Venerable Demon King & The Doting Immortal (QT)-Chapter 169: He knew trouble when he saw it.

While chatting with Little Bai yesterday, he also found out that kids in this world had to go to school, but to register them, one had to get a birth certificate or some form of identification. Fortunately, old Song, with his extensive network, had promised to handle it. With that worry off his mind, Xiang Yu could focus on the more pressing matter at hand: Peng Xiu.

Removing Peng Xiu from the equation was imperative, but the Divine Emperor’s command to stay away from Han Xin complicated things. How could he warn Han Xin about the treacherous Peng Xiu without getting close to him? And even if he managed to convey the message, would Han Xin believe him without a solid foundation of trust between them? In this world, he couldn’t impersonate her, and neither did he want to.

As Xiang Yu pondered these dilemmas, a soft knock interrupted his thoughts. "Come in," he called out, his voice steady despite his headache-inducing thoughts. The door creaked open, and Mo Mo, one of the tattoo artists, peeked through.

"Boss Yu, Sister Meng is back. She said she wants to see you," she announced, her eyes wide with curiosity. She and the rest of the staff had been placing bets on whether Xiang Yu would accept Sister Meng’s advances; thus, everyone was invested in this drama.

Xiang Yu nodded, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Thank you, Mo Mo. I will be right there." As the door closed, he took a deep breath, steeling himself.

He stood up from his desk, the weight of his thoughts momentarily set aside. He walked out to the reception area, the hum of the tattoo machines in the background blending with the soft jazz playing from the speakers.

A familiar figure of Sister Meng awaited. She was lounging on the couch, her summer dress with a high slit revealing a glimpse of her tiger tattoo on her creamy thigh. The dress clung to her curves, and her confident demeanour was unmistakable. She looked up as he approached, a smile spreading across her face.

"Yu -ge," she greeted, her voice carrying a playful lilt.

Xiang Yu forced a polite smile. "Sister Meng, why didn’t you make an appointment?" he asked, though he already knew the answer. The small shop had grown so popular that the original owner now used an online booking platform to manage the influx of clients. But Xiang Yu recalled that his schedule was free today.

Sister Meng’s eyes sparkled with mischief. "Have you forgotten? You banned me from that platform. I can’t even make a booking with you."

Xiang Yu sighed inwardly. How persistent did this woman have to be for the original Xiang Yu to ban her from making appointments? "Right," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I remember now."

Sister Meng stood up, her movements graceful and deliberate. "So, have you thought about my request?" she asked, her tone turning serious. She had been asking for a lotus flower and mandala-like pattern underneath her burst, a request the original Xiang Yu had been sceptical about.

He had suggested Mo Mo do it, but Sister Meng had refused. This woman had already got a clavicle tattoo, an inner thigh tattoo and a back tattoo done by the original owner. Rather than getting tattoos, it was more like she was seducing him.

"I have," Xiang Yu replied, meeting her gaze. "But I am still not sure it’s a good idea. It’s a delicate area, and it requires a lot of precision plus I have never done it before."

Sister Meng stepped closer, her eyes locking onto his. "I trust you, Yu-ge. You are the best, and I wouldn’t want anyone else to do it."

The original Xiang Yu knew what she wanted. He alone had done twenty tattoos on her. After the first two, he had already known that she wasn’t only coming here for that but he wasn’t looking for anything serious and couldn’t reciprocate her feelings.

She was relatively harmless, but her persistence was becoming a problem. "I will think about it some more. I will need to ask my boyfriend," he said, trying to make her give up.

Sister Meng laughed and said, "Yu-ge, how many times will you use this excuse with me. Have you forgotten that I have already disproven it. Remember... I saw you at Pink Cherry the other night," before biting her lower lip.

Xiang Yu, "..."

While he was in the middle of a conversation with her the door swung open, and three men strode in. They were dressed in suits with their shirts half-buttoned, revealing gaudy gold chains and tattoos. Xiang Yu’s eyes narrowed; he knew trouble when he saw it.

The leader, wearing tinted sunglasses, smiled when he spotted Sister Meng, while the other two scanned the room with menacing glares, clearly looking to start something.

The leader, named Yang Zhi, sauntered over, his smile widening. "Sister Meng, I heard you come here often. I started to think you had a boyfriend behind my back, but it turns out you were just here for a tattoo." His gaze shifted to Xiang Yu as he said the word "tattoo," and his smile faded into a scowl.

Seeing how handsome Xiang Yu was, Yang Zhi’s annoyance grew. His men had been right. Sister Meng had really taken a fancy to this man and came here just to see him.

Overwhelmed with jealousy, he took a step forward, but Sister Meng quickly blocked his path. "Yang Zhi, didn’t I tell you to leave me alone?" she said, her voice firm.

Yang Zhi wasn’t the type to accept no for an answer. His sister had married into the Qi clan, who were a part of the triads, and he had been raised with their arrogance and ruthlessness. Her rejection only fuelled his anger. "Sister Meng, you refuse me and prefer to be with him? What’s so special about him, huh?" he spat, his eyes blazing with fury.

The two goons behind him began moving around the shop, ready to break something. Mo Mo, sensing the danger, hid behind another tattoo artist, Li Rui. Yang Zhi shoved Sister Meng aside and grabbed Xiang Yu by the collar, pointing a finger in his face. "I should teach you a lesson for even looking at my woman," he snarled.

Xiang Yu snorted coldly, a sound that further infuriated Yang Zhi. Just as Yang Zhi signalled his men to start breaking things, Xiang Yu moved with lightning speed. He grabbed Yang Zhi’s hair and, with a loud bang, slammed his face into the reception counter.

The impact was brutal, breaking Yang Zhi’s nose and sending blood splattering everywhere. The room fell silent, everyone too shocked to move. Yang Zhi’s men froze, their confidence shattered by the sudden violence. Xiang Yu stood over Yang Zhi, his expression calm but his eyes cold.