Promise!

Chapter 235, Revenge

boom! boom! boom! boom! boom!
Multiple explosions sent flames soaring into the sky, the closest one being only two or three miles away, visible to both Zhuang Jin and Bi Boyi.

The Third Ring Road of the city is a place where people gather, and today, on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, it is even more crowded. At this moment, a huge commotion broke out, and the crowd pushed and shoved to get away.

'What the hell? A terrorist attack from another world?!' Zhuang Jin frowned slightly.

Bi Boyi, standing next to him, immediately took out his token, activated it, and shared it with people in the circle.

When Zhuang Jin saw this scene, her eyes twitched involuntarily, as if she had a strange sense of déjà vu.

However, unlike the panic of the crowd, the two remained calm and composed because they possessed great strength and had their own confidence. At their level, they had no fear of gunpowder or anything like that.

"Ahem, Brother Bi, why don't we go back first and then talk?" Zhuang Jin interjected, somewhat speechless.

"Alright."

Neither of them liked to meddle in other people's business. Although, given their status, even if they got involved, the Xuantian Division wouldn't consider it a problem and wouldn't take them away for questioning, there would inevitably be some troublesome aftermath. Naturally, it was better to avoid trouble.

The two returned to Zhuang Jin's nearest residence in the Third Ring Road. They took out their tokens to check the messages. Zhuang Jin discovered that the people in their small circle were quite capable, as they had gathered a lot of information in such a short time.

[Hong Baoshu: The commotion just now was caused by some martial artists who had opened their meridians filling large bags with gunpowder and setting them on fire, causing chaos... I encountered this as soon as I came out of the auction, and I slapped one of them to death.]

[Min Zhongmin: According to reliable sources, this attack was allegedly carried out by members of the Alliance Cult. The Alliance Cult is an organization that has emerged in recent months, formed by a group of low-level martial artists who swore an oath to unite with the slogan 'Overthrow the Xuantian Division, this mountain, and establish a new order for martial artists'... How laughable!]

[Feng Qingyin: Everyone, please be vigilant. After the auction ended, it was rumored that a first-rate family was attacked, and the Alliance Sect is suspected of having a Xiantian martial artist!]

……

'Is it the Alliance Church?'

Zhuang Jin narrowed his eyes, thinking of the Freemason master he had killed before. This Alliance Sect sounded somewhat like... a high-end version of the Freemasons.
"There are actually innate martial artists who believe the nonsense of these sects? How interesting. I wonder if this will cause any major chaos?"

As Bi Boyi spoke, there was a hint of excitement in his tone. The Xuantian Division had been high above for eight hundred years, and it was rare to see such a spectacle. Naturally, he was eager to watch the excitement.

'If a change in circumstances were to occur, it might present an opportunity for us, just like the conflict between the Shen family and the Medicine King Gang in Yunnan Prefecture back then… But that's unlikely!'

Zhuang Jin pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said, "The imperial court and the three great families rule Cangzhou, and the Xuantian Division suppresses the city. How could they possibly allow such a behemoth to grow up right under their noses?"

He thought of the Sky-Piercing Division's surveillance of innate martial artists, and that innate martial artist who had gotten involved might soon be discovered and arrested.

That makes sense.

Bi Boyi was also rational and knew that Zhuang Jin's words were true. He looked at the token light screen and said, "The Xuantian Division reacted very quickly. The various law enforcement teams have already gone there and suppressed and extinguished the situation."

At this point, the sounds of maintaining order outside could be heard, along with the fading flames.

Not long after, the patriarchs of the Ji and Teng families came over one after another to inquire about what had happened that night.

Just as not all animals can sense an approaching storm, some of the smart ones will follow the lead of the animal and seek shelter from the storm.

This incident was far from being a storm. The Ji and Teng families, as followers of Zhuang Jin, were still smart enough to follow his lead. Now that they had received some information here, they were relieved.

……

As Zhuang Jin had predicted, the terrorist attack by the Tongmenghui that night was quickly suppressed.

