Chapter 70: [Old Guy?]

In the morning, after Chen Yan woke up and finished washing up, he went downstairs and saw that Gu Xiaoniang had somehow moved her chair out into the courtyard again.

The cold morning wind stung her face, yet she sat curled in the chair with eyes half-closed, clearly enjoying it.

“Hmph, may you freeze to death, you violent woman!”

Chen Yan felt a filial thought surge in his heart.

Last night… the two of them had a tiny disagreement.

The disagreement started when Chen Yan received a call from the custom wedding dress shop.

They said the tailor they’d arranged with couldn’t make it due to an emergency, and if convenient, the customer should send over their three measurements…

Chen Yan didn’t think much of it—he just asked Gu Xiaoniang outright.

The result? His stepmother grabbed a stick and chased him around the courtyard for twenty minutes.

“I’m still too young! After all, I’m not a real LSP—no matter how much theoretical knowledge I have, I’m still just a pure, foolish, unspoiled man.”

“If I were a real LSP, I’d never ask such a stupid question.”

Chen Yan glanced through the window at his twenty-one-year-old stepmother, shook his head, and walked out.

Under the bonus from the external aid, the Qi Circulation Method had a seven- to eightfold cultivation boost.

But the side effect was… daily over-saturation from Qi nourishment had made Chen Yan’s physical condition… too good.

Every morning he woke up, brimming with energy, feeling endless strength coursing through his body.

The manual mentioned that during Qi cultivation, this phenomenon of the body’s vessel becoming overloaded could occur, and at such times, the cultivator needed to prepare herbal decoctions to balance the body.

The manual didn’t record any decoction recipes, and Chen Yan wasn’t a seasoned Chinese medicine practitioner.

It did suggest increasing physical training to burn off excess energy and Qi through bodily exertion.

When Chen Yan read this passage, his mind had one thought:

Is this “overload” the manual mentions… legitimate?

Fortunately, this villa district was built against a mountain.

Behind the community, a path led straight to the back mountain, and a winding road climbed all the way to the summit.

Chen Yan left the community, stretched his body, and started running.

The one-way distance from the foot of the mountain to the summit was roughly ten kilometers; with the incline’s added resistance, running it should burn off considerable energy.

Chen Yan ran nonstop for an hour—up the mountain, down, then up again.

After two round trips, he’d only broken a light sweat.

His whole body burned hot, yet the bloated, overfilled sensation from his excessive blood and Qi finally eased.

After finishing, he returned to the villa district and wandered aimlessly.

In the center of the community was a leisure area, where the property management had installed some basic outdoor fitness equipment.

On regular days, some elderly residents would stroll here.

There was no square dancing, but some did walk their birds (legitimately), or practiced sword forms (also legitimately).

This place had become something of a social hub for the retired elders in the community.

When Chen Yan arrived, it was already past eight—by this hour, the usual elderly crowd had long dispersed.

At this moment, the central plaza was empty. Chen Yan randomly picked a chair and sat down.

He picked up his phone and leaned back, scrolling.

He skillfully opened the app and switched to his alternate account.

Men, when their blood and Qi are strong—who the hell doesn’t want to peek at a little edge?

What’s wrong with that?

As for why he wasn’t home on such a cold day, why he sat in the community to watch…

Would you watch edge content in front of your mom?

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He swiped his finger—ah, this bear guy. Swipe again—oh, a waist god.

Swipe again—this one’s even bigger! But looks padded…

Hmph, legs stretched way too long…

Just as he was watching, a frail voice behind him spoke slowly:

“Swipe back, swipe back—the last one was bigger!”

·

Huh?

Chen Yan startled violently, turned his head, and saw an old man with white hair, his head nearly resting on Chen Yan’s shoulder, eyes half-lidded, staring fixedly at his phone screen.

Chen Yan was shocked!

He’d cultivated quite a bit—he was now sharp-eared and keen-eyed; ordinary people couldn’t approach within ten steps without him sensing them.

