Chapter 217: The Advantage Is Mine
Useless?
“After all, they are Bai Shan Ren. We can’t afford to offend them, so let’s retreat if we can.”
Chen Shun’an shook his head and said,
“We at the water station sell water, which is all about friendly business. As long as the well is there, business can resume sooner or later. Alright, alright, go home and play with your grandson. Don’t wander around here.”
Shopkeeper Li looked at Chen Shun’an with a suspicious expression.
Can’t afford to offend?
Last time when you ransacked Su Kehachi’s home, why didn’t I see you afraid of Bai Shan Ren?
That was really kicking him when he was down, lawless.
Why are you backing down now?
Old Chen, don’t I know what kind of person you are?
Turning over a new leaf now?
Moments later, Shopkeeper Li left full of doubts and unease.
Meanwhile, Chen Shun’an strolled leisurely into the Martial Arts Hall.
Snow-laden twisted branches, bluestone paths, and faint sounds of training shouts coming from afar.
Chen Shun’an showed no anxiety or panic, only sneering inwardly: “Want to lure me out?”
As for who it is, does it need thinking?
Naturally, it was the Tian Xuan Saint without a doubt!
So, she was anxious.
Anxious, anxious.
……
Fortunately, Chen Shun’an had long set his Path of Divinity strategy: sell water to the people, develop water monsters like the Silver Scholar, Jin Lin Mei, Tun Mengzi, and others.
Eat both humans and monsters, widely seek believers.
So even if the well matters were temporarily set aside, the three monsters including the Silver Scholar could still provide considerable wish every day.
Although if Chen Shun’an didn’t manifest divine power before the monsters for a long time, or give them benefits, the wish they fed back daily would gradually decrease.
But at worst, wait a few more days, which was enough to gather the remaining required wish.
One word: steady!
Advantage is mine!
Chen Shun’an walked into the Tie Gong Ancestral Hall with his hands behind his back, alongside a group of young martial students.
This ancestral hall was built impressively grand, backed by a rockery and fronted by a bay, surrounded by horsehead walls, with a pair of drum-gripping stones at the entrance, and roof ridges carved with patterns of fierce tigers descending the mountain, martial artists battling monsters, and such.
Entering the ancestral hall, the first thing to catch the eye was naturally a massive suspended coffin, with plaques and portraits of successive mountain lords of the Martial Arts Hall enshrined on both sides.
Chen Shun’an glanced at the coffin one more time.
He vaguely sensed a obscure and ferocious aura slumbering inside the coffin, which must be the weapon from Master Tie Yu’s lifetime, the Three-Pronged Two-Bladed Four-Hole Eight-Ring Knife.
This knife had been placed in the coffin for many years, not because no one wanted to seize and refine it.
But because the knife’s baleful flame was overwhelming, extremely inauspicious—even absolute experts who had slain the Six Thieves and achieved True Intent Perfection would find it hard to subdue, inevitably getting their heads bashed by it.
Only a Martial Dao Grandmaster appearing in the world could suppress it.
Chen Shun’an blended in among a group of martial artists offering incense to the Tie Gong ceremonial tomb, utterly unremarkable.
“Miss Zhang is here!”
“Quick, go welcome her at the entrance. Several instructors and lecturers—hmm? Even Gou Dianye and the Supervisor are personally going to greet her!”
“I heard this Zhang Xiangling is called a young grandmaster, having already made a great name in Tongzhou City… It’s only in old age that one realizes it’s not about brute force, three parts man seven parts heaven. She just has a good family! If I were born in the Zhang Family…”
Endless murmurs filled his ears, occasionally mixed with a few sour tones.
The crowd surged toward the entrance of the ancestral hall. Chen Shun’an stepped aside to make way and looked over.
He saw Zhang Xiangling striding in, escorted by a large group of people, with Xu Hong and Red Fifth Master following one on each side behind her.
Beside Zhang Xiangling, two others followed closely, seemingly introducing something.
Gou Dianye had a stern, aged face, his eyes sharp as cold stars, always unsmiling.
The Supervisor turned out to be a woman, a descendant of Master Tie.
She wore a dark blue and green gold-woven smoky gauze skirt, overlaid with a pomegranate-red cape. Her movements carried a touch of nobility while making one feel intimate.
Fortunately, the Liangjiang Military Academy had produced a Martial Dao Grandmaster, qualifying as a martial path holy site. These instructors, lecturers, Gou Dianye, and Tie Jian Yuan wouldn’t fawn too much over the Zhang Family.
They were just fulfilling the duties of a host.
So soon, crowds squeezed around these three—not only martial artists from the Martial Arts Hall itself, but also many talented persons from Wuqing County who came upon hearing the news.
Some for profit, some for beauty, various motives, the atmosphere extremely heated.
Fortunately, Zhang Xiangling had done a ‘screening’ that day, beating up almost all the talented persons from Wuqing County who dared to pursue.
So those coming now were all extremely confident in their own strength or family background.
Among them, Xiao Lian Gong Wang Zhicheng was the most eye-catching.
Chen Shun’an glanced at this man one more time.
By looks and appearance, he didn’t seem old, around thirty, wearing Western glasses, holding a book written in Qianning Country language that others couldn’t understand, full of scholarly air, elegant temperament, refined and courteous, eyes sharp as whips.
Logically, if it were anyone else, guarding filial piety for over a decade, repeatedly missing high office and wealth, they would have long sunk in will, even resenting heaven and men, with twisted mind.
But Wang Zhicheng seemed unaffected.
Still, Chen Shun’an keenly noticed that when he occasionally looked at Zhang Xiangling, a flash of lewdness and greed passed in his eyes.
