Volume 4: Hidden Struggles, Chapter 225: Street Performances

“Good boy, you’re really quick! This old body of mine has turned into a shield for you!” The Mad Scholar was forced by Chu Tianyu to walk toward the study, muttering angrily under his breath.
“Hehe, Master, it might be my fault. You heard what she said—she said we can talk about my matters later. What that means, of course, is she’s eager to talk to you! Who could blame her? With your endless charm, so many old ladies want to board your ship… oh, no, I mean your ship of charm! Alas, being handsome, especially for an old man like you, is practically a crime! Just give up, Master!” Chu Tianyu teased him lightly in his ear.
“What nonsense are you talking about?” the Mad Scholar snapped.
“It’s not nonsense. In short, she likes you. And from what I heard, Nianran’s aunt hasn’t married yet—she’s still single, waiting for the scholar of her dreams… How romantic! You’re also single, right? If you act now, your disciple’s happiness depends on you, hehe…” By the end, Chu Tianyu’s true intentions became obvious.
The Mad Scholar spat in disgust, “Go away, you brat!”
Chattering, the two followed Ouyang Ziyi and Nianran’s aunt to the study. Just before entering, Chu Tianyu teased again, “Master, go for it! Have a good ‘talk’!”
…
Back in the living room, Chu Tianyu and Ouyang Ziyi sat down and exchanged glances with the others. They had intended to discuss the future of the two elders in detail, but with Tai Nianran present, the atmosphere remained tense.
Especially when Chu Tianyu saw Tai Nianran sitting there with a cold expression, her calm demeanor hiding unknown thoughts. In such a delicate situation, silence was the best choice. But then, a loud voice came from upstairs: “Damn it, where are those thieves? How dare they threaten this young master! They don’t want to survive!”
“Bai Lei, stop making noise. Huh, why are we back at Chu Tianyu’s house?”
As they spoke, two people came down from the upstairs guest room—Bai Lei and the tall guy who had fainted last night.

Seeing that the two were still mentally stuck in the moment they encountered the enemies the previous night, everyone smiled. Chu Tianyu quickly called them over. Ouyang Ziyi also got up to serve them the breakfast that had been prepared for them earlier.

As the two devoured their food, Chu Tianyu took the opportunity to recount what had happened the night before, slightly altering the details—omitting the deaths of the Jin brothers and the situation with those thieves. He said that after hearing some noise, they worked together to drive away the thieves. As for how the two were knocked down and then rescued, and how they slept until dawn, Chu Tianyu just mentioned it briefly, regardless of logic, as long as there was some explanation.

Jin Yujie, upon hearing this again, became emotional, her eyes reddening as she tried hard to hold back her tears, showing a face full of sorrow and anger. Meanwhile, Tai Nianran, unaware of what had happened, looked thoughtful, as if trying to figure something out.

This was a great opportunity. How could Chu Tianyu miss it? He quickly pretended to drink tea, using telepathy to briefly explain the events of the previous night to Tai Nianran. Then, he deliberately asked, “Nianran, does your company, Fudu Industry, have any business dealings with South Korea? Do you know of any major cooperation projects or developments in the business world recently?” This tactic worked perfectly. Aside from showing slight surprise at first, Tai Nianran was completely captivated by what Chu Tianyu said. In the end, Chu Tianyu successfully used a trick to prompt a response by asking a question that Tai Nianran was best at, most suited for, and most proficient in, forcing him to think further before answering.

Through this back-and-forth, communication arose. With communication, barriers between the two could be broken, and once barriers were broken, there were no limits to communication…

Chu Tianyu’s sneaky actions and hidden intentions couldn’t be hidden from Ouyang Ziyi and Xue Xiaoli. They said nothing, only smiling meaningfully at him, making the guilty Chu Tianyu blush for the first time in his life.

To be honest, since Chu Tianyu was reborn after his downfall and began to cultivate again using the spiritual energies of the world such as lunar energy and illusionary flames, reaching a higher realm, not only had his physique become stronger with more toned and explosive muscles, but his personality also changed from his usual low-key demeanor to one of calm confidence, unshaken by anything in the world, along with a natural ease and spontaneity. He no longer hesitated in dealing with things; he let things be as they were, without forcing or retreating, remaining indifferent and composed in everything.

