They skirted past Zhang Yang cautiously, their eyes fixed on him. Brother Long, as he passed again, kept nodding and explaining something under his breath.

It turned out their vehicle was parked on the other side; in their fright, they had walked in the wrong direction, and going this way meant a long detour back to where the car was.

No matter how battered the car was, it was still their means of transport, a definite sign they hadn't left home entirely on foot.

Their demeanor amused Mi Xue. In truth, these men were the least injured; compared to others Mi Xue had seen, hardly anyone here was truly hurt. At the very least, they could all still support each other while walking, no broken bones—just minor scrapes and bruises at worst.

Mi Xue suspected Zhang Yang was keeping them around specifically to torment Zhou Yichen.

She applauded Zhang Yang’s method: 'It takes one bad guy to deal with another.' Having these men, whom Zhou Yichen had hired in the first place, go after him later was perfect—a case of giving him a taste of his own medicine.

Whether these men would actually go through with it, Mi Xue didn't dwell on, nor did Zhang Yang.

Even if they chose not to act, they still had to worry about Zhang Yang coming after them later. Given Zhang Yang's capabilities, none of them would have an easy time if they drew his attention.

What’s more, Zhang Yang’s suggestion was to extort money. These men, having just been beaten by Zhang Yang, had no outlet for their frustration. Getting a chance to vent and potentially squeeze out more money? Why wouldn't they be pleased?

Zhang Yang’s guess proved correct. Not long after Brother Long and his crew drove off, he pulled over and found a public phone.

The call, naturally, went to Zhou Yichen. As soon as the line connected, Brother Long unleashed a string of curses, then ordered Zhou Yichen to prepare five hundred thousand yuan, threatening to break his limbs if he failed to comply.

Brother Long showed Zhou Yichen absolutely no mercy this time.

Even his uncle’s connections with certain figures in the underworld couldn't save him. He had pushed things too far this time, suffering a massive public humiliation that required someone to restore his lost prestige.

Combined with Zhang Yang’s prior words, Zhou Yichen conveniently became the scapegoat.

If Zhou Yichen hadn't been so vague, Brother Long would never have taken the job; he’d ended up trapping himself.

After venting his fury and demanding the five hundred thousand, Brother Long felt slightly better. Soon after, one of his subordinates brought him another piece of news that sent a chill down his spine.

This Zhang Yang seemed to be the very person who had previously disciplined Zhou Er and his crew.

Zhou Er ran under the wing of a con artist known as Young Master Hu. Brother Long had always looked down on Zhou Er, but he knew quite a bit about his affairs.

Zhou Er’s situation was grim: he was framed for gang robbery, saddled with organized crime charges, and the Municipal Bureau was reportedly looking into the case. The verdict was pending, but it certainly wouldn't be lenient.

His underlings fared even worse; several were still hospitalized, and even those discharged hadn't fully recovered. Injuries that deep took a long time to heal.

Hearing this, Brother Long shuddered again.

Only now did he realize how lucky he had been, and precisely which local terror he had provoked. Shortly after Zhou Er’s downfall, everyone involved in Changjing's underworld knew about an untouchable young man in the city capable of taking down a dozen men single-handedly.

He had dismissed it as a rumor back then, refusing to believe such a person existed. Now, he had experienced it firsthand.

Zhang Yang was even more formidable than the legends suggested.

But that was hindsight. As soon as Brother Long and his group departed, Zhang Yang turned back to look at Wang Ying and the other two girls.

They had kept their distance throughout and remained unharmed, only witnessing a fight scene more spectacular than any movie, specifically those high-budget Hong Kong or Taiwan productions.

“Seniors, it’s all over now!” Zhang Yang said softly. Since Wang Ying and her companions were from a different school and two years ahead of them, calling them 'Seniors' was appropriate.

“Ah, I know, it’s okay now!”

Being addressed by Zhang Yang snapped Wang Ying out of her daze. She nodded quickly in response.

Her mind was still fuzzy, and she looked at Zhang Yang with a hint of disbelief. Fear flickered in the eyes of all three girls.

They had no idea Zhang Yang was this powerful. Over a dozen men, and he had subdued them all, sending them packing without daring to utter a sound. From their demeanor, it seemed if Zhang Yang hadn't allowed them to speak, they would have held their breath indefinitely.

“I hope the three of you can keep today’s events a secret, okay? Don’t mention it at the hospital,” Zhang Yang said with a gentle smile. These three had stayed by his side at a critical moment, choosing to follow him out, which left a surprisingly good impression on him.

It wasn't easy for them to remain, especially the girls, who hadn't experienced such a terrifying situation before.

“Don’t worry, we won’t say a word!”

Wang Ying nodded immediately, and Xiaoli and Huazi next to her echoed the sentiment, promising silence.

“Let me walk you back,” Zhang Yang offered again. This time, the three girls offered no objection. They were shaken by what had just happened and wanted him near, even if it was only a few steps.

At that moment, Zhang Yang exuded an aura of absolute security.

Wang Ying and the others didn't live far; they arrived after just a short walk. After seeing them off, Zhang Yang and Mi Xue headed home together.

Having experienced similar situations before, Mi Xue wasn't afraid; if anything, she was somewhat energized.

She even declared that once school started, she would expose Zhou Yichen’s collusion with the underworld, ensuring he was utterly ruined. Having such a scoundrel in the school, she felt, was a disgrace to the institution.

