Promise!

Chapter 156, a sensation

October 15th, the main base in the southern part of the city.

Sun Mingbi was introducing someone to Zhuang Jin: "This is Zhong Yi, the Venerable Zhong. He's keeping an eye on the Meridian Opening Warriors of the Medicine King Gang over here. I know that old guy Shi Yin over there; he's got a lot on his mind. We're only able to have peace and stability now thanks to Venerable Zhong!"

"Greetings, Venerable Zhong!" Zhuang Jin stepped forward and bowed.

"Good lad, you did a great job last night! I've had my eye on Fu Honggang for a long time, it's just a pity I couldn't take action myself... You guys did a good job last night!"

As Zhong Yi spoke, he patted Zhuang Jin on the shoulder and handed him the gourd of wine that he had taken a sip from: "Can you drink? Have a sip?"

He didn't think much of what happened last night. Zhuang Jin had broken through to the twelfth meridian and was almost two months away from registering the eleventh meridian. With his exceptional talent, it was reasonable that the bottleneck between the eleventh and twelfth meridians could not be stopped.

He mastered both the Black Fiend Palm and the Swift Wind Step movement technique. Martial arts skills depend more on comprehension; if you can't do it, you can't do it, and if you can, you can improve by leaps and bounds.

In the eight hundred years of the Great Qian Dynasty, countless martial arts geniuses have emerged. Records show that many have reached a certain level and mastered their martial arts skills in the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, or reached a certain level and perfected their skills in half an hour. In comparison, Zhuang Jin simply does not have a bottleneck, but still needs to progress step by step and slowly work his way up. At first glance, it does sound astonishing, but compared to those legendary geniuses who appear only once every few decades and are chosen from among billions in the Great Qian Dynasty, it is not too outrageous.

Zhuang Jin looked at the gourd of wine that was handed to him, the mouth of which was still covered with saliva, but his face showed no sign of surprise. He said, "I can drink," and took it and gulped it down.

Zhong Yi's face twitched at the sight. He found Zhuang Jin both agreeable and disagreeable. He agreed because Zhuang Jin didn't pretend to be clean or put on airs; her honest attitude was commendable. However, he also disagreed because of this same honesty. He had told her to "have a bite," but this bite seemed endless. Did she only count it as one bite if she didn't stop breathing?
Damn it, this gourd contains fine wine! He brewed it himself, going through many processes, and even added the bones of a beast at the Bone Forging Realm. It's a rare, limited edition that he himself only takes a small sip at a time to taste. Now he's letting Zhuang Jin drink it like this... What a sin!
"Zhuang Zhenshou!" Sun Mingbi watched Zhong Yi struggle with a conflicted, pained, and troubled expression, his face changing like a mask. He chuckled inwardly and quietly tugged at Zhuang Jin's sleeve.

Zhuang Jin reluctantly put down the wine gourd. He hadn't felt anything while drinking it before, but now that the wine was in his stomach, he realized that it was even more nourishing than the meat of a beast at the perfect level of meat refinement. His blood and qi were suddenly vigorous and active, and the effect was continuous and powerful.

If the meat of a beast at the perfect level of meat refining is like lighting a tinderbox, then this wine is equivalent to refined petroleum; the difference between the two is immeasurable.

In this state, he felt his blood and qi surging like a raging storm, and his combat power was temporarily enhanced. Cultivation would surely be twice as effective with half the effort.

"Damn it!" Zhong Yi took back the gourd of wine, weighed it in his hand, and his eyes twitched with heartache. Still not sure, he turned his back, secretly opened one eye and closed the other, and looked into the gourd to see how much was left.

"Fine wine, thank you for the gift, Zhong!" Zhuang Jin smacked his lips, savoring the taste: "It has the freshness of green bamboo, so it must have been made from a year's worth of new bamboo... and the aftertaste of licorice, and the mellow fragrance of orchids and osmanthus, it's probably..."

"Right? You've got a good eye, kid. This is my own secret brewing method. The bamboo tubes used for brewing are indeed made from one-year-old tender bamboo..."

