My name is Huang Tian, ​​what the hell is this "Heaven is dead" nonsense?

Chapter 118 Confident and Fearless, True Friendship

At that moment, Zhou Tu really wanted to ask Huang Tian if he had made another breakthrough, but he felt that their relationship wasn't that close, so he held back. After chatting for a few minutes, Zhou Tu got up to say goodbye.

As we walked out of Qinghui Garden and back onto Zhenhuafang Road.

Zhou Miaosu pursed her lips. "Uncle, he is still so confident and fearless. It seems that he may have broken through as you guessed, or he may have the means to deal with several second-grade experts."

Zhou Tu nodded slightly and sighed, "Whatever it is, it's astonishing that he could handle Niu Kuanyu and the others..."

Zhou Miaosu remained silent. Yes, no matter what methods he used, it was astonishing that he could contend with the combat power of several second-grade grandmasters, considering that it had only been a few months since Huang Tian began his cultivation at the Guardian Academy!

For someone else, it would be quite impressive if they could reach the required level within a few months.

She said softly, "People can't be generalized..."

……

……

The setting sun dipped below the horizon, and orange-red clouds filled the sky.

Baoqingfang is a small courtyard located in an alleyway.

Teacher Xu, clutching an invitation in his hand, was so excited he could hardly contain himself. He strode into the house and rummaged through the drawers and cabinets.

"Dad, what are you flipping through?" A boy of about sixteen or seventeen years old looked over curiously from inside the hall.

Without looking up, Instructor Xu replied, "New clothes? Where did your mother put the new clothes she bought me last month? I've been looking for them everywhere."

The boy asked in confusion, "Dad, why are you looking for new clothes? It's not like it's a holiday."

Just as Instructor Xu was about to answer, his wife heard the commotion, put down her needlework, and came out from the side room. When she saw Instructor Xu making a mess of the cabinet like a bear, she immediately said angrily, "What are you looking for new clothes for? Are you going to keep some lover company?"

Instructor Xu was speechless, and said irritably, "Where am I supposed to find a lover? I'm going to a banquet!"

Upon hearing this, the boy jumped up. "Father, what banquet? Can I go?"

Instructor Xu waved his hand, "Go away! Go my ass! I'll go alone."

The lady rolled her eyes at him, went to the messy cabinet, rummaged through it for a bit, and found a clean set of new clothes. She handed it to Instructor Xu, saying, "I don't know how you found it. You've practiced martial arts, yet you couldn't even see the clothes right in front of you."

Instructor Xu took it and chuckled, "I was just too excited and didn't notice."

As she tidied the cabinet, the lady joked, "Whose banquet is it that makes you so excited? Is it the Liu family from the same neighborhood? Or the Song family from Zhenhua Lane?"

These two families were not considered major clans in the county town, but they were still somewhat well-known. They had high standards and never looked down on Instructor Xu, an eighth-rank martial artist.

Instructor Xu snorted twice and proudly waved the invitation, "Them? They don't even deserve to receive this invitation!"

The boy curiously leaned closer, and Instructor Xu smiled smugly and unfolded it.

"Qinghui Garden, Huangtian..."

The boy whispered a few words, then his eyes widened in surprise. "Father, it's Huang Tian?! He sent you an invitation to a small gathering at our mansion?!"

The lady, who was tidying her clothes, looked up in shock, "Really?!"

Who among the people of the county town doesn't know the name Huang Tian? Who doesn't know his miraculous cultivation experience?

The lady didn't even bother to straighten her clothes and quickly got up to come closer.

Instructor Xu placed the invitation on the table and said irritably, "Take a good look, this is real! Would I lie to you? What would be the point of lying to you?"

He crossed his arms and raised his head slightly. "Have you all forgotten that when Huang Tian first entered the Wei Academy, I was his first instructor! His martial arts skills, cough cough, although they have nothing to do with me, I did give him his martial arts enlightenment, so our relationship is naturally special!"

The lady was both surprised and delighted, saying, "I never expected that such an important person as him would still remember old times. No, I mean, he actually still remembers you!"

In her view, the two were worlds apart; one was merely an eighth-rank martial artist, while the other had already killed several third-rank grandmasters and was renowned throughout the prefecture. The difference was too great.

Instructor Xu also remarked with some emotion, "Huang Tian is a man of great loyalty and affection."

Otherwise, given his current status and position, someone as insignificant as myself would never even catch his eye, let alone attend a banquet at Qinghui Garden.

The lady said, "You haven't been to Qinghui Garden before, have you? It's not appropriate to go empty-handed on our first visit. What gift should we bring?"

Instructor Xu scratched his head. "What... what gift should I buy? Huang Tian doesn't need anything."

“He certainly doesn’t lack anything, but isn’t it a token of your affection to send him a gift?” the lady said. “Forget it, don’t think about it. I’ll prepare it myself. We can’t afford precious pills and elixirs, but we can always afford some pastries and seasonal fruits.”

