"It worked! It's exactly like what the book said!" The Dragon Emperor reached out to hold the broken sword.
His palm was still bleeding but the blood did not drip everywhere. Instead, it was continuously absorbed by the sword through its hilt.
The blood sacrifice will need to continue until the casting skill has been completed, so it will use up a lot of blood essence!
This was why this battle needed to be resolved as quickly as possible, or the Emperor would lose too much blood and the Divine Dragon tribe would lose the battle without even a fight.
"Blood offering to the Green Dragon! Grant me divine strength!" The Emperor bellowed as he sprinted to the head of the dragon carcass.
Immediately, Spiritual Qi streamed towards him. Half of it went to the sword and the other half into the dragon's head.
That was roughly about 100 million low-grade Spiritual Stones.
A One-Star Earth-God instrument would require 1 million Spiritual Stones, whereas a Two-Star Earth-God instrument would need 10 million!
The fact that 100 million low-grade Spiritual Stones worth of Spirit Qi would be needed to fuel the sword and the dragon carcass meant that they would be able to exert the much needed Three-star Earth-God strength.
"Ancestor Green Dragon! Help me kill the enemy! Destroy their troops!" The Dragon Emperor roared as he sprang forward, holding the sword in one hand.
The Emperor's body flashed green as dragon scales began to cover his torso.
Dragon fangs, fins, and claws sprouted, sharp and formidable.
"Roar!" The head of the dragon carcass roared.
The brilliant green light took the form of a giant green dragon a few hundred miles long.
As the Emperor charged forward with the sword in hand, the dragon's shadow followed closely behind.
"Incredible! Father's attack is about to contain the strength of a Three-star Earth-God! He will be able to terminate all the enemy soldiers for sure!"
"That's right! The strength that grandpa is borrowing from our ancestors can crush the enemy's battle formation! This is going to be an easy win!"
"This is great! After engaging in battle for a whole month, these warring days are finally going to end…"
The Divine Dragon royal family members were all very excited at the prospect.
Success was very close. Once the sword struck, all their problems would be resolved.
However, Chen Xiaobei was not as optimistic as the rest. "It may not be that simple…"
"Not that simple?" Ling Qingfeng's smile shrunk. "Did you notice something?"
Chen Xiaobei whispered, "The enemy is superior in every aspect, and they are also the descendants of a dragon. Could they also possess a similar Earth-God Instrument?"
"That…" Ling Qingfeng floundered. "That's would be a very small possibility… If the enemy also have a similar trump card, they would have already used it. Likewise, why would they have endured the whole month fighting without it?"
Chen Xiaobei frowned, "Be it as it may, have you ever wondered why the enemy uses a combat formation of 10,000 people to stall the Emperor? Why hasn't a single elite with the same rank as the Emperor showed up since the beginning of the battle?"
Ling Qingfeng wrung her hands around nervously. "You mean that the elites who are the same rank as grandfather are still preparing their trump cards? Is that why they have not joined the battle yet?!"
"Yeah, something like that!" Chen Xiaobei said. "Of course, I hope that I'm wrong! The best outcome would be for the Emperor to end the fight once and for all!"
"Mm! Let's see what happens…" Ling Qingfeng nodded. "At least we have the advantage for now!"
"Roar!" A thundering roar exploded ahead.
The Dragon Emperor, longsword gleaming in his hand, had already reached the enemy's battle formation.
The one-hundred-mile long dragon's shadow leaped upwards, and then sprang downwards as the Emperor swung the sword towards the 10,000-strong battle formation.
The 10,000 soldiers, with the addition of the Earth-God level battle formation's special ability, clumped together to form a giant vermillion shield.
Originally, the shield had the defensive power of a One-star Earth-God.
With the three Two-Star Earth-God Instruments and eight One-star Earth-God Instruments within the combat formation, however, the shield's defense was boosted to an equivalent to the strength of four Two-Star Earth-Gods.
At present, this was the most powerful defense the enemy had brandished so far.
The blade of the sword in the Emperor's hand struck the giant shield and the dragon's shadow swooped down as well, landing on the giant shield with its gigantic talons.
There was a loud rumbling and the shield shattered!
The four Two-star Earth-Gods defensive strength was all but useless!
Of course, this was not surprising at all.
The sword that the Dragon Emperor wielded was powered with 100 million low-grade Spiritual Qi and it also exerted the strength of a Three-star Earth-God!
That attack was like a walk in the park.
Swish!
Swish!
With the shield in pieces, the battle formation was completely ruined. The 10,000 scattered soldiers were now exposed under the dragon's shadow.
A pair of razor-sharp claws glowed green and reached towards the soldiers like a grim reaper's scythe harvesting souls.
If even the giant vermillion shield could be destroyed by that Green Dragon's giant claws, just imagine the harm it could do to the vulnerable soldiers.
"Ahhh!"
"Have mercy…. Have mercy…"
Cries of horror pierced the heavens, as thousands of soldiers were being ripped apart by the dragon's claw.
They were all very strong cultivators but right now, they were like helpless little insects, and those giant dragon claws were like a pair of human legs, trampling on the ants' nest.
By the time the Green Dragon claws had completed its attack and disappeared, the battlefield was awash with blood and squashed bodies.
In a matter of seconds, the 10,000 soldiers' battle formation was reduced to 3,000.
The survivors were too terror-stricken to react. They could not even hold up their weapons.
"Ancestor Green Dragon! Lend me your divine strength again!" The Dragon Emperor bellowed.
Spiritual Qi swarmed in from all directions into the longsword. The dragon's shadow that had previously dispersed amassed again.
The second strike would completely wipe out the remainder of the enemy soldiers, putting an end to the month-long bitter strife.
Suddenly, at this critical moment, a voice roared from within the tear in the skies, "Ancestor Vermillion Dragon! Protect my children!"
A hundred-mile long Vermillion Dragon tore through the rift and came swooping down!
"Roar!" The Vermillion Dragon was also an illusion formed by the shining bright light.
Riding on the beast was a man covered in red dragon scales, holding a familiar red longsword.
"Zhufeng…" Ling Qingfeng cried in terror. "You were right! They have an elite who is at the same rank as our grandfather! Their trump card is the same grade as ours… What should we do…"
"Let's watch first…" Chen Xiaobei said. "If the Dragon Emperor finds himself in a tight corner, I will go and help him!"
Ling Qingfeng nodded, slightly relieved. Less so were the other Divine Dragon imperial family members, who raised their brows in doubt. How could a greenhorn like Chen Xiaobei be of any help to their Emperor?
Although it was true that Chen Xiaobei had bought and brought the Green Dragon's sword fragment back to them, that was merely proof of Chen Xiaobei's wealth and not his abilities.
Rumble!
The Vermillion Dragon and the Green Dragon collided, claws slashing at each other. It was utter madness.
Each time they struck, a wave of energy would explode.
The whole space would tremble. A huge burst of wind would blow which sent the four thousand remaining soldiers falling backward. Half of the sky flashed in red, and the other green.
The two dragons wrestled mid-air, while on the ground, the Dragon Emperor's green sword pounded against the enemy's vermillion dragon sword.
Clink!
Clink!
Clink!
Both of them were at the pinnacle phase of God-Ascension cultivation, extremely fast and ridiculously powerful!
Each time their blades met, a piercing noise broke out, ringing echoes in the air.
It seemed that every second, their swords would clash at least a hundred times.
Although exchanging thousands of blows within such a short time, it did not look as if any side was gaining an edge over the other.
It was a 50/50 struggle!
The dragon kings began to discuss among themselves.
"It looks like the enemy's strength is also about Three-star Earth-God…"
"If his strength is equal to father's, this will be another tie again!"
The young princes nodded. "It looks like we'll have to wait until the enemy's Spiritual Qi runs out and he has to take a break in the middle of the battle! It's impossible to completely defeat the enemy!"
"No!" Ling Qingfeng joined in. "Look carefully! Grandfather doesn't look so good. His forehead is beaded with cold sweat, and his movements are slowing down…"
"Oh no!" The dragon kings cried anxiously. "The Green Dragon sword is continuously operating, so it needs to keep drawing blood from father! They've been fighting for a long time… Father would have lost a lot of blood by now…"
The princes were also anxiously murmuring. "Look at that vermillion dragon elite! He's supplying the blood essence offering to his sword from his storage bracelet!"
"I get it now!" Ling Qingfeng gasped. "Zhufeng is right again! This vermillion dragon elite did not appear for the past month because he was accumulating his blood essence!"
The dragon kings added, "The enemy stored his blood in the storage bracelet so that he won't need to use blood during the fight! Although they are fighting with the same combat power, father is getting weaker and weaker!"
The princes began to panic. "Grandfather just keeps losing blood. He won't last another few more rounds…"
"Zhufeng! Didn't you say that you know what to do? Hurry up then! Help my grandfather…" Ling Qingfeng's eyes were wide with fear. All of her hope was on Chen Xiaobei. She suddenly stopped mid-sentence and screamed, "Where is Zhufeng? Wasn't he right next to me a minute ago? Where did he suddenly disappear to?"
"We were all busy watching the battle. No one was paying attention…" The princes shook their heads. "But what's the point of finding him? How could he help? Don't make things worse than it already is for grandfather!"
"Hang on… I see him! He's over there!" One of the dragon kings shouted. "He went there while we were busy discussing the battle!"
"Where? Why can't we see him?" Ling Qingfeng and the other princes had trouble catching a glimpse of Chen Xiaobei.
"Wow! No wonder there. He's so fast!" The other dragon kings exclaimed. "He's standing on a red and yellow thing. He's so fast that even we could not see him!"
"Red and yellow thing?" Ling Qingfeng repeated. "Oh! I know! That's Zhufeng's Spiritual Beast! Vermillion Phoenix's Giant Barbarian Tiger!"
"What?!" Everyone said at once. "Little Seventeen, are you serious? That kid… no… that Childe Chen really made a Giant Barbaric Tiger his Spiritual Beast? But that's an Earth-God level super beast!"
"You're looking at it with your own eyes! I don't have to explain to you!" Ling Qingfeng said. "I already told you that Zhufeng is no ordinary person! If he says he can do it, then he can!"
Again, the Divine Dragon kings and princes were filled with awe. "If Childe Zhufeng can help us out of this, he would be the savior of our Divine Dragon tribe. We'll remember his kindness forever!"
"Just watch!" The corner of Ling Qingfeng's lips curled upwards. "Zhufeng will not disappoint us!"
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
The battle was still breaking out at full force.
The Dragon Emperor was losing a lot of blood causing his body to start giving in, and he was growing weaker by the second!
