{Chapter: 152 Cui Susu is extremely disgusted!}
Ye Feng couldn't explain it clearly, but the moment he laid eyes on the elderly man practicing Tai Chi in the square of Maanshan Park, something stirred within him. It felt as though his soul was resonating—a deep, inexplicable sense that this encounter was not ordinary.
Perhaps it was because he had always believed his master to be a man of profound mystery, or maybe it was the way this old man carried himself, but Ye Feng immediately felt drawn to him. There was an aura around the elder that made Ye Feng believe he might be someone significant—someone worth knowing.
"A noble encounter," Ye Feng thought to himself. "Could this be it?"
There is a feeling of good fortune coming from his soul.
This same gut feeling had served him well in the past. He recalled that one time when he'd coincidentally rescued the head of the Chen Family—an act that had earned him a powerful connection. Today, that very same sense of fate tickled at his nerves, and he followed the thread of instinct.
Without hesitation, he walked directly over to the old man, who continued to move through his Tai Chi routine with calm, fluid precision.
Ye Feng offered a friendly smile and said, "Old man, your Tai Chi technique is very impressive. My name is Ye Feng—you can call me Xiao Ye if you prefer. May I ask your name?"
The old man, appearing composed and unfazed, paused his movements and responded in a flat but dignified tone. "This old man's surname is Ning. Why do you ask? Do you also practice Tai Chi?"
Ye Feng's sharp eyes noticed something peculiar—a piece of jade, subtly glinting at the old man's waist. Though his attire was plain, that jade looked rare and expensive. This, Ye Feng concluded, was likely a low-key master, someone noble hiding in plain sight.
He quickly smiled again and said with modesty, "Yes, I've studied a little. Would you mind if I demonstrate?"
Without waiting for a reply, Ye Feng stepped back and launched into a graceful display of Tai Chi, performing a full sequence with practiced ease and stylish flair.
---
Meanwhile, inside the Pearl Teahouse, Lin Yuan sat by the window sipping his tea when he caught sight of the commotion outside.
He raised his eyebrows slightly and chuckled inwardly.
Through the glass, he could see Ye Feng performing Tai Chi in the square—and surprisingly, he had to admit, the technique wasn't bad. While it lacked some of the deeper essence and force of true martial mastery, it was visually smooth and accurate, even comparable to advanced practice.
Noticing Lin Yuan's gaze had drifted outside, both Cui Yunrong and Cui Susu turned to look as well.
Cui Yunrong's eyes narrowed in curiosity as he observed Ye Feng, his interest piqued by the young man's form and presence.
On the other hand, Cui Susu gave the scene a single glance before quickly turning back to Lin Yuan, continuing to smile as she watched him instead—clearly, her attention was already captured by someone else.
---
Out in the square, Elder Ning had also been watching Ye Feng's movements closely.
After Ye Feng concluded his demonstration, the old man gave a small nod of approval. "Hmm… not bad," he said. "Your movements are quite standard. But you young ones like to make it look too fancy. Back in our day, every strike could break bones or take lives. That's the true essence of martial arts—not just flowing gestures."
Ye Feng's smile faltered slightly at the comment.
As a decorated soldier king with combat experience, he took pride in his strength and skill. Being told his Tai Chi looked flashy but lacked power irritated him more than he expected. In his eyes, the old man's movements were more like the routines elderly folks used for morning exercise. Yet here he was, being criticized.
Suppressing his annoyance, he replied, "Old Ning, I think you might have misunderstood. My—"
Before he could finish, Elder Ning interrupted him with a casual tone. ""How about we compare notes?"
Ye Feng was caught off guard. He hesitated briefly, then nodded. "Sure… okay."
Old Ning took a step back, then hooked his palm toward Ye Feng, inviting him forward. "Come now. This old man will let you take the first move."
Ye Feng's expression changed subtly.
'This old man must be someone important—but he's clearly a bit eccentric,' Ye Feng thought. Still, he wasn't about to lose face. He decided to play it smart: he would launch a soft but impressive move, something to scare the old man a little, then back off and play it humble.
He couldn't actually injure the man—after all, he still wanted to "hug this thigh," as the saying went.
Standing firm, Ye Feng raised a fist and said, "Old Ning, be careful. I'm coming."
Elder Ning smirked slightly. "Come on then. This old man has roamed the martial world with iron fists for decades. There's no one in the country who can touch me. Today, I'll go easy on you—just using ten percent of my strength."
He didn't even bother raising his hands. With both arms tucked behind his back, he stood confidently, radiating arrogance.
Ye Feng was speechless. Was this for real?
Nonetheless, he lunged forward, delivering what appeared to be a lightning-fast punch aimed at the old man's chest—but in truth, the strike carried barely any force. Even a child could've withstood it. It was more of a feint to test the waters.
But just as his fist neared Elder Ning's chest…
Something completely unexpected happened.
With a loud thump, Old Ning collapsed to the ground dramatically—before the punch even touched him.
"Ahhhh!" the old man let out a high-pitched wail, sounding like a pig being slaughtered.
Ye Feng froze, eyes wide.
'What the hell just happened?!' he thought. 'Did I even touch him? That was just a bluff!'
Before he could react, chaos erupted in the park.
"Look! That young man tried to hit the elderly gentleman!"
"He knocked down an old man in broad daylight! How shameless!"
"What kind of person would assault an elder?! He should be ashamed!"
"Look! Someone wants to hit the old man and kill him. He is bullying the old man in public!"
"Shameless! Hitting an old man at a young age!"
Crowds began to gather, pointing fingers and shouting accusations. Some people even started pulling out their phones to record the incident.
Ye Feng stood in stunned silence, completely blindsided by the scene.
'Wait… am I getting framed here?!'
