Chapter 97: The Truth Comes to Light
Zhang Ruochen fed a Saint Nirvana Pill for healing injuries into Zhang Shaochu's mouth, then hoisted him onto his back and walked toward the Dragon Martial Hall.
Duanmu Xingling clasped her hands behind her back, her rounded chest thrust forward, as she followed behind Zhang Ruochen. She stared at Zhang Shaochu with some disdain, her brows tightly furrowed. "Zhang Ruochen, is he really your brother? He doesn't look like a prince to me!"
Zhang Ruochen had met the Eighth Prince, Sixth Prince, Fifth Prince, and Third Prince, but he had never felt any brotherly affection from them.
Although Zhang Shaochu was not as handsome as those princes, he had dared to stand up and help Zhang Ruochen when he was in the most danger and needed help the most. For that alone, he deserved to be called Fourth Brother.
Duanmu Xingling added, "Zhang Ruochen, you're not planning to carry this fatty all the way to the Dragon Martial Hall, are you?"
Zhang Ruochen replied, "He's seriously injured. Can't I take him back to recover?"
Duanmu Xingling immediately blocked Zhang Ruochen's path, hands on her hips. "No way. Men are not allowed into the Dragon Martial Hall."
Zhang Ruochen asked, "Who made that rule?"
"It's the rule of the Western Courtyard!" Duanmu Xingling tilted her face, looking quite haughty.
Zhang Ruochen ignored her, walking past her and through the Dragon Martial Hall's entrance. "If I can enter the Dragon Martial Hall, then my Fourth Brother can enter as well."
Duanmu Xingling chased after him. "The only reason we didn't make things difficult for you is that your talent has earned our recognition. Otherwise, do you think you could have walked out of the Dragon Martial Hall unscathed last night?"
Zhang Ruochen acted as if he couldn't hear Duanmu Xingling's words and headed straight for Yellow Character Number One.
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen stopped, letting out a soft exclamation of surprise as he stared at the plaque above. "Strange! This is clearly Yellow Character Number One, so why has it become Earth Character Number One?"
The plaque on the side hall indeed read "Earth Character Number One."
Zhang Ruochen's memory was quite sharp, and he was certain he hadn't taken the wrong path. That left only one possibility—someone had swapped the plaques.
Who would be so bored as to exchange the plaques for Earth Character Number One and Yellow Character Number One?
Zhang Ruochen took out the bronze key and inserted it into the lock, only to find that it wouldn't open. Clearly, the lock had also been changed.
Duanmu Xingling's face showed an unnatural expression as she blinked her eyes lightly and said in a low voice, "Zhang Ruochen, you've taken the wrong path. Yellow Character Number One is across the way. This is Earth Character Number One, where Sister Chen lives."
"Impossible. I came here last night, and there's no mistake," Zhang Ruochen said firmly.
Duanmu Xingling said, "Maybe it was too dark last night, and you misremembered the way."
"That's not possible."
Zhang Ruochen pulled out the bronze key, turned around, and stared at Duanmu Xingling. "If this is Earth Character Number One, then there's only one possibility: last night, someone swapped the plaques and locks of Earth Character Number One and Yellow Character Number One, trying to lure me into Earth Character Number One. Am I right?"
Zhang Ruochen's gaze was fixed intently on Duanmu Xingling.
Duanmu Xingling, feeling guilty, looked down at the ground. "Who would be so bored?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "In the Western Courtyard, no one dares to break into the Dragon Martial Hall, and outsiders wouldn't dare come in. Only three female demons live in the Dragon Martial Hall: Luo Shuihan, Huang Yanchen, and Duanmu Xingling. Huang Yanchen wouldn't do something like this, so the only ones who could have are you and Luo Shuihan. Which one was it? Let's go ask Luo Shuihan and find out."
"No need. It was me."
Duanmu Xingling finally admitted it, forcing a smile. "Actually, I was just trying to play a joke on you. No one expected it would lead to such an uncontrollable situation last night."
Zhang Ruochen sighed. "I thought you were acting strange when I saw you this morning. So it really was you. Why did you do it? Do you realize you nearly got me killed last night, and you nearly got Huang Yanchen killed too?"
The truth was finally out.
Duanmu Xingling felt a bit guilty and put on a pitiful expression. "I already told you, I was just trying to play a joke. Who would have thought you'd go peeping at Sister Chen while she was bathing? Besides... you got quite a bargain! By the way, what exactly happened between you and Sister Chen last night? When I went to see her, she was crying. I've never seen her cry before."
Zhang Ruochen felt a pang of guilt. After all, he had misunderstood Huang Yanchen last night and had even severely injured her.
If anyone was the most wronged, it was Huang Yanchen.
Zhang Ruochen said, "A Xuan List martial artist, and a recognized female demon at that—she actually cried?"
Duanmu Xingling nodded vigorously. "She really cried, and she was heartbroken. Did you do something beastly to her after you injured her?"
