Playing with fantasy beasts in the martial arts world

Chapter 170 The Linkage Between Two Martial Arts Worlds (A Long Chapter of 7,000 Words)
The sudden surge of phantom beasts startled everyone. Frost corpse puppets fell like wheat being harvested, and the previously obvious numerical disparity between the enemy and our side was being rapidly bridged.

Several fiery bulls, engulfed in flames, charged into the pile of corpse puppets like burning trucks. Although the actual casualties were minimal, they tore through the corpse horde head-on, slicing the originally dense mass of corpses into several irregular fan shapes.

If a siege cannot form a true encirclement, then the so-called encirclement strategy becomes meaningless.

The cut-up corpse puppets had their movement space further compressed before being subjected to a large-scale clearing attack.

The corpse puppets, after all, have no brains and do not know how to cooperate flexibly, and the people who control them are obviously unable to perform more precise operations.

Conversely, Cha Nan's magical beasts are actually quite intelligent; with a little training, they can cooperate with each other.

Only now did Cha Nan and the others realize that this massive army of corpse puppets was not actually composed entirely of the corpses of top-tier experts.

Only the corpses of those at the very front belonged to experts; the many corpse puppets behind them were of all levels... and many of them were probably just ordinary people originally.

These corpse puppets, lacking sufficient basic level, should not be able to be transported to other worlds, but they are quite suitable for protecting a 'base' in a particular world.

This was not unexpected, after all, the shipwrights on the black ship were just ordinary corpse puppets who didn't know any martial arts.
"How exactly were these corpse puppets created?"

"Judging from this number, the manufacturing cost should not be high, otherwise it would be impossible to waste materials like this!" Cha Nan thought to himself, while replacing the dead phantom beasts to ensure that a sufficient number of phantom beasts appeared on the field to maintain the density of the attack.

Although the overall number of phantom beasts is still far less than that of corpse puppets, phantom beasts can regenerate and be replaced. At least when dealing with these not-so-strong corpse puppets, there is no possibility of their numbers decreasing with each battle. Therefore, the overall situation is more favorable to Cha Nan's side.

But when he glanced across the battlefield, the so-called 'God of Wealth' who had been there before, and Chu Zhaonan who had been following him, were nowhere to be seen.

"Did they run away in the chaos?" Cha Nan thought to herself, but didn't pay much attention.

If it were the real 'God of Wealth' himself, Cha Nan might still feel resentful for not being able to capture or kill him.

But it's obvious that guy isn't the real 'God of Wealth,' at least not the 'God of Wealth' who created the corpse puppet and then possessed the entire Heavenly King Island.

How much fear could Cha Nan have of him?
Is it because of his ability to use golden phosphorus powder to unleash super-powerful attacks?

Actually, once you see through it, it loses its meaning.

Although its attack power is good, it's useless if it misses.

Cha Nan was fast and reacted quickly. If it were a true grandmaster, Cha Nan might not have had time to dodge. But given the speed of that man's attack, Cha Nan had only just raised his arm when he jumped out of the range of his attack.

Ultimately, a fake is a fake.

The improvement of one's realm is an improvement in all aspects. For example, from the innate to the grandmaster, although the main breakthrough is in the spirit and will, the physical strength, reaction speed, and so on will also be improved to varying degrees due to the related effects of the breakthrough in true qi.

This results in Grandmasters having a much faster attack speed than Innate Masters.

The great battle between the phantom beasts and the corpse puppets continued until sunset. When the new batch of resurrected shark boys shattered the last few corpse puppets on the seabed, this battle, which had long since lost its meaning, finally came to a complete end.

In the afterglow of the setting sun, the once prosperous and peaceful fishing village was now nothing but ruins. Most of the villagers had died in the chaos, but none of them deserved sympathy.

Although some of them were not pirates, they enjoyed the wealth brought by the pirate raids on Tianwang Island, and naturally had to bear the consequences.