The vermillion dragon elite had come prepared, and he was at optimum condition. As time went on, he fought ever fiercer and harder!
As one rose, the other fell. Soon, the Dragon Emperor was fighting a losing battle.
"Ancestor Vermillion Dragon! Help me kill our ancient nemesis!"
The vermillion dragon elite roared, releasing a large volume of blood essence from his storage bracelet. At the same time, he was swinging the sword with both hands.
"No…" The Dragon Emperor was suffering from severe blood loss. It was evident that did not have enough of it to supply his sword.
The green light was dimming and the cracks on the longsword began to split, looking as if it was going to shatter into pieces back to the pile of useless scrap metal.
Zing!
The vermillion dragon elite came down on the Emperor with added ferocity when he noticed this problem. His strategy was to take the Emperor down while he was at his most feeble!
"It's over…" The Dragon Emperor watched the red sword swing down on him in despair.
"Give me the sword!" Chen Xiaobei suddenly shouted in a very calm but domineering voice.
"I…" The Dragon Emperor loosened his grip on the sword before Chen Xiaobei grabbed the green dragon sword away from him.
Chen Xiaobei returned to the tiger with the sword raised and started to lock horns with the vermillion dragon!
"Childe… Zhufeng… No! Don't go! You're no match for the enemy…" The Dragon Emperor called out after Chen Xiaobei, terrified and fearful on Chen Xiaobei's behalf.
Chen Xiaobei, however, had already left on his Giant Barbaric Tiger at Earth-God speed. It was too late to stop him.
"Where did you come from, you stupid boy? What makes you think you could fight me?" The vermillion dragon elite jeered mockingly. "So what if you're riding on a Giant Barbaric Tiger? The green dragon will gradually disappear! My sword has the strength of a Three-star Earth-God! Killing you would be as easy as killing an ant!"
Without the Dragon Emperor's blood, the green dragon blade was growing dim and would shatter at any time.
The green dragon was also growing faint and fading gradually.
Like the vermillion dragon king said, once the image disappears, Chen Xiaobei would not be able to block the vermillion dragon's attack.
Even with the Giant Barbaric Tiger with him, Chen Xiaobei would still not be able to survive this fight.
To the vermillion dragon king, killing Chen Xiaobei was just the simple matter of brandishing his sword.
Zing!
The sharp vermillion dragon sword struck downwards with a substantial force!
"Roaaaar!!" The vermillion dragon roared, savage and vehement!
The giant beast, along with the sword, was coming down, hard and fast, towards Chen Xiaobei with the wrath of a Three-star Earth-God strength!
The Giant Barbaric Tiger would not be able to bear a force like that. Neither the Nightstalker Outfit nor the upgraded Ultimate Protective Puppet would too! Even if Chen Xiaobei were to use all of his trump cards, none of them would be up to the task!
Howbeit, Chen Xiaobei showed no signs of fear. The expression on his face was glassy and sangfroid as if everything was just fine.
"You're just a vermillion dragon. The audacity!" With his right hand, Chen Xiaobei ran the green dragon blade across his left index finger, making a small cut where a small drop of blood escaped.
Yes! Only one drop!
Then Chen Xiaobei quickly sealed the wound with his Ethereal Force to prevent any more blood from spilling.
"Hey, kid! Are you the clown that the Green Dragon tribe hired? You're going to use one drop of blood as a sacrifice for the sword? This is the biggest joke I've ever heard!" The vermillion dragon king laughed mockingly. "I thought you were brave but it's only because you're off your trolley! Hahaha…"
Compared to a large amount of blood the Dragon Emperor and the vermillion dragon king had used, the little drop of blood Chen Xiaobei left on the green dragon's blade was insufficient, infinitesimal.
It was not only the vermillion dragon king who questioned Chen Xiaobei's action, but even the Dragon Emperor, Ling Qingfeng, and the other imperial family members were uncertain about it too. What the hell was Chen Xiaobei up to?
The Dragon Emperor, especially, regretted his decision. What spell was he under that made him loosen his grip on the green dragon sword and let Chen Xiaobei take it from him!
Now, not only was Chen Xiaobei going to die, but the green dragon sword will also fall into the hands of the enemy!
The Emperor shook his head in devastation – losing the green dragon sword meant the end of the Divine Dragon tribe!
In his heart, he had already become the miscreant; the failed wretch. Even in death, he would not have the dignity to face his generations of ancestors.
Suddenly, an ear-splitting, spine-chilling screech interrupted the Emperor's thoughts.
Zing!
Heads turned to the source of the noise – the green dragon sword in Chen Xiaobei's hand had lost its green brilliance. The blood that filled the cracks were completely drained.
But! Instead of shattering, the sword glowed a brighter, more luminesce purple-gold light!
The light seemed to be holding the cracks together, and was thousands of times more secure!
What was even more impressive was that the speckles of rust had vanished as if brand new – three-feet long gleaming green blades as sharp as a needle!
The body of the sword sparkled, and dragon scales adorned its hilt!
"How… is that possible…"
Everyone who was watching were bowled over.
"Childe Chen… used one drop of blood… it worked…" The dragon kings exclaimed. "Could it be that Childe Chen's cultivation is even higher than father's? That's impossible…"
"There's more!" The Dragon Emperor gasped. "The green dragon sword has transfigured back into its original form! According to the ancient books, only an Earth-God's dragon blood can do that!"
The princes looked at each other. "Could… Could Childe Chen… be an Earth-God? My god… This is scary…"
"No…" Ling Qingfeng shook her head. "Zhufeng is not an Earth-God… He has Earth-God blood essence, and it's at least Earth-God ranked!"
Blood essence meant that the blood in Chen Xiaobei's veins were Earth-God blood.
Bloodline, on the other hand, referred to the unique physical make-up passed down from a person's ancestors.
For example, the Divine Dragon tribe's ancestors were Earth-God ranked green dragons that passed down green dragon blood vessels to their descendants.
However, after thousands of years and generation after generation, the blood was gradually watered down until it was no longer an Earth-God level although the special ability of the bloodline may still be present!
It was in no way comparable to Chen Xiaobei's Witch Dragon Blood!
The vermillion dragon king had read the ancient books, so, he too understood what was happening.
His initial shock, however, quickly dwindled, and he said mockingly, "Wow! Kid! You have Earth-God blood but sadly, you're not a real Earth-God neither are you a green dragon descendant!". Even if you are able to cause the green dragon sword to return to its original form, you won't be able to use the green dragon Spiritual Qi in this place, which means that you won't be able to activate the strength of the sword!"
When the people of Divine Dragon heard this, they began to panic. They all knew that the vermillion dragon king was right!
Only a true descendant of the green dragon could use the Spiritual Qi here. Why else would the vermillion dragon tribe have to retreat from time to time to replenish their Spiritual Qi supply?
"Hahaha…" Sword in hand, the vermillion dragon king increased his pace, "You have nothing more than Three-star Earth-God's strength – killing you will be almost effortless!"
Zing!
The Three-star Earth-God strength vermillion dragon sword was coming down on Chen Xiaobei!
"Yes, I'm not a green dragon descendant –"Chen Xiaobei reached out and sliced the air with his sword, "but I'm the ancestor of the green dragon!"
"You are the Green Dragon's ancestor?" The vermillion dragon laughed. "What a load of bull! You might as well say that you are the ruler of heaven! Or even the Buddha!"
The imperial members of Divine Dragon did not comment but deep inside, they were all in fact offended by Chen Xiaobei's statement.
How could this Childe Chen claim to be the Green Dragon's predecessor?! That would make him the forefather of the Divine Dragon tribe's forefathers!
That was a massive, degrading insult to the imperial family of the Divine Dragon tribe!
Not knowing the truth about Chen Xiaobei, they were all peeved at his insolence.
Ling Qingfeng was the only one who knew that Chen Xiaobei was merely telling the truth!
At the portal, before they entered the ruin, the Divine Dragon statue actually bowed to Chen Xiaobei!
That was enough evidence to prove that the dragon blood that Chen Xiaobei inherited was both, in rank and seniority, far superior to that of the Green Dragon – the ancestor of the Divine Dragon tribe.
There was no time, however, for Ling Qingfeng to explain all this for the battle had reached the critical part of the final juncture.
Rumble!
The vermillion dragon sword struck Chen Xiaobei's head, completely engulfing him in its sharp talons.
This strike was meant for the Dragon Emperor. If Chen Xiaobei had not stepped in, the Emperor would have been killed!
In spite of that, Chen Xiaobei was unfazed. He waved his hand and swung the sword straight down with no fancy moves or sleight of hand.
Fwahhh… Fwahhh…
The Spiritual Qi in the surroundings began to stir.
No one except for Ling Qingfeng believed that Chen Xiaobei was the predecessor of the Green Dragon nor did they believe that he would be able to make use of the Spiritual Qi in the ruin!
Right now, to everyone's surprise, the Spiritual Qi in the air were coursing in from every direction toward Chen Xiaobei's intent and right into the green dragon sword.
"Roarrrrr!" The mountain made up of dragon remains shook, washing the entire mountain range in purple-gold light.
Then, a 10,000 mile-long giant purple-gold dragon image rose from the mountains, launching itself into the air towards the hundred mile-long vermillion dragon.
The vermillion dragon suddenly seemed tiny in comparison to its colossal nemesis; inferior in size, strength, speed, and force.
"Good heavens… This… This, this, this…" The Vermillion Dragon King's heart squirmed inside his chest. A sudden terror struck him to the point where hands that were tightly clutching the sword weakened and lost all its strength.
"Screw you, you piece of shit!" Chen Xiaobei spat, not bothering to even move his sword.
Rumble…
At Chen Xiaobei's fancy, the massive purple-gold dragon image flung a claw at the helpless, puny vermillion dragon.
BAM!
As that was happening, the vermillion dragon sword in the king's hand suddenly smashed into pieces, scattered all over the floor, and left dark without a ray of Spirit Light.
Blaaaargh…" The Vermillion Dragon King threw up a mouthful of blood, as he was flung a few hundred meters away from where he was standing. The ground on which he landed caved in.
"Argh… Blaargh…" The Vermillion Dragon King slumped in the concave depression, blood streaming endlessly from his mouth with half the bones in his body broken. He could not even get back up on his feet.
His pupils shrank upon the realization that his supposed victory had suddenly taken a complete turn for the worse!
How was it that his most powerful strike was thrashed without being even allowed so much as a chance to counter the attack!
What boggled him most was that the upstart of a green boy was indeed the predecessor of the Green Dragon as he had claimed!
To put it more accurately, he was indeed the ancestor of most dragon tribes!
Rumble!
