Li Feng returned to the villa in high spirits. Although the herbs in his possession were worth tens of millions, nothing compared to the thrill of securing Microsoft shares. This excitement stemmed from his identity as a martial artist.
For a martial artist, wealth was merely a means to an end. Money was useful only to acquire resources for cultivation, not for indulgence. In his previous life as a soldier, Li Feng’s iron will remained unshaken by the dazzling world of the cosmic era. In this era, hundreds of years earlier, nothing captivated him. His sole desire was to grow stronger.
Only by regaining his strength could he act freely, without hiding or keeping a low profile as he did now.
He took out a prepared clay pot to brew the herbs into a medicinal liquid. Just then, his phone rang.
“Li Quan?”
Seeing the name on the screen, Li Feng frowned, hesitated, then answered.
“Young Master Feng, I’ve arranged a meeting with Young Master Liu and the others tomorrow at Tianya Pavilion,” Li Quan’s voice came through.
“Got it.”
Li Feng gave a cold smile. They were certainly eager.
“Master Feng, shall I pick you up tomorrow?” Li Quan asked.
“No need. I’ve been to Tianya Pavilion. I know the way.” Pick him up? More like ensuring he didn’t back out.
“Alright, but Master Feng, you must bring Xiangfeng Investment’s share documents. Without them, you can’t secure the loan. Also, to surprise them, don’t tell your parents,” Li Quan urged repeatedly.
“Don’t worry. To surprise my parents, I won’t tell them,” Li Feng said, feigning excitement. He indeed planned to give his parents a surprise, one both shocking and delightful.
Still uneasy, Li Quan reiterated not to tell anyone before hanging up.
“Li Quan, Liu Shichao, if I don’t make you regret this, I’m not Li Feng,” Li Feng muttered, his gaze icy. They thought he was a fool. Let’s see who the real fool was.
He placed the herbs in the clay pot and turned on the gas stove to start brewing.
Brewing medicine was critical. Even a slight mistake could affect the potency. Fortunately, Li Feng had brewed medicine hundreds, if not thousands, of times in his previous life. Otherwise, he wouldn’t dare brew herbs worth tens of millions.
In his previous life, medicinal liquid was the best resource for martial artists, but Li Feng knew this wasn’t entirely true. Pills refined from herbs were more effective, but in his era, the art of pill refining was lost. No martial artist knew how to do it.
Once, during a mission, he met a martial artist who mentioned that ancient Huaxia had pill refiners, known as alchemists. For unknown reasons, they vanished at some point.
Reborn in this era, hundreds of years earlier, Li Feng was curious if alchemists still existed. But curiosity aside, he had no urge to seek them out. Even if he found one, what could they do? Refine pills for him? Besides, their existence was uncertain, and he didn’t want to waste time on a whim. His medicinal liquid was sufficient for his needs.
The key to brewing was controlling the heat precisely. For three hours, Li Feng stood by the stove, meticulously managing the flame.
He had dismissed the villa’s maids for various reasons, leaving him alone in the house, free from interruptions.
Still, the villa was inconvenient with four or five maids around. It wasn’t ideal for his activities. Once the training base was built, he could brew medicine there.
As the sun began to set, the medicine was ready. Li Feng nodded in satisfaction at the liquid in the pot.
He poured it into a prepared jade bottle. The yield was small, about two or three bowls, but enough for ten days.
After storing the bottle, Li Feng opened the kitchen windows to disperse the medicinal smell. Only then did he leave the kitchen.
By now, the maids had returned. In the living room, they noticed the lingering herbal scent and began whispering and pointing at Li Feng.
“Is the young master impotent or something?”
“Seems like it. Why else would he hide in the villa brewing medicine?”
“Such a pity. No wonder he lives downstairs despite facing a beauty like Miss Hu. He’s got no ability there.”
“Didn’t he buy an inflatable doll last time?”
“Come on, would a normal man need that?”
Though their voices were low, Li Feng’s sharp ears caught every word. He gave a wry smile. In their eyes, he was pathetic, and they dared gossip under his nose.
He didn’t bother confronting them. Changing their views required action, not words.
“What are you doing?” Hu Yuanyuan entered, frowning at the medicinal smell, clearly displeased. This wasn’t the first time. Lately, Li Feng had been brewing medicine in the kitchen, turning the villa into a hospital.
“Conducting an experiment,” Li Feng said lightly. Hu Yuanyuan wasn’t a martial artist. If he told her he was refining his body, she’d think he was mad.
“Don’t brew medicine here anymore. The smell is awful,” Hu Yuanyuan said. Having seen Li Feng’s capabilities, she believed he was experimenting and didn’t question further, though she voiced her complaint.
“This is the last time.”
Hu Yuanyuan nodded. If the smell weren’t unbearable, she wouldn’t have bothered. She instructed the maids to clear the odour and took out her laptop to tackle unfinished work.
“Li Feng, you…”
As she opened her laptop, Li Feng snatched it. Hu Yuanyuan was furious. It was her dedicated laptop, filled with company data.
“Let me check if there’s any Japanese adult content,” Li Feng teased with a grin.
Japanese adult films were popular among Huaxia’s youth. In Li Feng’s era, Japan no longer existed, but its adult films endured as a cultural legacy. Over centuries, they became rare and hard to obtain.
“You’re the one with that nonsense!” Hu Yuanyuan snapped, trying to grab the laptop. But her skills were no match for Li Feng’s.
“If you’ve never seen them, how do you know they’re nonsense?” Li Feng smirked, dodging her while typing on the keyboard.
“Li Feng, stop messing around!” Hu Yuanyuan panicked. If she could catch him, she’d tear him apart. How dare he touch her computer?
Li Feng ignored her. He wasn’t playing. He was installing the intelligent operating system on her laptop, wanting to share his innovation with his wife. But her frantic reaction amused him, and he didn’t reveal his intent.
They chased each other around the living room. Li Feng, smiling, tossed out teasing remarks, while Hu Yuanyuan’s face darkened with frustration.
“Alright, I’m done teasing,” Li Feng said, stopping just as she was about to explode. He handed her the laptop.
“What did you do?” Hu Yuanyuan demanded, furious and worried he’d downloaded adult content.
“See for yourself,” Li Feng said, pouring himself a glass of water. Three hours of brewing had left him parched.
“You…” Hu Yuanyuan stared at the unfamiliar screen, her expression shifting. Had he downloaded something that infected her files?
“Relax, I just installed a new operating system. Your files are untouched,” Li Feng’s voice reassured her.
A new operating system?
Her anger subsided. If anyone else claimed this, she’d dismiss it as nonsense. Her laptop had the latest system. But Li Feng was different. Thinking of the smartphone chip, she believed he wasn’t bluffing.
Recalling her modified phone, which she was still exploring for its conveniences, her eyes lit up. She grew curious about what changes Li Feng’s system brought to her laptop.
A nearby maid overheard, her eyes flashing with disdain. A new operating system? What could a useless young master like Li Feng have? Probably some third-rate software. She expected Hu Yuanyuan to be furious, but oddly, she wasn’t. Could Li Feng have installed something useful?
The maid was puzzled.
Hu Yuanyuan worked on the laptop for half an hour, stopping only when dinner was ready. Her face showed shock.
“Li Feng, if this system is developed, it could make a fortune,” she said, seeing its commercial potential as a businesswoman.
“Don’t even think about it. This system is for you,” Li Feng said, glaring. Such a beauty, always thinking about money. He almost regretted installing it.
Hu Yuanyuan said nothing, but her heart warmed. She thought Li Feng had designed the system just for her, unaware he’d already partnered with Microsoft.
