Chapter 24: Never Give Up

The cool night breeze blew against his face, making him feel exceptionally clear-headed. Withered yellow leaves from the roadside trees drifted down in the wind, imbuing the scene with a sense of bleakness and desolation.

In stark contrast to the weather, Chen Xian’s heart was ablaze with fire.

“You and your family must have a hard life, don’t you?”

“My sister’s Lamborghini alone costs more each month than you could earn in a whole year working part-time…”

“How do you compare yourself to those rich young men?”

“My sister is destined to marry into one of the nine great noble families of Dragon City. You’d best give up hope, or you’ll only invite more sorrow.”

Zhang Ziqiang’s aggressive words echoed in Chen Xian’s mind, his fists clenching unconsciously. The other man was slapping him in the face, telling him to give up on Zhang Xin and stay away from her.

“Zhang Ziqiang! As long as Zhang Xin chooses me, I will never give up on her!”

“One day, I will become someone you can only look up to, and you’ll have to lower your proud head before me!”

Chen Xian believed that with his mysterious miraculous tree, the Supreme Chaos Manual, the Divine Mind Manipulation Technique, and other extraordinary treasures, reaching the peak was only a matter of time.

In this world, only the strong truly belonged. Before absolute power, even nuclear weapons paled in comparison.

Once he mastered the Supreme Chaos Manual to its highest level, he would reign supreme, conquer countless worlds, and could destroy planets with a single hand. Such power was beyond human or technological resistance.

As for wealth, that would come easily. He could amass fortunes rivaling nations with little effort.

Sitting in the Ferrari, Zhang Ziqiang watched Chen Xian’s fading figure and thought to himself, “Kid, I’ve said all this hoping you’ll realize your place and back off. Don’t bother Zhang Xin anymore. Otherwise, don’t blame me for being ruthless…”

Only after Chen Xian disappeared from sight did Zhang Ziqiang turn the car around. With a step on the accelerator, the Ferrari’s engine roared like a wild beast as he sped away.

He had no idea that, provoked by him, a slumbering dragon in the depths was about to awaken!

…

Chen Xian made his way to the flower and bird market to retrieve his electric scooter and rode back to school. It was already 10:00 p.m.

“Xian, you weren’t at school all day and skipped class. Where did you go?”

“Xian, you traitor—did you go on a date with Zhang Xin, the campus beauty?”

His three roommates bombarded him with questions.

They knew Chen Xian hadn’t taken a single day off in the past two years of university, so their curiosity was intense.

Chen Xian gave a few perfunctory replies and climbed into bed.

Seeing he didn’t want to talk and seemed to be in a low mood, his roommates stopped asking and returned to their games.

Lying in bed, Chen Xian fetched his charger and plugged in his phone, which had run out of battery and shut off earlier that morning.

Soon, the phone rebooted.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

A series of notification sounds chimed. Chen Xian saw a pile of missed calls and unread messages, all from numbers in the capital city of H Province.

“Mr. Chen, please call me when you see this. My Tang Dynasty Phoenix Feather Orchid seems to have an issue…”

“Mr. Chen, are you there? My arowana hasn’t eaten…”

“Mr. Chen…”

Chen Xian immediately understood these calls and messages were from the flower and bird enthusiasts he’d met at Youlan Hall.

He pondered quickly. These people were his source of wealth. If he healed their precious plants, insects, and fish, a great deal of money would follow.

But making house calls was inconvenient and risked revealing his secrets. Having them bring their plants or pets to his dorm or home was out of the question.

It seemed he could no longer stay in the school dormitory.

He needed to find a large house to move into, preferably renting a detached townhouse. This would benefit both his cultivation and the lucrative work of treating the prized possessions of wealthy clients.

He’d look for a place through a real estate agency tomorrow. Besides, he’d check out any suitable apartments to buy for his parents and sister.

Currently, he had 5.6 million yuan on hand. On his way to Zhang Xin’s house, the Rolls-Royce had dropped him at a nearby bank, where he’d cashed the checks and deposited the money into his account.

Having made up his mind to move, Chen Xian relaxed. It was already 12:20 a.m. His roommates were asleep.

From Sunday to Thursday each week, the dorm’s electricity was cut off at 11:00 p.m. sharp, to prevent students from gaming all night and being too tired for class.

Chen Xian immediately sat cross-legged and began practicing the basic level of the Supreme Chaos Manual.

The next morning, Chen Xian woke to find the spiritual energy within him had grown. After a quick wash and breakfast, he called and messaged the bosses who had contacted him, explaining he was still busy but would let them know when to bring their plants or pets for treatment.

It had been too late last night to reply.

Having handled these matters, Chen Xian headed out to a real estate agency near the school to look for a house.

The H Province Alliance Realty Agency was among the top ten agencies in the province, and there was a branch near University Town.

The storefront was lavishly decorated. On the wide glass doors hung listings for houses for rent and sale.

Chen Xian stood in front, scanning the listings.

It was only 7:40 a.m., still twenty minutes before opening. The realtors inside were just arriving, some eating breakfast, some doing their makeup. Only a young woman was quietly wiping tables and cleaning.

“Excuse me, is house 101 in Jinxiu Community still available?” Chen Xian asked after quickly scanning the listings.

No one responded immediately.

The realtors glanced up, saw a plainly dressed student, and given that it wasn’t yet opening time, ignored him. No one wanted to waste time on him, so they carried on with breakfast and makeup.

To these seasoned agents, someone like him was unlikely to be a customer, not even a potential one. They wouldn’t waste a second.

Chen Xian sensed their disdain and frowned slightly. Another group of snobs who judge by appearances alone.

He was dissatisfied with the service and considered going to another agency, though it would be a bit farther away.

At that moment, the young woman cleaning up noticed none of the senior staff was attending to the youth at the door. She set aside her cloth, wiped her hands, and walked over.

Her name was Rao Xiaojing, and she’d been at Alliance Realty for nearly a month without renting or selling a single property. If she failed to rent out even one house in the last five days of her probation, she would be dismissed for not meeting the agency’s requirements.

The best clients were all monopolized by the senior staff, leaving her with nothing but “scraps.” She didn’t dare compete with them, and her introverted nature and inexperience in the business made things harder.

But Rao Xiaojing wasn’t about to let any chance slip by—she desperately needed this job.

With a shy smile, she greeted Chen Xian, “Hello, sir. Welcome to H Province Alliance Realty! That townhouse was just listed yesterday and hasn’t been rented yet.”

Chen Xian noticed the “Intern Realtor” badge on her chest and the bashful smile on her pale face.

“Could you show me the house?” Chen Xian asked, deciding not to try another agency now that someone was willing to help.

Rao Xiaojing nodded. “Of course, sir, please wait a moment. I’ll fetch the keys.”

She hurried inside, grabbed the keys, and led Chen Xian toward house 101 in Jinxiu Community.

Inside the office, the senior agents scoffed at Rao Xiaojing. Seeing her take a shabby-looking youth to view a house, they sneered.

“She’s a fool—this kind of person would never rent a house. Taking him to see it is a waste of time and company resources.”

“No wonder she hasn’t rented a single place in a month. Serves her right.”

Their mockery continued.