CHAPTER 136: CHAPTER 111: CROSSING THE BORDER

Late at night, dark clouds obscured the moon, allowing only faint light to filter through the fog and spread across the land. A cold wind blew fiercely!

Inside the Inner City of Baojiao County, at this hour, the cold was biting, and there were no pedestrians in sight. Even the night watchmen, who came out to ring the watch, were wrapped up tightly, with heavy cotton jackets over thick trousers, and wore hunters’ felt hats capable of protecting their ears as they patrolled the streets.

It was the Third Watch of the Night. The night watchman’s cries of "all is well" echoed, accompanied by the sound of three gongs as he passed through the streets of Brocade Lane in the Inner City of Baojiao County.

「Brocade Lane.」

This was the affluent area of the Inner City of Baojiao County. The streets here were paved with bluestone slabs, unlike the muddy roads in other lanes, and every household boasted high walls and large compounds. Some courtyard walls were even as tall as four or five meters; each house had its own ornate archway. When ordinary folks passed by, merely the sight of the towering walls sparked a sense of awe and aspiration towards the grand households within. The high walls separated not just two different classes of life but also provided privacy and a sense of security.

Apart from the residences of Baojiao County’s prominent families, there were also several specially built guest houses within this lane for traveling merchants to rest during their journeys. Renting them out for seven or eight days or half a month cost several hundred taels of silver.

Though the Ancient Elephant Sect in Qiu Dragon Mansion was not a top-tier sect, it was an established power with extensive clan interests; they weren’t short of this amount of money.

Zhao Chuanzu was staying in one of the two-entry grand courtyards in Brocade Lane this time. Everything in the household was of a very high standard. Even the towels used for wiping his face were made of fine silk brocade, not to mention the incense burning within the house—each stick valued as much as the annual income of an ordinary farmer.

Zhao Chuanzu sat in a Taishi Chair in the hall, his chest heaving non-stop, channeling his cultivation with his hands as he manipulated his Blood Qi to force out the toxicity of the Break Intestine Grass. At that moment, to assist Zhao Chuanzu in expelling the Break Intestine Grass from his stomach, Liang Shi, the coachman who had accompanied him to Baojiao County, was also exerting effort behind him, his fingers continuously pressing and poking. Such techniques could only be employed by someone in the Mystic Barrier Realm.

Half a tea’s time later, with a sudden GAG, Zhao Chuanzu vomited a mouthful of black, foul-smelling blood into a copper basin that had been prepared in advance.

PHEW. Liang Shi, who was assisting his young master in circulating and invigorating his blood from behind, saw the black blood in the copper basin, let out a breath of relief, and slowly said, "Young Master, your Nine Dragons Union has achieved Minor Achievement. With this old servant helping you circulate your Blood Qi, the mouthful of blood you just spat out has cleared at least ninety percent of the poison from your body. As for the remaining ten percent, as long as you take your medicine, rest well, and refrain from getting agitated or using your cultivation for the next few days, you should recover within three days."

After speaking, he bent down to pick up the copper basin to go outside and dispose of it.

However, Zhao Chuanzu’s voice came from behind, his words spoken through gritted teeth, "Uncle Liang, I can’t swallow this indignity."

Liang Shi, hunching his body, turned and silently looked at his young master, saying, "Young Master, I know you suffered greatly today, but rest assured, all you need to do is recuperate. I will return to the Prefecture City to gather more men and come back to settle this for you."

"I can’t wait a day!"

Zhao Chuanzu reached up to vigorously wipe the poisonous blood from the corner of his mouth, his complexion turning extremely unsightly as he slammed his hand down on the armrest of the Taishi Chair. His fingers clenched powerfully. CRACK! He squeezed a deep circular imprint into the armrest as wood shavings fell.

"I can’t accept it! A mere mud-legged bumpkin from a decrepit county dared to humiliate me so badly. Not only did it cost me a shop, but if I hadn’t pretended to comply with him today, he probably would have forced me to wear the Fire-Walking Boots!"

Liang Shi remained silent. He was equally shocked by Chen Ku’s performance today. His young master, despite being well-prepared, had somehow failed to withstand his opponent and had taken such a severe fall. Yet, he genuinely admired his young master.

Given the young master’s performance today, he was bound to achieve great things.

He gently advised, "Young Master, a single victory or defeat doesn’t define a man. True strength lies in the ability to yield and to stand tall."

Zhao Chuanzu’s gaze was cold. "You’re right," he said. "One must know when to yield and when to stand firm... I yielded during the day; tonight, I will stand firm again."

"Tonight?" Liang Shi hesitated, saying, "Tonight, isn’t that too... if something happens to Chen Ku, the Medicine King Hall will likely suspect us first."

"Suspect? What good does suspecting do? What is the Medicine King Hall anyway?" Zhao Chuanzu took a deep breath and said, "In terms of power and background, does my Ancient Elephant Sect have to fear the Medicine King Hall? In this world, only the living have the right to speak. The dead... once a person dies, they amount to nothing."

Liang Shi confirmed again, "So you really won’t wait for this old servant to return home and bring reinforcements? Are you sure you want his life tonight?"

Zhao Chuanzu closed his eyes. "Yes, tonight," he affirmed. "Revenge must not be delayed overnight."

He continued, "Moreover, I lost so much face today. If I only think of going home for reinforcements, those in the sect who covet my position would likely rejoice. Conversely, if I lost face during the day but manage to kill him tonight, when word gets back to the sect, they will tacitly approve of my actions, viewing it as preventing further disgrace for our name."

He understood his father and the men in the sect well: suffering a setback was acceptable, but if he could quickly turn the tables and reclaim his honor, it would be as if nothing had happened.

"Since the Young Master has spoken, then this old servant understands." Liang Shi gave a slight nod, calculating in his mind, and said, "I’ll go bring Chen Ku’s head back for you, Young Master."

A mere Inner Qi novice. With his Second Realm Mystic Barrier cultivation, he could sneak into the house, undetected like a ghost, and slit his throat.