Chapter 35: Chapter 32: Advancement, Showdown

Chu Zheng sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the wide-open door, silent for a long time.

A moment later, he stood up, walked to the courtyard, drew two buckets of well water, and took a cold shower to calm his nearly boiling blood and Qi.

He had just absorbed the Essence of the Great Sun, and his body was filled with steaming Yang energy, naturally causing his blood and Qi to be restless.

He had understood the hint from Song Lingxue, but ultimately he did not dare to cross that red line.

Once that line was crossed, everything would change.

The relationship he had with Song Lingxue would never be just as it was now, and to extricate himself would not be so trivial.

The dangers of the Song Family, he might not be able to withstand.

If he could not withstand it, it would mean death.

After organizing his thoughts for a moment, Chu Zheng changed his clothes and went to the mansion's treasury, burying his head in repairing the odds and ends that Song Lingxue had collected from various places.

......

......

Time flew like an arrow, and in the blink of an eye, more than a month had passed.

As early spring warmed, overnight, buds had already sprouted on the branches.

Fu Quanliang's life became increasingly lavish, squandering his days away, growing bored of the dancing girls and oiran within days, demanding from Song Tonghai a new batch. Sёarch* The Novёlƒire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Helplessly, Song Tonghai could only send people to nearby cities to find replacements, the costs of which were unimaginable.

Sitting on dwindling resources, even a wealthy foundation could not cover such reckless extravagance, and the money borrowed against the ancestral home was running out quickly.

With the financial strain mounting, Song Tonghai could only bow his head and borrow from the masters of the large trading houses.

The news of a Superior Immortal visiting the Song Family had spread throughout Luofeng City, and as Song Tonghai sought loans, every trading house's master readily agreed, lending him a substantial amount of silver for liquidity.

Thus, Song Tonghai managed to keep going, though the pressure increased daily.

At sunset, the reddish twilight slanted across the gate of the Song Residence, adding a sense of twilight to this ancient mansion that had weathered more than three hundred years.

With a slightly bent back, Song Tonghai walked slowly toward the gate bathed in the setting sun from around the corner.

A Grandmaster, borrowing money everywhere to fund others' pleasures, was indeed shaming his ancestors.

Song Lingxue stood at the door, her eyes filled with pity, "Father, this is a bottomless pit, it can never be filled."

"How could I not know."

Song Tonghai sighed deeply, sitting down directly on the steps in front of the door, the silver strands of his hair barely visible, his voice growing softer:

"But what can be done about that..."

At least with Fu Quanliang here, they had indeed not suffered any attacks.

......

......

[You have spent a lot of effort and painstakingly studied, finally making a breakthrough in your repair skills, and now you are a First Order Repair Master.]

[First Order Repair Master: Ordinary objects hold no secrets for you, you can repair them effortlessly; only objects of Entry Stage can barely pique your interest.]

[During the repairs, you gained insight and derived a Low Grade Divine Skill: Transmute Stone to Gold]

Inside the mansion's treasury.

Chu Zheng suddenly raised his head, his eyes overflowing with brilliance, and pulled up the panel.

[Name: Chu Zheng]

[Cultivation: Zeroth Order]

[Cultivation Techniques: Great Circulatory Qi Guideline (Sixth Order/Incomplete), Dragon-Tiger Body (Fourth Order/Incomplete)...]

[Divine Skills: Xuan Tian Seal Third Form (Fifth Order/Incomplete), Transmute Stone to Gold (First Order)]

[Repair Master: First Order (0/1000)]

[Remaining repairs for the day: 5]

[Current repairables: Xuan Tian Seal Third Form (0/300), Great Circulatory Qi Guideline - Upper Volume (0/1000), Dragon Tiger Body - Middle Volume (0/500)]

Chu Zheng casually picked up a chipped jade bowl, and with a thought, in the blink of an eye, the bowl in his hand was as smooth and flawless as new.

The number on the panel had not changed, it was still 5.

The advancement of a Repair Master was far greater than what Chu Zheng had imagined.

Although the number of daily refreshes had not changed, after being promoted to a First Order Repair Master, he could now repair all Zeroth Order items through the panel without having to use any of the daily refreshes.

But similarly, repairing these items could no longer bring him any experience growth.

Chu Zheng hung his head low, staring at the jade bowl in his hands. Under his gaze, a slight spiritual light emanated from the bowl, and after a few moments, it turned into a golden hue.

The jade bowl turned into gold, and immediately the weight in his hands increased significantly.

Chu Zheng checked his body, and other than some consumption of his Yuan Qi, there were not any significant effects.

To transmute decay into miracle, such is the power of Divine Skills...

Chu Zheng casually tossed the golden bowl aside and stood up to leave the Mansion's Treasury.

He had not walked far when he bumped into Song Lingxue face to face.

"You're just in time, follow me."

Chu Zheng spoke offhandedly and went directly toward the courtyard where Fu Quanliang was located.

Song Lingxue followed him for a while, and soon realized where Chu Zheng was heading, and couldn't help but ask, "What are you going to do?"

"Just watch."

Now, with less than ten days left until his Hundred Days Qi Cultivation and the boost from the Dragon-Tiger Body, a mere lift of his hand could wield the Strength of Ten Thousand Pounds, and his power had vastly improved from a month ago.

Even in front of Li Mingzhou, Chu Zheng now had enough confidence that he could completely overwhelm him with a single strike.

In his eyes, Fu Quanliang no longer posed any threat at all.

What Chu Zheng needed now was sufficient information to discern just what state the Song Family was currently in.

Among this, the extent of the Night Light Pavilion's power was of utmost importance.

As he stepped within ten strides of the courtyard, he could hear the soft sounds of music and laughter coming from inside.

Song Lingxue hesitated for a moment, not really wanting to enter for fear of sullying her eyes.

But seeing that Chu Zheng did not hesitate at all and crossed the threshold directly, she could only steel herself and follow.

The room was a mess, with clothes, shoes, socks, wine jars, and cups scattered everywhere.

"Miss Song has arrived."

Fu Quanliang, leaning in the arms of a beautiful maiden, bare-chested and rosy-faced with drunkenness, raised his glass in a dissolute manner and laughed aloud, beckoning with his hand:

"Come, come, sit down and drink with me, under the moonlight."

Song Lingxue pursed her lips, glanced back at the blood-red sunset outside the window, and did not respond.

With an expressionless face, Chu Zheng stepped forward, glanced at a few dancing girls draped in sheer veils, and spoke softly:

"You all go out first."

The dancers hesitated, looking at Song Lingxue until she nodded, then they all got up and walked out the door.

They were just being paid for their services, so naturally they followed the orders of the master of the house.

Fu Quanliang shook his head, somewhat dizzy, and looked at Chu Zheng, his brow suddenly furrowed:

"How dare you! Who are you to disrupt my pleasure?!"

Boom!

Chu Zheng kicked the table flying, stretched out his hand like a claw, and firmly gripped Fu Quanliang's neck, lifting him up.

"Do you want to live, or do you want to die?"

Feeling the hand around his neck gradually tightening, Fu Quanliang sobered up quite a bit, his expression changing dramatically, he struggled to speak:

"To live!"

"I ask, you answer."

Chu Zheng released his hand and sat down on the floor in front of Fu Quanliang, speaking in a deep voice:

"If any word you say is untrue, I will send you to your death immediately."