Lin Chenyu followed and stood behind Han Qiu. He watched Zhang Tiangui leave with murderous intent flashing in his eyes. He said, “Elder sister Han, if you don’t kill Zhang Tiangui, there will be no end to your trouble in the future.”
Han Qiu’s eyes revealed a slight struggle. She sighed. “I know, but after all he is the elder brother in Yuntai Suzerain, and he hasn’t done anything bad to the Suzerain. If I killed him, I would be neither virtuous nor righteous.”
“You should have at least destroyed his cultivation and broken his meridians…” Lin Chenyu said.
“Don’t say anything further. Just let him go! After all, he was once a member of Yuntai Suzerain and our eldest brother,” Han Qiu said.
Lin Chenyu was disappointed. “How indecisive women are! But even if Han Qiu can’t bear to do it, the Master is a man with the means. He will never set a tiger free to roam the mountains. It will not be easy for Zhang Tiangui to leave Yuntai Suzerain.”
Zhang Tiangui quickly executed his fastest technique to fly through the woods, hoping to leave Omen Ridge as soon as possible.
“Lin Chenyu, how dare you betray me? You just wait and see. I will exterminate your whole family.”
Zhang Tiangui was very angry. With his talent, he could have married Han Qiu and even become the future master of Yuntai Suzerain.
The Master had even promised that as long as he reached the fish-dragon realm, he could marry Han Qiu. The honor of being Master would be passed to Han Qiu.
Han Qiu would have been the Master and Zhang Tiangui would have been the Second Master.
Han Li had intended to let him help Han Qiu carry Yuntai Suzerain forward.
However, because of Zhang Ruochen and Lin Chenyu, he had to leave Yuntai Suzerain. He would not have the chance to become the Second Master nor the opportunity to practice the Holy Universe Reaching Skill .
He was like a stray dog now.
The world was so big. Where should he go?
“Shing!”
All of a sudden, there was a slight sound of breeze.
“Who goes there?”
Zhang Tiangui was highly alert. He stopped at once and looked towards the woods.
However, he could see nothing but trees, vines, moss, and rocks.
He seemed to feel something and turned around immediately.
Behind him, was a bearded elder who was likely in his 80s.
The bearded elder was skinny and haggard. He stood still in the forest like a mummy. His hands were shaped like eagle claws with ten sharp fingernails like trenchant edges.
Zhang Tiangui knew that the old man was a servant named Han Jingzhong. He always followed Han Li and was a master of martial arts. His cultivation was unfathomable.
“Oh, uncle Zhong. I knew that the Master wouldn’t allow me to leave alive.” Zhang Tiangui clasped his hands and mobilized the Genuine Qi throughout his body.
With no hesitation, Zhang Tiangui seized the initiative to make an attack. He punched towards Han Jingzhongin’s abdomen.
“Tiger-intruding Fist.”
The Genuine Qi formed ripples around Zhang Tiangui’s wrist. It sounded like the roar of a tiger.
“Grrrr!”
Zhang Tiangui was highly gifted, and his all-out punch was very powerful. It shook the trees nearby and leaves fell one by one.
Han Jingzhong stood still like a dry pine. His smile was as ferocious as a ghost. He raised his shriveled palm lightly.
His palm seemed to move slowly but left a weird mark in the void space.
“Clap!”
Han Jingzhong’s palm collided against Zhang Tiangui’s fist. He folded his fingers and easily caught Zhang Tiangui’s fist. His long fingernails penetrated straight into Zhang Tiangui’s flesh.
He twisted his arm.
With a popping sound, Zhang Tiangui’s arm snapped. He was thrown back and rotated 360 degrees in the air.
“Bang!”
Zhang Tiangui fell to the ground on one knee. He felt an acute pain in his arm and his facial muscles were cramping.
“You think you’re the top prodigy in Omen Ridge? Do you think you’re invincible? In my eyes, you are still too young.”
Han Jingzhong’s voice was like gravel. He laughed grimly.
One leg forward and one back, Zhang Tiangui was like a fierce tiger on the ground. He stared coldly at Han Jingzhong and waited for the next attack. He knew it would be even more fierce.
However, unexpectedly, Han Jingzhong didn’t launch any further attack but said slowly, “Zhang Tiangui, do you know why the Master can’t tolerate you and must eliminate you?”
“Because of my misconduct?” Zhang Tiangui said.
Han Jingzhong laughed, “What matters in the dog-eat-dog martial world is means. How many people actually conduct themselves well?”
“Then why?” asked Zhang Tiangui.
Han Jingzhong said, “Don’t you know that two tigers can’t live on one mountain? Before, your talents were much higher than Han Qiu. Of course, the Master eagerly wanted to marry Han Qiu to you and let you stay in Yuntai Suzerain. Thus, the power of Yuntai Suzerain would expand. But now it is different. Han Qiu has passed the fourth-floor of Jiujue Tower. She is as gifted as you. If the two of you have the same power, who should be the future master of Yuntai Suzerain?”
