Chapter 522: Roughnecks and Real Men

Chapter 522: The Madman and the Man

The thunder boomed in a deafening roar as the torrential rain poured down. The raindrops shifted from sparse to dense with terrifying speed, slamming against the glass windows of the wine shop with a ferocious intensity.

"Then explain it to me, what exactly do you mean by a surprise?"

Rong Lu smiled. "A surprise means I originally only intended to catch a tiny shrimp, but ended up reeling in a massive fish."

"You are mistaken."

"Then what do you think qualifies as a surprise?"

"If your true physical body were sitting here today, now that would be a surprise."

"Care to try?"

Li Jun smiled. "I would."

"I, too, wish to see just how sharp this thorn is, the one that the Buddhist and Daoist Orders have still failed to pull from their flesh."

Rong Lu spoke softly, "If you wish to keep striking stone with an egg, harboring the delusion that you can fight the Central Academy to the bitter end, you will have that opportunity sooner or later."

"You think your egg is big enough to clash with my brother Jun?"

Beside them, Shen Li despised these deeply conniving characters the most, and he spat out curses, "If you've got a problem, call your people over right now. If I so much as move my backside an inch, I'll take your family name."

"Shen Li, are you declaring war on the Central Academy on behalf of the Firmament?"

Rong Lu’s gaze swept across the room. "Can you bear the weight of such a responsibility?"

"Heh."

Shen Li sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. "To clean up a bunch of spineless dogs who sold themselves out to the Confucian Order, do I even need to drag the whole Firmament into it? I alone am more than enough!"

"Wait until you are capable of matching the three martial sovereigns before you talk such arrogant nonsense to me. As you are now, you are simply not qualified."

Rong Lu ignored Shen Li, whose veins were bulging violently at his temples, and turned his gaze back to Li Jun. "Every grievance has its source, and every debt its debtor. The one who killed the Chiyou Sovereign was Meng Xi, and he is already dead. By all rights, the enmity between you and the Central Academy should be wiped clean. If you leave Jinling now, there is still a path of survival for you. However, you must hand someone over."

Rong Lu’s eyes turned icy, and he emphasized each word with deliberate weight. "The people of the Order of Universal Love cannot have died in vain. Hand over Zou Sijiu, and I will give you a chance to sacrifice a pawn to save your castle."

"Meng Xi was never worthy of killing the Chiyou Sovereign, and you are not worthy of making me hand anyone over."

"So, your mind is set on continuing to cross paths with the Central Academy?"

"The night is dark and the road is slick. I advise you not to walk alone."

"The days ahead are long. You had best not show your head either."

The two men stared at each other, their gazes locking like needlepoints meeting wheat awns.

"Actually, just now, both you and I were wrong. Your choice to fight to the death—now that is the true surprise for me."

The corners of Rong Lu’s mouth hitched stiffly, forming a bizarre, distorted smile.

"In that case, I might as well give you a little surprise right now to help you warm up."

Wang Qi did not quite understand the conversation between these two scenario characters; he only had a vague notion that there was some deep-seated grudge between them.

Based on his past experiences, every dialogue and encounter within the dream world boundlessly contained a deeper significance.

Just as Wang Qi lowered his head, racking his brains in a desperate attempt to analyze the meaning of the scene before him, he suddenly heard Li Jun call his name.

"Wang Qi."

"Huh?"

Hearing his name, Wang Qi looked up to see Li Jun smiling faintly, tilting his chin slightly toward him.

It’s here! At long last, I have triggered the quest!

Wang Qi’s spirits instantly soared, filled with grand ambitions as he awaited the subsequent instructions, yet Li Jun did not speak another word.

What did this mean?

The excitement in Wang Qi’s eyes dissolved into utter bewilderment. His gaze swept across the faces of Li Jun and Shen Li in turn, before finally locking onto Rong Lu opposite them, lost in thought.

Rong Lu had no idea what Li Jun’s gesture signified, nor did he care about any so-called 'little surprise.'

Instead, it was the wild card named Shen Li that struck him as somewhat troublesome.

"Shen Li, let me give you a piece of advice as well. This muddy water is something your Firmament had best not wade into..."