Zhong Yi, who was still feeling pained, was even happier to hear Zhuang Jin praise the wine and say something about it than if Zhuang Jin had praised him. He immediately started boasting about how he brewed the wine, and once he started, he couldn't stop. He soon started talking about how he used to travel around with a wine gourd at his waist and a sword in hand when he was young.

Zhuang Jin listened with great interest.

Sun Mingbi's smile, however, was somewhat forced. These things might sound interesting once or twice, and even three or five times, but ten or eight times... well...

Zhong Yi was keeping an eye on the battle from the south of the city. He felt it was beneath him to chat with the other garrison commanders, since only his status made it somewhat acceptable. Whenever he got drunk, he would come over to talk to him...

This man was a bit of a chatterbox, but today he made Sun Mingbi suffer much less, stopping his mouth after only half an incense stick's time.

As Zhong Yi spoke, he took a sip of wine, but earlier, because Zhuang Jin was too...generous, there wasn't much wine left in the gourd, so it was gone after only a few sips.

Zhong Yi stopped talking, turned the gourd upside down, licked the last drop clean, and got up gracefully to get more wine. Before leaving, he said, "Xiao Zhuang, my wine is good stuff. You should practice diligently today and not waste it. I hope you will soon become one of us... Also, don't stay in the Fengzi area. Come over here. I'll be here keeping an eye on things, so you can rest assured."

"Thank you, Venerable Zhong." This was exactly what he wanted. Fu Honggang's death last night had drawn a lot of hatred from Zhuang Jin. Although Sun Mingbi was the one who delivered the final blow, Sun Mingbi was the one who drew the most hatred, and Zhuang Jin was second only to Sun Mingbi. Under such circumstances, it was natural to be cautious. It was safer to stay at the main base.

"That's good. I'll feel more at ease if Zhuang Zhenshou moves here."

As Sun Mingbi spoke, he lowered his voice and said, "Governor Zhuang, please don't be offended. Before, Zhong Shangfeng didn't mean to bully people. That's just his personality. He's like a child, a bit talkative, and likes to boast, especially in front of geniuses... However, he's still a very good person. Among all the Shangfeng, he's relatively easy to talk to and very conscientious. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been sent to this crucial place..."

He was speaking when suddenly a shoe flew down like a celestial being, hitting him squarely in the face. After a moment of stunned silence, it fell to the ground with a thud.

—Martial artists with open meridians are even more perceptive and discerning. This was naturally a warning from Zhong Yi, who overheard Sun Mingbi talking behind his back, badmouthing him!

Zhuang Jin watched this scene with a straight face, expressionless. He had studied facial expression management and usually wouldn't burst out laughing, but... seeing Sun Mingbi's bruised eyes and innocent expression, he finally couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Hahahaha!"

……

Just as everyone was enjoying themselves in the south of the city, the sensational results of last night's battle had already spread like wildfire.

……

In the north of the city, at a roadside restaurant, Xiang Qichen, Xiong Lei, and Qian Wende had a small gathering.

Xiang Qichen offered Qian Wende a bowl of wine and said, "Brother Qian, do you know? Lord Zhuang has broken through to the Twelve Meridians. Last night, he and the garrison commander of the southern city line killed some kind of leader of the Medicine King Gang. I bet Lin Hong and Bi Kai got a lot of merits following Lord Zhuang last night!"

"Brother Zhuang... Brother Zhuang... Sigh!"

Upon hearing this, Qian Wende sighed, his face as if wearing a mask of pain, and drank bowl after bowl of wine: "I'm so sorry, Brother Zhuang. Back in the east of the city... I was so stupid... so very stupid..."

It could be said that ever since he did such a foolish thing in the east of the city and was banished to the north, he has spent every day in regret. Especially when he hears news of Zhuang Jin's breakthrough or what benefits Lin Hong, Bi Kai and others have gained, this regret gnaws at his heart like a venomous snake.

Xiang Qichen looked at Qian Wende's expression and a hint of pleasure flashed across his face. He had deliberately revealed this information to see Qian Wende make a fool of himself.

