Xu Zifan asked as soon as he thought of it, "Who is this Cheng Zhuang? He seems to care a lot about Xin Xin?"
Jiang Dong immediately wrinkled his nose in disgust, utterly disdainful. "Who cares about his concern? He's so self-important and arrogant. Xin Xin and I both warned him not to go in, but he still went in and made things worse. Even if he meant well, we can't handle it. Oh, right, Fan-ge, didn't you think of him? He's that fat kid who beat me up when we were kids!"
Xu Zifan hadn't really paid much attention, but upon hearing this, he seemed thoughtful. "So it was him. He and you guys are quite destined to meet. I heard he's a third-generation revolutionary? How did he become a movie star?"
"Who knows what he was thinking? He almost had a falling out with his family. He even used Xin Xin as an excuse, saying that if Xin Xin could be a police officer, why couldn't he be a star? Back then, when the Cheng family met my parents, they would give me a forced smile, as if Xin Xin had set a bad example for their son. They're crazy. Brother Fan, if they ever contact you again, don't pay them any attention. I think they look down on my family for being in business." Jiang Dong said, expressing his utter disgust for the Cheng family.
Xu Zifan smiled and stood up. "I'll go take a shower first. Buy me some clothes. I have an appointment with Luo Chen and his girlfriend for dinner to discuss some things."
"Great, I'll go too. I haven't officially met Luo Chen's girlfriend yet." Jiang Dong called the hotel service and bought a set for himself as well.
As Xu Zifan entered the bathroom to take a shower, he was bracing himself for the water to suddenly turn cold when a water pipe burst! Several pipes burst throughout the bathroom, spraying water directly at Xu Zifan. The intense, pungent sensation was unbearable for most people! He instantly went into his spatial dimension to grab a towel to dry his face before opening his eyes to see the situation in the bathroom – a complete water battle!
"Brother Fan! What happened to Brother Fan? Are you alright?" The sound of water was too loud and something seemed wrong, so Jiang Dong rushed over and pounded on the door, even starting to break it open.
Xu Zifan found some talisman paper and cinnabar, drew a water-repelling talisman, and stuck it on his body. He then left the space and called out, "I'm fine. The water pipe burst. Call someone to fix it."
Everything in the bathroom was soaked. Xu Zifan took a towel from his spatial storage, wrapped it around himself, and quickly left the bathroom, which was spraying water.
The hotel staff came over to apologize and changed their room, allowing Xu Zifan to finally lie down and rest for a while. He closed his eyes, missing his little apprentice terribly. It was so good to have his little apprentice by his side; he was practically his personal lucky charm.
As he was thinking, his phone, which was charging, rang. He picked it up and saw it was his little apprentice. He couldn't help but smile.
He answered the phone, said hello, and asked with a smile, "Hello? You've landed?"
Jiang Tianxin's worried voice came through, "I just got off the plane, Master, how are you? I received a WeChat message from my brother saying that the bathroom pipe burst. Are you hurt?"
"No, I'm just a little mentally exhausted," Xu Zifan said with a sigh, thinking about his physical condition. "When are you going home?"
Jiang Tianxin was taken aback by his question. She felt that... the question "When are you coming home?" sounded strange, like a husband asking his wife...
Jiang Tianxin blushed and quickly banished the thoughts from her mind. While fanning her face, she replied, "I might be busy until very late today, but I'll go home no matter how late it is. Uncle Liao said I could rest earlier, so I should be able to take a vacation."
Jiang Tianxin thought his voice sounded normal, but Xu Zifan detected a slight difference from usual. This was the first time they had been separated since becoming master and disciple, and talking to each other from a distance like this made him miss him. When he spoke again, his voice softened a bit, "I can only go back tomorrow. You should go home and rest well. Don't always focus on cultivation; relax occasionally."
Jiang Tianxin's face remained flushed; her master's voice through the microphone was so soothing! So gentle! She had no idea she was such a fan of voices!!
Jiang Tianxin was speechless for once, unsure of what to say. She made an excuse, saying "Uncle Liao is calling me," and hurriedly hung up the phone. She rushed to the bathroom and splashed several handfuls of cold water on her face. Looking up at her rosy cheeks in the mirror, she couldn't believe it was her!
She never blushed before, so why is she becoming more and more powerless against her master? But since her master is so good, if she has a master's wife in the future, she must be an exceptionally outstanding person, right?
It makes me so angry!
Thinking about this, Jiang Tianxin's heart finally calmed down, but she felt a little stuffy. If she had a wife in the future, would her master still treat her as well as he did now? She knew it was impossible, so she felt even more annoyed. When she went to report, her face was cold, which was quite fitting for someone who had just finished a case. The other members of the special operations team marveled at her, saying that she was indeed a police officer, extremely upright and serious in her work; not a single person joked with her or showed her disrespect.
Xu Zifan was lounging around the hotel with Jiang Dong, feeling a bit bored without his apprentice by his side. They say it takes 28 days to form a habit, and having been with his apprentice for several months, he was indeed finding it hard to get used to not seeing her.
Shao Hua silently typed a sentence on the virtual screen: My little apprentice's first day at work, missing her.
This immediately made Xu Zifan laugh. "[Shaohua, you should spend less time online. Where did you learn all this from?]"
[Shaohua: Host, I need to keep up with the times; I can't fall behind. And I'm telling the truth.]
[Xu Zifan: Yes, yes, my little apprentice is so cute, thoughtful, and funny. Life would be so boring without her. I'm going to sleep now. Remember to wake me up when it's time.]
