Chapter 78: Personal Bodyguard
He was about to rush over and confront the thugs when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking up, he saw Li Chunqiu, an elderly man in his sixties wearing a long robe, calmly walking over. He whispered in Xia Yu's ear, "I'm here!"
Before Xia Yu could react, one of the thugs shouted, "Old man, get lost! Don't be a nuisance!" As he yelled, the thug swung a punch at Li Chunqiu.
What happened next stunned Xia Yu. Li Chunqiu swiftly grabbed the thug's fist, twisted his body, pulled him, and then kicked his feet, causing him to be suspended in mid-air. Li Chunqiu's hands then retracted and struck the thug's chest with a powerful punch.
"Bang!"
"Ah!"
The thug was sent flying, crashing hard onto the ground and spitting out blood.
Xia Yu's mouth twitched. When did an old man become so fierce? His strength was immense; he effortlessly lifted and threw the thug, completely defying Xia Yu's expectations of a frail old man.
Seeing their comrade being dealt with, the other two thugs realized Li Chunqiu was not to be trifled with. They didn't retreat but instead advanced with their weapons to deal with the troublesome old man.
What followed left Xia Yu even more astonished. Li Chunqiu deftly avoided their attacks, then with a swift motion, dislocated one thug's arm with a loud crack, and quickly incapacitated the others by breaking their limbs and rendering them harmless.
Yao Shun was equally surprised by what was happening, but he focused on dealing with the thugs attacking him. He targeted their joints and pressure points, quickly subduing over ten thugs, leaving them groaning on the ground.
Yao Shun didn't bother with the downed thugs and hurried over to Xia Yu, expressing concern, "Xia Yu, are you alright?"
"I'm fine, thanks to you saving me!" Xia Yu expressed his gratitude and then turned to Li Chunqiu, who was calmly adjusting his robe. Xia Yu's eyes showed a hint of amazement, and he said, "Doctor Li, thank you for saving me!"
"There's no need for thanks. If something happens in front of my door, I can't just ignore it," Li Chunqiu said dismissively.
At this moment, a middle-aged man rushed out from the clinic. Xia Yu recognized him as Li Chunqiu's son, Li Wuyang, whom he had met once before.
Li Wuyang glanced at the groaning thugs on the ground, his face darkening. He approached Xia Yu and Yao Shun, nodded to them, and then asked his father, "Dad, what's going on? Someone dared to cause trouble here?"
"Li Wuyang, they're here to trouble me, not the clinic. I apologize for the inconvenience," Xia Yu quickly explained, feeling a bit embarrassed for bringing trouble to their door.
Hearing Xia Yu's explanation, Li Wuyang's expression softened. As long as it wasn't trouble for his family, he didn't mind. However, causing trouble at his doorstep was disrespectful, and Li Wuyang was not going to let them off lightly. He approached the fleeing thugs, stepping on one of them, and began questioning him.
"Let's go inside," Li Chunqiu said, seemingly unfazed by his son's actions.
As Xia Yu and Yao Shun were about to enter the clinic, they saw another group of people rushing out from the street corner, also armed. Yao Shun instinctively moved forward, but Xia Yu quickly stopped him, saying, "They're with us."
Xia Yu recognized one of them as Xia Lei.
Xia Lei and his group arrived, immediately attacking the thugs who were trying to escape. Xia Lei ran up to Xia Yu, breathless, and said, "Ah Yu, are you alright? Damn it, I arrived too late!"
"I'm fine, don't worry. But how did you know someone would come after me?" Xia Yu asked, curious about how Xia Lei knew about the trouble.
"It's from the Black Shark Society. After the previous incident, I kept an eye on them. I noticed something was off and learned they were coming for you, so I rushed over. I didn't expect to be late, but thankfully, you're okay!" Xia Lei said, feeling both guilty and relieved.
"Black Shark Society…" Xia Yu's eyes grew cold, his anger flaring. He hadn't expected them to retaliate so boldly in broad daylight. Without Yao Shun and Li Chunqiu, he might have been in serious danger.
The Black Shark Society was targeting his life!
"Xia Lei, you should head back. I'm fine here. Bringing so many people will only cause more trouble, and the police might come soon. It's better if you leave," Xia Yu advised.
Xia Lei hesitated, looked at Xia Yu's serious expression, then at Yao Shun, and noticed the ten or so thugs on the ground. Realizing Xia Yu was safe, he nodded and soon left, though not before giving the thugs another severe beating.
Back inside the clinic, Xia Yu sat down and recalled what Li Chunqiu had said earlier. He started to feel uneasy.
It was too uncanny. Li Chunqiu had mentioned that dark energy surrounded his face and warned him to be cautious. Then, right after leaving, he was nearly attacked—clearly an ambush. Xia Yu instinctively wondered if Li Chunqiu had a hand in this, but quickly dismissed the thought.