The purple-gold dragon continued to press on.
Its gargantuan claws enveloped the 4,000 remaining vermillion dragon soldiers.
Chen Xiaobei could wipe the soldiers out with just a thought.
Killing thousands with just a thought!
Now, that was true power, the raison d'être of every elite! That was the never-changing truth!
Chen Xiaobei could feel his blood grow hot at this thought!
Although he was still very weak, he would possess strength like this someday, and perhaps, would be even stronger still!
"Forefather, have mercy… Have mercy, please…"
The 4,000 men got down on all fours and begged while hitting their heads against the stones.
Celestial Cultivation common soldiers, Ethereal Cultivation, and God-Ascension Cultivation core elites all kowtowed to him.
Even the blood-covered Vermillion Dragon King flipped over and kowtowed.
They addressed Chen Xiaobei as 'forefather'. They did so with such sincerity and duty, it was as if they were worshipping their god.
"Little Tiger! Let's go there!" Chen Xiaobei instructed, and the Giant Barbaric Tiger leaped forward.
Chen Xiaobei looked down at the vermillion dragon soldiers and said, "Since you're calling me your forefather, tell me, why wage war against the Divine Dragon tribe?"
"I'll… I'll tell you…" The Vermillion Dragon King managed with great difficulty. "In ancient times, the green dragon and the vermillion dragon were enemies… Then, during a major battle, both dragons were severely wounded and eventually died… The elders of our tribe told us that sooner or later, the Green Dragon tribe would come and take revenge on us… They would come and wipe out our entire tribe… They also told us that when we, the future generation get the chance, we must destroy the entire Green Dragon tribe… When the opportunity presented itself, we ripped this space open but we found out that our strength was almost equal to the Green Dragon tribe. So, we decided to make the first move… and eradicate the entire Green Dragon tribe… forever putting an end to any future trouble…"
The Vermillion Dragon King was so severely wounded that he coughed up blood as he spoke.
"Catch!" Chen Xiaobei threw a Taiyi Life Enhancement pill to the king.
"This is?" The Vermillion Dragon King looked puzzled.
"What is it? You call me 'forefather' yet you don't trust me?" Chen Xiaobei said in a frosty tone.
"I do! You are a true dragon ancestor! I trust you!" The Vermillion Dragon King declared before swallowing the Taiyi Life Enhancement Pill Chen Xiaobei gave him.
Taking unknown pills given by the enemy was not a decision one would make so simply and quickly.
The Vermillion Dragon King, however, did not hesitate even for a second. He did not see Chen Xiaobei as his enemy but saw Chen Xiaobei as his rightful and true Dragon Ancestor!
The rest of the 4,000 Vermillion Dragon soldiers also thought the same about Chen Xiaobei and worshipped him as if he was their god.
"Phew…" The Vermillion Dragon King exhaled. He was beginning to feel much better. The red dragon scales on his face and body began to fade which soon revealed a wrinkled old face framed by white hair and silver beard accompanied by the look of a very kind and friendly person.
"Thank you, ancestor, for the medicine…" The old man said. "I'm the one who triggered the war… I don't deserve this healing medicine…"
Chen Xiaobei answered, "My sifu told me that "People who kill for selfish reasons are evil! People who kill to protect themselves are just ordinary people! But people who kill to protect others are kind and noble!"
The old man furrowed his brows. He was clearly confused.
Chen Xiaobei continued, "You, Vermillion Dragon, did indeed start this war but you only did it because you were obedient to the teachings of your ancestors and was worried about the safety of your people. You started this war to protect your tribe! The basis for your actions is not wrong. That is why I gave you the medicine!"
"Thank you for understanding, ancestor…" The Vermillion Dragon King touched his head to the ground three times.
"Don't thank me so soon! Just because the reasons for your action was not wrong does not mean that what you did was right!" Chen Xiaobei said sternly. "The Green Dragons had no desire to engage in battle! They were not even aware of your existence! They were no threat to you at all! Ignorant and reckless, you were so indiscriminate, so unreasonable! You came rushing in without doing your homework and decided that you ought going to wipe out the entire Green Dragon tribe! For that, you are in the wrong!"
"I was wrong… I am willing to accept your punishment…" The Vermillion Dragon King nodded heavily. "Even if you sentence me to death, I will not grumble or complain… My only wish is that you can ensure that my tribe is safe after I am dead!"
"Father! No… I will take your place…"
"Grandfather… No! I'm willing to take your place… I will bear your sentence… We, the Vermillion Dragon tribe cannot afford to lose you…"
"Your grace… You cannot die… Ancestor, please show mercy! Ancestor, please show mercy!"
The 4,000 men cried out.
It was plain that the Vermillion Dragon King was greatly loved by his people. They were all very supportive of him be it his children, grandchildren or even his soldiers.
"Don't beg me!" Chen Xiaobei held up a hand. "I am just an arbitrator, not the ruling judge! You wronged the Green Dragons, so you should be asking their Emperor for mercy!"
"Green Dragon Emperor, your highness… Please allow me to take my father's place…"
"No! Let me! Let me die on behalf of my grandfather…"
"We, all three thousand of us Vermillion Dragon soldiers, are willing to die for our king!"
From the kings and princes to the soldiers, all of the Vermillion Dragon armed forces were willing to die for their Emperor.
The Divine Dragon people were all deeply moved by this display of loyalty.
Had the tables been turned and they were put in the same position, they, too, would have volunteered to die for their Emperor.
Witnessing the situation, the people of Divine Dragon sympathized with the Vermillion Dragon people.
The Dragon Emperor walked up to the Vermillion Dragon Emperor and offered him a hand, asking, "Can you stand up?"
The Vermillion Dragon Emperor looked up doubtfully at the outstretched palm before reaching up to meet it with his own hand. With the help of the Green Dragon Emperor, he pushed himself off the ground.
Instead of withdrawing his hand right away, the Green Dragon Emperor supported the Vermillion Dragon king's weight.
Two grizzled Dragon Emperors stood side by side, covered in dust and weariness, their silver beards and hair undulating in the wind.
"Thank you… and… sorry…" The Vermillion Dragon Emperor was greatly moved by this act of kindness; a medley of emotions kindled in his heart, and he was at a loss for words.
"I accept your apology!" The Green Dragon Emperor said. "You were wrong to start this battle, but I can understand the reason behind your actions! Had I been in your shoes, I might have done the same to you!"
"Thank you so much…" The Vermillion Dragon Emperor sighed remorsefully.
The Green Dragon Emperor continued, "I killed more than 6,000 Vermillion Dragon soldiers to protect myself. I was too reckless, too foolhardy… I'm truly sorry!"
The Vermillion Dragon Emperor shook his head and sighed grievously. "The death of our soldiers is my fault! I was the one who made the wrong decision! You don't have to apologize!"
"There's no need for us to argue who is right or who is wrong!" said Green Dragon Emperor. "I hope that from now onwards, the enmity and animosity between our tribes will be revoked and that we'll exist together in peace and harmony!"
"I agree!" The Vermillion Dragon Emperor turned to Chen Xiaobei and said solemnly, "I swear to Dragon Ancestor that from today onwards, we, the Vermillion Dragon tribe will live peacefully next to the Green Dragon tribe. We shall never ever battle against each other again! If we break our vows, I shall stand condemned by the Heavens, and die a graveless death!"
"I, too, swear to Dragon Ancestor!" The Green Dragon Emperor followed after. "From today onwards, our Green Dragon tribe will not start a war against the Vermillion Dragon tribe! We will live together in peace and harmony from age to age, from generation to generation! Should we break our vows, I shall be struck by lightning and die a horrible death!"
Chen Xiaobei blinked. "I am willing to be your notary, but please don't call me Dragon Ancestor. I cannot undertake it…"
"Of course, you can!" exclaimed the Green Dragon Emperor said. "If it were not for you, Dragon Ancestor, I'm afraid I would have died by the Vermillion Dragon's sword!"
"Yes! From now onwards, you are our Dragon Ancestor!" The Vermillion Dragon Emperor declared. "If you had not been here to restore balance, both our tribes would continue to fight until all our men perish, doing unforgiveable wrongs to each other!"
Chen Xiaobei nodded relentingly. "Alright, you can call me Dragon Ancestor in private. But outside, you would just need to call me Childe Chen! People dread fame as much as pigs dread being strong*! I don't want to attract any unwanted trouble!"
"Yes, Dragon Ancestor!" hollered both Dragon Emperors as they raised their palm-in-fist to Chen Xiaobei.
"Here, take back your Green Dragon sword. Keep it safe!" Chen Xiaobei was about to return the sword when he noticed something odd. "That's strange… Why did the sword form a Spiritual Bond with me? And why can't I break it?"
"Spiritual bond? That…" The Green Dragon Emperor repeated in astonishment. "The Green Dragon sword was destroyed. It cannot form a spiritual bond anymore!"
"I have no need to lie to you!" Chen Xiaobei gave the Emperor the sword. "If you don't believe me, give it a try. You probably won't be able to control this sword anymore!"
A Divine Instrument without an owner would form a spiritual bond with the next person using it after the first Spiritual Connection.
From then on, unless its owner dies or breaks the spiritual bond, the Divine Instrument would only recognize its one and only master. No one else would be able to use it!
"Of course, you're not lying to me, Dragon Ancestor!" The Green Dragon Emperor whispered subserviently. "The green dragon sword has not yet acknowledged a master before this! Since it has now recognized you as its master, please keep this sword, Dragon Ancestor!"
Footnote:
People dread fame as much as pigs dread being strong: Fame has a price. Great honor comes with great burden. Fame can be a double-edged sword.
"What? You want me to keep your Green Dragon sword?" Chen Xiaobei cocked his head to one side. "This is a Spirit Immortal Instrument that your ancestors have passed down to you. How could you just give it away like that?"
"Please lend me your ears, Dragon Ancestor!" The Green Dragon Emperor said. "The Green Dragon sword can only be used in the Divine Dragon Ruin. Now that we will not be fighting against the Vermillion Dragons, we have no use for it. It would be a waste for me to keep it but if this sword goes to you, It has the opportunity to unleash its full potential! It can also be restored, and eventually reclaim its almighty strength! Our ancestors will definitely be proud of us! Most importantly, this sword is the only item that is worthy enough to repay Dragon Ancestor, so, please don't turn us down. We won't be at peace if you don't take it!"
The Green Dragon Emperor's explanation was sensible and filled with earnest. He genuinely wanted to use the sword to repay Chen Xiaobei.
Chen Xiaobei pondered the offer for a moment and then nodded. "I cannot find a reason to refuse your gift. I will accept the sword! From today onwards, I, Chen Zhufeng will protect the Green Dragon tribe!"
