As the ring was taken off, the ordinary-looking young man's face distorted like ripples on water. Seconds later, a handsome face with sharp, distinct contours appeared before everyone's eyes.
Zhao Hongzheng's eyes snapped wide open, and he blurted out in shock, "Y-Yuanshi Tianzun?!"
"Yuanshi Tianzun!!"
Zhao Feichen's slightly pale face similarly showed astonishment and bewilderment, which swiftly gave way to rage and malice.
No matter who his opponent was, it wouldn't lessen his hatred over losing his legs. But he had never expected that this unfamiliar young Star Official was actually Yuanshi Tianzun in disguise.
He naturally knew the famous name of this prodigy. Not only did he know it, he had even watched the official arena tournament back then.
It was just that at the time, Yuanshi Tianzun's yin corpse had clearly been male.
Zhang Yuanqing put away the Disguise Ring, stared coldly at Zhao Hongzheng, and said, "Zhao, your son claimed I wouldn't make it out of Du today. Now I want to ask you: do you dare lay a hand on me? Do you dare strike an official Saint who has earned a Class A merit and multiple Class B merits?"
Zhao Hongzheng's face instantly turned ugly, sinking like stagnant water.
He didn't dare. Yes, he dared not!
Yuanshi Tianzun was a prodigy nurtured with the full backing of the officials. Even though he had recently been disciplined by headquarters, and rumors were even circulating that certain higher-ups were displeased with his arrogance and considered him insubordinate—
—Zhao Hongzheng still dared not.
Yuanshi Tianzun's name was too renowned, his reputation too great. Whatever dissatisfaction headquarters harbored toward him was an internal matter for the Five Elements Alliance. If Zhao Hongzheng dared kill Yuanshi Tianzun, the Zhao clan would tie him up and deliver him to the Songhai Branch the very next day.
Zhang Yuanqing shifted his gaze to Zhao Feichen and sneered, "Just because you were born into the Zhao clan, you think you're imperial royalty? With your meager background, are you worthy of challenging me? With that pathetic strength of yours, are you worthy of contending with me?"
Zhao Feichen's face flushed crimson. His body convulsed involuntarily, and his breathing grew heavy and ragged.
The contempt and disdain in Yuanshi Tianzun's eyes stabbed deeply into his pride.
Past the peak of his fury, the ruthlessness and arrogance deep inside him surged to the fore instead. He asked himself: if he had known the guy was Yuanshi Tianzun, would he still have dared?
The answer was an unequivocal yes.
He would!
If he had known this was Yuanshi Tianzun, he would have contacted his clan immediately to dispatch a Level 6 Saint.
So what if he was Yuanshi Tianzun? As long as the timing was right and the rules permitted, he would crush him all the same.
And if they abandoned the rules, would Yuanshi Tianzun dare play lawlessly against him? As a Spirit Realm family with a hundred years of heritage, killing Yuanshi Tianzun would truly be no difficult feat for the Zhao clan.
In the present world, not even a Dominator possessed the qualifications to challenge an established Spirit Realm family. Only an organization of equal or greater caliber could take on a massive faction.
Zhao Feichen bared his teeth in a sinister grin. "Why wouldn't I dare! If I had another chance, I'd send a Level 6 Saint onto the stage and slaughter you, you so-called official genius!"
His expression twisted into something monstrous as he laughed brazenly, leaving it unclear whether this was just obstinate bluster from a cornered dog or if he truly dared to do it.
"Well said!"
A calm, aged voice came from outside the shop. Everyone followed the sound to see a white-haired elder wearing a respectable Tang suit and traditional cloth shoes. His back was slightly hunched, his hands clasped behind him.
He looked like an ordinary wealthy old man, accompanied by no bodyguards. The only unusual detail was that despite his aged and frail appearance, his eyes were exceptionally clear and bright, concealing deep wisdom.
The elder stepped into the shop, looked at Zhao Feichen with a smile, and said, "Boy, domineering as you are, this old man has always liked that temper of yours. Whether a scion of an aristocratic lineage acts modest, arrogant, or profligate, whatever exterior you put on doesn't matter. In your bones, there must be pride—an unyielding pride that cannot be broken even if your bones are snapped. That is the greatest difference between us and commoners."
