Volume 4: Hidden Struggles, Chapter 77: Clashing Perspectives

“Let me put it this way—Tianyu isn’t an ordinary person. His extraordinariness doesn’t just lie in his family background; I can’t explain the specifics to you for now. Therefore, everything related to him, including love, cannot be measured by ordinary standards. I don’t know if you understand what I mean. In fact, even I, including these words I’m saying to you, am full of contradictions! But still, I have to say that we can both have Tianyu. Whether you can accept this idea is up to you! Well, I’ve said everything I needed to say!” After speaking, Ouyang Ziyi looked at Li Rou.
These words left Li Rou biting her lips, silent. Everything had changed too quickly, and what Ouyang Ziyi said sounded like pure fantasy to her, especially the last sentence—“we can both have him”—which completely overturned her beliefs from childhood.
Ouyang Ziyi didn’t press her but instead started fiddling with a small trinket on the table out of boredom. It took some time before Li Rou gradually calmed down. Then she suddenly asked Ouyang Ziyi, “By the way, you still haven’t told me what’s going on with Chu Tianyu’s fiancée.”
Ouyang Ziyi didn’t even lift her eyes. “If the issues we’re discussing can’t be resolved or agreed upon between us, then what’s the point of talking about his fiancée?”
Li Rou didn’t respond but persistently asked, “I want to know about her!”
Ouyang Ziyi smiled slightly and stopped arguing. She slowly explained, “Her name is Qin Nianran. She’s from Peking University’s Business School—a so-called genius…”
Then Ouyang Ziyi recounted everything about Qin Nianran, the reason for their engagement, Chu Tianyu’s childhood stories, and even the phrase that had taken root in Chu Tianyu’s heart since childhood: “I’m his wife!”
When Ouyang Ziyi finished speaking, Li Rou was shocked again by these matters like engagements and prenuptial agreements. She never imagined that the man she loved had such complicated experiences. Initially, she had fallen for him because of his simplicity and shared background.

Li Rou fell silent again. But this time, Ouyang Ziyi didn’t give her time to think and said directly, “Actually, the choice is simple. One is to forget this relationship from now on and live a stable life as an ordinary girl—having the happy, peaceful life that ordinary people deserve, free from worries, or even pursuing such a life! The second path means taking a gamble—giving up ordinariness to see whether you gain more or suffer greater losses!”
“Are you a foreigner?” Li Rou suddenly asked.
Ouyang Ziyi quickly understood what she meant and smiled. “That’s right. I have one-eighth French blood, but it’s definitely not what you think. Just because I’m foreign, I’m not necessarily open-minded or unbothered about sharing my boyfriend. After all, seven-eighths of my blood is pure Chinese. I’m just an ordinary Chinese person!”
“I’ve said it before. The reasons will become clear naturally once you make your choice!” Ouyang Ziyi added.
“Since Miss Ouyang really doesn’t want to learn sketching, I think I should go!” Pressured by Ouyang Ziyi’s relentless words, Li Rou was utterly confused and didn’t know how to choose. All she wanted now was to leave quickly, find a quiet place, and calm down.
“Hmm, go slowly. I hope we can chat happily again in the future!” Ouyang Ziyi said with a smile.
……
“Tian Zhan, how did you do this? Bringing people in secretly to help with Shaolin’s affairs is one thing, but why create such a mess? Do you know how much pressure I’m under because of this? And now it’s even tied to some so-called ‘Soul’ and some rich young man? I’m exhausted from being annoyed by their grandparents, parents, and everyone else!” At the Dragon Soul headquarters, a man in his forties with a slender face and sharp eyebrows, exuding an air of authority even without getting angry, was slapping the table in frustration.
“Director Zhan, Tian Zhan didn’t expect such consequences either. He never thought it would lead to such a big conflict. Nor did he expect that the one who tried to seize Shaolin’s sacred artifact, ‘Chi Xuan’, would claim to be a ‘Soul’. It seems this so-called ‘Soul’ is actually an organization with endless experts. If it weren’t for a mysterious figure appearing suddenly, I think Tian Zhan would have been defeated long ago!” Tian Zhan explained.

