# Chapter 199: Benefactor
Zhang Ruochen clasped his hands behind his back and walked toward Nie Zheng Han, saying, "Don't ask who I am. I only want to know—will you take me to Earthfire City?"
"Go to hell!"
Nie Zheng Han roared, activating the bloodline power within his body. His figure was enveloped in a cloud of blood mist, and a blood formation three meters in diameter appeared beneath his feet. Behind him, it seemed as if a massive tiger shadow and the phantom of an axe-shaped war weapon materialized.
Raising the silver battle axe with both hands, Nie Zheng Han charged forward, slashing toward Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen gently shook his head. His body moved, vanishing from his original position. The next moment, he stood before Nie Zheng Han, pointing a finger at his brow.
A dull thud echoed inside Nie Zheng Han's head. His Qi Sea shattered, and surging true qi burst forth from the Qi Lake, instantly rupturing the meridians and blood vessels within his body.
"Pfft!"
Nie Zheng Han's eyes went vacant. His legs gave way, and he fell to his knees, spitting out a mouthful of blood before collapsing limply.
Although Zhang Ruochen did not enjoy killing, he showed no mercy toward evil path martial artists like those of the Black Tiger Hall. Countless ordinary people had died at their hands—killing one meant saving more.
"A sixth-grade True Martial Treasure-level battle axe is worth over four hundred thousand silver coins." Zhang Ruochen stored the silver giant axe away and then pursued the other evil path martial artists of the Black Tiger Hall.
"Whoosh!"
With a swing of the axe, a flash of silver light swept through.
A thin bloodstain appeared on the neck of one evil path martial artist, who then collapsed to the ground.
Zhang Ruochen controlled the battle axe with exquisite precision, as if wielding a sword. Each time he killed an evil path martial artist, he left only a fine blood line on their neck. Unlike other axe users who would cleave a person in half or cut them into two pieces, his technique was refined.
Zhang Ruochen had already cultivated the Wind-Riding Flying Dragon Shadow to great mastery. His speed was astonishing, and those evil path martial artists at the Yellow Extreme Realm and Mysterious Extreme Realm could never escape from under his nose.
However, Zhang Ruochen did not slaughter them all. He only killed Nie Zheng Han and the nine Mysterious Extreme Realm evil path martial artists. As for the Yellow Extreme Realm evil path martial artists, he let them flee without pursuit.
Why did the Martial Market Academy only assign merit points to martial artists above the Yellow Extreme Realm Great Perfection when issuing tasks? It was because high-realm evil path martial artists posed a greater threat. Low-realm martial artists were merely a rabble.
Once the strong ones above the Yellow Extreme Realm Great Perfection in the Black Market were eliminated, the official forces of the Yunwu Commandery would naturally handle the remaining low-realm evil path martial artists.
The official forces and the Martial Market Academy had always maintained a cooperative relationship.
Zhang Ruochen searched the bodies of the nine Mysterious Extreme Realm evil path martial artists and Nie Zheng Han, retrieving a large amount of cultivation resources, including pills, True Martial Treasures, spirit crystals, silver coins, and formation base jade stones.
Zhang Ruochen arranged ten formation base jade stones together and nodded slightly. "Although I let the other Yellow Extreme Realm martial artists escape and take the remaining formation base jade stones with them, these ten alone are worth about eight hundred thousand silver coins."
The formation base jade stones from Nie Zheng Han and the nine Mysterious Extreme Realm martial artists were of the highest quality and could form a combined attack formation. The jade stones held by the other Yellow Extreme Realm martial artists were far inferior—even combined, they were not worth as much as these ten.
Thus, the total wealth was roughly worth one and a half million silver coins, with the silver giant axe and the ten formation base jade stones accounting for the vast majority.
"The wealth of Mysterious Extreme Realm martial artists from the Black Tiger Hall really can't compare to the outer academy disciples of the Martial Market Academy." Zhang Ruochen felt somewhat uninterested as he stored all the cultivation resources into his space bracelet.
An outer academy disciple of the Martial Market Academy, even a freshman, possessed tens of thousands of silver coins in wealth. For a senior who had been in the academy for a year, their assets typically exceeded one hundred thousand silver coins.
But the martial artists of the Black Tiger Hall, despite being at the Mysterious Extreme Realm, had total wealth—excluding the formation base jade stones—of only around ten thousand silver coins. They simply could not compare to the Martial Market Academy's disciples.
Even Nie Zheng Han, an Earth Extreme Realm powerhouse, had his most valuable possession be that sixth-grade True Martial Treasure-level silver giant axe. It was a war weapon he had saved decades to purchase.
An inner academy disciple of the Martial Market Academy would be embarrassed to go out without assets of at least one million silver coins.
The disciples of the Martial Market Academy, at the same realm, were ten times wealthier than outside martial artists.
"Nine Mysterious Extreme Realm evil path martial artists and one Earth Extreme Realm evil path martial artist—that should be worth eight hundred merit points, right?" Zhang Ruochen smiled slightly.
Zhang Ruochen did not leave. He waited right there.
By letting the Yellow Extreme Realm evil path martial artists escape, was he not also using them to lure other strong members of the Black Tiger Hall here?
If it were not necessary, Zhang Ruochen did not want to brazenly storm Earthfire City.
Other Martial Market Academy disciples might not understand Earthfire City, but Zhang Ruochen knew it quite well.
Earthfire City was a massive Black Market hub, responsible for all Black Market affairs in the southeastern part of the Yunwu Commandery. It was teeming with experts and was considered the third-largest branch of the Black Market in the Yunwu Commandery.
Earthfire City was certainly equipped with a city-protecting grand formation.
If attacked by the city-protecting grand formation, even with Zhang Ruochen's current cultivation, he might not be able to escape unscathed.
