Chapter 63: I, Ren Woxing, Send Money~

In the dead of night, Zheng Jian leapt straight out the window and vaulted onto the rooftop. Casting his gaze around, he saw that the surrounding rooftops were already occupied by numerous figures clad in black.

"Brother Zheng, you left in quite a hurry today. Our Lord was unable to properly host you, and he feels truly regretful. So, uninvited, we’ve come to pay you a visit this late hour. I hope you won’t mind," came a voice slicing through the darkness.

A man dressed in pure white, Xiang Wentian, descended before Zheng Jian, his face wreathed in smiles, showing no trace of the embarrassment he had suffered earlier that day.

Zheng Jian smiled lightly. "Deputy Xiang, you’re quick to change clothes, aren’t you? You didn’t just toss the old set away, did you? That’d be wasteful! With a few stitches here and there, you could still wear them."

The remark hit Xiang Wentian right in the gut. Though his expression didn’t change, he replied, "You need not worry about such things. I’ve always done only what satisfies my own heart."

Zheng Jian felt a surge of delight—so stubborn, yet the resentment value he just earned proved how much Xiang Wentian was stewing inside.

"And when you fled in panic, did that satisfy your heart too?" He couldn’t resist twisting the knife further.

Xiang Wentian could no longer maintain his composure; his face darkened. Having been defeated and forced to flee by Zheng Jian’s schemes was a humiliation he would never live down in his entire life.

Another surge of resentment value. Zheng Jian was inwardly delighted—he’d managed to rile Xiang Wentian up to the peak.

"‘Heavenly King,’ what a grand, domineering title! But I think it could use some revision. After all, a man who runs away isn’t much of a king, is he? How about this, Deputy Xiang—why not call yourself ‘Heavenly Prince’ instead? Still sounds impressive, but adds a touch of humility!"

Xiang Wentian was nearly trembling with rage; his nose seemed about to twist from fury. That so-called humility was maddening—he was on the verge of attacking then and there.

"Ah, what a joy it is to be a commoner tonight! Xiang Wentian is truly a generous benefactor—within moments, he’s given me more than two thousand resentment points!"

Zheng Jian was over the moon; he hadn’t realized before just how easy it was to milk Xiang Wentian for benefits.

Suddenly, a hearty laugh rang out. "You’re a sharp-tongued fellow! I’ve known Deputy Xiang for many years and never seen him so incensed. It seems your verbal skills are even sharper than your martial arts!"

With that, Ren Woxing appeared, descending silently to land in front of Xiang Wentian.

"Greetings, Lord! May the Lord be virtuous and mighty, uniting the martial world!" The black-clad figures all bowed low on the rooftops, shouting in unison.

Zheng Jian was speechless. He’d always known Ren Woxing delighted in this sort of theatrics, but seeing it firsthand nearly made him laugh aloud. Truly worthy of inheriting the Great Art of Absorption—even the grandiose pageantry of the Star Sect’s old master was imitated perfectly, lacking only a band of trumpets and pipes for the full effect.

Ren Woxing basked in the acclamation for a moment before waving his hand, allowing the black-clad men to rise.

"Well, young man, I am Ren Woxing! If you pledge loyalty to me, once I retake Blackwood Cliff and reclaim the leadership, I’ll make you Deputy Chief—second only to me, above all others. I would never deceive you!" Ren Woxing declared earnestly to Zheng Jian.

Zheng Jian was momentarily stunned—this sounded all too familiar!

Without thinking, he blurted out, "I am the First Emperor! In truth, I never died. If you pledge loyalty to me and offer up the Great Art of Star Absorption, I’ll immediately lead a million-strong army to make you Grand General, commander of all forces!"

Ren Woxing was dumbfounded, taking a while to recover. "You rascal! I try to recruit you in good faith, and you mock me?"

More resentment points flooded in.

"These two are real gold mines! So generous!" Zheng Jian was ecstatic. It was as if no one had ever tapped this vein of resentment before—he’d just reaped a whole harvest at once!

"Weren’t you the one mocking me first?" Zheng Jian retorted.

Ren Woxing paused again, then flared up. "Insolent wretch! Tonight, I’ll show you what it means for there to always be someone stronger! You may not be convinced, but I’ll beat you until you are!"

Since words had failed, Ren Woxing decided to recruit Zheng Jian by force.

"I’ve long heard that Master Ren’s Great Art of Star Absorption strikes terror into the hearts of martial heroes across the land. I’ve been eager to witness it for myself. Frankly, Deputy Xiang’s ‘wondrous version’ earlier today was a grave disappointment," Zheng Jian replied, refusing to back down, and seized the opportunity to needle Xiang Wentian once more.

Sure enough, more resentment points surged in—this man was a true VIP customer!

"This time, if I don’t milk a massive sum, I’d be failing my title as the Young Lord Demon King!" Zheng Jian thought gleefully.

Facing Ren Woxing, Zheng Jian focused all his attention. This was a notorious grandmaster of the demonic path, famed for over a decade. Without delay, he launched his assault with a single sword strike.

The sword light flashed diagonally, purely offensive, fierce to the extreme.

Ren Woxing laughed heartily. "What a superb sword technique! No wonder you bested my deputy. Let me broaden your horizons tonight!"

It had been many years since he’d seen such exquisite swordsmanship. His hands itched for battle; with a flick of his wrist, he summoned a subordinate’s sword from behind him and met Zheng Jian’s attack head-on. As their blades clashed, the sword light blazed so brightly it seemed to illuminate the entire night.

Zheng Jian’s heart tightened. He hadn’t expected Ren Woxing to be so masterful with the sword—this move had not a single opening!

Since mastering the Nine Swords of Dugu, this was the first time Zheng Jian had faced an opponent whose technique revealed no flaws to exploit. In such a situation, how could he possibly attack the enemy’s vulnerabilities?

He had no choice but to swiftly change his move, blocking Ren Woxing’s path while thrusting toward his abdomen.

A glint of appreciation flashed in Ren Woxing’s eyes. "An exquisite strike!" He too changed his technique, gliding past Zheng Jian and counterattacking in turn.

Both men moved with incredible speed, exchanging over a dozen moves in an instant—yet their swords never once clashed directly.

Ren Woxing’s newly recruited followers watched in rapt attention, while Zheng Jian himself couldn’t help but admire Ren Woxing’s mastery of swordsmanship.

Every move Ren Woxing made was endlessly varied, each transformation more complex than the last, with countless hidden follow-ups. After these dozen or so exchanges, Zheng Jian finally glimpsed some weaknesses in Ren Woxing’s technique, but his opponent shifted so swiftly, with such a sense of infinite possibility, that there was no way to exploit them.

During his earlier battle with Xiang Wentian, Zheng Jian had relied mostly on the "Breaking Palm" technique, but now, in this duel of swords, he focused on the "Breaking Sword" form. Though it was but a single technique, it encompassed all the swordsmanship he had learned, rooted in the styles of the Five Mountain Sword Sects. Unleashed fully, every move flowed effortlessly, each transformation entirely distinct from the last.

Both fought at blinding speed, exchanging four or five dozen moves. By then, Ren Woxing was beginning to feel the pressure. Though his understanding of swordsmanship was profound, he had never specialized in it. Until now, he had relied on his broad experience and formidable skill to parry Zheng Jian’s attacks, but at this moment, Ren Woxing was forced to admit to himself: the "Heaven-Restoring Swordsman" had achieved the pinnacle of swordsmanship—he himself was not his equal.

...

(End of chapter)