"Did she tell you that?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
"Of course not."
Duanmu Xingling added, "I asked, but she didn't say. That's why I'm asking you!"
Last night, Zhang Ruochen had indeed seen every inch of Huang Yanchen's body and had also seriously injured her. After a moment's thought, he said, "I wronged her."
"Did you really do something beastly to her?" Duanmu Xingling's eyes widened in shock.
"Maybe," Zhang Ruochen said with a slight nod.
In truth, Zhang Ruochen was quite innocent in such matters and didn't fully understand what Duanmu Xingling meant by "beastly."
In his previous life, he had been devoted to martial arts and had little exposure to matters between men and women. Even his romance with Princess Chi Yao had been pure, at most holding hands.
So, when it came to relationships, he knew even less than Duanmu Xingling.
Zhang Ruochen said, "I should go explain things to her face to face."
"No."
Duanmu Xingling blocked him again. "If Sister Chen finds out that I was the one who caused her to end up like this, she'll hate me to death."
Zhang Ruochen stared at her. "So you want me to keep taking the blame?"
Duanmu Xingling thought for a moment and then said, "Besides, it's useless to explain now. When she sees you, she'll want to kill you. If she wants to kill you, she only needs to lift a finger. Would she even listen to your explanation? How about this: we make a deal. You keep last night's events a secret, and I'll help persuade Sister Chen to spare your life. Deal?"
"Is she really determined to kill me?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Duanmu Xingling nodded. "Who told you to do... that to her? If it were me, I'd want to cut you into pieces. But if I put in a good word for you and persuade her, she might let you off."
"And she'll forgive me that easily?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Duanmu Xingling smiled. "Although the students call Sister Chen a 'female demon' and an 'ice beauty,' I know she's always liked exceptionally talented geniuses and has sworn to marry the most outstanding man in the world."
"For example, Zhang Tianqui, the number one prodigy of the thirty-six commanderies of the Demon Ridge, is someone she often praises. Your talent is decent, though a bit behind Zhang Tianqui. But if you work hard, your future achievements won't be low."
"Sister Chen might even take a liking to you. Then you'll save your life and win a beauty—what's not to like? After all, you've already... you know."
"Seventh Prince, Zhang Tianqui," Zhang Ruochen murmured.
Duanmu Xingling's eyes lit up. "Right! How could I forget? Zhang Tianqui is the Seventh Prince of the Yunwu Commandery, your seventh brother."
"The number one genius of the thirty-six commanderies of the Demon Ridge?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Duanmu Xingling showed rare admiration. "Zhang Tianqui is far stronger than you. At sixteen, he was already third on the Xuan List, becoming the leader of the younger generation."
"At seventeen, he broke through to the Earth Extreme Realm and entered the Yuntai Sect as an inner disciple with the highest score."
"Now he's twenty, and no one knows how much stronger he's become. A prodigy like that appears only once in a hundred years. Zhang Ruochen, you're sixteen and only at the Mysterious Extreme Middle Stage—far behind your seventh brother."
Zhang Ruochen said calmly, "One day, I will surpass him."
"Right! If you have that kind of ambition, with your talent, in another three to five years, you'll definitely become a Xuan List martial artist. Once you're on the Xuan List, Sister Chen will surely see you in a new light." Duanmu Xingling licked her lips and smiled. "So, about our deal?"
Zhang Ruochen thought it over and said, "Fine. Let's leave it at that for now. I'm taking my fourth brother to Yellow Character Number One to recover. Do you have any objections now?"
"None at all, of course not." Duanmu Xingling smiled.
Zhang Ruochen carried Zhang Shaochu to Yellow Character Number One, laid him on the bed, and applied Sinew-Bone Mending Paste to his arms.
Although Zhang Shaochu's arm bones had been broken, a martial artist's physique was far stronger than an ordinary person's. With the medicine's effects, the bones would be fully healed in at most half a month.
"Zhang Tianqui."
Zhang Ruochen muttered the name to himself, then shook his head.
His most important task now was to prepare for his battle with Feng Zhilin on the Life-and-Death Platform a month from now.
Feng Zhilin was at the Mysterious Extreme Great Extreme Stage. Zhang Ruochen would need to raise his cultivation to the Mysterious Extreme Late Stage to have a chance of defeating him.
One month to break through to the Mysterious Extreme Late Stage—other martial artists might not manage it, but Zhang Ruochen certainly could.
Because he had the Time-Space Crystal.
Cultivating inside the Time-Space Crystal for three months would mean only one month had passed outside. That gave Zhang Ruochen three months of training time.
"With the abundant resources I have, reaching the Mysterious Extreme Late Stage within three months won't be difficult."
"My biggest weakness right now is martial techniques. If I can master the fourth palm of the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Palm or complete the entire Heavenly Heart Sword Technique within three months, then defeating Feng Zhilin will be a piece of cake."
With that thought, Zhang Ruochen entered the inner space of the Time-Space Crystal and began his cultivation.