As for the few survivors, Cha Nan has not taken care of them for the time being.

If you can escape, then escape; if you can't escape... then stay and work for him.

Cha Nan had already been distracted by the sights. Through this newly landed stronghold, he could teleport back to his stronghold in Xiangyang City.

In other words, even without a gate, he can travel freely between the two worlds. Even those who have signed a contract with him or have been taken in as Palu by him can use him as a passage to freely travel between the two worlds.

Xiangyang City is not Cha Nan's private property after all. It is obviously not easy to carry out large-scale renovations according to Cha Nan's own wishes. It requires a longer-term plan.

However, Tianwang Island is different. It is an island that is not small in size. Looking into the distance, there is a small mountain range on the island, which should have a lot of fresh water resources and other survival resources.

Cha Nan can act freely here and modify things as she pleases according to her own ideas.

A large number of mythical beasts can also be processed and tamed before being released onto the island, becoming both a unique feature of the island and a guardian force for it.

This is essentially the first martial arts world stronghold that Cha Nan built for himself.

The one in Xiangyang City doesn't count, since it's just a place that's been borrowed. Although Cha Nan considers Xiangyang City his private property, it's clear that others won't accept that.

To properly privatize Xiangyang, two conditions must be met: firstly, Cha Nan needs to make greater contributions to protecting the city; secondly, the Song court must further collapse and essentially lose the support of the people.

As for forceful possession, that is certainly not possible.

Putting aside the attitude of Guo Jing and his wife, what's the point of occupying a city if it doesn't win people's hearts and cause resentment from both heaven and man?
If Cha Nan wanted to build a huge complex and play games behind closed doors, World of Warcraft would be more than enough for him; he wouldn't need to even consider attacking Xiangyang City.

“The key is that a portion of my magical beast trade can be allocated to Tianwang Island. This will not only open an additional trading point but also allow potential customers to see more directly the excellence and power of my various magical beasts. If we really want to allocate resources, the Xiangyang City outpost is currently like a department store counter, while this island can host large-scale trade fairs.” Cha Nan surveyed his island. Although it was barren, he already had a comprehensive renovation plan.

"Brother Cha... Brother Cha!" Lu Xiaofeng's voice came from beside her ear, pulling Cha Nan's active thoughts back.

Yagyu Ichiken had already lit a campfire with the remaining burning wooden boat, while Lian Nishang was controlling and arranging the villagers and pirates who remained near the fishing village. Yuan Suiyun stood behind Cha Nan, guarding against possible sneak attacks from the shadows.

As for Liang Xiao, Bai Sun, and Kuai Huo Wang, they were all busy with their own affairs.

"What's wrong?" Cha Nan asked Lu Xiaofeng.

"It seems you want to take over this place?" Lu Xiaofeng was a shrewd man, and he could tell Cha Nan's intentions from his eyes.

Cha Nan nodded: "Great! This place suits me well. It's far from the mainland, and the island is quite large. I can raise my magical beasts here with peace of mind."

Cha Nan knew what Lu Xiaofeng was worried about, so she stated her purpose directly.

"That...is indeed very suitable!"

"However, do you raise so many mythical beasts because of your hobby?" Lu Xiaofeng asked cautiously.

His friends all ended up on a path of no return because of their ambition, and he didn't want Cha Nan, whom he had just met but had already become close friends with, to suffer the same fate.

"Yes and no!"

"I raise magical beasts, of course, to sell them!"

“After all, once the dimensional gate opens, all realms can exchange goods and services, so I won’t have to worry about selling my magical beasts,” Cha Nan said.

He knew that Lu Xiaofeng had a wide circle of friends and was very good at making friends... especially some friends with lofty ambitions.

Therefore, this is another very suitable top salesperson.

“Selling… magical beasts?” Lu Xiaofeng looked at Cha Nan strangely, feeling that something seemed off.

