Chapter 196: Chapter 0196: To Pick Up Girls, Start by Taking a Beating_1
After visiting East Lake, Zhang Bin and Liu Ruomei went to have lunch.
In the afternoon, Liu Ruomei took Zhang Bin to climb Xijingshan.
The weather was pleasant today; the sun wasn’t too strong and it was mostly cloudy, making it a perfect day for climbing.
Xijingshan and Great Green Mountain were connected, soaring into the clouds with rugged, misty peaks. The area featured pagodas, temples, and the Xianren Bridge, making it one of the most famous attractions in Qingshan County.
It was said that in ancient times, a True Cultivation Sect was located here. Some even claimed that to this day, True Cultivation Sects still lay hidden deep within Xijingshan, concealed from mortals by formations.
Zhang Bin had, of course, visited many times on trips organized by his school when he was a student. Revisiting it now with a beautiful woman for company, his mood was naturally much better.
Ever since the little tortoise had jumped into her palm at East Lake, Liu Ruomei’s attitude toward Zhang Bin had finally shown a trace of change. Although she was still unwilling to hold his hand, the distance between them had narrowed. Occasionally, Zhang Bin’s shoulder would even gently bump into hers. She wouldn’t get too angry, but would merely remain on her guard, preventing him from getting his way again.
Is it really this hard to win her over? Zhang Bin grumbled to himself in frustration. When I was using my real identity as Zhang Bin, this beauty fell for me without much effort, right? Could it be because she’s not familiar with me as Chen Junheng? Or is my hacker identity too sensitive, making her so cautious? Still, to save her from a life of loneliness, I have to overcome any difficulty. I have to win her over, no matter how hard it is. After all, I’m her brother-in-law. It’s my duty to save her... Sigh...
At this thought, Zhang Bin’s spirit and courage soared.
"Chen Junheng, this is the Xianren Bridge. It’s said that crossing it leads to where the Immortals live..." Liu Ruomei said coquettishly, pointing toward the misty cliffs on the other side.
In the mist, a bridge did indeed span the cliff. Surprisingly, it was a single-log bridge, rotted and decayed, much like the one on Great Green Mountain.
"It looks like people really did live on the other side. Maybe there really was a Cultivation Sect here," Zhang Bin said, a curious look on his face. An impulse surged through him—the desire to cross over and take a look.
However, while the chasm below wasn’t a bottomless abyss, it was still several hundred meters deep. If the bridge were to break, it would be incredibly dangerous, so he had to extinguish the thought.
"Hey... what a delicate beauty..."
A lewd voice suddenly rang out as six burly men started walking down the mountain path. They were powerfully built and appeared to be martial artists, but none of them had cultivated True Qi. Their eyes shone with a lecherous light as they stared at Liu Ruomei, looking as if they wanted to devour her. They rushed over, their faces revealing their ill intentions.
The leader grinned sleazily. "Beauty, we’re looking for a quiet spot for a picnic. How about you join us?"
Looks like my chance to shine has come. Zhang Bin rejoiced internally. He immediately stepped in front of Liu Ruomei to shield her and sternly refused, "Thank you for the offer, but we’ve just eaten."
"Kid, who do you think you are? Was I talking to you?" the leader bellowed with murderous intent.
"Get on your knees and apologize, or we’ll throw you into the valley to feed the wolves!" another of the men threatened fiercely.
"Ruomei, I’ll hold them off! You run!" Zhang Bin feigned a look of panic, spreading his arms to block the path and give her a chance to escape.
Liu Ruomei didn’t run. She merely retreated slowly, her eyes fixed on Zhang Bin, unblinking. She wanted to see if he would abandon her and flee at a moment like this, or if he would crumble under the thugs’ beating.
As expected, the six thugs were worried Liu Ruomei would escape. The leader quickly snarled, "Beat him to death and grab the beauty!"
They charged forward, punching and kicking Zhang Bin.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
In just an instant, Zhang Bin had taken countless blows to his face, nose, chest, abdomen, thighs, and groin. He let out pained grunts but didn’t retreat. Instead, he lunged forward and grabbed the leader in a tight hold, preventing him from getting past and buying Liu Ruomei more time to escape.
In reality, with his strength, he could have easily knocked these guys to the ground. But he was currently playing the role of a hacker with no martial arts skills. Simply defeating his opponents wouldn’t be enough to make Liu Ruomei admire him. What would make her see him in a new light was his willingness to protect her, even at the cost of his own life.
The mountain path was narrow. As long as Zhang Bin didn’t fall, the six men couldn’t get past him to grab the beautiful woman. This infuriated them even more. They continued their frenzied attack on Zhang Bin as if trying to beat him to death, sneering and shouting, "If you don’t move, we’ll kill you! We’ll definitely kill you!"
"Even if you beat me to death, I won’t back down!" Zhang Bin roared, then yelled anxiously, "Ruomei, run! I’ll hold them off, even if I die!"
At that moment, Liu Ruomei was somewhat moved. She began to see this man, who had no martial ability whatsoever, in a new light. She could no longer stand by and watch the six men attack him so brutally. She suddenly stepped forward, grabbed Zhang Bin by the collar, and gently flung him behind her. Then, with a furious expression, she knocked the six thugs to the ground with a few swift blows.
"Ah! My leg is broken!"
"My fingers are broken too! It hurts so much!"
"..."
The six men writhed and screamed on the ground, a truly miserable sight.
"Chen Junheng, are you alright? Is it serious?" Liu Ruomei turned around and asked, looking at Zhang Bin with concern.
"It hurts so much! Fortunately, you took them down, or they would have beaten me to death. Thank you," Zhang Bin said, clutching his chest with a look of pure agony.
Of course, it was all an act. With his true strength, how could six untrained brutes without a trace of True Qi possibly harm him? Even if they had managed to injure him, his miraculous Longevity Qi would have healed the wounds almost instantly.
"Don’t be afraid, and don’t worry," Liu Ruomei said with an apologetic look. "My brother-in-law is a Divine Doctor; he can heal even the most severe injuries." She had only wanted to test Chen Junheng’s character, but in doing so, she had caused him to take a severe beating.
She immediately helped Zhang Bin up, and they headed back down the mountain, abandoning their climb.
This beating wasn’t for nothing. Our relationship has progressed a little since she’s willing to help support me. Zhang Bin thought gleefully. Aloud, he said, "Ruomei, I’m sorry. I’m not strong enough, so I couldn’t protect you. Instead, you had to protect me. But from now on, I can use my intelligence and my hacking skills to keep you safe. I absolutely won’t let anyone hurt a single hair on your head! So... will you let me protect you?"