Promise!

Chapter 197, Shelter

The next morning, at the Qinghe County Government Office.

"I have obtained the beast pearl of the Yin-Yang Dragon. I have come to inform you that you all do not need to bother with it."

Ning Tongxuan stood on the back of the golden roc, circling in mid-air. In his hand, a round bead the size of a soybean circulated with the two energies of yin and yang, water and fire, and emitted a hazy red and blue light.

—The reason why the Jiaozhu only shows the two attributes of Yin and Yang, water and fire is because the clouds have cleared and the rain has stopped. If it were still a thunderstorm, the thunder attribute would also appear, with purple electric arcs flashing.

And the reason why Ning Tongxuan appeared here...

He made a cooperation agreement with the Shen family, the Medicine King Gang, and the Yan family of Donghu Prefecture. It wasn't that he left without a word. He also needed to bring the Flood Dragon Pearl into the open. He had also been holding back his anger after yesterday's entanglement with these rats. He also had a desire to get revenge. With the Golden Roc, he wasn't afraid of being stopped by these people.

Furthermore, since Zhuang Jin had asked him to do this, it was highly likely that Shen Xujing and Mu Mingxi had guessed his identity yesterday. Having Ning Tongxuan come over to demonstrate his abilities would also put an end to this incident. Afterward, he could meet with him privately to ensure a proper conclusion, and then he could go back to cultivate in peace and prepare to break through to the Innate Realm.

It was due to a combination of factors that Ning Tongxuan arrived at this moment.

Shen Xujing, Shi Jie, Yan Shilin, and the others had just gotten up, hadn't washed their faces, and hadn't eaten yet, when Ning Tongxuan's close-up display almost blinded them. For a moment, they were all somewhat dazed: Who am I? Where am I? What am I supposed to do?
When the three parties finally realized what had happened, their expressions were incredibly varied, and they subconsciously felt a pang of bitterness and jealousy.

This is like this: everyone works together to ask for names, make betrothal gifts, and host a banquet for guests... but in the end, it's Ning Tongxuan who gets into the bridal chamber.

Shen Xujing had long considered the dragon pearl as his own, and now, watching Ning Tongxuan playing with it in mid-air, he felt a sharp pain in his heart, much like the feeling of his own wife being groped in front of him.

Mu Mingxi noticed this scene and shook his head slightly, but he also breathed a sigh of relief. At least he had fulfilled Shen Xianhong's instructions to ensure the minimum return this time.

Shi Jie was unwilling, but he could accept the result since the Shen family didn't get it.

Yan Shilin and Fang Lifu from Donghu Prefecture, knowing that the die was cast, were quite magnanimous. They exchanged a glance, smiled, and cupped their hands, saying, "Congratulations, Young Hero Ning!"

Looking at the people below, especially Shen Xujing's expression, Ning Tongxuan felt a strange sense of satisfaction. At this moment, he suddenly understood how Zhuang Jin felt when he rode his eagle last night.

'And those two big oafs, still laughing their heads off! If they knew a Thunder Essence Stone had appeared last night, they probably wouldn't be laughing now!'

Thinking of this, he felt like he was the only one sober in a world of drunks, and his mood was great. He nodded slightly, patted his beloved motorcycle, and rode away into the golden light of the rising sun.

"Damn it, we seriously injured that Yin-Yang Flood Dragon yesterday, and Ning Tongxuan got the benefit."

"Alas, what's the use of saying more now that things have come to this? The dragon is dead and the people are gone, so let's all go our separate ways!"

"There's a problem. That Yin-Yang Flood Dragon is full of treasures. Besides the Flood Dragon Pearl, its scales, skin, flesh, tendons, and bones are also very valuable. I haven't seen Ning Tongxuan with it. I wonder where it went."

……

Upon hearing this, each of the three parties had their own thoughts and secretly searched for a long time. However, Zhuang Jin and Ning Tongxuan had already cleaned up the battlefield, so they found nothing and left one after another.

……

The three parties searched for the dragon's corpse without success and left one after another. Zhuang Jin also secretly appeared and met with Shen Xujing and Mu Mingxi.

"It really was Master Zhuang yesterday. Thank you for saving my life." Shen Xujing looked extremely grateful.

"Fourth Young Master, you flatter me. It's not my fault for not coming to pay my respects earlier yesterday."

"What are you saying? It's understandable that Master Zhuang has his own difficulties."

"Even if Zhuang Gongfeng joins in, with Ning Tongxuan around, it will probably be difficult to succeed. It would just expose them to the Medicine King Gang for nothing... Ning Tongxuan is indeed cunning and shrewd. To this day, I still can't figure out how he managed to kill the dragon and take the pearl."

Mu Mingxi, who held Zhuang Jin in goodwill, spoke up for him at this moment.

