Chapter 209: Junior Brother Chen
Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
Zhang Tiangui’s smile disappeared as he left Lingyue Town. Stopping, he turned to the two junior fellow apprentices behind him and asked, “Lin Chenyu and Lin Ningshan are both in Earth Blaze City. Did they find out who rescued Commandery Princess Yanchen?”
The two apprentices behind Zhang Tiangui were Shen Feng and Luo Cheng. They were both strong warriors of the Yuntai Suzerain. They ranked in the top 20 among the internal students of the suzerain.
In Yuntai, Shen Feng and Long Cheng had always served Zhang Tiangui. They had rushed to Yunwu Commandery this time just to help Zhang Tiangui.
Shen Feng replied, “I heard that junior sister apprentice Lin saw the mysterious youth and that he is an internal student of the Martial Market School. He killed the Chief of the Black Tiger Hall, Iron Hunchback, with impunity.”
A puzzled expression surfaced on Zhang Tiangui’s face, and he seemed to be talking to himself. “For a person of the Internal Academy of the Martial Market School to be able to easily kill Iron Hunchback, he must be ranked in the top 50. Other than Luo Shuihan, no other person in the top 50 is younger than 20. How could there suddenly be a young martial arts master? Unless…”
Both the Martial Market School and the Yuntai Suzerain were in Devil Martial City. Young trainees there had many opportunities to challenge each other.
Zhang Tiangui naturally knew all of the masters in the Martial Market School.
“Perhaps you already have someone in mind?” Shen Feng asked.
The trace of a smile emerged on Zhang Tiangui’s face. “Six months ago,” he said, “I heard that my ninth brother had gained the power to become first on the Profound Board. Even Xun Guihai lost to him. If his cultivation has broken into the Earth Realm, then he has become even more powerful. Combined with some other tricks, he definitely has a chance of killing Iron Hunchback.”
Shen Feng furrowed his brows and laughed coldly. “If it was him, then you have little to worry about. He has only been practicing martial arts for two years, and he did not stay long enough in the Black Realm. He rushed to break into the Earth Realm, and now, his foundations are not solid. He won’t be able to continue.”
Zhang Tiangui replied, “I activated a Sacred Mark when I was three, and I’ve been practicing for 18 years to be where I am now. His eagerness to catch up has ruined his future and placed him on a road to self-destruction.”
Luo Cheng asked, “Then what should we do now? Are we really going to Earth Blaze City?”
Zhang Tiangui replied, “We’ll split up to take three different paths. I am going to Earth Blaze City, while you two each take one of the two most-traveled roads to Yunwu City. Whether you run into my ninth brother or Commandery Princess Yanchen, have no mercy and kill them. If possible, frame the black market for it. Do not let others know that you are doing my bidding.”
“Understood.”
Shen Feng and Luo Cheng bowed to Zhang Tiangui, mounted their steeds, and departed in different directions.
“Has my weak and sickly ninth brother really become a prodigy of the Martial Arts?”
Zhang Tiangui smiled slightly while he broke off a branch and threw it into the lake.
With a whoosh, he jumped up and gently landed on the floating branch. He used his Genuine Qi to ride the branch towards Earth Blaze City.
…
Three days passed in the outside world, while nine days passed in the internal space of the Time and Space Spinel.
During the nine days, Zhang Ruochen had refined and consumed eight Fire Meridian Pills. His body was like a flaming furnace and his skin was as red as a crystal.
Particularly at his glabella. A group of flame-shaped marks appeared between his eyebrows and pulsed with light.
After consuming eight Fire Meridian Pills, Zhang Ruochen’s cultivation had improved greatly. He had now reached the peak of the Initial Stage of the Earth Realm. Although he had not yet broken into the Mid Stage, he was very close.
Zhang Ruochen had already reached a very high level in both the Realm of Sword Technique and Spiritual Power, so his starting point was much higher than other warriors. As long as he continued to have sufficient practice resources, he would keep improving naturally.
