Chapter 231: Chapter 136: Sharing Life and Death
"To be perfectly honest, if not for everyone here, I, Wang Xiongzhang, would have long since ended up in a Demon Beast’s belly."
Just then, several others chimed in:
"Brother Wang, you’ve saved my life too!"
"Ah, we’re all family here, Brother Wang! You’re making things sound so formal!"
"That’s right. Without Brother Wang, we never would have gotten together."
...
Seeing how popular Wang Xiongzhang was, Chen Cheng also cupped his hands in a polite gesture. "You are a man of great character, Brother Wang. I am truly impressed."
"Heh heh, my brothers and sisters are just too kind."
Wang Xiongzhang chuckled, then his expression turned serious. "Younger Brother Chen, I hear you’re also joining the Demon Suppression Department. From now on, we’ll be brothers working together. We must look out for each other."
Chen Cheng gave a slight nod. "Alright."
"A straightforward man, just as I thought!" Wang Xiongzhang raised a hand to silence the woman in green playing her instrument. "Now that we’re all acquainted, let’s raise a cup to Younger Brother Chen."
Everyone gathered around in twos and threes.
Wang Xiongzhang was about to pour the wine again when he noticed Shen Qingxuan’s burning gaze fixed on him. He gave an awkward smile and switched to the teapot instead.
"This Bear Gallbladder Wine is too strong; I really can’t handle it. Let’s toast with tea instead. From this day forward, we share life and death, fortune and hardship, as one."
With everyone else enthusiastically agreeing, Chen Cheng simply raised his teacup and went through the motions.
After that, the group introduced themselves to Chen Cheng one by one.
Including Wang Xiongzhang and Shen Qingxuan, there were eight disciples from the Four Great Clans in total, all of them Purple-clothed Guards in the Demon Suppression Department.
Wang Xiongzhang was the strongest among them, a Great Success Martial Artist of the Muscle Strengthening Realm who had also comprehended Sword Momentum.
The others were all Small Success Martial Artists of the Muscle Strengthening Realm, none of whom had comprehended Sword Momentum. Shen Qingxuan was slightly stronger than the rest, just a single step away from grasping it herself.
It was said that her rapid progress was thanks to Wang Xiongzhang’s guidance and his tireless willingness to spar with her. As a result, the two of them were the closest, and the rest of the group often teased them about it.
Whether or not romantic feelings had secretly blossomed between them was something only they knew.
After the introductions, the others returned to their seats to drink tea and listen to the music.
Wang Xiongzhang, however, struck up an enthusiastic conversation with Chen Cheng.
"Younger Brother Chen, we are brothers now. If you need anything from me, Wang Xiongzhang, in the future, just say the word. As long as it’s within my power, I won’t hesitate to help."
Chen Cheng quickly put on a touched expression and said with gravity, "Thank you, Brother Wang. You are a man of great integrity!"
"We’re brothers; there’s no need for such pleasantries!" Wang Xiongzhang waved his hand casually. "As they say, time reveals a person’s heart. You can just watch my actions from now on.
By the way, since you were with the City Guard Department, you probably don’t have a clear picture of the state of affairs in the Great Yu. Since fate has brought us together today, allow me to fill you in.
The truth is, our Great Yu is vast, with a population in the trillions. The number of geniuses cultivating the Martial Dao is impossible to count. There’s always a higher mountain to climb. We should broaden our horizons and look further..."
...
As noon approached, seeing that no one had any intention of leaving, Chen Cheng made the excuse that he couldn’t handle his liquor and took his leave to go home.
As soon as he got home, he went to the attic terrace, circulated his Qi Blood Power, opened his mouth, and spat out a jet of wine that shot straight into Jishui Lake.
This was the very same Bear Gallbladder Wine he had supposedly drunk. Chen Cheng had used his Inner Breath to contain it, never letting it enter his stomach.
He could accomplish this thanks to his Iron Armor Skill, an Inner Breath Technique that placed great emphasis on respiration. He had long mastered the ability to freely control his breath, and by combining this with the condensed energy from his Great Power Realm, he could envelop the liquid and prevent it from being swallowed.
It sounded rather complex, but for Chen Cheng, it wasn’t very difficult to execute. He could easily maintain it for over two hours.
Whether the Bear Gallbladder Wine was poisoned or not, Chen Cheng had no intention of drinking it. One can never be too careful.
’Back on the pleasure boat, Shen Qingxuan and Wang Xiongzhang were exchanging meaningful glances. She was probably trying to send me a message—that she isn’t interested in me. It seems she’s only interacting with me on a superficial level because of pressure from her family, or for some other reason.’