"Thank you, Dragon Ancestor, for your gracious protection!" The Green Dragon broke into a smile.
From this day onwards, whatever trouble the Green Dragon tribe would encounter, Chen Xiaobei would come to their help, protecting them and ensuring their safety.
This commitment was extremely valuable to the Green Dragon tribe!
"Plea… Please accept our Vermillion Dragon sword too…Dragon Ancestor…" The Vermillion Dragon Emperor came forward with the fragments of the Vermillion Dragon sword in both hands.
"You don't have to!" Chen Xiaobei said. "Keep the sword with you. It's your only trump card!"
"I'm afraid, Dragon Ancestor might not know about this…" The Vermillion Dragon Emperor quickly explained, "On the other side of the tear is no longer Divine Dragon Ruin territory! Away from the ruin, I won't be able to use the Vermillion Dragon sword either… Since we won't be fighting each other, the Vermillion Dragon sword is useless!"
Chen Xiaobei's eyebrows rose to this forehead. "So, you are hoping that I keep the Vermillion Dragon sword and restore it so that your ancestor, the Vermillion Dragon would be comforted in the underworld?"
"Exactly!" The Vermillion Dragon Emperor confirmed. "Of course, we are also hoping to be your protection! Please grant us this chance, Dragon Ancestor!"
"You really are clever!" Chen Xiaobei grinned. "Alright. I'll accept the Vermillion Dragon sword as well. With this, I too, will shield the Vermillion Dragon tribe!"
"Thank you, Dragon Ancestor!" The Vermillion Dragon Emperor wore a bright and grateful smile.
Chen Xiaobei put away both swords and then asked, "Oh, I still don't know where you live."
The Vermillion Dragon replied, "Dragon Ancestor, our tribe lives in Green Dragon Land! Of course, our territory is only the tip of the iceberg. Our tribe is merely a third-rate force in Green Dragon Land!"
"Third-rate force?"
Chen Xiaobei felt that he might have made a promise that he could not keep.
"Yes… Only third rate…" The Vermillion Dragon Emperor answered. "Green Dragon Land is closest to Earth-God realm. They have a great number of elites and prodigies! Factions like the Heaven Domination Faction is way more powerful than us!"
"Oh… I understand now…" Chen Xiaobei nodded. "You better lay low for the moment. I'm afraid it will be some time before I would be going to Green Dragon Land…"
"Don't worry, Dragon Ancestor! We will not get ourselves into in any trouble…" The Vermillion Dragon Emperor promised.
Chen Xiaobei nodded. "Alright, now that we've cleared things up. I have a small request that I hope you two would agree to!"
Both Dragon Emperors answered eagerly, "You don't have to be so courteous, Dragon Ancestor. Your business is our business. You only have to instruct us!"
Chen Xiaobei then replied, "After you've dealt with wrapping up the aftermath here, I hope that the both of you could begin to prepare your soldiers for war! In a month or two, I might need to use your troops!"
"Don't worry, Dragon Ancestor!" Both Dragon Emperors pledged. "We will prepare our men! You just have to say the word, and we'll fight to our deaths with whoever the enemy is!"
"No, no. You won't have to fight to the death!" Chen Xiaobei shook his head. "Even if a war breaks out, I will make early preparations to minimize deaths and injuries, and maybe, you'll even suffer none!"
"What?! How could there be no casualties in a war?" Both Emperors were confounded. "Dragon Ancestor, that is a brilliant plan!"
"The two of you are advanced in years, there's no need to brown-nose with me!" Chen Xiaobei waved them off. "I have to go make arrangements so I'll make a move first! You will have to settle things here yourselves! Contact me anytime if anything comes up!"
"Bye Dragon Ancestor…Bye Dragon Ancestor…"
Everyone present raised their hands and bowed to Chen Xiaobei as he turned to leave.
"Little Tiger, wait a minute!" Chen Xiaobei walked up to Ling Qingfeng and lowered his head, and whispered, "Brother Qingfeng! I'm in a hurry. Let's meet up sometime later, I'll buy the drinks this time!"
Ling Qingfeng blushed. "Alright! I'll wait for your return! Whatever you do next, take care of yourself! Don't take unnecessary risks, and don't show off! If you need any help, just give me a call!"
Seeing Ling Qingfeng yammering on, Chen Xiaobei suddenly felt warm and fuzzy, "Oh… Brother Qingfeng, since when you become so sappy? That's too feminine! It's unlike you at all!"
Ling Qingfeng hissed, "I'm just being kind! You don't have to be mean! Get out of my sight!"
"Now, that's more like you! Good brother, see you later!" Chen Xiaobei patted the Giant Barbaric Tiger's fluffy head.
The Giant Barbaric Tiger sprang up, and disappeared from the people's view.
Ling Qingfeng bit her lip, her pretty face bashful. "Stupid! I don't want to be your brother!"
"Heavens! Our little seventeen is changing her preference! Finally, she likes men!" The young princes cheered.
"Shut up, all of you! I will give you a good beating if you don't stop!" Blood rushed up Ling Qingfeng's face and she ran after the laughing princes.
Now that the battle was over, much-missed laughter that had been absent for so long reverberated once again.
…
Ding Ring Ring…
Chen Xiaobei's phone rang immediately after he left the ruin.
"Childe Zhufeng!" Su Xiaoman's excited voice came from the other end. "I've found a lead for the Black Water Stone on your list!"
"Really? That's fast!" Chen Xiaobei was delighted.
"You call this quick?" Su Xiaoman said. "It's been nine days since we parted. If I couldn't even find a single lead, then I would have been wasting my time in Black Tortoise."
"Right… It's been nine days huh!" Chen Xiaobei thought back. Because the Divine Dragon Ruin was located in such a remote area, there was no portal on the little asteroid.
It took them a full seven days to arrive at their destination with the spacecraft, and including the two days before and after, that made a total of nine days.
"Tell me about what you found." Chen Xiaobei said.
"In ten days, there will be a black-market auction in Black Tortoise! There will be a Black Water Stone at the auction! I've confirmed the news, but you have to prepare quite a large sum of Spiritual Stones. Earth-God items certainly don't come cheap!"
"That's not going to be a problem at all! I will get there in ten days!" Chen Xiaobei exclaimed excitedly.
The Prime of Tongtian had predicted that Chen Xiaobei's friends would help him find the things on the list. He sure was right about that.
Getting the Black Water Stone would leave him with one more material from the list to upgrade his Netherspirit Battlescouter.
Once the upgrade was complete, Chen Xiaobei could choose a Heavenly Path Reward, and then use his Ambergris to increase his combat power
Chen Xiaobei was thrilled at that thought.
After he hung up, Chen Xiaobei took out his interstellar spacecraft.
The last time, with Ling Qingfeng navigating the spacecraft, Chen Xiaobei had time to cultivate for seven days and seven nights.
This time, although Ling Qingfeng was not around, Chen Xiaobei had just the solution for this problem.
Out came the long-unused No.8 Luban.
This Spiritual Instrument was the latest model of a robot made by Master Luban himself. It could transfer everything it was seeing to its master's head.
Chen Xiaobei set the flight course before seating No. 8 Luban at the pilot's seat.
Hence, without untoward incidents, he should be able to make it back to the planet with the portal in seven days before continuing to Black Tortoise.
If anything did happen during the journey, Chen Xiaobei would be informed through No. 8 Luban and could immediately stop cultivating to solve the problem.
With everything prepped and ready, the spacecraft took off.
Chen Xiaobei retreated to the lounge. Not wasting every minute and every second, he began to cultivate at once.
His consented three-months period with Lady Nuwo was getting shorter and shorter. Even before using the Ambergris, Chen Xiaobei would still need a rather long period of time to cultivate before he could reach the peak of Ethereal Cultivation. He would need every second.
…
The rest of the seven days went smoothly without incident.
The spacecraft landed on the planet on autopilot.
Chen Xiaobei had cultivated for a good seven days and seven nights.
There were twenty-four hours a day. This meant that Chen Xiaobei had been cultivating for a total of 168 hours.
Chen Xiaobei exhaled a puff of white breath. He opened his eyes and checked his cultivation.
Ding!
[Cultivation: Middle-phase of Ethereal Cultivation; Lifespan: 2,570 years; Health: 240,600; Combat power: 220,600]
"Just like last time, an increase of 168 cultivation for 168 hours! I'm 109,400 away from 330,000 combat power, the peak of Ethereal Cultivation! Another step closer!" Chen Xiaobei stretched his body. "I have 52 days left until the deadline! I must be able to complete all the tasks in time so that I can find out where Little Fox is! I'll get the Black Water Stone after three days, then I'll make my way back to Saint Duke Starfield for the third and last round of the betrothal competition! If it's a competition of wealth, I can probably pass. Hehe!"
Chen Xiaobei was immediately energized at the thought.
He quickly alighted the spacecraft.
After seven days of traveling, Chen Xiaobei arrived at one of the Divine Dragon Starfield's many planets.
He just needed to go through the portal on this planet to get to Black Tortoise's capital city.
"Childe Zhufeng!" Su Xiaoman had been waiting for him at the portal in the capital city. Upon seeing him approach, the lass sprinted towards him.
"Didn't I say that you don't have to come and usher me?" Chen Xiaobei greeted her with a warm smile.
"You are my savior and idol! Why shouldn't I come?" Su Xiaoman twinkled; her gorgeous face a sight for sore eyes.
"Since when did I earn another fan?" Chen Xiaobei grinned.
"Since the moment you subdued the Giant Barbaric Tiger!" Su Xiaoman said admiringly. "I'm not the only one, by the way! Everyone in our Divine Tiger Faction sees you as their idol! If you come back with me, you'll know just how they feel about you!"
"I better not…" Chen Xiaobei shook his head. "I've come three days early so that I can prepare for the auction. I have to get the Black Water Stone by whatever means possible!"
"I know you're in a rush! Otherwise, I would've brought the others with me!" Su Xiaoman beamed. "I've already planned the three days for you. We'll have to get to Mount Yellow Wind to earn ourselves some Spiritual Stones!"
"We don't need to. I already have enough Spiritual Stones!" Chen Xiaobei informed her.
"Don't be so cocksure! The black-market auction is a melting pot with lots of back-alley magnates there. In the market, a Three-star Earth-God item is about 100 million Spiritual Stones. If the price is marked up, and you don't have enough Spiritual Stones, you will regret it!"
Chen Xiaobei shrugged in response.
Even if his current wealth could not be rivaled to the filthy rich of Black Tortoise, he was at least in the upper-middle level. Unless he met a brainless neurotic who going to force the price up exorbitantly, it should be no problem at all for Chen Xiaobei to get the Black Water Stone.
