ATPnovel #256 - Enemies Meet
#256 - Enemies Meet
Chapter 255: Enemies Meet
Zhang Chen only wanted to play high-level games. If he could obtain profound formulas like the Eight Nine Arcane Art, then everything would be perfect. Why bother painstakingly cultivating martial arts?
While countless thoughts flashed through Zhang Chen's mind, a different scene was unfolding within the Pingbian Prince's Mansion.
Zhang Xiaohua, the heir of the Pingbian Prince, bowed and kowtowed three times to Gu Mingyue, then presented tea and called out, "Master."
"From today onwards, you are my, Gu Mingyue's, direct disciple and my last disciple. Now that the Yellow Sky Sect intends to plot the conferment of Star Lords, preparing to confer the Star Lords of the Six Stars of the Southern Dipper and the Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper, I will definitely scheme for you and push you to the position of a Star God. This can be considered completing the transaction between me and the Prince," Gu Mingyue said with a smile as he helped Zhang Xiaohua up.
This time, he completely dragged the Pingbian Prince's Mansion into the water, and also secured an unparalleled expert, Dharma Protector Divine Dragon, for the Yellow Sky Sect. The Grand Celestial Master had already decided to reward him, intending to bestow upon him a Divine Position of Creation. In the future, he would have the qualifications to compete for the Divine Positions of the Five Emperors of the Five Regions.
The Five Emperors of the Five Regions were supreme Divine Positions, but the Yellow Sky Sect's Grand Celestial Master had as many as twelve disciples. Twelve people competing for five positions meant the competition was extremely fierce.
If you want to ascend to the position of the Five Emperors of the Five Regions, cultivation isn't the most important thing. After all, as long as you ascend to that position, under the influence of the massive power of incense, even a pig can have unparalleled cultivation.
There are three decisive factors that truly determine whether or not you can obtain a Divine Position. First, is your power strong enough? Second, have you contributed enough to the Daoist temple? Third, are you widely supported, and do the elders and disciples in the temple submit to you?
All three are indispensable.
As for strength? With the blessing of the Divine Position, everyone is about the same. Even if there are differences between each other, they won't be too far apart.
The Pingbian Prince, who was at the side, smiled and interjected: "Daoist Master, from now on, my Pingbian Prince's Mansion and your Yellow Sky Sect will share weal and woe. We will be one family from now on."
Hearing this, Gu Mingyue said: "That's for sure. When Ancestor Zhang Shicheng returns to his position, the Prince's Mansion will become a stronghold within my Yellow Sky Sect. At that time, we will still have to rely on Your Highness to promote us."
After the two sides flattered each other, Gu Mingyue then said: "The Yellow Sky Sect intends to hold a ceremony of bestowing divinity at the Yellow Dawn Temple. At that time, the Water God will bestow blessings, which can be used to reform people, and the heir can also take the opportunity to reshape his face, allowing the heir to regain his former handsomeness."
Speaking of this, Gu Mingyue looked at Zhang Xiaohua's pitted, uneven, and extremely ugly face, which looked like a hideous monster. He couldn't help but sigh in his heart that the person who made the move was too ruthless. If Zhang Xiaohua couldn't repair his face, he would be ruined for the rest of his life. How could he have the face to meet people in the future? It was likely that Zhang Xiaohua had already developed a demonic obstacle in his heart, and his temperament had been distorted.
"This poor Daoist wants to lead the young master to the mountains to plot for him to become an affiliated Divine Official of the Water God, and teach him to sense the existence of divine power in advance. I wonder if Your Highness will allow it?" Gu Mingyue looked at the Pingbian Prince.
Before the Pingbian Prince could answer, Zhang Xiaohua, who was at the side, trembled and looked excited when he heard that his face could be restored. He couldn't help but step forward and snatch the words: "Master, is what you said true? Can this disciple's appearance really be restored?"
"Under the effect of the Water God's blessing, it is possible to resurrect the dead and regrow flesh," Gu Mingyue said.
Hearing this, Zhang Xiaohua fell to his knees without saying a word and agreed: "This disciple is willing to go."
Gu Mingyue turned his head to look at the Pingbian Prince. The one who could truly make the decision was still the Pingbian Prince, and he had to get the Pingbian Prince to speak.
Zhang Xiaohua also looked at the Pingbian Prince with an excited expression, his eyes were red, and he couldn't help but call out: "Father!"
"The matter of appearance has already become Xiaohua's heartache. Can the Yellow Sky Sect really heal this child's injuries? I don't want to watch him get hope but then fall into despair," the Pingbian Prince looked at Gu Mingyue intently.
"I am very confident," Gu Mingyue said confidently.
Hearing this, the Pingbian Prince nodded: "Since that's the case, Xiaohua, you should go up the mountain with your master."