Having said that, he cast a subtle, displeased glance at Zhao Hongzheng and said indifferently, "The Zhao clan has stood for a century without falling; we still have our foundation. A single youngster frightened you to such a degree?"
Zhao Hongzheng lowered his head, not daring to speak.
"Clan Master Zhao?" Zhang Yuanqing raised an eyebrow.
"You may call me Zhao Fifth Master, a moniker from my youth. As for my real name, you have no need to know." The elder looked calmly at Zhang Yuanqing. "I am not the Master of the Zhao clan. You, Yuanshi Tianzun, do not yet qualify to have my elder brother step forward in person."
"Fifth Great-Uncle!" Zhao Feichen rejoiced, glaring viciously at Zhang Yuanqing. "Fifth Great-Uncle, you must stand up for me! This punk was forging items at Auntie's place and bought up all the firestones himself—who can he blame for that? I just took advantage of an opening; business is always about who has the better ability! Yet he held a grudge and severed both my legs! I won't accept this!
"Fifth Great-Uncle, break his legs too, and snatch the item back for me!"
Zhang Yuanqing said indifferently, "Then, Zhao Fifth Master, what do you intend to do?"
Though his tone was indifferent, he was secretly on high guard. Every muscle in his body tightened and primed, adrenaline surging.
He could not sense the old man's aura at all.
This was a Dominator.
"My boy already stated it: sever your legs and surrender the item." The elder chuckled. "The officials still deserve some face, so hand over the item yourself, and we'll consider this matter settled."
"And if I refuse?" Zhang Yuanqing raised an eyebrow.
"I take your item; what business is that of yours?" The elder lightly lifted his cloth shoe and took a step forward.
In an instant, an Eight Trigrams circular array expanded from beneath his feet, encompassing the entirety of Wanbao House.
Right at that moment, Lian Sanyue chuckled softly. "Fifth Great-Uncle, did you not cast a divination before coming here?"
The elder frowned slightly and drew back his foot. The array dissolved at once.
Pondering for a moment, he fished three copper coins from his sleeve, cupped them in his palms, gently shook them, and then opened his hands.
Seeing the hexagram displayed by the three coins, his expression shifted slightly.
Divination: Ominous!
The elder gave Yuanshi Tianzun a deep look, said nothing, and turned around. "Let's go!"
Zhao Hongzheng breathed a slow sigh of relief, but Zhao Feichen's expression changed drastically, and he cried out unwillingly, "Fifth Great-Uncle! Fifth Great-Uncle..."
Zhang Yuanqing scoffed, stepped forward, and kicked Zhao Feichen right in the face.
*Pfft!*
Zhao Feichen's head snapped to the side, spitting out two front teeth amidst a mouthful of blood.
"You brat!" Zhao Hongzheng erupted in fury. He snatched at the air, producing a golden alms bowl that swooped down toward Zhang Yuanqing.
Zhang Yuanqing had anticipated this all along. A purple-gold hand cannon appeared in his grip, thirty centimeters in total length, with a thick, elongated muzzle.
*Just in time to test my gun on you.* Holding the gun in one hand, he aimed at the golden bowl and pulled the trigger.
Purple electric serpents danced around the muzzle, discharging a fist-sized purple ball of lightning that whistled straight into the golden bowl.
*Boom!*
The ball lightning detonated inside the golden bowl, destroying this Level 6 item outright. A savage shockwave swept outward accompanied by blistering heat.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*
Protective barriers shattered in rapid succession across Zhao Hongzheng's body. His jade thumb ring, necklace, and the earthy-yellow bead he had just whipped out were blasted to dust one after another.
The moment the Thunderstorm Cannon fired the ball lightning, it swiftly transformed into a round shield in Zhang Yuanqing's hand. He ducked low, shielding himself and keeping Zhao Feichen behind him covered.
The lightning-laced shockwave exploded inside the cramped interior, sweeping across the room with destructive fury.
Zhang Yuanqing grunted, lost his footing, and plopped his butt right onto Zhao Feichen, hearing a pained groan from underneath him.
Electric serpents darted across the impacted surface of the round shield, attempting to retaliate against an attacker, but there was no foe directly before it.
At the same time, a faint purple glow lit up along the rim of the round shield—energy accumulated after absorbing attack power.