In his mind, if someone had such unique and exclusive resources, they would definitely hold them tightly in their hands and would never leak a single bit of them.

But Cha Nan actually thought of selling it, which is a bit... disappointing?
“Yes! Life is full of wonders, and now that the gate to the mortal realm has opened, there are even more beautiful sights to see. But Brother Lu... do you know what the most regrettable thing is?” Cha Nan also seemed to be confiding in Lu Xiaofeng.

Lu Xiaofeng asked, "What?"

"The scenery is so beautiful, the world is so vast, and we... are so insignificant!" Cha Nan said, gazing up at the starry river already sprinkled with starlight, and further revealed her true thoughts: "I believe that martial arts can reach the divine!"

"It is inherently incredible and extraordinary, representing humanity's attempt and aspiration for longevity!"

"Mythical beasts cannot grant me immortality, but I hope martial arts can. Therefore, I will use mythical beasts to exchange for various martial arts manuals, rare treasures, precious medicines, and even the strong support of talented people!"

Lu Xiaofeng looked at Cha Nan as if she were a madman.

Even though he knew more of the world's secrets, he still considered the so-called immortality and divine powers to be nothing more than arrogant self-righteousness.

Human bodies are mortal and will eventually decay. Even grandmasters and those who defy fate cannot escape the shackles of life; they merely prolong the approach of their end.

Should I be grateful?

"Fortunately, your goal is not to dominate the martial arts world, not to seize the world, not to become a tyrant who controls everything...!" Lu Xiaofeng smiled bitterly, his words reflecting his inner tension and fear.

Having witnessed the power and madness of those mythical beasts, he worried... even feared that Cha Nan would become the next ambitious man.

Compared to those terrifying corpse puppets, Cha Nan's methods are truly unpredictable and beyond belief.

Moreover, an ambitious person who aims for immortality is absolutely a disaster for the world.

"I'm not a talented or patient person!"

"Therefore, once I set a goal, I won't let too many trivial matters distract me."

"Besides... there are already enough ambitious people when the gate opens, there's no need for another one like me to cause trouble!" Cha Nan was telling the truth.

Power that cannot be fully controlled will only become a shackle that binds oneself.

Cha Nan is well aware of his own management abilities, so he does not want to become a king who reigns over all worlds, even though, given the resources he controls, it is actually possible that he could make that decision.

"Well then... I wish you success!"

“Your legwork is impressive, but it’s not complete yet. I’ll teach you my secrets of lightness skill in a moment, hoping it will be of some help!” Lu Xiaofeng said.

Lu Xiaofeng plans to spare no effort in helping Cha Nan achieve his wish.

Only if Cha Nan is provided with many martial arts manuals and precious resources that he needs will he feel at ease to study his 'immortality'.

Cha Nan turned her head and glanced at Lu Xiaofeng again, vaguely guessing what he was thinking.

"Fine! I originally wanted to sign an equal contract with you, but it seems... you're not so lucky for now!" Cha Nan crossed Lu Xiaofeng off the 'reserve' list.

To make Lu Xiaofeng a top salesperson, he needs to have enough information... but it's all just information he thinks is true.

In this way, when communicating with others, one will appear sincere and genuine, rather than hypocritical.

Lu Xiaofeng was able to make so many friends, and even cold-blooded and ruthless people like Ye Gucheng and Mu Daoren still regarded him as a true friend, always showing him some leniency and subconsciously softening their stance, because Lu Xiaofeng treated people with sincerity.

Despite his seemingly flirtatious nature, Lu Xiaofeng is a truly trustworthy and sincere friend.

And what friend wouldn't like that?
Of course, there were also some people who truly and completely betrayed friends like Lu Xiaofeng, such as the Snake King and Jin Jiuling. That night, everyone rested on the beach.

I lay on a log, gazed at the Milky Way, listened to the surging tide, and slept peacefully in the warmth of the flickering firelight.

