Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Jiang He’s nervous heart was finally relaxing after seeing Elder Lin slowly wake up.
Even so, that sight broke Qin Fan’s world view even further.
Detoxed… just like that?
The Bezoar Detox Pill and the coleslaw cucumber over carrot shreds plus tofu skin combo really broke the rank-nine Six-eyed Desert Spider’s venom?
“Chief Qin, let’s step out for now. After having just woken up, Elder Lin must have a lot to talk about with Chief Lin.”
Jiang He smiled as he rose, and dragged Qin Fan outside.
And once they were out there, Qin Fan could not stop himself from asking, “Mister Jiang, did that the coleslaw cucumber over carrot shreds plus tofu skin really have detox properties?”
Grinning as he took a seat on the sofa, Jiang He asked, “Are you a nutritionist, Chief Qin?”
“I come from a family of Chinese medicine practitioners. I also went to medical school and worked in the medical field for six years.”
“Oh?”
Jiang He murmured in surprise. “I would never have known that you studied medicine, Chief Qin… wait, how did you awaken Royal Sword when you specialize in medicine?”
“What would studying medicine have to do with the power I awaken?”
Qin Fan appeared perplexed.
Even so, Jiang He answered seriously, “I think personal occupation has some connection with the powers a person awakens. In fact, I happen to know two Awakened—one of them was a blacksmith, and he awakened a hammer that could strike steel. The other worked construction and awakened a hammer too, but a rubber mallet used for tiling, to be specific.”
Qin Fan: “…”
Jiang He chuckled, before adding, “And since you come from a family practicing Chinese Medicine, you must know some health regiments, and is aware that cucumbers clears body heat, detoxes, strengthening physique, spirit and mind, right?”
???
Qin Fan appeared utterly confused… did cucumbers really have such effect?
No, perhaps it did.
As a matter of fact, all fruits and vegetables contain essences that the human bodies need, and such effect would come to be after consumption.
Still, that effect was minor, and could a person really strengthen their physique by eating cucumbers every day? And would it really detox?
Beside him, Jiang He then lowered his voice, saying, “But what if the cucumber were a floral spirit?”
Qin Fan twitched, his eyes sparkling as he muttered, “After becoming a floral spirit, the cucumber’s effect would magnify by a hundred, or even a thousand times. It makes sense that the cucumber could detox, then.”
Hehe.
Jiang He sneered inwardly.
‘Makes sense, my foot.
‘I was just making things up.
‘After all…
‘I plant these cucumbers!’
That said, wasn’t the effect of the cucumbers he planted more or less equal to similar floral spirits?
“Floral spirits, floral spirits…”
Meanwhile, Qin Fan was musing to himself before asking, “Are the carrots floral spirits as well, Mister Jiang?”
He gave a thumb-up when he saw Jiang He nod, grinning, “Awesome. I’ve never really conceded to anyone in my life, but I do yield to your superiority, Mister Jiang!”
After all, floral spirits were a must have!
Each were inestimable in value and only obtained by chance. If Qin Fan himself was in Jiang He’s boots and got his hands on such a cucumber, he would hoard it like treasure—why make it into coleslaw?
Qin Fan did not know that Jiang He had planted those cucumbers directly that weighed several hundred catties altogether… and almost got sick of it a while ago!
After over a dozen minutes, Lin Tianzheng stepped out of his room.
However, he did not appear pleased.
Frowning, Jiang He asked, “Did Elder Lin become unconscious again, Chief Lin?”
“No.”
Lin Tianzheng chuckled bitterly. He did not explain himself, and merely said, “My father wishes to meet you and thank you face-to-face, Mister Jiang.”
Jiang He was taken aback…
Why the sour face if he wasn’t unconscious?
‘If I didn’t know, I would’ve thought your father was still in danger.’
Nonetheless, Jiang He entered the room to find Elder Lin struggling to get up, so he quickly pressed him down, asking, “What are you doing, Elder Lin?”
A begrudging smile appeared over Elder Lin’s withered, skinny face then. “I have to bow to you for saving my life, Mister Jiang.”
“You’re exaggerating, Elder Lin.”
Jiang He grinned. “You’ve served our country and its people, uncowed by danger. It is natural that I should save you, moreover… I have my own reasons too.”
“Tianzheng had told me about you,” Elder Lin replied. “Years ago, I had obtained some Orircoks from a heritage site, but I’ve used some in my cultivation over the years. That said, I still have fourteen left, and I’ll have Tianzheng give you all of them later.”
“Many thanks.”
Jiang He did not hold back—he need that stuff in the first place.
As for Long Mountain Lin…
He was a rank-nine elite in the first place with unmatched cultivation, even though he felt like a hero on his last days now.