Yet this old man’s head was nearly on his shoulder, and Chen Yan hadn’t noticed a thing?

Instinctively, he used the Qi-Seeing Technique…

One glance—the old man’s life force was utterly ordinary, even tinged with a hint of bad romantic luck?

No Qi fluctuation whatsoever.

His fate clearly showed decay, fitting the signs of old age and frailty.

Just an ordinary person.

Chen Yan calmed down—he must’ve been too absorbed in scrolling.

“Old man, you scared me half to death,” Chen Yan smiled warmly at the white-haired elder.

The man’s skin was loose, deeply wrinkled, his hair streaked with gray.

But his facial structure suggested he’d been handsome in his youth.

He wore a common elderly fitness outfit—cheap imitation martial arts gear—and around his neck hung a jade tablet; at a glance, it looked like high-quality lamb-fat jade.

Not surprising—this was a villa district, home to the wealthy and powerful; rich people wearing valuable items was normal.

The old man coughed, embarrassed, and stepped back two paces.

Only then did Chen Yan notice he was holding a birdcage, inside which perched a mynah bird.

The old man studied Chen Yan with half-lidded eyes, unable to read his expression, then shook his head: “Young man, you’re overreacting. What’s scary about an old man?”

He glanced at Chen Yan’s phone: “What were you just watching?”

“Dance art!” Chen Yan answered confidently.

“Excellent. I’ve studied dance art extensively. Shall we exchange insights?”

“...” Chen Yan hesitated and tentatively asked, “Where’s your spouse?”

“No spouse,” the old man thought, then added: “Single.”

So—he’s the elderly version of a celibate?

Good. I was worried you’d get too excited—or too upset—if you saw too much.

Chen Yan wasn’t stingy—he reopened his phone. The old man casually hung his birdcage on a nearby fitness rack and sat down beside Chen Yan without hesitation.

Soon, Chen Yan realized this old man wasn’t a good person!

He didn’t just watch—he pulled out his own phone and followed every single one of Chen Yan’s dozen or so edge-content IDs.

Come on, fellow traveler, share your own list too!

“I don’t follow anyone,” the old man said, clearly sensing Chen Yan’s intent. He opened his follow list—sure enough, empty.

“Not many people don’t use Douyin these days, old man?”

“I just got back from overseas,” the old man replied.

“Even overseas has TikTok girls,” Chen Yan glanced at the old man.

“Not interested in foreign girls.”

So… he’s still old-school about this?

Chen Yan rolled his eyes.

The old man looked at Chen Yan and smiled: “Kid, I won’t let you watch for free.”

“Huh?”

“Your complexion is flushed, your blood and Qi are overflowing—rare to see a young man so robust.

As the saying goes: when the moon is full, it wanes; when water overflows, it spills. Your excessive blood and Qi won’t benefit you in the long run.

Come see me later—I’ll give you a prescription. Get the herbs, drink them for a while, and your yin and yang will harmonize, your blood and Qi will balance.”

Chen Yan asked curiously: “Old man, are you a doctor?”

“Sort of. I haven’t practiced medicine in many years,” the old man waved his hand.

Chen Yan took notice.

This old man… might actually know something.

He knew his own condition best—he truly did have excessive blood and Qi, as the old man said, the result of over-nourishment from Qi.

He didn’t know how to prepare herbal remedies, so he could only use the crudest method: exhausting himself with physical training.

Yet this old man saw his problem at a glance… maybe he really had some skill?

Just as he was thinking this, a voice came from afar:

“Grandpa!”

He turned—across the plaza, a girl was running toward them.

Chen Yan…!!!

He followed his own principles: he looked once, then looked a second time.

Then, without hesitation, he shattered his own principles and looked a third time!

Let me put it this way—if you see a girl running with a duang-duang-duang motion, your principles will suddenly become flexible.

The girl’s appearance was average; her features were merely above average, with a slightly high nose bridge and sunken eyes, hinting at a touch of mixed heritage—though not much. What made her stand out was the tight fitness outfit she wore, which gave her a fierce look.