The next morning, the Japanese warships arrived again, attempting to land on the island, seize Tenno Island, and confiscate its valuables. Their attitude was extremely arrogant and overbearing.

Cha Nan didn't do it himself; the shark boys who jumped onto the Japanese warship taught them a lesson.

The Shark Boys are extremely cold-blooded and cruel. Among the many mythical beasts, although they are not the strongest, they are certainly the most ruthless and bloodthirsty.

When they kill, they not only show no mercy, but become increasingly ferocious and ruthless as they fight.

The Japanese people, terrified of being killed, fled again.

Liu Sheng Yijian did not leave; instead, he clung to Lu Xiaofeng, insisting on a duel with him.

However, Lu Xiaofeng refused, saying that because he had to forcefully use the second sword strike, he would be unable to fight for three months.

Therefore, Yagyu Ittsuken offered to protect Lu Xiaofeng closely for three months, after which they would have a fair fight.

Around noon, another warship slowly approached.

A long-absent figure appeared on the deck of the warship.

It's Chu Liuxiang!

He took Princess Jade Sword away, but also missed an entire part of the story.

Leopard Girl, who disembarked from the warship with Chu Liuxiang, immediately submitted upon seeing Cha Nan, clearly having known about the changes on Tianwang Island all along.

Her defection was timely, as Cha Nan needed help to inherit Shi Tianwang's legacy.

As for Leopard Princess, it seems that who the island lord is is not important; she only wants to be the island lord's wife.

However, Cha Nan did not buy it.

Although Leopard Princess had a great figure and beautiful muscle lines, possessing a wild beauty, and her female crew members and warriors were all heroic and valiant, Cha Nan still refused her surrender.

This woman is from Japan, and it is highly likely that she has allied herself with Shi Tianwang or Caishenye, but these are all just disguises and covert operations.

Now they clearly want to use the same trick on Cha Nan.

Get them out! Get them out!
To avoid being tempted and falling into a trap unintentionally.

Cha Nan never had much confidence in her resistance to beautiful women.

While he wouldn't eat anything that's smelly or dirty, he'd be open to anything that's pretty and pleasing to the eye.

Therefore, to avoid making mistakes in the future, we should get rid of them all!

In fact, if Chu Liuxiang hadn't been there, Cha Nan would have ordered the Shark Boys to sink the ship and send these Japanese women to meet the Dragon King.

"By the way! You clearly lost this time, so when are you going to send your ship over?" Cha Nan asked Chu Liuxiang after chasing away Leopard Princess and her female warriors.

Chu Liuxiang touched his nose and smiled slyly: "I never really agreed to this bet with you."

"Trying to cheat, is that it!"

“Okay! No problem!” Cha Nan wasn’t angry. She had long known that although Chu Liuxiang had high moral standards, he couldn’t be considered a gentleman. This was the proper course of action.

“I have money. I’ll find a few big mouths and spread the word throughout the martial arts world that Chu Liuxiang lost and refused to admit defeat.”

“I think those you’ve stolen from before, like Jin Banhua… will be happy to fan the flames and spread the word that Chu Liuxiang is a scoundrel who refuses to admit defeat! In that case, there will be no more Chu Liuxiang, the master thief, only the scoundrel Chu Liuchou who refuses to admit defeat.” Cha Nan’s smile was even more cunning than Chu Liuxiang’s.

Chu Liuxiang had to touch his nose again. Although he didn't care that much about his reputation, he obviously didn't want to be infamous.

He was well aware that although he had a good reputation in the martial arts world, there were indeed many people who disliked him... such as Jin Banhua.

"Fine! I concede!"

"I don't need to send the ship over. I'll write a letter in a moment, sincerely stating that I lost to Cha Nan, the disciple of the Water Mother Yin Ji, and that I accept the defeat wholeheartedly! I can even spread this news throughout the martial arts world!" Chu Liuxiang knew very well what Cha Nan truly wanted.

