Chapter 92: Dragon Pool and Tiger Den
Zi Qian did not leave. She stood shoulder to shoulder with Zhang Ruochen, holding an ancient sword in her arms, with a phoenix-patterned space ring on her jade finger that Zhang Ruochen had given her.
She glanced at Zhang Ruochen and said, "If it really doesn't work, how about staying at my place for the night tonight?"
"Uh?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Zi Qian's cheeks flushed red, and her gaze turned somewhat cold. "Where are your thoughts wandering? I'm just afraid you'll also have your legs broken and get thrown out of the Dragon Martial Hall."
Zhang Ruochen smiled. "No need. Although the Dragon Martial Hall is a dragon pool and tiger den, your room might not be safe either. What if you chop off my head with one sword strike while I'm asleep? Tomorrow, you could go to the Black Market and exchange it for a bounty of one hundred and fifty thousand silver coins. Wouldn't that be a terrible injustice for me?"
"You..."
Zi Qian's gaze grew even colder, as if she wanted to chop off Zhang Ruochen's head and kick it around like a ball. She had wanted to save him out of kindness, yet he was so ungrateful.
"But... why do I want to help him?"
She had clearly come to kill him. She was clearly an assassin. So why did she want to save the person she was supposed to assassinate?
Zi Qian fell into deep inner conflict. Her five snow-white, jade-like fingers involuntarily clenched, and her mind struggled incessantly. She realized she could no longer bring herself to kill Zhang Ruochen. This was a very dangerous feeling!
For someone who made a living by killing, being unable to kill was a fatal crisis.
Seeing Zi Qian's face turn pale, Zhang Ruochen thought his earlier words had hurt her. So he laughed and said, "I was just joking. Don't take it too seriously. How about this: I'll stay at your place for the night tonight, and I'll share the cultivation resources I got from the Demon Ridge with you?"
"No! How could my dormitory be a place for you to go?"
Zi Qian's attitude changed drastically. She coldly refused Zhang Ruochen, turned around, and walked away, adding, "You must be careful next time you go out. I might assassinate you at any moment!"
Zhang Ruochen was slightly stunned. Watching Zi Qian's retreating figure, he muttered, "I really can't understand a woman's mind. They change their faces in an instant."
Zhang Ruochen shook his head lightly and walked toward the Dragon Martial Hall.
Even if it was a dragon pool and tiger den, Zhang Ruochen still had to brave it. As a martial artist, if he didn't even have that much courage, he would never achieve much in the future.
The Dragon Martial Hall was located at the center of the Western Courtyard, flanked on the east and west by two massive mountain peaks with steep cliffs and treacherous terrain.
It had to be said that the Martial Market Bank was indeed wealthy and generous. Even the dormitories for students were like royal palaces, giving off an imposing and magnificent feeling.
At a glance, the three main halls and eight side halls of the Dragon Martial Hall were arranged in a mysterious layout, as if forming a formation.
By the time Zhang Ruochen arrived outside the Dragon Martial Hall, the night had completely fallen.
Not far away, many outer-court disciples could be seen, all staring in the direction of the Dragon Martial Hall.
"He's here! He's here! This year's top newcomer is here!"
"Is he the Zhang Ruochen who passed the third floor, second level of the Martial Tower? Guess how much worse he'll get beaten than Yuchi Tiancong?"
"Definitely! Those female demons specialize in beating geniuses. The higher the talent, the worse the beating. I reckon it won't just be his legs that get broken; maybe his arms too."
"Let's wait and see! Within an hour, he'll definitely be thrown out."
Liu Chengfeng and the other newcomers from the Yunwu Commandery had also rushed to the outside of the Dragon Martial Hall, looking at Zhang Ruochen with pity.
Liu Chengfeng said, "After the Ninth Prince is thrown out, you guys go carry him, and I'll apply the medicine. I just exchanged for some top-grade bone and tendon healing ointment."
The newcomers beside him nodded. Watching Zhang Ruochen standing outside the Dragon Martial Hall, they all sighed continuously, only hoping he could survive.
Zhang Ruochen's ears were exceptionally sharp. He heard everything clearly, but he still resolutely pushed open the door of the Dragon Martial Hall and walked in.
"The spiritual energy is indeed abundant."
As soon as he entered the Dragon Martial Hall, Zhang Ruochen felt surging spiritual energy coming from all directions, twice as dense as outside.
Cultivating in the Dragon Martial Hall would definitely be faster than outside.
Beneath Zhang Ruochen's feet was a huge white stone square, about two hundred meters long. In the distance stood a grand and imposing main hall, with the words "Dragon Martial Hall" written on its roof.
Behind the Dragon Martial Hall were two more main halls: the Qi Observation Hall and the Divine Power Hall.
Surrounding the three main halls were eight side halls: Heaven Number One, Heaven Number Two, Earth Number One, Earth Number Two, Mystery Number One, Mystery Number Two, Yellow Number One, and Yellow Number Two.
"Students who can enter the Dragon Martial Hall are definitely key training targets of the academy. The living environment is indeed extraordinary."
Zhang Ruochen walked toward Yellow Number One, inserted the bronze key into the lock, opened the door, and walked straight in.
From the moment he entered the Dragon Martial Hall, Zhang Ruochen had been on high alert, even deploying his Space Domain.