Array patterns lit up in unison across the walls and shelves of Lian Sanyue's convenience store, repelling the shockwave and scorching heat from the ball lightning detonation, preventing any flames from igniting.
Seconds later, all returned to calm.
Zhao Hongzheng slumped on the ground, his skin charred black with blood showing through, half of his left arm blown clean off.
He stared at Zhang Yuanqing in shock, fury, and bewilderment. "Y-You wanted to kill me?"
*Holy crap, turns out the Thunderstorm Cannon is the most destructive form! That was close—I nearly blasted myself away...* Zhang Yuanqing's heart still pounded with lingering dread, but he was also thrilled.
With the Thunderstorm Cannon, he effectively had three trump cards for desperate comebacks.
By now, Zhao Feichen was on his last breaths, barely clinging to life.
Holding the shield, Zhang Yuanqing said coldly, "So what if I kill you! You Zhaos barked like dogs in my face, and now you expect to just dust off your pants and walk away? Get the hell out!"
Zhao Hongzheng's face twitched. He struggled to his feet, stumbled toward the door, and barked a grim order to the subordinates who had been knocked flat by the blast, "Take the young master and go."
Several black-clad men, seriously bruised and battered, scrambled to their feet. Giving Zhang Yuanqing a wide berth, they hoisted the critically injured Zhao Feichen and hurried away.
As soon as the Zhao clan departed, a gust of wind rose outside, followed by raindrops pattering down, soaking the pavement beyond the storefront and kicking up a hazy mist.
Lian Sanyue stood uninjured behind the cash register, clicking her tongue. "A dual-form item? A top-tier piece indeed. Mm, Zhao Feichen probably guessed right—this is a rule-based item, isn't it?"
"Barely counts as one, but the rules aren't especially potent," Zhang Yuanqing said modestly, quickly putting the item away.
Lian Sanyue suddenly sneered, "Do you know the rule of my shop? Anyone who makes an unauthorized move dies!"
Seeing that the young man a few meters away wasn't panicked in the least, she laughed again. "Still, you injured people from the Zhao clan, which put me in a good mood. I'll make an exception and spare you this once."
Zhang Yuanqing bowed at once. "Thank you, Boss Lady."
With that, he took Blood Rose and left the shop. By now, the downpour was relentless, accompanied by howling winds. Bean-sized raindrops slanted into the alleyway, drenching both of their clothes.
The drainage system in the alley was crude; in just a few minutes, shallow pools of water had gathered along both sides of the lane.
Zhang Yuanqing had only taken a few steps after leaving Wanbao House when he heard thunder crackling overhead, followed by a thick bolt of lightning crashing straight down onto his head.
*Crap, I forgot the Thunderstorm Cannon's drawback!* Zhang Yuanqing's body locked rigid, convulsing violently. His hair stood on end, and the flesh on his cheeks charred instantly, oozing blood.
He froze in place for several seconds before his taut body finally relaxed. He felt excruciating pain all over; his cells had suffered massive necrosis under the lightning strike.
It wasn't enough to kill him, but it inflicted serious injuries.
*I just showed off in front of the Zhao clan, and instant catastrophe strikes—literally 'struck by lightning for posturing'...* Zhang Yuanqing casually wiped away the soot from his face and pressed on with Blood Rose.
Rounding a corner, Zhang Yuanqing saw a figure standing ahead.
Dressed in a crisp, sharp white suit and holding a large black umbrella, the figure stood amidst the wind and rain in the alleyway, looking ahead with calm eyes.
The summer rainstorm was torrential, yet he was utterly tranquil, seemingly out of place in this murky world.
Standing there, he was an indescribable spectacle in his own right.
Zhang Yuanqing left the yin corpse behind and trotted over eagerly, beaming from ear to ear. "Boss, you came!"
He had anticipated this all along.
Lian Sanyue was a person of her word; having taken the money, she would definitely deliver.
Fu Qingyang was someone who fiercely protected his own; as long as he received the text, he would definitely show up.
Lian Sanyue's reminder to Zhao Fifth Master just now, as well as Zhao Fifth Master abruptly changing his mind and leaving swiftly, proved that Fu Qingyang was nearby.
This was why Zhang Yuanqing had dared to thrash Zhao Feichen and pull the trigger on Zhao Hongzheng moments ago.
He had backing.
