Chapter 73: The Consequences of One’s Own Deeds
Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
The young warriors of Yunwu Commandery all knew that Ninth Prince was ranked first on the Yellow Board before breaking through to the Black Realm. He was stronger than a warrior in the Mid Stage of the Black Realm.
Now that Ninth Prince had reached the Black Realm, his cultivation must now be on another level. How could Shen Mengxi hope to challenge him?
As Zhang Ruochen had only become first on the Yellow Board during the past two months, the news had not yet been spread to other commanderies. Shen Mengxi naturally did not know his true abilities.
Young warriors of Yunwu Commandery had curious smiles on their faces, believing Shen Mengxi did not know his own limits. However, no one said anything.
Zhang Ruochen stared at Shen Mengxi and said, “Since you wish to fight with me, then I agree. However, if you lose, you will not just pay 30,000 silver coins for your defeat, but 100,000 silver coins instead.”
“Why?” Shen Mengxi asked.
Zhang Ruochen replied, “You had so much shooting your mouth off earlier. You think you don’t need to pay?”
“Hmph! Never mind 100,000 silver coins. It doesn’t matter even if it’s 1,000,000 silver coins. You have no chance of defeating me!”
The Genuine Qi in Shen Mengxi’s body began to circulate, flowing along his arm towards his palms.
He closed his fingers, forming a knife with his hand, and struck at Zhang Ruochen.
Palm Knife, a Superior-Class Human Stage martial technique.
It was Shen Mengxi’s Palm Knife that had heavily injured Jiang Heng.
Just as Shen Mengxi’s Palm Knife was about to stab his chest, Zhang Ruochen suddenly struck out with even higher speed. With a flick of his hand, he struck his palm out and hit Shen Mengxi on the face.
“Snap!”
A well-landed slap on the face.
Shen Mengxi flew out and turned 360-degree turn in the air, before landing on the ground with a thud.
The smiles of the young warriors became frozen. They could not believe their own eyes. Many of them did not even clearly see how Shen Mengxi flew out.
Zhang Ruochen’s strike was too quick!
“You… You…”
Pushing the ground with two hands, Shen Mengxi raised his head with difficulty. His mouth was full of blood and the left side of his face began to swell purple and red. His head looked just like a pig’s head.
Zhang Ruochen’s strike earlier was very harsh. It knocked out Shen Mengxi’s teeth and broke his jaw and cheekbones.
At this moment, Shen Mengxi could not even speak clearly. The wind whistled through the gaps in his teeth.
Liu Chengfeng laughed loudly. “Good hit! Shen Mengxi, I told you earlier that you should be aware of your limits. With your training, how could you think of challenging His Majesty Ninth Prince? Now that you’ve lost, hand over the 100,000 silver coins.”
“I… I don’t have…”
At this moment, Shen Mengxi wanted to cry. He only had 30,000 silver coins in total. How could he hand over 100,000 silver coins?
He never thought 16-year-old Zhang Ruochen could be so powerful.
Liu Chengfeng’s expression darkened after hearing Shen Mengxi’s words. Walking over, he stepped heavily Shen Mengxi’s hand, causing him to scream like a slaughtered pig.
Liu Chengfeng spoke in a threatening tone, “The fourth son of a seventh-class family, the Shen family, can’t even hand over 100,000 silver coins? Do you think I’m stupid? Before you and His Majesty Ninth Prince dueled, you had personally promised the money. Are you going back on your words? Elder Xie, Elder Situ, both of you heard him earlier?”
Elder Situ looked uncomfortable. He did not expect Zhang Ruochen to be so strong. He only used one strike to send Shen Mengxi flying! Shen Mengxi was too useless.
Elder Xie was delighted. Zhang Ruochen rose in his esteem. But his expression was severe as he said, “I’m a witness to this matter. It’s only natural to repay the money you owe.”
Liu Chengfeng’s foot remained on Shen Mengxi’s hand. He smiled. “Did you hear? It’s perfectly justified to repay your dent. If you don’t hand over 100,000 silver coins, do you think I won’t break your legs right here and now?”
Shen Mengxi was truly terrified. He knew that Liu Chengfeng was a brutal man that could do anything. He hurriedly said, “I… I… I have the money…”
Shen Mengxi quickly drew a purple pouch from his chest and handed it to Liu Chengfeng with trembling fingers.
Liu Chengfeng opened the pouch and saw 30 Spiritual Crystals and a few hundred silver coins inside.
He closed the pouch and kicked hard at Shen Mengxi. “Where’s the 100,000 silver coins? There are clearly only 30,000 silver coins here. How dare you cheat me?”
“I… I dare not… Those are all I have. It’s everything I own…” Shen Mengxi begged for mercy.
Liu Chengfeng handed the pouch to Zhang Ruochen. “Your Majesty, he only has this many silver coins. What do we do now?”
Zhang Ruochen accepted the purple pouch and glanced at Shen Mengxi.
“Understood.”
Liu Chengfeng seemed to understand Zhang Ruochen’s thoughts. He nodded at him and walked towards Shen Mengxi with a wicked smile.
“Understand? What did you understand? I haven’t even said anything yet!”
Zhang Ruochen was speechless. He looked towards Liu Chengfeng and wanted to know what he had understood.
