Chapter 216: Duanmu’s Tricks
Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
For the next two days, there were no more dangerous situations. Zhang Ruochen and Huang Yanchen reached Yunwu City safely.
Before entering the city, Zhang Ruochen separated from Huang Yanchen rather than going with her.
Many people knew that Huang Yanchen had been rescued by a young man in a mask. If they entered the city together, his identity would be exposed.
After entering the city, Zhang Ruochen didn’t go back to the palace right away. Instead, he hung out in the city to check out the situation.
If he came back to Yunwu City with Huang Yanchen on the same day, he would be suspected. Such being the case, he had to stay another two days in Yunwu City with the identity of Chen Ruo.
In two days, he could resume his identity as Zhang Ruochen.
Wearing a metal mask, Zhang Ruochen ordered a superior room in the hotel near the Martial Market.
He opened the windows and looked down at the street below. On the bustling and rustling street, half of the pedestrians were warriors, either bringing soldiers with them or riding on huge savage beasts.
Previously, it had been nearly impossible to see Martial Arts masters on the streets of Yunwu City. But this time when he came back, he could see masters of the Earth Realm pass by at intervals.
“Yunwu City is no doubt a place where masters are gathering now.”
“Maybe I can find God Habitat Grass in the Martial Market.”
God Habitat Grass was a kind of spiritual dose that was rarely seen. It could help Zhang Ruochen with his practice of the Body of the False God.
Zhang Ruochen was not sure whether he could find it in Yunwu City or not. He could only try.
If he couldn’t find it, it would be understandable. If that was the case, he would give up his practice of the Body of the False God. There would be other ways to improve his martial cultivation.
Since the Martial Market Bank had been destroyed by the Black Market and Moon Worship Demonic Sect, great changes at the Martial Market had taken place.
At least half of the industries in the Martial Market had belonged to the Martial Market Bank before.
But now, the owner of the Martial Market had been replaced. It still remained the most prosperous place in Yunwu City. Enveloped by flourishment it controlled the city’s economic lifeline.
Walking along one of the streets in the Pill Market, Zhang Ruochen was clapped on the shoulder by a delicate hand. A wind of fragrance blew behind him. The charming and pleasing sound of laughter was heard, “How are you, my junior fellow apprentice?”
Zhang Ruochen was not that surprised. He turned to Duanmu Xingling and said, “Senior sister apprentice Duanmu, how did you recognize me?”
With a lovely smile, she glanced at Blackie not far from them.
Then she pretended to complain. She jabbed a slim finger heavily into Zhang Ruochen’s chest. She said, “You didn’t come to greet me when you came back to Yunwu City. Without Blackie, I wouldn’t have even known you were back!”
Looking around, Zhang Ruochen laughed and whispered to her, “I’m now Chen Ruo, the secret disciple of the Hall Master of the Silver Gowned Elder Hall. Don’t tell others, senior sister apprentice!”
“It was you who killed Iron Hunchback, the Hall Owner of Black Tiger Hall, broke into the Earth Blaze City, and rescued senior sister apprentice Yanchen?” Duanmu Xingling asked blinking her eyes with an excited expression.
Zhang Ruochen was slightly astonished, “You already knew?”
“Of course!”
She licked her red lips lightly and showed an enchanting expression, “These days, the news has spread through almost the entire martial arts circle of Yunwu City. It’s said that you killed Iron Hunchback in just one strike, suppressed the Black Tiger Hall, went back and forth on your own seven times to the Earth Blaze City, killed eight hundred Evil Warriors and rescued Commandery Princess Yanchen in the end.”
“Now almost everyone knows that there’s a top genius in the School of the Martial Market. Some of the legends about you are hard to imagine, even for me.”
Speechless, Zhang Ruochen asked, “Are there any other legends about me?”
Duanmu Xingling cupped her chin in her hand and said with a smile, “It’s said that you have the two physical qualities of ice and fire and also the ability of two visions of heaven and earth, ‘A Hundred to Snow’ and ‘A Hundred to Fire’. Moreover, you’re said to have reached Heart Integrated into Sword and able to fly swords like a young Sword Fairy. You’re unbeatable now.”
Zhang Ruochen laughed and said, “That’s exaggerating!”
“I feel it’s exaggerated as well!” She raised her black and delicate eyebrows and observed him carefully, as if checking him from head to toe.
Zhang Ruochen asked, “Senior sister apprentice Duanmu…why are you staring at me like this?”
“I thought the legends about you were false before I saw you. But now I’m just thinking that the legends may be true.” Duanmu Xingling pouted with a curious expression in her eyes.
“Some are true, some false. You’ll figure it out some day.” He found it funny but annoying.
She nodded her head and rolled her eyes, “Now that you’ve rescued senior sister apprentice Yanchen successfully, you must have touched her cold heart. She must have a crush on you. Why are you alone now? Where is she?”
Zhang Ruochen answered, “I cannot expose my identity. So we separated from each other before stepping into the city gate.”