From the situation, Li Chunqiu seemed unaware and had acted to help him. It was impossible for Li Chunqiu to be working with the Black Shark Society. Moreover, Li Chunqiu's son Li Wuyang's attitude seemed genuine, so perhaps Li Chunqiu had indeed seen something?
Thinking about this, Xia Yu couldn't help but entertain the possibility that Li Chunqiu might have some special abilities.
It was better to believe there might be something to it than to dismiss it entirely! His safety was crucial!
"Doctor Li, how does my physiognomy look now? Am I still in danger?" Xia Yu asked anxiously.
Li Chunqiu didn't refuse or immediately answer. Instead, he examined Xia Yu from top to bottom, shook his head slightly, and said, "Xia Yu, your physiognomy is still the same. You must have angered someone. Be extra careful in the coming days. It's too dangerous to go out alone."
"Really…" Xia Yu's heart sank, and he clenched his fists tightly.
Yao Shun, standing beside him, heard Li Chunqiu's words and looked at Xia Yu. After a moment of hesitation, he said, "Xia Yu, if you don't mind, I can stay with you from now on. As long as I'm here, no one can touch a hair on you!"
With that, Yao Shun looked at Xia Yu with determination.
Xia Yu looked up at Yao Shun. He certainly hoped Yao Shun would be his bodyguard. Based on what happened earlier, Yao Shun was exceptionally skilled. With him around, even if twenty or more people came, Xia Yu would feel secure. However, if Yao Shun became his bodyguard, what would happen to his son, Yan Hong?
Xia Yu wasn't heartless. He couldn't just think of himself and disregard others. He genuinely sympathized with Yan Hong, who had cancer and no mother. The thought of Yao Shun leaving his son to protect him made Xia Yu feel guilty.
As if sensing Xia Yu's concerns, Li Chunqiu, stroking his beard with a smile, reassured him, "Don't worry. Yan Hong will be fine. He's receiving treatment here, and his condition can be managed. He's able to move around normally and doesn't need extra care. Besides, you can still visit during the day."
Seeing Li Chunqiu's mysterious aura and Li Wuyang's nod, which seemed to confirm Li Chunqiu's words, Xia Yu finally felt relieved.
"Yao Shun, I'll rely on you from now on," Xia Yu said solemnly.
"Xia Yu, it's the least I can do. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't know what to do now. Maybe…" Yao Shun began but couldn't continue, his eyes filled with gratitude.
"Doctor, how does Xia Yu's physiognomy look now? Is there any improvement?" Yao Shun asked anxiously, still concerned for Xia Yu's safety.
Xia Yu also looked at Li Chunqiu, noticing that Li Wuyang seemed tense and looked concerned at his father, who shook his head, indicating that Xia Yu was alright.
This left Xia Yu with doubts. Were there any taboos in physiognomy?
"Your physiognomy is much better than before. Though still not fully clear, the dark energy has diminished considerably. It's safe to say the worst has passed, but you still need to be cautious. Other than that, I can't discern more," Li Chunqiu advised.
Hearing this, Yao Shun sighed in relief. As long as Li Chunqiu was useful, Yao Shun, who had always believed in Feng Shui due to family reasons, accepted Li Chunqiu's assessment,
especially considering what had just happened.
He hadn't forgotten Li Chunqiu's impressive combat skills. Despite his age, Li Chunqiu had fought off three men. It was a pity Yao Shun didn't observe more details while dealing with the thugs; it left him somewhat regretful.
"Thank you, Doctor," Xia Yu said sincerely, bowing to Li Chunqiu.
This gesture improved Li Wuyang's mood.
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Xia Yu and Yao Shun left together. Yao Shun was determined to act as Xia Yu's personal bodyguard from now on.
As they drove away, Li Wuyang couldn't hold back any longer and asked his father, "Dad, you haven't read physiognomy for over twenty years. Why did you make an exception today? Is Xia Yu truly special?"
Li Chunqiu sighed deeply, gazing towards the north as if seeing a place he longed for.
Li Wuyang knew his father had drifted into memories, a familiar occurrence. He waited quietly.
After a long silence, Li Chunqiu returned to the present and said slowly, "Among everyone I've seen in Hong Kong, including Li Jiacheng and Bao Yugang, no one's physiognomy matches his. His physiognomy keeps changing, and I can't fully discern it. What I do know is that his life is extraordinarily valuable. In my sixty-plus years, I've never seen anyone like him."
Li Wuyang was shocked. He had never doubted his father's skill but hadn't expected to hear his father say he couldn't read Xia Yu's fate. This was the first time.
"I see hope in him… Master…" Li Chunqiu murmured, seemingly lost in recollection.
Li Wuyang sighed, understanding his father's only obsession in life.
"If that's the case, I will ensure Father's wish is fulfilled!" With Li Chunqiu now 68 years old, Li Wuyang made a silent resolution.