Huang Yanchen had completely recovered six days ago. This injury had actually helped to improve her cultivation greatly. After she consumed the Wind Meridian Pill from Zhang Ruochen, her cultivation suddenly broke through to the Advanced Stage of the Earth Realm.
Once Huang Yanchen had reached the Advanced Stage, she once again became cold, proud, and aloof. It seemed as if she had regained her royal attitude.
“No wonder junior sister apprentice Duanmu was able to break through so quickly. She knew that the cat was able to create Ice, Fire, and Wind Meridian Pills. Why did you tell her and not me?” Huang Yanchen was obviously slightly jealous. After all, she and Zhang Ruochen were engaged, so he should be closer to her than Duanmu Xingling.
Zhang Ruochen replied calmly, “I didn’t tell her, she figured it out on her own. What, are you angry at senior sister apprentice Duanmu?”
“How could that be? It’s only a few pills, not some priceless treasure.” Huang Yanchen squeezed the elixir bottle in her hands and said coldly, “I’ll be sure to return these eight Wind Meridian Pills to you once we return to school. Also…”
Huang Yanchen paused and looked uncomfortable, “This time…thank you…”
“We are both students of the Martial Market School, we should be helping each other,” Zhang Ruochen replied.
Huang Yanchen nodded, “Don’t worry, since you saved me this time, I’ll be sure to return the favor. Of course, I think it’s all the same whether or not I return the favor. After all, you are my fiancé; you have to save me.”
Zhang Ruohen was very aware of Huang Yanchen’s personality, and so he did not want to quibble needlessly with her. “It’s already been three days,” he said. “I think the masters from the Tarantula Chamber of Commerce should have left Earth Blaze City. We can leave right now.”
“Three days? Hasn’t it already been nine days?”
Huang Yanchen’s eyebrows pulled together slightly, and she stared at Zhang Ruochen wondering if he had sustained a head wound during his fight against Hua Qingshan.
Zhang Ruochen knew he wouldn’t be able to fool Huang Yanchen. “Time passes differently in the Time and Space Spinel. Three days pass in its Internal Space, for every one day that passes outside,” he explained.
“What?”
Huang Yanchen was very shocked. She examined her surroundings and spoke after a while, “I stayed at the Completion of the Black Realm for three years, and junior sister apprentice Duanmu stayed for two years, yet you only stayed for half a year. When I saw that you had broken into the Earth Realm, I wanted to scold you. I didn’t think you had such an incredible treasure. If I had known earlier, I could have borrowed it from you and I wouldn’t have needed to waste so much time.”
Zhang Ruochen replied, “Why should I lend such a treasure to you?”
“If you don’t lend your treasure to me, then I’m going to shout it to the hills. When everyone knows about it, then not even the Yunwu Commandery Prince will be able to save you.” Huang Yanchen glanced at Zhang Ruochen. A gleeful smile spread across her beautiful face.
“What if you never had an opportunity to announce it?” Zhang Ruochen stared at Huang Yanchen and revealed a small smile.
Huang Yanchen’s face shifted slightly and she backed up a step. “You would kill me to keep me quiet?”
Even though she had broken into the Advanced Stage of the Earth Realm, it would be difficult for her to escape if Zhang Ruochen wanted to kill her. Particularly because, in the Internal Space of the Time and Space Spinel, there was nowhere she could hide.
Zhang Ruochen stared at her and didn’t say anything.
After a moment, Zhang Ruochen smiled and said, “I was just messing with you, I trust you not to tell anyone. Besides, even if you were to say something, you couldn’t stop me. Since I control the power of space, it is easy for me to protect my life.”
Huang Yanchen ground her teeth. She was very angry. Zhang Ruochen had truly, if briefly, scared her just then.
“Rest assured, I know how to keep a secret. I won’t say a word to anyone about it. But you should be careful of Chen Xier. Although she is my cousin, she is willing to use any means to achieve her end. If she discovers your secret, I suspect she won’t let you go so easily,” Huang Yanchen warned.