He didn't know it yet, but the trap had already been set—and he had stepped into it perfectly.
There were only the two of them at first, just Ye Feng and the elderly man lying on the ground. But as soon as Old Ning began screaming in agony—loud, exaggerated, and pitiful cries—a few people began to gather as if waiting for this very moment. As they accused him more and more onlookers came and started shouting, and soon the air was filled with accusations.
"How could you hit an elderly man like that?"
"Shameless! Look at what you've done to him!"
Voices piled on one after another, fueling the chaos and pinning the blame on Ye Feng. The atmosphere became increasingly hostile.
At that moment, a realization struck Ye Feng like a bolt of lightning.
This old man… is a scammer!
Damn it!
The man he had initially thought to be a humble, perhaps even dignified elder, was nothing more than a street con artist!
And to make matters worse, the police station was just a few blocks away from this Park.
If it weren't for the risk of getting arrested, Ye Feng would have already delivered a swift kick to the fraudster's side.
But the timing was bad. The police could be alerted at any moment.
"Give him the money! You're not leaving without compensating the poor old man! How dare you try to run off after hitting a senior citizen!" a shrill voice shouted from the crowd.
Several other elderly folks stepped forward and surrounded Ye Feng, blocking any path of escape. Their movements were deliberate, as if they'd rehearsed this many times.
Old Ning, seizing the opportunity, dramatically rolled on the ground and threw himself at Ye Feng's feet.
"You think you can walk away after beating me up?" he wailed. "Either you give me ten thousand yuan right now, or I'm calling the police! We can settle this at the station if you prefer!"
Ye Feng watched the performance unfold with clenched teeth.
Old Ning's acting was laughably bad. His movements were too agile for someone supposedly injured. He didn't even limp convincingly.
But this wasn't about the truth anymore.
The Qingshan Gang, the group Ye Feng had once worked with, was currently under heavy investigation. In the past, Ye Feng had carried out a number of shady jobs. His fingerprints were likely already in the system.
If he were dragged into the police station, it could ruin the fresh start he had been working toward. The price of a single mistake could be his freedom—or worse, his future.
Looking around at the group now closing in on him, Ye Feng felt suffocated. He suspected all of them were part of the same scam ring. This wasn't a random incident. It was an ambush.
Left with no choice, and fuming inside, Ye Feng took a deep breath and reached for his wallet.
"I only have two thousand on me. That's it. I don't have ten thousand!" he snarled, throwing the bills down at Old Ning's feet. "Take it and get lost!"
But Old Ning didn't even blink. With a groan, he rolled on the ground again like a theater actor in his final act. Then, with an absurd level of calm, he pulled out his smartphone and held up a QR code for scanning.
Below the digital square were the words: Welcome to Transfer.
The crowd, as if on cue, began to chant, "Give money! Give money! Give money!"
Ye Feng's fists were trembling. His jaw locked. Every muscle in his body screamed for him to fight back.
But instead, he gritted his teeth, took out his phone, and initiated a WeChat transfer.
As the transaction completed, he glared at Old Ning with eyes filled with venom.
"Don't let me see you again," Ye Feng hissed. "If I do, I swear on my life—I'll kill you."
The sound of distant sirens grew louder, and the moment the first hint of flashing lights appeared, the group of elderly scammers scattered like roaches.
Ye Feng turned and left quickly, his shoulders still tight with rage.
Old Ning, as soon as the coast was clear, picked himself up as if nothing had happened, patted the dust off his pants, and calmly walked away in the opposite direction.
---
Meanwhile, in a quiet, elegant teahouse overlooking the park, Lin Yuan sat at a window table on the second floor. He calmly sipped his tea, the rising steam reflecting in his serene eyes.
His phone buzzed gently.
[OK], the message read.
Lin Yuan smiled faintly.
Everything had gone exactly as planned.
He had arranged for Old Ning to perform this scene daily, just in case Ye Feng passed by. Whether the protagonist showed up today or not, Old Ning would still come to play his part.
But the fact that Ye Feng happened to walk into the trap today? That was a stroke of luck.
Lin Yuan turned slightly to glance at the two people sitting with him—Cui Yunrong and Cui Susu. Together, they had watched the entire scene unfold from the teahouse window, enjoying tea and refreshments as if they were watching a street performance.
"That young man… he has some skill in Tai Chi," Lin Yuan commented casually, placing his cup down.
Cui Yunrong snorted in disapproval. "His Tai Chi might be decent, but his temperament is severely lacking. At first, I thought we'd found a pair of promising youths today. But that man… he's not even close to your level, Little Friend Lin."
"Exactly! He gave off a bad vibe from the very beginning," Cui Susu added, slicing a piece of cake and placing it gently on Lin Yuan's plate. "How could someone like him even be compared to Brother Lin Yuan?"
[Ding! Cui Yunrong has a serious dislike for the protagonist Ye Feng! Plot reversal successful! Reward: +1000 counterattack points!]
[Ding! Cui Susu is extremely disgusted with the protagonist Ye Feng! Plot reversal successful! Reward: +1000 counterattack points!]
The twin notifications rang out in Lin Yuan's mind like bells of victory.
He smiled inwardly and murmured, "Much appreciated."
The interception was a success.
After some pleasant conversation where they exchanged stories and backgrounds, Lin Yuan felt the bond between himself and Cui Yunrong grow noticeably stronger.
At some point, the atmosphere around the table had shifted—subtle, but clear. Cui Yunrong now regarded Lin Yuan not merely as a promising junior, but as a valued friend.
Seeing that the time was right, Lin Yuan decided to steer the conversation toward the true reason he had arranged this meeting.
It was time to talk about the Ink Plum Blossom—the rare and elegant painting he intended to purchase as a gift.
Everything was falling into place.