Especially when it came to the issue of love that had always troubled him, he became more open and willing to take risks. Since he couldn’t let go of his feelings for Qin Nianran and their marriage, and since Zi Yi and the others didn’t object, why not take the initiative and strive for it?

Just like today—Qin Nianran’s great-aunt, who had waited for so many years—when the opportunity arose, she could ignore everything else and discuss it later. That was wisdom and courage, because she knew very well what was most important to her and what she wanted to pursue…

As for the outcome, why worry if one had done their best? Just like Chu Tianyu’s thoughts at that moment—towards Qin Nianran, as long as he was sincere and had made efforts, there was no need to consider whether it would succeed or fail!

So now, no matter what happened, Chu Tianyu remained calm and composed, unbothered by praise or insult. He didn’t care about rules or restrictions; he did whatever he wanted, avoided trouble when possible, and wasn’t afraid of it when it arose!

“The only major business venture is the large-scale land development project in Southeast Asia by your Chu family and South Korea’s Jinye Group, involving multiple countries and an investment of over 50 billion!” After thinking for a while, Qin Nianran spoke up directly, not even looking at Chu Tianyu, keeping her eyes fixed straight ahead as if talking to herself.

Qin Nianran’s sudden statement left everyone confused. Jin Yujie, hearing that their company was mentioned, looked at Qin Nianran in surprise. Chu Tianyu, on the other hand, felt a shock inside—he finally confirmed from Qin Nianran’s mouth that there indeed was business interaction between the Chu family and the Jin Group. He believed this information would soon be reported by Qianfeng.

Still, thinking of this, Chu Tianyu couldn’t help but ask, “Nianran, do you know who is specifically in charge of this project for the Chu family?”

Qin Nianran looked surprised and finally turned her gaze toward Chu Tianyu, her expression as if to say, “Why ask me? This is the Chu family’s business—you should know better than I do!”

Despite his surprise, Tai Nianran simply replied, “Your elder brother, Chu Tianfeng!”
Chu Tianyu was instantly shocked, both physically and mentally. The thing he had always dared not think about or face finally became unavoidable. It took some time before Chu Tianyu gradually calmed down. Since what had to happen had already happened, he could only hope that his elder brother’s dealings with South Korea were merely business-related, and he was unaware of the identities of those assassins.
However, Chu Tianyu also knew that thinking this way was somewhat self-deceiving. With his elder brother’s wisdom and steady approach to matters, it was unlikely he would be so careless—handling such a major partnership without even investigating the other party’s background!
Tai Nianran seemed to sense something as well and asked doubtfully, “What’s wrong? Is there a problem?”
Chu Tianyu didn’t answer right away. After thinking for a moment, he seemed to make a decision and said, “Nianran, I wonder if you have time. There are some things I’d like to ask you about. We can discuss the rest later, okay?” As soon as Chu Tianyu finished speaking, Ouyang Ziyi and Xue Li Xiao exchanged glances, stuck out their tongues at each other, and made faces, as if to say, “How shameless! He even came up with such an excuse to get close!”
Chu Tianyu saw their actions and felt aggrieved. Good heavens, it was really unfair! He truly needed Qin Nianran’s help this time—after all, she was an expert in business!
Having her oversee some of the business matters would also help uncover deeper insights. Most importantly, Chu Tianyu considered that this involved his elder brother. Although he had signed an order to continue monitoring his elder brother’s competition with his cousin, deep down, he didn’t want Qianfeng to get too involved in such “family affairs.” After all, it involved too much family ties and blood relations…
Until there was evidence, Chu Tianyu preferred to remain calm and objective. As for what might happen in the future, he would deal with it then. For now, he needed to think carefully, prepare thoroughly, observe patiently, and let things take their course!