Then, he called for Lin Tianzheng and reinstructed him about the matter of Orirocks again. Lin Tainzheng nodded—he had brought the Orirocks, and would bring them to Jiang He soon.
Only then did Lin Tianzheng breathe a long sigh. “Oh, you… why go through the trouble? I’ve burnt down my essence and Innate Qi to slay those vermin, and I didn’t have long to live anyway. In fact, I’m at my limit even though I’ve recovered—what good was reviving me?”
Lin Tianzheng’s eyes went red as he said, “Don’t say that, Dad. You are a top rank-nine elite and it wouldn’t be a problem for you to live up to a hundred and fifty years old, or two hundred if you reach divine-tear.”
“I know my own body’s condition!”
Long Mountain Lin appeared quite open-minded, even chuckling, “Tianzheng, make arrangements so that we could reach Old Tai’an tonight. I’ll recuperate for a while, and when I’m on death’s door, I’ll kill another rank-nine Feral in celebration!”
“…”
Jiang He finally understood why Lin Tianzheng was scowling.
Still…
Who did these people think they were being so dismissive with?
‘I’ve said that I have treasures that promote longevity too, but did you forget that?’
Jiang He smiled while giving a thumb-up. “You are a bold one, Elder Lin, but is killing merely one rank-nine Feral enough? From where I stand, you could live much longer and kill more of those beasts.”
Long Mountain Lin laughed out loud, saying, “I can’t wait to kill every living Feral, but I’m too old—my spirit is willing but my flesh is weak. I’d live another month at best, and even if I rested well, I could kill one Feral at best before I die.”
Jiang He quietly took the other lunchbox beside the bed.
It contained the stir-fried eggplant over leopard python meat with rice beneath.
Pinching an eggplant with chopsticks, he said, “Here, Elder Lin. Open up.”
Long Mountain Lin did a double take, but opened his mouth to eat the eggplant anyway.
“Isn’t this eggplant? It tastes good… eh?”
Long Mountain Lin’s expression changed then!
Behind Jiang He, Qin Fan’s whole body twitched again as he could not help exclaiming, “Mister Jiang, could this eggplant be a floral spirit too?”
“Yup.”
Jiang He replied flatly. “And this eggplant promotes longevity, as well as eases swells and stops bleeding.”
At the same time, Lin Tianzheng’s eyes twinkled as he turned towards Long Mountain Lin and asked anxiously, “How do you feel, Dad?”
Long Mountain Lin closed his eyes, carefully sensing his body and soon opening his eyes abruptly and exclaiming in delight, “All my rotten qi is recovering and my vigor is strengthening… I feel like live another six months now!”
“Moreover…”
The old man rolled up his sleeves, the pus-filled bite mark from the Six-eyed Desert Spider over his skinny arm slowly healing.
With that, Jiang He handed Lin Tianzheng the lunchbox, saying, “Go, feed your dad. He would live another three to five years if you finish the eggplant.”
“Just the eggplants, though, and not the meat. It’s rank-seven Leopard Python meat, so it’s excessively nourishing. Meat and fish aren’t good for him since he recently regained consciousness.”
“…”
Lin Tianzheng’s hands shuddered a little at that.
An eggplant that promoted longevity, as well as eased swells and stopped bleedings?
Rank-seven Leopard Python meat?
Wasn’t this lunchbox exceedingly extravagant?
“Oh, and there’s rice beneath too…”
Jiang He added then, which prompted weirded-out looks from Long Mountain Lin, Lin Tianzheng and Qin Fan as they looked towards Jiang He.
A little embarrassed from the stares, Jian He scratched the back of his head and grinned, “Well, I’m a long way from home. My maid was worried, so she prepared a few more lunchboxes for me…”
“Eat, Elder Lin. That’s all you have to do. I still have some in my room… and I had some myself just a while ago.”
***
Back in Jiang He’s room.
Wang Gang was fidgeting.
He had been waiting for two hours.
His son, whose face was beaten swollen sat nearby, whereas his classmates stood outside the door.
Frowning, Wang Gang asked, “Are you sure the brat who hit you is staying here? By the way, why would he hit you?”
At first, Wang Gang was absolutely furious when he saw his son’s miserable state, and could not wait to get the bastard who assaulted his son and burn off every last hair on his body.
And yet, he calmed down after sitting for two hours.
He knew very well what his son was like… would anyone beat him up for no reason?
Wang Shaoyu did not dare to lie to his father either, and so told him about everything that happened.
Wang Gang’s glowered at that and barked, “You and your behavior!”
“How many times have I told you not to cause trouble whether at home or outside, Wang Shaoyu? How could you mock that Jiang He when he’s your university classmate?”