“Well, you’ve reported this to me before, and I’m aware of it. Actually, Tian Zhan, I’m not blaming you at all. But the pressure I’ve been under these past couple of days has been immense—whether it’s the Soul Matter issue or that case from a few days ago. If either of these isn’t handled properly, we’ll be in big trouble!” Director Zhan spoke in a softer tone.
“Hmm, Tian Zhan understands.”
“The pressure from above is huge right now. To handle these two cases together, I’m willing to use all the power of my Dragon Soul—I must get to the bottom of this thoroughly!” Director Zhan said sternly.
“Yes, Director!” Tian Zhan replied.
“The Sixth Department has completed several successful missions in a row, while we’re falling behind! But I know dealing with the Soul Matter issue has been tough for you, so I’ve arranged for a few disciples from the Zhan family and some from my own sect, the Tiandao Sect, to help you. Hopefully, we can uncover something soon so I can report back to higher-ups.” Director Zhan instructed.
“Understood!”
……
These past couple of days, Chu Tianyu finally returned to his usual peaceful life. Aside from the setback caused by Ouyang Ziyi telling him about Li Rou, everything else was calm.
When Ouyang Ziyi suddenly decided to confess everything to Li Rou, it really shocked Chu Tianyu. Later, after hearing her explanations like ‘it’s better to suffer briefly than endure pain for long’ and ‘taking risky actions to survive,’ Chu Tianyu thought it made sense—there really wasn’t any better solution, so he agreed.
He was especially impressed when Ouyang Ziyi assured him she was 80% confident, and even if it didn’t work, Li Rou wouldn’t get hurt. After all, it was Li Rou who held the choice in her own hands, and she would have to bear the consequences!
Regarding this, Chu Tianyu really had to admire Ouyang Ziyi’s wisdom. He was about to invite her out to thank her properly when she quickly declined, saying she needed a few days to calm down and think about how to be Chu’s wife. She also mentioned she wanted to start practicing the ‘Clear Heart Technique,’ which was said to greatly improve her appearance, and warned Chu Tianyu not to bother her!
Chu Tianyu was frustrated—he had already experienced her beauty before and wanted to experience it again, but she rejected him outright. It was embarrassing! But Chu Tianyu probably understood Ouyang Ziyi’s intentions. After all, with his body altered by the Black Dragon, he still had such side effects—no one could tolerate that!

Apart from this minor annoyance, Chu Tianyu faced another problem: he had no place to take a bath! He had originally planned to hang out at Ouyang Ziyi’s place, but was turned away. Now, the black dragon on his body resembled a tattoo, covering almost half of his chest. If he went to the school bathhouse and took off his clothes, he would instantly become the talk of the campus, the subject of ridicule, and inspire endless wild speculation!

So, if Chu Tianyu wanted to bathe these days, he had to take a car to a distant place, find a private room in a sauna, and endure the servants gossiping behind his back…

And this was still in winter, when everyone was dressed tightly. Aside from bathing, no one would notice his secret. But come summer, if he wanted to play basketball or something, it would be impossible to hide it!

“Chu Tianyu, what are you thinking? Come on, there’s an activity in the martial arts club this afternoon—don’t be late!” Bai Lei said, slapping Chu Tianyu’s shoulder.

Ever since Bai Lei and Chu Tianyu had that conversation on the balcony, Bai Lei had become even more obsessed with martial arts. He had initially joined the martial arts club reluctantly, but now he was one of the most enthusiastic members.

After getting ready, just as they were about to leave, they heard knocking at the door. At the same time, a very magnetic male voice rang out, “Excuse me, is Chu Tianyu living here?”

Chu Tianyu was greatly surprised. He had never heard this voice before, and in Beijing, the number of people he knew was limited. Bao Cai, without much thought, replied, “That’s right, he lives here!” With that, he opened the door to find three people standing there!

“You’re looking for Chu Tianyu?” Bao Cai repeated.

“Mm…”

After letting the three in, Chu Tianyu finally got a clear look at them. His body trembled instantly—the black dragon on his skin seemed to sense something, instantly spreading its dragon energy throughout his body as a sign of alertness.

Chu Tianyu was shocked. At his level of mastery over nature, he could sense an extraordinary energy fluctuation from the leader of the group. This energy was very similar to his own dragon energy, likely both belonging to the mysterious forces of the world.

Upon closer inspection, the man had a carefree demeanor, an intellectual air, hair swept to the side, sharp eyes, fair skin with a rosy tint, slender shoulders, and a well-proportioned figure. He appeared to be in his early twenties, dressed in student attire that fit his body perfectly in terms of quality, cut, and style.

The two people behind him also seemed quite impressive, dressed in student attire just like him, appearing to be notable figures. Yet they were actually ordinary people with no special skills. Moreover, all of them wore Peking University badges on their clothes, which made Chu Tianyu’s expression change as if he remembered something.

“I’m Chu Tianyu. Are you here to see me?” Chu Tianyu still greeted them politely.

