Chapter 108: The Energy of the Spirit Stone

“What the hell is going on?” Liu Yunfei slammed his foot down hard on the cement slab beneath him. Had he exhausted all his luck with romance abroad? Why was it that ever since returning home, he kept facing heartbreak? It was bad enough that Dong Qianqian had rejected him, but even Zhang Xiaoli, who had secretly admired him for years, had turned him down. Once again, struck by love’s rejection, Liu Yunfei felt the alley grow darker—the kind of darkness where one couldn’t see their own hand before their face, so deep it seemed to bury his very heart. Under the moonlight, only his silhouette remained, cast against cracked cement slabs resembling a spider’s web.

Liu Yunfei, lost and despondent, stumbled out of the alley and into a small roadside eatery that was still open. Such simple establishments now seldom had customers; the chef and three waitstaff were gathered around a central table, eating.

“Young master, what would you like to eat?” a waitress asked, reluctantly standing. She thought to herself, why come at this hour—neither early nor late—and disturb their meal?

“No food. Just bring me some white liquor,” Liu Yunfei said carelessly, picking any table. He just wanted to get drunk quickly to numb his mind and dull the pain. This wasn’t the first time he’d faced such heartache. The last time, when Wu Jiangya’s feelings changed, he had been devastated. Today, he had plunged from the heights of happiness into the abyss of suffering—something utterly unbearable.

“What kind of liquor?” the waitress wondered. How about some halfway decent stuff? Drinking only liquor without any food—what kind of customer was this? Could he even afford a bottle of Wuliangye?

“Wuliangye,” Liu Yunfei replied, not really knowing the brands. He had only recently tasted it with his father at a seafood restaurant and found it decent.

The waitress was surprised he actually wanted Wuliangye. Had she guessed correctly, she might have bought a lottery ticket instead. “Sorry, our shop is small. We don’t have such premium stuff…”

“Then just bring a bottle of Erguotou,” he said. His dad used to drink that at home.

The waitress was about to suggest they had some Wuliangchun, but he ordered the cheapest liquor again. The huge contrast made her chuckle. This kid was broke yet trying to act like a big spender. After all that talking, he only wanted a few yuan’s worth of liquor and no food. She shook her head and brought the bottle and cups.

Liu Yunfei didn’t even want a cup—he twisted off the cap and drank straight from the bottle. The diners nearby were dumbfounded. This was 65-degree Erguotou! “Bring another bottle.”

The chubby chef gave the waitress a warning look not to serve him more. He went to fetch another bottle himself and handed it over. “Take it easy, brother.”

Liu Yunfei said nothing, twisted open the cap, and gulped it down again. “Bring ten more bottles.”

“Cough, cough…” The chef was coughing in alarm. “Brother, this liquor’s strong. I’ve never heard of anyone drinking ten bottles. Don’t cause trouble—we’re a small shop.”

Liu Yunfei didn’t make it hard for him. “How much for ten bottles? I’ll take them outside and drink there.”

With a clatter, the waitress helped him carry out a crate full of liquor. Sitting on the ground, he knocked back bottle after bottle—five down in no time. Except for a heavy feeling in his stomach, he felt nothing else, his face didn’t flush. Last time at the seafood place, he thought he could handle his liquor. Now he realized he couldn’t get drunk at all. “Damn it, what’s going on? I can’t even get drunk.”

Kicking the empty bottle in frustration, he returned home. His parents had been busy these days, focused on drafting the foundation’s charter and approving donations, with no time to pay attention to him. Hu Li barely looked up. “Have you eaten?”

“Already,” Liu Yunfei replied, entering his room and closing the door without turning on the light. He threw himself onto the bed. Despite drinking plenty, he wasn’t drunk but rather more awake. Her words carried hidden meaning—love, yet unable to accept it? Was there some secret? Two worlds apart? Or maybe he had gone too far today, making her jealous? She had her own life. What did that mean? Had she promised someone? If anyone dared to steal his woman, he would find out who it truly was.