Fu Qingyang nodded slightly and said flatly, "Why do you look in such a state?"
"It's the drawback of an item. Boss, I forged a top-tier item! I'll show it to you later," Zhang Yuanqing said flatteringly.
"Not interested."
"I know you aren't short on items, but this thing is seriously fucking amazing..."
"Cut the chatter. Hold the umbrella."
"Understood!"
Exchanging words, the two gradually walked away and vanished into the alley.
***
Wanbao House.
Behind the cash register, Lian Sanyue stared coldly at an elder inside the shop.
Like Zhao Fifth Master, this elder wore a finely tailored Tang suit and traditional cloth shoes. Both hands rested on a dragon-headed walking stick. His gaze was indifferent as he watched Lian Sanyue, who was on high alert.
He was of average height with a full head of white hair, a deeply wrinkled face, and a vivid red mole between his brows.
His physiognomy radiated inexpressible nobility and wealth.
"I heard about Chen'er," the elder said indifferently. "How did he offend you?"
Lian Sanyue gave a scoff. "I was helping you teach your grandson a lesson. Zhao Feichen doesn't know his limits. Having acted as the local tyrant of Du for over a decade, does he really think he can be lawless? Fortunately, he crossed paths with Yuanshi Tianzun today. If it had been an evil class, he'd be dead already.
"This was just the chance to let him understand that with that pitifully weak talent of his, he is nothing compared to a true chosen of heaven."
The elder sighed, cutting straight to the heart of the matter. "You are jealous of him."
Lian Sanyue chuckled enchantingly, but there was not a trace of mirth in her beautiful eyes—only hatred and desolation. "Zhao Wudi, oh Zhao Wudi, you're as presumptuous as ever. Jealousy? He isn't worthy of it, and you're even less worthy. I simply loathe him, and I loathe you even more."
The elder fell silent for several seconds before speaking slowly, "Do not let this happen again. If you dare bring harm to Chen'er again, do not blame me for disregarding the bond of father and daughter."
Lian Sanyue sneered, "You'd better disregard it. Once I reach Level 9, yours is the first life I'll take."
The elder did not reply. He turned, took a single step, and vanished from Wanbao House.
***
At ten in the evening, Zhang Yuanqing quietly returned to Du once more.
He hadn't purchased a plane ticket for this trip because it would leave a record. Instead, he used Night Roaming and illusions to sneak onto a plane, flying from Songhai to Du.
He wanted to seek intel on Brother Bing from Lian Sanyue.
In Zhang Yuanqing's original plan, he was supposed to establish contact with this artificer first, and only after some time had passed would he switch identities to pry for information.
However, through their interactions, he realized there was no need to go through all that trouble.
Zhang Yuanqing had initially assumed Lian Sanyue was the leader of some civilian organization, so he hadn't dared alter his appearance to investigate Brother Bing immediately after Yuanshi Tianzun paid her a visit.
That would inevitably invite suspicion.
In truth, Wanbao House served as a black market, an information clearinghouse, and a trading post for items. It was naturally a mixed bag, frequented by Spirit Realm walkers of Soup-Brewing Province, and even walkers from outside provinces visited due to its reputation.
At such a 'marketplace' where people came and went around the clock, how could anyone suspect him?
Even so, to play it safe, he didn't use the Disguise Ring; instead, he donned the Flawless Human Skin, transforming into a complete passerby.
Retracing the familiar path back to Wanbao House, this time Wanbao House appeared in his eyes as a shuttered, derelict place abandoned for years.
The Flawless Human Skin grafted karma onto him, making him thoroughly an ordinary bystander, and ordinary bystanders possessed no transcendent abilities.
Therefore, he could not see through the illusion.
Zhang Yuanqing strode forward and walked straight into the closed doors. As expected, he passed through effortlessly.
Warm-toned lights illuminated the small shop. Behind the counter, Lian Sanyue sat in silence, holding a woman's cigarette that had burned down to its butt between her fingers.
*What is this woman spacing out for?*
Zhang Yuanqing approached.
Lian Sanyue raised her gaze to glance at him and said indifferently, "We're closed. Not doing business."
In a hoarse voice that sounded as though phlegm were stuck in his throat, Zhang Yuanqing said, "I don't need to enter your faction dungeon. I only want to ask you for some information."
Chapter 380