“Ning Tongxuan came from the state capital and is experienced in dealing with strange beasts. He must have made many preparations. Now that I think about it, it must be the fan that severely injured the Yin-Yang Flood Dragon yesterday that left something in its wound, such as a powder that makes it unbearably painful when it is in the water, so that it can only stay in the water... In addition, there must be a locator, so that the Yin-Yang Flood Dragon can be found... After we parted last night, I went to kill it alone.”

As Zhuang Jin spoke, he silently apologized to Ning Tongxuan. Since the other party had already shown the Flood Dragon Pearl, he figured he wouldn't mind taking the blame for him again... no, he would take on this honor for him.

“That makes perfect sense, I suppose that’s how it is.” Mu Mingxi nodded in agreement.

Shen Xujing also exclaimed, "Zhuang Gongfeng is truly a man of wisdom and strategy. Based on just a few details, he can deduce the whole story, as if he had witnessed it with his own eyes..."

"Cough cough!"

Zhuang Jin remained calm and explained, "As the saying goes, a wise man seizes opportunities, a sage understands destiny, one can know summer from the sound of cicadas and autumn from the sight of a single leaf..."

"Jing has learned a lot!" Shen Xujing believed Zhuang Jin's deception and stood up to bow upon hearing this.

What followed was very harmonious and pleasant. Shen Xujing calmed down from the emotional turmoil of yesterday's life-or-death experience, leaving no room for error. His deliberate attempts to win people over made him feel very approachable.

After seeing Zhuang Jin off, Mu Mingxi privately expressed her gratitude to Zhuang Jin for saving Shen Xujing and avoiding a huge problem for him. At the same time, she secretly shared her opinion of Shen Xujing.

This was both a way of currying favor with Zhuang Jin and a way of getting to know each other, so that they could maintain a tacit understanding on which young master to support in the future.

"Is that so?"

Zhuang Jin was not misled by Shen Xujing. Looking back, she now believed Mu Mingxi's assessment of the Fourth Young Master as mean and ungrateful. Compared to the Fourth Young Master Shen Xujing, the Eighth Young Master Shen Xuchen was genuine and had a bottom line, which made her feel better.

However, he didn't dwell on these things: 'For martial artists, the fist is power. Once I reach the Innate Realm, I will have a significant say in the succession of the Shen family head. At that time, such matters of paramount importance to the Purple Robe Guardian level will be as insignificant as a breeze to me.'

……

Seven days later, in the capital city of Yunnan, at the Shen family residence.

"Has Master Zhuang already reached the embryonic breathing stage?"

The bottleneck of the Ren and Du meridians is not comparable to the previous Qi Condensation and Meridian Opening. From Shen Xianhong's perspective, Zhuang Jin's rapid breakthrough to the Fetal Breathing Realm is most likely due to taking that Tongxuan Pill. He is both relieved and slightly disappointed by this.

He was relieved because he had anticipated this outcome, or even intended it. Although he had told Zhuang Jin not to take the pill if possible, it was like putting a fish in a cat's mouth. Could the other party resist?
Zhuang Jin's chances of breaking through to the Innate Realm have greatly decreased after taking the Tongxuan Pill. This is beneficial to the Shen family, as it will prevent any uncontrollable situations from arising and avoid any unspeakable events from happening in the future.

Disappointment, however, is also the reason why Zhuang Jin couldn't resist the temptation. In the current situation, Shen Xianhong really wanted to give Zhuang Jin a chance, but now that backup plan has been ruined.

Afterwards, Shen Xianhong heard that Zhuang Jin had saved Shen Xujing, and his feelings became even more complicated. After a moment of silence, he instructed: "Zhuang Jin has rendered meritorious service and should be rewarded. Increase the supply of Qingyuan Liquid to Linji County by 20%... and give three catties of Yunyin Tea... and keep a close eye on Zhuang Jin's trusted subordinates in the prefectural city, and treat them well!"

……

In the northern part of the city, there is a small courtyard with five rooms.

This is the Wu family residence today.

Wu Hao, who was the youngest of the eight in the dormitory, was a bit slow, dull, and had the least talent. Now he has reached the Fifth Rank, surpassing Xiang Qichen, Xiong Lei, Jiao Kun, and Qian Wende, and ranks fourth among the eight in the dormitory.

His skin is still a bit dark, but he has matured a lot and has a capable air about him, which he has developed from his long service in the town.

With power and status, the treatment naturally followed. There is a saying that "the three hardships in life are blacksmithing, boat rowing, and tofu selling." This family, which used to make a living by blacksmithing, has long since stopped doing their old trade and moved away from their original remote, narrow, and low house to this spacious and bright place.

It can be said that the fate of Wu Hao's entire family—his father, mother, and many younger siblings—was changed because of him alone.