Liu Chengfeng believed that he had made a correct guess about Zhang Ruochen’s thoughts. Thus, he stopped in front of Shen Mengxi and took away the Genuine Martial Arms grade weapon on his back.
“This sword has 12 lines of inscriptions. It can be more or less considered a fourth class Genuine Martial Arms weapon. I’ll take 10,000 silver coins for it!”
Shen Mengxi cried. “That’s a fourth class Genuine Martial Arms weapon and I spent 20,000 silver coins for it… Ah…”
Liu Chengfeng trampled on Shen Mengxi’s hand again, and took his jade belt off. “Sea Stone Jade belt, worth 800 silver coins.”
“Second level Genuine Martial Arms chest-protecting mirror, worth 2,000 silver coins.”
…
Liu Chengfeng took away all of Shen Mengxi’s treasures, even his clothing, and shoes.
“We’ll consider it’s 20,000 silver coins in total. You still owe the Ninth Prince 50,000 silver coins. You can write an IOU!”
Liu Chengfeng ripped off the last of Shen Mengxi’s clothes and bit his forefinger, forcing him to write a bloody IOU.
“This… was what he had understood?”
Zhang Ruochen found him both funny and annoying. No wonder Liu Chengfeng was considered brutal; his tactics were too extreme.
He could only sigh to himself that the wicked would be punished for their deeds.
For people like Shen Mengxi, he would learn his lessons only when extreme methods were used.
Huo Xing, Prince of Square Commandery, looked extremely severe. “Enough! Ninth Prince, your methods are too extreme. Shen Mengxi is a warrior of Square Commandery. Even if he owes you 100,000 silver coins, how can you humiliate him like this?”
Zhang Ruochen felt puzzled. From the very beginning, it was Liu Chengfeng who was humiliating Shen Mengxi. Why did they pin the blame on him?
Liu Chengfeng folded the IOU and handed it to Zhang Ruochen. He said in a low voice, “Your Majesty, you should be careful! Prince Huo Xing was a warrior of the Yellow Board when he was in the Yellow Realm. Now he has cultivated to the Advanced Stage of the Black Realm, and he wields an imperial weapon. He’s a difficult and sly enemy.”
Zhang Ruochen naturally was not one to be afraid of conflicts. Taking a step forward, he said, “Prince Huo Xing, do you mean that only the Square Commandery warriors can humiliate the Yunwu Warriors? Are we not allowed to retaliate?”
Prince Huo Xing laughed coldly. “The strong can naturally humiliate the weak.”
Zhang Ruochen smiled. “Since it is so, then what’s wrong with us humiliating a warrior of Square Commandery?”
“Even if you’re triumphant at this moment, so what? Tomorrow is the examination. I will return this humiliation with interest. This year, no warrior from Yunwu Commandery will successfully enter the School of the Martial Market.” Prince Huo Xing swept his gaze across the tens of Yunwu warriors opposite him with a cold huff.
A cold gaze flashed through Prince Huo Xing’s eyes. He already had the intention to murder Zhang Ruochen.
Afterwards, two warriors from Square Commandery carried Shen Mengxi away.
Liu Chengfeng looked at the retreating warriors from Square Commandery and said, “The situation doesn’t look good! Looks like we’ll be in great danger during the exam tomorrow.”
Zhang Ruochen asked, “Is killing allowed in the exam?”
Liu Chengfeng replied, “On the surface, the warriors are of course not allowed to kill each other. But every year the first round of the examination takes place in Omen Ridge. Warriors from Square Commandery will definitely try and assassinate us.”
Standing on the side was Zi Qian. Holding her battle sword, she watched the warriors from Square Commandery, and asked coldly, “If they can try and kill us during the exam, why can’t we return the favor?”
Zhang Ruochen turned slightly and glanced at Zi Qian.
He knew that Zi Qian’s cultivation was very high and she had already reached the Dawn State of the Black Realm. But he did not expect that, as a woman, she would have such a hard side to her. It was rare to see.
Liu Chengfeng chuckled and said, “If you’re willing to strike, you’ll naturally be able to kill many of the Square Commandery warriors.”
Zi Qian glanced at Liu Chengfeng and turned towards Zhang Ruochen. “Ninth Prince, if you’re willing to work with me, we’ll definitely destroy the warriors from Square Commandery. All the humiliation Yunwu Commandery has suffered all these years should be returned.”
Zi Qian wanted to assassinate Zhang Ruochen. Naturally, she had to get close to him and gain his trust. Only when she found Zhang Ruochen’s secret would she have the chance to kill him.
Zhang Ruochen looked like he was deep in thought.
Liu Chengfeng once again inserted himself before Zhang Ruochen and Zi Qian. “Lady Zi, you shouldn’t underestimate the young warriors from Square Commandery. According to reliable news, they have at least three strong warriors at the Dawn State of the Black Realm, and at least 10 warriors in the Advanced Stage of the Black Realm. If you go head-to-head with them, it’d be like attacking a rock with an egg.”
Zi Qian used her sword to push Liu Chengfeng to the side, appearing very cold. Looking at Zhang Ruochen with her beautiful eyes, she waited for him to speak.
Zhang Ruochen rubbed his chin. Looking at Zi Qian, he smiled. “Since Lady Zi has such courage, I’ll naturally accompany her to the end. Tomorrow on the examination field, it’s time for Square Commandery to pay the price!”