Chapter 35: Twelve Leagues North of the Eight Capitals, Come Now to Slay This Noble Scion!

The Storm Terrace—a place where storms truly brew! Countless eyes were fixed upon the high platform, stained by an unknown quantity of blood.

Zhou Xiujing sat within his palanquin, slowly opening his eyes. He lifted the curtain, his gaze sweeping across the crowd to find many familiar faces. He saw several high-ranking officials from the prefectural government and the heads of many prominent families in Sunan Prefecture. He also saw Xu Xiyue sitting in the Yufeng Pavilion right in front of the Storm Terrace, watching the platform from afar. Occasionally, her gaze would sweep over and land on his palanquin.

At this very moment, their eyes met. Xu Xiyue’s expression remained untroubled; she simply glanced at him once. This only fueled Zhou Xiujing’s irritation.

When Xu Xiyue held her silk ball marriage selection, Zhou Xiujing had dismissed it as a farce. When it actually yielded a result, he thought that a mere low-level laborer from the Ministry of Works could be easily dealt with. By leveraging the authority of Zheng Liu, the chief clerk of the Ministry of Works, and Wu Peilin, the laborer’s direct superior, combined with the temptation of two hundred taels of gold, he believed the matter would be resolved effortlessly.

Yet, what was the outcome? The laborer, Chen Zhi'an, had taken the two hundred taels, somehow cultivated a mastery of Qi, practiced a few sets of boxing, befriended the Iron-Arm General, and even crippled the chief clerk, Wu Peilin, all while walking out of the prefectural jail unscathed.

"If it weren't for that letter from the Li family of the Hanging Capital, would I even have bothered to deal with this Chen Zhi'an?" Zhou Xiujing wondered to himself. He then recalled that Chen Zhi'an had taken his gold and yet remained entangled with Xu Xiyue. "Even without that letter, this Chen Zhi'an deserves to die."

He scanned the surroundings once more and finally spotted his father on the top floor of a nearby tavern. His father, in the prime of his life, looked stern and cold, his eyes filled with lingering annoyance. This made Zhou Xiujing even more desperate to kill Chen Zhi'an, for the news that he, a man of status, had entered a life-or-death duel on the Storm Terrace with a nobody had already spread throughout Sunan Prefecture.

He still clearly remembered the look of profound disappointment on his father's face when he returned home. "I intended to buy you an official position, but with a temperament like yours, you are only fit to brawl with commoners in the streets!"

At the time, Zhou Xiujing had argued stubbornly, "He is only at the Qi-Refining stage; killing him is easy!"

His father had turned away. "Taking risks for no reason is unwise. It is fine if you can kill him easily, but if anything goes wrong, you plunge yourself into danger. As a son of the Zhou family, must you resort to a life-or-death duel to settle a mere boy?"

Zhou Xiujing had wanted to mention the Iron-Arm General, but his father had waved him off and retrieved a box from the table. Inside the box lay a long robe...

...

Sitting in his palanquin, Zhou Xiujing looked down at the robe he was wearing. Its style was nothing extraordinary—merely a treasure-blue silk robe. However, Zhou Xiujing knew it was a treasure of the Profound Sect. It was an item he could activate with his own True Essence, and though it was only a low-tier treasure, its utility was extraordinary.

As he stared at the robe, the chatter of nearby cultivators reached his ears.

"The Zhou family is a family of medicinal merchants. Young Master Zhou has grown up eating precious herbs and reached the True Essence stage at a young age, possessing the strength of a thousand catties. How could he lose to a mere brat?"

"Exactly! The two seem to have a grudge. Perhaps the brat felt he couldn't swallow his pride and impulsively gambled his life. It’s a pity that in the path of cultivation, strength is strength and weakness is weakness; there is no such thing as luck. Gambling his life against a young master of the Zhou family—he’s likely going to lose his head!"

"Did you see the betting tables in the market? Did you place a bet?"

"Heh, the betting house already investigated that brat's background. He's just the son of a private tutor; his ability to cultivate is likely just a fluke. Betting on Zhou Xiujing is a guaranteed win. Of course, I placed a bet."

"I did too, though the odds are a bit low."

"Why complain about easy money? Now we just wait for Young Master Zhou to step onto the Storm Terrace, beat that brat to death, and then go collect our winnings."

Within Zhou Xiujing, his True Essence circulated, condensing layer upon layer at his energy center like a great tree. "A wondrous tree of True Essence, a sword forged a hundred times, and this Profound Sect treasure robe—how could I lose?"

Equipped with his sharp sword, Zhou Xiujing stepped out of the palanquin. Ignoring the shouts of the crowd, he climbed onto the Storm Terrace. He looked toward the end of the street, where the bustling crowd suddenly parted.

Chen Zhi'an approached, dressed in his moon-white robe, carrying a blade in his hand. Seeing that blade, Zhou Xiujing could not help but laugh.

In the distance, Si Hougui, watching Chen Zhi'an, shook his head. "Where did this Chen Zhi'an find such a piece of common iron? Did he buy it at a black market?"

