Chapter 64: Combat Prowess

After being nagged by his parents for so long, Qiao Mian could no longer withstand the pressure and had no choice but to let them blend in with the tourists. After all, there weren’t many media personnel this time, and with some lucky outsiders present, his parents might not be exposed. Even if they were discovered by the public, he no longer cared.

From his previous conversations with Wang Lang, he realized that the identity he thought he had concealed so well had likely already been seen through. In that case, everything he was doing now was nothing more than self-deception.

The reason Qiao Lin and Su Yueling insisted on coming out was not that they were unbearably lonely. They hadn’t been here long. Every day, they could watch TV, scroll through Douyin, play with their pets, occasionally video chat with old neighbors, and even plant some melons and fruits in the small fields they’d opened up. Apart from not being able to brag and joke face-to-face with their old neighbors, life wasn’t much different from before.

Their only real concern was their son. The men and women of their generation in the village already had two children each. Many young people were even responding to the national call to have a third child. This made them anxious, constantly urging their son to go on blind dates.

Now that they were in this place, they were even more determined to help their son find a partner quickly. Especially after learning certain things about their son’s situation, their sense of urgency only grew.

They’d watched plenty of television dramas—“The Legend of the White Snake,” “A Chinese Ghost Story,” “Journey to the West,” and others. What if, one day, their son really brought home a female demon or a ghost? They had to be cautious. At the very least, they wanted to secure a future daughter-in-law, and ideally, a grandchild.

So, they decided to come out and see if there were any suitable candidates. Their primary target was the Little Dragon Maiden. For this ethereal, stunningly beautiful young woman, they naturally had no ill feelings. Watching her lead a group in sword practice, so graceful and otherworldly, the couple felt as though a goddess had descended to earth.

“A daughter-in-law like her would be more than enough for our son!” Su Yueling nodded approvingly.

“She’s a bit too thin,” Qiao Lin nitpicked. He still believed it was safer for his son to find a local woman. Cross-dimensional marriage aside, what if there were genetic issues they couldn’t anticipate?

“She’s not even eighteen yet—she’ll fill out as she matures,” Su Yueling retorted. “Besides, her figure is just right, if you ask me.”

“Exactly, she’s under eighteen. She’s a bit young,” Qiao Lin sighed.

As the couple whispered to each other, Chen Ji, who was practicing swords nearby, frowned and stepped forward. Rumor had it that the Little Dragon Maiden was favored by Mr. Qiao, the owner of Fantasy Park, and here these two were, openly discussing making her their daughter-in-law…

Chen Ji couldn’t help but sneer. If he used this as an opportunity to reproach them, wouldn’t that win him Mr. Qiao’s favor? Even if they had connections with some bigwigs back home, there was no way they’d hold it against him for this—it would be like slapping Mr. Qiao in the face.

“It’s inappropriate for you two to discuss Miss Long in public, don’t you think?” he said coldly.

As soon as he spoke, another possibility occurred to him. Could these two be Mr. Qiao’s parents? But Mr. Qiao had said he was from a higher plane—how could he have parents?

While he was lost in thought, the man who had spoken earlier suddenly said, “What, do you want to spar?”

The speaker was none other than Qiao’s father. Although he preferred his son to find a girlfriend from Earth, seeing the young man so protective of the Little Dragon Maiden still rubbed him the wrong way. Could it be this youngster also had feelings for her?

Chen Ji was momentarily taken aback. Spar?

“Fine,” he agreed. Having just gained twenty years of inner power, he was eager to test his strength.

The two squared off, while Su Yueling stepped aside, smiling as she watched the scene unfold. The Little Dragon Maiden continued her sword lesson with focused diligence. Granny Sun watched uncertainly from nearby, feeling as though the couple’s faces were somehow familiar.

Meanwhile, other people began to take notice as well. Liang Xiaoyu, who had originally been livestreaming the Little Dragon Maiden’s sword practice, gleefully turned her camera toward the commotion. “Wow, there’s going to be a fight!” she exclaimed excitedly.

“Do you know what’s going on?” she asked a nearby man with a crooked nose.

“Ah, Goddess Xiaoyu!” the man responded, delighted to be addressed.

Liang Xiaoyu snorted, “So do you know or not?”

She felt a bit smug. Every day she was overshadowed by the Little Dragon Maiden’s perfect looks and aura—she’d almost started to believe she was just background scenery herself. But she had been a campus beauty once, hadn’t she?

Though this man was not much to look at, at least he had good taste. He explained, “That middle-aged man said he wanted the Little Dragon Maiden as his daughter-in-law, but the young guy didn’t like it, so they’re about to spar.”

He continued, “That young man spoke to me before—he’s quick on his feet. I asked him earlier—he just ate twenty Bosi Qu snake galls in the Sutra Pavilion. He’s a real expert.”

“This guy bit off more than he can chew,” Liang Xiaoyu remarked, glancing at Qiao Lin. “But he really is out of line—my precious Long’er is far too good to be anyone’s daughter-in-law!”

“Exactly!” the crooked-nosed man said indignantly. “He should take a good look at himself in the mirror before making such a suggestion!”

Watching through Zero’s perspective, Qiao Mian’s face darkened.

Su Yueling sneered at the comment, while Qiao Lin, whose hearing was sharp, heard it all and was not pleased.

In Liang Xiaoyu’s livestream, the chat exploded into chaos.

[That guy may be ugly, but he has a point—he really should take a look at himself first!]
[What a jerk, thinking my precious Long’er should be his daughter-in-law!]
[Ugly bro, keep scolding him!]
[Beat him up!]
[Does anyone know this guy? To say something like that, is he some big shot’s kid or what?]
[He’s asking for it!]
[Why do I think that middle-aged man looks like Old Lin from our village?]
[Wow, it’s starting!]

Liang Xiaoyu hurriedly turned to watch. In her view, the young man’s aura surged, fierce as a tiger descending the mountain. He threw a punch straight at the middle-aged man’s abdomen, moving so fast he was by his opponent’s side in the blink of an eye.

Many onlookers were visibly startled.

The crooked-nosed man exclaimed, “Is twenty years of inner power really that impressive?”

He was about to comment that the middle-aged man was in for trouble, when the young man’s movement suddenly halted. Before everyone’s eyes, his outstretched hand was blocked by the middle-aged man with a single palm—who didn’t budge an inch.

Beads of sweat broke out on the young man’s forehead.

Liang Xiaoyu was astonished. “What just happened?”

Before she could finish, the middle-aged man’s palm suddenly exerted force, sending the young man flying backward.

Liang Xiaoyu was dumbfounded. “Did you all see that?”

[Were they faking it?]
[Whoa, this guy’s a real master!]
[Could the streamer really toss an expert with twenty years of inner power so lightly?]
[No wonder he’s so confident—he’s a big shot himself. Anyone recognize him?]
[He really looks like Old Lin from our village.]
[He really looks like our village chief.]
[He really looks like my dad.]
[He really looks like my uncle.]
[He really looks like my grandpa (dog head icon).]
[Let’s be serious—any experts here who can assess his strength? How powerful is this man?]