Chapter 196: Meet

Fifteen days later, Zuo Zhicheng wore a white training suit as he walked through a large, layered compound.

The manor was full of high walls and barriers. Every few steps there was a sentry post. The security was as tight as a fortress.

In his Infrared Vision, Zuo Zhicheng saw many hidden and visible sentries. They were scattered among rock gardens, courtyards, flower beds, and woods.

‘The security is very strict, and the courtyard is so luxurious.’ From how the courtyard was arranged, Zuo Zhicheng could feel that the Patrol Superintendent of Southern Bay, Zhu Yuwen, had big ambitions. If this kind of courtyard and private army were in the Central Plains, it would have been reported to the Imperial Court. Then his family would be seized and executed.

However, in the New Continent, the Emperor was far away. The Imperial Court’s power could not reach here, so he became the local ruler completely.

Qingyue Qiu walked ahead of Zuo Zhicheng. She looked a little nervous in her eyes. She knew that some high-level people in Southern Bay were very aggressive. Moreover, Qingyue Yang had joined forces with a strong person like Zuo Zhicheng. Many people were unhappy or jealous about it. They were eager to ruin their relationship.

But Zuo Zhicheng’s face showed no worry. Instead, he checked the gear of the soldiers around him with curiosity. He saw the chainmail on them, their shiny silver weapons, and the neat rows of musket teams appearing now and then. Zuo Zhicheng thought to himself: “These soldiers have very good equipment. It looks like the sea trade in Xinlu was really profitable. Zhu Yuwen managed to raise this army with this business alone.”

Originally, the Patrol Superintendent had no military power. But Zhu Yuwen, under the name of personal guards, spent over ten years to train and expand them, until there was an elite force. It was named the Tiger Wolf Army.

There were only three thousand men. But they had excellent gear and training. They even had firearms. These three thousand could fight against thirty thousand regular soldiers.

Zuo Zhicheng and Qingyue Qiu arrived in front of a large hall. More than ten men were already sitting inside. Qingyue Yang was among them. He gave Zuo Zhicheng a smile. The others all looked at Zuo Zhicheng with inspecting eyes.

The man sitting at the head was an old man with white hair and beard. In Zuo Zhicheng’s Infrared Vision, he could clearly see that the old man was not strong. He did not have Innate Primordial Breath either. He was about as fit as an ordinary person who practiced Martial Arts for a long time.

But Zuo Zhicheng could feel a lively spirit from him. Even though his body was not strong, he received the best care. He had the finest food and medicinal herbs every day. He also kept practicing Martial Arts and exercising. So even though he was old, he still had a clear mind and agile movements.

As soon as Zuo Zhicheng appeared, the old man stood up with a laugh. He walked quickly to the door to greet him.

“Master Zuo, I was so happy when I heard you were coming. I could not wait these past few days.” He grabbed Zuo Zhicheng’s left arm and said joyfully: “Meeting you in person is better than just hearing about you. Your aura truly deserves the title of Southern Bay’s best.”

It was clear this old man was the Patrol Superintendent of Southern Bay, Zhu Yuwen. Seeing him pull Zuo Zhicheng to a seat so warmly, the people around showed various expressions. Some had a glint of displeasure in their eyes. One man, in particular, had black hair but graying temples. His face was somewhat similar to Qingyue Yang’s. This handsome middle-aged man had a strange light in his eyes.

But Zuo Zhicheng did not continue with polite talk with Zhu Yuwen. He always went straight to the point. He said directly: “Lord Zhu, may I ask what you all think of my proposal?”

Before Zhu Yuwen could respond, the man with graying temples spoke up: “Master Zuo, your Martial Arts are indeed excellent. Killing Dharma King Zhuan Lun this time was also a great achievement. But wanting to look at the Dao Arts manuals collected by the Shadow Corps is still a bit overreaching.”

“Oh? Who might you be?” Zuo Zhicheng’s eyes swept over and fixed on the middle-aged man. Under his Infrared Vision scan, this man’s Physique Strength was completely revealed.

Orange-yellow, forty-two percent. This was the strongest person present, or rather, the strongest Zuo Zhicheng had seen since entering the city. Only Qingyue Yang could match him.