Subsequent statistics showed that fewer than 100 people were directly injured or killed in the attack; however, the resulting chaos led to several times more casualties from the indirect stampede.

It can only be described as: a lot of noise but little action.

Although the damage was not significant, it was extremely insulting. Faced with such provocation, the Xuantian Division could not tolerate it and immediately launched a severe crackdown on the Tongmeng Sect. Within a few days, the Tongmeng Sect was not only uprooted, but its organizational structure was also almost completely destroyed.

Strangely, the person who appeared as a primordial being of the Alliance Sect and was suspected to be the leader of the Alliance Sect was never caught.

This surprised Zhuang Jin quite a bit. Innate martial artists are not like cabbages; they can't just suddenly appear. This person is most likely one of the existing registered ones, and the Suspended Heaven Division is also very likely monitoring the tokens of innate martial artists. Yet, even so, they still couldn't catch him.

He guessed that the other party had probably noticed something and was taking targeted precautions.

Ten days passed quickly, and the impact of the attack that night gradually faded, becoming merely a topic of conversation among the people of the city. The city returned to peace.

……

February arrived, and to maintain his token privileges, he needed to complete a minimum mission each quarter. Zhuang Jin took on another mission this month, but just like last time, he naturally wouldn't increase the intensity of his mission. He still chose to guard the city, specifically the eastern part of the Fifth Ring Road.

On the second day of the second lunar month, the dragon raises its head, and the tradition of dragon boat racing has been passed down through generations. The city covers a large area, and the event is held in five areas: east, south, west, north, and central.

The activities in the central area are the core, located in the Third Ring Road, and are the grandest. They are hosted in rotation by the three major families, and most of the Innate Venerables gather here.

The four regions—east, west, south, and north—are usually each overseen by a third-level Innate True Qi Realm expert. Zhuang Jin's status is sufficient, and this month he is the guardian of the eastern part of the Fifth Ring Road. He has been elected to preside over the dragon boat race in the eastern region, which is located at Taiyuan Lake, where he sparred with Shangguan Yunchang.

On this day, Bi Boyi, Min Zhongmin, and Hong Baoshu, who were close to him in their small circle, did not go to the central district but came here to show their support.

"Thank you all for your kind words."

"Brother Zhuang, what are you saying? The Central District is certainly lively, and it would be an honor for us to go there, but above us are even higher-ranking Venerables, so we must always be careful. It would be better to stay here and enjoy ourselves."

—In the city, those at the Innate Realm can be called Venerables; those at the Innate Qi Realm can have a one-character title, becoming Titled Venerables; those at the Innate Corpse-Slaying Realm can have a two-character title, becoming Two-Character Titled Venerables; and those at the Yin God Realm above the Innate Great Realm are Great Venerables.

"It's better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix"—that's the principle.

……

On the high platform, Zhuang Jin, Bi Boyi, Min Zhongmin, and Hong Baoshu, several innate venerables, sat in rows. On the table in front of them, besides various delicacies and fruits, the most eye-catching thing in the center was a plate of fruit that was exquisite and translucent, radiating purple and blue light, about the size of a peach, with a five-leaf stem at the bottom.

This is the fruit of a truly extraordinary plant—the Iceberry, a special gift from the Innate Venerable of the State City on this festive day.

"The Iceberry is the fruit of a truly extraordinary plant. There are a total of 108 such plants, which are owned by the three major families in the state capital."

Hong Baoshu introduced to Zhuang Jin: "It is said that among these 108 ice strawberry trees, there is a thousand-year-old mother tree that blooms once every fifty years, bears fruit once every fifty years, and matures once every fifty years, yielding five fruits at a time, each as big as a bucket. It is said that it is helpful for breaking through to the Yin God realm."

There are eleven old trees. They flower once every five years, bear fruit once every five years, and mature once every five years. Each tree produces seven fruits, which are as big as pomegranates. They have a slight effect on awakening innate spiritual light. The awakening probability is about half that of the secret medicine made from beast beads. However, the advantage is that there are no side effects and it will not increase the difficulty of the last two stages of the three innate stages.