“Then you’re in a terrible situation now!” Duanmu Xingling sighed and shook her head, staring at him with sympathy.
“Why?”
She replied, “Because now you have a rival in love.”
“A rival in love?” Zhang Ruochen was speechless. Then he burst into laughter, “I don’t know. Since when do I have such a rival in love?”
Duanmu Xingling said, “You are your own rival in love.”
He didn’t know what to say.
Seeing that Zhang Ruochen still looked puzzled, Duanmu Xingling continued, “All the warriors in Yunwu City understand that Chen Ruo, the top genius of the School of the Martial Market, rescued Commandery Princess Yanchen from the Earth Blaze City by a hair’s breath. Stories like this are always told widely and pleasantly. People noted that when Commandery Princess Yanchen was in danger, the Ninth Prince disappeared, while Chen Ruo went to rescue her. Genuine stories between heroes and beauties should be like this.”
“So this is what you mean by a rival in love.” Zhang Ruochen shook his head with a smile, “Let it be. I don’t care.”
Duanmu Xingling said, “You don’t care, but the Yunwu Commandery Prince cares, and your mom, Concubine Lin. What’s more, the dignity of Qianshui Commandery. Won’t the Qianshui Commandery Prince care?”
“Even if they know the truth, others don’t. When Commandery Princess Yanchen is mentioned, people will think of the genius, Chen Ruo, not the Ninth Prince, Zhang Ruochen. They’ll say that Commandery Princess Yanchen and Chen Ruo were born to be together, and only the two could be called a hero and a beauty. What will people say about you if you appear as Zhang Ruochen?”
Zhang Ruochen became more and more serious. It seemed that he had thought things to be too simple.
He could thoroughly ignore the warriors gossip. His mom, however, could not. The Commandery Prince, and the Yunwu and Qianshui Commandery Princes could not ignore it either. The comments would harm their dignity.
Seeing that he was lost in thought, Duanmu Xingling laughed and said to him, “If you don’t have a solution, I can give you a hand.”
Zhang Ruochen raised his head with happiness and stared at her. He happened to look at her big bright eyes, “Do you have a solution, senior sister apprentice Duanmu?”
“Of course.”
Standing straight with full breasts, Duanmu Xingling smiled in satisfaction, “If the genius Chen Ruo had a beautiful and lovely girlfriend already, people wouldn’t think too much. They’d only feel that he rescued the Commandery Princess Yanchen because they are from the same campus. And if his girlfriend is a good friend of the Commandery Princess, things will be even easier to handle.”
Zhang Ruochen smiled slightly and asked, “You mean you’re the so-called ‘beautiful and lovely girlfriend’? Is that okay?…It could have a bad influence on your dignity.”
Duanmu Xingling sighed and said, “You’re my best male friend. Sister Yanchen is my best female friend. If I don’t help you, who will?”
“Ah! And if you really think you owe me, I’ll be glad to accept some Spatial Rings, my junior fellow apprentice. After all, once our love story is told to all, the young geniuses who are pursuing me will certainly give up.”
Zhang Ruochen said, “I understand your good will. How about this? The Spatial Rings will be of no use to you at all, but serendipity will. I’ll send it to you.”
“What serendipity?” Duanmu Xingling asked with curiosity.
Zhang Ruochen smiled and said, “You’ll understand it in a year. At most two years.”
What Zhang Ruochen was talking about was naturally the Dragon Palace under Tongming River. He could bring Duanmu Xingling with him then.
“So I have to forget it!” She crossed her hands in front of her chest, with a seemingly angry look.
Zhang Ruochen knew that she was not really angry and said to her, “If there’s nothing else, I’ll go buy a spiritual dose. Farewell, senior sister apprentice Duanmu.”
Duanmu Xingling said excitedly, “You’re going to buy a spiritual dose? What a coincidence! I know a shopkeeper who sells spiritual doses. His grocery is at the crossroad not far from here. Since we’re acquaintances, he’ll give you a fifty-percent discount.”
Zhang Ruochen thought for a moment and said, “Alright! Let’s go.”
A bright light flashed in Duanmu Xingling’s eyes. She stretched out her snow-white hands and hooked Zhang Ruochen’s arms. Her slim and soft figure swung against him in an intimate manner.
A pale fragrance from her body wafted into Zhang Ruochen’s nose.
He was astonished. He stopped his movement immediately, “What are you doing, senior sister apprentice Duanmu?”
“Now that I’m your girlfriend, I must pretend to be close to you. It’ll be better if everyone knows our relationship.” Duanmu Xingling said lovingly in a soft voice. It seemed that her voice could soften anyone’s heart.
Zhang Ruochen said with a forced smile, “But we don’t have to act deliberately like this.”
“If we don’t act deliberately, how can the warriors following you figure out our relationship?” she asked.
Naturally, Zhang Ruochen knew that from the moment he had entered into Yunwu City, more than one group of people had been following him secretly. Even at this moment, many were still hiding about and observing his actions.
It was predictable that the intimate way Duanmu Xingling acted would soon be news for all parties.