Only I Cultivate
Chapter 52: Lai Niu

Chapter 52: Lai Niu

Outside Feng Fan’s body, the rampaging ghostly spiritual energy eventually dissipated, and his body returned to normal. Feng Fan and Luo Li lay on the ground asleep, with he holding her in his arms.

Lai He looked at them with a conflicted expression, but he didn’t let his doubts cloud his actions.

"Everyone, the ball is concluded for today. I thank you all for coming. Please, proceed to the exit," he said, his voice imbued with spiritual energy that carried his words to every guest’s ears.

Despite their curiosity about the young man who had shown two miracles in a single moment, none dared to defy the president’s orders. Luo Ru glanced at his daughter and Feng Fan with mixed emotions. After a brief look at Lai He, who gave him a nod, he took the cue and left with his wife and son.

His eyes gleamed under the moonlight. ’I’ll have to rethink the marriage with the Jia family,’ he thought.

Once the guests had dispersed, Director Mao approached Lai He with a pale face.

"Good evening, President. It’s fortunate that everything ended well tonight..."

"Hmph." Lai He snorted. "You’re lucky your contributions to the country are substantial, or I wouldn’t let this slide."

Director Mao gave a bitter smile. "President, what do you plan to do now? Are you taking them to the capital?"

His gaze fell on Feng Fan and Luo Li, who were being attended to by a group of doctors. Lai He shook his head.

"No, let them stay here for now. This place is better for their growth—things are too chaotic in the capital these days. I’ll send a few of my followers to protect them."

With a sigh, Director Mao replied, "President, do you really think the Hunter families from the capital will let go of such a juicy piece of meat?"

"I’m sure they’ll send people to invite him to work for them," Lai He said, his expression cold. "But they won’t dare make any reckless moves under my watch. Let them be for now."

👻👻👻👻👻

Feng Fan opened his eyes as clarity returned to him. Beside him, Luo Li slept soundly, her mask removed and placed on a nearby couch. For a brief moment, he couldn’t help but admire her beauty.

Then, a bitter smile formed on his face.

"At least this time, I’m not in a hospital bed," he muttered.

"Hoho, I wouldn’t be so happy just yet. You got a lot of attention today, boy."

Feng Fan turned his gaze to the source of the voice and saw Lai He stepping out of the shadows.

"Old man? Thanks for the warning, but I don’t think I did anything special," Feng Fan replied, raising an eyebrow.

Lai He laughed. "Not only do you have two abilities at the F-rank, but you also stopped a Hunter from undergoing mutation. Two feats that should have been impossible."

He paused, his expression suddenly turning serious. "Do you know who was responsible for attacking Luo Li tonight?"

Feng Fan’s eyes narrowed, a chilling killing intent emanating from his body.

"Who?" he asked coldly.

"A group that calls themselves ’The Elite,’" Lai He answered, his smile growing colder. "They believe Hunters should rule over ordinary people, treating them as slaves. Of course, they’re nothing but rats hiding in the shadows. The moment they appear, they can only die."

Feng Fan sensed the intense hatred radiating from the old man. It wasn’t any less than his own. He etched the name ’The Elite’ into his mind, vowing to seek vengeance for what happened to him and Luo Li that night.

"I’ll assign some people to keep an eye on you," Lai He continued. "The Elite shouldn’t attack you for now—they know I’m protecting you, and anyone they send will only die. But don’t expect them to babysit you. Good sailors aren’t made in calm waters."

Feng Fan nodded, acknowledging the truth in those words. "Well then, I should get going. Thanks for the hospitality!"

As he moved to leave, Lai He suddenly appeared in front of him, a playful smile on his face.

Feng Fan frowned. "What’s up, old man?"

"You youngsters nowadays... always in a rush," Lai He said, shaking his head. "Don’t forget to show up for work tomorrow. You’ll have a new teammate joining your squad. She’s my daughter; I asked her to give you guys a hand."

"Your daughter? Wouldn’t she be a middle-aged woman by now?" Feng Fan asked, bewildered.

Lai He burst out laughing. "Don’t worry, she’s your age and a very competent Hunter. It took me a long time to have children."

"Old man, just how old are you?"

"Oh, it’s been so long that I’ve lost count, but I should be a few hundred years old by now."

Feng Fan’s jaw nearly dropped to the floor, but realization soon dawned on him.

’Damn, of course. Even if they use poison to cultivate, they’re still cultivators. No wonder people can live for hundreds of years...’

’Doesn’t that mean I could live even longer? Is immortality a thing here?’

A quick response came from the hat atop his head: Yes.

Excitement stirred in Feng Fan’s heart, and he couldn’t help but glance at Luo Li, his expression softening. ’Living forever with people you care about... that doesn’t sound half bad.’

But his gaze soon hardened, determination gleaming in his eyes. ’But first... I must eliminate those who stand in my way.’

👻👻👻👻👻

"Good morning, everyone. My name is Lai Niu. I’ll be in your care from now on," a soft voice rang out inside Director Mao’s office. "My abilities are Water and Wind Manipulation, and my curse is having a child’s body forever."

A short girl bowed politely to Wu Yunru, Luo Li, and Feng Fan. She had long, dark hair and a petite figure, giving her an innocent and youthful appearance.

Feng Fan couldn’t help but gasp internally. ’Damnit, her curse is being a loli?!’

He couldn’t help but think about those perverts from Earth with a loli fetish and shuddered.