Ninety-six old trees, each bearing nine fruits per year, can help break through the bottlenecks of the Meridian Opening and Fetal Breathing realms, restore internal energy, nourish the spirit, and bring clarity and refreshment.

“Brother Hong is right. The ice berries on this plate are the fruit of those ninety-six old trees that ripen only once a year. They are a rare delicacy.” “Brother Zhuang is at the third level of the Innate True Qi Realm and has a three-striped Xuan Snake Token. He can get three fruits, while a two-striped Xuan Snake Token only gets two. Someone like me with a one-striped Xuan Snake Token only gets one.”

……

"Oh?"

Listening to this 'science popularization', Zhuang Jin became even more interested in the ice berries. She picked one up and took a small bite. She found it to be crisp and tender, juicy, and sweet and sour. After swallowing the fruit, a cool sensation was generated in her stomach, making her feel refreshed.

Chatting and enjoying the fruit, the time soon came.

After a seventh-rank magistrate spoke, it was Zhuang Jin's turn. He said a few words and then, as is customary, presented his prize: a beast pearl.

—This is a beast bead that appeared last August during the month's wild hunt of strange beasts, among dozens of beasts at the Bone Forging Realm.

Bi Boyi, Hong Baoshu, and Min Zhongmin also joined in the fun. One of them contributed auxiliary materials for preparing the secret medicine, another personally prepared the medicine, and finally, Min Zhongmin contributed an ice strawberry.

All of this together constitutes a secret medicine made from a beast bead and an iceberry, making it an extremely generous prize for the district's dragon boat race, which caused quite a stir.

……

Below, in Taiyuan Lake, nine dragon boats lined up side by side. After Zhuang Jin personally rang the bell, they all started moving at the same time, and led by the Hidden Dragon Ranking warriors at the head of each boat, they sped away like arrows released from a bow.

In an instant, banners fluttered and drums resounded.

Because of the generous prize, the already fierce competition intensified, with everyone vying for it. Some even joined the fray, with members of the Hidden Dragon Ranking taking action to intercept the opposing ships.

This gave the densely packed crowd on the shore a visual feast, making them even more excited and prompting them to cheer repeatedly, creating a deafening roar.

"If I remember correctly, Brother Hong's eldest son is also on the Hidden Dragon List, right? It's a pity he's not here today; did he go to the Central District?"

"Yes, who would have thought Brother Zhuang would be so magnanimous? I should have invited him over here."

"Haha, this time someone else got the better deal. I think the winner this time will be Feng Yuanzhen, who is ninth on the Hidden Dragon List."

……

Zhuang Jin went to the finish line to wait for the award ceremony. Bi Boyi, Hong Baoshu, and Min Zhongmin sat on the high platform, looking down at each other and giving their comments.

It was clear from their words that the jackpot, which countless people below regarded as the ultimate honor, and even the most prestigious members of the Hidden Dragon Ranking among ordinary martial artists, did not take it seriously. They watched the dragon boat race more like watching crickets fight.

The final winner was indeed Feng Yuanzhen, who ranked ninth on the Hidden Dragon List.

This person is quite interesting. After winning the grand prize and receiving the reward, he consulted Zhuang Jin, ate the ice berries on the spot, and then took the secret medicine made from the beast pearl. He broke through to the Innate Realm in front of everyone, and made it clear beforehand that he would not use the secret method to save his life, or he would die.

—This person is a clever man. He knew that once he obtained the secret medicine, it would be coveted, and he might not be able to keep it afterward. Therefore, he made a decisive move and used it in front of everyone, hoping to seize that sliver of hope for success.

This person has indeed successfully awakened his innate spiritual light and entered the process of breaking through to the innate level. If he succeeds in breaking through in one go, it will surely be a legend that will cause a sensation in the state city for a long time.

Unfortunately, he ultimately failed, falling at the last two of the three innate gates and dying suddenly.