In the Yufeng Pavilion, Shen Haohao had just arrived and sat down next to Xu Xiyue, frowning. "Why does Chen Zhi'an have a blade? Isn't he a martial artist?"

Xu Xiyue was also puzzled.

Shen Haohao continued, "Sister Xiyue, you practiced the Art of Qi Observation on Qixia Mountain. Can you see if Chen Zhi'an has improved?"

Xu Xiyue shook her head, her expression growing more confused. "A few days ago, when I observed Master Chen with the Art of Qi Observation, I could see the blood-Qi in his body flowing and the ringing of a golden bell; he had already reached the peak of the Qi-Refining stage. But today, I can't see it clearly at all." She paused, then shook her head gently. "However, Master Chen has always been mysterious. The first time I observed him, I couldn't even tell he was a cultivator."

*So that was because he hadn't started cultivating yet,* Shen Haohao thought to herself. *If Sister Xiyue knew he had reached the Qi-Refining stage in just one month, I wonder how she would react. I don't think there are such geniuses even on Qixia Mountain.* She felt a sense of pride knowing the secret of Chen Zhi'an's genius.

She then heard Xu Xiyue say, "However, I used the Art of Qi Observation on Zhou Xiujing. His True Essence has formed a wondrous tree, the long sword in his hand is a hundred-forged weapon, and even the robe he wears is a treasure of the Profound Sect!"

"A Profound Sect treasure?" Shen Haohao's round face turned red. "This Zhou Xiujing is truly shameless! Chen Zhi'an is fighting him with only Qi-Refining cultivation, and he actually brought a treasure!" The Iron-Arm General’s beloved granddaughter vented her frustration and sighed.

A life-or-death duel was not a friendly spar where one sought only to judge skill. Whatever means one possessed, one was free to use; there were no restrictions, and thus, it could not be called unfair.

The two women exchanged a look, their eyes drifting to the patriarch of the Zhou family on the third floor of the nearby tavern. The forty-year-old head of the Zhou family held a teacup, his finger idly stroking the jade ring on his thumb against the rim of the cup, creating a faint sound. He still looked annoyed, but he felt not a shred of worry. He did not believe that today, Zhou Xiujing would fall to a boy from Qihuang Street.

Not only the Zhou patriarch, but even Shen Haohao and Xu Xiyue held their breath, their eyes filled with worry.

Si Hougui watched with interest as Chen Zhi'an walked up to the Storm Terrace. "Where does this Chen Zhi'an get his courage? Is he not afraid of death?" He could not help but think of Chen Shuijun, shaking his head and muttering to himself, "Just like his father, a stubborn bone. Only when you break it do they learn to bow..."

As he thought this, the spiritual essence within his own core flowed out like a thin thread, settling upon Chen Zhi'an. Suddenly, Si Hougui froze. "This Chen Zhi'an... when did he break through his energy gate and transform his entire body’s blood-Qi into True Essence?"

Before his thoughts could settle, the two on the Storm Terrace exchanged not a single word.

With a ferocious glare from Zhou Xiujing, his hundred-forged blade left its scabbard. His True Essence burned like a raging fire, engulfing his entire body, and the wondrous tree at his energy center erupted with brilliance. In an instant, Zhou Xiujing’s figure became a blur, and his sword strikes resembled waves in the water, layer upon layer, surging directly toward Chen Zhi'an!

Chen Zhi'an stood still, seemingly stunned by Zhou Xiujing’s terrible killing intent and astonishing momentum, unable to make a single move.

Many in the crowd below gasped. Shen Haohao and Xu Xiyue even stood up, ready to leap from the tavern.

Zhou Xiujing’s sword drew near, about to strike Chen Zhi'an’s neck.

But at that very moment, Chen Zhi'an suddenly drew the dull, lusterless long blade from his waist. It was merely common iron, not even categorized as a grade-level weapon, nor was it the fine steel blade of a wandering warrior. Yet, held in Chen Zhi'an's hand, the blade released a terrifying arc of light that unfolded in a dozen variations, creating numerous devious possibilities...

Then, like wind cutting through fallen leaves, the blade swung from bottom to top!

*From the north of the Eight Capitals through the twelve tiers, I come to slay this noble son!*

A flash of bright red blood flew out, the True Essence dissipated violently, and Zhou Xiujing’s body was sent flying, crashing onto the Storm Terrace three yards away!

One strike. Zhou Xiujing was defeated by Chen Zhi'an.

Si Hougui stood up, his eyes narrowing as he felt the fluctuations coming from his own spiritual essence. "This Chen Zhi'an didn't just break into the True Essence stage."

"He has already formed the Wondrous Tree; he is in the Upper Realm of True Essence!"

"That brat, hiding his cultivation to play me for a fool?"

On the Storm Terrace, Chen Zhi'an slowly sheathed his blade, feeling quite surprised. "This Young Master Zhou... is he really this fragile?"