Chapter 301 153: Three Years (3)

Hearing this, the oppressive, stuffy feeling in Chen Cheng's chest finally eased a little.

"What about Senior Brother Zhu?" Chen Cheng asked.

"He went with Master Ye..."

Zhuang Zhen sighed softly.

"Someone as deeply in love as him... often finds it the hardest to break free from the shackles of fate... because in his own eyes, that love is not a shackle at all..."

It wasn't hard for Chen Cheng to understand Zhu Mingyuan's choice, but 'Why would Zhuang Zhen sigh with such emotion?'

Afterwards, the two of them chatted more about the current situation, and after meandering for a while, the conversation eventually returned to Dragon Mountain Hall.

"Why is Dragon Mountain Hall being so relentlessly targeted by the Red Moon Demon People?" Chen Cheng asked.

Even now, in the inner courtyard of the residence, Zhuang Zhen kept her five senses fully extended to cover their surroundings and lowered her voice until it was nearly inaudible.

"...The thing the Red Moon Sect is looking for is very likely in the hands of someone from the Dragon Mountain Upper Courtyard."

...

「Deep in the night.」

Spring Pavilion was at its liveliest.

Inside a private room on the third floor, candle shadows flickered red as the scent of cosmetics and wine wound through the draped curtains.

Ruan Bigui was half-reclining on a soft couch, his robes open and his face flushed red. One arm was wrapped around the slender waist of the woman beside him, while the other raised a wine cup to his lips. He laughed with debauched abandon, completely lost in the moment.

"Just you wait! Once I get back my grandfather's share of the Iron Bone Crocodile Eel Meat, I'll come buy your freedom right away, HIC..."

The woman beside him giggled and gave him a little push, then leaned back against him, feigning resistance.

Suddenly, the door was pushed open without a sound.

Several dark figures filed in, their movements as swift and silent as ghosts. Before Ruan Bigui could react, a large, rough hand clamped over his mouth and yanked him right off the soft couch.

The wine cup fell to the floor, shattering into pieces.

The woman, startled, was about to scream, but another man in black struck a point on the side of her neck. She collapsed limply, falling silent.

The shock sobered Ruan Bigui up almost completely. His pupils contracted sharply, his legs kicked wildly, and muffled whimpers escaped his throat.

But the arm, like an iron pincer, held his neck in a death grip, not budging an inch.

The candlelight flickered.

Quiet returned to the private room. Only the unconscious woman remained by the soft couch; the other figures had all vanished, as if they had never been there.

...

「Chen Mansion, Inner Courtyard, Apothecary.」

Stripped completely naked, Chen Cheng opened a jar of Iron Bone Antitoxic Ointment, scooped some out with his bare hands, and slowly smeared it over his body.

The ointment had a strange, silvery-white color. It carried none of the original foul, fishy stench of the Iron-Bone Crocodile Eel, only an extremely rich herbal scent.

The moment the paste touched his skin, a bone-chilling cold, like thousands of ice needles simultaneously stabbing into every pore, snaked along his meridians and bored its way into the very seams of his bones.

This wasn't an ordinary chill, but a sinister cold that felt as if it would freeze and crack his very marrow. His internal organs contracted to the point of spasming, and his teeth chattered uncontrollably.

Chen Cheng's jawline instantly tensed, and the veins on his temples bulged. During that initial shock, he felt as if even his breath would freeze solid.

An ordinary person would absolutely not have been able to withstand such a state.

But Chen Cheng was different.

The strength of his physique, long nurtured by his Health-Preserving Traits, was already far greater than that of an ordinary person.

Furthermore, his unceasing refinement with the Four Gods Profound Body had enhanced his physical strength even more.

And over the past month, the Unyielding Attribute, working in tandem with his Health-Preserving Traits and the Four Gods Profound Body, had granted his physical strength another layer of fundamental, essence-deep improvement.

By now, his physique had long since reached a level unattainable by ordinary people.

Although the sinister cold currently seeping into his marrow was extremely uncomfortable, it was far from pushing his physique to its limits.

'I can handle this completely.'

He took a moment to adapt and adjust, then continued to apply the ointment until every inch of his body was covered.

After this, he didn't just wait idly. Instead, he took out the Celestial God Hidden Dragon Painting and began to refine his Power Transfer Thought.

After completing the thought transfer seven times, the sinister cold in his body had almost completely vanished.

Wu Ziyu had told him before that the sinister cold was the medicinal power circulating through his body. Its disappearance meant the ointment had been fully absorbed.

This ointment could simultaneously increase both his poison resistance and physical strength. With persistent use, its effects would accumulate, and when combined with his Unyielding Attribute, the long-term results were bound to be extraordinary.

...

「South Third District.」

Recently, the number of Constables on patrol after nightfall had doubled.

At the same time, a squad of Armored Warriors from the Captain's Mansion had also been dispatched to patrol alongside them.

Tonight, the person leading the squad of Armored Warriors was a very young Martial Artist on assignment from the Captain's Mansion.

He wore a brand-new set of white martial attire, its fabric and craftsmanship of the highest quality. His hair was tied back in a high ponytail with a white silk ribbon, and he wore only a piece of Half Armor over his torso.

The shining Silver Armor, with its sharp, distinct lines, had an imposing air. Worn over his torso, it further accentuated his heroic spirit and striking good looks.

"Lord Lin..."

An Armored Warrior carrying a lantern approached and said in a low voice,

"There seems to be some movement over there."

"I know."

Lin Fengxiao's tone was indifferent, his gaze calm, as if he had already seen through everything.

"I'll go take a look myself. The rest of you, stay here and await orders."

"Yes, sir!"

The men in his squad had been with him from the very beginning. Because of his tangible Military Merit, every one of them admired and respected him wholeheartedly.

Furthermore, on the several occasions he had earned merit, he had never failed to reward his brothers-in-arms.

As a result, the entire squad was completely and utterly loyal to him.

They followed his orders to the letter, without a single question.

He didn't carry a lantern, merely concealed his presence and approached as lightly as possible.

And the direction he was heading was precisely toward the back wall of the Chen Mansion.