"Sis, are you sure you're not mistaken? It's impossible for there to be two snake controllers," Bai Junran said, shaking his head.

"Is that so?" Bai Chuyan asked doubtfully. "But the swarm of snakes on campus clearly only left because of something he did. And that man is incredibly powerful."

Bai Junran smiled faintly. "How powerful can he be? It's not every day you praise someone, Sis."

"He made me cough up blood with a single move. You tell me if that's powerful or not."

"What?"

Bai Junran shot to his feet, Killing Intent bursting from him like a fierce gale. "Sis, you're injured?"

"It's a minor injury, nothing serious." Seeing her little brother's strong reaction, Chu Yan smiled, pleased.

"A minor injury?" Bai Junran held out a fair hand, a powerful fluctuation of Energy pulsing in his palm. He pressed it against Bai Chuyan, enveloping her in an Energy Light Shield.

In an instant, a faint blush crept onto Bai Chuyan's face. The wound on her abdomen miraculously healed.

"What kind of Martial Cultivator is so audacious? He can bully other members of the Bai Family, but he cannot bully *my* sister. It seems this person's life is about to end."

Bai Junran once again resumed the dignified air of the Young Master, his presence naturally imposing.

Thinking of the bigger picture, Bai Chuyan said, "Little brother, I'm not telling you this so you can get revenge for me. I just think this person has some real skill. Perhaps he could be of use to our Bai Family."

Inclusiveness leads to greatness. The Bai Family had remained a dominant force by gathering many Awakened Martial Cultivators under its banner.

"Sis, I'm interested in meeting this person. Is he a student at Wencheng University?"

Bai Chuyan thought for a moment. "I'm not too sure about that. I think he might be."

"Sis, don't worry. This person hurt you, and I, your little brother, will make him pay." 'In his heart, he had already sentenced the man to death.'

In a few days, the new semester at Wencheng University would begin, and he, Bai Junran, would also be attending classes.

If they were at the same university, they were bound to meet eventually.

RING RING RING...

Just then, Bai Chuyan's phone rang. She put it to her ear, and after a dozen seconds, her expression changed slightly. "I understand. I'll be right over."

Immediately after, Bai Chuyan turned to her brother. "Little brother, it seems you were right. Snakes have appeared on campus again, and in even more terrifying numbers this time. The Cat Spirit you mentioned must still be hiding at Wencheng University."

Hearing this, Bai Junran's eyes glinted sharply. "That saves me some trouble."

"Little brother, I'll go help you find this Cat Spirit."

With that said, Bai Chuyan started to get up, but Bai Junran stopped her. "Sis, even though you're an Awakener, that Cat Spirit is not something you can handle."

"Are you going to deal with it personally, little brother?"

Bai Junran shook his head and said arrogantly, "If the Young Master of the Bai Family were to act so casually, wouldn't I become a laughingstock?"

"Ren Hailong, you will accompany my sister. I want that Cat Spirit alive," Bai Junran commanded, his tone nonchalant and cold.

Suddenly, a stern-faced man appeared out of nowhere in the hall. He bowed to Bai Junran. "Yes. As you command."

When Bai Chuyan saw this man, she smiled as well.

He was her little brother's personal bodyguard, an incredibly strong Rank Two Martial Cultivator.

.........

「Ancient Street, inside Wei Xian Pavilion.」

Tu Xiao'an and Li Qingzhao were invited into an elegant private room by Big Boss Su, where Su Yu once again expressed his gratitude.

"Brother Tu, my Dragon Snake is safe. How can I ever thank you?"

Tu Xiao'an shook his head. "Boss Su, it was really no trouble at all, you don't need to worry about it. Besides, a creature like this Dragon Snake is exceptionally rare. It would be a true shame for it to die."

"More than a shame," Su Yu said with a wry smile. "Back when I paid a fortune for the Dragon Snake at auction, my Feng Shui Master told me that it and I would share a karmic bond. He said it would bring me good fortune and help me turn calamities into blessings. But if the Dragon Snake were to die, I would immediately suffer a backlash."

"Is it really that mystical?" Li Qingzhao asked, her eyes blinking.

Su Yu smiled. "We Huaxia People often speak of fortune. The word itself is made of two parts: Qi, which is one's vital energy and fate, and *yun*, which is one's destiny and luck. To understand your fortune is to know the limits of human effort. It means knowing when to prepare for a rainy day and when to pull back from the brink. It is the understanding that after a peak comes a decline, and that after extreme misfortune comes a favorable turn. Only then can one remain composed and face the world with an open mind."

He rattled off the long explanation, leaving Tu Xiao'an and Li Qingzhao listening in a daze.

It was clear that Su Yu was worthy of his status as the scion of a great family. Although he had entered the business world, he wasn't tainted by the so-called stench of money. Instead, he was gentle, refined, and remarkably learned.

Tu Xiao'an felt a certain kinship with Boss Su. He didn't know much about things like fortune, but he believed in first impressions.

Some people, you feel a sense of goodwill toward them at first sight, without them saying a word or making a single gesture. But for others who just have an unpleasant look, it's just as easy to dislike them on sight.

"Brother Tu, could you tell me what you fed my Dragon Snake? Why did it become so full of life the moment it ate that thing?" Su Yu looked at Tu Xiao'an and didn't beat around the bush. "To be honest, I was hoping to ask you for a little of it, so that I'll know what to do if the Dragon Snake goes on a hunger strike again."

"But I won't take it for free. You can name any price."

From this, it was clear that Su Yu placed immense importance on this Dragon Snake.

Hearing this, Tu Xiao'an smiled faintly and made a show of rummaging through his pocket. He pulled out a piece of Snake Skin and placed it in front of Su Yu. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Su Yu's eyes lit up, and he immediately examined it closely. The skin was translucent and sparkling, but he couldn't tell what kind of creature it came from at first glance.

To get a better look, Su Yu picked it up and raised it to his nose for a sniff. An unusual fragrance instantly refreshed his mind.

Then, as if acting on some strange impulse, Su Yu actually put a tiny piece in his mouth and chewed it.

Immediately, his eyes shone with a brilliant light. "What an amazing thing! A true treasure!" he exclaimed in amazement. "Now I finally understand why the Dragon Snake became so full of life after eating this!"

He had only chewed a tiny piece, but he already felt a warmth spreading through his body. His spirits felt a hundred times sharper, and he could distinctly feel the changes within himself.

Li Qingzhao blinked. "Isn't this just a piece of Snake Skin?"

As expected of a girl from Bai Town, she had a sharp eye. Tu Xiao'an had cut the piece of Snake Skin so small that it was difficult to identify at a glance.

But if you were very knowledgeable about snakes, you could still tell what it was.

"This is Snake Skin?" Su Yu was even more astonished.

Tu Xiao'an nodded. "It is indeed Snake Skin, but it has undergone a special process of mine, which gives it certain medicinal properties."

He started spouting utter nonsense with a straight face. But you couldn't really blame Tu Xiao'an.

He could hardly tell people it was the skin he had shed himself, could he?

No one would believe him even if he did.

No one knew the effects of the Snake Skin better than Tu Xiao'an, and this was the only plausible explanation he could offer.

This Snake Skin was worth a fortune. Its effects were far more potent than those of thousand-year-old ginseng or hundred-year-old Golden Crow.