Chapter 41: Apprehension, Mysterious Background

Seeing this, Li Mazi’s face lit up with excitement. He eagerly embellished the story to Xie Long, saying, “Brother Long! Don’t forget to deal with the kid inside! That guy is so arrogant—just now, he even said you should kneel and call him big brother!”

Hearing this, a flicker of anger flashed in Xie Long’s eyes. He snorted coldly, “Oh really? Then I’d like to see who could be so full of himself!”

Listening to the commotion outside, Li Chao’s lips curved into a faint, contemptuous smile.

He thought to himself, “These little thugs really don’t know their place. But that’s fine; I haven’t stretched my muscles in a while.”

“Hey, kid, get out here!” Xie Long was shouting at the door.

Li Chao slowly walked out of the room, a slight smile on his lips, his eyes brimming with disdain.

The moment Xie Long saw Li Chao, he was stunned. He never expected to run into Li Chao here. He remembered all too well how, the last time they’d fought, he’d ended up badly beaten. Now, faced with him again, a wave of inexplicable fear surged in his chest.

Li Chao looked at Xie Long with a half-smile, his tone laced with mockery. “Brother Long, we meet again!”

Xie Long’s expression turned ugly, his heart filled with apprehension and dread. He knew he was no match for Li Chao, yet surrounded by his followers, he couldn’t back down.

“What do you want, Li Chao?” Xie Long forced his voice to be stern, though his bravado felt hollow.

Li Chao replied coolly, “I don’t want anything. I just heard someone making a ruckus outside and thought I’d come take a look.”

Seeing how calm Li Chao was, Xie Long’s men began to feel uneasy.

“What should we do, Brother Long?” one of them whispered anxiously.

Xie Long cursed inwardly, not knowing how to handle the situation. He realized that fighting Li Chao would only end badly, but if he did nothing, his dignity would be lost.

While Xie Long hesitated, Li Chao spoke up. “Xie Long, I don’t want to fight you today. Take your men and leave—don’t bother me again.”

Xie Long was secretly relieved. He hadn’t expected Li Chao to let him off so easily. Still, he forced himself to act unfazed, sneering, “Don’t think I’m scared of you, Li Chao. I just don’t want to make a big scene today.”

Li Chao thought to himself, “These thugs really don’t know their limits. But I’ll let it go for today. If I run into them again, they won’t be so lucky.”

He gave Xie Long a look of disdain.

That look alone made Xie Long tremble uncontrollably. His mind raced: “Who is this Li Chao? How can he have such a powerful aura? Could he be the boss of some gang?”

The thought made Xie Long even more afraid.

Li Chao had barely spoken when Xie Long, terrified, suddenly dropped to his knees with a thud, pleading in a trembling voice, “Big brother! You’re the real big brother! I was just here to help with a little errand—I didn’t know I’d run into you! Please forgive me! I deserve whatever punishment you see fit!”

Xie Long’s sudden submission left everyone stunned. No one could have imagined that the notorious Xie Long, who strutted around Shiyuan County like he owned the place, would be so terrified of Li Chao.

Li Chao, however, looked utterly unfazed, as though he had expected this all along. Smiling slightly, he turned and walked away, leaving Xie Long and his followers dumbfounded.

Xie Long watched Li Chao’s departing figure, his heart filled with regret and fear. He knew he was thoroughly defeated this time. From now on, his reputation in Shiyuan County would likely plummet.

His followers exchanged bewildered glances, all wondering, “Who exactly is this Li Chao? How could even Brother Long be so afraid of him?”

“Listen up, all of you,” Xie Long’s voice trembled, “No one is to mess with Li Chao ever again, understand?”

His men nodded in quick agreement. One of them couldn’t help but ask, “Brother Long, who is this Li Chao, anyway? Why are you so scared of him?”

Xie Long thought to himself, “I have to get to the bottom of Li Chao’s background, or else how can I survive in Shiyuan County?”

He took a deep breath, doing his best to steady his voice. “Li Chao is no ordinary man. Not only is he skilled, but he’s also connected to Ye Wuji. If you cross him, you’re digging your own grave!”

The men gasped in shock. They all knew Ye Wuji’s influence in Shiyuan County and wouldn’t dare offend him lightly.

Xie Long’s heart was now consumed by fear and remorse. He had thought Li Chao was just a simple village doctor, never imagining he’d have such a formidable background. Now, not only had he offended Li Chao, but he might also have attracted Ye Wuji’s ire.

“How could I have been so foolish?” Xie Long berated himself. “How did I make such a mistake? What if Ye Wuji decides to retaliate?”

The more he thought about it, the more fearful he became, his body trembling uncontrollably. Gone was his usual arrogance and swagger, replaced with profound dread and awe.

He knelt as if bowing to fate itself, submitting to Li Chao. His face was ashen, cold sweat poured down his forehead, and he shook all over.

Li Mazi and the others, who had been bewildered moments before, were now completely stunned by Xie Long’s behavior.