[Shaohua: First day without my little apprentice, a lazy bum.]
Xu Zifan laughed again.
Heaven has decided not to restrict Shaohua's learning direction, letting him develop freely. The more interesting the system, the more exciting the journey will be; it can even make him laugh when he's bored.
This time, Xu Zifan lay on the bed, which was not dangerous, and slept peacefully for two hours. The only problem was that the faucet broke when he got up to wash his face. He had to go to two different rooms before he could wash his face. He was once again a handsome guy who could do everything with ease.
Luo Chen personally picked him up from the hotel, and the four of them went to the restaurant they had booked beforehand. All three of them had been saved by Xu Zifan, so they were incredibly friendly towards him, and naturally, they had a very pleasant conversation. The dishes were also exceptionally delicious, clearly prepared with care, which made Xu Zifan even more satisfied with the meal.
The only downside was that he took a bite of fish and, even though he didn't see any bones, he still got pricked by one!
Without making a sound, he picked up the napkin and wiped his mouth. Using the napkin as a cover, he used his spiritual power to destroy the fish bone, thus avoiding an awkward situation at the table.
Seeing that they had almost finished eating, Luo Chen brought up the matter of payment. Xu Zifan and Jiang Tianxin had just returned from completing a major task, and he had invited them over, which was entirely out of respect for him, so he certainly couldn't be stingy. In addition, he was very clear about the payment the Jiang family had given him, so he directly offered to give Xu Zifan two villas and a yacht under his name.
Mo Jiani couldn't let her boyfriend pay for everything; as a film star, she wasn't short of money, so she gifted him a seaside villa and a brand-new, never-before-driven Ferrari. In addition, both promised to share their connections with Xu Zifan.
Xu Zifan smiled and waved his hand after hearing this, "The reward I'm talking about isn't these things. More than monetary rewards, I value Mo Yinghou's fame."
Luo Chen knows that my Taoist temple has just been rebuilt and that almost no one knows there is a Taoist temple there. I hope that Mo Yinghou can show more faith in Qingfeng Temple in the future, and occasionally go there to burn incense and help promote it.
"We don't need to mention ghosts, gods, or Buddhas. Just things like praying for peace, blessings, children, or healing, is that alright?"
Mo Jiani was somewhat surprised that his request was so simple. She exchanged a glance with Luo Chen and immediately nodded, "This is just a small favor for me. The master's skills are real. My help in promoting him is a good thing for the fans. I'm not deceiving them. I would have done this even if the master hadn't said anything."
Luo Chen nodded, "Jia Ni is right, this can't be considered a reward. Master, please accept our gratitude. I haven't thanked you yet for saving me from a car accident. I hope you can accept my thanks this time."
I will explain to my family when I return home in a few days that from now on, the Luo family's connections will be at your disposal, Master. Please feel free to give any instructions, Master, and we will do our utmost to assist you."
Jiang Dong laughed and said, "Brother Fan, don't be so polite with them. Your help saved my life, which is priceless."
Xu Zifan nodded and accepted it. Of course he would; he didn't have much capital to do charity yet, so he figured he might as well sell his villa and yacht and donate the money first.
Thinking of this, he remembered another skill he could use to do good deeds for free, and said to the three of them, "It's true that I can cure diseases. If you have any friends who have encountered difficult and complicated diseases, you can introduce them to Qingfeng Temple. They can see both Chinese and Western doctors."
The three were taken aback, then nodded knowingly. What's so strange about a master being able to cure illnesses? Real masters are different from those charlatans who just spout nonsense; who knows, they might even have medical skills from what they've learned.
All three of them had been saved by Xu Zifan, and now they believe whatever Xu Zifan says. This is the kind of network that Xu Zifan wants; if he can develop these connections, how many followers will he gain?
After dinner, Luo Chen raised his glass to thank Xu Zifan. The group clinked glasses, but Xu Zifan only touched his lips to the wine before transferring the wine into his spatial dimension. He was being very careful; it wouldn't be good if he choked on such a perfect ending.
Luo Chen had drunk quite a bit, and Mo Jiani helped him. The four of them left the restaurant and got into two cars, where the designated drivers were already waiting. A gust of wind sobered Luo Chen up a bit, and he suddenly remembered his earlier idea of becoming an apprentice. He quickly stepped forward to stop Xu Zifan and nervously asked, "Master, are you still accepting apprentices? What do you think of Jiani and me? Do we have the potential to learn from you? We promise we'll study diligently."
Mo Jiani was somewhat surprised, but quite interested, and looked at Xu Zifan expectantly. Jiang Dong slapped his thigh, "Holy crap, how come I didn't think of that? Brother Fan, take me in! My sister and I share the same parents, and she's so good at studying, so I definitely can't be any worse, right? Brother Fan, take me in, take me in, take me in!"
Xu Zifan glanced at the three of them, patted each of them on the shoulder, and said he had already tested them with his spiritual power. They didn't have much talent, but they weren't useless either. If they really studied hard, they could learn something and reach an average level. The main problem was that these three were easy targets.
Xu Zifan smiled kindly, "Your sincerity is what matters most, so I will accept you as nominal disciples of Qingfeng Temple. Cultivation is hard work, so study hard."
"Yes, Abbot!" Although they weren't disciples, they were still under the tutelage of Qingfeng Temple. The three of them were extremely excited, completely unaware that they were easy prey delivered to their doorstep.