Zhang Jinku was the name given to him by his father. His father did not want him to be worried about food or clothes. However, he had not expected that his son would be a fat boy who loved eating more than anything.
When Lord Long summoned this man, he was eating and drinking in a restaurant with a greasy mouth. He did not seem to take Lord Long’s words seriously.
After he was done eating, he thumped on the table and paid the bill.
Then he stood up and left.
But after he stepped out of the restaurant, he was wondering if he should go to the gourmet festival or to Lord Long’s house.
He knew that Lord Long wanted to escape. But it was hellishly difficult for Lord Long if he wanted to resume his former power. The government didn’t attach much importance to Lord Long before, but now they did. Hence, no matter how mighty Lord Long was, he would find it hard to find a place for himself in this world.
If that was the case, why should Zhang Jinku keep following Lord Long?
The moment Zhang Jinku stepped out of the restaurant, he felt that he was being gazed at by someone in the darkness, which made him feel startled.
Though Zhang Jinku was a top master, he felt endangered. But he did not seem to be scared. He just sauntered over there and asked, “You’re sent here to kill me?”
The one in the darkness was shrouded in a black cloak, making it impossible for others to see what he looked like. But his voice was very hoarse and somehow ominous. “Yes. You prefer being killed by yourself or me?”
Zhang Jinku looked this man up and down, but he could merely see those ominous eyes. Zhang Jinku then grinned. “I’m not afraid of you, since I decided to come.”
“Good.” Wuya chuckled. His laughter was quite disturbing.
Zhang Jinku laughed as well. “Because I will surrender.”
“Surrender?” Wuya sounded surprised.
“Yeah. I followed Lord Long for food and wine. Why would I still serve him after he lost this war? Take me to your Brother Bing and I shall swear my loyalty to him.”
“He might not be in the mood to see you. Death is the perfect ending for traitors like you.”
Zhang Jinku grinned. “I don’t believe so. Even the dumbest men on earth might be needed one day, let alone a powerful martial artist like me. Since Brother dared to take Master Hou’s place, he must be very open to talents.”
Obviously, Wuya had not thought that Zhang Jinku would say something that sounded so reasonable. He pondered on it and thought it would be better if he let Xiao Bing make the decision. So he said in a creepy voice, “All right. But you have to seal your acupoints before leaving with me.”
“Good.” Zhang Jinku actually did what he had agreed to, putting his finger on his acupuncture point to temporarily restrain his strength. Then he looked at Wuya and grinned. “Can you rest assured now?”
Wuya looked at Zhang Jinku and nodded. “It seems that I did underestimate you.”
Then he headed toward the alley.
Zhang Jinku trailed behind. His footing was wobbly, like a ball of meat. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll know when we arrive.”
“Is there meat?”
“Of course!”
Zhang Jinku wanted to eat meat while Xiao Bing wanted to get out of that array. Though Xiao Bing could sleep carefreely before, now he was very nervous.
It almost had been 24 hours as the sun went down. But the sea would not remain peaceful as its waves came and went, each higher than the one before.
According to Xiao Bing’s memory, it had been one night and one day. In the day, he was in a forest, and during the day, he was trapped on the sea surface, holding tightly on to the wooden board beneath him when the waves swept across. His lips were cracked because of thirst, which made him feel extremely exhausted.
Was it his illusion or reality?
Xiao Bing remembered when he was carrying out a mission in Africa, he was once trapped in a giant rock array. It was the first time that Xiao Bing had met with an enemy who could make an array. He could still remember how his teammates tried to get out by barging about. But the array was not strong enough to stop them. They broke out simply with their strength.
Since then, though Xiao Bing thought arrays were peculiar and interesting, he didn’t deem them very useful until now. He finally realized that arrays were not inferior to any martial arts. They might even be more powerful than martial arts.
Xiao Bing kept reminding himself that this was all fake and illusory. But the breeze on the sea, the thirst in his throat, and the cracks on his lips were so real. He even felt dizzy after being exposed to the sun for so long. Men were so small when compared with the world, no matter how powerful they were.
Xiao Bing firmly grasped the wooden board under his feet. He would not let go of it no matter how big the swell was. Realizing how wretched he was, Xiao Bing put on a self-mocking smile. “I haven’t thought that one old man could make me seem so helpless.”
Xiao Bing pricked up his ears, thinking that the old man would say something out of his complacency or least snort. Xiao Bing had not expected that he could tell the old man’s direction by his voice. But he would be relieved if he heard the old man’s voice, so that he could believe that what he saw and felt were all his illusions.
But he didn’t hear the old man’s voice, nor any other sound. He felt that this place was so big when he murmured to himself. But everything here seemed to be proof that he was in the sea. Xiao Bing was nonplussed. The array that trapped him in Africa was just like a maze. It didn’t change the surroundings. Why…
Xiao Bing’s eyes suddenly gleamed incredibly brightly. He sat down with his legs crossed without paying attention to the high waves anymore.
Xiao Bing had been trapped in that forest and the stormy sea for one day and one night. But Han Huabin, who had been sitting around the whole time, knew that it only had been six minutes. Nothing ever changed. There were no trees, no sea, or storm, just Xiao Bing, who was sitting there while the expressions on his face changed constantly.
Xiao Bing was calm at first, but then he was surprised, doubtful, painful, exhausted, and finally desperate.
That was what this array was capable of. It could make a man feel like he had been mentally tortured for a day and night in just a few minutes.
If one had to drift on the sea for over a fortnight without food or water while enduring the hot sun and outrageous storm, he might not dare to sleep at night because he might be submerged by the waves at any time.
Any ordinary person would mentally break down when being tortured like this. But although Xiao Bing felt the torment had been half a month, in reality, it had only been an hour at most.
That was what was dreadful about this array.
Han Huabin believed that no matter how mentally strong Xiao Bing was, Xiao Bing would become a mentally ill man or a half-wit 30 minutes later.
However, Xiao Bing looked very placid sitting there with his legs crossed and eyes closed.
“How’s that even possible? He broke through my array? No. If he truly broke it, why is he still sitting there? Why didn’t he come for me?”
Actually, Xiao Bing could still feel the storm, the waves, and the fear that he might be swept out by the current at any time. He also felt the hunger in his stomach and the burning thirst in his throat. He thought that he would die because of dehydration or hunger.
Though Xiao Bing was also afraid of death, he did not care about it.
Here came another giant wave. But Xiao Bing jumped high and dived into the sea.
Indeed, Xiao Bing deserted the wooden board and dived into the sea.
The chance of survival was created when one was hellishly endangered. Xiao Bing choked on the seawater as it rushed into his body through his mouth and nose. Bubbles began appearing on the surface. But there was a laughter of relief on Xiao Bing’s face.
Xiao Bing thought of Yezi, Su Peiya, the auntie, and his friends in the orphanage. He felt like he was that child again, playing with his friends and chasing after the aunties for candies. Then Xiao Bing thought of Su Xiaoxiao and Liu Kexin.
“Am I dying? Small wonder they all say one’s lifelong memory will swim up to him when he’s about to die.”
Han Huabin, who was still at the door of that cottage, could not see Xiao Bing drowning under the sea because it was all an illusion. He only noticed the smile of relief on Xiao Bing’s face. At this moment, Han Huabin took a step forward nervously while squinting at Xiao Bing.
In his memory, 99 percent of the people who put on such a smile of relief would be stuck in their illusions for eternity. No one could wake them up from their dreams.
But this man…
“What the!” Han Huabin shouted out of astonishment.
Xiao Bing was awake!