“Dad,” Wang Shaoyu said unhappily then, “I may be at fault first, but he shouldn’t beat me…”
That was one someone shouted from the outside, “Jiang He is here!”
“Oh?”
Wang Shaoyu promptly rose to his feet, seething, “Don’t stop me, dad. I’ll beat that rascal Jiang He to death!”
“Hmm?”
Wang Gang shot him a glare and said, “Classmates should support each other. You mocked him, and he beat you up in return—you’re even now.”
With that, he strode outside, having no intention to care about the matter.
Even so…
The group of people outside had surrounded Jiang He to curry favor with Wang Shaoyu.
To be precise…
They surrounded Jiang He, Long Mountain Lin, Lin Tianzheng and Qin Fan.
After finishing an entire portion of stir-fried eggplant over meat and even cleaning out the rice beneath, Long Mountain Lin was no longer his poisoned self. In fact, his body had recovered by a major leap, and he could practice his sword technique, let alone move around!
He even personally escorted Jiang He when the latter headed back to his room.
And if Long Mountain Lin would escort him, would Lin Tianzheng or Qin Fan dare to not follow?
However, once they stepped out of the elevator, someone cried out ‘Jiang He’, and then over a dozen people came to surround them.
“You’ve got guts, Jiang He. To think that you would dare to assault Young Master Wang…”
“Jiang He, have you lost your mind? Liu Xue actually wooed you once before, and now you beat her up until she end up looking like that?”
“Jiang He…”
All of them were clamoring after him, leaving Jiang He confused.
This group of people…
Were they really ‘his’ university classmates?
Don’t they ever care about the news? Qin Fan, who was standing behind him is the chief of the Martial Arts Department (MAD) of Jiangnan city base, and a public figure regardless, was he not? Or could they not see him?
That was when the youth with inch-long hair walked up, scanning Jiang He from head to toe and smiled fiercely. “Jiang He, since we were classmates, if you kneel, apologize and slap yourself thirty times, I wouldn’t press charges in Young Master Wang’s stead.”
Jiang He frowned, puzzled, “And you would be…”
“You don’t recognize me already?” The inch-long hair said coldly. “I’m Zhou Yu, the one who always beat you up back at university.”
Pow!
Jiang He had raised his leg and directly kicked inch-long hair on the chest, who in turn felt an enormous force striking his body as he flew backwards. Knocking down the other classmates behind him, he crashed through the wall of the corridor and landed inside on of the hotel rooms.
With that, Jiang He smiled. “Zhou Yu is a nice name, but Deputy Zhou speaks in Minister Wang’s stead and is one of the top rank-nines. How dare a trash rank-three like you bark in my face?”
Wang Gang, who just stepped out of Jiang He’s room was first shocked, before his eyes tightened.
Chief… Chief Qin?
And the one beside Chief Qin… wasn’t it Chief Lin Tianzheng, who was in charge of Sichuan’s MAD?
Then, when he found Long Mountain Lin, he looked as if he had seen a ghost… he had come to Hotel Caesar today to visit Elder Lin, and was naturally aware of his condition… but he’s alright now?
Any one of those trio were big-shots, even to him!
And then there was that handsome youth who stood before them…
“Jiang He, resident of Lingzhou City, slaying rank-sevens at rank-five, as well as rank-eights and nines at rank-six.
“His body count includes five heavenly generals (Earth Demon, Tranquil, Earthen Diction, Earthen Savage and Earthen Majesty), five grands (Guilty Star, Brave Star Bound Star, Killer Star and Pain Star) as well as the Third Elder and the Fifth Elder of the Sky Demon Cult!”
Information about Jiang He instantly surfaced in Wang Gang’s mind then.
He was quite familiar with him after all…
When Lin Tianzheng received Mu Wanqiu’s phone call, he had already arrived at Jiangnan.
Nonetheless, he felt skeptical about Mu Wanqiu’s introduction of Jiang He, which was why he visited Jiangnan’s MAD and requested Qin Fan to look into Jiang He…
And at the time, Wang Gang himself was the one conducting the investigation.
There was little wonder why he thought that the name ‘Jiang He’ sounded so familiar when his son mentioned it. Nonetheless, Wang Gang had presumed that a classmate of his son must be from Jiangnan as well, which was why he did not manage to connect the dots.
“Jiang He!”
Wang Shaoyu shrieked then, totally oblivious of the situation. Clutching at Wang Gang’s arm, he kept yelling at Jiang He, “Dad, that’s him, that’s him! He’s the one who hit me!”
“Bastard!”
Wang Gang firmly shook off Wang Shaoyu’s hand and slapped him across the face, his eyes going red as he barked, “Get down on your knees and apologize!”
