Peach Blossom Dual Cultivation

Nowadays, being a bodyguard requires a comprehensive skill set, and one essential trait is the ability to fight.

Although Ivanova might look like a delicate and sexy beauty, in reality, she’s quite skilled—she’s a black belt in Judo. In Russia, Judo is as popular and well-developed as Taekwondo is in Korea. A true black belt can easily handle three to five burly men.

Zhou Lang, on the other hand, had a medium build and a somewhat scholarly air, without any noticeable muscles. At first glance, he didn’t look like a martial arts expert, which made Ivanova skeptical that Zhou Lang could be a bodyguard. That’s why she asked if his martial arts skills were truly impressive.

“My martial arts are decent,” Zhou Lang replied with a slight smile. He could sense that this foreign girl seemed quite interested in martial arts.

“When you say ‘decent,’ it usually means very good. I’m a black belt in Judo—how about we spar sometime?”

Ivannova suggested.

Foreign girls are usually more straightforward, quite different from Chinese girls. Of course, there are bold and straightforward Chinese girls too, like Zhao Xiaorou, but they’re rare. Most foreign girls are passionate and open, which is probably why Chinese men often find them appealing—they’re fun and not as reserved.

“That won’t be necessary,” Zhou Lang said after a slight pause. He was a cultivator in the Qi Refining stage, and it wouldn’t be long before he stepped into the Foundation Establishment stage. Sparring with an average martial artist wouldn’t be much of a contest.

Even if he were up against the world’s top Judo master, it would be like a strongman bullying a kindergarten child.

“Zhou Lang, are you saying you’re not up to it, or are you just being modest?”

Ivannova teased.

“I often train at a Judo club, and most of the people there are Russians like me. My fellow countrymen often say that Chinese martial arts look impressive but don’t work in real combat—they’re just flowery moves.”

“A man should never say he’s not up to it,” Zhou Lang said with a slight smile.

“If we’re going to spar, you can set the time and place.”

Cultivators, no matter the era, are as rare as phoenix feathers. But in ancient and even in modern China, martial arts have flourished, and martial arts masters have been plentiful. Even though martial arts have declined today, China is still full of hidden talents. Zhou Lang didn’t agree with the notion that Chinese martial arts were just for show. To defend the honor of martial arts, he agreed to spar with Ivannova.

“Let’s do it tonight then. As for the place, we’ll decide later,” Ivannova said. Her beautiful eyes sparkled. Though she was passionate and open, her standards were high, and she was a bit aloof. While she could get along with a large group, she rarely spoke alone with a guy. Zhou Lang was an exception, though she didn’t quite know why. Perhaps she was a bit infatuated with the strong masculine presence Zhou Lang exuded during their close dance in the changing room. She had a vague feeling that Zhou Lang was different from other men.

“I still need to take Miss Li home, so I’m not sure what time it’ll be,” Zhou Lang explained.

“Let’s arrange another time.”

“I’m a night owl. Here’s my phone number. After you take Miss Li home, you can call me. Zhou Lang, you seem a bit mysterious—I’m very interested in you,” Ivannova said, giving Zhou Lang a flirtatious look as she handed him a small piece of paper with her phone number on it.

“Better to accept than to decline,” Zhou Lang said with a smile, taking the paper.

“Zhou Lang, I haven’t seen you at work for a while. Now that you’re here, you’re flirting with girls? It’s this late, and you haven’t even changed your clothes. You’re being paid by the boss, but is this how you work?”

Just then, the bar’s floor manager, Cao Yushan, and the general manager, Zhang Deyuan, walked over. Cao Yushan looked at Zhou Lang, who was dressed sharply, with a stern expression.

Originally, neither Zhang Deyuan nor Cao Yushan would have bothered to criticize Zhou Lang for chatting with Ivannova. However, Zhang Deyuan had been eyeing Ivannova for a long time and was thinking of striking up a conversation with her. Seeing Zhou Lang chatting happily with her instead made him unhappy. So, he called over Cao Yushan to reprimand Zhou Lang.

“Manager Zhang, Zhou Lang is now the boss’s bodyguard, not a waiter anymore,” Ivannova said with a smile before Zhou Lang could respond.

“Him? How is that possible?”

Zhang Deyuan was stunned, and Cao Yushan looked equally incredulous.

“You can ask the boss if you don’t believe me,” Ivannova said.

“Zhou Lang, is this true?”

Zhang Deyuan asked.

Zhou Lang nodded.

Since Zhou Lang was now Li Mengxue’s bodyguard, neither floor manager Cao Yushan nor general manager Zhang Deyuan had the authority to manage him anymore. The two men had no choice but to walk away.

“That Manager Zhang is almost forty years old, and I’ve heard his kid is in middle school. Yet he still tries to pester me. This fits that saying, ‘a toad wants to eat swan meat,’” Ivannova whispered after Zhang Deyuan and Cao Yushan left.

“Well, who could blame him? You’re so beautiful. Which guy in this bar doesn’t want to get close to you?”

Zhou Lang said with a smile. He had noticed that Zhang Deyuan was trying to hit on Ivannova. It wasn’t just Zhang Deyuan—most of the male employees at the bar probably had the same idea, and even many of the customers were infatuated with her.

“Maybe, but you never take the initiative to greet me,” Ivannova said with a slight smile.

Zhou Lang felt a bit embarrassed. Just then, his phone vibrated. He took it out and saw that it was a call from Li Mengxue.

“Excuse me, I need to go to Miss Li’s office,” Zhou Lang said before leaving.