Zhang Ruochen would never have have revealed the secret of the Time and Space Spinel and his power over space with anyone other than Huang Yanchen.
This was because he could see through Huang Yanchen and he understood her personality. She had a temper and she was a very straight-forward person. Although she seemed aloof and distant, she would not act against Zhang Ruochen behind his back.
All of his other friends, even Duanmu Xingling and Chen Xier, gave Zhang Ruochen the feeling they were shrouded in mist.
Zhang Ruochen could not be sure how they would react if he revealed his secret to them.
Of course, friends were still friends. For the time being, Zhang Ruochen was still very willing to be friends with Duanmu Xingling and Chen Xier.
…
Yunwu Commandery’s army opened fire on Earth Blaze City, enveloping the entire city in the flames of war.
All the members of the black market in Earth Blaze City escaped by boat.
Chang Qiqi, an Internal student of the Martial Market, took the opportunity to escape towards Yunwu City with Blackie.
“Even though I didn’t get any merit points on this trip to Earth Blaze City, I managed to pick up a cat.” Chang Qiqi rode a spotted leopard with one of her hands wrapped around Blackie. He squeezed him gently and a smile broke out on his face.
Blackie rolled his eyes and didn’t bother to acknowledge him.
The last three days with Chang Qiqi were more than enough for Blackie to become accustomed to his vulgar laugh.
“Waaa!”
Suddenly, the crystal around Blackie’s neck began to give off a bright white light. The white light grew brighter and brighter, until Chang Qiqi closed his eyes from the pain.
When Chang Qiqi opened his eyes again, he found two people standing in front of him.
Chang Qiqi did not connect the white light to the appearance of the two people. He could not imagine the crystal was big enough to conceal two people.
He stared and joyfully cried, “Junior sister apprentice Huang, when did you escape Earth Blaze City?”
Huang Yanchen stood tall. Her figure was graceful and she appeared to be cool and unruffled. “I left Earth Blaze City three days ago,” she replied. “Junior brother apprentice Chang, thank you for coming to rescue me three days ago from the Tarantula Chamber of Commerce.”
Chang Qiqi sighed. “Hua Qingshan was too powerful; I was no match for him.”
Suddenly, Chang Qiqi looked towards the youth in the metal mask standing next to Huang Yanchen. He face looked confused, and he asked, “Did this junior fellow apprentice rescue you from the Tarantula Chamber of Commerce?”
Zhang Ruochen did not deny it, and he said, “Greetings, brother.”
Chang Qiqi seemed very interested in Zhang Ruochen. “What is your name, junior fellow apprentice? How come I haven’t seen you before the Martial Market School?”
Zhang Ruochen and Huang Yanchen had already discussed how they would answer, so he calmly replied, “There are always some students that aren’t seen at the Martial Market School.”
Chang Qiqi became even more excited. “I have long heard that the golden-robed elders at the Martial Market School sometimes take secret disciples. Are you perhaps one of them?” he asked.
Huang Yanchen warned coldly, “Junior Brother Chen is a secret disciple of the Hall Master of the silver-robed elder. I suggest you be more polite, brother Chang.”
“Chen Ruo” was the alias Zhang Ruochen and Huang Yanchen had decided on earlier.
Chang Qiqi gushed. “To be a match for Hua Qingshan at such a young age, no wonder Junior Brother Chen is a disciple of Master Lei. You were also able to rescue junior sister apprentice Huang from the Tarantula Chamber of Commerce. You must be ranked in the top 10 in the Internal Academy, right?”
Zhang Ruochen looked towards Blackie and said, “Thank you for looking after Blackie these last few days. We were in a hurry to leave Earth Blaze City after the battle with the Tarantula Chamber of Commerce and the Evil Warrior. We had to leave him behind.”
“Ah, this cat belongs to you?”
Zhang Ruochen nodded.
Chang Qiqi was reluctant to hand over Blackie. He patted Blackie’s tummy a few times before finally returning him to Zhang Ruochen.