Chapter 66: Exposed Before Everyone!
He was no fool. No one liked being deceived.
As soon as he spoke, the bodyguards standing nearby moved in, surrounding the three led by Master Xu with fierce vigilance.
Shi Jin’s face changed dramatically at the sight. He had only brought seven or eight men with him—if these magnates turned hostile now, it would be a miracle if he left Hangzhou alive.
Boss Zhang was so terrified that his whole body went limp, sliding straight from his seat to the floor.
“Heh.” Yet Master Xu appeared utterly unfazed by the crowd of black-clad guards, instead fixing Ye Fei with a sinister gaze. “Kid, do you really think a few words from you can deny the value of this imperial robe?”
“Have you all forgotten the scene earlier, when goldfish appeared in the porcelain bowl out of nowhere?!”
His shout stabilized the atmosphere for a moment.
The businessmen furrowed their brows. Indeed, everyone had witnessed that scene clearly just now. Even though the imperial robe had been repaired, the aura of luck was undeniably present. Otherwise, how could goldfish have materialized so suddenly?
“Is that so?”
Ye Fei sneered, replying, “Then why don’t you take out your porcelain bowl again and let everyone see the goldfish inside?”
“You!”
“Just because you say so? Who do you think you are?” Master Xu’s face twisted with anger as he turned to shout.
But at his outburst, Tang Sheng signaled his bodyguards, who promptly moved in around Master Xu.
“You lot! What do you intend to do?” Master Xu asked in panic.
“Just as this young man said—bring out the porcelain bowl and let everyone have a look,” Tang Sheng said, narrowing his eyes.
Master Xu drew a deep breath, glanced at the burly men around him, and dared not protest. He could only steel himself and take out the porcelain bowl once more.
Inside, the goldfish that had once darted about energetically now floated belly-up, dead.
“This…”
“What’s going on here?”
“They died?”
The businessmen widened their eyes in shock.
“Without the nourishment of luck, naturally they die!” Master Xu snorted, “You laymen understand nothing!”
“….”
Several bosses were momentarily at a loss.
But then—
Ye Fei stepped forward, grabbed the porcelain bowl, and smashed it forcefully to the ground.
Crack.
The bowl split cleanly in two.
Its contents were now exposed.
“Stop!”
“What?!”
“This…”
“How dare you, scoundrel!”
Ye Fei ignored the commotion, swept a cold gaze around, and said, “You see now? This thing is nothing but a prop. The goldfish died because there was no air inside!”
“What?”
Li Changgong’s face fell, rage boiling within him.
Tang Sheng was even more furious, slamming his palm on the table, his whole body trembling in anger.
Each of these magnates was a renowned figure in high society—how could they remain calm after being duped by such a cheap trick?
“Fine, very fine!”
“You three dare play games with me?”
Tang Yushu’s face darkened, each word spat through gritted teeth.
“Take these three frauds and deliver them to the police!”
“Yes!”
Several bodyguards surged forth.
Master Xu’s face flashed with terror at the sight, but he didn’t lose his composure. He took a deep breath and, for all to see, assumed a stance, drawing a circle with his hands.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
With several thuds, seven or eight bodyguards were suddenly swept up by an invisible force, sent tumbling backward.
“What’s this?”
“Qigong?”
Ye Fei’s brows rose.
Well now! It seemed Master Xu actually knew a little qigong.
The surrounding magnates exchanged bewildered glances, uncertain what was happening.
“Ye, you dared expose me—I’ll kill you!”
Master Xu turned abruptly, striking at Ye Fei with his palm.
Thanks to his Vision Eye, Ye Fei could clearly see the currents of energy swirling around Master Xu’s hand, carrying a chill. If struck by that, an ordinary person’s ribs would shatter with ease.
But this was only the most basic level of qigong—nothing remarkable.
“Ye Fei, dodge!” Chen Yu, beside him, was far less composed, shouting urgently.
Ye Fei remained unmoved, sitting calmly.
“I’ve schemed for so long, and you ruined it with a single remark!”
“You deserve to die!”
Master Xu, overcome by rage, cared nothing for the consequences. He raised both hands, aiming to strike Ye Fei’s head. If those twin streams of energy hit, Ye Fei’s skull would be crushed effortlessly.
Chen Yu gasped at the sight.
“That’s all?”
Suddenly, Ye Fei laughed aloud.
He shook his head as he chuckled. “I thought you had some real skills. How disappointing.”
“But since everyone here wants to see what this imperial robe can really do—fine, let me show you!”
Ye Fei nimbly sidestepped Master Xu’s attack, snatched the imperial robe, and draped it over himself, sliding his hands easily into its sleeves.
As those present gazed at him in astonishment and confusion, his expression shifted.
In an instant—
Ye Fei seemed utterly transformed. His presence became vast and imposing, exerting pressure upon everyone in the room. Even his brown eyes flashed briefly with a pale golden light, casting a subtle aura of authority as he surveyed the crowd.
Then—
“Are you not kneeling yet?”
Ye Fei smiled coolly at Master Xu.
With a wave of his hand, an invisible force pressed down.
In a heartbeat,
Master Xu cried out in pain, collapsing to the ground as if pinned by an invisible palm, forced to kneel before Ye Fei.
“What the—?”
“What is this?”
The surrounding businessmen couldn’t help but exclaim.
Master Xu, meanwhile, looked at Ye Fei with terror, trembling like a rabbit before a tiger.
As Ye Fei approached step by step, Master Xu forgot all pretense of dignity or mystical airs, scrambling on his knees and elbows, kowtowing repeatedly.
“Mercy, Master! Spare me, spare me!”
Master Xu was utterly shattered by Ye Fei’s display, left with no fight in him, only begging for mercy.
Under the stunned gaze of all present, Ye Fei stepped forward and said, “I exposed your scheme—do you accept it?”
“I accept, I accept, I accept!” Master Xu stammered, voice shaking.
Ye Fei advanced again, demanding, “I ruined your business, destroyed your reputation, forced you to kneel and beg—do you accept that?”
“I accept, I accept, of course I accept!” Master Xu nodded desperately.
“Since you admit defeat, I’ll spare your life—for now.” Ye Fei smiled calmly, removed the imperial robe, hung it back on the rack, and turned to say, “From now on, if you so much as set foot in Hangzhou again, your life is forfeit.”