“That guy seems so ordinary, but why do I feel like he’s different from others? He smells so nice,” Ivannova murmured to herself, a slight blush on her cheeks as she watched Zhou Lang walk away.

Zhou Lang was a cultivator, and his aura was deep and ancient. Although he usually kept it restrained, most women wouldn’t notice it. The fact that Ivannova could vaguely sense something made her quite remarkable.

After Zhou Lang left, Cao Yushan and Zhang Deyuan started whispering to each other.

“Zhou Lang became the boss’s bodyguard? He doesn’t seem like the type for that job,” Cao Yushan whispered.

“Maybe the boss likes his pure, student-like appearance. That’s probably why he got so lucky,” Zhang Deyuan speculated.

“So you’re saying Zhou Lang is just a freeloader?”

Cao Yushan asked.

“Boss Li wouldn’t be interested in someone like me. I just want to hook up with Ivannova, that foreign chick. I’ve been with all kinds of women, but I’ve never had a big foreign horse before,” Zhang Deyuan said.

“But it seems like Ivannova also likes Zhou Lang, the fresh and pure type. Didn’t you notice how she always enjoys talking to him?”

Cao Yushan replied.

“You’ve got your eye on Ivannova too?”

Zhang Deyuan said, his face turning serious.

“Of course I’m interested, but since you’ve got your sights set on her, I’ve backed off,” Cao Yushan said, trying to please Zhang Deyuan. As just a floor manager, he was subordinate to Zhang Deyuan and didn’t dare compete with him for anything.

“That’s more like it,” Zhang Deyuan said.

“But this foreign chick won’t be easy to get.”

“Manager Zhang, that foreign chick seems to have a fiery nature, which is why she’s attracted to Zhou Lang. If we teach Zhou Lang a lesson, he won’t dare get close to Ivannova anymore. Then, you’ll be the only one around her, and if she doesn’t fall for you, who else could she fall for?” Cao Yushan suggested.

“But Zhou Lang is favored by Boss Li now. It wouldn’t be easy to mess with him,” Zhang Deyuan said after a moment of thought.

“That’s easy to handle. We can get some thugs to rough him up and warn him to stay away from Ivannova. We don’t need to get involved directly, and Zhou Lang won’t know who’s behind it,” Cao Yushan said.

“Once he’s been beaten up, he’ll be scared and won’t dare to disobey.”

“It’s a pity you’re not a strategist,” Zhang Deyuan said, nodding in agreement.

…

“Boss, were you looking for me?”

As soon as Zhou Lang entered Li Mengxue’s office, he asked. He was careful about how he spoke in the bar and didn’t call her Sister Xue.

“Zhou Lang, if you don’t have anything else to do, stay in my office. I’m worried Li Qi might come looking for me,” Li Mengxue said.

“Alright,” Zhou Lang nodded.

“This morning, I talked with Li Qi. He agreed to leave Feiyun City within half a month.”

“Was he that easy to deal with?”

Li Mengxue was surprised. She found Zhou Lang’s words hard to believe. After all, in the past, whenever Li Qi came to ask her for money, he would always promise it would be the last time, but it never was. He would always come back to trouble her again.

“Bad guys are only afraid of a strong fist,” Zhou Lang said with a smile.

“That’s true,” Li Mengxue nodded, still somewhat skeptical. She hadn’t known Zhou Lang for long, but she had already developed a sense of reliance on him. She only felt safe when he was by her side.

…

Li Mengxue stayed at the bar until around ten o’clock before calling her assistant, Cao Yanzhi, to come over.

“President Li, what are your instructions?”

Cao Yanzhi quickly entered the office, standing in front of Li Mengxue and bending slightly in respect.

She looked about twenty-five years old, dressed in professional attire, with glasses perched on her nose—a picture-perfect beauty. However, there was no trace of a smile on her face. The first word that came to mind when a man saw her was “aloof,” followed by “beautiful.”

It was said that she was a top graduate from a prestigious university, specializing in hotel management. Right after graduation, she joined Lover’s Bar as Li Mengxue’s assistant, and under her management, the bar had been flourishing over the past few years.

“I’m leaving soon. Keep an eye on the bar. If Li Qi shows up, call me immediately,” Li Mengxue instructed.

“Understood,” Cao Yanzhi replied. She paused briefly, and seeing that Li Mengxue had no further orders, she prepared to leave. She was concise in her speech and came across as highly efficient—a true professional.

As she was leaving, she glanced at Zhou Lang, who was sitting on the sofa. Since Zhou Lang was just a part-time waiter, she was probably curious about why he was sitting in Li Mengxue’s office.

“Yanzhi, Zhou Lang is my bodyguard now,” Li Mengxue said, knowing exactly what was going through Cao Yanzhi’s mind.

“Understood,” Cao Yanzhi responded with her usual phrase. Although she was slightly surprised, she didn’t stop as she walked out.

After Cao Yanzhi left, Zhou Lang escorted Li Mengxue back to her villa.

…

At 2 a.m., Ivannova rode a luxury motorcycle to the entrance of Lover’s Bar. It was closing time, and the bar had already shut down. The other employees had also left.

“Hey, that’s a nice bike you’ve got there. Perfect for a summer night ride.” Just as she was about to take out her phone to call Zhou Lang.

Zhang Deyuan, the manager, walked over with a sleazy grin.

Zhang Deyuan, that toad who wanted to eat swan meat, pounced on any opportunity to get close to Ivannova. His goal, of course, was to try and seduce her.