It was said that Zhang Chen stayed in the mountains, and every day he either studied the Dao of Talismans or comprehended martial arts. Now that Xiao Douding was pestering Zhang Chen to learn martial arts, Zhang Chen thought about it and decided that it would be better to produce results sooner and fool Xiao Douding.
Five days passed quickly. During this time, Zhang Chen secretly went down the mountain to watch the Eight Trigrams Furnace. He saw that the Eight Trigrams Furnace was still stable, and then he felt relieved and returned to the Daoist temple to live in seclusion and cultivate.
It was said that Xiao Douding was eating snacks and wandering around the Daoist temple when suddenly, at the corner, a pitted, uneven, and distorted human face came into view. The facial features were twisted into a ball like tree roots, startling Xiao Douding, and then he fell to the ground.
"This little Daoist priest…" Zhang Xiaohua got lost in the Daoist temple and was about to greet Xiao Douding and ask for directions when he saw Xiao Douding shout 'Ghost! Don't eat me' like a frightened rabbit and quickly disappear into the corridor.
Hearing Xiao Douding's shout, Zhang Xiaohua was immediately stunned in place, the muscles on his face twitching constantly, making him look even more hideous. Anyone who was timid would probably be scared to death on the spot.
Ever since he was disfigured, his appearance had become Zhang Xiaohua's heartache and taboo, and he would not allow anyone to mention it. Even if the guards and maids in the Pingbian Prince's Mansion had slight fluctuations in their eyes, they would be beaten. At this time, being shouted at by Xiao Douding in front of him immediately aroused the anger in his heart.
"Lowly servant! How dare you insult me?" Zhang Xiaohua's face flushed red, and without saying a word, he chased after her.
"Stop for me!" Zhang Xiaohua shouted angrily at Cheng Yu. He never expected that Cheng Yu's short legs were extremely fast. Even he couldn't catch up for a while, but his heart was full of anger, and he stubbornly clung to Cheng Yu's back, and Cheng Yu couldn't get rid of him.
She fled, he chased, she couldn't escape.
It was said that Zhang Chen was pondering the Dao of Talismans when suddenly, Xiao Douding's cries of 'Daddy, Mommy' came from outside the door: "Ghost! A ghost has come to the Daoist temple, it's going to scare people to death. Senior Brother, save me! Senior Brother, save me!"
Cheng Yu ran in from outside the courtyard with tears on her face, crying and shouting, hiding behind Zhang Chen's stool, howling.
Zhang Chen put down the book, turned his head to look at Xiao Douding, whose face was covered in tears, and said with a surprised expression: "Are there ghosts in the Yellow Dawn Temple too? How did you get so scared?"
"Of course there are ghosts. You saw the Daoist temple haunted before. Now that ugly ghost actually ran out in broad daylight. That evil ghost chased after me and wanted to eat me. You must save me, you must not let him eat me," Cheng Yu squatted behind the stool, her face full of fear.
Zhang Chen's heart stirred with vigilance upon hearing this, as it wasn't the first time the Daoist temple had been haunted. If there truly was some malevolent ghost within the temple, it would be a normal occurrence.
"This ghost dares to come out and harm people in broad daylight; it must be extremely vicious. I must deal with it cautiously." Zhang Chen secretly raised his guard, and was about to continue comforting Xiao Douding when he saw a familiar figure chasing into the courtyard, panting for breath, from outside.
Zhang Xiaohua was furious when he heard Xiao Douding repeatedly calling out 'ghost,' and he rushed into the courtyard, where he saw Zhang Chen's face, a face he could never forget even in his dreams.
In his dreams, he had devoured this face alive millions of times. He wished he could find this wretch, flay him, skin him, and cut him into a thousand pieces. Unfortunately, this kid was like a slippery loach, avoiding the Pingbian Prince's Mansion's searches several times. Although he was anxious and angry, he was helpless.
Who knew that after mountains and rivers, when all seemed lost, a new vista would open? He had almost despaired, thinking he would never find Zhang Chen in this lifetime, but who knew he would actually meet his great enemy here?
"Wah, Senior Brother, run quickly! That ugly ghost is chasing in! Let's run, let's quickly ask the Temple Master to take action and subdue this evil ghost!" Seeing Zhang Xiaohua chasing in, Xiao Douding immediately jumped up in fright, tugging at Zhang Chen's clothes, wanting to escape. But Zhang Chen grabbed her by the collar and lifted her up:
"Senior Sister, don't be afraid. This is a living person, not the evil ghost you speak of."
"A person? How can there be such an ugly person in the world? He's as scary as an evil ghost from hell." Hearing that it wasn't a ghost, Xiao Douding immediately regained her courage, turned her head to look at Zhang Xiaohua, her eyes full of surprise and curiosity.
Xiao Douding's repeated 'ugly ghost' was like a knife, constantly stabbing into Zhang Xiaohua's heart, causing his heart to bleed continuously.
