stay with me. I’m planning to move soon, and my new place will definitely be big enough for Brother Qi.”

Hearing such a considerate suggestion, Sun Chengfeng almost gave Wei Yang a thumbs-up. It seemed the kid had already grasped his plan. Yes, the more time they spent together, the better the chances of extracting information. If they managed to get their hands on some real techniques, given Wei Yang’s relationship with him, it would be easy to learn them. Such an important task naturally required someone smart, and Wei Yang was the perfect candidate. He couldn’t rely on Xiaofeng or his own silly son to be spies—they just weren’t cut out for it!

The old swindler’s spirits soared, and he quickly changed his tune, “That’s right, it’s better for Brother Zhang to stay with Ah Yang. They’re around the same age, so it’ll be more convenient!”

Too excited, the old man even forgot to put on his usual act. Zeng Jingxuan didn’t expose him and went along with it, “That’s fine. Xiuqi has never had this kind of experience before. It’ll be good for him.”

He didn’t mention Zhang Xiuqi’s soul loss incident, and Wei Yang quietly noted this. It seemed that if the so-called “soul formation” returned to normal, it might be possible for this ice block to pass as a regular person. However, he still wondered what kind of impact the so-called “Heavenly Soul” would have on a person. While Wei Yang was pondering how to interact with Zhang Xiuqi, Zeng Jingxuan wrapped up the conversation, no longer indulging the old swindler. He walked over to Zhang Xiuqi, leaned down, and whispered something in his ear. Then he looked up at Wei Yang with a smile, “Xiao Wei, I’ll leave Xiuqi in your care for this period.”

Wei Yang stood up and nodded with a smile, “Don’t worry, Master Zeng. I’ll take good care of Brother Qi.”

With just these simple words, without even setting any conditions, Wei Yang agreed so readily. A hint of a smile appeared at the corner of Zeng Jingxuan’s lips, and he nodded at Wei Yang gratefully. He gently patted Zhang Xiuqi’s arm, said nothing more, and quickly walked out, soon disappearing down the corridor.

Zhang Xiuqi watched the retreating figure, his brow furrowing slightly in confusion. His eyebrows were well-shaped, straight and sharp, adding a touch of determination and sharpness to his coldly handsome face. But now, with a slight frown, he looked oddly childlike. His body shifted slightly, as if he wanted to follow his uncle, but before he could take a step, his gaze returned to Wei Yang, as if unsure of what to do. In the end, he didn’t take that step and remained standing straight by Wei Yang’s side.

Though the ice-cold expression on his face didn’t change, Wei Yang keenly noticed the subtle movement. He smiled at Zhang Xiuqi, “Brother Qi, how about we go grab some lunch…”

Sun Chengfeng chimed in from the side, “Why bother with that? Ah Yang, you just got into a car accident. Stop running around and rest. I’ve already called Xiaofeng and asked her to bring some porridge and side dishes from the restaurant. The hospital food is terrible… Oh, by the way, Ah Qi, what do you like to eat? I’ll have her order something special for you.”

Of course, Zhang Xiuqi didn’t respond, but the old swindler wasn’t discouraged and continued to chatter away. Wei Yang watched the two of them, one talking to a wall, and couldn’t help but smile. He leaned back and lay down on the hospital bed.

Despite having been in a not-so-minor car accident, Wei Yang only stayed in the hospital for two days. It wasn’t because he was in a hurry, but because the old swindler finally couldn’t hold back and told him to leave.

“Hehe, if you’re fine, you should get back to work. It’s not right to have Ah Qi staying here all day…” The old swindler’s smile was a bit forced as he discreetly signaled to Wei Yang. He really couldn’t stand having a refrigerator in the ward all day.

Over the past two days, he had finally realized that this Brother Zhang was a very strange fellow. He always had a stern face, barely acknowledged anyone, and his coldness was off the charts. He stayed by Wei Yang’s side without leaving for a moment. Going out to eat or take a walk together was one thing, but at night, he even set up a bed to stay in the ward, refusing to leave no matter how much they tried to persuade him. If it had been a sweet, smiling girl, it might have been bearable, but being constantly watched by such a serious young man was just too much. Finally, the old swindler resorted to a desperate measure—directly kicking Wei Yang out.

“Well, I’m pretty much recovered, Uncle Sun. You stay in the hospital and rest up. We’ll take care of the shop,” Wei Yang didn’t object. He wasn’t one to stay idle for long. If it weren’t for the need to be observed after being unconscious for so long, he would have escaped home long ago.

Just go already! The old swindler roared in his heart, but his expression remained unchanged. He said with a straight face, “I’ll have Ah Hua come by the hospital later. That brat, I’m injured like this, and he’s still ignoring me. He’s not even as good as a stranger.”

Without missing a beat, he gave a subtle compliment—though, as usual, it got no response—and the old swindler waved at Wei Yang with a smile, “Ah Yang, I need to talk to you…”

Wei Yang leaned in, and Sun Chengfeng whispered through gritted teeth, “Is this kid doing it on purpose? Is he practicing some kind of vow of silence? He doesn’t even respond when I talk to him…”

“The vow of silence is a Buddhist thing,” Wei Yang replied in a low voice, still smiling. “Maybe he’s just naturally like this. He’s a Celestial Master, after all. He has to keep up some mystery. Don’t worry, Uncle Sun. I’ll get something useful out of him.”

“Good, you understand. And don’t forget to make up an identity when you go on missions…” Feeling a bit better, the old swindler hurriedly reminded him of the important matters.

Wei Yang chuckled lightly, “We’re both your disciples. Don’t worry.”

After the two swindlers, old and young, quietly finished their exchange, Sun Chengfeng patted Wei Yang’s shoulder and laughed, “Alright, go home and rest up. Call me if anything comes up!”

“Don’t worry, Uncle Sun,” Wei Yang straightened up and walked back to Zhang Xiuqi. He smiled at him, “Brother Qi, let’s go.”

Zhang Xiuqi didn’t nod or respond, but he quietly followed Wei Yang as they walked out of the white hospital room and headed outside together.