Chapter 343 - 165: "This Is a Wanton Waste.

Chapter 343: Chapter 165: "This Is a Wanton Waste.

"I’m not asking for much. Just thirty thousand Ghost Stones. Those two carriages alone are worth twenty thousand Ghost Stones, and I had plenty of other things inside that you wrecked. If I wasn’t worried you guys from the Mortal Realm couldn’t afford it, I would have... uh, wait, did you say it’s not enough?"

Hu Zi stood there, dazed and a little confused. In a stupor, he said, "Uh... well... if you folks from the Mortal Realm want to pay more, I certainly have no objection."

’Is this Jiangnan place always this weird?’

"..."

The Mortal Realm Member’s brows furrowed slightly. He looked the middle-aged man up and down but said nothing more, simply taking a pre-written ticket from his partner and handing it to the man.

"According to Mortal Realm regulations, anyone who obstructs the Mortal Realm High-speed Rail line will be fined fifty thousand Ghost Stones for unintentional obstruction. For intentional obstruction, the punishment is immediate execution."

"This is your ticket."

"Within ten days, go to any Mortal Realm office in the Four Areas Jiangbei and pay the full amount in Ghost Stones."

"You can try to run."

"After ten days, if the Mortal Realm has not received the Ghost Stones, a Mortal Realm kill order will be issued for you."

With that said, the two Mortal Realm Members said no more and immediately turned to walk toward Fuyao City.

...

"..."

Hu Zi froze, staring down at the ticket in his hand and the ’Mortal’ character stamped on its bottom-right corner. A nameless rage surged within him. ’They wrecked my carriages, refused to compensate me, and are even making *me* pay!’

’This Mortal Realm is far too tyrannical!’

"Hey!"

Frozen in place, his entire body trembling uncontrollably with rage, Hu Zi slowly crumpled the ticket into a ball and threw it into the distance. He looked up at the backs of the two departing Mortal Realm Members and broke into a vicious grin.

"You..."

"Do you really think I’m some kind of pushover?"

"I’ve got a nickname, you know—Mad Dog!"

The next instant!

Spiritual Qi suddenly erupted from the man’s body. He burst into action, moving at a speed the eye could barely follow. In the blink of an eye, he appeared behind one of the Mortal Realm Members as if he had teleported.

His face twisted in a snarl, he swung his right fist, smashing it down with immense force.

"BOOM!!!"

A tremendous impact rang out.

...

"SPURT... SPURT..."

Hu Zi lay in a crater in the ground, the bottom of the pit webbed with fine cracks. Grievously injured, he coughed up mouthfuls of blood, his eyes filled with disbelief and despair as he stared at the two Mortal Realm Members. "H-How is this possible?" he stammered. "You’re... a Martial King... with Tenfold Body Tempering?"

"What kind of fucking joke is this!"

He was a Level 9 Cultivator.

One step away from becoming a Martial King.

That level of Cultivation wasn’t considered top-tier in the Guanxi Plain, but it was by no means low. He had been confident that few in Jiangnan could defeat him, and even if there were some, a mere grunt from the Mortal Realm certainly couldn’t.

But he never expected this grunt to be a Martial King—and a Martial King with Tenfold Body Tempering at that. What was the difference between this and seeing a ghost in broad daylight?

His sneak attack hadn’t injured the other man at all.

But with a single counter-punch, he felt like he was about to die.

"..."

The Mortal Realm Member who had spoken first glanced up at Hu Zi’s men, who were standing a short distance away, too frightened to approach. He then crouched down again to look at the man, pointed to the two raised, embroidered bars on the chest of his robe, and said softly,

"Didn’t you see?"

"I’m a Level 2 Member of the Mortal Realm. Did you really mistake me for some auxiliary member?"

"Attacking a Mortal Realm Member."

"The punishment is immediate execution."

"But if I’m not mistaken, you’re not from the Four Areas Jiangbei. You must be from the Guanxi Plain or some other region."