Disturbed by the incident, Zhang Yang skipped dinner that evening, settling for some snacks from the fridge to stave off hunger.

The next morning, Mi Xue rose early for her shift. The supermarket opened early, requiring them to arrive beforehand to organize things inside. Today, she still had to learn from others; she was still a newcomer.

Zhang Yang, meanwhile, headed to the Third Hospital. He needed to make up for three days of missed shifts, having only covered one so far.

Liu Cheng arrived very early today and wouldn't stop apologizing to Zhang Yang, blaming his excessive drinking the previous day. He insisted on repaying Zhang Yang for the meal, feeling deeply embarrassed that he got drunk after inviting someone out, ultimately letting the other pay the bill.

The three girls—Wang Ying included—remained mostly silent, looking at Zhang Yang with a degree of reverence whenever they met his gaze. Last night's events would likely be etched in their memories forever.

Zhang Yang paid little mind to these matters. He certainly wouldn't accept Liu Cheng's money, eventually just telling him to treat him next time instead.

Soon, Zhang Yang was immersed in work. Now that Wang Guohai recognized Zhang Yang's value, he wasn't about to let him sit idle. He kept pulling Zhang Yang along on rounds. A treasure like Zhang Yang was a limited resource; if he left the Obstetrics and Gynecology department, Wang Guohai would have nowhere to turn to regret it.

Though the days were tiring, they were profoundly fulfilling, far better than idling around in an office.

Mi Xue returned later than Zhang Yang. She collapsed onto the bed as soon as she got home, finally realizing the difficulty of earning a living.

To Zhang Yang's surprise, Mi Xue showed no complaints. She insisted on continuing the job tomorrow and planned to keep working there until graduation.

Furthermore, she told Zhang Yang that their supervisor was a wonderful older woman who looked out for her, driving away several young men who tried to get close to her.

When talking about work, the smile on Mi Xue's face brightened considerably. Since Zhang Yang could see she enjoyed it, he didn't press the matter; having a job to keep her occupied was a good thing for now.

Zhang Yang quickly finished making up the three days, then worked two extra days to cover the schedule for the coming week as well, since he needed time off the following week to attend a car show, departing on Saturday.

During these past few days, he had solved many of the hospital's issues. Liu Chaoqiang’s surgery was also completed, and Zhang Yang was in charge of his post-operative recovery. He didn't do much—just administered a few IVs, wrote prescriptions, and left behind some Ginseng Pills he had personally concocted.

These were Hundred-Year Ginseng Pills, far inferior to the Thousand-Year variety, but sufficient for restoring vitality after surgery.

Zhang Yang prepared the pills at the hospital using their medicinal stock, taking a few capsules as compensation for his labor while leaving the rest for the hospital.

Mi Xue was still working. She had persisted for several days and finally adapted to the job. She had also become much more talkative, discovering that the supermarket held just as many interesting stories and characters as anywhere else.

Mi Xue’s resilience eased Zhang Yang’s concerns.

Over the next two days, Zhang Yang began visiting various pharmacies to collect the ingredients he had ordered.

He now had the time to prepare the Three-Colored Fruit concoction. Its efficacy was significantly better than that of the Thousand-Year Ginseng and could restore his internal energy to its peak state much faster.

Most of the herbs had arrived. For the few less critical items, Zhang Yang had backup plans, meaning everything was ready.

Zhang Yang deliberately chose a day when Mi Xue was out of the house to concoct the Three-Colored Fruit mixture.

Preparation required absolute concentration. The exact measure of every ingredient was critical; even a slight deviation could ruin the entire batch. These were potent elixirs derived from rare celestial materials, each one priceless. Zhang Yang could not afford any loss.

These three small fruits were, in a way, obtained at the cost of his life; he had nearly perished before unexpectedly acquiring them.

Concoction differed from refining. Refining focused on heat control (fire essence), but successful concoction hinged entirely on the precise combination and balance of ingredients. Every proportion had to be perfect.

Zhang Yang had prepared mostly traditional Chinese medicine components, many of which needed to be boiled down into decoctions or ground into powder. The Three-Colored Fruit itself was already liquid and would be integrated at the very end.

With everything set up, Zhang Yang locked his room door and began to meditate within his chamber.

Beside him sat the glass cage holding Lightning. The creature seemed to sense what Zhang Yang was about to do, standing rigidly on its legs inside, its tiny eyes fixed intently on him.

Having brought his state to its absolute peak, Zhang Yang began the final assembly. The previous herbal decoctions had already been boiled, and the powders prepared. This time, he was still making pills, which he decided to name the Immortal Fruit Elixirs.

The final form of the Three-Colored Fruit was the Seven-Colored Immortal Fruit, so naming the pills Immortal Fruit Elixirs was fitting.

Based on Zhang Yang's estimation, these three fruits would yield twenty Immortal Fruit Elixirs. While the efficacy of a single elixir wouldn't match that of a single original fruit, ten pills combined would roughly equal the original power.

This meant he effectively doubled the potency derived from the Three-Colored Fruit, ensuring not a drop of its essence was wasted.

Third update. Two more chapters to go. We are ten monthly tickets short of the goal. Can my friends help Little Yu achieve his wish within two hours?

P.S.: Regardless of whether we hit fifty tickets today, Little Yu will deliver the five promised chapters!