Chapter 266: Negotiation
Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
Zhang Ruochen walked out of the silver-gowned elder’s hall and stood on the stone steps. He looked into the air and grinned. “Square Commandery Prince is completely doomed. I expect the pattern of Western Nine Prefectures to also have a dramatic change.”
It was getting dark. The night was like pitch-black silk covering Devil Martial City, which was built high in the mountains, and making it extraordinarily mysterious.
Passing by the green stone streets, Zhang Ruochen stopped outside Huang Yanchen’s practice mansion.
He did not knock on the door, but it opened by itself.
“Master, Her Majesty has been waiting for you for a long time,” said a very beautiful maid of 16 or 17 years. She was holding a colorful lantern. She opened the door and led Zhang Ruochen inside.
Zhang Ruochen took a look at the maid and found that her cultivation had reached the Completion of the Yellow Realm. It was quite an amazing feat for someone of her age. She would definitely become a student at School of the Martial Market.
The maid led Zhang Ruochen into the parlor and poured hot tea for him, then she withdrew and closed the door.
Huang Yanchen was already waiting in the parlor. She was practicing, but she stopped when Zhang Ruochen walked in. With her eyes open wide, she said coldly, “Please, sit down.”
Zhang Ruochen did not stand on ceremony. He got a chair and sat opposite Huang Yanchen. He observed her carefully and said, “Senior sister apprentice, you have practiced very quickly and have reached the Medium State of the Earth Realm, haven’t you?”
“How can my cultivation speed compare with yours? You are a great master and can kill a strong man in the Heaven Realm. Compared with you, I am far behind!” Huang Yanchen rolled her eyes and gave him a hard look.
Zhang Ruochen said, “Senior sister apprentice, you don’t need to be modest with me. When I was in the Western Campus, the Deputy Headmaster told me that you were hiding your strength. Would she lie to me?”
Huang Yanchen ground her teeth and said angrily, “How talkative is that old woman!”
Huang Yanchen smiled like a blossoming lily. She said, “You pretended to be a Secret Disciple of Master Lei. Did that irritate him?”
Zhang Ruochen rarely saw Huang Yanchen’s smile, but right now, her smile was beautiful enough to melt ice or brighten up a room.
Meanwhile, Zhang Ruochen had a bizarre feeling that Huang Yanchen was not acting like herself today. It was too unusual.
“Master Lei was indeed very angry. But this has already been resolved. Senior sister apprentice, you don’t need to worry about me,” Zhang Ruochen said.
On their way back, Huang Yanchen had held back some things in front of Si Xingkong and Chang Qiqi. She definitely had her own purpose for meeting Zhang Ruochen alone tonight.
Zhang Ruochen came straight to the question. “Senior sister apprentice, is there something important that we have to meet alone to discuss?”
Huang Yanchen nodded, stopped smiling, and said, “I know a bit about the things that happened in Square Commandery and Poisonous Spider Club. Once Master Lei presents the evidence in the Eastern Region Saints Mansion, Square Commandery will be bound to be punished. Then, the surrounding commanderies will attack Square Commandery and take its territory, population, wealth, and resources.”
Zhang Ruochen seemed to understand the reason Huang Yanchen invited him there. He still pretended not to know and said, “Senior sister apprentice, what do you mean?”
“My meaning is very simple. I want to know whether or not Yunwu Commandery wants to annex Square Commandery and become a medium level commandery?”
Huang Yanchen stared into Zhang Ruochen’s eyes intensely, trying to see through to his very thoughts.
Zhang Ruochen thought for a moment and said, “Although there are some martial arts legends in the Royal Family in Yunwu Commandery, no one has reached the Completion of Heaven Realm. According to the stipulation of the First Central Empire, any family must have in place a master at the Completion of Heaven Realm. Then, it can be the Royal Family of a medium level commandery and help the First Central Empire to rule that area.”
Huang Yanchen said, “With your talent, you could reach the Completion of Heaven Realm within ten years. Then, you could be the master of the Yunwu Commandery. No one would dare to say otherwise.”
“Zhang Ruochen, this is a perfect opportunity. If Yunwu Commandery wants to be a medium level commandery, you will have Qianshui Commandery’s full support.”
“And, Master Lei admires you very much. As long as he orders it, the Martial Market Bank will support Yunwu Commandery fully. The Martial Market Bank has branches all over Square Commandery. As long as they support you, then half of Square Commandery will be behind the Yunwu Commandery.”
“If Square Commandery is annexed, Yunwu Commandery will be the most powerful of the Western Nine Prefectures. With the support of Master Lei and Qianshui Commandery, it will be just a matter of time before Yunwu Commandery unifies the Western Nine Prefectures. Eventually, Yunwu Commandery could even unify the entire Omen Ridge and develop into a superior class commandery.”
Zhang Ruochen smiled and said, “I didn’t see it earlier, but, Senior sister apprentice, you are very ambitious. I’m impressed.”
Huang Yanchen gave Zhang Ruochen a stare, lifting her chest to expose her long white neck. She said, “We are family now. If I don’t help you plan, who will I help? If you can become a king in a superior class commandery, I will be the queen.”
“Wait! Wait!”
Zhang Ruochen said, “Senior sister apprentice, we agreed that we were pretending to be engaged.”
Huang Yanchen said, “Is the engagement still pretend? Zhang Ruochen, I don’t have to marry you. There are lots of people who are pursuing me. It’s just that you are getting more and more talented in Martial Arts. If we break the engagement, everyone will think that you have a higher standard and have rejected me. I will become an abandoned woman. What will people think of me, and you?”
“Those Martial World warriors will think you are an ungrateful and heartless man.”
“So, we can’t break off this engagement! Although it is debasing to marry you, for our reputation, I can only submit to it!”
Zhang Ruochen said, “Actually, we don’t have to care about other people’s opinions at all. The most important thing is to follow your own heart. If you feel debased, then let me be the bad guy. In two years, I will go to Qianshui Commandery to break off the engagement personally.”
“You will break off the engagement? How will I be able to get married?” Huang Yanchen bit her lips and felt very angry. She thought that Zhang Ruochen was an idiot. She had been so honest, how could he not understand that?
“His Martial Arts was at such a high level, so why was his EQ so low?” she thought. “Does he really now know my true feelings?”
Did he really not know my true thoughts?[REMOVE THIS PART]
Huang Yanchen clenched her snow-white fists and bit her lip. She swore secretly that if Zhang Ruochen dared to mention ending the engagement, she would risk her life to fight him.