Chapter 47: Chapter 47: Tang Wen: I Must Be Overthinking It
"Are you really unaffected?"
On the way back to the coal mining area, Zhou Bing asked for confirmation again and again.
Thinking of his Experience Panel, Tang Wen had no choice but to say, "That’s right. I could feel it. Even if his ability were stronger, it wouldn’t have done any good."
"Useless even if it were stronger?" Zhou Bing’s eyes sparkled.
"Useless. I was just faking it at first to trick him into moving his shield and revealing an opening. Otherwise, I could have defeated him, but not killed him."
After speaking, Tang Wen’s mind drifted. ’Back at camp, what kind of Cultivation Technique should I choose to practice?’
’Speaking of which, I’ve performed a great service this time. There should be an extra reward, right?’
’A residence... I’ve got to get one with a pond.’
’Is three hundred taels of silver a little too little?’
His thoughts wandered.
He completely missed the strange light dancing in Zhou Bing’s eyes. ’I went up there too. My "husband killer" ability was completely suppressed by his "Bad Luck Skill"!’
’But Tang Wen’s "Immune to Misfortune" ability completely counters his.’
’Therefore, "husband killer"
’So, Tang Wen and I...’
"Brother Tang Wen!"
The thoughts of the two were interrupted as Zhang Lin and An Lei approached with a few familiar faces.
Tang Wen slowed slightly to greet them.
’This girl is very pretty.’
Zhou Bing narrowed her eyes, sat up straight, and let her gaze travel up from An Lei’s legs.
Only when her eyes reached above the other woman’s waist did her stiff posture finally relax.
’Judging by Tang Wen’s casual glances, this woman is a threat, but not a big one.’
But looking again at that somewhat aloof, pretty face and a temperament similar to her own, she couldn’t help but puff out her chest. ’I should be a little better, right?’
Zhou Bing secretly perked up her ears, listening to their conversation behind her.
An Lei didn’t say much, but between the lines, she was always inviting Tang Wen to do Martial Arts Training together.
’Martial Arts Training together?’
Zhou Bing uncontrollably recalled the perfect physique beneath Tang Wen’s jacket.
’No way!’
’They absolutely cannot do Martial Arts Training together!’
In that instant, Captain Zhou thought of many ways to stop it, such as having her team members take turns drilling Tang Wen every day.
She could assign him tasks to keep him too busy.
And she could even personally join Tang Wen for underwater training.
While her thoughts ran wild, they arrived at the open-pit coal mine. The news had already reached them, and the area was filled with cheers and laughter.
The coal miners had all been preparing to move back to the camp and go home to do Farming.
They never expected such a turn of events. How could they not be happy to continue working as miners?
’Being a worker is better than Farming!’
Mining coal was hard work, but it came with meals. Every meal had some grease and meat, they could eat their fill, and they even got paid.
With such a good job, who would want to go back to the camp and plant Maize?
General Zhou was very pleased. He first praised everyone who participated in the tournament.
Then, he gave special praise to Zhou Bing and Tang Wen.
All eyes turned to them. The two had become the heroes of the camp.
Dinner was a feast: a big everything-stew, Maize steamed buns, and all the roasted sweet potatoes you could eat.
To call it a feast was mainly because the stew was packed with ingredients: mushrooms, fatty pork slices, chicken chunks, vegetarian meatballs, and all sorts of other things.
"It’s so bitter." After saying this, Zhou Bing herself was taken aback. ’It’s just a bowl of medicine. Why am I being so fussy?’
"Here, I have some brown sugar." Tang Wen took a piece of brown sugar from his clothes, put it in a bowl, poured in hot water, and handed it to her.
Just smelling it, before it even touched her lips...
...Zhou Bing miraculously found that it didn’t seem bitter anymore.
She took a sip. It was fragrant and sweet.
"This is even better than honey water."
"Honey water? They sell honey in the camp?" Tang Wen asked casually.
"Uh, Black Mountain Camp has some. We brought a lot of things on our carts this time, so we might trade for some honey with them."
After finishing the warm sugar water, Zhou Bing felt a pleasant warmth spread through her whole body. It was incredibly comfortable. It even felt as if her internal injuries were healing.
The camps often traded with one another, bartering for what they needed.
