Chapter 149: Daughter's Rapidly Rising Favorability! Send the Protagonist on Her Way Personally:
Xu Feiyan wanted to show off, but Yan Wumei didn’t let her have her way and pouted.
“I taught you for so long, and you finally broke through to the mid-stage of Bright Strength Realm. What’s there to brag about?”
Xu Feiyan’s face froze, and she replied defensively, “I’m almost at the late stage of Bright Strength Realm now, okay? The reason I was improving so slowly before is because you didn’t teach me well...”
Indeed, Xu Feiyan had improved significantly under Xu Hao’s personal guidance.
Compared to the rapid progress she made with him in just a few days, it was undeniable that Yan Wumei’s prolonged teaching resulted in slower progress. Clearly, the issue lay with the teacher, not the student.
Yan Wumei raised her eyebrows and pretended to be angry. “You’re blaming me now? Do you even realize how late you started learning martial arts? You’ve wasted so much potential!”
“Clearly, you’re the one who didn’t teach me well...”
The two women bickered back and forth.
“Enough,” Yan Wumei interrupted, redirecting her attention to Xu Hao. “Are you going to introduce him to me?”
Xu Feiyan hurriedly made the introduction. “This is the friend I told you about, Yan Wumei. She’s quite nice to me.”
“Quite nice?” Yan Wumei rolled her eyes with feigned exasperation.
Xu Feiyan continued, “And this is my father, Xu Hao. I believe you’ve heard of him...” She hesitated slightly before managing to say “father.”
Yan Wumei was taken aback.
This was the same Xu Feiyan who used to dislike her father? Yet now, after only a few days back home, she was addressing him as such?
Xu Hao stepped forward with a warm smile. “So, you’re Feiyan’s sister. She’s mentioned you before. Thank you for looking after her.”
He added sincerely, “She has quite a temper, and I’m sure she’s caused you plenty of trouble. I appreciate your patience and care.”
His demeanor was so genuine and kind that it left a lasting impression.
The cold and distant father Xu Feiyan once described seemed like an entirely different person. Yan Wumei, seeing this, couldn’t help but feel confused.
With a smile, Yan Wumei replied, “You’re welcome. Feiyan and I are close, like sisters. Although she has a bad temper and often causes me trouble, I don’t hold it against her. How could I, when I see her as family?”
Hearing this, Xu Feiyan gritted her teeth in frustration. “Slander! Pure slander!” she thought. Yan Wumei’s nickname, Vixen, suited her perfectly.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Bai Ling drove up to the villa and stopped the car. Xu Hao seemed to remember something and said apologetically, “I have some business at the company to attend to, so I’ll leave you both to catch up.”
Turning to Yan Wumei, he added, “Ms. Yan, since it’s been a while since you’ve seen Feiyan, please feel free to stay and chat inside. And as for this...”
Xu Hao glanced toward Yan Wumei’s driver, Luo Yan, who was approaching.
Bai Ling had sensed a subtle threat from Yan Wumei and became alert, leaking her energy unintentionally. This caught Luo Yan’s attention, and he quickly stepped out of the car.
Luo Yan, surprised, realized that Bai Ling was a mid-stage master of dark energy. While she wasn’t a threat to Yan Wumei, he couldn’t afford to take any risks with his mission.
Luo Yan, known as Yan Luo in the dark world, was a top assassin with a perfect mission completion rate. However, after mistakenly accepting a protection mission on the dark web, he found himself reluctantly playing bodyguard.
When he saw his assigned target, Yan Wumei, he realized she was breathtakingly beautiful, unlike anyone he had encountered before. His frustration at taking the wrong mission transformed into gratitude, as he felt this must be fate.
However, Yan Wumei had no interest in him.
She rejected his attempts to join her Red Rose organization, which only recruited women. Undeterred, Luo Yan took a job as a waiter in her nightclub to stay close to her.
Today, with her regular driver unavailable, Luo Yan volunteered to drive.
Seeing him approach, Yan Wumei frowned. “Didn’t I tell you to leave?”
“I’m just here to check on Sister Feiyan,” Luo Yan replied with an awkward smile.
Yan Wumei frowned even more. “What does Feiyan have to do with you? Leave immediately!”
Luo Yan’s intentions were obvious. Though he initially sought to protect Yan Wumei, he also couldn’t hide his growing interest in Xu Feiyan, whose youthful pride and beauty captivated him.
Seeing the tension, Xu Hao intervened, suggesting they all sit inside together.
Yan Wumei shook her head.
“He’s just a driver,” she said dismissively before turning to Luo Yan. “Why are you still here? Leave!”
Luo Yan smiled awkwardly and slowly walked back to the car, clearly unwilling to stray too far from his mission target.
Xu Hao, feeling increasingly urgent about dealing with Zheng Feifan to avoid further trouble, said a charming goodbye to his daughter and left in Bai Ling’s car.
Luo Yan quickened his steps, returning to the driver’s seat. As he watched the two women disappear into the villa, regret filled his heart.
Yan Wumei was alluring and seductive. Xu Feiyan was youthful and proud. His aunt, dignified and elegant, also crossed his mind. If only he could accompany Xu Feiyan inside the house, it would be a feast for his eyes.
But Yan Wumei’s disdain for him remained unwavering.
…
"Xiao Feiyan, didn’t you say your father is cold and heartless? Why doesn’t he seem that way to me?"
"I can see that he cares about you."
Yan Wumei walked into the villa, guided by Xu Feiyan.
While admiring the surrounding pavilions and towers, she asked curiously, "Wasn’t that how you described him before?"