“Hello, my name is Zhan Zifeng!” said the leader calmly.

Chu Tianyu wasn’t surprised at all. From the aura they exuded as soon as he entered, he had already guessed they were the Zhan Zifeng Ouyang Ziyi had mentioned to him before.

Indeed, as expected. Although Ouyang Ziyi had already spoken very highly of him, meeting him in person revealed an even higher level of skill. As peers, his abilities left Chu Tianyu in awe.

“Hello, what brings you here?” Chu Tianyu asked, feigning ignorance.

“Oh, please allow me to introduce my two classmates first. This is Gu Yu, a sophomore at Peking University Law School and the young heir of the Gu family…” As he spoke, Zhan Zifeng pointed to a gentle-looking young man wearing gold-rimmed glasses on his right. Gu Yu, who was being introduced, gave Chu Tianyu a polite nod and then gracefully extended his hand to shake it.

“My name is Li Shichu. There’s no need for Brother Zifeng to introduce me!” Li Shichu said coldly.

“Hehe, I’m not one to ask personal questions either. What brings you here? Just get to the point!” Chu Tianyu asked again.

“It’s nothing serious. We just came today to get to know Classmate Tianyu…” Zhan Zifeng hadn’t finished speaking when Li Shichu interrupted, “Brother Zifeng, stop wasting words on him. Chu Tianyu, we’re here today to see what kind of superhuman you really are—how you managed to make one of Peking University’s two beauties your fiancée and another claim to be your boyfriend. Hmph!”

Chu Tianyu vaguely remembered Ouyang Ziyi saying she had several suitors who needed him, as her boyfriend, to handle things. Well, she just dumped the problem on him and left it at that. Now Chu Tianyu understood why Ouyang Ziyi had been avoiding him these past few days—there was this reason! It seemed he would have to deal with this himself!

But then again, if not him, then who? Well, whatever needed to be resolved would have to be resolved sooner or later. So he casually said, “Classmate, I don’t know where you got such ideas. Whether you call them Peking University’s two beauties, my fiancées, or girlfriends, it seems like my own business. What does it have to do with you?”

“Kid, don’t get arrogant. We know who you are—just the third young master of the Chu Group and the grandson of Vice Chairman Han. The fact that we can speak to you like this today shows we’re not insignificant either. If you rely on that, I advise you to save your effort!” Li Shichu said angrily.

“Damn, what the hell are you? Insignificant? So how much are you per pound?” Bai Lei finally realized the other party was looking for trouble and immediately stepped in to defend Chu Tianyu. The tall guy and Bao Cai, whether they understood or not, clenched their fists loudly, ready to fight.

Zhan Zifeng and Chu Tianyu pulled the people on both sides apart at the same time. Zhan Zifeng advised, “Classmate Shichu, please restrain yourself. We’re not here to fight or act like shrews!” He even glanced at Bai Lei, as if he were the shrew.

Hearing this, Bai Lei tried to jump up again but was held back by Chu Tianyu, who gave him a subtle signal before turning to Zhan Zifeng and the others and saying sternly, “I welcome friends visiting, but please excuse me, Chu Tianyu, for being rude. Go ahead—this place isn’t for you!”

“I’m sorry. It was our friend who spoke rashly. We have no ill intentions. To be honest, we’re here to clarify a few things. Let me explain further: this Zhan Zifeng is currently Qin Nianran’s boyfriend, while Li Shichu and I are both pursuing Ouyang Ziyi. A beautiful woman deserves a good man, and we’re all competing fairly. Recently, Ouyang Ziyi suddenly said you were her boyfriend, and I heard you’re also Qin Nianran’s fiancé, with an engagement already arranged. Out of curiosity, we wanted to verify in person whether you really are Ouyang Ziyi’s boyfriend or just her excuse!” Gu Yu, with his elegant demeanor, spoke calmly and gracefully.

Indeed, his tone and delivery were highly persuasive and engaging, making one feel as if they were talking to a polite and courteous gentleman, giving a sense of warmth and comfort.

However, Chu Tianyu wasn’t fooled by this. If he continued to be polite, it would be tantamount to admitting what the other person said. So Chu Tianyu firmly replied, word by word, “That’s right. One of them is my fiancée, and the other is my girlfriend! As for Qin Nianran, we’re already engaged. As for Ouyang Ziyi, if she says ‘NO’ to you guys, it means the same thing to me too!”

For some reason, when these three stood in front of Chu Tianyu, he couldn’t control the disgust and anger in his heart. Contrary to his usual humility and restraint, he became confrontational at every turn.