As long as they weren’t in a state of war, Flame Camp’s own merchant caravans were constantly out doing business.
"Don’t let your guard down tonight," Commander Zhao said as he walked over, addressing the group.
Then he turned his head and spoke to the two of them privately, "Are your injuries okay?" "Xiaotang, have you eaten your fill?" "Later, you should come visit my home with your Sister Bing."
"Yes, yes, of course."
Tang Wen had been promoted from being called by his full name to the more familiar "Xiaotang."
Commander Zhao took some men to set up the night’s defenses.
A moment later, General Zhou arrived in person.
In the camp, he was second to only one person.
"Uncle."
"Bing’Er, you did well."
After checking on his niece, General Zhou turned to Tang Wen, who was standing ramrod straight. "Xiaotang, you fought very well!"
After a few words of praise, he changed the subject. "Watching you on the stage just now, it seemed like you were completely unaffected by the opponent’s ’Bad Luck Skill’?"
Tang Wen nodded, thinking, ’As expected of an uncle and niece, they focus on the same thing.’ "Yes, General. I suspect I might be immune to these types of misfortune abilities."
"Immune? Are you sure?" General Zhou pressed. "If we encounter such an enemy again in the future, we’ll need you to go up."
"I’m sure. When he started cursing me, I clearly felt something different, but it was like the wind—it blew over and was gone."
"Good, that’s good! Go back and train hard. When you have time, come to the house for a meal with Bing’Er."
"..."
After seeing General Zhou off, Zhou Bing’s face grew hot. Tang Wen started to understand. ’What does he mean? It can’t be what I’m thinking, can it?’
He shook his head, feeling he was probably overthinking it.
’Sister Bing definitely doesn’t have some ridiculous "husband killer" ability.’
’Others might not understand, but a formidable man like General Zhou certainly must.’
’He probably knows I’m staying at Sister Bing’s place and thinks we have a good relationship, so he’s inviting me over for a meal.’
Shaking his head, he cast aside the unreliable thought.
He turned his head and asked, "Sister Bing, are there any Basic Techniques in our camp? The kind for strengthening the body."
’Don’t you want to ask about something else?’
At this moment, Tang Wen truly didn’t.
This tournament experience had brought out his deep-seated feelings of insecurity.
After all, he had seen how even a figure like General Zhou had to compromise when outside their own territory.
And Zhou Bing, as General Zhou’s own niece, also had to go up and risk her life.
Then there was himself. He had also gone up and fought desperately. If not for the unexpected help from his Experience Panel, that battle would have been very difficult. At worst, getting injured would have been the least of his worries.
With all these factors combined, it would be a wonder if he felt any sense of security at all!
With a full stomach, Tang Wen lay on a pile of hay, reviewing the day’s tournament in his mind.
’The opponent’s ability was bizarre; otherwise, he most likely couldn’t have beaten Zhou Bing.’
Overall, he was fairly satisfied with his own performance.
In truth, Tang Wen deeply disliked this kind of public contest.
He much preferred quiet assassinations—like going on a rampage, infiltrating the enemy’s lair, leaving a field of corpses in his wake, but never letting them know who did it.
Fighting under the watchful eyes of a crowd made it easy to become a target.
But in the end, it all came down to a lack of strength.
Otherwise, wouldn’t it be more satisfying to just charge in and finish things, quick and dirty?
That night, the other members of Hunting Team One went on night watch.
Tang Wen and Zhou Bing rested in the room.
The former slept on the straw, the latter on the bed.
Zhou Bing suggested they could share, but Tang Wen refused with a shake of his head, saying the patient needed to rest well.
RUSTLE. In the middle of the night, Zhou Bing heard a sound.
Opening her eyes, she saw Tang Wen getting up from the floor in the darkness.
She focused her gaze and saw that Tang Wen was putting on his armor.
"It’s the middle of the night. Why are you getting dressed?"
"Sister Bing, you’re awake. Something feels wrong," Tang Wen said, his tone grave.
"What is it?" Zhou Bing sat up, her fair neck like that of a swan.
Tang Wen explained, "I’m very sensitive to danger, and I was just startled awake from a dream. Something might be about to happen."
After this brief explanation, he also helped Zhou Bing put on her armor.
Then he took her by the hand and led her quietly out the door.