"Zhang Chen! I've finally found you! I've missed you so much! I've been thinking about you day and night, unable to sleep or eat!" Zhang Xiaohua clenched his fists, his facial features twisting together in excitement, making him look like a Shura who had crawled out of a sea of blood.
"I didn't expect that after our separation, you would miss me so much. It's not in vain that we were neighbors, with several years of friendship." Zhang Chen looked at Zhang Xiaohua, countless thoughts flashing through his mind, feeling that the current situation was very tricky and troublesome, not knowing if he could stay in this Huangli Temple.
"Hahaha, that's right, that's right! You didn't even tell me when you moved, causing me to search so hard." Zhang Xiaohua's voice was full of excitement: "I didn't expect you could hide so well, actually hiding in Huangli Temple. No wonder I couldn't find any trace of you at the foot of the mountain."
Saying this, Zhang Xiaohua began to retreat. He knew Zhang Chen's methods, understood how difficult Zhang Chen was to deal with. Although he couldn't wait to cut Zhang Chen into a thousand pieces right now, he also knew that he was definitely not Zhang Chen's opponent.
The only correct thing to do now was to retreat from the courtyard and then bring experts to surround and kill Zhang Chen.
Zhang Chen looked at the retreating Zhang Xiaohua, a hint of murderous intent flashing in his eyes, but after thinking about it, he still didn't make a move.
If he made a move here, he would have a chance to escape, but what about Cheng Yu? This girl would definitely be implicated by the Pingbian Prince's Mansion.
"Do you know that ugly ghost?" Cheng Yu looked at the retreating Zhang Xiaohua and curiously asked.
Cheng Yu's innocent 'ugly ghost' caused the retreating Zhang Xiaohua to stagger, trembling with anger. This was like stabbing where it hurt the most.
"Senior Sister, don't talk nonsense! This person is a bit ugly, but he is a person, not an evil ghost. Don't be so rude." Zhang Chen patted Cheng Yu's head.
"Oh ~" Hearing this, Cheng Yu scratched her head, watching Zhang Xiaohua retreat out of the door, especially the murderous eyes he gave at the end, causing Cheng Yu's heart to tighten: "Do you have a feud with that kid?"
"A deep-seated hatred, irreconcilable! This person is the son of the Pingbian Prince, the most narrow-minded. You must stay away from him in the future." Zhang Chen patted Xiao Douding's head.
"I see the look in his eyes, he definitely wants to kill us. We should strike first, to avoid him retaliating against us." Cheng Yu regained her composure at this time and said.
"You don't have to worry, the other party is coming for me. As long as you are low-key, with the Temple Master's mediation, you won't be implicated. He is, after all, the heir of the Pingbian Prince's Mansion, how could he bother with a child?" Zhang Chen sighed softly: "It's just that I'm afraid I can't stay in the Daoist temple anymore."
Now that Zhang Xiaohua knew his whereabouts, he would definitely dispatch people to hunt him down later. If he stayed here, he would only put himself in a disadvantageous position.
"Girl, I have to go!" Zhang Chen touched Xiao Douding's head.
"Go? Where are you going? Take me with you!" Xiao Douding widened her eyes, her bright eyes staring at Zhang Chen, her small hands tightly clutching Zhang Chen's clothes: "I'll go with you."
Zhang Chen looked at Xiao Douding clutching his clothes, his face full of helplessness. He couldn't even take his own sister, let alone Xiao Douding?
He was only barely able to protect himself now.
"Alas, if you come with me, I'm afraid I won't be able to protect you. I don't know how many troubles will arise, and you might even die on the road." Zhang Chen stroked Xiao Douding's head, his voice very gentle: "You stay in the mountains and wait for me to arrange everything at the foot of the mountain, then I'll come back to the mountains to pick you up, okay?"
"No! Not good at all!" Xiao Douding tightly clutched Zhang Chen's clothes, her eyes full of stubbornness, refusing to let go. At this time, her tone was crying: "Please, take me away! At worst, I won't be the Senior Sister anymore, can't I let you be the Senior Brother?"
Xiao Douding's words made Zhang Chen laugh and cry: "You girl, really... We're not never going to see each other again, I'll come back to see you in a while, and then we'll travel the world together and never be separated again, okay?"
Zhang Chen stroked Xiao Douding's head and whispered to discuss, but his heart was anxious, Zhang Xiaohua must have close experts to protect him, if he didn't escape before Zhang Xiaohua called people, then it would be a big trouble.
"No! Not good at all! Even if I die on the way, you have to take me with you." Tears kept falling from Xiao Douding's face: "You are the best person in this world to me. If you leave, I'll be the only one left alone in the Daoist temple again, I might as well just die here."
"Besides, you don't understand martial arts, how can you escape the pursuit? My martial arts cultivation is not bad, I'm already considered an expert, we can escape together, I can still protect you." Xiao Douding cried so hard.