At that moment, a pleasant phone ringtone suddenly came from Xue Lishi Xiao. It was Xue Qing calling, asking why she hadn’t arrived at school yet. It turned out that several participants from Korea had been with her the previous day, and the organizing committee was urging them to return quickly to attend the scheduled events. After listening to the call, Xue Shao Fei didn’t give an immediate response but looked at Chu Tianyu with a questioning gaze. Chu Tianyu nodded and said directly, “With all that’s happened, we have no choice but to cancel this exchange meeting. Let’s go back together later. After all, we represent various schools, so it’s better to explain in person! What do you think?”
Of course, no one objected to Chu Tianyu’s suggestion. Ouyang Zi Yi also agreed, saying, “Hmm, it’s good if we go together. We can leave a note for Master Kuang Ru and the others, saying we have something to attend to and will be back soon. That way, we can also give them some space…”
…
When everyone arrived at the entrance of Qing University, they saw a crowd of students gathered around, in layers, with noises of argument coming from within the crowd!
It seemed there had been some conflict. Given that such a dispute could cause such a stir right at the entrance of Qing University, it was likely some kind of romantic or love-related drama—either a triangle relationship or some modern version of obsessive love, with things like “you dumped me, so I’ll kick you”—things that had become all too common.
Since they had their own matters to attend to, although they were a bit curious, they only glanced over briefly. Even someone like Bai Lei, who loved to stay involved in others’ affairs, lost interest in going over to see what was going on.
Chu Tianyu didn’t even look closely. His mind was filled with thoughts about the Kim Group in Korea, assassins, and his elder brother. Just as everyone was about to detour, Chu Tianyu suddenly tensed up, his eyes snapping toward the noisy area, and his quick steps came to a halt instantly. Xue Fei Xiao, wearing a thick scarf that covered most of her face, also stopped, her expression one of surprise as she turned her gaze in that direction as well.
Ouyang Zi Yi, who was next to them, noticed their change and also stopped, asking puzzledly, “Tianyu, Fei Lishi, what’s wrong? Is something happening?”
Seeing Chu Tianyu and the other two stop suddenly, the rest also stopped, looking at them with confusion. After hearing Ouyang Zi Yi’s question, Chu Tianyu finally recovered from his shock. He exchanged a glance with Xue Fei Xiao and almost simultaneously blurted out, “A natural treasure!”

After saying that, the two didn’t explain further and hurriedly headed toward the crowd. The people were completely confused by their words and actions, but Ouyang Ziyi was the only one who somewhat figured it out—realizing that these “talented treasures” were, as Chu Tianyu had mentioned, his junior apprentice. They were temporarily staying at Shaolin Temple to train—could they be those people? In fact, the “talented treasures” referred to by Chu Tianyu and Xue Xiaofei were none other than these two brothers! Given their skills, even without deliberately listening to the noise over there, they could clearly distinguish them. Among the arguments coming from afar, the unique, deep voices and tones of these two brothers stood out even more. “Damn it, I’m just performing art—what does it have to do with you? Why do you have to meddle in your own boss’s business?” Tiancai’s rough voice rang out. “How dare you swear? Do you think it’s okay to occupy the road for business? What era is it now? Still performing on the street? Have you watched too many historical dramas or are you just too full? This is a learning area. Hurry up and pack up and leave…” Security Guard A said. “Damn, if your boss wasn’t so full, he wouldn’t be here. If it weren’t for you guys being so weak, I’d have already beaten you up. See if you still dare to meddle! Get out of the way—we still need to make money from our performance. Where’s the food? We need someone to buy it!” Dibao snapped irritably. “Are you still trying to push your luck? I’m warning you one last time—pack up and leave, or don’t blame us if we call 110…” Urban Management Officer B threatened. “What’s 110? Does he have a knife? Those monks said that these days, anyone with a knife can talk loudly…” Dibao said dismissively. “It has to be a kitchen knife, one that can cut meat and vegetables to make delicious food!” Tiancai quickly added. “Right, right. Only the chefs in restaurants are good—they use kitchen knives to kill chickens, ducks, and chop meat all day long. Think about it—with just a kitchen knife, how much delicious food can you make?” Dibao said greedily. “…” Just these few words of argument were enough to make Chu Tianyu and Xue Xiaofei stop in their tracks, confirming that it was indeed the two brothers Tiancai and Dibao! And these two somehow came up with some absurd ideas about kitchen knives and cutting meat—as if having a kitchen knife meant they could act arbitrarily and have the power to eat all the delicious food in the world. It was simply laughable!