Before the words could fade into the air, Wang Qi suddenly bolted upright, drawing the immediate gaze of all three men upon him.

Wang Qi twisted his shoulders, dropping his weight forward into a low stance. He swung his right hand back in a wide arc, bringing his open palm down with immense force, delivering a savage slap straight across Rong Lu’s face.

Smack!

A crisp, resounding slap echoed through the room. It did not move Rong Lu’s body in the slightest, but the concussive recoil caused a sharp, cracking snap to ring out from Wang Qi’s own wrist.

"Hiss..."

Wang Qi gasped sharply, clutching his broken wrist as he stared at Rong Lu with an expression of sheer disbelief.

Coincidentally, Rong Lu was staring back at him with an equally dumbfounded expression.

One was shocked that the other's face could be so incredibly hard, while the other was shocked that this nonentity possessed such staggering audacity.

"He gets it! He completely gets it! So this is what a fucking surprise looks like!"

Shen Li clapped his hands, doubled over with roaring laughter.

"You are courting death."

Rong Lu’s face darkened instantly, a chilling wave of murderous intent erupting from him.

But the moment the low growl escaped his throat, a deafening sonic boom erupted right in front of his face.

Bang!

A heavy fist smashed squarely into Rong Lu’s face. The flesh covering his mechanical bones rippled violently, and a sharp, metallic screech of twisting iron mingled with the dull explosion, spraying blood that atomized into a crimson mist in the air.

Thud.

The headless corpse had barely hit the floor when the doors of the wine shop suddenly exploded into a cloud of flying splinters.

"Shen—"

The man who burst inside roared at the top of his lungs, but his furious gaze collided directly with Li Jun’s freezing eyes.

In that split second of contact, a sudden surge of bone-chilling dread violently choked the words in his throat, stretching the subsequent syllable of Shen Li's name into a trembling shriek of terror.

"What kind of day is it today, that people keep coming to my door one after another just to die?"

Li Jun shook his left hand, flicking away the clinging blood, and cast a ferocious glare toward the doorway.

With sharp brows, star-like eyes, a green robe, and a Daoist crown.

The figure pinned to the threshold, frozen in absolute terror, was unmistakably dressed as a member of the Daoist Order.

"Don't be angry, Brother Jun. This one came looking for me."

Shen Li spoke up quickly. He sat backward on his chair, draping both arms over the backrest, looking at the intruder with a beaming smile.

"Guo Qiu, I really have to say this about you—a man shouldn't be so petty. All I did this time was snatch one person from you, and I didn't even go around slaughtering your disciples and grand-disciples. It wasn't even that big of a deal to begin with. Why did you feel the absolute need to chase me down so relentlessly? Look at you now, completely stunned, aren't you? Didn't expect to run into two martial artists of the fourth rank, did you?"

This member of the Daoist Order whom Shen Li addressed as Guo Qiu was precisely the master of the Cloud-Viewing Temple on Mount Shizi, as well as the representative of the Maoshan sect within the city of Jinling.

He was also the very victim whose temple had just been raided, smashed, and plundered by Shen Li and his men.

During the attack on the temple, Guo Huo was not present in the gathering, but he was gathering materials for the cultivation of the Yellow Robe warrior outside. Therefore, he did not face Shen Seng directly.

A member of Tian Xian who was eager to commit, held significant importance for the significance of Ma Shan. For Guo Huo personally, this was even more crucial as it was a key factor in elevating his status from White Jade Emperor to a higher celestial rank. When he learned that his master was being taken away, Guo Huo felt as though he had been struck by lightning.

Without hesitation, Guo Huo returned to the gathering spot and pursued Shen Seng.

Originally, when he tracked down the footprints of Shen Seng, Guo Huo was still filled with joy. But now...

Guo Huo’s frantic eyes scanned the body, still smoldering with embers, before he quietly lifted his right foot, sliding it along the ground with a faint sound.

“Ugh, you’re standing firm, aren’t you? Just don’t move. You’ve just collided with my older brother—no apologies, you should’ve run. What’s so special about this?”

Shen Seng spoke lightly, his tone light. “Well, since you’re here, let’s talk. Don’t worry, just be sincere, and I’ll protect you from stepping into trouble.”

“Me”

“What do you mean? Let the rest of the disciples scatter.”

