Chapter 76: Unprovoked Provocation (1)

Le Kai glanced at the nervous Lanbo, his brows furrowing. “Lanbo, are you serious?”

Lanbo flared up instantly. “I, Lanbo, am the romantic sage of this age, pure in feeling and true in heart. How could I be false? Boss, you may doubt my intelligence, but never my sincerity.”

From Lanbo’s eyes, Le Kai sensed a steadfast resolve, and his heart was moved ever so slightly. “Lanbo, matters are not as simple as you think. Wu Meitian is afflicted by a deadly poison, incurable by any medicine. You and she are impossible.”

“Incurable? How can that be! Boss, you are a true alchemist; what illness could ever defeat you? You must have a way. Please, I beg you, save Sister Mei! I’ll do whatever you ask from now on.”

Le Kai gave him a sidelong glance, surprised that this youth would go to such lengths for his first love.

“There is actually a way, but it is exceedingly difficult—almost impossible to accomplish,” Le Kai said slowly.

“Boss, just tell me what it is! For Sister Mei, I, Lanbo, will give everything, brave any danger, no matter the cost.” Lanbo seemed ready to cut out his heart and show it to Le Kai.

Le Kai sighed. “Clearly, you won’t give up unless you know the truth. Very well, it’s bound to come out sooner or later. Better to let you lose hope early.”

The more Le Kai hesitated, the more frantic Lanbo became, nearly ready to kneel and beg. With no other choice, Le Kai laid out Wu Meitian’s situation in detail, hoping it would make the boy abandon his obsession and avoid sinking deeper, ultimately harming himself.

“Boss, why didn’t you say so earlier? Sister Mei is trapped in such a predicament; it’s the perfect moment for me, Lanbo, to be the hero who saves the beauty. If I rescue her, wouldn’t it be a match made in heaven? Boss, tell me, what’s the solution? Why has Sister Mei been asking you for so long, but you haven’t answered?”

Lanbo finally understood the secret Wu Meitian was so desperate to learn from Le Kai, but he wasn’t worried. If Xiao Kai truly had the remedy, Lanbo was confident he could obtain it.

Le Kai now witnessed firsthand what it meant for someone to be blinded by love, as described in books—Lanbo was now a fool with zero intelligence.

But…

Le Kai’s thoughts turned. This youth had always indulged in pleasures and neglected cultivation. Uncle Lanscar outwardly claimed he wouldn’t interfere with his son’s development, letting him grow freely, but as a warrior, his keen intuition allowed Le Kai to sense a trace of helplessness and disappointment in him.

In this age of martial obsession, who wouldn’t wish their child to be a master, achieving greatness?

“In truth, this technique is not an evil art, but a fragment of a dual cultivation method. Only when heaven and earth are in harmony, and yin and yang are cultivated together, can its power shine. Not only is it harmless, it can dramatically advance one’s cultivation—a secret art rarely passed down in antiquity.”

“In ancient times, there were even sects devoted to dual cultivation, pairing men and women from a young age, sharing every moment, breaking through together, and thus avoiding any downfall. Wu Meitian only grasped the superficial aspects and cultivated alone—it’s no wonder she’s in trouble. She needn’t be overly afraid, though; the true danger comes after the warrior stage. Upon breaking through, if she lacks a dual cultivation partner, she will surely fall into madness, plunging into an abyss from which there is no return.”

Le Kai spoke each word with deliberate care—not to frighten Lanbo, but to state the facts.

Once the warrior boundary is crossed and true qi is generated, the ancient wisdom says, ‘lone yin does not grow, lone yang does not thrive.’ Sole ‘yin’ or ‘yang’ leads to dire consequences: the true qi turns against itself, attacks the mind, and one may become a fool, or worse, a depraved demon, consumed by insatiable lust.

At worst, only base instincts remain, boundless depravity—any being of the opposite sex, human or animal, would fall prey to her.

The only cure is, of course, to find a man cultivating the same method and form a dual cultivation partnership. This not only removes the crisis but also greatly boosts the speed of cultivation.

Lanbo listened, eyes shining, overwhelmed with excitement. It seemed to him the heavens had granted him a golden opportunity—he and Sister Mei were destined for each other, and all other requirements vanished from his mind.

Le Kai suddenly rapped his unruly golden hair and scolded, “Useless!” He grinned wickedly. “Although this is the only solution, the male lead isn’t necessarily just one person!”

“Boss, what do you mean by that?” Lanbo jumped up, tense, watching Le Kai with a look so intense it made Le Kai feel a sudden urge to pee.

“Let me put it this way—to become dual cultivation partners, certain conditions must be met. First, both must be at similar cultivation levels, so yin and yang can harmonize. Second, Wu Meitian’s current state is such that, unless she deliberately suppresses it, she will break through within a year. That means her partner must reach the warrior stage within that year.”

Seeing Lanbo’s confusion, Le Kai barked, “Did you understand anything at all? If you want to save Wu Meitian and be her only man, you must become a warrior within a year.”

Lanbo jolted awake, exclaiming, “Warrior stage? That’s impossible! Even the most talented person couldn’t go from an ordinary person to a warrior in a year—not even you, boss, right?”

Le Kai nodded, admitting frankly, “That’s right—it’s nearly impossible for an ordinary person to reach the warrior stage in a year. I succeeded only after years of arduous cultivation, even taking risks. So I advise you to just live your life as a rich young master and enjoy yourself—no need to pretend to be a romantic hero.”

He finished speaking and, without another glance at Lanbo, turned and strode off to wash, leaving Lanbo standing stunned in the lonely basement, as if struck dumb by lightning.

By the time Le Kai finished washing, the Wu siblings had waited a full hour before Lanbo finally appeared, dressed in splendid attire.

The three stared at him in surprise.

When had Lanbo ever been so proper?

His neat clothing and solemn expression perfectly embodied the elegance and nobility of an aristocratic scion, bidding farewell in an instant to his former mischievous rogue persona.

“Let’s go. It’s getting late—if we don’t hurry, school will be over.” Lanbo spoke calmly, as if he were a machine, then strode toward the shuttle, leaving behind a trail of startled gazes.

The Wu siblings looked at Le Kai in bewilderment. Le Kai shrugged his shoulders, gesturing that he was equally clueless. The two didn’t truly care about Lanbo’s mood, so they didn’t probe further and followed him toward the shuttle.

“Could it be he was overstimulated and turned into an idiot? These rich kids really have poor psychological endurance—hardly fit for greatness,” Le Kai muttered, shaking his head in resignation.

“What did you say? What’s wrong with Lanbo?” the Wu siblings asked in unison, turning back.

“Nothing, nothing. Didn’t you say you weren’t concerned about Lanbo? Why so nervous, then?”