Instructor Xu opened his mouth, hesitated, and finally managed to say, "Okay, you can buy whatever you want."

The following day, as night fell, Qinghui Garden was brightly lit, as if it were daytime. Dozens of pretty maids were serving dishes, fruits, and wine in the hall.

Guided by two servants, Instructor Xu, who had just arrived, put down the gifts he had brought and then went to the main hall.

Upon arriving at the main hall, he discovered that several people were already present, including Yu Jingcheng, Bai Yuanfu, Xia Hong, Nie Kun, and almost all of them were his superiors.

Fortunately, besides these people, there were a few others he was familiar with, such as Jiang Hou and Luo Chan, which relieved him. After exchanging greetings with Yu Jingcheng and the others, he went to Jiang Hou and the others and chatted with them.

As the host, Huang Tian naturally wouldn't neglect anyone. He would chat with one person from time to time, and then chat with another to reminisce.

Under his guidance, everyone gradually opened up and started drinking and eating while chatting about recent events.

Huang Tian also learned from Instructor Xu and Chief Instructor Liu that Zhao Changming, the young boy who wanted to become his disciple at Fei Hong Men, had actually managed to get in through connections and enter Wei Xue.

Furthermore, after entering the medical school, he worked extremely hard, practicing diligently day and night. After more than half a month, he successfully developed his strength!

After developing his strength, he did not become complacent. Instead, he became even more diligent. Every day, he was the first to arrive at the training ground to practice stance training and refine his qi and blood. He never slacked off or relaxed in the afternoon or evening.

His fellow martial arts student, unable to bear the relentless training any longer, finally asked him why he was practicing so recklessly. Without hesitation, he replied, "I must work hard! Work even harder! Until one day I am qualified to become a disciple of Vice Commissioner Huang!"

After these words spread through Wei Xue, they immediately drew ridicule from many martial arts students.

Who is Huang Tian?

That was a peerless figure who only appeared once every thousand years in Kunyun County!

And you, an ordinary person with mediocre talent and not particularly strong comprehension, what makes you think you can become Huang Tian's disciple?

Zhao Changming ignored the ridicule from some martial arts students and focused even more intently on his training. This dedication impressed Instructor Xu and Head Instructor Liu, who then mentioned it to Huang Tian at the banquet.

Huang Tian chuckled, "Where there's a will, there's a way. Let's see if his enthusiasm is just a passing fad or if he can stick to it for a long time."

If he can truly persist in this for a long time, then we might give him a chance...

The banquet lasted for more than an hour, and the guests and hosts enjoyed themselves immensely.

After the banquet, Huang Tian personally escorted everyone to the door and gave each of them a return gift.

With the gifts in hand, Instructor Xu returned home feeling smug.

As soon as he got home, his son jumped out, his eyes shining. "Dad, you're finally back! What did you see and hear today? Was the banquet lively?"

Instructor Xu placed the gift on the table. “Lively? Of course it is lively! Just when I arrived at Qinghui Garden, before I even went inside, I saw dozens of carriages blocking the entrance. Many people were giving gifts, but they couldn’t get in. Hey, they could only watch me go in. You have no idea how wonderful that feeling was!”
Once inside, there weren't many people; they were mostly people close to Huang Tian, ​​like Master Yu from our Zhenwu Guard, Commander Bai, and Commander Xia…”

With each name mentioned, the boy's eyes widened, lost in boundless anticipation, as if it were him, not Instructor Xu, attending the gathering.
"What is this?" At this moment, Instructor Xu's wife walked over and looked curiously at the exquisite box on the table.

Instructor Xu sat down at the table, poured himself a glass of water, and gulped it down. "That's a return gift from Huang Tian."

Have you seen what's inside?

"I haven't looked at it yet, open it and take a look."

Upon hearing this, the lady stepped forward and opened the box, inside which were five porcelain bottles.

"This... should be a medicinal pill, right?"

She picked up one of the porcelain bottles, which was labeled "Blood Clotting Pill." When she opened it, she found six pills inside that emitted a refreshing fragrance.

Putting down the porcelain bottle, I looked at the others. The next three bottles were all Blood Clotting Pills, but the last one had the words "Qi Gathering Pill" written on it.

When the lady pronounced the words "Qi Gathering Pill," Instructor Xu nearly choked on his water, coughing several times before exclaiming in surprise, "Qi Gathering Pill?!"

This is one of the most famous and potent low-grade pills. It can help martial artists who have reached the third stage of Qi and Blood transformation to sense and absorb spiritual energy, making the spiritual energy milder. Huang Qian once took a Qi Gathering Pill and successfully guided Qi into his body, crossing the biggest threshold before the sixth grade.

Instructor Xu took the porcelain bottle from the lady's hand, opened it, and saw a crystal-clear, round pill.