"You’d better pray that the faction behind you can afford your ransom."

"Otherwise..."

"You can start reflecting on your life right now."

A moment later, he took a Sound Transmission Talisman from his robes and spoke into it in a low voice, "This is Zhang Qiitian, squad leader of the Mortal Battle Pavilion. At the East Gate of Fuyao City, I’ve captured a man, possibly from the Guanxi Plain. Requesting backup."

The Domain Lord had long predicted that people from the Guanxi Plain might come to Jiangnan after the rainy season ended.

After all, over the past year, word of the Mortal Realm had, to some extent, reached the Guanxi Plain.

They were bound to send someone to investigate.

And the first stop for anyone coming to Jiangnan would certainly be Fuyao City.

Therefore, for the past few days, half of the Mortal Battle Pavilion’s members had been stationed in Fuyao City, lying in wait. Unlike other Mortal Realm Members, they had no duties besides taking turns on patrol. All their remaining time was spent on Cultivation.

Their Cultivation was also the highest in the Mortal Realm.

’Martial Kings?’

’They eat, sleep, and shit in the Yunling Pavilion. Is a Martial King really that rare?’

...

"Backup?"

Lying grievously injured in the crater on the verge of death, Hu Zi overheard the Mortal Realm Member calling for backup on his Sound Transmission Talisman. Despite the searing pain racking his body, he couldn’t help but roar with laughter born of pure rage.

"You’re calling for backup."

"What the hell do you need backup for?!"

"I’m fucking lying here about to die! What do you need backup for? Huh? I’m asking you, what do you need backup for?"

The next moment.

Another Mortal Realm Member strode out from the city gate, carrying a box. He walked up to Hu Zi, quickly opened a porcelain jar, and poured the liquid inside into Hu Zi’s mouth. The injuries on his body began to heal at a rapid pace.

Meanwhile, the Mortal Realm Member who had punched Hu Zi into the crater glanced at Hu Zi’s men, who looked like they wanted to flee, and said casually,

"The backup was for you. To keep you from dying."

Under his intimidating gaze, the few men who had been planning to quietly slip away now stood awkwardly in place, looking around as if they were very busy.

...

’My name is Hu Zi.’

’I have no surname. I’m an orphan.’

’I’m from Riyue Square in the Guanxi Plain. I came to Jiangbei on the Pavilion Master’s orders to find the person who makes that delicious marinated stew. But upon entering Jiangnan, I think I must have been cursed.’

’First, my carriages were smashed by a High-speed Rail.’

’Then I was given a ticket.’

’Then I was beaten to the brink of death with a single punch.’

’And then I was healed.’

’I don’t know what’s going to happen next. I just feel like this trip is taking me further and further away from my original goal.’

’Is this Jiangbei Mortal Realm really just a faction that knows how to make a good stew?’

’Do you need a Martial King to make stew?’

’Or is *that* the secret to making a delicious stew?’

’I don’t know.’

’It’s like how I don’t know what this High-speed Rail thing is. The long tracks are like my destiny—no end in sight, yet it feels like it could be cut short at any moment.’

"..."

Hu Zi sat inside the High-speed Rail. He was being escorted back to the Mortal Realm by its members to meet the Mortal Realm Lord.

He gazed out the window.

The scenery outside rushed past.

He felt he was probably done for. The Pavilion Master wouldn’t spend Ghost Stones to ransom him. He really was starting to reflect on his life.

But he suddenly realized his life had been rather pathetic.

He had only ever done two things.

Cowering like a spineless mutt before the Pavilion Master.

And acting like an arrogant mad dog everywhere else outside Riyue Square.

He felt his name, Hu Zi, was a lie. He wasn’t a tiger. He was just a dog.

If there was a next life.

He didn’t want to be a dog anymore. It was too tiring, and you could get kicked to death on the side of the road at any moment.