Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
“Ahem, ahem. So, Ge Hui is cultivator and was here to rob the Longhu Immortal’s Jindan?” asking Geezer Shi, stiffly changing the topic while ignoring the look in their eyes.
Lou Cheng, lying down, could hardly turn his neck, let alone roll over to look at the gathering of Physical Invulnerability Mighty Ones. The perception powers of Ice Mirror had also deteriorated due to the abysmal state he was in, reducing the range of detection to a mere half-meter radius around him. As such, the reactions of the Mighty Ones could not be reflected. Without a choice, he went on frankly, “That’s the conclusion I have reached.”
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have come out of the blue with the intention to kill...
Beside him, Yan Zheke glanced around the room, taking in the expressions of her grandparents, Dragon King, Empress Luo, and the others. It appeared that they weren’t at all bothered by Lou Cheng’s chance encounter, and there were only looks of surprise and curiosity. Reassured, she secretly heaved a sigh of relief.
It has been said that back when Dragon King was in mortal training, a chance encounter saved his life, allowing him to overtake the Warrior Sage... To such matters, Physical Invulnerability Mighty Ones more or less held the same attitude—the only thing that matters is the stage, ability, morality, and potential. Where it originated didn’t matter...
“Ge Hui was home tutor to Princess Irina of the Samanno Royal Family. Could it have also been for other reasons?” said Dou Ning evenly, raising another possibility.
“Irina’s home tutor?” Yan Zheke went still. It came to her before Lou Cheng could reply. “Back when she was complimenting your scent, she must have been talking about the Jindan!”
Lou Cheng realized too, and in a hoarse voice, he affirmed her. “She’s right!”
Noticing the looks of incomprehension on their faces, Yan Zheke retailed the story of Irina ‘picking up’ Lou Cheng.
“She probably wasn’t too sure either at the time she asked me. Her main objective was to test me, and at that time she didn’t have any ill intentions, otherwise I would have been alarmed,” described Lou Cheng in remembrance.
“And during that security mission, Irina realized that you have the Jindan in you, or what she called the ‘scent’ of a cultivator. After she returned, she carelessly mentioned it to Ge Hui, who then made an illegal entry here, avoiding surveillance, and made plans to murder and steal the Jindan,” deduced Geezer Shi in a sprightly manner.
“Can’t be far from the truth,” Ji Jianzhang nodded in agreement after considering the other pieces of information.
The Dragon King, Chen Qitao, with his hands crossed at his back, paced back and forth for a moment, then, in a deep voice, gave instructions to the military personnel.
“Work with the government department and investigate Ge Hui’s life in China. I mainly want to know who he learned his martial arts from. I also want to know whether there are other disciples besides him, whether he has any friends that he had been in close contact with, and whether those friends are cultivators as well. As for his life in Europe, I will get to it once I pay a visit to the Samanno Royal Family.”
“You are going to Samanno?” blurted Geezer Shi.
Chen Qitao gave a slight nod.
“To have a tête-à-tête with the princess.”
The significance of his brief words made everyone in the room fall silent.
“I suppose it will be more appropriate for this matter to be handled by me, his master,” suggested Geezer Shi, breaking the silence.
Samanno Royal Family is under the protection of that ancient monster after all...
Dragon King glimpsed at him and merely asked, “Are you still my match?”
“...” Geezer Shi fell silent. At length, he coughed. “Looking back...”
Before he could finish reminiscing, Chen Qitao added placidly.
“He’s one of us at Longhu now.”
“Unlike others, I’m not at all afraid of the Vampire Emperor!”
“In that case, we’ll show our presence as well,” chuckled Ji Jianzhang. “Drunk Geezer, you take charge and hold Linfu to prevent further complications. At the moment, we don’t know if there are other cultivators working with Ge Hui.”
Take charge and hold Linfu? As expected from someone educated, Geezer Ji has a way with his words... Forgetting about Dragon King’s impertinence, Shi Jianguo nodded. “Ahem. If you are insisting, then I guess I have no choice but to defend the nexus.”
Seeing that the Physical Invulnerability Mighty Ones has reached a conclusion, the military personnel interjected meekly.
“Back when we were searching for the Nine Words Formula, it came to our attention that there have been many items of relevance popping up in Europe in the recent one to two centuries. There are reasons to suspect that Ge Hui became a cultivator after he went overseas.”
“I want a thorough investigation in China as well. Leave no stone unturned,” demanded Ning Zitong.
“Yes,” answered the military personnel, standing at attention.
That was when Geezer Shi returned to his muttons, looking towards Lou Cheng intently and saying,
“So, smelly brat, the Jindan is right in your body?”
What a magical thing! Even a top-notch Physical Invulnerability Pro like me didn’t realize a thing!
Lou Cheng felt a pang as he knitted his brows. He smiled painfully.
“I’m not sure where it is right now. I can’t feel it anymore...”
When he woke up and entered the state of Self Reflection through All-Seeing God, he discovered a severely wounded lower abdomen, and his ‘starry sky’ was nowhere to be seen. Where it originally was located, there weren’t any signs of anomalies.
Before Geezer Shi and the others could question him further, Lou Cheng thought and added, “But I can still feel it in my body, as though, as though it had spread everywhere...”
Unfortunately, his body was too fragile right now for exertion, otherwise he could experiment using moves like Force Concentration in search of a clue!