Zhang Tiangui said, “If we are equal, neither of us would surrender to the other. In the future, I must fight with Han Qiu. Either I or Han Qiu will die and there is no other possibility. That’s why the Master chose to kill me. To protect his daughter. Funny!”
“Uncle Zhong, the Master has sent you to kill me. Why are you not attacking me?”
Han Jingzhong smiled coldly. “If I wanted to kill you, you’d be dead on the first move! Zhang Tiangui, you are a prodigy, a man with means and ambition. I think highly of you.”
“What do you mean?” Zhang Tiangui asked, confused.
Han Jingzhong waved his hands and turned to leave. He said, “Neither Yuntai Suzerain nor Yunwu Commandery has room for you. You only have one way, which is to follow me. I will introduce you to someone and perhaps he can help you.”
Zhang Tiangui endured the pain in his arms and looked at Han Jingzhong’s hunched figure. “Who on earth are you?”
“Just follow me and no more nonsense.” Han Jingzhong said coldly.
Zhang Tiangui didn’t have any choice. He had to follow him.
Omen Ridge, as vast as a sea of forests, had turbulent rivers, wide lakes, and towering mountains.
When traveling through the forests, people got lost easily.
It was hard to know how far they had gone when Han Jingzhong led him to a military camp built in the dense jungle. The roar of savage beasts and the sound of military training could be heard far off in the distance.
Standing on the branch of an ancient tree, Han Jingzhong was as light as a feather. Folding his hands behind his back, he glanced into the distance and said, “In front of us is the camp of the Barbarian Elephant Army. It is the strongest military training center in the Square Commandery.
Zhang Tiangui said, “Isn’t Square Commandery sanctioned? I thought they don’t exist anymore?!”
Han Jingzhong laughed coldly. “The royal family of the Square Commandery has many masters. There are more than 20 warriors who have reached the Heaven Realm. Before the sanction paper from East Region Saint Mansions was handed out, they had already withdrawn and hidden in the training center concealed in Omen Ridge. You should clearly know that you and they share one enemy- Zhang Ruochen.”
Zhang Tiangui asked, “Are you from the Square Commandery?”
“Square Commandery? Funny!” Han Jingzhong laughed disdainfully. “The royal members of Square Commandery are stray cats like you.”
Suddenly, a cold wind blew.
“Swish!”
A red ray of light flashed in void space and flew through the dense forests.
Zhang Tiangui’s eyes tightened and he shouted, “Who?”
Suddenly, Spiritual Qi surged and formed ripples in the void space. From the center of these ripples, a red hand with long soft fingers stretched out, emitting crimson mist.
“Swoosh!”
The red hand displayed hundreds of phantoms and attacked Zhang Tiangui.
Han Jingzhong stepped onto the deadwood and rushed in front of him, striking out with two hands.
“Boom!”
Like eagle claws, his palms had a metal luster formed from a vast and mighty strength.
Han Jingzhong struck out with hundreds of palms, forming a wall of palm prints.
“Bang! Bang!”
In a mere second, Han Jingzhong struck against the red hand hundreds of times.
All of a sudden, Han Jingzhong was hit in the chest. He flew back and crashed into a huge rock with a giant crack!
A beautiful woman in red suddenly appeared from above. Her legs were slim, and her figure was curvy. She had a charming face and long hair as red as blood.
An eerie red light surrounded her body. As she landed on the ground, even the mud turned crimson.
Seeing her, Han Jingzhong knelt down on his knees. Fearfully, he said, “Red Wish Emissary.”
Han Jingzhong gave Zhang Tiangui a glare signaling him to do the same.
Zhang Tiangui felt terror spreading from the woman. His heart chilled and he immediately knelt on the ground with his face nearly buried in the mud.
“Han Jingzhong, why have you brought a stranger here? Are you forgetting the young master’s rules?”
Her voice was very fascinating, it seemed to carry both a smile and a chill.
Han Jingzhong said reverently, “I dare not forget the rules, but he is a rare talent. I want to recommend him to the young master.
“Talent?”
Red Wish Emissary carefully sized Zhang Tiangui up. She smiled. “Han Jingzhong, you should know that in black market excellence hall, talent is everywhere.”
“Taat taat!”
A handsome man in a purple gown appeared from the forest.
He carried a dragonhead long spear on his back and his face was cold. He said, “Red Wish, Han Jingzhong, the meeting has begun. Young master let me take you.”
“Purple Wind Emissary.”
Han Jingzhong bowed to the man and stood up straight.
Zhang Tiangui was bewildered. “Why are there so many top warriors appearing in Omen Ridge?”
Han Jingzhong alone, was an unfathomable old geezer. Even the Master of Yuntai Suzerain didn’t know his true strength.
What’s more, who was this siren in red and who was the man in purple? And who was the young master they mentioned?
Their martial cultivation seemed to be stronger than Han Jingzhong.
Zhang Tiangui’s was confused.
At the same time, he was excited. “If I follow them, perhaps my strength could be enhanced. Then, I will not need to worry about how to defeat Zhang Ruochen or destroy Yuntai Suzerain.”