To become a consultant for the Ninth Division of the Bureau of Safety Investigations as Jenny mentioned, Xu Xiangbei agreed to let Jenny and Zuo Mu move into the villa for the witness protection plan.

But after Zuo Mu and Jenny moved into the villa, Xu Xiangbei realized this was practically an impossible task. Forget about staying until the trial; he regretted it from the very first day.

Because Zuo Mu did nothing every day but sit cross-legged on a tatami cushion in the living room, closing his eyes in meditation like an immortal statue.

No matter if Xu Xiangbei got up in the morning, returned home for lunch, or went to the kitchen for a drink at night, he always found Zuo Mu seated there meditating with closed eyes.

Could it be that this guy is called Zuo Mu because he’s like a block of wood?

Just a block of wood was already maddening, and ever since Zuo Mu moved into the villa, his junior apprentice, Xiao Ye Fengci, followed him like a cat attracted by a fishy smell.

Compared to Zuo Mu, Xiao Ye Fengci was an even bigger trouble.

Like Zuo Mu, he sat cross-legged meditating with closed eyes all day, but he always faced Xu Xiangbei’s door, and the moment Xu Xiangbei opened it, he would lower himself to the ground in a bizarre posture: "Master, you’ve worked hard, please take care of me."

Xu Xiangbei really wanted to kick him away from the door.

Feeling like he was in hell’s fiery depths, Xu Xiangbei finally couldn’t take it: "Alright, Xiao Ye, you win, I’ll heal your injuries."

Upon hearing this, Zuo Mu, who was like a block of wood in the center of the living room, smiled.

Xiao Ye Fengci again bowed deeply to the ground: "Please take care of me, Master."

Xiao Ye Fengci forcedly reversed the True Qi trying to counter Xu Xiangbei’s extraordinary Eight Needles, ultimately rupturing his Ren Meridian. Fortunately, his Dantian remained intact, but repairing his meridians was an arduous task. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Xu Xiangbei gently tapped Xiao Ye Fengci’s shoulder: "Take off your shirt."

Xiao Ye Fengci hesitated but obediently took off his shirt, revealing his thin shoulders, moving Xu Xiangbei.

His lean upper body was covered with knife scars, not a single palm-sized smooth skin to be found.

The knife scars weren’t deep, clearly from a blunt blade, but they still left marks on his body, indicating great force, and Xu Xiangbei furrowed his brows: "What are these injuries?"

Xiao Ye Fengci calmly replied: "These are scars from my sword practice, mostly left by my master. He said if he leaves scars, enemies won’t be able to add new ones, and he was right. Except for losing to you, I haven’t been defeated once in the two years I’ve been in Huaxia."

Xu Xiangbei coldly chuckled: "I can heal you, but you must not go around fighting and killing, do you agree?"

Xiao Ye, his face as calm as a still pond: "If I don’t compete in martial arts, what’s the point of life? I’ll still seek martial arts bouts, but I can refrain from killing."

Xu Xiangbei resigned: "If you promise not to kill, it’s rare indeed, I’ll heal your wounds."

Xu Xiangbei’s fingers formed into needle-like shapes, gathering a wisp of Inner Strength at the fingertips, and struck sharply at Xiao Ye’s Qi Sea point on his chest.

Xiao Ye Fengci’s forehead immediately dripped with sweat like rain, feeling a strange heat invading his heart and spreading throughout his body, the intense heat making him feel like he was in a volcano, nearly fainting but enduring resolutely.

Xiao Ye Fengci’s body turned crimson as if grilled by charcoal, and nearby meditating Zuo Mu felt a wave of scorching energy, and opened his eyes in alarm, looking at the scene in shock.

The skin on his junior apprentice’s body steamed like it was cooked, the freshly flowing sweat evaporated in an instant, and the entire living room was filled with rolling heat waves.

Xu Xiangbei’s fingers swiftly tapped nine major points along Xiao Ye Fengci’s Ren Meridian, starting from the brow and down to the Dantian in a blink, completing the process in one swift motion like lightning.

Zuo Mu only saw Xu Xiangbei’s shadow tracing across his junior apprentice’s chest, yet nine points were already struck.

Sweat bead on Xu Xiangbei’s forehead as well, and he gently flicked his fingers, causing Xiao Ye Fengci sitting before him to spin like a top, rotating a few times before facing away from Xu Xiangbei.

Xu Xiangbei switched from fingers to fists, punching along Xiao Ye Fengci’s Du Meridian.

The Eight Heavenly Needles are not just gathering Qi; they comprise eight different Heart Methods - needle, prick, point, hammer, and vibration techniques are numerous, using fingers as needles to repair damaged meridians, and fist vibrations to reshape them, each with its method.

Xiao Ye Fengci was long unconscious from the intense heat, a puppet for Xu Xiangbei to manipulate, while observer Zuo Mu watched with a pounding heart, deeply convinced because he had only heard of such healing once from his master.

Huaxia civilization is profound, mysterious and continuous from ancient to present times, and Ancient Martial Arts are enigmatic, with their Ittoryu martial arts merely a branch.

After re-forging Xiao Ye Fengci’s meridians, Xu Xiangbei finished, spending half an hour to finally repair Xiao Ye Fengci’s damaged meridians.

While repairing Xiao Ye Fengci’s meridians, Xu Xiangbei felt so hot that he also stripped off his shirt.

Suddenly, footsteps sounded from outside, a chubby Lu Xiaomei hummed as she entered with luggage.

From her singing, Xu Xiangbei recognized her, but as he was at a critical moment in his practice, he didn’t have time to pay attention to her.

But Lu Xiaomei saw Xu Xiangbei and Xiao Ye Fengci both with bare chests, seeming to be sticking together.

Lu Xiaomei’s chubby face instantly flushed, covering her eyes: "Oh my gosh, I can’t look, Miss Gu, you can’t come in, Brother Xu is embracing a man."

Zuo Mu, worried Lu Xiaomei would suddenly rush in and disrupt Xu Xiangbei’s treatment of his junior apprentice, quickly stood up to stop her, gesturing her to keep quiet: "Please don’t talk, they..."

Lu Xiaomei didn’t know Zuo Mu, and seeing him approaching and reaching out, instinctively grabbed his hand, performing a throw.

Zuo Mu, his leg injury just healed, didn’t expect the seemingly clumsy Lu Xiaomei to be so skilled, and was caught off guard, getting thrown painfully, almost tearing up.

Xu Xiangbei exhaled lightly, smiling as he approached the doorway, ignoring Lu Xiaomei’s throw on Zuo Mu, and instead grasping the handles of Gu Xinyan’s wheelchair.

"No shooting today?"

Gu Xinyan saw two additional men in the room, one badly thrown to the ground, the other kneeling with pale face and closed eyes, and curiously blinked her beautiful eyes: "I’m not home, what have you been up to?"

Xu Xiangbei grinned mischievously: "Having a three-way."

Gu Xinyan smiled with mild reproach: "So improper."

Gu Xinyan’s exquisite face had no trace of dust, her skin was as white and delicate as snow, like a fairy from a painting, otherworldly and charming.