Of course, if he truly had to storm Earthfire City, Zhang Ruochen had other methods. For instance, he could first destroy the city-protecting grand formation. Without that threat, with his cultivation, he could come and go freely within Earthfire City. Unless he encountered an Earth Extreme Realm Great Perfection powerhouse, no one could stop him.
"Bang!"
Lin Yingshan forcibly broke through the sealed meridians in her body, circulating true qi to snap the iron chains binding her. She jumped down from the back of the golden-spotted giant tiger.
She did not immediately leave. Instead, she stared curiously at the metal-masked youth standing in the distance, still deeply shaken.
"He single-handedly defeated dozens of evil path martial artists, and even the combined attack formation couldn't harm him. He can't be much older than me, can he?"
Both were in their teens, yet he had already reached the Earth Extreme Realm and could sweep through a group of evil path experts, while she had been utterly helpless against those same evil path martial artists.
How could the gap be so vast?
Lin Yingshan was awestruck by the youth's powerful cultivation and unparalleled bearing. Filled with curiosity, she cautiously approached him, elegantly cupping her hands in a bow, and said softly, "I am Lin Yingshan, an outer disciple of the Cloud Tower Sect Mansion. I am also here to deal with the evil path martial artists of the Black Market and the Moon Worship Demon Sect, standing on the same side as the Martial Market Academy. May I ask... Benefactor's esteemed name?"
Zhang Ruochen had no favorable impression of Lin Yingshan and had never intended to save her. He still had his back to her, but he was somewhat curious. "The Martial Market Academy has joined forces with the Cloud Tower Sect Mansion?"
In the territory of the thirty-six commanderies of the Demon Ridge, the Cloud Tower Sect Mansion was considered a top-tier force, like a local tyrant that could contend with the Martial Market Academy, the Black Market, and the Moon Worship Demon Sect.
The Cloud Tower Sect Mansion's power surpassed that of individual commanderies. Even the position of commandery prince in each commandery was, to some extent, influenced by the Cloud Tower Sect Mansion.
For example, the royal clan of the Yunwu Commandery had a deep connection with the Cloud Tower Sect Mansion. Almost every generation of commandery prince was a disciple of the Cloud Tower Sect Mansion.
Lin Yingshan thought Zhang Ruochen was asking her, so she said, "The Cloud Tower Sect Mansion has always been a righteous force in the thirty-six commanderies of the Demon Ridge, cooperating with the official forces and the Martial Market Academy."
"The Cloud Tower Sect Mansion also has many businesses across the thirty-six commanderies, frequently attacked by the Black Market and the Moon Worship Demon Sect. Since the Martial Market Academy is targeting the Black Market and the Moon Worship Demon Sect, the Cloud Tower Sect Mansion naturally wants to contribute."
Zhang Ruochen remained silent, appearing cold and aloof, showing no intention of continuing the conversation with Lin Yingshan.
But Lin Yingshan did not seem to notice his coldness. She continued to study him, finding him increasingly familiar. However, she never thought he could be Zhang Ruochen.
She asked again, "May I ask Benefactor's esteemed name?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "I am not your benefactor. You don't need to know my name. I advise you to leave quickly. If you don't, you might not be able to leave."
Lin Yingshan was quite clever. Her eyes lit up. "Benefactor deliberately let those Yellow Extreme Realm martial artists escape to lure other experts from the Black Tiger Hall to Lingyue Town?"
In the past, when Lin Yingshan saw him, she always wore a cold and proud expression, looking down on him, unwilling to say even one more word to him.
But today, even though Zhang Ruochen was very cold, she refused to leave, acting unusually enthusiastic, even with a hint of admiration in her eyes.
Zhang Ruochen took a deep breath. "Since you know the Black Tiger Hall's experts will arrive soon, you still dare to stay here?"
Lin Yingshan seemed a bit hesitant but ultimately did not leave. She smiled brightly, revealing her white teeth. "With Benefactor's formidable strength, even if the Black Tiger Hall's hall master, Iron Hunchback, comes personally, he might not be a match for you."
"Of course, Benefactor should still be careful. Iron Hunchback's cultivation has reached the Earth Extreme Realm Great Extreme Position, more than ten times stronger than Nie Zheng Han. In the Yunwu Commandery, he is definitely a fearsome figure of great renown."
Zhang Ruochen grew impatient. "The Black Tiger Hall's hall master, Iron Hunchback, should be in Earthfire City. He will arrive soon."
Lin Yingshan smiled. "Although Yingshan's cultivation is not high, I am willing to lend Benefactor a hand. An extra person always adds a bit more strength."
Zhang Ruochen had originally intended to warn her to leave, but he never expected her to say such a thing, leaving him unsure how to refuse.
Women truly were strange creatures. A man who genuinely treated her well, she did not care about at all. But a man who was cold to her, she would desperately try to cling to.
Zhang Ruochen ignored her, taking out the Abyssal Ancient Sword, holding it in his hands, and gently stroking it. He murmured to himself, "Abyssal, today will be our first battle after eight hundred years of reunion."
The Abyssal Ancient Sword seemed to possess a spirit, trembling slightly and letting out a piercing sword cry.
"Is a rusty, broken sword more interesting to look at than me?" Lin Yingshan stood in the distance, pursing her lips, staring resentfully at the metal-masked youth.
She felt that the youth was like a piece of uninteresting wood, but the more he was like that, the more mysterious he seemed to her, and the more she admired him. She desperately wanted to know just how strong he really was.
"If only he would look at me, maybe he would realize that there is a beautiful woman standing beside him who is more captivating than a sword."
Lin Yingshan stared intently at the youth's back, hoping he would turn around and look at her, even just once.