Chapter 181: Rage
"Alright! My cousin truly has guts. I admire that." Lin Chenyu let out a sinister laugh and sat back down.
Just then, a maidservant walked out from a private room on the third floor of the Jintian Pavilion, stared down at the main hall below, and said in a loud voice: "Young Hero Zhang, Commandery Princess Huang Yanchen invites you to the third-floor private room for a chat."
Instantly, the entire Jintian Pavilion fell silent.
Everyone's gaze turned toward Zhang Ruochen, and many wore gloating smiles, eager to see panic on his face.
But to their disappointment, Zhang Ruochen was only slightly startled for a moment before immediately regaining his composure. He stepped onto the staircase and headed for the third floor.
It wasn't a real engagement between him and Huang Yanchen, so what was there to worry about?
Ximen Guanren stared at Zhang Ruochen ascending the stairs and grinned widely. "Zhang Ruochen actually dared to compete for the head courtesan right in front of Commandery Princess Huang Yanchen. Just wait—she won't tolerate him. She'll break off the engagement today."
"Breaking off the engagement is certain. He might even get a harsh beating and end up crippled. Haha!" Hua Jiuhan laughed.
Even Liu Chengfeng and Zhang Shaochu looked worried. After all, Huang Yanchen was notorious as a female demon. Zhang Ruochen walking into this was like walking into a den of tigers.
Zhang Ruochen pushed open the door to the private room. Inside, twelve people sat, all staring at him in unison.
Seven men and five women. The men were handsome and dashing, the women beautiful and elegant—all were extraordinary talents.
"Everyone's cultivation is above the Earth Extreme Realm." Sensing their auras, Zhang Ruochen quickly assessed their approximate levels.
Indeed, birds of a feather flock together.
Huang Yanchen fixed her gaze on Zhang Ruochen, her eyes cold and sharp. "Zhang Ruochen, was that head courtesan very beautiful?"
Since outsiders were present, Zhang Ruochen decided to clarify things to avoid embarrassing Huang Yanchen in front of her friends.
Even if it was a fake engagement, he still had to save face for her.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Senior Sister Huang, you misunderstand. I was bidding on that head courtesan for Fourth Brother. I had no other intentions."
Xun Guihai sneered. "Zhang Ruochen, at this point, what's the point of lying? Kneel down and apologize to Commandery Princess Huang Yanchen right now. Otherwise, even if she lets you off, I, Xun Guihai, won't."
Zuo Lengxuan shot Zhang Ruochen a sidelong glance. "I think he should not only kneel and apologize but also personally kill that head courtesan."
Just then, two armored warriors escorted the head courtesan up the stairs.
With a forceful shove, the head courtesan let out a muffled groan and fell to her knees.
A chill ran through Zhang Ruochen's heart. He swept his gaze across the room, finally fixing it on Huang Yanchen. "Huang Yanchen, is this your intention too?"
Huang Yanchen shot a fierce glare at Xun Guihai and Zuo Lengxuan. She knew well that Zhang Ruochen's pride was unmatched. By pressuring him to kneel, they were only pushing him further away from her.
But Huang Yanchen had been pampered since childhood and had never bowed to anyone. Faced with Zhang Ruochen's accusation now, would she lower her head?
Besides, today was Zhang Ruochen's fault. He had made her lose face. Why should she be the one to yield?
Seeing Huang Yanchen hesitate, Xun Guihai seized the opportunity and stood up. "Zhang Ruochen, you see now—Commandery Princess Huang Yanchen doesn't even want to acknowledge you. Why don't you kill that head courtesan right now and kneel to apologize?"
Zhang Ruochen looked at Huang Yanchen with disappointment, flicked his sleeves, and said, "No one can force me to kneel and apologize. And no one can force me to kill."
With that, he turned and walked out, quickly striking out with two palms, sending the two armored warriors flying.
"Boom!"
The two warriors crashed from the third floor down to the first.
Zhang Ruochen helped the Peacock Half-Human head courtesan to her feet. "Since I bought you, you belong to me now. No one can kill you. Let's go."
He had once thought that while Huang Yanchen was willful, she at least had principles. But now, Zhang Ruochen was utterly disappointed and didn't want to stay a moment longer.
Zhang Ruochen had always considered Huang Yanchen a friend. As a friend, she should have known his character. If he wanted a woman, would he need to buy one?
No matter what, if trust couldn't exist between friends, then it wasn't a friendship worth keeping.
Huang Yanchen watched Zhang Ruochen's retreating figure, a sharp pain stabbing through her heart. An unprecedented agony wracked her, like a knife twisting in her chest.
"Zhang Ruochen, do you think you can leave the Jintian Pavilion alive today?"
Xun Guihai was in high spirits. With a loud laugh, he leaped out of the private room, caught up to Zhang Ruochen, channeled his true qi to his fingertip, and aimed a finger strike at Zhang Ruochen's back.
He wanted Zhang Ruochen dead!
Hearing the wind behind him, Zhang Ruochen stopped abruptly, turned around, and struck out five palm strikes. The five palm prints merged into one, unleashing five times the power.
"Elephant Force Ninefold."
Zhang Ruochen's palm turned completely white, emitting a blinding light.
The palm print and finger force collided, sending a ripple of energy exploding between Zhang Ruochen and Xun Guihai.
"Boom!"
Xun Guihai was sent flying backward, smashing through the private room's door. He spat out a mouthful of blood, his hair disheveled as he crashed to the ground.
Zhang Ruochen only took half a step back before steadying himself. He stared at Xun Guihai. "You think you can stop me? How laughably naive."
The exchange between Zhang Ruochen and Xun Guihai was naturally seen by the warriors on the first and second floors.
Everyone was stunned, finding it hard to believe.
"Xun Guihai was once the top-ranked student of the Eastern Academy, and now he's broken through to the Earth Extreme Realm and become an inner palace disciple. His strength is unfathomable. How could Zhang Ruochen defeat him with a single palm?"
"Is Zhang Ruochen really only at the Mysterious Extreme Realm?"
...
It wasn't just the warriors on the first and second floors who were shocked—even those in the private room were greatly surprised.
They didn't know Zhang Ruochen's strength, but they knew Xun Guihai's very well. Xun Guihai's cultivation was close to the mid-stage of the Earth Extreme Realm, enough to contend with late-stage Earth Extreme Realm warriors.
For Zhang Ruochen to defeat Xun Guihai with a single palm—wasn't that too exaggerated?
"Could Zhang Ruochen have broken through to the Earth Extreme Realm?" Many speculated in their hearts.
Xun Guihai, furious and humiliated, scrambled to his feet and roared, "Zhang Ruochen, today, either you die, or I die!"
Xun Guihai spread his legs slightly, assuming a horse stance. He lifted his head, took a deep breath, and his abdomen swelled.
Torrential true qi converged into his abdomen.
"Shua!"
Xun Guihai charged forward at lightning speed, like a flash of lightning, reaching Zhang Ruochen in an instant.
The true qi in his abdomen surged into his arm as he struck out a massive handprint.
"Abdominal Palm!"
Abdominal Palm was a spirit-level mid-grade martial technique.
"Elephant Force Ninefold."
Zhang Ruochen stood firm, his arm stretched straight. He unleashed five palm strikes in succession, merging them into one to meet the attack.