"It is indeed a Qi Gathering Pill!"

Although Instructor Xu has not yet broken through to the seventh rank and cannot use the Qi Gathering Pill for the time being, he still knows a lot about this pill and hopes that one day he will be able to obtain a Qi Gathering Pill after breaking through to the seventh rank.

But he knew it was impossible; the value of a single Qi Gathering Pill was more than his entire fortune! He couldn't afford it even if he sold everything he owned and borrowed money, but unexpectedly, he obtained one today!
He took a deep breath and said with a serious expression, "You must not tell anyone about this return gift today, otherwise some people will be envious!"

Fortunately, he only had one Qi Gathering Pill. After all, he was an eighth-rank martial artist and an instructor at the Zhenwu Guard School. In addition, he had a relationship with Huang Tian. Even if the news got out, he could barely keep it a secret. However, it was better not to flaunt his wealth, lest he cause trouble.

Both of them nodded solemnly; how could they not know the gravity of the situation?

After carefully placing the Qi Gathering Pills, Instructor Xu murmured, "With these Blood Coagulation Pills and Qi Gathering Pills, I might have a chance to break through to the sixth rank!"

The lady sighed, "Fortunately, you were on good terms with Huang Tian back then, otherwise you wouldn't be where you are today..."

As the two of them reminisced, everyone who attended the gathering that night saw the return gifts they had received.

The value of each return gift varies. It's not that it's unfair, but rather that possessing a treasure is a crime. For Instructor Xu, a Qi Gathering Pill is barely enough to keep him safe, but if he were given a Precious Elephant Embryo Pill, he would be targeted by countless people as soon as any word of it leaked out.

The joy of everyone receiving the return gifts goes without saying, and several days passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day, in the Zhenwu Guard's official residence, Niu Kuanyu sat in the head seat, Zhou Tu sat to his left, and Yu Jingcheng, Huang Tian, ​​Bai Yuanfu and others took their seats.

After clearing his throat, Niu Kuanyu said, "I have called you all here today to discuss the matter of providing support to Funing County."

The group exchanged glances, waiting for him to continue.

Niu Kuanyu continued, "I intend to personally lead the team to Funing to take charge, while Brother Zhou will remain in Juncheng to guard the town."

Zhou Tu nodded slightly, without objection; this was something that had been discussed long ago.

"With Brother Zhou here, we can definitely keep the city safe. The situation in Funing is more complicated, so I plan to take a few skilled men with me."

Niu Kuanyu's gaze fell on Huang Tian. "Huang Tian, ​​come with me. Your strength is among the best in the vast Kunyun region. With your help, I will surely be able to stabilize the situation in Funing."

Yu Jingcheng spoke up at the right moment: "Commander, why don't you let me go with you? Although Huang Tian is strong, he is still too young and inexperienced. Besides, he has only been back in the county town for a short time. It is not appropriate to send him on another mission so soon."

Niu Kuanyu raised his hand and said, "Hey, it's precisely because he lacks experience that he needs more training. This time, he's traveling with me, and with me looking after him, there's no need to worry about his safety. It's perfect for him to accumulate experience."

"Huang Tian, ​​what do you think? Isn't that the truth?"

Huang Tian, ​​sitting below, met Niu Kuanyu's gaze and smiled, "What the Assistant Magistrate said makes sense. I am willing to go to Funing with you."

Seeing the faint smile on Huang Tian's face, Niu Kuanyu felt a sudden unease. Things seemed to be progressing too smoothly; Huang Tian hadn't shown any sign of refusal and had agreed directly.

That's a good thing, though.

Niu Kuanyu waved his hand and said, "It's settled then. We'll depart at Chenshi (7-9 AM) tomorrow!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Yu Jingcheng frowned and looked at Huang Tian with some confusion, but seeing that Huang Tian was not flustered at all, he felt relieved.

'I warned Huang Tian to be careful of Niu Kuanyu long ago. His decisive agreement to go to Funing today suggests he knows what he's doing and has the confidence to back it up.'

Shiraharasuke also realized this and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

After settling the matter of going to Funing, Huang Tian returned to Qinghui Garden, took stock of some pills for cultivation, and then instructed Aunt Qin to handle all the affairs of the manor.

A day passed quickly. The next day, at dawn, a light morning mist enveloped Kunyun County. Huang Tian rode his dragon horse to the gate of the government office, where several people were already standing.

Niu Kuanyu, his four trusted subordinates from the prefectural city, and Nie Kun and Tie Qi from the county and town guards.

Including Huang Tian, ​​there are a total of eight people.

A strange gaze lingered on Huang Tian's face for a few seconds. Niu Kuanyu smiled faintly and waved his hand, saying, "Everyone's here, let's set off!"

Ta da~

The clatter of hooves broke through the morning mist, and the group headed straight out of the county town towards Funing.

(End of this chapter)