During dinner tonight, Wu Hao suddenly said, "Father, Mother, I've received a notice from above that I'll be transferred to the medicinal herb fields outside the city next month."

In the past year or two, the medicinal fields south of the city and outside the city have become the most intense battleground between the Shen family and the Medicine King Gang. As the situation on the front lines becomes increasingly tense, some middle and upper-level members with patronage relationships are now being transferred to these two places.

Zhuang Jin had been away in the county town for two or three years. It wasn't that he was forgotten after leaving, but it was certainly not as good as when he was in the prefectural city. As a result, the situation of his trusted confidants gradually became more difficult.

After a long silence, Mr. Wu said, "The master has treated you well, so you should go."

Mrs. Wu opened her mouth, but still said, "Can we not go? I heard it's very dangerous over there. The friend of Bi Kai that you invited to our house for dinner last time, wasn't he supposed to be in charge of a lot of streets? Could you invite him..."

“Brother Bi is a high-ranking official, a ward-guardian level official, and he's being transferred here as well.” “Then…your other friend, Lin Hong, didn't he break through last month? He's now in charge of several wards…”

"Brother Lin is a senior official, a garrison commander, and he'll be going next month too."

Mother Wu: ...

"Isn't there another very powerful and influential person who went to the county town below? Could you write a letter to him...?"

“Brother Zhuang isn’t in the city. Doing this will put him in a difficult position and make him indebted to other important figures. That’s not good.” Not only Wu Hao, but also others like Lin Hong couldn’t bring themselves to say it.

—Bi Kai, Lin Hong, and even his current cultivation level are all thanks to Zhuang Jin. In the county below, Zhuang Jin not only gets the lion's share of Qingyuan Liquid, but he also makes sure his subordinates have a taste of the broth. He also makes Shuluo Pills and Shuluo Elixirs from leftover scraps. Occasionally, when he escorts back tribute medicinal herbs, he'll summon these trusted subordinates, who can exchange their battle merits for a discount with Zhuang Jin.

Such a debt of gratitude is hard to repay, how can I possibly ask for more?

Seeing that Mrs. Wu was about to say something, Mr. Wu interrupted her, saying, "They've already helped us so much. We should be grateful and not cause them any trouble. That's not how you behave."

Just then, someone from the General Affairs Department of the headquarters came looking for them. Wu Hao's younger brother and sister looked over worriedly: "Big brother!"

"Don't worry, it's okay."

Wu Hao shook his head and went out. A moment later, he returned with a complicated expression: "Next month, I don't need to go to the medicinal fields outside the city. I'll stay in the north of the city."

blah blah blah!

Upon hearing this, Mr. Wu lost his grip on his chopsticks and they fell to the ground. The taut lines on his chiseled face relaxed instantly.

Mother Wu was overjoyed and wept tears of joy.

"Great!"

The younger siblings understood what was happening and cheered.

Looking at his happy family members, Wu Hao had a complicated expression. He knew that there must be an external force behind this change that did not belong to him. The people from the General Affairs Department also hinted that it was from above. He immediately realized that this was another time he had benefited from Zhuang Jin's influence.

……

It wasn't just Wu Hao; similar incidents occurred with Lin Hong, Bi Kai, Duan Tao, Xue Yandao, and others.

Besides Shen Xianhong's instructions, Mu Mingxi was also involved. As a Nascent Soul martial artist, a purple-robed retainer, and the head of the General Affairs Department, he was more useful than Shen Xianhong in these small matters, and it was just a matter of a word.

Zhuang Jin saved Shen Xujing, avoiding a major problem for him. This wasn't even considered repaying a favor; it was just a bonus.

As for the extremely difficult task that Wu Hao and the others had encountered, Zhuang Jin, who was far away in Linji County, had already resolved it without their knowledge. Zhuang Jin only learned about it after Wu Hao and the others sent a letter.

It can only be said that Zhuang Jin's strength and status have increased, and he has truly become a towering tree. Even in Linji, his old friends and confidants can enjoy his protection, thus avoiding a lot of trouble.

……

"Brother Zhuang, have you begun your embryonic breathing?"

Shen Xushen broke through to the Meridian Opening Realm and came out to hear Mu Mingxi's visit. When Mu Mingxi mentioned Zhuang Jin's realm, Shen Xushen was only slightly surprised before regaining his composure.

Well, I've gotten used to it after being shocked so much. Just as Zhuang Jin expected, when he was far away in Linji, distance made the heart grow fonder, and the gap in strength was huge, so Shen Xuchen couldn't be jealous anymore.

Mu Mingxi recounted what had happened.

Upon hearing that Shen Xujing had been saved by Zhuang Jin and was ungrateful, and even expressed dissatisfaction with Zhuang Jin's actions, Shen Xuchen sneered, "That's how Fourth Brother is!"

