Chapter Ninety-Eight: Zhang He Advances to the Second Rank

Chapter Ninety-Eight: Zhang He’s Second Advancement

By the time Zhang He logged back in, dinner was already over.

It was 8:40 in the evening. Outside, the manor was still alive with noise and laughter, and from the direction of the inner courtyard he could faintly hear the playful giggling of women.

Zhang He paced back and forth in the side room, the candlelight on the table flickering across his face as he pondered his next move.

Since entering Dynasty, no quest had ever been this troublesome.

How could he make Golden Riceball yield? It was a question as difficult as any in the world. Once tomorrow’s wedding ceremony was over, he and Zhong Shuman would have no reason to remain in the Sword Manor any longer. They would have no choice but to slink away in defeat, and by then the quest would be truly lost.

In other words, the quest had to be completed before tomorrow morning.

After careful thought, Zhang He felt there were only three possible ways to force the old man to compromise.

The first was for someone to stand up and speak on behalf of the Sword-Hiding Manor.

That person would not only need to be famous and highly respected in the martial world, but also have an excellent relationship with the Sword-Hiding Manor. Yet from everything he had seen and heard there, such a possibility was almost zero.

The second was for Golden Riceball to suddenly come to his senses, grow a conscience, and decide to relent.

At the mere thought, Zhang He nearly laughed at himself. Whether in reality or in a game, this world had always been a place where the strong preyed on the weak and feared no one else. Such innocent, childish notions would only make any sane person laugh.

The third was to deal the Sword Manor a crushing blow, to make Golden Riceball understand that if he insisted on acting tyrannically, he would ultimately suffer terribly for it and be forced to retreat.

That was the only feasible solution. The problem was how to strike. Should he do it himself, or should the Sword-Hiding Manor launch a full assault? Setting the latter aside, as for the former, was he supposed to go and kill Golden Riceball alone? That was simply impossible.

That careless, almost effortless move made by Golden Riceball in the daytime had so easily defeated Fat Mantis. Zhang He had every reason to believe that Golden Riceball’s inner power was absolutely above the level of Mystic Transformation. He was not someone Zhang He could hope to fight head-on now, and for a man of that caliber, even guile would not suffice.

Even if, in the worst case, Zhang He did somehow have a chance to kill him, tomorrow’s wedding would surely be attended by heroes from every corner of the realm, a gathering of great figures and eminent names. Shaolin, Wudang, Beggar Clan, Kongtong... with so many famous masters present, he would simply not be allowed to make a move. He would not even have the chance to strike, so how could he kill the man?

In his hesitation, Zhang He walked to the table and sat down. From his bundle he took out a small, exquisite square brocade box and stared at it in deep thought for a long while.

This was a gift from Qi Shiqi before departure, and also the reward for this quest. Even if Zhang He failed to complete the mission, this gift would still be his.

He had never opened it, because he was also a man who cared about face. He had long decided that if things went smoothly and he succeeded, he would keep it for himself. But if he failed, he would return it to Qi Shiqi.

After all, Qi Shiqi had treated him with genuine sincerity. If he could not carry out the task and still had the nerve to pocket the reward, that would be shameless.

Of course, taking advantage of a bargain felt good, but how would others see him? If word spread, there would never again be such advantages to seize, and he would only spend the rest of his life suffering losses in Dynasty.

To lose the greater for the sake of the lesser was a bad deal. A losing bargain could not be made. That was Zhang He’s principle.

And yet he still opened the box, because he had decided to accept the reward first. He would put pressure on himself. This quest could only succeed; failure was not an option.

Inside the box was something Zhang He could never have imagined in his dreams: a pill glowing with a crystalline blue light, translucent as crystal, so brilliant that its radiance turned the entire room into daylight.

Tianyi Iceheart Pill: usable by a level 40 or higher unaffiliated free cultivator after first advancement. Grants innate strength +20, innate inner power +10, innate movement skill +10, and adds the innate martial art Great Shattering Stele Hand. This medicine may be taken only once. Side effects apply. Use with caution.

Zhang He stood there, dumbfounded. It was actually a second-advancement innate pill, because compared with first-advancement pills that added only two innate attributes, this one added three.

He was not easily moved, yet a warm current slowly flowed through his heart. Qi Shiqi’s gift was not only immensely valuable, but also showed just how thoroughly he understood Zhang He’s situation.

He had even correctly judged that Zhang He’s trip would be extraordinarily difficult. If he went to the Sword Manor with only first-advancement strength, he might never come back. By giving him a second-advancement pill, the chance that Zhang He could withdraw safely at the very least rose by a great margin.

This Tianyi Iceheart Pill could improve his movement skill realm and also added an extra innate martial art. Among second-advancement pills circulating outside, this was already a top-grade treasure.

On the edge of the bed, Zhang He sat cross-legged, eyes shut, letting the medicinal heat flow through his body.

Unlike last time, this time it felt as though two streams of immensely fierce, sun-like true qi were moving through both his arms. They were not only resilient, but astonishingly hot, so much so that vapor kept beading on Zhang He’s forehead.

He understood now that since the Tianyi Iceheart Pill contained the Great Shattering Stele Hand, it must naturally follow a path of powerful, forceful attack.