"That was in the past. Things are different now..." Xu Feiyan admitted, her heart still moved by recent events.
She had no intention of badmouthing Xu Hao like before.
"Oh?" Yan Wumei’s curiosity was piqued. "What made you change your mind?"
Xu Feiyan couldn’t help but recall the experiences she had recently. The most impactful memory was Xu Hao’s patient and attentive teaching, guiding her step by step.
Her heart swelled with happiness as her strength improved, especially when Xu Hao gifted her a precious magical artifact earlier. At that moment, she truly realized she still held a place in his heart. She was so moved she almost called him "Daddy" outright.
Xu Feiyan’s lips curled into a mischievous smile as she glanced at Yan Wumei. "Do you really want to know?"
Yan Wumei nodded eagerly.
"I won’t tell you," Xu Feiyan replied with a playful grin.
"Are you looking for trouble, you little brat?" Yan Wumei snapped, clearly annoyed, and reached out to grab Xu Feiyan.
She calculated her strength precisely, ensuring her move wouldn’t hurt Xu Feiyan but wouldn’t let her escape either. Even though Xu Feiyan had advanced to the mid-stage Bright Strength, Yan Wumei was confident she could easily capture her.
However, to her surprise, Xu Feiyan evaded her grasp effortlessly.
"What just happened?" Yan Wumei was stunned, her expression filled with doubt.
Xu Feiyan smirked and said with disdain, "Is that all you’ve got?"
"You’ve been gone for three days; maybe it’s time to see me with fresh eyes. I won’t let you control me anymore."
Unwilling to believe it, Yan Wumei tried again, this time using more strength. Yet once again, Xu Feiyan dodged her with ghost-like agility.
This was no coincidence. Xu Feiyan’s improvement was real.
Smiling confidently, Xu Feiyan thought about the intense training she had undergone with Xu Hao. He had taught her master-level assassination techniques and incorporated them into her combat skills. Although she had only learned a fraction of his teachings, her abilities had grown exponentially.
"Fox spirit, you’re not up to the task..." Xu Feiyan teased, unfazed by her usual nickname for Yan Wumei.
Yan Wumei was curious now. "You dodged a couple of moves. What’s there to brag about? If you’re so capable, fight me fair and square."
Xu Feiyan sneered. "You want me, a mid-stage Bright Strength rookie, to fight you, a master of Dark Strength? How shameless can you be?"
Yan Wumei’s teeth clenched in frustration, but her expression remained calm. "Fine. I’ll suppress my strength to your level. How about that?"
Xu Feiyan’s eyes sparkled with excitement. She had often wondered how she would fare against Yan Wumei if they were at the same level.
"Alright, you said it," Xu Feiyan agreed, her smile turning sinister.
For some reason, Yan Wumei felt a flicker of unease, as though she might actually lose to Xu Feiyan. Shaking off the thought, she reminded herself that her combat experience and bloody training gave her an undeniable edge.
The two entered the martial arts field, and the duel began.
Xu Feiyan attacked first, moving with astonishing speed for someone at the mid-stage of Ming Jin. Yan Wumei narrowly dodged the initial strike and counterattacked swiftly, aiming for Xu Feiyan’s weak points.
However, Xu Feiyan’s movements were unpredictable. Using a strange body technique, she twisted out of harm’s way and launched a sharp counterstrike. Her attack was quick, precise, and left Yan Wumei off guard.
Though Yan Wumei’s rich combat experience helped her adjust in time, their fists collided with surprising force. Xu Feiyan’s punch was so powerful that Yan Wumei was forced to retreat several steps.
Shock flashed across Yan Wumei’s face.
This strength was comparable to the late stage of Ming Jin! But Xu Feiyan’s aura clearly showed she was still in the mid-stage.
The truth dawned on Yan Wumei—it wasn’t a matter of realm but technique. Xu Feiyan’s force-generating skills, taught by Xu Hao, amplified her strength significantly.
In a split second, Xu Feiyan exploited Yan Wumei’s momentary distraction. Her fist stopped just shy of Yan Wumei’s neck, signaling victory.
"Big Sister Yan, you’ve lost," Xu Feiyan declared smugly, retracting her fist.
The technique Xu Hao had taught her—Tai Chi—was fierce and domineering, and she had used it masterfully.
"How did you do that?" Yan Wumei asked, genuinely curious.
Xu Feiyan, in high spirits, whistled but remained tight-lipped.
Yan Wumei narrowed her eyes. "Oh, you’re not going to tell me? Fine, don’t blame me then..."
Without warning, she unleashed her full strength, revealing her late-stage Bright Strength prowess, and launched another attack.
The result left her even more shocked.
Xu Feiyan, despite being in the mid-stage Bright Strength, managed to hold her ground, ending their exchange in a tie.
Yan Wumei, a seasoned combatant with the experience of a dark energy master, had been matched by a rookie.
This realization frustrated her deeply.
Meanwhile, Xu Feiyan was thrilled. She had expected to struggle at the same level, but to her surprise, she tied with Yan Wumei even when the latter fought at a higher stage.
Her admiration for Xu Hao grew. His training was nothing short of miraculous, and she couldn’t help but marvel at his unfathomable strength.
She knew that what she had learned was only the tip of the iceberg, but it was enough to make her feel invincible. Her respect and gratitude for Xu Hao soared.
While the two women were engrossed in their duel, Zheng Feifan appeared in the vicinity.
Xu Feiyan made up her mind. She would personally deal with the protagonist and send him on his way.