Chapter 139: Chapter 83: Focus and Protect the Heart! The Storm is Approaching!_2
Sikong Huang didn’t allow Su Changkong to continue, instead sending him back to rest and maintain peak condition. That way, the success rate of alchemy would be higher.
“Mm.” Su Changkong nodded. To refine the Condensing Spirit Protecting Heart Pill, he needed to be fully focused. Physically exhausted, he indeed felt very drained mentally.
“Additionally, with regards to the matter here, I hope Master Su won’t mention it to others to prevent some people from overthinking,” Sikong Huang added.
“I am aware.” Su Changkong didn’t object, knowing Sikong Huang had brought him here to secretly refine the Condensing Spirit Protecting Heart Pill in order to keep it from becoming widely known.
Afterward, Sikong Huang escorted Su Changkong to the main hall’s entrance. Su Changkong headed back to his residence and after a slight practice of the Turtle Breath Technique for several cycles, dawn broke.
“I’m so hungry… I must find an opportunity to eat my fill sometime soon.” Su Changkong got up from bed, practiced Five Animal Frolics for a bit, freshened up, and then went to the public kitchen for breakfast, touching his stomach with a helpless feeling.
Since cultivating the Giant Whale Technique, Su Changkong’s appetite had increased greatly over the past two months, never feeling more than half full each meal.
Having breakfast in the public kitchen finally eased his hunger somewhat. Su Changkong proceeded to work in the Pill Refining Room as usual.
Today was supposed to be another calm day, but it turned out not to be.
“Master Su… Did you go see Miss Second last night?”
Before long, Liu Geng also arrived at the Pill Refining Room, casually bringing it up as if it were an offhand remark.
At this question, Su Changkong frowned. Liu Geng was Meng Sang’s man, sent to watch him.
Last night, Su Changkong had visited Sikong Huang’s residence, and promptly, Meng Sang’s informants spotted him. By day, Liu Geng brought up the matter, clearly at Meng Sang’s behest.
When Gong Zheng was still around, he had warned Su Changkong to focus on alchemy and not get involved with the affairs of the Leader Faction and the Vice-Leader Faction, lest he bring disaster upon himself.
Sikong Huang’s request for Su Changkong to visit her might have been seen by Meng Sang as an attempt by the Leader Faction to win Su Changkong over. Hence Liu Geng’s mention of the visit now.
While Su Changkong felt some dissatisfaction with being watched, he looked at Liu Geng and said, “I am just a worker, an alchemist, I just want to focus on my alchemy.”
Su Changkong made his stance clear; he didn’t want to concern himself with either side’s relationships or struggles. He just wanted to practice alchemy in peace and avoid any trouble.
Liu Geng smiled awkwardly, didn’t continue on the subject, and instead said, “Let’s start refining. We have a bit more to do today.”
Su Changkong had thought that clearly stating his position and refusing to take sides would be the end of it, but to his surprise, the matter wasn’t concluded yet.
Time moved on to the evening. The wind and snow were fierce tonight, even stronger than the night before.
“Practice Turtle Breath Technique for a while, and go to Sikong Huang’s place for alchemy later in the night.”
Lying in bed, Su Changkong, as always, diligently continued his practice. Training had become a part of his life, as necessary as eating and drinking.
“Hm?”
In the midst of his breathing exercises, Su Changkong was in a half-dream, half-awake state, yet his senses were even sharper than usual. He missed nothing; the subtle sound of someone scaling the wall and landing outside caught his attention.
“Someone is coming to me? Who could it be?” Su Changkong was surprised. He ceased his practice and pretended to sleep.
“Creak!”
But the uninvited guest scaled the wall and headed straight for his room. They pushed on the door with their arms and a surge of great force emerged, snapping the wooden bolt and flinging the tightly shut door open, creating a considerable noise.
A man in black garb, his face covered with a black scarf, exposing only the eyes, appeared at the doorway.
“Who’s there?”
Su Changkong acted as if he was startled awake from a deep sleep, sitting up and feigning fear as he huddled against the wall.
“Do not shout or make a scene, or I can’t guarantee I won’t do something,” the man in black warned with a hoarse voice, obviously intentionally altering his tone. He strode confidently into the room and unceremoniously sat down at the table.
“It’s him… The black clad man who made the exchange with Liu Geng that night? Meng Sang’s man!”
Even though the man was covered head to toe in black, his build, and the Qinggong he had just displayed, allowed Su Changkong to immediately deduce his identity. He was one of Meng Sang’s subordinates, the martial artist who had burned down the Xuanwu Pavilion two months ago during the exchange with Liu Geng, which had been interrupted by Su Changkong.
The man’s true identity was definitely that of a prominent member of the Giant Whale Gang, serving Meng Sang.
“Who are you? What do you want with me? This is the Giant Whale Gang!” Su Changkong’s front was fiercely defensive, while he tried to guess the man’s true intentions, which were certainly not about the Giant Whale Divine Intent Picture.
If Meng Sang had known that the Giant Whale Divine Intent Picture was in his hands, he wouldn’t have waited until now to approach him.
“Don’t be nervous, I won’t hurt you. I just have something to ask you,” the man in black spoke indifferently. In his eyes, Su Changkong was nothing but an alchemist, versed in the martial arts yet insignificant among the ranks of the Giant Whale Gang’s martial artists; someone he could manipulate at will.
“Go ahead and ask,” Su Changkong calmed himself, his face full of vigilance and fear, shrinking back as he spoke, while internally pondering what precisely this nighttime visitor wanted from him.
“Sikong Huang had you come over to refine a pill for her, didn’t she?” the man in black pressed.
“How do you know that? Are you… a man of Deputy Gang Leader Meng Sang?”