After entering Yellow Number One, Zhang Ruochen finally breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed the Dragon Martial Hall wasn't as terrifying as the legends said.
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen noticed a lamp lit in a courtyard ahead, and there seemed to be the sound of splashing water.
"Yellow Number One is where I'm supposed to live. Has someone already occupied it?"
Zhang Ruochen was naturally displeased and decided to see who was so domineering.
As soon as he stepped into the courtyard, a faint floral fragrance drifted out from the inner door. After a few more steps, Zhang Ruochen finally saw a scene that would make any man's blood boil.
In the center of the courtyard was a bathing pool, its surface covered with flower petals. A woman with skin as white as snow sat in the pool. Even from just her back, she was breathtakingly beautiful, flawless.
Although most of her snow-white body was submerged in the water, her faint silhouette was still visible, with droplets of water rolling off her skin.
Under the lamplight, the scene was extremely alluring.
After seeing the woman in the pool, Zhang Ruochen's heart leaped violently. He silently cursed, "Damn it! They're using this trick again. What do I do now? If I get caught, I'll definitely have my legs broken, and maybe even my eyes gouged out."
Although Zhang Ruochen had extraordinary talent and high cultivation, he was only at the Mysterious Extreme Realm Middle Stage. How could he contend with a female demon at the Mysterious Extreme Realm Great Perfection?
They were too ruthless!
Staring at the back of the woman bathing in the pool, Zhang Ruochen felt a sense of familiarity, but he couldn't think about that now. He sighed inwardly, "To deal with me, this female demon has gone to great lengths. She actually stripped naked for me to see. She's truly unscrupulous!"
Run!
He had to run immediately!
Zhang Ruochen looked around and saw no one rushing out to capture him. So he slowly stepped back, planning to leave silently.
"You're only coming now?" the woman said without turning around, sitting in the pool and enjoying the bath.
Admittedly, her voice was beautiful, like a heavenly sound, exceptionally pleasant.
Zhang Ruochen was slightly startled and immediately stopped.
"She knows I'm here, so why is she so calm? But... her voice sounds so familiar."
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen's gaze grew resolute. Since he had been exposed, he might as well fight her!
If she dared to set a trap for him, Zhang Ruochen dared to fight to the death.
Zhang Ruochen circulated the true qi in his body, preparing to use the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Palm to severely injure her as quickly as possible. Only then would he have a chance to escape.
Of course, with Zhang Ruochen's current cultivation, injuring the Mysterious Extreme Realm Great Perfection woman in the pool was nearly impossible—unless she was completely off guard and let him strike her.
Even without any chance of victory, Zhang Ruochen had to try.
He absolutely refused to end up like Yuchi Tiancong, with his legs broken and thrown out of the Dragon Martial Hall.
"Whoosh!"
Zhang Ruochen moved with his footwork, bursting forward at a speed of thirty-eight meters per second. In an instant, he reached the edge of the pool.
The woman in the pool was completely off guard. She turned around in the water and said, "Xingling, since you're here, why aren't you saying anything..."
Before she could finish, she saw Zhang Ruochen's palm print appearing before her eyes, and a young figure grew larger and larger in her pupils.
Her expression changed drastically, and she tried to circulate her true qi to defend herself.
But it was too late.
"Elephant Tramples the Ground!"
Zhang Ruochen struck her chest with his palm, unleashing a powerful force that sent the woman in the pool flying. She soared over ten meters before crashing onto the stone platform beside the pool.
The woman was completely naked, her figure slender and flawless, except for a blood-red palm print on her chest.
"Ah!"
The woman spat out a mouthful of blood, collapsed to the ground, trembling all over. Her chest burned with intense pain, clearly indicating she had suffered severe injuries.
Even though she was a Xuan List martial artist, without any defense, taking Zhang Ruochen's full-force strike would either kill her or leave her severely injured. Fortunately, at the last moment, she had circulated true qi to protect her chest; otherwise, she would have already perished.
Zhang Ruochen looked at the woman fallen on the ground and then at his own palm. He hadn't expected to so easily severely injure a Xuan List martial artist.
Of course, Zhang Ruochen felt no pity. She had set a trap for him first, and he had acted in self-defense.
Zhang Ruochen walked toward the woman lying by the pool. Seeing her naked on the ground, he felt a twinge of reluctance and took off his robe, draping it over her to cover her body.
Zhang Ruochen said sternly, "Although your methods are despicable, I won't take advantage of someone in a vulnerable position. Huh? You're Huang Yanchen!"
Zhang Ruochen finally recognized the stunning woman lying on the ground. It was Huang Yanchen, whom he had met once in the Martial Tower.
Hearing Zhang Ruochen's reprimand, Huang Yanchen trembled with rage. She opened her beautiful eyes, gritted her teeth, and said in a trembling voice, "You... you bastard... how dare you... break into my residence... I want... I want to kill you... ah!"
Huang Yanchen spat out another mouthful of blood and then fell unconscious.
Zhang Ruochen frowned slightly. "Unreasonable. Yellow Number One is where I live. She clearly broke in here to set a trap for me. Now she's turning the blame around? This woman twists right and wrong and stops at nothing. She's no good. Good thing I severely injured her; otherwise, I would have been done for tonight."