Chapter 493: Tang Hong Becomes a Golden Thigh to Hug 1
“You, come here.” Jiang Chen pointed at the fellow who’d just opened the door, his eyes so sharp they seemed to pierce through his soul. “Speak, where’s Tang Hong?”
The person shivered all over as Jiang Chen’s God’s Eye locked onto him, his teeth actually starting to chatter uncontrollably. “I… I…”
Jiang Chen’s tone chilled. “You don’t know?” The disciple dropped to his knees when Jiang Chen increased the degree of his aura by one factor. He was unable to bear up any longer and sagged bonelessly to the ground.
“I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you… Tang Hong’s gone to wash clothes.”
Wash clothes?
Jiang Chen was completely baffled by these words. A vaunted Regal Pill Palace inner disciple had to do such errands as wash clothes?
Ye Chonglou sighed lightly. “Jiang Chen, the inner disciples are different from the core disciples. They don’t enjoy preferential treatment and need to take care of their own day-to-day needs. They don’t have the right to have followers either.”
Jiang Chen nodded and looked at the disciples in front of him, roughly understanding what was going on. He snorted coldly, “This is to say, Tang Hong isn’t just washing his own clothes, is he?”
As he spoke, Tang Hong’s trademark rolling footsteps sounded outside the courtyard. Tang Hong was stockily built, and his gait was like a tiger, vigorous and powerful. His every step seemed like they would split the ground. When the echoes of his footsteps reached the ears of those present, the expressions of two inner disciples immediately underwent a grave change and almost wished that wings would sprout from their backs, so that they could flee the scene immediately.
Jiang Chen’s suspicions were confirmed as their faces went ashens. Tang Hong walked in with two wicker baskets of washed clothing on a bamboo pole. He was about to speak when he saw the crowded courtyard, but a look of delight appeared on his face when he saw Jiang Chen.
“Boss? What are you doing here? Hahaha!” He threw the baskets aside and strode forward, grabbing Jiang Chen for a hug. He was beside himself with joy. “Boss! I heard that you made quite an impressive showing in the Rosy Valley!”
When the two inner disciples heard Tang Hong call Jiang Chen “boss” and saw how close the two of them seemed to be, they trembled all over, a bitter taste in their mouths.
Jiang Chen nodded. “Tell me, is washing clothes part of your duties or something that others have forced on you?”
Tang Hong was now peak of eight level spirit realm, almost at ninth level. The two awkward looking inner disciples with the ashen faces were obviously the leaders of this courtyard, at ninth level spirit realm.
Tang Hong grinned, “Boss, don’t worry about these small matters. Even though they forced it on me, I’m using this as a way to improve my strength of heart, surging forth with valor after experiencing humiliation! I never would’ve had this chance in the Precious Tree Sect.” In the Precious Tree Sect, although Tang Hong wasn’t part of the Sect Head or Iron Long’s faction, with his potential, no one would dare issue orders and force him run errands. When he arrived at the Regal Pill Palace with insufficient strength and a lowly background, he naturally became the target of bullying.
Jiang Chen hadn’t thought that Tang Hong was using this humiliation to temper his strength of heart. He grew thoughtful, it seemed that Tang Hong was making preparations to assail the origin realm, a breakthrough that needed great mental fortitude. This kind of hardship and shame was absolutely a trial for his strength of heart.
“Boss, don’t worry about things like this.” Tang Hong laughed confidently, only the depths of his eyes betraying his cold resolve. He stared straight at the two ninth level spirit realm inner disciples. “Zhang Lie, Gong Yue, I’ll remember you two bastards. I washed clothes for you not because I was afraid of you, but because I wanted to temper my heart. Don’t worry your heads, I’ll challenge you before too long and beat the shit out of you guys! Just you wait! Hahahaha!!” Tang Hong wasn’t the least bit inferior to these inner disciples in terms of potential. He was only behind them for now because of the difference between the Precious Tree Sect and the Regal Pill Palace.
Differences in birth had led to differences in resources, forcing him to walk a slower path. Now that Jiang Chen was taking care of him, Tang Hong’s conditions had long since bypassed all those inner disciples. He would be able to strike back with full force as soon as he broke through to ninth level spirit realm, and he would be completely capable of beating down all those who’d bullied him. In that way, the various humiliations and bullying that he’d suffered before would actually be transformed to motivation, an enormous gain for the training of his strength of heart.
When Jiang Chen heard these words, he knew that although his brother seemed crude, he was someone with great intelligence and decided not to interfere.
“Come, Tang Hong, take a walk with me.” His gaze was indifferent as it swept past the other inner disciples, as if committing them to memory. The inner disciples all averted their eyes, not daring to look at Jiang Chen.
Tang Hong laughed heartily, “Boss, my plans to temper myself is now in shambles thanks to you. But no matter, I was just about done anyway. I feel like I’ll be breaking through within the month.”
Jiang Chen took a tour of Mt. Great Drum with Tang Hong before returning to Ye Chonglou’s residence.
Ye Chonglou had a faint smile on his face the entire way. He knew that this was Jiang Chen purposefully putting on a show in support of Tang Hong, letting the inner disciples know that Tang Hong was Jiang Chen’s brother. This way, anyone who wanted to bully Tang Hong would have to think twice first.
“Tang Hong, you must live up to Jiang Chen’s care for you.” Ye Chonglou reminded.
