Chapter 127: Friends from Afar...

Zheng Jian and Xue Keren walked back in silence.

Mostly, it was because Xue Keren was sulking. She had finally managed to summon a bit of courage, only for Zheng Jian to extinguish it instantly. How could she not be angry?

Xue Keren: [○｀Д○]

Zheng Jian, on the other hand, acted as if nothing had happened, busy tallying his accumulated Grudge Points. Ever since he had unlocked the "Heaven-Altering Mental Technique," he had been painstakingly saving up his points, even putting his "ten-draws" on hold.

After a period of truly relentless effort, he had finally reached the forty-thousand mark—halfway to his goal.

Come to think of it, Zheng Jian felt a twinge of regret. Based on today's interaction, Xie Wangsun was a hidden, VIP-level "big client." After all, the man possessed the legendary spirit of contrarianism.

Xie Wangsun appeared ordinary and approachable, but only Zheng Jian knew that the old man was quite petty—a new generation of "human-shaped sheepskin" right after the Big Boss!

It was just a shame that today’s golden opportunity had been interrupted by Xie Xiaofeng, and the man wouldn't leave the Divine Sword Villa...

Most crucially, Xie Wangsun was Xie Xiaofeng’s father. Zheng Jian couldn't treat him the way he treated the Big Boss. If he were to directly anger the old man to death, it would be thoroughly awkward. After all, they weren't enemies.

It turned out that the most painful thing in the world wasn't standing before someone who didn't know you loved them, but standing before a human-shaped sheepskin and being unable to fleece it, forced to watch as it slowly walked away.

It was truly painful, agonizingly so.

Just as Zheng Jian was wallowing in his misery, Xue Keren, walking ahead, suddenly turned and stopped.

Zheng Jian, caught off guard, bumped straight into her soft curves.

Xue Keren: "..."
Zheng Jian: "..."

The air froze for a second.

Zheng Jian came to his senses, stepped back, and said righteously, "Why did you suddenly stop while walking?"

Xue Keren: "Hey, don't play the victim after taking advantage! Weren't you the one who didn't intend to speak to me?"

Zheng Jian looked bewildered. "?? Please, when did I say I wasn't going to talk to you? Weren't you the one ignoring me the whole way? You're using the 'create something from nothing' tactic—don't think I don't see that!"

Xue Keren said angrily, "What kind of attitude is that?"

Zheng Jian: "?? What kind of attitude? Now that you've lost the argument, you want to talk about attitude? I'm not your man, what kind of attitude do you want?"

Grudge points from Xue Keren +999.

Xue Keren was so angry she felt bitter, and she couldn't help but shout, "Fine! You're right! I'll leave, I'll just leave, okay?"

With that, she turned and stomped away without looking back.

Zheng Jian stood where he was, his lips curling upward. He held up three fingers and silently counted: "Three, two, one..."

Before he even finished, he saw Xue Keren stop, turn around, and—well, she came back, looking furious.

"Alright, enough with the temper tantrums. We are perfectly innocent; I have no reason to coddle you," Zheng Jian laughed.

Xue Keren pouted. "I know, I know... you don't have to keep emphasizing it."

Zheng Jian sighed and said seriously, "Keren, I can't stay with you forever. If one day I just disappear, what will you do?"

Xue Keren froze, not knowing how to answer.

She had gradually grown accustomed to this life—working as his employee. Even though Zheng Jian loved to tease her, he was actually quite good to her. The thought of a life without him left her feeling lost.

Seeing her expression, Zheng Jian sighed again. "You, don't hang yourself from my tree. My branches are too brittle; they'll snap the moment you try. Why don't you go find a few others to test out?"

Xue Keren fell into silence at his words.

Zheng Jian didn't say anything more. He had intended to give her a heads-up; he didn't plan on staying in this world long enough to see the events of *The Moon-Shaped Scimitar*.

...

Back at the tavern in town, Zheng Jian returned to his cultivation routine.

He had already made significant headway into the *Immortal Seal Method*, especially after his grand battle with Xie Xiaofeng. From dawn until dusk, it had deepened his understanding of the technique.

But the deeper he went, the more vigilant he became. After all, this was the very martial art that had driven Shi Zhixuan to madness. Zheng Jian had no desire to follow in the footsteps of the Evil King and become a schizophrenic.

Therefore, he began to focus more on the switching and recovery of the twin energies of life and death, as he had found a better primary cultivation path: the *Heaven-Altering Mental Technique*.

In *Shattering the Void*, Bashiba hadn't achieved the "shattering" realm through this art, which meant that while it was miraculous, it generally stopped at the Great Grandmaster level—unless Zheng Jian could innovate it further.

However, if he had that kind of time, he might as well exchange for a technique that pointed directly toward shattering the void.

In any case, for the current stage up to the Great Grandmaster level, the *Heaven-Altering Mental Technique* was more than sufficient. Once he reached higher-level worlds, there would be no shortage of subsequent techniques.

But if he ended up with split personalities... well...

That night, as the tavern still held a few patrons boisterously drinking, Zheng Jian sat behind the counter, keeping watch. After all, Xue Keren had no martial arts skill, and he had to keep an eye out in case the drunks started causing trouble.

Suddenly, a figure swept in like the wind and stopped in front of him.

"Is it not a joy to have friends come from afar..." Zheng Jian recited, "if so, whip them a dozen times and drive them to the courtyard."

Grudge points from Raven +666.

The person was Raven. His face went stiff; the sudden, sharp jab nearly strained his back.

"Hey, hey, hey! That is not what Confucius taught!"

Zheng Jian didn't even look up. "I call it innovating upon the old and replacing it with the new. Do you understand?"

Raven said unhappily, "The rumors in the martial arts world are truly correct; your mouth is indeed terrifyingly poisonous."

Zheng Jian smiled. "We're two of a kind, after all—you're a 'raven's mouth' yourself! Tell me, what bad news have you brought this time?"

Raven opened his mouth, finding no rebuttal. After all, his mouth truly was a "raven's mouth."

Grudge points from Raven +100.

"One piece of good news, one piece of bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?" Raven’s eyes shifted as he grinned.

"Cut the nonsense, or I'll pluck your feathers."

"...Fine, fine! I'll be honest. Yan Shisan is coming," Raven said.

Zheng Jian finally looked up and smiled. "Yan Shisan? I guess you must have been the one to tell him about the battle between Xie Xiaofeng and me. Are you that desperate for my sword?"

Raven chuckled. Well, he was a raven, so his laughter was truly unpleasant.

"That's right, it was me. If you die, your sword is mine. If he dies, his sword is mine!" Raven admitted bluntly.

Zheng Jian pondered for a moment. "And what if neither of us dies?"