The ship is just a vessel; what's important is the face that Jellyfish Princess Yin lost... We must get it back!
If she can't regain this face, Jellyfish Yin Ji won't have the face to return to the Divine Water Palace.

Chu Liuxiang did not object to giving this face back to the Water Mother Yin Ji.

In the end, Shui Mu Yin Ji was just an innocent victim of Wu Hua's conspiracy. She just wanted to hide in the Divine Water Palace and do naughty things with her female disciples. What did she do wrong?

"Thank you very much! You'd better write something sincere, otherwise you might anger my master again, and I really won't be able to stop you."

“You should know very well that if she wanted to kill you, you might not be able to withstand it!” Cha Nan was not exaggerating. In terms of raw strength, Chu Liuxiang was far inferior to Shui Mu Yin Ji. Moreover, Shui Mu Yin Ji had obtained an opportunity from Cha Nan, and although she had not yet broken through to the Grandmaster level, she was already very close.

"Don't worry! I'm not Lu Xiaofeng; I don't have the ability to anger people with just a few words," Chu Liuxiang could only say with a wry smile.

Lu Xiaofeng happened to hear this, so he said unhappily, "When someone wants to speak ill of another person, they should look back and see if the other person is standing behind them listening."

Upon hearing this, Chu Liuxiang was not embarrassed. Instead, he turned around and said, "I am not Lu Xiaofeng, so I don't have the ability to make friends with people even if I anger them."

Lu Xiaofeng rolled his eyes: "No! You are very capable. For example, even though I don't like you, I still want to acknowledge you as my friend."

After a few casual words, the atmosphere improved considerably.

As they chatted, the three of them started talking about Mr. Du again.

Chu Liuxiang then reminded him, "Brother Cha, it's fine if you want to take over Tianwang Island, but it's best to explain it to Mr. Du first, otherwise the court will suspect your purpose."

Upon hearing this, Lu Xiaofeng, fearing that Cha Nan might not have understood, explained it even more clearly: "Chu Chouchong meant well. Those people in the court know best how to bully the weak and fear the strong. Shi Tianwang's power is enormous, so they are thinking of granting him amnesty. If you don't have any power to rely on and you refuse to submit, they will treat you like Shi Tianwang and eliminate you, adding a merit to their record."

Cha Nan said, "There should still be a lot of valuables on Tianwang Island. We'll divide them into three portions later. Brother Lu, you should get one portion. But since you've always been a wanderer in the martial world, all the silver notes and valuables are yours. Brother Chu, please deliver the other portion to Mr. Du on my behalf. With this portion of valuables to take care of things, they should feel at ease."

"As for the rest... I plan to hire some craftsmen from the coast to build me a beautiful seaside manor on this island."

"The manor must have a rooftop garden, and at the edge of the garden must be a huge swimming pool, where I can jump in every morning to take a bath, and then have a few beauties wash my face, brush my teeth, and scrub my feet!"

"That's a great idea! That's brilliant! Would you mind if I contributed my share too? In the future, I could come and stay at your manor for a few days whenever I have time?" Lu Xiaofeng's eyes lit up. Just thinking about such a life made him feel energetic, and his sore and numb meridians seemed to have improved a lot.

Chu Liuxiang also said, "Although I don't have much money, I know a few very capable friends in the field of construction. I can introduce them to help you implement your plan. However, I also like to come and stay with you for a few days every now and then."

Cha Nan laughed and said, "You can come anytime you want!"

"My wish is to first transform this island into a paradise, a place where people can relax, temporarily put aside their worries, and then have more energy and drive to face life anew."

Cha Nan's statement made Lu Xiaofeng and Chu Liuxiang even more satisfied.

If Cha Nan meant to make everyone forget their troubles and enjoy themselves to the fullest... then they would have to question Cha Nan's true motives.

Lu Xiaofeng and Chu Liuxiang stayed on the island for three days before leaving Tianwang Island on a boat arranged by Yujian Manor.