"I'll take your silence as agreement!" Su Xiaoman urged. "Let's hurry. It will take us one day to get to Mount Yellow Wind! I've already found a way for you to earn more Spiritual Stones. The sooner we get there, the better it'll be for you!"
"Alright! Let's go!" Chen Xiaobei nodded. Even if he was not short on Spiritual Stones, he had no reason to turn down an opportunity to earn even more. No one would ever complain about having too much money!
…
As Su Xiaoman had said, it was a one-day journey.
It was not because they were slow, but because Black Tortoise was simply too big.
The area of Black Tortoise's capital city alone was the size of a large planet. The entire Black Tortoise continent itself was 30,000 times the size of planet Neptune!
Su Xiaoman took the task of flying the spacecraft, while Chen Xiaobei cultivated for another day.
Finally, on the afternoon of the second day, Chen Xiabei and Su Xiaoman arrived at the legendary Mount Yellow Wind black market.
Ding!
[Cultivation: Middle phase of Ethereal Cultivation; Lifespan: 2,570years; Health: 243,000; Combat power: 223,000]
Exactly twenty-four hours later, Chen Xiaobei's alarm rang and he stopped cultivating.
His health and combat power had increased by 2400.
After putting away the aircraft, Chen Xiaobei and Su Xiaoman proceeded directly to the entrance of the black market.
Su Xiaoman explained as she guided Chen Xiaobei around, "Because this mountain is surrounded by sand, the yellow sand flurries into the air all over the place when the wind blows. Hence, the name Mount Yellow Wind! The Mount Yellow Wind's black market is built in the valley of the mountain! The shops are lodged in the little caverns on both sides of the wall of the valley! There are thousands of them selling all sorts of things. You can buy just about anything here – especially rare items that you could never find in other markets!"
They were now at the foot of the mountain when Chen Xiaobei spotted the terraced caverns, large and small, all tightly packed on both sides of the valley. From afar, they looked like an ant colony.
The place was teeming with human activity – the shops were thronged by paying customers, haggling and chin-wagging their way for the best deal. The atmosphere was much livelier and vibrant than it was back in the Black Tortoise Capital City's legitimate market.
"Wow! This place is jam-packed!" Chen Xiaobei exclaimed in wonder.
"Of course!" Su Xiaoman nodded. "One of the biggest features of these black markets is that as long as you have the money, the merchants will do everything they can to help you procure the item that you want! You can get everything you want here – even those that are not in legitimate markets! Of course, considering that fact, the customers would be aplenty too!"
Chen Xiaobei nodded back at her. "With so many customers here, the price of the items here must not be cheap, right?"
"Not really! Black markets are shady because the commodities are acquired via illegal or questionable means!" Su Xiaoman replied. "The black-market's merchants rob, steal, cheat, lie, kill, pillage, and burn. They pretty much do not have to bear any cost at all, and that's why their goods are a lot cheaper than the markets outside! The merchants who are eager to get rid of their 'dirty' goods are willing to drop the prices really low. You can get really big discounts from them!"
Chen Xiaobei cocked his head to the side. "That basically means that the merchants in these black markets are all wicked people! How are they able to operate their business here without the authorities getting involved?"
Su Xiaoman looked around cautiously and then whispered, "Because the owner of the black market is a very scary bigwig! I heard that he's the elder of the Heaven Domination Faction! Unless you're ready to die, no one dares cause trouble here!"
"Heaven Domination Faction's elder?" Chen Xiaobei gasped. "No wonder all these ox-headed devils and serpent gods* could trade without interference – they are protected by a big Buddha*!"
"Yeah… That big Buddha is really one of a kind! Not only is he able to keep these merchants untouchable, but they also compliantly pay him large amounts of Spiritual Stones as rental!" Su Xiaoman lowered her voice. "All in all, whether they're wicked men, fat cats or big kahunas, no one can touch the big Buddha!"
Chen Xiaobei nodded. "He's able to keep the internal structure of the black market running orderly and systematically, and avert external forces from causing trouble here! He has his foot in both the white (government) and black (organized crime) camps! Extraordinarily powerful and well-connected! He really is someone you don't want to mess with!"
"Ahh!" Su Xiaoman suddenly screamed, turning around abruptly to give a shifty-looking man the stink eye.
"What is it?" Chen Xiaobei asked.
"This son of a bitch touched me!" Red faced, Su Xiaoman grabbed the man and raised her fist.
The beady-eyed man had taken advantage of the crowded black market and felt Su Xiaoman up her thighs.
The man shot her a lazy smile, "We're in Mount Yellow Wind! Fighting is not allowed here! Hit me and you won't be getting out of here alive!"
Su Xiaoman's fist froze at mid-swing. "You…"
The man reached his hand up to his nose, inhaled and smiled lewdly. "Mm, smells really nice!"
"You…" Su Xiaoman stamped her feet on the ground. She was dying to kick this asshole to the ground and give him a good beating.
But they were at Mount Yellow Wind. With that big Buddha watching, no one would dare cause a ruckus here.
No matter how angry she was, Su Xiaoman would have to bite her lip and suck it up! She was miffed!
"Xiaoman, let him go!" Chen Xiaobei said in a cool voice. "Don't bother yourself with this cripple! Just treat him like the pitiful ass he is!"
"Hmph!" Su Xiaoman gave the man a shove.
"Moehterf*cker! Who are you to call me a cripple?" The shifty man hissed, scowling at Chen Xiaobei.
Chen Xiaobei smiled back at him. "Don't you know your own body's condition?"
"F*ck you! My body is perfectly fine!" The man shouted. "How dare you curse me? I'm the one who will cripple you instead!"
"Didn't you say that fighting is not allowed here?" Chen Xiaobei retorted.
"Hmph!" The man raised his chin. "Don't you know who I am?!"
Chen Xiaobei shook his head. "This is my first time here. How would I know who you are?"
Su Xiaoman was just as baffled. She didn't know who the guy was either; she rarely visited the black market.
The crowd that had gathered around laughed at both of them.
"These two dumbasses are hilarious! They don't know that the person they offended is Master Liu Si."
"Let me tell you, fourth young master Liu is a confidant of the owner of the black market. He's in charge of maintaining order in the black market!"
"If Master Liu Si wants to, he could just charge you with theft and beat the two of you to a pulp!"
"If you fight back, Master Liu Si has the authority to kill you both on the spot!"
The crowd hooted and jeered, pointing fingers at the two pitiful little bugs that were Chen Xiaobei and Su Xiaoman.
Master Liu Si grinned. "So, do you know who I am now?"
Su Xiaoman was suddenly unnerved. She tugged at Chen Xiaobei's sleeve and whispered. "Childe Chen… Let's go… We cannot afford an altercation with this person…"
"You want to leave? Not so easy!" Master Liu Si hissed. "This shithole called me a cripple! He has to kneel down and apologize or I'll make him a cripple!"
"We…" Su Xiaoman's brows knitted together. "Can we not do that…"
"Of course not!" Master Liu Si snapped. "With so many people watching, where would I put my face if just let that son of a bitch get off so easily? Next time, every other Tom, Dick or Harry would try to walk all over me!"
Su Xiaoman squeezed her eyes shut in despair. Chen Xiaobei would not be able to avoid this hurdle today!
Chen Xiaobei, on the other hand, did not even flinch when he said, "Master Liu Si, I was going to save you some face but since you wouldn't let this go, I will just say it – if you want to keep your precious penis, then slap yourself ten times and then apologize to my friend!"
Footnote:
Ox-headed devils and serpent gods*: evil or wicked people
Big Buddha*: someone of great authority and importance
"What the hell! Is this guy insane? Who the hell is he to order Master Liu Si to apologize? Someone needs to remind him of his place!"
"He wants Master Liu Si to slap himself? There's a limit to daydreams, isn't there?"
"This is called 'a mantis trying to stop a chariot' – this guy has overrated himself! Compared to Master Liu Si, he's just a piece of shit! Master Liu Si could crush with one finger!"
The crowd made a mockery of Chen Xiaobei, regarding him as a brainless retard.
"Childe Chen… Don't speak carelessly…" Su Xiaoman's heart was convulsing inside her chest.
What was Chen Xiaobei doing? It was bad enough that he did not want to apologize, so why did he have to make things worse and insult Liu Si?!
That was asking for trouble!
They were in Mount Yellow Wind black market, and Liu Si was the regulatory affairs manager there!
He could charge Chen Xiaobei with whatever crime he so wished and was allowed to do away with Chen Xiaobei at a whim!
To make matters worse, Liu Si had a powerful and influential big Buddha backing him up.
This big Buddha in question was notorious for covering up. Treading on Liu Si's toes was no different from walking into a lion's den! It was suicide!
Right now in a situation like this, everyone, including Su Xiaoman, knew that Liu Si was not going to leave the matter at that! Chen Xiaobei was as good as dead!
What they witnessed next, however, had them all bowled over!
Not only did Liu Si not flip out, but he also held back his anger and said in a shaky voice, "My friend… Let's… Let's talk somewhere else, huh?"
"No! Let's talk here!" Chen Xiaobei shook his head. "You were the one who took advantage of my friend! I gave you face and told my friend to let you go, but you threw your weight around and wanted me to kneel and apologize! I've given you face but you refused to accept it. Why should we talk elsewhere?"
"I…" Liu Si lowered his voice. "My friend, I was wrong! I'm willing to apologize! Let's sit down and talk elsewhere!"
The crowd was stunned into silence.
There was a Chinese idiom that goes 'even a strong dragon cannot repress a local snake'.
Liu Si was the snake, the local gangster if you will – known for being unreasonable and not a person to be offended.
Right now, this very 'snake' had humbled himself, and admitted his fault to a greenhorn youth before a large audience!
This was as rare as the sun rising from the North!
But there was more!
Chen Xiaobei shook his head without even blinking. "If you want to admit that you're wrong, slap yourself ten times first! After that, we can talk elsewhere!"
"I…" The corner of Liu Si's lips twitched. "Hey, buddy! You've gone too far! You think that you can make me slap myself in front of all these people just because you say so? Don't be so sure of yourself!"
Chen Xiaobei shrugged. "I can see through your unmentionable disease. Does that not qualify me to be full of myself?"
Liu Si frowned. "You're stating the obvious. How would I know that you're not just putting on an act?"
"It seems like you would like to hear my specific diagnosis?" Chen Xiaobei raised an eyebrow. "Your penis was badly damaged about a month ago! The internal injury is severe. A large surface area of its cell tissues have died! The necrosis is curable. I can cure it. However, if untreated, wait for another three to five days and you would be joining the eunuch squad!"