He failed to win Zhuang Jin's heart, but Qian Wende did win Zhuang Jin's heart but then messed things up. That must have been even more painful for him.
Seeing this scene, Xiong Lei shook his head slightly: No matter what, Qian Wende is still at the Fourth Rank and the level of a town garrison commander. Even a starved camel is bigger than a horse. Do they have the right to laugh at him?

And Zhuang Jin...

Thinking of this, he sighed inwardly. The other party had already soared to the heavens like a roc spreading its wings, and was no longer on the same level. It was too distant and too ethereal!

……

The inner courtyard of the Shen family.

Shen Xuqing came over, took Ni Ying's hand and said, "Ying'er, you've suffered these past few days, you look so thin... I really feel sorry for you... How about this, you move back tomorrow!"

Ni Ying lost her child before, and someone tried to kick her out, but he intervened and she stayed. "This..."

Because of the unborn child, Ni Ying had already seen through the wickedness of people's hearts and had been tempered by experience. At this moment, her heart was not greatly disturbed, but her face showed a look of being moved and surprised: "Young Master, of course I am willing, but what about Madam?"

"She's pregnant. If it's a boy after this birth, we'll have another child..."

Shen Xuqing paused for a moment, then continued, "Zhuang Zhenshou broke through the Twelve Meridians and made great contributions in the south of the city... We are relatives after all... His wife is staying at headquarters for the time being, so it's not very convenient for me to go there. If you have time, you can go and get to know her better."

'As expected!' Ni Ying knew that the change in Shen Xuqing and his wife's attitude must be because they had gained support that didn't belong to them. So that's why.

At this moment, she felt an indescribable mix of emotions. The person she had given up on had now soared to great heights, unattainable, while she could only survive and even 'turn her life around' by relying on a tiny bit of unintentional brilliance from him.

Such is the unpredictability of life, it's truly beyond words!

……

Chen Yun stayed at headquarters and did not live with anyone. With Zhuang Jin's current rank, he was allocated three rooms in the outer courtyard, which was more than enough to accommodate Yu Xiaoxiao and Song Lan.

She had been in the Foreign Languages ​​Department for many years, and this was considered her home turf. Usually, many of her sisters would come to visit her, but today there were especially many. They all came to congratulate her and offer their congratulations, hoping to strengthen their bond.

Don't assume that only men fight for power and scheme against each other; women also engage in just as much power struggles and backstabbing.

In the past, Chen Yun was just Chen Yun. No matter how good her personality was, there were always people who disliked her and gossiped about her behind her back. Now, Chen Yun is also Madam Zhuang. All the department heads have to treat her with respect. The difference has reached this level. In the outer courtyard, she is surrounded by good people. If anyone dares to say a bad word behind her back... no, even a sarcastic one, she will be attacked by the whole group immediately.

It can be said that Chen Yun and Zhuang Jin perfectly exemplify the saying "a wife's status rises with her husband's," making countless maids in the outer courtyard envious and taking it as their lifelong goal... Of course, because of Zhuang Jin's example, it's understandable that their standards would rise a little, which is only human nature!

"Lord Zhuang has reached the Twelfth Classic Realm and has made great contributions in the south of the city. Sister Yun is truly blessed!"

"Indeed, if Lord Zhuang were to advance further and become a retainer of our Shen family, then Sister Yun's status would be no less than that of an ordinary young master's principal wife!"

"Sister Yun, aren't you going to check out the south of the city? Just keep an eye out, in case there's any slutty, cheap woman..."

……

“Things are still turbulent over there… Besides, my husband must be quite busy at this time, so I won’t go and cause him any trouble… I trust my husband.”

Chen Yun wore a faint smile on her face. Regardless of whether these people were sincere or had other intentions, she handled them appropriately. Having been influenced by them, she now had a bit of Zhuang Jin's style in her dealings with others. Yu Xiaoxiao and Song Lan, who were there to entertain her, secretly sighed that the couple were a perfect match.

When Ni Ying arrived, she saw Chen Yun sitting in the center of the room, surrounded by people. At that moment, she felt a pang of sadness, but she also knew that it was because she was Chen Yun's cousin that she was able to "turn the tables" now. They were in the same boat, sharing both glory and loss. She shook her head slightly to dispel the emotion and walked forward with a smile.

