Pan Hong carefully sized up Chen Yang and nodded to himself. From his appearance and demeanor alone, this guy is truly impeccable.

"Have you been drinking?" Pan Hong asked.

"I had a few drinks with my dad. He's already asleep."

Pan Hong nodded. "Old Ghost Ren only has you as an adopted son. You should come back and visit him more often."

Chen Yang nodded in agreement.

"By the way, are you still with the Martial Department?" Pan Hong got straight to the point. "Is it a civilian or military post? What's your current rank?"

The string of three questions momentarily stunned Chen Yang, but out of politeness, he answered each one. "I'm still in the Martial Department. As for my position, it's not worth mentioning."

Not worth mentioning? To Pan Hong, this clearly meant Chen Yang was too embarrassed to say. He wasn't surprised. In the Martial Department, getting promoted was as difficult as ascending to the heavens, regardless of whether it was a civil or military position. Moreover, Chen Yang only had a Martial Guard with no connections backing him. It was incredibly difficult for him to climb the ranks in the Martial Department on his own.

"My second son is one of the district heads in Tianque City. My grandson, Pan Yang, is a fifth-rank Military General," Pan Hong said calmly.

He wasn't saying this to show off. As the Pan Family Head, he wouldn't stoop so low as to boast in front of a poor young man. He was simply informing Chen Yang of his family's situation, implying that he could help if needed. After all, given his status, he couldn't just directly offer assistance to Chen Yang. The other party had to be the one to ask first.

However, Chen Yang just nodded. "Hmm, that's very impressive."

This left Pan Hong visibly stunned, and he shook his head silently. This guy is as arrogant as ever! No wonder he hasn't achieved anything significant after all these years in the Martial Department. His personality alone is holding back his development. In life, you have to know when to bow your head and learn how to leverage the power of others. Otherwise, you'll never be able to seize an opportunity, even if it's right in front of you.

In fact, if Chen Yang had just humbled himself a little and asked for help, Pan Hong would have agreed instantly.

What a shame, what a true shame… He has no real ability, yet he insists on putting on such airs. People like him are just pathetic.

Pan Hong smiled. "Of course, they are excellent!"

The subtext was clear: their excellence wasn't for someone like Chen Yang to comment on.

How could Chen Yang not understand the meaning behind his words? He simply smiled and waved his hand. "Elder Pan, let's talk again when we have time."

With that, Chen Yang began to stroll around the neighborhood.

Pan Hong shook his head and sighed. "He's got the same attitude as that old coot Ren Tong—all temper and no talent! I was thinking of giving you a hand for old times' sake, but how am I supposed to help you when you're like this?" Truly, you can't prop up a wall with mud.

...

The neighborhood wasn't large, and Chen Yang quickly completed a circuit.

He eventually returned to the small square from before. Due to the earlier chess game, many of the elderly residents recognized him and stared, sizing him up. From their expressions, it was clear that Ren Tong wasn't very popular around here either.

But Chen Yang didn't care.

Stretching under the sun and rolling his neck, Chen Yang's attention was caught by a grandfather and his granddaughter not far away. The old man, dressed in black Training Clothes, was full of vigor. With one hand behind his back, he would occasionally use the other to correct the form of the young girl practicing her punches.

The little girl, who had her hair in a ponytail, pouted and muttered, "Grandpa, can we practice tomorrow instead?"

Her only response was the old man's stern gaze.

Seeing this, a smile touched the corners of Chen Yang's lips. Didn't Old Ghost Ren teach me the same way more than a decade ago? The only difference was that Ren Tong liked to hold a willow switch. If any move wasn't perfect, that thin, flexible switch would come whipping over. The stinging pain is something I can't forget to this day.

Chen Yang stopped and watched with amusement.

Before long, the girl, Liu Xuan, noticed his gaze. The smile playing on his lips ignited a surge of uncontrollable anger within her. Is that guy mocking me?

At this thought, her cheeks puffed out. She pointed a finger at Chen Yang and said fiercely, "Stop looking, or I'll beat you up!"

Chen Yang was taken aback. This girl has a fiery temper!

He rubbed his nose but showed no intention of leaving.

"You..." Liu Xuan fumed, but before she could say more, the old man beside her quickly chided her. "Xuanxuan, why are you being so rude?"

"Grandpa, that guy is making fun of me!" Liu Xuan said angrily.

The old man glanced at Chen Yang. "So, it's you! Old Ghost Ren mentioned you work for the Martial Department?"

"Yes," Chen Yang nodded.

The old man smiled. "In that case, your skills must be decent. How about a sparring match with my granddaughter?"

"Not interested."

"Hmph!" Liu Xuan sneered. "I think you're just scared, aren't you?"

Chen Yang was amused; this girl truly had a short fuse. He smiled and said, "You're no match for me."

As he spoke, he casually caught a falling leaf and began toying with it in his hand.

The old man's eyebrows twitched, clearly finding Chen Yang too arrogant.

Liu Xuan laughed with anger. "Anyone can talk big! If you've really got skills, then come over and prove it. With so many people watching, we'll see who's no match for whom after a fight!"

"I said, I'm not interested," Chen Yang stated flatly. He wasn't so bored as to get into a contest of strength with a little girl.

Many onlookers shot him looks of ridicule and began whispering amongst themselves.

"He's just what you'd expect from Old Ghost Ren's adopted son, even boasts the same way."

"Like father, like son. Isn't it obvious?"

"Heh, he's just a joke."

Liu Xuan raised her small, clenched fist. "Why do you have to be such a coward? You're not fighting my grandpa, you're fighting me! Are you really afraid of a girl?"

The old man remained silent, simply watching the scene unfold.

Chen Yang was speechless. Is this what they call an unexpected disaster?

He turned to walk away.

However, a young man with his hands in his pockets walked over, blocking his path. In his early thirties and dressed in designer clothes, he carried himself with a confident air, a self-assured smirk permanently on his face. "Hey, you're the one who provoked Xuanxuan, and now you want to just walk away? Aren't you getting a little full of yourself?"

"He Ziqing, this has nothing to do with you, so back off!" Liu Xuan frowned, a flash of disgust in her lively eyes. He Ziqing was another resident of the neighborhood who had been pursuing her for some time, but she was completely uninterested, even repulsed by him. She hadn't expected him to interfere.

"Xuanxuan, this guy provoked you, so of course I can't just stand by and do nothing! Don't worry, I'll make him apologize." He Ziqing smiled at Chen Yang. "Kid, how about you apologize before you leave?"

As he spoke, he reached out his hand, intending to gently pat Chen Yang's cheek.

Chen Yang took a simple sidestep, easily avoiding the touch. Without a word, he continued to walk away.

He Ziqing's hand met empty air. His expression instantly darkened, feeling a great loss of face. He spun around, took a bounding step forward, and reached out with curved fingers to grab Chen Yang's shoulder. How could I lose so much face in front of all these people?

Chen Yang stopped, lifted his leg, and delivered a sidekick that landed squarely on He Ziqing's abdomen.

BANG!

He Ziqing's body bent like a bow as he flew backward, crashing heavily into a flower bed five or six meters away.

He Ziqing was speechless.

Liu Xuan was speechless.

Everyone was speechless.

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