Chapter 14- Dine and dash
413 0 9
X
Reading Options
Font Size
A- 15px A+
Width
Reset
X
Table of Contents
Loading... please wait.

"Then don't blame me for forcing you," saying that, she took a stance. 

This is a good time to test how fierce that technique is. I didn't shy from her brazen challenge. Jiang Yan must know of her presence and is deliberately not showing up if the girl isn't something I can handle. She would have already shown up.

I also took a stance and started to perform complex hand signals. With that, the black and white palms made their presence known. The hand signals are unnecessary as I can control the palms with my brain, but it is way cooler and mysterious if I do it this way.

"Ice blades!" The girl seeing I was not backing out, charged at me while loudly announcing her technique like a showman. The air became cold and sharp as solid ice in the shape of swords shot towards me. I wasn't in the mood of being stabbed by ice, so I moved the palms and used them as a shield.

*Boom!*

Luckily, they managed to hold back the attack. The ice beauty seeing her blades not work, did not feel discouraged. Her cold eyes told me she was preparing for a follow-up attack. 

"Ice blade..."

"As if I'll let you," I interrupted her chant and dished out an attack of my own. "Receive my palm," saying that, I moved my hand, and the white palm followed as if it is physically connected to my body. The girl panicked, seeing an enlarging palm rush towards her. Maybe she's not that powerful. According to reason, as a second layer qi gathering cultivator, I shouldn't be able to threaten someone with much higher cultivation.

*Bang*

The girl tried to defend herself with her small sword, but the palm was just too overbearing. The attack connected, sending her flying like a broken kite. I felt slightly bad seeing her collide with the hard wall. It was her fault for attacking me without reason.

Just as she was about to hit the wall, a hand emerged from the shadows and snatched her.

"You two have no respect, fighting in my house like this. Should I punish you?" The speaker was none other than the beautiful Jiang Yan. Her cheeky smile confirmed she set us up. "What do you think of my disciple?" She proudly announced the ice beauty, who now looks embarrasing, to her question. I shrugged my shoulders and put on a look that seemed to say she was only so-so.

"Master, let me fight," I expected the ice beauty to be demotivated after the beating, but her ominous smile and fighting intent proved otherwise. Is she a pervert? I have read about a certain group of people that get turned on by being tormented and tied up. I don't think the innocent-looking girl should be a part of such a cult.

"Lan Yue, calm down," Jiang Yan controlled the violent girl, "your attacks are good, but your defence needs work," Jiang Yan then turned to me. "I didn't expect your technique to be so powerful," saying that made me wonder when I told her about the martial technique. As far as I'm concerned, she shouldn't have an idea about it. 

"Lan Yue, why don't you come back later," the ice beauty nodded as Jian Yan entered the study that surprisingly remained unfazed after the fight. "Take this. It should help you to store things," she threw me a small silver ring which I snatched and examined. Spatial ring, finally! This is the first time I'm physically seeing it. It is supposed to have enough space to store a whole bed. I didn't wait for Jiang Yan to instruct me on how to handle it. I bit my finger like a barbarian causing it to drip blood which the ring rapidly absorbed. Immediately, I felt a connection as described by the books. With a thought, I explored inside it. So vast! I had underestimated the space.

No doubt, three king-sized beds could easily fit inside and leave space enough to fit a couch. I spotted a shining glint at the corner, causing me to investigate, seeds? Seeds of various shapes and textures filled a small brocade box. It seems she left me a gift. I withdrew my consciousness from the ring and came back to my senses.

"Give this to Hong Lin," she threw me another ring of similar colour to mine. I wrapped it with qi and watched as it disappeared inside my ring. I wore mine to the index finger and immediately it became invisible. How convenient, I thought about how the ring shouldn't get in my way during fighting.

"What do you think of my disciple?" She took a seat and asked. Lan Yue is indeed a beauty to behold, and she's capable of riling up emotions from healthy boys, but she is still a step short compared to Zhu Ling, but that might be because of my bias when it comes to Zhu Ling. While she's cold and aloof, creating a feeling of wanting to subdue her, Zhu Ling is cute, and her little antics make her seem innocent, provoking men to want to protect her. There's no doubt that if she chooses, she can weaponize her beauty and create hordes of sexually starved men.

"She's a beauty worth comparing to the noble phoenix but compared to you, she's only so-so," I replied sincerely after analyzing various factors and considerations. It isn't a lie to say Jiang Yan is a kingdom-toppling beauty. She's like a forbidden fruit, which normally shouldn't be acquired by normal men; luckily, I never considered myself normal.

"I was asking about her talent, but ok," hearing Jiang Yan made me want to dig a hole and bury myself. It's her fault. She should have asked clearly.

"What is her cultivation base?" I asked, feeling curious and wanting to dispel the embarrassment.

"She's a second layer just like you," I thought she was way stronger than me, but it turns out she's the same as me. 

"How do you determine the cultivation base of others?" Knowing my future opponent's cultivation should help in choosing what battles to fight and which to avoid.

"Simple, just circulate your qi to your eyes," Jiang Yan said, causing me to wonder if it is that simple. I followed her instructions and circulated my qi to my eyes; certainly, I can feel my vision improve, but I still can't see her cultivation. "If your target is multiple realms ahead of you, it's natural not to see their cultivation," I nodded to her explanation and made a note to test it on Hong Lin.