……

The inner courtyard of the Shen family.

That day, Shen Xuchen received Pang Shusheng's remains, prepared them for burial, and remained silent for a whole day with a cold face. Because of the Shen family's strategy of taking steps to attack the eastern part of the city, he could only endure it for the time being... Afterwards, he secluded himself to cultivate, trying to avoid seeing or being bothered by the sights.

Today, I finally broke through the Nine Classics and emerged from seclusion, and then I heard the news that Zhuang Jin had already broken through the Twelve Classics.

Shen Xuchen found it hard to believe. He knew the difficulty of the bottleneck from the eleventh to the twelfth meridian, and at this moment, he couldn't help but feel a little jealous.

However, it was quickly dispelled.

"I have a good relationship with Zhuang Jin. His breakthrough to the Twelve Meridians, and even his rapid breakthrough to the Open Meridian Realm, will be beneficial to my bid for the position of family head."

'If I become the next head of the family, I can concentrate the Shen family's resources and break through to the level of my father. Then I won't have to worry about the host and guest being reversed. If I can't become the next head of the family, maintaining a good relationship with Zhuang Jin will be beneficial.'

Having received an elite education since childhood, Shen Xuchen was not swayed by emotions. After clearly weighing the pros and cons, he felt only joy and went to find his father to talk about the previous discussion: to transfer Zhuang Jin back, to focus on his breakthrough, and to do favors.

"Zhuang Jin's talent is even better than I imagined. Breaking through the Twelve Meridians Realm at this time is a bit faster than expected. Now the situation is hard to reverse."

Shen Xuchen understood what his father meant: Now, because of the situation in the east of the city, the headquarters and all parties in the north of the city have to choose sides, while the situation in the south of the city can avoid this.

"There's no need to let Zhuang Jin get involved in this. Let him stay in the south of the city for now, and ask Zhong Gongfeng to look after him. If he still hasn't broken through after the matter in the east of the city is over, then he can be transferred back!" Shen Xianhong decided.

……

The day after the battle that night, Zhuang Jin moved to the main garrison in the south of the city, instantly feeling a great sense of security.

With Zhong Yi here, we have nothing to fear from any small actions by the Medicine King Gang's Meridian Opening Realm warriors. As for the Qi Condensation Realm warriors who attack, Zhong Yi cannot take action. However, with Zhuang Jin and Sun Mingbi, two Twelve Meridian warriors, here, we should be worried about the other side.

After moving here, Zhuang Jin communicated with his personal guards to direct the Fengzi branch.

Fortunately, the higher-ups had ordered us to remain restrained and had no plans to retaliate against the Medicine King Gang or attack the west of the city. Therefore, there wasn't much to do. Communication among the guards was a bit troublesome, but it wasn't a big deal.

After the death of their leader, Fu Honggang, the Medicine King Gang on the other side became much more subdued. It is said that they urgently mobilized the Battle Reserve Meridian-Clearing Pill to help Qiu Pan break through to the top of the Twelve Meridians. After taking office, Qiu Pan was afraid of following in Fu Honggang's footsteps. Adhering to the idea that he couldn't afford to offend them, he kept his head down and waited for either Zhuang Jin or Sun Mingbi to break through to the Meridian Opening Realm before getting rid of him.

Therefore, it was just a matter of the lower-level martial artists being exhausted. Even the guardian-level warriors rarely made a move, so Zhuang Jin could focus on his cultivation in peace in the southern part of the city.

It's also worth mentioning that Zhuang Jin killed Zhu Xi, the eleventh martial artist and deacon of the Medicine King Gang, that night, and the subsequent pursuit resulted in a total of nearly 40,000 battle merits. Adding the 30,000 from Sun Mingbi's side, there won't be a shortage of cultivation resources.

Under these circumstances, more than a month passed quickly, and on November 28th, another year of heavy snowfall, Zhuang Jin finally completed the accumulation of the Twelve Meridian Realms.

……

(End of this chapter)