Chu Tianyu took Xue Feifei with him. Without any effort, they “pushed” their way in. Those around them were puzzled—how did a space suddenly appear right in front of them, and two people appear out of nowhere? Then they watched as those two slowly “walked” in, almost as if it were a hallucination.

When Chu Tianyu and Xue Xiaofei arrived at the scene, they immediately saw the Tiancai Dibao brothers, along with several school security guards and city officials, engaged in a chaotic argument.

“Tiancai Dibao!” Chu Tianyu rushed forward at once, shouting loudly.

The Tiancai Dibao brothers were about to throw their fists when they suddenly heard this long-missed voice, which sounded like “heavenly music.” They had heard this voice calling them to drink meat soup countless times in their dreams. The two strong men were instantly stunned, their bodies trembling, their lips quivering, and their eyes reddening. As if in slow motion, they turned their heads to look at Chu Tianyu.

After a while, the brothers seemed to suddenly realize they were dreaming. Standing right in front of them, within reach, was indeed their beloved yet infuriating little junior uncle. They let out a loud cry of “Waaah~” and rushed at Chu Tianyu at the same time, spreading their arms wide and hugging him tightly, crying bitterly, unable to speak properly. Faced with their massive sizes and the intense force of their embrace, Chu Tianyu thought to himself, “Good thing I’ve trained; otherwise, I’d have been crushed by these two giants! Sigh, being an elder isn’t easy!”

The onlookers were all stunned by this scene, even the city officials and security guards were frozen, watching this unexpectedly astonishing sight.

Who would have thought that those two fierce-looking men would cry like children in front of a young man? It was completely unexpected. After all, they were such fools, tough on the outside but weak on the inside. If they had attacked earlier, they wouldn’t have hesitated due to their size, nor would they have engaged in a prolonged fight that attracted so many students.

“Um—sorry, guys. If you want to cry, go with us to the police station first. After you’re punished, you can cry however much you want! But for now, please come with us!” one of the city officials snapped.

Seeing that the situation hadn’t been resolved yet, Chu Tianyu patted the brothers and decided not to ask for details for now. It was better to deal with what was at hand first.

So he turned to the city official and said, “May I ask what the matter is?”
“Who are you?” the city official asked, sizing Chu Tianyu up. After all, in Beijing, anyone picked at random might be someone with some kind of “imperial aura,” so it was better to clarify the situation first.
“I’m their uncle. You can tell me if there’s any problem,” Chu Tianyu said calmly.
“You’re their uncle?” The city officials repeated in surprise.
“Oh, there’s nothing strange about that. Although I’m young, I’m of higher seniority!” Chu Tianyu explained calmly, without showing any change in expression.
“Yes, yes. It’s a matter between the two of us. He’s the one who can make decisions!” The two brothers also spoke through tears, relieved to have found support.
“Alright, then let me tell you. They’re operating illegally on the road, refusing to listen to warnings, and even trying to resist the law violently, drawing a large crowd and causing serious disruption. It can be said that this clearly constitutes…”
“Sorry, could you wait a moment?” Chu Tianyu interrupted before the city official could finish. Then, under the official’s puzzled gaze, he turned to Ouyang Ziyi, who was being pushed in by the tall man Bai Lei, and called out, “Ziyi, there’s a small legal issue here. I need you to handle it!”
As he spoke, he secretly exerted pressure, allowing Ouyang Ziyi and her group to enter easily.
“Great! What kind of legal issue?” Ouyang Ziyi asked, her eyes shining with excitement and eagerness to apply her knowledge. “It’s nothing serious. My two nephews accidentally performed a talent show at the school entrance, and now they’ve been told it’s illegal business, and they’re facing penalties and other consequences. You’re an expert in this area—please advise what to do…” She pointed at the city official who had just spoken.
Seeing Ouyang Ziyi’s delighted expression and hearing her words, the city official suddenly felt a chill, having a badpremonition…
And soon he confirmed that hispremonition was indeed accurate!

