He was determined to rescue the woman named Liu Fuqu from that damned sect, no matter the cost.
He didn't want to owe anyone, much less have someone gamble their entire life to save him.
Chen Tao, of course, had no idea what Ren Yuanhao was thinking. Upon hearing that he was looking for an apartment to solve his housing problem, he suddenly clapped his hands and said, "An apartment? That's great. A friend of mine has one available. It's in a good environment and spacious enough for Big Brother and your sisters-in-law."
"Haha, actually, you're overthinking it. I'll be honest with you, these three are completely innocent with me. If I'm looking for an apartment, it's for them. I'm used to being poor, and living in a place that's too nice makes me uncomfortable all over."
The real reason Ren Yuanhao said this wasn't to distance himself, but due to his work. After all, these three women embodied every man's imagination of a woman: domineering, intelligent, quirky, with slender waists, long legs, and breathtaking beauty. The longer he spent with them, the more he felt a sense of weariness. Yet, the world didn't allow him to be weary. He feared that if he slackened, when it was time to truly exert himself, he would only be able to weep at his own inadequacy.
He didn't expect anyone to understand these thoughts. The path of a strong person was always a lonely one. Once one fell into a haven of softness, death was not far behind.
This was his epiphany after enduring so many disasters.
With great power comes great responsibility was no mere jest.
Chen Tao, and even the three women, were unaware of his true inner thoughts, and the situation suddenly became a little awkward.
Just as Chen Tao was about to smooth things over, Ren Yuanhao continued his previous statement, "Finding an apartment might really trouble you. I have 200,000 here," he handed the card to Ye Lan and said slowly, "Why don't you all follow Brother Chen to settle down first? I still need to find Brother Liu Yu. My sleep has delayed things too much…"
"Ren Yuanhao, are you planning to abandon us? Or are you preparing to venture out alone again? What do you take us for?"
Shen Lan Ni's expression was somewhat frozen. In fact, it wasn't just her; Yang Lingxue and Ye Lan also looked solemn.
This barrage of questions left Ren Yuanhao stunned. Chen Tao and his companions tactfully withdrew. After a long pause, Ren Yuanhao slowly said, "Without me, Shen Lan Ni, you could still live proudly and fully. Yang Lingxue, you would remain the carefree eldest daughter of the Yang family. Ye Lan, you would still be the ice queen goddess in the hearts of all otaku. I am merely a disruptor. There is no sunlight on my path, only suffocating darkness. I can't predict what I'll encounter in the future, nor can I make any promises to you…"
"Then why did you save us? If you didn't want to get involved with us too deeply, why didn't you let us die in Lion Heart Building? At least then, you might have felt a little guilty, and at least you would have remembered us for a lifetime?"
Ye Lan's entire face was almost hidden by her sunglasses and veil, yet Ren Yuanhao seemed to still be able to see the disappointment written on her face.
"If my life were to be mediocre, my soul would probably mock me. What is a proud and fulfilling life? That's just a ridiculous excuse imposed on me by those who couldn't achieve it. Have you ever experienced hiding alone in a guesthouse by the sea, shivering under a quilt, watching the waves surge and batter the fishing boats, as the sliver of hope in your heart gradually extinguishes? You don't know that everyone has a demon living inside them. Only by staying together can the lonely find warmth. Ren Yuanhao, why did you give me brilliant sunshine, only to cruelly take it away?"
"Don't say it like that. We just had such a wonderful meal, and I felt like happiness was so close. I didn't expect this to be a farewell meal. Ren Yuanhao, you're truly heartless."
The three women stood up simultaneously, and Ye Lan returned the card to Ren Yuanhao's hand.
"Don't underestimate us. We can still live well in this strange city without you. Yuanhao, perhaps you think we'll be a burden, that we'll hinder your ambitions. Well, since we've had our farewell meal, let's part ways here."
As soon as she finished speaking, the three women turned and left without looking back.
Ren Yuanhao made no move to chase after them. Hesitation breeds disaster; this was the biggest lesson he learned from this incident. Of course, despite his resolute words, he truly couldn't let go. To say he had no feelings for them would be a complete lie.
At that moment, Chen Tao and another person emerged from the sea of flowers.
"What's wrong? The sisters-in-law seem very angry~"
"I've told you, they and I are completely innocent, as pure as scallions mixed with tofu."
Ren Yuanhao lit a cigarette. Only nicotine could temporarily make him forget his troubles.
"Oh, right. There's a company gala and dance tonight, and many celebrities from Yun Jin City will be attending. Why don't you come too, Big Brother?"
Chen Tao's intentions were good, but Ren Yuanhao wasn't in the mood. He politely declined and, under their guidance, rented a one-bedroom, one-living room, one-bathroom apartment. By the time they settled down, it was almost three in the afternoon.
"Finally, I'm alone again. This is how a single person should live."
Ren Yuanhao suddenly jumped onto the bed, and his damned heart again thought of the three women, of the gentle Zhang Yingfang.
"Damn it, Ren Yuanhao, do you have any principles?"
Ren Yuanhao slapped himself hard and then took out an item from his neatly packed luggage – the lower volume of the Flying Dragon Exploring Clouds Hand he had acquired from the large chest.
"It seems only by diligently practicing can I clear my mind."
He sat cross-legged, a rare moment of leisure to assess his physical condition.
His body, having been conditioned by snake gall for the past ten-plus days, had finally stabilized its internal energy. However, Ren Yuanhao, who had suffered greatly from the clashing of internal energies, was hesitant to mobilize it easily. He could only sit cross-legged and meditate, firmly memorizing the extremely practical techniques of the lower volume of the Flying Dragon Exploring Clouds Hand.
However, inheriting the upper volume, memorizing the lower volume's techniques was much easier than practicing the upper volume before.
The upper volume primarily mentioned assisting internal energy with mental intent, activating the entire body with a single movement, emphasizing a guiding principle of mental intent preceding physical movements—a mental intent flow. Due to the incompleteness of the secret manual, its comprehension was more difficult than the lower volume.
The lower volume, obtained this time, focused on the wondrous state of internal energy as a guide, achieving a state of unity. It was no longer simply about pilfering jade and stealing the moon, or taking things from pockets. It involved some more complex footwork, enabling Ren Yuanhao to fight more freely and spontaneously.
Just as Ren Yuanhao was immersed in the profound world of the Flying Dragon Exploring Clouds Hand, the system's mechanical and cold voice suddenly sounded.
"Beep beep, congratulations to the host, Flying Dragon Exploring Clouds Hand has been upgraded to intermediate level, with a one percent agility bonus."