Truly, a beast in fine clothes.
Chen Shun’an stood still, subconsciously silently observing（ peeking） at Zhang Xiangling, somewhat curious how this woman would handle so much social interaction.
After all, though her martial arts attainment was high, she hadn’t reached the level of single-handedly suppressing all dissenters, making everyone in awe and silent.
In such a setting, she could only flutter her long sleeves skillfully.
Thus, Chen Shun’an soon discovered Zhang Xiangling had her own way of coping.
If you talked business or martial arts with her, she would show sincere interest, nodding occasionally in agreement. But if it came to private matters or improper desires, she would just then be called away by others, chatting happily with them.
Then soon, that person would be squeezed to the outermost by the others, unable to approach.
It even had a flavor of uniting to overcome.
So after a round, everyone present felt that Zhang Xiangling was simple and straightforward in character…
Involuntarily feeling intimate, thinking she was indeed worthy of a great family background, with extraordinary manners and speech.
Yet none gained any advantage.
They were all fooled round and round.
Among the crowd, including Chen Shun’an, probably only a few like Gou Dianye and Tie Jian Yuan saw through Zhang Xiangling’s superb methods.
Understandably so.
As a great family scion, highly valued by the Zhang Family, how could Zhang Xiangling really be simple-minded, just a silly martial fanatic?
Otherwise, she would have long been eaten clean by a bunch of brothers and sisters.
The Zhang Family wouldn’t have specially sent her to Wuqing County, entrusting her with heavy responsibility, letting her openly attract the attention of those with intentions.
“A bunch of pathetic playboys, toyed with in the palm of a little girl’s hand without knowing… This is the Tongzhou Zhang Clan? Indeed impressive, very much to Chen Mou’s taste.”
Chen Shun’an liked dealing with smart people the most.
Not long after, Zhang Xiangling’s group headed toward the Tie Gong Ancestral Hall.
Zhang Xiangling entered the hall, offered incense, bowed, and kowtowed to Master Tie Yu’s portrait, extremely solemn and devout.
The position of Martial Dao Grandmaster was the most brilliant and dazzling achievement on the martial path, transcending sect biases and regional differences.
So even with Zhang Xiangling’s status, she didn’t dare be negligent, giving full respect.
Then, Zhang Xiangling stood up and noticed Chen Shun’an standing nearby.
Her eyes lit up, and she said, “Nephew Shun’an!”
Chen Shun’an’s face darkened instantly. He said nothing, turned, and quickly left the Tie Gong Ancestral Hall.
“Don’t go, come fight me!”
Zhang Xiangling leaped forward like an eagle pouncing on a rabbit, instantly blocking Chen Shun’an.
Gou Dianye gave Chen Shun’an an indifferent glance, saying nothing more.
Tie Jian Yuan looked at Chen Shun’an with some curiosity.
After all, the Wan Gong Iron Essence and Purple Iron Cattail Milk that Chen Shun’an obtained could, in a sense, be considered her ancestor’s—Master Tie Yu’s heritage and martial path crystallization.
Though under various pressures, Master Tie Yu’s heritage and tomb were semi-public; even as a Tie family descendant, she couldn’t monopolize the opportunity.
But in the process of Lu Jing allocating the ‘Wan Gong Iron Essence’ and gifting it to Chen Shun’an, it had passed through her hands.
Naturally, she was very curious why Lu Jing valued and even favored Chen Shun’an so much.
Just being a Tongming Envoy who translated Tun language seemed a bit forced.
Looking at the girl before him, Chen Shun’an showed helplessness and said,
“Chen Mou has already conceded defeat. Why does Miss Zhang need to entangle?”
“Call me Youngest Aunt.” Zhang Xiangling promptly corrected Chen Shun’an’s generation rank error.
Seeing the mischief in Zhang Xiangling’s eyes, Chen Shun’an’s mouth twitched, falling somewhat silent.
“You brat, Miss Zhang kindly offers to instruct your martial arts, yet you’re so ungrateful. Hurry and apologize to Miss Zhang!”
Suddenly, a fair-faced young man with a floating stance, his expression somewhat gloomy, rebuked Chen Shun’an.
No one knew that as soon as he spoke, the group standing beside him scattered with a clatter, distancing themselves from him, as if afraid of getting blood-splattered and caught in the crossfire.
While he was bewildered, he heard Zhang Xiangling suddenly say coldly,
“Xu Wuju, break this man’s arm and throw him out! My Zhang Family’s affairs—how dare an outsider interfere?”
“Yes, Miss!”
Xu Hong grinned ferociously and in a flash of movement landed beside the man.
His left hand grabbed the man’s wrist and twisted; with a crisp ‘crack,’ the arm bent at a grotesque angle.
Before he could scream, he felt the world spinning, scenery on both sides receding rapidly. When he came to, he had rolled onto the street.
On the street, the butler tending the horse-drawn carriage saw the man, said nothing, just sighed, knocked him out, stuffed him into the carriage, and hurried away.
This Second Generation Ancestor had lost face big time!
After clearing the minor incident, Xu Hong returned to Zhang Xiangling’s side, then winked at Chen Shun’an with a mischievous expression.
Red Fifth Master remained expressionless from start to finish, not glancing at Chen Shun’an once.
Head in a cangue, extremely low presence.
Seeing Chen Shun’an’s dead pig not afraid of boiling water attitude, Zhang Xiangling grew a bit exasperated. After thinking left and right with no solution, she could only helplessly walk to his side, lower her voice, and say,
“Rest assured, if it’s really you, it’s fortune not disaster, I won’t harm you! Once you’ve thought it through, come find me—there’s a tremendous opportunity waiting for you.”