As Chu Tianyu spoke, the expressions of the three people across from him clearly changed. Li Shichu immediately started shouting, “Chu, you’re really arrogant! I already consider myself a playboy, but compared to you, I’m just a child playing with fire! And you still say such things so confidently. I really admire you!”
Gu Yu, who had spoken earlier, also changed his kind expression, tightly closed his lips, and stared at Chu Tianyu without saying a word.
Zhan Zifeng, who had been holding Li Shichu’s hand, slowly turned his head toward Chu Tianyu. His eyes seemed to want to see through him as he said coldly and disdainfully, “You will pay for your words and actions today. Don’t think that your little advantages give you the right to be arrogant. Do you know? I don’t lack those things either. Moreover, I possess powers beyond your imagination. Perhaps that’s the biggest difference between us. Meeting me is bound to be your misfortune!”
After saying that, Zhan Zifeng left without lingering. Gu Yu followed closely behind with a cold expression. Li Shichu, who had wanted to vent some more, saw them both leave and realized there was no point staying. Reluctantly, he left in a huff.
Chu Tianyu stood there quietly, also sneering in his heart, “Yes, you have what I have, and you even possess powers I can’t imagine. But I can see your cultivation level and sense the energy of heaven and earth in you. It’s a pity that despite having that energy, you can’t sense the Black Dragon energy in me at all. It seems your so-called unimaginable powers are quite limited. And you still see me as just a rich kid relying on his family’s power! Hmph, with that, how arrogant can you be? You’re right—perhaps that’s the biggest difference between us. Meeting me is bound to be your misfortune!”
“Damn it, Third Brother, why don’t you teach those idiots a lesson? What the hell, they come to our North Mansion and act so arrogantly!” Bai Lei shouted toward the door while watching Chu Tianyu.
“Yeah, they act like they’re the bosses. Who cares how many fiancées or girlfriends Third Brother has! Oh, by the way, Third Brother, is it true what they said? About the third young master of the Chu family, fiancées, girlfriends? It’s confusing me!” Da Ge asked.
Bao Cai nodded too, saying he was also confused.
“We’ll talk about this later. The more I think about it, the angrier I get. If we don’t chase after them and beat them up, how can our North Mansion’s Five Heroes maintain their reputation? They even brought their trouble to the dormitory. Third Brother, say something!” Bai Lei demanded urgently.

Chu Tianyu looked at Bai Lei and the others calmly before slowly saying, “First, this is my personal matter. Especially considering their backgrounds, I don’t want to drag everyone into it. Second, fighting over this isn’t worth it. If a woman has to be fought over, then she’s not worth fighting for in the first place. And if you really want to determine a winner in such a situation, it’s not about how you fight your opponent—it’s about who ends up holding her in their arms!”
“Wow! Third brother, you’re really hidden deep—being able to say such classic words. Cool! Hehe, but it sounds exactly like my own voice, Bai Lei’s. Could it be that you’ve been influenced by him?” Bai Lei said exaggeratingly.
“Yeah, yeah! Third brother even managed to say the word ‘woman’! Oh, is this still our pure Chu Tianyu? It seems you’ve been too close to that pig, Bai Lei!” Bao Cai interjected jokingly.
“Shut up, you idiot Bao Cai! Watch my Foshan Hong Kong kick…” Bai Lei delivered a sidestep kick, his foot carrying a fierce gust straight at Bao Cai’s face…
Ignoring their bickering, Da Ge stared at Chu Tianyu in disbelief, seemingly trying to process what had just happened and Chu Tianyu’s astonishing words.
Chu Tianyu was also shocked by their remarks. He felt he was acting rather strangely today. Could it be true what the books said—that a man’s attitude toward women is the most inviolable and provocative? Just then, Chu Tianyu suddenly sensed a faint fluctuation—the Black Dragon energy had seemingly lifted its guard and returned to its normal state.
Chu Tianyu became puzzled. Could it be the Black Dragon energy causing this? Could it even affect his words and actions?
Another question arose: although Zhan Zifeng’s cultivation level was far below his own, why did the Black Dragon energy react so strongly? After all, this Black Dragon could rival the Purple Void True Dragon within him, so its strength was undoubtedly immense.
Even if it had been manipulated during the battle, its core should still remain intact, with its essence intact—its strength shouldn’t have diminished much!
Chu Tianyu couldn’t figure out these two questions for the time being. Now, he truly missed the days spent with his masters, when he could get accurate answers to any questions he had. Sigh, he was still far behind them. The path of cultivation was long, and he still needed to work hard!