“Could it have completely merged into your body?” Shi Yue asked curiously.
“Not really, there’s still a discord,” said Lou Cheng, focused on examining his insides.
Geezer Shi clicked his tongue.
“Come, let your master have a look.”
Walking beside the bed, he extended his right hand and pressed it on the unbandaged parts of his ‘unfilial’ disciple’s arm. Concentrating, he formed a link between them.
Lou Cheng immediately felt an intense and freezing storm infiltrating his body, causing his own mind to cower and shiver in a corner.
A few minutes later, Geezer Shi withdrew his hand.
“Strange...Very strange...” he muttered with a look of incomprehension.
“What is strange?” Ning Zitong asked curiously.
“There is a slight irregularity when I inspect closely, but I can’t get a hold of it. It’s as though I’m imagining things. Strange, strange...” Geezer Shi kept shaking his head.
Before he could finish his sentence, Dragon King had walked up to them, and without a word, he pressed a hand on Lou Cheng.
In a breath’s time, Lou Cheng felt as if he was under the hot, mid-day, summer sun. His feet were burning, his pores choked, and his head giddy from the heat.
“Strange,” said Chen Qitao, backing off with a slight frown.
Ning Zitong darted forward and followed suit. Behind her, Ji Jianzhang, Dou Ning, and Shi Yue began forming a line.
Seeing that, Yan Zheke quickly stood out to stop them, like a hen protecting her chicks with outstretched wings.
“He just woke up! He’s very weak right now!” she protested.
“It’s only a checkup. It won’t affect him,” Ning Zitong beamed.
At length, the few Physical Invulnerability Mighty Ones exchanged a look and shook their head at once.
“Smelly brat, once you are up and about, I want you to go to the military base once every month. Cooperate with their experiments. This might allow you to recover faster and get rid of any sequela,” concluded Geezer Shi.
“Yes, Master,” said Lou Cheng. He knew the severity of his wounds this time and therefore was quite afraid of developing sequela. The mutation of his Jindan added to that sentiment.
“We should leave, there are many things waiting to be done,” suggested Ning Zitong. “Let’s not trespass further on our little brother’s rest.”
The Dragon King, walking with his hands crossed at his back, suddenly said, “Lou Cheng, the chances of you developing sequela is high. I want you to be mentally prepared.”
Then, without explaining or lingering, he pushed the door and left.
Lou Cheng froze. It seemed to him that his apprehensions had turned into reality.
Sequela?
To what degree?
Can I still make a perfect recovery?
The thoughts came one after the other. Staring at the ceiling, he fell silent.
...
When they were out of the ward, Shi Yue, who always had a soft spot for her little Martial brother, frowned.
“Dragon King! You could have waited for him to get better to tell him about the sequela!”
What if there isn’t any at all? Then telling it to him now will only make him suffer a long time for nothing!
Gazing forward, in a slow and dignified voice, Chen Qitao said, “A true Martial Artist doesn’t turn their eyes away from reality.”
Geezer Shi and Dou Ning parted their lips but eventually said nothing.
...
In the ward, Yan Zheke cupped her face, rubbing away her worried expression and replacing it with a sweet smile. She then walked to Lou Cheng’s side.
“What’s there to worry about? It’s merely a possibility, and technology is advancing...”
“And so are Martial Arts! As long as I’m alive, there’s always hope and infinite possibilities!” Lou Cheng finished her sentence spontaneously.
“Right?”
They exchanged a tacit smile.
When Little Fairy had gone off to wash the towel, Lou Cheng drew a breath to hold down the anxiety and apprehension. Entering the state of Self-reflection, he endeavored to speed up the healing.
At his current mental state, fatigue quickly took over him, but he gritted his teeth and persevered when he caught a glimpse of the beautiful silhouette diligently wiping his sweat.
At the moment, nothing was certain about his body, and he didn’t know what problems to expect when everything would start functioning again... Troubled by such thoughts, Lou Cheng fell into a slumber.
...
John Weilburg, somewhere in Europe.
King Ede was in his study dealing with government affairs when the valet entered with a thick file of documents.
“Your Majesty, there has been a letter from the China Embassy, along with intel accusing Princess Irina’s home tutor, Ge Hui, of attempting to assassinate their Heavenly Son of China, Lou Cheng,” reported the valet gravely.
Ede stopped what he was doing and mulled for a few seconds.
“Show it to me.”
The valet quickly laid out the letter and paper intel, then played a recording. Though the pieces of evidence didn’t form a clear link, any capable person could tell it was doubtlessly Ge Hui.
“I always told her Ge Hui was too mysterious, and shouldn’t be tied closely to the Royal Family. But Irina never listens...”
The King looked unhappy, his right finger repeatedly tapping at a crocodile-skin covered notepad. That was when a second valet entered, looking extremely tense. “Your Majesty, there has been a letter from Dragon King of China, requesting an audience with Princess Irina,” he reported.
He paused, then went on. “In the letter, he said he’s right outside the castle!”
“What?” Shocked and enraged, Ede roused to his feet.
What about formality and etiquette!?
What a brute!
The Samanno Royal Family has an Emperor, for God’s sake!
He paced up and down. Recalling the intel and Chen Qitao’s standard way of doing things, Ede rubbed at his eyebrows.
“Audience granted... Inside the castle!”