Under Zuo Zhicheng’s intense gaze, the middle-aged man seemed to feel great pressure. His eyes became serious at once. He said slowly: “I am Qingyue Ying, deputy head of the Shadow Corps.”

Qingyue Ying—Zuo Zhicheng had heard about her from Qingyue Qiu even before he entered the city. She was likely the biggest obstacle to his plans this time.

She was Qingyue Yang’s aunt. She was old-fashioned and conservative. She was also one of only three Human Phase Masters in the Shadow Corps. Besides her, the other two Human Phase Masters were the master of Zizai Hall, He Zizai, and the head, Qingyue Yang.

As for Dao Arts experts, it was rumored that there was a highly skilled Taoist Priest hidden in Zhu Yuwen’s residence. But no one knew who it was, or what Dao Arts they specialized in.

Because of her seniority and strength, Qingyue Ying often hindered Qingyue Yang’s leadership. Moreover, Qingyue Ying herself hated Dao Arts. She believed that Dao Arts were the root of chaos and a threat to the established rule.

Zuo Zhicheng could understand her mindset. It was similar to how the Manchus in old China disliked firearms. It was a hatred born from ignorance and conservatism. Of course, it was also because she herself had no Life Grove and could not practice Dao Arts.

Because of her personal dislike for Dao Arts, Qingyue Qiu was kept away from the Shadow Corps’s core power and later sent far away to Xinlu.

Now Zuo Zhicheng wanted to look at the Dao Arts materials and manuals collected by the Shadow Corps. He also wanted to use the Shadow Corps to gather Life Groves. She was unlikely to agree.

So Qingyue Ying frowned and said: “Dao Arts are too dangerous. If such materials were to leak, it might bring endless disaster. Master Zuo, can you take responsibility for that?”

Hearing Qingyue Ying’s words, which sounded both critical and careless, Zuo Zhicheng slightly curved the corner of his mouth: “Crimson Sun Monk was a Human Phase Master who wanted to kill me. Now he has met his fate.

His junior, Dharma King Zhuan Lun, was even stronger. Yet I made him kneel in two moves. I took his life in three moves.

Dharma King of Destruction surrounded me. I stabbed his eyes out.

Do you think I can take responsibility?” As he spoke, an extremely cold aura seeped out from Zuo Zhicheng’s body. It spread out in all directions. The bone-chilling cold made everyone around shiver uncontrollably.

At that moment, Qingyue Ying’s expression changed drastically. She had never expected Zuo Zhicheng to be so direct. He ignored all polite talk, ignored her status and background, and just clashed with her directly. All her previous plans were ruined.

To make it worse, under the assault of the raging cold energy, she wanted to speak, but her mouth opened and closed several times without a single word coming out.

She wanted to argue with Zuo Zhicheng, but she did not dare. Because she was afraid that if she said anything, Zuo Zhicheng would say: “You say I’m not good enough? Then let’s have a match.”

If Zuo Zhicheng said that, she had no way out. As a Human Phase Master herself, she had no excuse to refuse Zuo Zhicheng’s challenge.

And considering that another Human Phase Master, Dharma King Zhuan Lun, had died after three moves in Zuo Zhicheng’s hands, she had not a bit of confidence to fight him.

The only thing she had not expected was that Zuo Zhicheng would be so direct. He ignored rules, reason, her status, and power. She had just wanted to act a bit superior, relying on her background to pressure Zuo Zhicheng.

But she never thought Zuo Zhicheng would openly talk back to her. And Qingyue Ying had no way to deal with someone who didn’t follow the rules.

That was the power of reputation. If Zuo Zhicheng had not previously survived an ambush by three Dharma Kings, even with his record of killing Crimson Sun Monk, if he had dared to speak like this here, Qingyue Ying would have immediately attacked to teach this reckless young man a lesson.

But now, with Zuo Zhicheng’s record of killing Dharma King Zhuan Lun in three moves and blinding Dharma King of Destruction, Qingyue Ying simply did not dare to fight him.

Qingyue Ying’s face turned pale, then flushed. Eventually, the veins on her forehead twitched a few times. Then she let out a long breath, closed her eyes, and simply stopped talking.