Chapter 189: Seeing the Truth of the World
"Senior Sister, what brings you here?"
"Oh? Not happy to see me?"
"Of course not! I wish you’d come every day."
Tang Wen lay in the medicated bath, looking up at Shui Yun.
It had been three days since he returned to the Seven Kills Hall to resume his secluded training.
Shui Yun gazed at his high-bridged nose and prominent Adam’s apple. Recalling the Observing Men Skill she had recently learned, she felt a secret satisfaction.
’You can tell a lot from the details. Junior Brother must be one fine bull.’
"An Extraordinary-level medicated bath... I can’t believe you can actually handle it."
After staring at Tang Wen for a good while, she finally noticed the medicinal herbs in the tub.
Her eyes filled with surprise.
’How long has it been since Junior Brother became a Martial Artist?’
’Back then, I only dared to soak in an Extraordinary-level medicated bath after I became a First-class Martial Artist.’
Tang Wen sensed something and deliberately furrowed his brow, feigning a pained expression.
"It can’t be helped. I have to do this to catch up to you, Senior Sister! Even if the pain is excruciating, I’ll bear it!"
She knew he was pretending.
But Shui Yun willingly fell for it.
She took a step forward, and Tang Wen’s vision blurred.
She stopped a foot away from the tub.
She cupped Tang Wen’s face in her hands, bent down, and kissed him.
"Mmph!"
Tang Wen moved his hands, but without even looking, her own hand shot out like lightning, pinning both of his down.
Her lips focused solely on their conquest.
’This is the first time... I’ve been forcefully kissed.’
After a long moment, the fire in Shui Yun’s eyes blazed. It took nearly all her willpower as an Extraordinary Martial Artist to force herself to pull away.
’I can’t go on.’
’Otherwise, never mind whether I’d be satisfied, it’s highly likely Junior Brother would end up with his vital essence damaged.’
Gazing at Tang Wen’s youthful, handsome face—flawless as jade and porcelain—she reached out to caress it and murmured:
"They always say beauty is a distraction from important matters. Before I met you, Junior Brother, I used to sneer at that idea! I thought it was just an excuse for men who lacked self-control."
Tang Wen maintained a helpless posture, his hands still restrained.
’Like a helpless woman from an island nation, all tied up.’
’Your self-control isn’t much better, is it, Senior Sister?’
Shui Yun smiled and kissed his cheek again and again, leaving it flushed red. Only then did she reluctantly release his wrists and stand up.
"From now on, double my junior brother’s supply of Extraordinary Potions."
"Yes!" a man’s voice answered from outside the door.
From the sound of it, he wasn’t young.
Tang Wen looked up, his eyes filled with confusion.
Shui Yun suppressed the urge to kiss him again. "He’s the physician I brought with me. I didn’t think you’d be able to withstand the medicinal power."
The medicated bath was full of herbs, but one patch was pushed high up, like a tuft of seaweed.
Shui Yun saw it, let out a soft snort, and studied it seriously for a moment, her eyes half curious, half satisfied.
’Junior Brother really is a fine bull!’
"The gang has finished studying the Azure Stone Slab. I’ll bring it for you to use in a few days."
Tang Wen didn’t thank her. Instead, he winked and said, "Senior Sister, does the gang have any Basic Pile Techniques or Breathing Techniques? I’d like to take a look."
Shui Yun didn’t ask why. She simply turned and had someone send over several dozen of them.
After she left, Tang Wen changed into dry clothes, ate something, and resumed his training.
Experience Panel:
[Body: 10.99→11.23]
[Visualization Martial Arts, Night Divine Fist, Mastery (113/6000)]
[Martial Arts Realm: Initial Entry into the Extraordinary (Transforming)]
[Extraordinary Ability: Dark (Awakening Progress 9.11%)]
[Visualization Martial Arts, Mountain-Opening Cannon Fist (Fivefold Vibrating Force), Expert (4369/12000)]
The effects of the Extraordinary Potion medicated bath were beginning to show.
In just a few days, his Constitution had improved slightly.
Although the increase was small.
But one had to understand, for someone with a Constitution like his—even more formidable than a Veteran Extraordinary’s—every little bit of progress was a welcome development, especially in such a short period.
For now, he couldn’t break through with the Night Divine Fist.
It was enough to just grind away at it for four hours a day.