Thinking yielded no answers. The short hand on the clock had already made three more rotations. Might as well sleep. Liu Yunfei’s so-called sleep was really just lying in bed practicing cultivation. Ever since he placed that ancient spirit stone into the luminous jade slip, strange things had happened. Whenever he practiced breath control, the light inside the stone would begin to flow rapidly. Normally, the light moved slowly like water, but once he circulated his energy, it spun like a revolving lantern, flashing with flickering seven-colored light.

At first, he felt nothing different. After cultivation, the sensation was the same as before, and the stone’s light slowed down again. But after a week, Liu Yunfei noticed the stone’s glow seemed to dim slightly, gradually changing. Though he wasn’t sure, he could feel a fluid-like flow inside his body—not quite gas, but more like water.

This watery flow mirrored the seven-colored light inside the spirit stone. Though faint, Liu Yunfei could sense it clearly. Moreover, this flow could move according to his will, even leaving his body. He had tried several times: the seven-colored stream could fill any part of his body or flow out from anywhere.

Half-reclining on his bed, Liu Yunfei gathered all the water-like power in his fingertips and slowly pushed it out. The size was no larger than a fingernail, but it shone brilliantly, instantly lighting up the room like a small lamp.

Though this seven-colored orb hovered outside his body, it remained under his mental control, dispersing into finer beads that shifted into various shapes. At that moment, when Liu Yunfei thought of Park Minji, the water flow could even form a beautiful, seven-colored face.

Liu Yunfei had also tried to use this flow to attack, but it was ineffective—it didn’t explode. As for entering another’s body, he hadn’t dared to try, fearing it might cause harm. At the very least, this water flow had one use: its dazzling effect could be used to impress the ladies.

Still, Liu Yunfei worried. If he absorbed all the energy from the spirit stone, wouldn’t it become a mere stone? Worthless? He had planned to keep it for his descendants. But since he wasn’t short on money, he continued practicing breath control.

Sometimes, the world feels vast—many people we want to meet in the same city remain strangers for years without chance encounters, like Wu Jiangya. Yet other times, the world feels small; people you’ve met only once can suddenly cross your path again.

This morning, Liu Yunfei woke early. He needed to get his driver’s license and visit the luxury car dealership. He took a taxi to the vehicle administration office, found Officer Zhao, got his license, and then headed straight to the dealership. The Porsche had indeed arrived, but the saleswoman said the registration was still being processed and advised him to come back once it was ready. Naturally, every buyer wanted to drive their dream car immediately, and Liu Yunfei was no exception. He thought that since Officer Zhao had been so helpful, the least he could do was repay him with those few packs of Su Yan cigarettes.

After paying the balance and handling the paperwork, Liu Yunfei drove back to the vehicle office and parked in front of the hall. The security guards, friends of Officer Zhao, naturally dared not interfere. As he stepped out and closed the door, two people emerged from the hall—two he had only met once before, and who had nothing to do with each other.

A man and a woman, seemingly lovers, linked arms and chatted happily. The woman was striking, wearing a black lace-trimmed miniskirt, adorned head to toe with thick gold chains. The man was slightly younger, scholarly-looking, with gold-rimmed glasses—a college student, or just a college student.

They saw Liu Yunfei, and of course, he saw them. The young man’s expression instantly darkened as he tried to turn away. Unexpectedly, the woman pulled him over, smiling brightly at Liu Yunfei. It wasn’t that she was physically stronger—it was that he lacked confidence, spending her money.

“Little brother, I really misjudged you last time. Didn’t expect you weren’t just a gun-for-hire. What’s this car called? Jiebai?”

“Colgate,” Liu Yunfei replied with a radiant smile, grinning at both of them. Some might expect him to be angry—for the girl still lingering in the hospital—but Liu Yunfei just wanted to laugh. He now had an excuse. He wouldn’t feel guilty for breaking up their relationship.

The woman didn’t sense anything unusual in his smile; men always smiled so brightly at her, especially the young boys she liked. She turned to the young man beside her and said, “Last time you said you were busy and didn’t come with me. It was this little brother who helped me pass the traffic rules. Haha, I even…”