Tang Hong grinned. “Don’t worry, Lordmaster. When I reached the Regal Pill Palace, I understood that I’m but a frog in a well. But, I firmly believe that I’ll be able to break through to the origin realm within a year.
Tang Hong was known for great strength of heart already when he was in the Precious Tree Sect. If he ascended to spirit king, he would have great hope in breaking through to the origin realm.
When they arrived at Ye Chonglou’s residence, Jiang Chen gave a few more pointers to Tang Hong as well as some spirit stones and Spirit Consolidation Pills. However, of the dragon blood and crystals, he said not a word. Ye Chonglou knew that it wasn’t that Jiang Chen didn’t want to gift them, but that Tang Hong was incapable of using such items at the moment. Giving them to him would actually be harming him instead.
“Tang Hong, come find me in the Rosy Valley when you make it into ninth level spirit realm. I’ll bestow upon you a gift of fortune.”
“Boss, you’ve already given me too much. If this continues, won’t I have to promise myself to you to thank you? What a pity that I’m no beauty.” Tang Hong quipped.
Ye Chonglou couldn’t help but smile, but he was still very happy to see Tang Hong’s rate of growth. At this speed, there was much hope for the Precious Tree Sect.
Jiang Chen finally rose to leave after chatting with the lordmaster and Tang Hong for a while. “The competition for Sovereign Area residences is about to begin. Await my good news, gentlemen.”
Tang Hong laughed heartily. “With the boss making a move, that residence is already within grasp! I’ll go take a look then and broaden my visions as well, hahaha!”
……
When they parted, Jiang Chen returned to the Rosy Valley while Tang Hong returned to his residence within Mt. Great Drum. When the latter reached his quarters, he could feel the difference in treatment. The captain on duty even came up to greet him warmly, as if the two were originally close friends.
Tang Hong may look rough around the edges, but his heart was quite meticulous. He knew this was all because of his boss. “Boss, it looks like I still need to depend on you in the future. A core disciple is the center of attention no matter where they go.” The experiences that he’d just been exposed to just made Tang Hong’s fighting spirit increase even more.
When he returned to the yard, those who lived with him were all overflowing with enthusiasm, as if welcoming back a victorious hero.
“Brother Tang Hong, you’ve come back!”
“Brother Tang Hong, you’ve washed clothes for us for so long. Here are some spirit stones. Although it’s not much, it’s a token of our appreciation, please don’t decline them.”
“Brother Tang Hong, I have two Spirit Consolidation Pills, upper rank…”
Tang Hong was openmouthed with surprise. “You… what… the heck?”
“Ai, Brother Tang Hong, please be magnanimous. It was us who were immature before and offended you. But that was Zhang Lie and Gong Yue fanning the flames. The two of them are too scared now, and have requested to switch residences.”
“Left?” Tang Hong’s eyebrow arched. “Those two bastards will be unable to escape their beating no matter where they go!”
“You guys have always been threatened by them. Ah forget it, I won’t argue with the likes of you. I’ll accept the items, and we’re all still be brothers who live underneath the same roof in the future.” Tang Hong was a generous one. These fellows were weaker than him and would never dare bully him under normal circumstances. It was only because Zhang Lie and Gong Yue kept pushing at them that they had been forced into creating a ruckus. Given that they were now offering gifts in apologies, giving him spirit herbs and spirit stones, his straightforward personality naturally wouldn’t continue to let him hold a grudge.
“Great!” One of the disciples said. “I said that Brother Tang Hong was a broad-hearted genius! He’s sure to enter the Rosy Valley in the future!”
“Brother Tang Hong, you’re the boss in this house in the future. You’re still the boss no matter who comes!”
“Right, we’ll support Brother Tang Hong to the end!”
“Brother Tang Hong, please take care of us brothers in the future when you enter the Rosy Valley. I’ve heard that the core disciples of the Rosy Valley can have followers. Don’t forget us brothers at that time!” Although these fellows were lowly, they were all smart people. Who couldn’t tell that Tang Hong was destined to have a bright future ahead of him with such a close relationship with Jiang Chen?
Who was Jiang Chen?
He was a core disciple that Palace Head Dan Chi had personally anointed, a genius highly valued by Elder Yun Nie. There were also rumors that he was aiming for a residence in the Sovereign Area this time. Even the once overweening Yan Hongtu had been absolutely powerless in front of Jiang Chen.
Yan Hongtu’s cultivation level had been fifth level origin realm, the undisputed tyrant of the Soaring Clouds. And what of him? He’d still been beaten to smithereens and had to leave the Rosy Valley and train outside to avoid the aftermath?
Beating one of the fifth level origin realm as a minor origin realm, this kind of genius was destined to exist at the apex of the Regal Pill Palace. And Tang Hong was his death sworn brother!
Compared to these inner disciples with no patrons and had to fight for everything themselves, he was undoubtedly a golden thigh that they had to hug onto fiercely.
In Mt. Great Drum, those inner disciples with connections and pull had long since latched onto a core disciple, becoming their follower and earning the right to train in the Rosy Valley. Those who remained on the mountain were those with no connections and background. They’d be idiots if they didn’t latch tightly onto the golden thigh that appeared at this time!
1. Hugging a thigh means finding a patron in Chinese, and a golden one is a pretty darned solid choice. Translated literally for the humor.