"Heavens… How… How did you know that I was injured a month ago…" Liu Si cried in surprise.
Liu Si's question confirmed that Chen Xiaobei's diagnosis was accurate.
The crowd burst into laughter.
"Oh… Liu Si was injured down there! Could he have sprained it trying out a new move while sleeping with a woman? Hahaha…"
"Sprained it while doing a new move? Hahaha… This kind of injury is not easy to correct! I'm afraid Master Liu Si would have to join the eunuch squad!"
"He injured his third leg! No wonder that guy called Master Liu Si a cripple! Hahaha…"
…
Su Xiaoman blushed furiously at the howling and hooting of the crowd.
When she saw how embarrassed Master Liu Si was, she quickly forgot her discomfort and began to feel a little delighted at this payback.
"Stop laughing! All of you! Stop!" Master Liu Si looked like he was going to throw up. "If anyone continues to laugh, I will make sure that he won't be able to stay here in this black market!"
The audience quickly put a hand over their mouth to muffle their laughter.
Some could not hold it in and quickly fled, only to stop halfway and break into fits of laughter.
"My friend. No, sir!" Liu Si was trying his best to ignore the crowd. "You said that you could cure my injury. Is that right?"
"I will tell you after you finish slapping yourself!" Chen Xiaobei shrugged.
"Alright! I'll do it!" Master Liu Si raised both hands to his face and began smacking at his own face. When he was done, he turned to Su Xiaoman and said meekly, "Miss, I was wrong! I'm sorry!"
Su Xiaoman's mouth formed an 'o'. She could not believe that she has just seen the despotic Master Liu si slap himself and apologize to her in front of all those people!
"I've slapped myself and I've apologized! Are you satisfied now?" Master Liu Si's face burned with embarrassment; his wrathful gaze boring into Chen Xiaobei.
If Chen Xiaobei could not tell him the cure, Master Liu Si would make sure to pop Chen Xiaobei's clogs!
Chen Xiaobei ignored him. "Xiaoman, are you willing to forgive him?"
"Huh?" Su Xiaoman was still dazed. "Forget it. He's already apologized. There's no need to make this into a bigger issue!"
Chen Xiaobei nodded, and said to the man, "Master Liu Si, let's find someplace else to talk!"
"Alright!"
Master Liu Si nodded and led Chen Xiaobei and Su Xiaoman into a private cave deep inside the black market.
The cave had been recently refurbished and richly decorated. It was Liu Si's very own personal lounge.
Chen Xiaobei did not waste any time taking out a small bottle of Hundred Fruits Dragon Dick Moonshine.
"Let's call a spade a spade. You taking advantage of my friend is in the past. You will still have to pay for the medicine I'm giving you!"
Liu Si eyed the bottle suspiciously. "I've consulted a lot of doctors about my injury. Not one of them could help me! If your medicine really works, I am willing to pay any amount!"
"Good!" Chen Xiaobei smiled confidently. "Then, take a bottle first. We'll talk about the price later!"
Chen Xiaobei tossed the bottle over to Liu Si.
Liu Si uncorked the bottle and was immediately taken in by the marvelous fragrance of the hundreds of fruits infused with wine.
"Good wine…" Liu Si was was a man who enjoyed good wine, and this bottle had him salivating. He tipped the bottle into his mouth and guzzled down the wine without reservation."Childe…" Su Xiaoman sounded concerned. "Why did you give him the wine? Can the wine cure him? If it doesn't work, we're both dead…"
"Good wine!" Liu Si suddenly shouted.
"Childe…" Su Xiaoman nearly jumped out of her skin. She quickly hid behind Chen Xiaobei.
Chen Xiaobei did not respond. He merely smiled.
"Good wine!" Liu Si exclaimed, even louder this time. "No! This is not good wine! This is the best wine! Not only does it have good fragrance, but it also has super healing effect! I can feel my 'root' coming back to life! I won't have to be a eunuch! I won't have to be a eunuch!"
"How…" Su Xiaoman blinked.
"Sir! You are incredible!" Liu Si dashed to where Chen Xiaobei was standing. "How long will it take for my injury to be completely healed! I can't wait to get on with it!"
"Including that bottle, you need another nine!" Chen Xiaobei said. "Drink a bottle every three days. After thirty days, not only will your 'root' be completely healed, its size and its durability will increase as well!"
Master Liu Si's eyes widened in excitement. "Wow! It can also grow my 'root' and make me last longer?!! I'll take them! I'll buy however many you have!"
"Don't get too excited just yet." Chen Xiaobei said. "Each bottle costs 100,000 medium-grade Spiritual Stones! How many bottles can you afford?"
"What?! 100,000 medium-grade Spiritual Stones?!" Liu Si threw his hand into the air.
Even Su Xiaoman took a step back.
100,000 medium-grade Spiritual Stone was equivalent to 1 billion low-grade Spiritual Stones! Even Su Xiaoman did not have that many!
Over and above that, it could only buy one bottle of Hundred Fruits Dragon Dick Moonshine!
Ten bottles would cost 10 million medium-grade Spiritual Stones, which was equivalent to 10 billion low-grade Spiritual Stones!
Just thinking about this astronomical figure was enough to make Su Xiaoman dizzy. She dared not believe that Chen Xiaobei's medicinal wine could be sold for such an epic price!
"Sir… Can you sell it a little cheaper?" Liu Si swallowed. "I'm only a right-hand man… I don't have so many Spiritual Stones…"
"I cannot lower the price!" Chen Xiaobei said. "I understand that it's not easy for you! But it is even more difficult for me to make this medicinal wine! Do you know how much it cost me to get ten bottles of this wine? I could cry just talking about it…"
Chen Xiaobei's acting was Oscar-level. His expression and tone were all very convincing. He might as well have written the word 'difficult' on his face.
Liu Si nodded. "I understand, of course. This kind of wine is rare! It must have been a real daunting task for you to get them! But, I don't have that many Spiritual Stones. Would you be willing to settle for a trade?"
"A trade…" Chen Xiaobei contemplated. "It's not that I'm not. Give me whatever Spiritual Stones you have on you first, then I'll see what you can give me to make up for the difference!"
"I only have this… 500,000 medium-grade Spiritual Stones…" Liu Si took out all the Spiritual Stones he had.
"Mm, that's the correct amount!" Chen Xiaobei pocketed all the Spiritual Stones and then took out four bottles of Hundred Fruits Dragon Dick Moonshine and gave it to the man. "These and the one just now are paid for with those Spiritual Stones! The rest of the five bottles will have to depend on whether or not you have anything that interests me!"
"Thank you! Thank you!" Liu Si accepted the bottles as if he had just received a box of gold.
Chen Xiaobei wanted to laugh when he saw the expression on Liu Si's face.
This was because the fool would never guess that Chen Xiaobei had a giant vat of Hundred Fruits Dragon Dick Moonshine in his Infinite Space Ring!
If he were to fill up the little bottles with all of the Hundred Fruits Dragon Dick Moonshine, he would have to use at least 10,000 bottles!
Liu Si paid with everything he had in exchange for just five bottles, and he held them like they were babies, expressing gratitude towards Chen Xiaobei.
Chen Xiaobei nearly exploded into laughter.
Of course, this was Chen Xiaobei's secret. The rarer the item, the more expensive it was. If his secret was exposed, he won't be able to sell the Hundred Fruits Dragon Dick Moonshine for that price anymore.
Forcing away his desire to laugh, Chen Xiaobei waved his hand. "This is just a fair transaction. You don't have to thank me! but if you want your 'root' to be completely healed, you will have to show me something worth 500,000 medium grade Spiritual Stones!"
Liu Si tucked the bottles away. "I understand… Do you have a preference?"
"Why? Could you give me whatever I like?" Chen Xiaobei asked him.
"No… I can't…" Liu Si shook his head.
"Can the master behind you do it?" Chen Xiaobei asked.
"My master? Are you talking about the owner of the black market?" Liu Si gulped. "Of course, he can! As long as it can be found in the Yellow Wind black market, and as long as the old man gives the green light, I could provide you with anything. Not just something worth only 500,000 medium grade Spiritual Stones but I could even give you something worth 500 million medium grade Spiritual Stones!"
"Give away an item worth 500 million medium grade Spiritual Stones?!" Chen Xiaobei exclaimed. "The owner of this black market really is something!"
Liu Si smiled bitterly, "Unfortunately, I'm just a small fry. I can't speak for him…"
"Don't worry, I don't want you to ask your master to give me anything!" Chen Xiaobei shrugged. "Let's go. Let's see if we can find anything that catches my eye that you are mandated to give!"
"No problem!" Liu Si smiled, leading the way.
…
With Master Liu Si as their guide, Chen Xiaobei and Su Xiaoman were finally able to enjoy the Yellow Wind black market.
While the thousands of shops here were nowhere near the tip of the Black Tortoise Imperial City, the shops were well-stocked will all sorts of things. They had everything you could ever imagine!
Most importantly, the rare and precious items that one could not find in most of the other markets could be found here!
"My god!" Su Xiaoman ran up to an inconspicuous shopfront and gawked at a scythe on display. She might as well had been glued to the ground.
Chen Xiaobei followed her and asked the shopkeeper, "Is there anything special about this scythe?"
"The two of you have a good eye!" The owner of the shop walked out smiling. "This is a Tiger Claw Scythe – made of an adult Giant Barbaric Tiger's claws. Although it does not have any Special Abilities, it's as hard and as strong as an Earth-God's health! Above all that, this scythe has been around for 5,000 years! It was said that to have belonged to an ancestor of the Divine Tiger Faction! There's only one of it in the entire world!"
Su Xiaoman chewed on her lower lip and asked nervously, "It must be very expensive, right?"
Before the shopkeeper could reply, Chen Xiaobei offered heroically, "Don't need to ask for the price. If you like it, just take it. It's my present to you!""What? For me?" Su Xiaoman pointed at herself. Her heart was keeling over inside her chest, and her face turned beet red. "I cannot accept such an expensive gift!"
Chen Xiaobei smiled. "This belonged to the Divine Tiger Faction's ancestor. Are you sure you don't want it?"
"We don't even know if it's the real thing!" Su Xiaoman said doubtfully.
"Young lady! Watch what you're saying! Don't speak so carelessly!" The shopkeeper snapped. "Go ask around and see if anyone dares to sell counterfeit items in Yellow Wind? I would never do it, not even if I had the courage of a lion!"
"Boss, don't get so upset! I can tell that this is the real deal!" Chen Xiaobei said.