***

After spending some time with Jiang Yan, I left her and went to find Zhu Ling. My plans with her were cut short after I found her studying recipes and herbs. I walked out of the courtyard and wandered aimlessly towards my courtyard.

*Rumble*

It seems I'm hungry. The thought about eating hadn't crossed my mind since I opened my meridians. The texts saying the stronger you become, the less dependent you will be on food seem to be correct. With that, I changed my direction and headed towards the dining hall. I had some stones with me, so paying shouldn't be a problem. I followed the cobblestone path and headed towards the outer sect. Through elimination, I was able to locate the hall; I was not helped by the captivating aroma raping my nostrils.

*Chatter**Chatter*

I could hear disciples laughing and chatting as they wolfed down their food. The multiple floors of the hall reminded me of the restaurants outside the sect that segregate people into tiers. I stepped inside and scanned for an empty table. No one noticed my presence, which was fine by me. It took me a while to spot an empty table. I walked towards it and took a seat.

Let's see what they have. I grabbed the menu on the table and searched for a familiar dish or anything that sounded interesting. The first page was full of ordinary sounding cheap food, I opened the second page, and the first thing to catch my eye made me almost jump from my seat in shock.

"[50] stones? " I exclaimed loudly, but luckily no one noticed me as my voice was drowned in the loud chatter. I calmed myself and read what food deserves such pricing. Four-horned two-tailed deer meat, moisturized with qiantian mushroom juice served with a bowl of rice, I didn't understand anything, but for some reason, I feel hungrier reading the description.

"Have you decided?" As I was engrossed in reading, a male voice sounded behind me. I turned and watched a uniformed man ask.

"Can I have this?" I pointed at the menu. Normally, I wouldn't have spent so much money on food while I'm this poor and in need of stones, but the description saying the meal helps clean the marrow and strengthen bones is too captivating to not try.

"A-Are you sure?" The waiter stammered. I frowned and looked at him, wondering what his problem was.

"Yes, I'm sure. Is there a reason why I should be wary?" Maybe the meal has some strange properties that I'm not aware of.

"Nothing, it's just that," saying that, he looked at me hesitantly." You're only a second layer. Can you afford the expense?" It turns out the man was worried whether I could pay or not.

"Since you can tell my cultivation, do you think I can run off after eating? The man finally shaked his head and went off to bring my delicacies, I presume.

A few finger drumming on the table later, the uniformed man hastily arrived with my food. Setting the tray on the table, my nostrils were assaulted by the sweet aroma, causing my stomach to rumble. I swallowed hard and went for the chopstick. I then selected a large piece of the red meat and put it in my mouth.

"Shit, this is heavenly," my tongue wasn't spared from the spices and juices constituting the meat. The meat wasn't tough and chewy but tender and soft, making eating enjoyable. 

I swallowed the sweet stuff, finally calming down my protesting stomach. Just as I was about to pick another piece, my true qi started to circulate on its own, and I could feel the energy being extracted from the food and taken to my body. So this is what they meant? I felt the energy penetrate my insides and head to my dantian. The process isn't intrusive but soft and comforting. I continued to enjoy silently and appreciate the food, my plans to visit the place in the future once I amass more stones already starting to play.

"I finally found you," a familiar female intruded into my space and sat at the opposite chair; she's the same female that saved us from the surnamed Kong.

"Should I be happy that a beauty like you is searching for me," I pretended to be calm on the outside, but deep down, I wondered what it was she wanted from me. Her statement shows that she was searching for me or something like that.

"Hehe... you shouldn't worry, but where have you been? I searched your allocated courtyard, but I couldn't find you," how did she know where I was allocated? And why does she want to find me that badly?

"We cultivators are supposed to be one with heaven and earth, so naturally, I dug a cave somewhere and made it my home," I spewed the first thing that crossed my mind causing her to frown. "Beauty, why are you searching for me? We met only once. Could it be that my kingly aura ensnared you?" I made a joke to lighten her mood, which seemed to have worked.

"Chee! Who's ensnared by you? I'll let you know many men would slaughter their families to dine with me," saying that, I finally looked around, gazes filled with jealousy, admiration, appreciation and hatred fixed on our table. The negative emotions were directed towards me, while the positive was towards the nameless beauty.

"Beauty, do you want to create trouble?" There is no way the vixen doesn't know that sitting at the same table with me will bring endless trouble to me.

"What do you mean?" She acted innocent.

*Sigh*

"Is there a reason you're targeting me?" I asked in seriousness, we only met once, and there are over thirty new disciples, so targeting me; a no-name shouldn't be reasonable.

"How did you do it? How did you dispel my technique?" She ignored my question and shot me a bizarre question of her own.

"What technique?" I seriously don't remember dispelling any technique.

"You don't know?" She looked puzzled by my answer.

*Sigh*

"If you have nothing to say to me, then I'll be going," I cleared my plate and stood. "You should know, if you beat the grass, you're bound to find more than an insect," I left the confused girl behind. Hehe... wait till the waiter finds her.

Like it? Favorite it

9