I'm Already the Richest Man, Why Did My System Just Arrive?

Chapter 199: Chapter 141: Disappointed People, Blank Paper, a Stirring Heart Demon

Without waiting for Zheng Xiu to agree, Ruchen took off his boots, rolled up his pant legs, and waded into the river that cut through the valley to catch fish.

Zheng Xiu watched Ruchen’s back, hugged the Ancient Painting to his chest, and leaned against the rock wall, closing his eyes.

An unknown amount of time passed.

"Brother Zheng! Brother Zheng! Grilled fish! Quick, eat the grilled fish!"

A groggy Zheng Xiu was startled awake by a sudden shake. His first instinct was to clutch his chest, and he breathed a sigh of relief when he found the Ancient Painting still in his arms. Looking up, he saw Ruchen’s filthy but joyfully child-like face right before his eyes.

Ruchen had fumbled his way through catching the fish, scaling them, and gutting them. After all that effort, he’d managed to smear his own face with blood and grime, creating a rather comical sight.

The smells of raw fish and cooking fish drifted over simultaneously. Zheng Xiu’s gaze followed the scent, and he saw that Ruchen had started a campfire at some point. Two small fish, each about three inches long, were skewered on sticks over the flames.

Zheng Xiu fell silent. He looked up at the sky and saw the moon was directly overhead. He had only meant to rest his eyes, but he had fallen fast asleep instead.

He was exhausted.

His [Divine Travel], which he should have ended long ago, had already been pushed far beyond its limits on sheer willpower alone.

[Divine Travel] consumed Zheng Xiu’s Spirit. His current state was comparable to a normal person who hadn’t slept in over ten days, utterly drained. Even though he had just slept for a while, and the spiritual fatigue had eased a little, it was truly *only* a little.

The bloodshot sclera and dark circles that rimmed Zheng Xiu’s eyes when he opened them tipped Ruchen off that something was amiss. A flicker of worry appeared in the depths of his eyes.

The best way to resolve Zheng Xiu’s current predicament was to hand the Ancient Painting over to Ruchen. Then, Zheng Xiu could cancel his [Divine Travel], his consciousness would return to his Main Body, and he could sleep for several days and nights to recover his energy.

Zheng Xiu hadn’t done this for two reasons: first, he was worried about Ruchen’s Heart Demon acting up; second, they still hadn’t completely escaped Ye Weiyang’s sphere of influence. If he wasn’t here and Ruchen were to be found by Raven, the consequences would be unthinkable.

’It’s just losing some sleep. Who’s afraid of that?’

Zheng Xiu rubbed his eyes, gave a self-deprecating laugh, and retied the Ancient Painting securely to his back.

A three-inch fish was far from enough to fill a stomach. It wasn’t even a proper mouthful.

Although he hadn’t recovered much, the short nap was better than nothing and had eased some of his fatigue. He walked to the riverbank. With a shake of his right hand, bone erupted from his palm amidst writhing flesh.

"Brother Zheng, your Miracle Technique is truly hideous."

Ruchen had probably been bottling that up for a long time. He’d wanted to say it for ages, and now that they were alone, he finally muttered the complaint under his breath.

Zheng Xiu ignored Ruchen. This time, he’d rolled [Form One]. Two Large Curved Sabers, wreathed in black flames, appeared in his hands.

[Form One] [Taunt] [Unspecified].

By constantly challenging himself, Zheng Xiu’s attunement with the Deceitful Object had increased significantly.

Zheng Xiu had a faint feeling that when the time was right, under certain conditions, he would be able to unlock a fourth form for the Deceitful Object.

Having fought all this way, Zheng Xiu had gradually figured out how to play the [Surprise Cage] challenge. Generally, when the Surprise Cage rolled, only the first two slots were fixed: the Deceitful Object’s "Form" and its equipped "Traits." Sometimes, the moves weren’t restricted. Challenges with restricted moves increased his attunement slightly more than unrestricted ones.

In other words, in an unrestricted challenge, Zheng Xiu could adjust the ultimate moves he unleashed. Under the same conditions, he could even produce a Derivation of different moves.

Zheng Xiu’s method of wielding the Deceitful Object was evolving from mindless, brute-force attacks toward a style that was brutish on the surface but subtle in its execution.

Zheng Xiu leaped high into the air. As he spun, the inky light flowing along the Curved Sabers coalesced into the phantom image of a dragon’s head.

However, compared to when he faced Gu Qiutang and Jun Buxiao in General Town, this phantom dragon head was far more solid, its eyes burning with a brighter spirit.

"Dragon Tail Swing! Let fish and dragon play together!"

The fish in the river were all attracted by the [Taunt], leaping furiously from the water’s surface toward the dragon head in their Anger.

In the blink of an eye, the schools of fish that had been cowering at the bottom of the river went berserk. The entire river became a churning, boiling mass of flashing white scales.

The two Curved Sabers slammed together and struck downward toward the riverbed.

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!

In an instant, a dozen pillars of water, each ten-zhang high, shot into the sky.

At the last second, after the two sabers collided, Zheng Xiu flicked them sharply upward in a rebounding motion.

A skillfully applied shockwave sent the fish raining down onto the riverbank.

Ruchen was stunned.

Before Zheng Xiu made his move, Ruchen had been wondering what this Mighty Man was planning to do.

He never thought... it would just be to catch fish.

Shaking off his astonishment, Ruchen came to his senses. He quickly shed his outer robe and ran to the riverbank to gather the fish with it.

What was supposed to be a barely-satisfying meal had turned into a veritable feast of fish.

「After the meal.」

Picking his teeth with a blade of grass, Zheng Xiu asked, "Still think it’s hideous?"

Ruchen lay on the ground, patting his round belly, and let out a satisfied burp. "Hic—Brother Zheng, you’re so cool!"

As soon as he said it, Ruchen’s face flushed red. He stole a glance at Zheng Xiu, his expression completely different from his usual proper self—now, it was slightly coquettish.

"Brother Zheng~" Ruchen suddenly began wringing his hands, whispering, "Can we maybe..."

Zheng Xiu saw Ruchen’s Heart Demon was acting up again—and in such an absurd way. His face darkened, and he raised his fist.

Ruchen instantly snapped back to his usual self. He clamped his mouth shut, hurriedly pressed his palms together, and began silently reciting the Heart Zen to drive away the evil thoughts of his Heart Demon, inwardly crying out his repentance.