With the Eight-Diagram Qi Observational Skill, Chen Xiaobei could see the unmistakable thick purple-gold aura discharging from the Tiger Claw Scythe.
Only a high-value antique object would give out purple-gold aura. So, the scythe was definitely authentic.
"You have a very good eye, sir!" The shopkeeper nodded. "Very few people know about this Tiger Claw Scythe. I'll give you a friend's price… you can have it for one million medium-grade Spiritual Stones!"
"No problem! Take it down!" Chen Xiaobei nodded.
"No! No! No! This scythe is too expensive! I can't take it!" Su Xiaoman shook her head. Her family's entire family property's worth was not even 100,000 medium-grade Spiritual Stones. How could she accept a gift worth 1 million?
"An ignorant country bumpkin who doesn't know what's what!" A shrill voice suddenly said.
It was a woman in a bright, pretty long dress. She walked to the store and snatched the Tiger Claw Scythe. "One million medium-grade Spiritual Stones for a one-of-a-kind Tiger Claw Scythe. That's dirt cheap! If this bumpkin doesn't want it, I, Yun Ziqiao, will take it!"
The look Chen Xiaobei gave this unreasonable woman was glacial. Her rude affront about Su Xiaoman being a country bumpkin aggravated him a hundred times more.
Su Xiaoman stiffened. She was at a loss. She had been reserved about receiving such an expensive gift but seeing someone else simply snatch it away sparked a crestfallen feeling and a reluctance in her.
The shopkeeper did not say anything to regulate the situation. His eyes were glued to the woman named Yun Ziqiao.
Admittedly, this woman was a sight to behold – attractive face and alluring body, wrapped in a long, flowy dress, drawing lewd looks from lustful, wondering eyes as she walked past them.
She was at that charming age between a teenager and a mature woman, and her prideful personality appealed to men's dominant nature.
If they could subdue this wild mare, it would give them a sense of accomplishment.
Of course, the perverts in the market only dared to watch her from afar. None of them had the balls to approach her because right next to this attractive woman was a handsome escort dressed in clean and neat clothing.
Anyone with eyes could tell that this fine young man was probably the son of some powerful faction.
No point courting a rebuff.
"Boss!" The young man said. "I'll make you sorry if you keep staring at Ziqiao like that!"
"I'm sorry… sorry… I had no intention to offend…" The shopkeeper quickly averted his eyes. "I'm selling this Tiger Claw Scythe for one million medium-grade Spiritual Stones! If Miss Yun pays now, you can take it away with you right away!"
"What nonsense!" The young man gave the shopkeeper a disgusted look. "I, Du Tiannan, am here! How can I let Qiciao pay for it?"
"Huh? Bro Tiannan wants to buy it for me?" Yun Ziqiao flashed the young man a fetching smile.
"Of course!" Du Tiannan said in a smug tone. "I am happy to buy you gifts!"
The shopkeeper took the opportunity to suck up to this aristocrat. "Young master Du is so chivalrous! So gracious! No wonder you are able to captivate Ms. Yun's heart!"
"Don't talk about these useless things." Du Tiannan snapped. "For the sake of my Divine Fist Du Family's face, take 50% off the price! You agree, right?"
"What?! 50%?" The shopkeeper's eyes nearly fell out.
"What? Is my family's face not worth 500,000 medium-grade Spiritual Stones?" Du Tiannan smirked. "You just need to nod, and if you cause any trouble within a 100,000-mile radius of Divine Fist's mansion, just use my name, Du Tiannan and you'll be guaranteed to protect yourself!"
It was evident to the onlookers that it was not because this Du Tiannan could not afford to pay one million medium-grade Spiritual Stones for the scythe but because he wanted to bargain to gain a petty advantage at the shopkeeper's expense.
His true purpose was to show off his lineage in front of Yun Ziqiao.
"Yes! It is! It is worth 500,000 medium-grade Spiritual Stones!" The shopkeeper nodded compliantly. "So, it'll be like what you said, young master Du! 50% off! The next time I travel within your region, I would be looking forward to your protection!"
These black-market merchants made their living by felonious means! To have the protection from a legitimate protective umbrella would mean that they would gain a huge advantage over their competitors. That included gaining the advantage from both black and white sides.
Trading 500,000 medium-grade Spiritual Stones for protection from Divine First's mansion would actually allow us to earn back the Spiritual Stones that we spent on them, not to mention an unimaginable amount of profit before we even realize it!"
This deal was extremely worth it!
"Well said!" Du Tiannan lifted his chin. "Next time you're in trouble, just mention my name!"
Yun Ziqiao looked at him with adulation in her eyes. "Bro Tiannan is so cool! No one is brave enough to refuse to give face to Divine Fist!"
"However big your face it, we should still give priority to the person who came first!" Chen Xiaobei reached out his right hand and took the Tiger Claw Scythe back from Yun Ziqiao.
"You… You snatched my scythe?" Yun Ziqiao was startled.
"You took this scythe from my friend. It only makes sense for me to take it back." Chen Xiaobei said.
"Hmph! How dare you talk to me like that?!" Yun Ziqiao planted her arms on her waist. "Look all around you. Every single one of these men here are polite and courteous to me! But you? You don't know how to treat a woman! You snatched the scythe from my hands! How rude! You're a barbarian! I'm starting to wonder now if you're even a real man!"
"If I'm not a real man, are you one then?" Chen Xiaobei retorted.
"I…" Yun Ziqiao was foaming at the mouth. "I am a lady born with natural beauty! I have the looks! I have the body! Any normal man would drool at the sight of me! You are the only one who turns a blind eye! You know what I think? You're a eunuch who can't get it on! You're not a man!"
Chen Xiaobei was unfazed by the woman's slanderous remarks. "I was not pointing fingers at you. But speaking of beauty, I could simply choose from any one from my group of lady friends, and they would still be a million times better looking than you! An ordinary woman like you is supposed to make me drool? Go and reincarnate immediately! We'll talk about it in your next life!"
"You… You, You, You…" Yun Ziqiao screamed, red-faced. "Bro Tiannan! This asshole is bullying me!"
Although Yu Ziqiao was not an extraordinarily beautiful woman whose looks were capable of causing the downfall of a city or state, she was still an exquisite woman regardless.
Since a young age, she had had a sundry of suitors who filled her ears with praises and flatteries about her looks.
This was the first time she had encountered someone as infuriating and pesky as Chen Xiaobei.
Even Su Xiaoman was shocked that this composed and slightly stand-offish Childe Zhufeng would utter such harsh and sharp words!
"You callous son of a bitch!" Du Tiannan stood in front of Yun Ziqiao protectively, glaring at Chen Xiaobei. "How dare you bully Ziqiao meimei! You disrespect me!"
Chen Xiaobei hissed, "Did you show me any respect when you snatched the Tiger Claw Scythe away?"
"What the hell are you that you're worthy of our respect?" Du Tiannan chided in a patronizing tone. "Were we not in Yellow Wind now, I would have slapped you a hundred times!"
"Heh, at least you are aware that this is Yellow Wind!" Chen Xiaobei scoffed. "The rule in Yellow Wind mountain runs on a first come first serve basis! I saw the Tiger Claw Scythe first and I was going to buy it for my friend! You barged in – that's a violation of the rules!"
"That country bumpkin was the one who said she didn't want it!" Yun Ziqiao snapped. "She gave it up! Why can't we buy it huh?"
Chen Xiaobei growled at her, "Not only are you commonplace, but you also seem to be missing a large chunk of your brain!"
"Missing a chunk of my brain?!" Yun Ziqiao shrieked in ferocity. "You are the one who's brainless here! Bro Tiannan!!! Look! He insulted me again!"
Chen Xiaobei said, "I was ready to buy the scythe for my friend. My friend only refused it to be polite! At the end of the day, whether we buy it or not is still for me to decide! You don't even know that! If that's not a sign of brainlessness, then what is?"
"I…" Yun Ziqiao froze. Her face had darkened considerably.
"That's enough, asshole!" Du Tiannan barked. "You said that you saw the scythe first, but who can be witness to that? There's no proof! I can also very easily say that you were the one who cut in and broke the rules!"
Chen Xiaobei turned his eyes to the shopkeeper and asked, "Boss, are you still not going to say anything about this?"
"I…" The shopkeeper was unaccommodating. "My… memory is not very good. I remember… I think… Young Master Du came first!"
Du Tiannan had the Divine Fist Sect behind him. No one would refuse to give face to the Du family.
By comparison, Chen Xiaobei was just a nameless commoner.
Thus, while there were many witnesses around, none of them were willing to offend Du Tiannan for Chen Xiaobei's sake.
Du Tiannan jutted his chin self-congratulatorily. "Did you hear that, dumbass? I came first! You have three seconds to get out of here or else, I'll get the regulatory affairs manager and get him to kick you out!"
Chen Xiaobei nearly broke into laughter. "Regulatory affairs manager? Are you talking about Liu Xiaosi?"
"Liu Xiaosi?" Du Tiannan shouted. "Is something wrong with you? Master Liu Si is Yellow Wind's pillar! How dare you so disrespectfully call him Liu Xiaosi? You're a dead man! You're dead for sure!"
Chen Xiaobei shrugged. "Liu Xiaosi! If you want to become a half-cripple, then continue to hide in the crowd and watch!"
"Huh?" Master Liu Si quickly scurried over. "Sir, please don't misunderstand! I was distracted and replying to some messages just now! I was not just standing in the crowd, watching and doing nothing! You have to believe me, sir!"
Du Tiannan's jaw fell open.
Everyone else was just as dumbfounded.
Who would dare believe that Master Liu Si would actually come running at Chen Xiaobei's call?
What was more inconceivable was the way Master Liu Si spoke so respectfully and so nonchalantly to Chen Xiaobei.
What was so special about this Chen Xiaobei?
It was very unlikely that Chen Xiaobei was the owner of this black market, right?
The conversation had Du Tiannan, Yun Ziqiao, and the shopkeeper feel a chill run down their spine.
"Master… Master Si…" The shopkeeper gulped, wiping his sweat-ridden brow with his sleeve.
Smack!
Master Liu Si stared the shopkeeper down and gave him a hard slap across the face. "Don't you know the rules of the Yellow Wind black market? Don't you know the master's temper?"
"I didn't know that you are here, Master Si… I realize I am wrong now… Master Si, please… please be lenient and have mercy on me…" The shopkeeper plopped down onto the ground and repeatedly thumped his head on the floor.
"There's no point for you to beg me!" Master Liu Si hissed. "If this Childe chooses not to spare you, I will have to deal with this in accordance to the rules – destroy your cultivation, and ban you from Yellow Wind black market forever!"