It's true that he and Shen Xujing are brothers, but they have a lot of conflicts. This goes back to the time when they opened the meridians... which was the matter of replacing the medicinal materials that they talked about before. It was also because of this that he became acquainted with Pang Shusheng.

Mu Mingxi had said these things, implicitly expressing his support. Shen Xuchen knew that Zhuang Jin was probably a significant part of the reason behind it. While feeling a pang of regret, he secretly felt that it was the right thing to have befriended Zhuang Jin in the first place.

……

The Medicine King Gang.

Shi Jie returned and recounted his journey. Upon hearing this, Shi Yong, the leader of the Medicine King Gang, searched the information and guessed Zhuang Jin's identity.

"Brother, should we take Zhuang Jin?" Shi Jie asked with a sinister expression, making a decapitation gesture.

“Shen Xianhong and I are keeping an eye on each other and cannot leave the city. You may not be able to make a move with complete certainty. Forget it, let’s not worry about Zhuang Jin for now.”

Shi Yong looked at his younger brother: "Right now, the most important thing is for you to complete the accumulation of the Eight Meridians Realm and try to use the Hundred-Year-Old Profound Grass to see if you can awaken your innate spiritual light. If you fail, then it's not too late to think about these things."

……

"He who does not plan for the long term is not fit to plan for the short term; he who does not plan for the whole is not fit to plan for a part."

Zhuang Jin recounted the struggle between the Shen family and the Medicine King Gang, starting from the turmoil in the city in the 48th year of the Qian Yuan era, which caused the destruction of his predecessor's family and led to his own transmigration.

Round 1: The Shen family used their size to block the Medicine King Gang's medicinal materials; the Medicine King Gang began recruiting martial arts students, and those who failed to learn martial arts were made into herb-gathering boys.

Round Two: The Shen family followed up with the recruitment of martial arts students and expanded their recruitment multiple times to outnumber the enemy; the Medicine King Gang secretly set their sights on the north of the city.

Round 3: The Shen family followed up in the north of the city; the Medicine King Gang and the Shen family formed a tacit agreement and joined forces to squeeze out the small gangs in the north of the city, eventually occupying one-third of the territory, and then launched a sneak attack.

Round Four: The Shen family launches a counterattack, squeezing the Medicine King Gang's territory; the Medicine King Gang is at a disadvantage and launches a surprise attack on the returning fleet of medicinal herbs that were presented to the county town at the beginning of the year, attempting to turn the tide.

Round 5: The Shen family retaliates forcefully, completely squeezing the Medicine King Gang out of the north of the city; the Medicine King Gang then launches a bloody campaign of attrition in the south of the city.

Round Six: The Shen family reorganizes the eastern part of the city and begins a war of attrition; the Medicine King Gang is unable to withstand the attrition, lacks medicinal materials, and is short of Qingyuan Liquid, so they set their sights on the county below.

Round 7: The Shen family dispatched a county magistrate to oversee the operation; the Medicine King Gang could only focus on the medicinal fields in the prefectural city, suffering more defeats than victories and struggling to survive.

"Throughout the entire process, the Medicine King Gang was gradually defeated by the Shen family. The Shen family's goal was to sharpen their skills and rejuvenate their forces, effectively trapping the Medicine King Gang in the west of the city. And the Medicine King Gang, were they just waiting to die?"

“If I can understand it, then the family head Shen Xianhong will understand it, and neither will the leader of the Medicine King Gang.”

Zhuang Jin concluded that the Medicine King Gang must have a trump card, either from outside or from within.

"If it were external help, the Medicine King Gang would have already made a move; if it were internal help, either the Medicine King Gang leader himself would have made further progress, or his younger brother Shi Jie would have been able to break through to the Innate Realm."

"And Shi Jie has already reached the eighth meridian, so I don't have much time left!"

Time was of the essence, and there was an urgent need to accelerate cultivation. This was also an important reason why Zhuang Jin agreed to join forces with Ning and Xuan to kill the Yin-Yang Flood Dragon.

"Now that I have the corpse of the Yin-Yang Flood Dragon, I can quickly complete the accumulation of the Eight Meridians Realm and reach the threshold of the Innate Realm."

Having broken through to the Innate Realm and faced the three Innate Realm barriers, Zhuang Jin was confident that no matter what the Medicine King Gang's trump cards were, none could match his ability to succeed.

"The dragon lies hidden in the abyss, the dragon appears in the field, and the dragon flies in the sky. The closer we get to this moment, the less we can relax. We must press on with all our might!"

……

Time flies, and March soon passed. On June 29th, Zhuang Jin finally completed the accumulation of the Eight Meridians Realm.

……

(End of this chapter)