Chapter 4: The Plan

Yang Fan paid no attention to Yu Qian and simply continued walking. He had no desire to involve himself with her; after all, they were strangers with no need for further entanglements.

Seeing that Yang Fan ignored her, Yu Qian was on the verge of tears. Glancing at the three headless corpses, she mustered her courage and followed behind him.

Sensing Yu Qian trailing him, Yang Fan frowned deeply. He turned and spoke coldly, “Why are you following me?”

His eyes betrayed clear impatience and disgust.

Yu Qian felt a chill at the cold indifference in Yang Fan’s gaze. She could see no emotion in his eyes—only an icy detachment.

A sense of defeat unlike any she’d ever known welled up within her. After all, she was a renowned beauty in River City, easily among the top three in terms of looks. Every man she encountered was captivated by her appearance. Yet the man before her seemed utterly unaffected, not even sparing her a proper glance.

“I’m scared to be alone. Can you take me away from here?” Yu Qian asked cautiously.

With the park nearly deserted, she didn’t dare leave by herself.

Noticing that Yang Fan’s expression remained unchanged, she hurried to add, “I can pay you. As long as you take me away, I’ll give you money.”

At the mention of money, Yang Fan’s demeanor finally showed a hint of interest.

“You really have money?” he asked.

He knew that in this world, nothing could be accomplished without money. Moreover, he wasn’t yet powerful enough. With money, he could buy medicinal herbs to refine pills, which would aid his cultivation. So, upon hearing Yu Qian’s offer, he was tempted.

“Yes, yes—I’m the CEO of Yuanfu Group. As long as you take me away, I can give you money, as much as you want,” Yu Qian said quickly, seeing his interest.

“Very well. How much cash do you have on you? Give me everything,” Yang Fan said.

At that, Yu Qian looked troubled and answered awkwardly, “Well, I don’t have any cash with me, but if you take me away, I can transfer the money to you once we’re back. I promise.”

Hearing she had no money on her, Yang Fan lost all interest and turned to leave.

Watching him walk away, Yu Qian was struck by a surge of helplessness and nearly burst into tears. Glancing at the corpses one more time, she summoned her courage and followed after Yang Fan.

Yang Fan ignored Yu Qian behind him and continued on his way.

Once out of the park, Yang Fan turned to face her and said in a cold tone, “Please stop following me.”

With that, he strode off.

Yu Qian stood rooted to the spot, not daring to follow any longer. She went to the roadside, hailed a taxi, and left.

Returning home, Yang Fan took off his clothes and showered. Then he took the bloodstained garments outside and burned them.

For the next few days, Yang Fan stayed at home to cultivate. During this time, Lu Yuxi’s attitude toward him noticeably softened. Yet, the two rarely spoke, keeping silent even when they crossed paths. Lu Yuxi would cook, and Yang Fan would eat.

Lately, Lu Yuxi found Yang Fan to be almost unrecognizable, a stranger. In the past, he would pester her for money to buy alcohol every day. Now, he neither asked her for money nor drank, nor did he quarrel.

One day, Yang Fan finally spoke to her first—he asked to borrow money.

“What? You want to borrow five thousand yuan?” Lu Yuxi frowned deeply at his request. “What do you need the money for?”

“To make money,” Yang Fan replied.

He had already decided: first, borrow some money to buy herbs for alchemy, then sell the medicines he produced. He was confident his pills could cure many difficult ailments. Once he made a profit, he would buy more expensive herbs and refine even better medicines for sale.

“Hmph, if you can make money, pigs will climb trees,” Lu Yuxi sneered. “Making money, sure. You just want money to fool around.”

How could she believe Yang Fan would make money? Unless the sun rose in the west. Yang Fan could barely look after himself—making money was a joke. Without her support, he’d have starved on the streets long ago.

“Well, yes or no? Will you lend it or not?” Yang Fan asked, growing impatient.

“No money to give you—but you can have my life,” Lu Yuxi retorted loudly.

Seeing her refusal, Yang Fan said nothing more and went upstairs to his room. He knew Lu Yuxi wouldn’t easily lend him money—after all, the old “Yang Fan” had a track record.

Lu Yuxi said nothing further, picked up her books, and left for class.

Back in his room, Yang Fan pondered how to make money. Since borrowing from Lu Yuxi was out of the question, he had to think of another way.

Suddenly, he thought of searching for jobs online. So, he left his room and went to Lu Yuxi’s door. He tried the handle—the door was unlocked.

Yang Fan was surprised; he hadn’t expected Lu Yuxi to leave her door open.

He went in, sat at the computer, and turned it on. As soon as the browser opened, a pop-up advertisement appeared.

He glanced at it—it was about a patient urgently needing a bone marrow transplant, willing to pay a hefty sum.

“Seeking a bone marrow match. Reward: one million. This sounds promising,” Yang Fan mused, rubbing his chin.

He fell into thought. Then, he opened a site selling medicinal herbs to check their prices. After some research, he made a decision.

“To buy the ingredients for a Vitality Pill costs one and a half million,” Yang Fan murmured. “If I offer my bone marrow for three million, they should agree—matches are hard to find.”

In truth, Yang Fan had already formed a plan. The patient’s blood type matched his own. He would go to the hospital to test whether his marrow was a suitable match. If it was, he’d earn a fortune. Then, he could buy the herbs for the Vitality Pill. Once refined, the pill would greatly improve his cultivation.

The Vitality Pill could only be taken once per person; any more would have little effect, serving only to enhance the body. He could sell the surplus pills for a handsome profit—certainly far more than three million.

After checking the hospital’s address, Yang Fan left home and took a cab there. He found the patient and explained his intentions.

The patient’s family, upon hearing this, were overjoyed. As for his asking price, they had no objections—they weren’t short of money. As long as the bone marrow matched, they were willing to pay.

Tests confirmed that Yang Fan’s marrow was a perfect match. In the end, he signed the transplant agreement.

After the operation, Yang Fan had to remain hospitalized for a time before being discharged. He phoned Lu Yuxi, telling her he’d be away for a while and wouldn’t be coming home. He didn’t elaborate on the reason, and of course, Lu Yuxi assumed he was out carousing.

After five days in the hospital, Yang Fan was discharged. With three million in hand, his first priority was to purchase herbs for alchemy. Returning home, he prepared to use Lu Yuxi’s computer to order the supplies.

As he approached her room, the door opened and a teenage boy of about fifteen or sixteen stepped out. Seeing Yang Fan, the boy’s expression grew flustered.