Yagyu Ichiken naturally followed Lu Xiaofeng away.

Lian Ni Chang stayed behind temporarily to help Cha Nan manage some trivial matters on Tianwang Island, but she also made it clear that it was only a temporary transition and she would not stay there for long. Cha Nan still needed to find a suitable head housekeeper himself.

Cha Nan hesitated for a long time before finally deciding on the female ninja 'Spider' whom she had just subdued.

Although Yuan Suiyun is very capable, he is blind after all, which is a natural defect. He also has many personality weaknesses, which make him easy to target once others know about him.

As for Liang Xiao, Bai Sun, and Kuaihuo Wang, Cha Nan would definitely carry them with him. These are his trump cards, so why would he easily stay in one place?
Then there's Yun Zhonghe, Shi Shugang, Fang Dongbai, and their group in the Fantasy Beast World. They've all gotten used to working in the Fantasy Beast World and have each taken charge of their own tasks, so it's clearly inappropriate to reassign them.

Although Spider's martial arts skills are mediocre and he hasn't shown his abilities yet, he might be able to unlock management talents by learning from Lian Ni Chang for a while.

Once things on Tianwang Island were back on track and starting to proceed in an orderly manner, Cha Nan took the apology letter written by Chu Liuxiang and transmitted it back to Xiangyang City via the Palu terminal.

In just a few days, the atmosphere in Xiangyang City was noticeably more relaxed than before, and there were significantly more people active there.

Not only did travelers from all over the country stop here to exchange information, but many merchants also began to cross the border and do business through this route.

Some residents who had originally moved to the outskirts of the city also moved back.

Although many people speculate that the Mongols will eventually return, life must go on as it is now.

Although Guo Jing and his wife remained in Xiangyang, they had clearly begun to do some finishing touches. Once the finishing touches were completed, they would return the position of defending Xiangyang to Lü Wenhuan.

After all, they were just江湖人士 (jianghu figures) and had not received any official appointment from the imperial court. Their role in taking on major responsibilities during the war was merely a temporary measure. Once the Mongols withdrew, they should naturally relinquish their authority; otherwise, they would be accused of usurping power and being disloyal.

Although Guo Jing did not care about such empty fame, he truly had no desire for power. Relieving himself of his heavy burdens was a relief for him.

In short, the winds of change swept through Xiangyang in just a few days.

The Liu residence that Cha Nan originally occupied was bought by Huang Rong.

However, Lu Wenhuan took away the grain from the storerooms in the mansion, without paying a single cent of silver.

In wartime, this could be considered a temporary measure, especially since Guo Jing and his wife had already paid for the grain provided by Cha Nan in another way.

However, Lü Wenhuan's shamelessness showed that he was well-versed in the ways of officialdom in the Song Dynasty.

It is obvious that this grain will no longer be supplied to the people free of charge. If it is stored in the warehouse and waited for the next use, that would be fine. But the fear is that Lü Wenhuan will resell it and exchange it for money to fill his own pocket.

But Heaven sees what man does. Although Guo Jing and his wife didn't hold it against him, some people are not so forgiving and will certainly be taught a lesson.

Cha Nan's sudden return startled Guo Fu, who was waiting in the mansion, but she quickly cheered up. She didn't even bother to calculate why Cha Nan had returned to Xiangyang City before the three-month cross-border period was over.

After easing the pain of longing between Guo Fu and Cha Nan, Cha Nan found Guo Jing and his wife. Upon hearing that they wanted to return to Peach Blossom Island, Cha Nan made another suggestion.

"Uncle Guo, Aunt Guo...would you be interested in coming with me to see another world?" Cha Nan planned to lead the two to Tianwang Island and help him build it up during this gap in time.

　As expected, the average subscription count dropped to around 300... Sigh... I'll write a long chapter and see if it can bring it back up to 400. That's it!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)