“Brother Long, what’s wrong with you? He’s just a village doctor—why are you so scared?” Li Mazi tried to probe for answers, but before he could finish, Xie Long stood up in a rage and kicked Li Mazi to the ground.

Li Mazi cried out in pain, blood seeping from his lips, his eyes filled with resentment and confusion. He couldn’t understand why Xie Long was so terrified of Li Chao.

Inwardly, Xie Long thought, “This Li Chao is not an ordinary man. His gaze carries an authority that sends chills down my spine. I’ve been in the underworld for years and never met anyone like him. Just one look from him, and I felt a crushing pressure, as if all my strength had been drained. I can’t let him discover my secret, or the consequences will be dire.”

From a distance, Yu Xin watched, utterly perplexed. She looked at the usually quiet village doctor, Li Chao, her heart filled with curiosity and confusion. She couldn’t understand how this seemingly ordinary man could inspire such fear in Xie Long.

Unable to hold back, Yu Xin asked softly, “Li Chao, do you know Xie Long? Why does he treat you with such respect?”

Li Chao smiled faintly and answered calmly, “I don’t know him. Perhaps he knows someone from my past.”

Yu Xin grew even more curious. “And who might that be? Who could make someone like Xie Long so afraid?”

A trace of sorrow flickered in Li Chao’s eyes. “That’s a story best left untold,” he said gently.

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Yu Xin and the fallen Li Mazi behind, both filled with questions.

“Are you trying to get yourself killed?” Xie Long shouted angrily. “That guy is not as simple as you think! He has deep ties with Ye Wuji—if I offend him, I’m as good as dead!”

His voice was edged with terror and fury, as if warning everyone: Li Chao is not someone to cross.

Li Mazi thought to himself, “So Li Chao is connected to Ye Wuji—that explains why Xie Long is so scared. I’d better find a way to get close to him. Maybe I can even use this to cozy up to Ye Wuji.”

Pushing down his pain, Li Mazi scrambled to his feet and obsequiously said to Li Chao, “Doctor Li, I’m truly sorry for my earlier behavior. If you ever need help with anything, just say the word—I’ll do my best.”

Li Chao looked at Li Mazi’s sycophantic expression and felt a surge of disgust.

He said coolly, “I’m just an ordinary village doctor. All I want is to treat my patients well—I don’t need your help. Don’t come looking for trouble again, or you’ll have only yourself to blame for the consequences.”

With that, he turned and left, leaving Li Mazi and the others dumbfounded.

“How is this possible?” Li Mazi muttered in disbelief. He never expected this seemingly ordinary village doctor to be so assertive.

Sweat beaded on his forehead as he wondered to himself, “Was I wrong about him? Does Li Chao really have some powerful connections? I need to find out more.”

Li Mazi went to a village elder to inquire about Li Chao’s background. The old man told him that Li Chao was indeed just a simple village doctor, with nothing remarkable about his origins.

This only deepened Li Mazi’s confusion. “If he has no background, why is he so confident? Could he really be just an ordinary doctor? No, there must be another reason. I need to watch him more closely.”

Li Mazi began to secretly observe Li Chao’s daily life. He noticed that, aside from treating patients, Li Chao often helped the elderly and children in the village and was deeply loved and respected by everyone.

A pang of guilt stirred in Li Mazi’s heart. He realized he’d misjudged Li Chao. Li Chao wasn’t relying on powerful connections but was a genuinely good and compassionate doctor.

Li Mazi decided to apologize. He found Li Chao and sincerely said, “Doctor Li, I treated you badly before. I’m sorry. I know you’re a good doctor, and I won’t bother you again.”

Li Chao smiled. “It’s alright. As long as you stop causing trouble and live honestly, that’s all anyone can ask.”

Li Mazi felt a warmth spread through him. The others began to whisper among themselves.

“It seems Li Chao isn’t simple at all—someone must be backing him.”

“Yeah, we all underestimated him before. We’d better not mess with him again.”

Xie Long’s face darkened with humiliation. He cursed himself, “How could I have acted so recklessly without investigating first? Now, instead of intimidating Li Chao, I’ve put myself in this embarrassing position.”

Taking a deep breath, he tried to steady himself. He knew he needed to salvage his reputation, or he would lose all standing before his men.

He stepped forward and said to Li Chao, “Doctor Li, I apologize for my earlier rudeness. I only had the village’s interests at heart and meant no harm. If you ever need help, just let me know—I’ll do all I can.”

Li Chao glanced at him, not fully forgiving him, but replied coolly, “I hope you’ll think twice before acting in the future and stop causing trouble for others.”

With that, he walked away without looking back.

Xie Long stood there, watching Li Chao’s retreating figure, swearing silently, “I’ll make sure you see what I’m capable of!” At the same time, he realized he could no longer afford to be reckless. In this unpredictable world, he needed to be more cautious if he wanted to survive in the village.