Great Shattering Stele Hand: Requirements: supreme-level Basic Arts, first-rising realm strength, nourishing-the-world realm inner power, level 40. This technique varies between palm, fist, and wrist; it may attack, grapple, or strike with a change of form. It possesses the power to split mountains and shatter stone.

Only now had Zhang He finally learned his first advanced martial art. It was a night worth remembering, because after the medicinal power was fully absorbed, his new sensation was that his body felt much lighter, his arms far stronger. The status panel changed once more, and his level indeed reverted to the starting point of second advancement: level 40. Yet all his previous attribute points were retained:

Level: 40. Faction: None. Title: None.

Physique: 378. Constitution: 78. Strength: 0. Inner Power: 0. Movement: 0.

Mental Skill: 8. Courage: 26. Fortune: 0. Defense: 147. Righteousness: 4. Evil: 35.

This advancement was different from the last. It emphasized a strength-oriented enhancement. Now the total coefficient for the two realms in strength attributes was 140 times, and at the maximum level it would also reach 140. Most importantly, if the realm suffered a decrease, the decline had to be based on either both layers of a single attribute being used together, or on them being depleted one by one. Using only the first-rising realm, or only the nourishing-the-world realm, would not produce any side effects.

Zhang He exhaled, then took out the concealed-weapon manual he carried with him, Flying Swallow Return, and casually added it to his skill panel.

Flying Swallow Return: Requirements: first-rising realm strength, nourishing-the-world realm inner power, level 40. This skill is best used with Flying Swallow darts; the number of returns and the distance traveled depend on skill level and nourishing-the-world realm inner power.

Zhang He extended his hand and activated nourishing-the-world realm inner power. Unlike the first-rising realm, he only felt both arms fill with boundless heat. Then, picking up the candle from the candlestick on the table, he flicked his wrist and used Flying Swallow Return.

A miracle occurred.

The candle shot through the air in a graceful arc. Though the distance was not great, it then traced another counter-arc and floated back into Zhang He’s hand.

What an exquisite concealed-weapon technique. What a bizarre and elusive trajectory.

The candlelight had gone out. Zhang He stood silent in the darkness. He was indeed excited, and he was happy. A veteran Dynasty player might need a year of exploration, study, and effort to reach this level of strength, yet he had actually done it in just a month and a half. The suffering hidden in that achievement was known to no outsider, especially the long stretch of grueling rubbish-collecting in Rainflower Village.

But what followed was more pressure, more misgivings. Now that he had reached second advancement, he had to find a way to carve out a path for the quest that was about to end.

What on earth should he do?

Zhang He opened the control panel. The system prompt showed that the current time was about to pass the midpoint of the hour of Hai, which meant it was close to 10:30 at night.

Just then, it seemed as though light was filtering in through the window from outside, and a knocking sound came at the door.

“Come in,” Zhang He said. By the time he spoke, he had already relit the candle. His calm expression and movements made it seem as though nothing had happened here a moment ago.

The person who entered was also beyond Zhang He’s expectations: it was actually the sinister-faced steward Yan Jiu.

Yan Jiu carried a large red lantern in one hand and a golden tray in the other. Clearly, he had come to deliver a meal.

Zhang He said coolly, “I don’t remember ordering a late-night snack.”

“You didn’t,” Yan Jiu said with a smile. “But you are a distinguished guest of our manor. Even if you did not ask, we would still bring it to you.”

Though both were stewards, he was different from Fat Mantis. Fat Mantis always seemed to be smiling, smiling with politeness and kindness; Yan Jiu also seemed to be smiling at all times, but he gave off a far more ghastly feeling.

A smile that hid a knife. A knife that might be drawn on you at any moment.

Zhang He said coldly, “Your manor did not invite us to the banquet, yet now you bring us a late-night meal.”

Yan Jiu bent at the waist with a deferential smile. “Our apologies, our apologies. That was our oversight. So now we have specially prepared fine wine and good dishes to entertain you both.”

Though he kept saying “apologies,” there was not the slightest trace of regret in his eyes. On the contrary, his smile only deepened.

“I won’t disturb your meal any further. Please, enjoy,” Yan Jiu said, slowly backing out and casually closing the door behind him.

Zhang He glanced at the tray on the table: a whole roast goose with two bites already taken from it, a bowl of coarse rice sprinkled with scallions, and a small bottle of yellow wine that looked somewhat dark.

This was the “fine wine and good dishes” Yan Jiu had spoken of? No wonder he had smiled so darkly when he left.

Fortunately, Zhong Shuman had not yet logged in. If she had been here, she would probably have jumped up at once and smashed the tray against the wall. But Zhang He did not do that. He remained very calm.

Not only was there no anger in his gaze, there was even a hint of surprise.

For he noticed that the roast goose seemed a little strange. Its neck appeared somewhat thick, as though something were stuck in its throat and could not be coughed out.

Zhang He no longer hesitated and immediately drew the Flowing Cloud Blade.

With a flash of cold steel, the goose’s neck was severed.

With a dull thud, something fell to the floor. Zhang He picked it up and saw that it was a tightly wrapped little roll of white paper.

But at that moment, Zhang He was shocked, because on the paper was stamped a small pink plum-blossom mark. It was actually the legendary personal insignia used by He Rujun Returns Again when he roamed the martial world in years past.