Chapter 268 - 142: Variable (Part 3)

When Zhou An had told him to give that large black urn to Chen Cheng, Zhou Yonglu had been incredibly reluctant. It felt as if a piece of his own flesh were being carved away, and the pain of it had lingered for a long time.

Looking back now, that painful sacrifice might have truly been a brilliant move.

After all, in yesterday’s situation, the very lives of those dozen or so survivors from the Zhou Family had depended entirely on a single thought from Chen Cheng.

If Chen Cheng had decided not to get involved and simply remained silent, those dozen-plus people would never have survived.

This was the power of connections and favors.

You might not see their value in ordinary times, but their true weight is only revealed when your life is on the line.

"I won’t waste time on pleasantries with a true master."

Zhou Yonglu composed himself and said solemnly,

"Yesterday, Brother Chen, you saved sixteen members of my Zhou Family. I wish to offer you sixteen Treasure Fish in return. I implore you, Brother Chen, do not refuse!"

Chen Cheng was inwardly moved but didn’t respond to the offer.

Zhou Yonglu smiled sheepishly and said,

"Brother Chen, you’re aware of the current situation... The waterways are blocked, so all the Treasure Fish are stuck at the Fishing Village..."

"But please, Brother Chen, rest assured. I’m already offering a hefty reward to recruit experts. We just need to eliminate that troublesome Iron-Bone Crocodile Eel, and I will personally deliver all sixteen Treasure Fish to you!"

"...We’ll talk about the future when it comes."

As he spoke, Chen Cheng led the two men into the main hall and had them take a seat before promptly changing the subject.

"The Captain’s Mansion issued an urgent dispatch today. Have you heard?"

"Of course."

Zhou Yonglu said,

"This time, the higher-ups are resolute. They’ve vowed to take down Cangying Hunting Manor. I heard that several of Zhao City’s most powerful experts are overseeing the operation. Victory is all but guaranteed!"

"The most powerful?"

Chen Cheng’s expression shifted, his curiosity piqued.

Zhou Yonglu began counting them off on his fingers.

"The old Hall Masters of Cloud Platform Hall, Flame Wind Hall, and your very own Dragon Mountain Hall are all making a move. On top of that, you have an ancestor from the Qin Family and the General Thousand Guard of the Evil Extermination Bureau... And there are probably other hidden experts that outsiders don’t know about."

Zhou Yonglu paused, his tone growing heavy as he continued,

"This is no longer about cracking a tough nut. This is about utterly crushing Cangying Hunting Manor with the force of a thunderbolt."

"After this battle is won, the next step is to level Cangying Fishing Village."

"Once those two biggest thorns are removed, the Bai Family will be well and truly finished!"

Chen Cheng listened in silence, not saying much.

’In his view, completely eradicating the Bai Family would be a good thing, of course.’

’But you can’t just look at the surface of things.’

’The Bai Family colluded with the Immortal Bone Sect and had close ties to the Green Forest Bandits.’

’Before, the Bai Family was still mindful of their roots in the Inner City and didn’t dare to be too brazen. Now, however, they no longer have such reservations.’

’The real danger wasn’t the one-in-ten-thousand chance, but the certainty that if they were pushed into a corner, they would throw all caution to the wind and reveal some hidden trump card. If that happened, the situation would be...’

At that thought, Chen Cheng composed himself and didn’t dwell on it further.

’In any case, I would never get involved in something like that. All I have to do is lie low in the Inner City. There’s no need to waste mental energy on it.’

...

For the next three days, Chen Cheng remained at home in secluded cultivation. He saw no visitors and was completely cut off from the latest news.

Whether it was because the official family had suppressed the news or for some other reason, even the Li Family couldn’t get a single word out of Lady Sun.

「That morning.」

Heavy clouds pressed down on the city walls. The sky was a hazy gray, making it feel like dusk.

The main gates of the Zhao City Martial Guard Headquarters stood wide open, flanked on each side by eight black banners.

But with no wind to stir them, the flags hung limp. Even the guards at the entrance exuded a deathly, oppressive stillness.

Inside the main gates lay a wide training ground.

A tournament stage had already been erected in the center of the grounds.

To the north of the stage stood a row of Grandmaster’s Chairs. Many Military Officers were already seated, though the several chairs in the center remained empty.

To the left and right of the stage, numerous other sections had been cordoned off.

Representatives from the major Martial Arts Halls and prominent families had nearly all arrived, taking their seats in their designated areas.

Each faction had only sent a few people, but none of them were of ordinary standing.

In the Dragon Mountain Hall section.

Cao Miao sat in the place of honor, his eyes closed as he regulated his breathing. His complexion was terrible—his lips were even pale—and he hadn’t spoken a single word.

Chen Cheng sat to the side, with Zhuang Zhen seated right next to him.

Zhuang Zhen’s complexion wasn’t good either, but hers was more due to exhaustion; she wasn’t seriously injured.

At the moment, she was keeping her voice low as she introduced Chen Cheng to the notable young geniuses in the other factions’ sections.

"There are three geniuses creating the biggest stir at this year’s Young Qilin Association."

She pointed to a young woman in red sitting not far away and whispered,

"That’s Zhu Qian, a genius from the Upper Courtyard of North City Flame Wind Hall. In Zhao City, Flame Wind Hall is ranked higher than our Dragon Mountain Hall."

"And this female prodigy, who won’t even turn eighteen until next month, is already an expert at the Peak of Six Pillars of Blood Qi. At her age, my Cultivation was nowhere near her level."

"Her? Eighteen?"

Chen Cheng glanced at Zhuang Zhen, then back at Zhu Qian, who was sitting in the distance.

The woman was over two meters tall. Even seated, she was half a head taller than the male Martial Artists beside her.

She was built like a bear, with corded muscles bulging from her exposed arms, each one as thick as the thighs of the men next to her.

Her features were even more rugged: a square jaw, a straight, singular brow, wide cheekbones, and a prominent brow ridge. Combined with her dark, coarse skin, she looked more like a grizzled man in his thirties or forties.

"What’s with that look?"

Zhuang Zhen chided.

"Miss Zhu is a young woman, guaranteed. I even held her in my arms when she was a little girl."

"...I, uh... I never said she wasn’t."

Speechless, Chen Cheng could only look away.

Zhuang Zhen followed his gaze and continued her whispered introductions.

"That’s the young genius of the Huang Family, one of the Seven Great Races—Huang Tao. He’s seventeen, at the Secret Inheritance Entry Level. He already condensed his Sixth Pillar of Blood Qi half a year ago. Within the borders of their East City, he is undefeated among those of the same age and tier!"

Chen Cheng nodded, then his gaze shifted to another section.

Zhuang Zhen followed his gaze once more, and a strange glint flashed in the depths of her beautiful eyes.