Chen Yan stared at the old man… this friendship across generations—I’m claiming it.

“Grandpa, we’re waiting for you to come home for breakfast. You’re running off again.” The girl ran up, exhaled sharply, and grabbed the old man’s arm: “The doctor said you can’t delay your medicine—it must be taken after meals, so you have to eat on time.”

“Pfft, what do those doctors know? I treat myself just fine. My body could still borrow five more hundred years from heaven!”

“…“ The girl glared at him.

Wait… Chen Yan was confused.

Didn’t you say you had no spouse, that you were single?

Where did this “grandpa” come from?

“Old man, is this your…?”

“My granddaughter. My own flesh and blood.” The old man glared at Chen Yan.

“But you said…”

“Does being unmarried mean you can’t have children?” The old man replied with perfect confidence.

Okay…

The girl gave Chen Yan a friendly but awkward smile, then urged the old man to head home.

The old man stood up; Chen Yan instinctively rose too—since the fun companion had left, there was no point staying alone.

He followed the old man for dozens of meters, when the old man turned back, frowning at Chen Yan.

“Kid, why are you following me?”

What’s that supposed to mean? I’m just going home—didn’t you just say you’d write me a prescription and tell me to find you? You won’t even tell me where you live—are you just stringing me along?

Chen Yan looked at the old man calmly: “Is it possible my home is in the same direction?”

“Makes sense.” The old man actually nodded seriously: “Go home. Don’t follow me… and don’t even think about my granddaughter.”

Hmm… he must’ve noticed how I looked at his granddaughter… Chen Yan sighed and pointed to a gate not far down the road: “That’s my house.”

The old man raised an eyebrow but said nothing, then left with his granddaughter—the girl, at least, was kind; she turned back and gave Chen Yan a slightly apologetic smile.

Chen Yan stood at his gate, not going in right away. He squinted as he watched the old man and his granddaughter walk into the gate next door.

So… they were the new neighbors who moved in yesterday… Chen Yan nodded and turned to enter his own gate.

·

After returning home, Chen Yan said nothing to Gu Xiaoniang.

Whether it was meeting the old man and sitting together watching that borderline spectacle…

Or the fact that the old man had a granddaughter whose run made a duang-duang-duang sound…

Neither of these things seemed suitable topics for a son and his stepmother to discuss.

But at noon, the girl from next door actually came to his door.

She brought a handwritten prescription—clearly written with a brush, the characters neat and elegant, with a distinctive, refined stroke.

The girl handed the prescription to Chen Yan at the gate, slightly apologetic: “I won’t come in and disturb you. My grandfather… well, he’s a bit eccentric. Please don’t take it personally.”

Chen Yan looked up and saw the old man standing at the second-floor window of the neighboring villa, watching him intently.

“Alright, thank your old… sir for me.”

·

The old man stood by the window, watching his granddaughter walk back, then sighed in satisfaction.

But he squinted again, studying Chen Yan’s courtyard.

“A Spirit Gathering Array… well-crafted, though the materials are shoddy.

That turtle I left in the back mountain must’ve wandered into his yard. Too bad—I let that old turtle go back then, and now, judging by the time, it’s just reached its demonic core. Whatever. If it chose his home, it belongs to him.”

The old man shook his head.

Back in his study, he carefully closed the door.

In the study stood a round blessing basin, filled with water—originally meant for a water lily, perhaps. Now, in winter, the water was clear and clean.

The old man sat at his desk, flicked his finger, and a brush on the table flew up into the basin.

Then, a scroll of white paper slowly unrolled. The brush rose from the basin, floated through the air, and hovered above the paper, slowly writing four characters.

The brush had only dipped in plain water, yet the ink on the paper glowed with a faint golden hue.

“Evil Demon Awakens?”

The old man swept his sleeve: “Always dumping nonsense on me. Think I’m just collecting offerings without doing any work?”

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