The shopkeeper exhaled, and bowed to Chen Xiaobei crying, "Childe! Have mercy! I was ignorant! Please just give me one chance… please…."
Chen Xiaobei shrugged. "I can do that but I'm hoping you can give me a 100% discount on this Tiger Claw Scythe!"
"100%?" The shopkeeper nodded profusely. "No problem! This scythe is free! Consider it as my gift to you!"
"Alright! Good!" Chen Xiaobei smiled and handed the scythe to Su Xiaoman. "Here you go, Xiaoman!"
Su Xiaoman accepted the Tiger Claw Scythe with both hands stiffly held out. Having never set her hands on something of such value, she was nervous and happy, her heart racing wildly in her chest.
"Master Si… I…" The shopkeeper imploringly looked at Master Liu Si.
"Consider yourself lucky!" Master Liu Si hissed. "Next time, conduct your business by the book! If you commit outrages like this again, I will not be so forgiving!"
"Yes, yes, yes…" The shopkeeper quickly scurried back into his burrow. He would not dare to show his face again.
"Childe! How should we deal with these two idiots?" Master Liu Si asked.
Du Tiannan and Yun Ziqiao's chests tightened, afraid that Chen Xiaobei was going to retaliate unsparingly.
But Chen Xiaobei merely shrugged. "I'm feeling pretty good today. So, I won't bother myself with the two of you! Give yourself ten slaps, hard enough that I can hear it. Then, we'll consider this matter settled!"
"Childe… Look… That was all a misunderstanding…" said Du Tiannan, who had now changed his attitude in a flash. "I was ignorant! I didn't know that you were that close to Master Liu Si! I am willing to apologize!"
"I… I am sorry too…" Yun Ziqiao hid behind Du Tiannan, putting away all the arrogance and vanity he previously had.
"Huh, apologize? If apology matters, why did you ask for the regulatory affairs manager then?" Chen Xiaobei said.
"Half a minute ago, you took my scythe, and was going to file the suit first! You were about to get the manager to kick me out of the black market! Do you think that an apology would suffice? Just because you said a sorry, I can pretend that nothing happened? There won't be an easy ending for you!"
The corner of Du Tiannan's lips twitched. "Childe! In Jianghu, it's better to gain a friend than make another enemy! Even if you do not accept my apology; for the sake of Divine Fist Sect, you should seriously consider changing your mind…"
Chen Xiaobei laughed. "What a joke! I don't have any relations with your family at all. Why should I give face to you?"
"You…" Du Tiannan's face squirmed in a spasm of rage.
In Black Tortoise continent, not only was the Divine First Sect considered the most powerful faction, but they were also definitely one of the upper mid-tier factions!"
Its name alone, the Divine Fist Sect, could make both the black and white sides show them some good old respect.
But not only did Chen Xiaobei not give face, but he also went ahead and gave him a tight slap. This was the very first time Du Tiannan encountered such an arrogant person.
Chen Xiaobei shrugged. "I shall not say more. If you refuse to slap your own face, I guess we'll just have to follow the rules!"
Du Tiannan could not decide. If no one else was around, then it would have been fine. But with hundreds of eyes watching him, and in front of the woman he admired, slapping his own face, even if it were just ten strikes would bring shame to his and his family's face!
He would never look the same to Yun Ziqiao, and would lose any opportunity to win her over ever again!
Du Tiannan found himself at a crossroads.
"Why are you doing? Go ahead and slap yourself!" Liu Si barked. "Childe Chen has already been very lenient with you! If you don't start slapping yourself now, I will just play according to the rules, and destroy both of your cultivation. I will then ban you from Yellow Wind forever! These are the rules of the old master!"
Du Tiannan and Yun Ziqiao inhaled sharply. When they heard the name old master, they quivered as if they had been struck by lightning.
"We were wrong… We are willing to slap ourselves…"
Du Tiannan gritted his teeth, raised both hands to his face and slapped himself ten times in the face.
"Bro Tiannan… I…" Yun Ziqiao had never been struck by anyone before. She never thought her first time would be her slapping herself.
"Ziqiao… It's okay… We have no choice…" Du Tiannan cried. "Old master's rules…. You probably already know the outcome… Even if our family came together, we would still not be strong enough…"
"I…" Yun Ziqiao had no other choice. So, she struck herself in the face ten times before everyone in the black market.
"Master Liu Si, can we leave now?" Du Tiannan's face was burning hot. His only wish now was to escape all the unwanted attention.
Master Liu Si glanced at Chen Xiaobei. When he saw that Chen Xiaobei had no problem with it, he snapped, "Go!"
Du Tiannan quickly grabbed Yun Ziqiao and left the scrutinizing gaze of the crowd.
Master Liu Si said, "Childe… Shall we continue our walk elsewhere?"
Chen Xiaobei shook his head. "I'm not in the mood anymore. Find us a place to rest. Inform us tomorrow when the auction begins!"
"Are you here to join the auction?" Master Liu Si said. "I'll go arrange a resting place for you now… but the remaining five bottles of wines, I haven't found anything to exchange…"
"Don't worry, I'm not that greedy!" Chen Xiaobei said. "I already got a free Tiger Claw Scythe. I won't make things difficult for you!"
Chen Xiaobei handed over five bottles of Hundreds Fruit Dragon Dick Moonshine to the man eager to regain his vigour.
"Thank you! Thank you…" exclaimed Master Liu Si who was clearly euphoric. "I will go get a place ready for you now! If you need me, just hit me up!"
Chen Xiaobei was being nice and mean at the same time. This ensured that Liu Si stood on his side.
…
Chen Xiaobei and Su Xiaoman were allowed to rest for the night in the market's private luxury cavern to wait for the auction the next day.
Master Liu Si even assigned people to serve them with sumptuous fragrant tea, fragrant dim sum, and fresh fruits. It was all a very thoughtful gesture.
After everyone else was gone, Su Xiaoman asked, "Childe Zhufeng, there's something I don't quite understand… There was no need to create such a big scene today although… it was very satisfying to teach Du Tiannan and Yun Ziqiao a lesson. Showing off your ability like that will make you the focal point of the black market! This will just invite more trouble…"
"I did it on purpose!" Chen Xiaobei grinned. "The Yellow Wind black market's rules are very strict, and no one would dare violate it! Even if I have a target on my back, I am completely safe!"
"So, you purposely made a scene so that people will target you?" Su Xiaoman looked at Chen Xiaobei quizzically. "But how does that benefit you?"
"I was just testing my luck – to see if I could catch the black market's old master's attention!" Chen Xiaobei said. "If he does, then he will want to talk to Liu Si! Liu Si will not lie, so he'll talk about my godly wine! If the old master is interested in this wine, I'll leave this place with bulging pockets!"
"Oh!" Su Xiaoman gasped. "Childe Zhufeng! You are incredible! I thought you had ill intentions when you made them slap themselves! You simply deliberately created a scene to achieve an objective!"
Chen Xiaobei shrugged. "The world is a game of chess; one thinks three steps ahead before making a move! Cudgel your brain a little more, and always plan ahead so that the road ahead will be easier!"
"Think three steps ahead before making a move! That's a very good rationale!" Su Xiaoman applauded. "Childe Zhufeng, you really are my idol! Most people can't even come up with such philosophical statements!"
"Philosophical? It's nothing…" Chen Xiaobei scratched his head awkwardly. Who knew huh, that King of Glory line could be used to act cool?
It now seemed that this game was not completely useless after all!
"But, what if the old master is not interested in you? There's no problem with his… 'root'…" Su Xiaoman blushed.
"I was just testing my luck!" Chen Xiaobei shrugged. "That old master is not a common man. Who knows, he might foresee into the far future?"
"I don't quite get what you mean…" Su Xiaoman shook her head.
"Don't crack your head over it! We'll find out tomorrow!" Chen Xiaobei answered. "Rest up! I'll continue to cultivate!"
Ding!
[Cultivation: Middle phase of Ethereal Cultivation; Lifespan: 2,570; Health: 244,000; Combat power: 224,000]
Tonight, Chen Xiaobei had spent a good ten hours cultivating nonstop, increasing his health and combat power by 1,000.
It was not a lot per se, but at the very least, it was improving every day.
Chen Xiaobei looked around and saw that Su Xiaoman was not in the cavern, so he packed up and left.
Just as he walked out of the cave, Su Xiaoman came running to him. "Childe Zhufeng! You're awake, finally! I've been walking around for nearly half a day!"
"So? Did you find anything interesting?" Chen Xiaobei asked.
"I did! There sure are a lot of big shots this morning!" Su Xiaoman nodded and then pointed at a man up ahead. "Look at that fatty wearing expensive clothes! That's a wealthy businessman from the Black Tortoise imperial city – Zhu Youfu! His net worth is over dozens of billions! He's literally rolling in money!"
"Tens of billions? Medium-grade Spiritual Stones?" Chen Xiaobei exclaimed.
All of Chen Xiaobei's assets combined were only around 1.5 billion medium-grade Spiritual Stones.
Chen Xiaobei could have easily been amongst the richest men in the Nine Zones but here in the Black Tortoise continent, Chen Xiaobei's financial power was not even worthy to be mentioned.
Xiaoman then pointed in another direction. "And over there! That outrageously beautiful woman in black! She's the core disciple of Qin Family! The Qin Family is in the top-tier of the richest families in Vermillion Phoenix! Qin Yitian is the number one genius of her generation in her family! She came all the way here by herself! There must be something that she really needs to buy here!"
"Qin Yitian?" Chen Xiaobei turned to look and his eyes widened.
The woman was stunning. Tall and shapely, she carried the body of a demon's*!
This was exactly what Chen Xiaobei had talked about – beauty that put Yun Ziqiao to shame.
Strangely, none of the men dared look straight at Qin Yitian's bewitching looks!
They knew who she was and were too afraid of the Heaven Dominating Faction and the Vermillion Phoenix Qin Family to offend her in any way.
Those who did not know who she was were repelled by the intense murderous intent that she exuded.
"Childe…" Su Xiaoman said nervously. "Don't stare at her like that… You'll only attract trouble…"
Chen Xiaobei quickly averted his gaze and sighed. "That woman's murderous intent is freaky! She looks like she had just killed millions of people!"
"Of course!" Su Xiaoman said in almost a whisper. "Qin Yitian has a very special type of blood running through her veins. When she was just born, a Three-star Earth-God Instrument, the Heaven Reliant Sword, fell from the heavens and made her master! The sword had never left her side ever since. The sword's murderous intent has a big influence on her. After a while, she didn't even have to speak to exude her terrifying murderous intent!"