—To be listed on the Hidden Dragon List is said to be a sign of innate potential, but in reality, at most two or three people can emerge in a single year, and sometimes none at all. That so-called sliver of hope is truly just a tiny sliver. Such an outcome can only be described as unexpected yet reasonable.

People like Bi Boyi, Hong Baoshu, and Min Zhongmin were all used to it and remained unmoved.

'This person's character and aptitude are both excellent, but he lacks luck; the times are against him, what can be done!'

Zhuang Jin only sighed and lamented about this person's failure, nothing more.

……

That afternoon, after the event ended, Zhuang Jin returned home. Ji Tongxiu had prepared a meal for him, and he gave her the last of the three ice berries.

Ji Tongxiu cherished it so much that he couldn't bear to eat it himself. He took it back and presented it to his grandfather, Ji Gongji. Ji Gongji was old and thought it would be a waste to eat it, so he gave it to Ji Tongwei, the hope of the family. Then the boy planned to keep it and take it to the martial arts academy.

Such a rare fruit is something even the direct descendant of a Celestial Venerable might not be able to obtain. Bringing it to the Martial Academy would certainly bring him great prestige, but he wasn't doing it to show off.

Ge Meimei, who sat next to Ji Tongwei, often shared exquisite pastries from the seventh floor and above of Zhenxiufang with him. He wanted to reciprocate by taking some with him and sharing half with her.

If Zhuang Jin knew about this, he would surely sigh: "You're so young, yet you don't want to take any detours and have already embarked on the path of living off a woman. You've truly surpassed your teacher!"
That happened later; let's get back to that day.

Zhuang Jin gave the iced berries to Ji Tongxiu, and after sitting down and pouring himself a cup of tea, he received extremely shocking news: Today, the remaining members of the Alliance Sect launched another suicide attack, causing chaos. The Alliance Sect's leader, Feng Qingyin, took advantage of the day's grand event, with the Cen family, one of the three great families, presiding over the central district activities, leaving the Cen family vulnerable, and brazenly broke in, causing more than a dozen deaths and injuries before his own death.

This earth-shattering news was so shocking that he couldn't hold back and spat out a mouthful of tea.

My first reaction was: How could this be? On the night of the incident, Feng Qingyin sent him a message. How could he be the leader of the Tongmeng Sect?
According to Cen Zhanshan, the explanation given by the Xuantian Division was that Feng Qingyin used a kind of energy-concealing stone to have others activate the token, thus deceiving others.

However, there are still doubts about this matter. As a descendant of Feng Yunyang, Feng Qingyin must have been closely monitored by the Xuantian Division. How could he have quietly established a sizable organization?

Zhuang Jin then thought of the Freemasons from back then, and that Freemason leader. He didn't give the other party a chance to speak, but he guessed that the other party had someone behind him.

'And this alliance sect founded by Feng Qingyin might not have been founded by Feng Qingyin himself; perhaps someone is trying to use him to cause trouble?'

"But looking back now, it seems like the person behind it all went too far. Considering the auction on the fifteenth of the first lunar month and this Dragon Raising its Head event on the second day of the second lunar month, the Alliance Sect's actions were completely anticlimactic, more like Feng Qingyin using public resources for personal revenge."

The details were vague and unclear, so Zhuang Jin didn't dwell on it or insist on getting to the bottom of it; she decided to let it go for now.

……

As time passed, several more months went by, and the destroyed Alliance Church, like yesterday's flowers, was no longer mentioned in the state capital.

Feng Qingyin's parents passed away early, and because of what happened back then, he never married and had no children. After a couple of gatherings in his small circle, people gradually stopped mentioning Feng Qingyin.

This person's traces have been gradually buried by time. Unless you deliberately search for information, you will not find a trace of them, as if they had never existed.

The city returned to peace, just like every year in the previous eight hundred years. There was no sudden upheaval or major incidents because of Zhuang Jin's arrival.

Time flew by and it was the end of October of that year. On this day, Zhuang Jin finally completed the accumulation of the third level of the Innate True Qi Realm.

……

(End of this chapter)