A Man's Name

The door collapsed, trembling a few times, the sound echoing in the courtyard, stirring up a cloud of broken leaves and dust on the ground.

Bamboo leaves fall to the ground, starting with grayish-white edges and retaining a few green spots in the center, resembling the skin of a weary old person.

Liu Chang'an stood in the center of the courtyard, his voice neither too loud nor too soft, but with a natural variation in tone, mature yet not weathered, and full of penetrating power, "Ye Chenyu has arrived."

He called himself Ye Chenyu, of course, to test whether Pu Shougeng would react to the name.

Pu Shougeng came out, wearing cloth shoes that looked similar to Liu Chang'an's, as well as black trousers and cloth shoes.

Pu Shougeng's cloth shoes had cowhide cloud patterns on the front and layers of soft rubber on the soles, making them look much more exquisite than Liu Chang'an's.

His expression showed slight fatigue, as if the last bit of energy and spirit of a middle-aged man had faded, revealing the decay of old age.

But it was clear that he had not suffered any unbearable injury; his steps were still vigorous, his back was straight, and his shoulders swayed naturally.

Pu Shougeng glanced at the broken door and said coldly, "Even a tiger fallen into the plains is bullied by dogs. Who do you think you are?"

"You haven't heard of Ye Chenyu?" Liu Chang'an was somewhat disappointed. He had originally thought that Pu Shougeng had something unusual about him, or that he had some connection with someone like Mrs. Karnstein was hiding in the shadows and dared not show his face, so it was possible that he would know the name Ye Chenyu.

"You've heard of my name, but I have no idea who you are." Pu Shougeng still revealed a hint of arrogance. After all, he was a hero in the martial arts world, and even now he had no intention of timidly letting some nobody bully him.

"Oh, I am Ye Chenyu, the fifth strongest in the world. It's lonely at the top, and it's understandable that the ants at the foot of the mountain don't know who stands at the peak." Liu Chang'an was very understanding.

"Fifth in the world?" Pu Shougeng thought he had encountered a lunatic today.

"I also have a nickname, Death. Ever heard of it? I gave it to myself."

"Grim Reaper?"

"The Jade Capital in the heavens, twelve towers and five cities, ninety-six holy rulers, my sword is a match for ten thousand men, floating clouds bear my name—this speaks of me, this is a poem by Li Bai praising me." Liu Chang'an pointed to the top of his head, "An immortal touched my head, granting me Longevity —this refers to Li Bai meeting me, and me imparting some cultivation methods to him."

"Ye Chenyu, you're forty years old, how can you be so frivolous and careless? I can understand youthful nonsense, but did you just get out of a mental hospital? Should I send you back for further treatment?" Pu Shougeng was furious. He thought to himself, in the past, everyone who saw him was solemn and upright; who would dare to talk such frivolous and casual nonsense to him?

Liu Chang'an has provided many hints and intriguing clues, so it seems that Pu Shougeng really doesn't know much about the hidden and mysterious figures in this vast world, which is quite disappointing.

"Then let me touch you."

Pu Shougeng was furious and could no longer tolerate it. He leaped up and landed in front of Liu Chang'an, pretending to raise his leg to sweep horizontally, but he secretly hid a punch at his side and struck Liu Chang'an's chest with violent and swift force.

The force was astonishing. If an ordinary person were to take such a punch, they would be crippled if not killed. Despite the ruthlessness, Liu Chang'an remained calm and casually grabbed Pu Shougeng's fist and twisted it.

Pu Shougeng screamed in agony as his entire arm twisted like a pretzel, and his body flipped through the air before landing on the floor with a thud, like a fish that had been caught on a fishing line, struggling and thrashing about.

Liu Chang'an ignored Pu Shougeng's struggles, squatted down and pinched Pu Shougeng's broken arm, then his intact arm, poked his chest, and inserted a finger into Pu Shougeng's abdomen, probing his internal organs.

"It really is an opportunity for ordinary humans to gain some kind of bodily modification or evolution." Liu Chang'an washed his hands in the pool in the corner of the yard before returning.

After the excruciating pain subsided, Pu Shougeng stopped howling. His eyes finally showed horror, and he used his intact hand to tear off a piece of cloth and tightly covered the finger hole in his abdomen.

He knew he was not in mortal danger; the other person had no intention of killing him. They simply found a spot in his abdomen where they wouldn't stab him to death, inserted their finger, and felt his internal organs.

But this behavior was truly terrifying, especially the simple calmness with which Ye Chenyu did these things, and the naturalness without a trace of indifference. Pu Shougeng felt as if he were a piece of pork on a chopping board in front of him, picking and choosing, comparing and gesturing, and casually cutting off a pound or two.

The fact that the other party spared his life meant they treated him like a human being. Yet, the fact that they treated him like a human being and handled him so calmly made Pu Shougeng feel even more terrified compared to those heartless and insane killers who treat human life like dirt.

A butcher who slaughters pigs and a professional surgeon, both ready to kill you—who is more terrifying?

What chilled Pu Shougeng to the bone and made him feel even more ironic was that, despite thinking he had considerable strength, he was like a buzzing mosquito in front of his opponent, easily swatted to the ground. What kind of level of power was this?

"How are you so amazing? Tell me." Liu Chang'an squatted down in front of Pu Shougeng.

It's that kind of lazy, relaxed posture with legs apart and arms hanging down at your sides.

"If I were powerful, I'd kill you first!" Pu Shougeng knew his opponent was strong, but he wasn't so cowardly as to not even dare to utter his inner rage. Enduring the excruciating pain, cold sweat beaded on his forehead. "You... what do you want to know?"

"I want to know how you're so capable." Liu Chang'an advised, "You'd better not waste your time. Get rid of me sooner so you can go to the hospital sooner. It's not good to delay."

"I took a medicine that can strengthen my physique." Pu Shougeng knew that in all the things he had encountered, Mrs. Karnstein had no intention of helping him at all. In her eyes, he was probably just a pawn that could be discarded at any time and left to fend for himself.

Since that's the case, how could he possibly keep any secrets for her? He's Pu Shougeng, after all; anything he does is understandable.

"What medicine? Cough syrup?" Liu Chang'an reminded him to keep it brief.

"I don't know... It was a lady named Karnstein who gave me this potion. I don't know what it's called, but it directly improves physical fitness, making an ordinary person like me stronger." Pu Shougeng told the truth. He knew this potion must be extremely precious. Although his poor mental state made him look much older, he felt younger inside.

Only those who are no longer young know how much they crave the feeling of youth, and that's why they are so certain that their bodies are much younger.

Pu Shougeng also told Ye Chenyu about this, and Ye Chenyu would probably be very eager to do so. So, if it could lead to a mutually destructive Mrs. Karnstein, even if Pu Shougeng didn't gain any direct benefit, it would still be a good thing.