His Martial Arts Training was different from others; he was just doing it to farm experience points.
Immersing himself in a single Fist Technique all day would actually lower his efficiency at farming experience.
Tang Wen sat cross-legged on a soft, snow-white cushion.
A stack of kraft paper lay on the cushion before him.
The techniques on his Experience Panel were numerous and varied.
People always say that biting off more than you can chew is a bad idea.
But there was one type of technique where the more you had, the better.
And that was Body Refining Techniques.
He picked up the kraft paper scrolls:
Thick Earth Technique, Barbaric Bull Force, Qi Concealing Technique...
There were dozens of them in total.
With a single glance, Tang Wen could tell they were all ordinary Basic Techniques.
Usually, only Martial Disciples would pick one or two of these to build a foundation.
Neither Martial Artists nor Martial Masters would bother with these techniques.
He learned one per day, treating it like a game.
He hadn’t neglected the Eight Vajra Techniques either.
It was just that he had already reached a profound level in this Cultivation Technique.
The further he went, the harder it became. He often had to practice it several times just for his experience to increase by a single point.
Breaking through to increase his Attributes seemed a long way off.
That was why he had thought of learning some new Basic Techniques.
「A month passed.」
He had learned all the new Cultivation Techniques.
Tang Wen went to the gang’s headquarters to collect his new monthly supply of Extraordinary Potions.
Just as he was leaving, another group of people arrived at the Main Hall.
They rode all sorts of Exotic Beasts. Tang Wen felt something and looked back through the window of his carriage.
His eyes fell upon a horned horse, its body pure white without a single discolored hair.
A chill went down his spine.
’An Extraordinary Magical Beast—a Cloud Horse!’
’An Extraordinary Exotic Beast that can control Thunder Power.’
’Its combat power is even greater than that of a typical Extraordinary Powerhouse.’
Sensing Tang Wen’s gaze.
The man in black on the Cloud Horse glanced at him.
"Who’s that?"
the man in black asked.
A person beside him, though he had never seen Tang Wen, said with certainty, "Judging by the carriage’s specifications, that must be the Black Water Gang’s newly appointed Seventh Young Master."
"Hah! He’s certainly got a pretty face."
"I hear he’s very close with their Third Miss."
The group arrived at the Black Water Gang’s Council Hall.
If Tang Wen were here, he would have been shocked to discover...
...that aside from him, the newly appointed "senior member,"...
...all the other influential Hall Masters and Elders of the gang were present today.
The man on the Cloud Horse and his entourage were here to conscript people:
"Water Gang Leader, and everyone from the Black Water Gang. I trust you are prepared. This time, you are required to provide one Gang Martial, five Extraordinaries, one hundred Martial Masters, and three hundred Martial Artists to go and stand guard."
"This isn’t what we agreed upon."
"Exactly! Why are you suddenly raising the stakes now that it’s the Black Water Gang’s turn?"
The man in black said, "What do you mean, ’suddenly raising the stakes’? If I had a choice, I wish nobody had to do this damn job!"
Vice Gang Leader Zhao said, "Lord Vice City Lord. You’re demanding too many people, and of too high a caliber! If we give them to you, the daily operations of our gang will become a problem. If some petty crooks take the opportunity to cause trouble, I’m afraid the entire Black Water Gang won’t be able to handle it."
"Haha, don’t be ridiculous, Old Zhao. I don’t need to tell you how strong the Black Water Gang is; the whole city has seen it. Oh, and just now, I saw a newly appointed Young Master. A real talent, indeed."
"That’s right, Water Gang Leader. The resources required to cultivate a new Young Master are not insignificant."
Standing beside the main seat, Shui Yun’s eyes flickered.
’What are the Huang Family people getting at?’
’If you’re here to conscript people, then just conscript people. Why bring Xiaowen into this?’
’Could it be that the Eldest isn’t behaving himself?’
The Eldest Young Master was very close to the Huang Family. This was an open secret among the Black Water Gang’s upper echelons.
Vice Gang Leader Zhao laughed, "Those are two different matters. The gang has to cultivate new talent, otherwise how can we keep guarding this place forever?"
"That makes sense. If that’s the case, why not take him down below to get some training? It’d be a good chance for the newcomer to see the truth of the world, wouldn’t it?"
The atmosphere gradually grew tense.