“Oh, officer, I am the dedicated lawyer for those two parties. If you have anything to say, please go ahead. My clients have the right to remain silent, and I am fully responsible for their case! Before that, I’d like to confirm everyone’s identities first, and then discuss my clients’ actions—whether it’s illegal street vending or unauthorized performance. According to the Urban Road Management Penalty Regulations, various provisions on business operations, and several urban management statutes…”

Ten minutes later…

Ouyang Ziyi finally asked, “Do you understand these questions?” “…”

…

After Ouyang Ziyi finished talking, Chu Tianyu and the others split up. Ouyang Ziyi, Xue Feifei, and Bai Lei went back to the organizing committee to handle the withdrawal and replacement procedures, while Chu Tianyu took the Tiancai Dibao brothers to a place on campus to ask them in detail about their situation.

Chu Tianyu immediately spoke in the tone of his uncle, asking sternly, “Tiancai Dibao, why didn’t you stay in Shaolin and learn more skills? How did you end up in Beijing? The day before yesterday, I even sent people to bring you back. Now look at you—you managed to come here on your own!”

As soon as Chu Tianyu finished speaking, the two brothers, who had just calmed down, erupted in tears again. Hugging Chu Tianyu, they cried intermittently, complaining haltingly, “Uncle, you’ve really ruined us… The vegetables and tofu are so tasteless… The monks’ knives aren’t even meant for cutting meat… Without meat, we can’t eat enough, so how can we focus on practicing martial arts… The monks keep nagging, ‘Amitabha, Amitabha, I’m hungry!’”

Though their words were messy, Chu Tianyu understood their situation and felt guilty. It was his fault for not arranging things properly. But he had to put that guilt aside for now. If these two couldn’t even endure such hardships, they didn’t deserve to be disciples of the Yunmen sect. He helped them up, straightened his expression, and adopted a serious tone, acting like their master uncle: “Did you really run away from Shaolin just because of such trivial matters? Can’t you even bear a little hardship?”

The two brothers were already guilty and had only been pretending earlier, hoping to gain their uncle’s sympathy by taking the initiative. But since their uncle wasn’t moved at all, they stopped crying and exchanged glances in silence, neither saying a word.

Seeing them like this, Chu Tianyu immediately knew there must be a problem. Looking at their tattered clothes and disheveled appearance, it was clear they had come all the way from Shaolin by performing on the streets. It had surely been quite some time since they left Shaolin. What was strange was why there had been no news from Shaolin at all.

Others might not know, but could Senior Brother Wu Jing and Junior Disciple Zhi Yu not even know his contact information? With these thoughts, Chu Tianyu’s expression darkened once again as he stared intently at the two brothers, waiting silently for them to confess.

The brothers knew this wouldn’t be easy. Di Bao nudged his brother Tian Cai, signaling, “You’re the elder brother—speak up!”

Tian Cai had intended to glare at his brother, but Di Bao had already lowered his head in embarrassment. Since he was the elder brother, he had no choice but to stammer, “Uncle, ever since you left, we’ve eaten the vegetables and tofu you said were so delicious—every meal, every day, every month. It made our eyes sparkle and our taste buds fade away!”

“Yes, yes, and those monks don’t care about our nutritional needs during our growth period. They won’t even let us eat much rice or steamed buns! Thankfully, we brothers have bodies that absorb nutrients easily, otherwise we’d definitely suffer from malnutrition and abnormal development…” Di Bao also mustered the courage to chime in after his brother started talking.

Chu Tianyu was so angry his nose almost twisted. These men in their thirties must have heard some absurd story about abnormal development somewhere and thought it fit, so they used it against them. This only made Chu Tianyu more certain that the problem lay with them. Clearly, this excuse had been prepared in advance. If they weren’t guilty or at a disadvantage, with their straightforward personalities, they would have blurted it out long ago—why would they be so subtle? So, without waiting for them to fabricate more lies, Chu Tianyu said sternly, “I’ll give you one last chance to tell the truth. There will be plenty of meat and fish tonight, or else you’ll continue performing on the streets!”

As soon as Chu Tianyu finished speaking, Tian Cai and Di Bao rushed to speak, as if injected with stimulants. But their overlapping voices were muddled, making it impossible for Chu Tianyu to understand a word.

Just as Chu Tianyu was about to stop them, a voice came from behind, “Chu Tianyu, can we talk?”