The situation was dire, but Guo Huo, after calculating the odds of escape, decided to give up on fighting. He calmly approached the table, unceremoniously tossing his sleeve aside to reveal a pile of scattered relics and parts.

“You know, I understand now. If you really care, I’ll help you regain your dignity.”

“Find it.”

“How do you plan to find it?”

“Today, I owe two people my life. This will be useful for my place.”

“No, no.”

Shen Seng shook his head, gently squeezing Guo Huo’s shoulder. “Come on, brother, you’ve always been a loyal disciple. Let’s not waste this chance.”

Guo Huo’s heart thudded in his chest, yet his resolve remained unshaken. He sighed deeply, his eyes reflecting the weight of the moment.

“Even after all this, I still feel like I’m missing something. What’s the point of this struggle?”

Shen Seng’s voice was soft but firm. “You’ll understand soon enough. If you keep this secret, it might cost you everything. Remember this—last time I lost my dignity, it was in the Valley of the Peach Blossom. Now, you’re facing the same risk.”

Guo Huo’s mind raced, the gravity of the situation settling over him. He glanced at the relics scattered before him, the weight of his words pressing down on him.

“Thank you… for understanding.”

The scene shifted, the tension easing as the two men shared a fragile moment of understanding.

Thankyou, Brother Jun.

Whose Brother Jun?

My Brother Jun.

Now that's right.

Shen Li smiled at Li Jun and said, "I told you Qiu'er is a sensible person, right, brother?"

Li Jun nodded with a stern face: "He's a decent chap, worth keeping company with."

"Alright, another day we'll come back to Lion Mountain to visit Qiu'er."

"No need for all this trouble; just going down the mountain will do." Guo Qiu's body shuddered, and he hurriedly said.

Shen Li said solemnly: "That won't do; you're a mountain immortal—how can you keep running down the mountain every day?"

"Not an immortal, just a person."

"A person, not an immortal?"

Guo Qiu's expression fell: "It's Qiu'er."

Shen Li feigned realization, patting the other's shoulder: "Alright, losing wealth wards off disaster—you know if it's settled. You have nothing more to do today; be on your way."

The Daoist, hearing this, felt a weight lift, sprang up and hurried toward the door.

"Wait a moment."

"Really, it's all gone."

Guo Qiu turned back, stamped his foot and shook his sleeves to show his innocence.

Li Jun said calmly: "Compensate the boss's door."

"Brother Jun, pick these things first."

Shen Li, with a generous air, said: "Even if you take them all, I, your younger brother, won't object."

Li Jun didn't even glance at the Daoist implements on the table, instead asking: "Why not just strike directly? Two against one—even if he has allies outside, killing him wouldn't be hard."

"Brother Jun, you gave me face, letting me bluff once with a tiger's hide, and I got through this crisis safely—I'm already grateful. If I really killed that bull-nosed Guo Qiu, Mao Shan would never let it slide; they'd surely come looking for trouble for you, Brother Jun. A person shouldn't be so clueless."

Li Jun laughed: "Many debts don't weigh one down; I've already provoked plenty in the Dao order—one more Mao Shan makes no difference."

"Brother Jun, if you stir up trouble with them, I'll help if I can; if I can't, you may look down on me, and I'll accept that. But the trouble I bring upon myself I must bear alone—I won't drag you into it."

Shen Li said solemnly: "I, Shen Li, have left Jinmen, crossed the Nine Rivers, wandered the length and breadth of the empire. I've been locked up by the Confucian order for brainwashing, snatched by the Dao order for tempering, imprisoned by the Buddhist order for breeding—yet I'm still alive today thanks only to a backbone of integrity and a heart of righteousness. Brothers help me, I help brothers; we owe each other, but we never keep score of who owes more, who wins or loses."

"Then, when I go to the Liu household, I don't know if I'll still be able to hear you call me 'brother'."

"Actually, even if Brother Jun you're unwilling to lend a hand, I, bearing the Heavenly Gap, will still have to shout that 'brother' loud on that day."

Li Jun said in a low voice: "When the time comes, there will be bloodshed, and there will be deaths."

deaths."

We, who follow the Martial Order, when have we ever feared this?

Shen Li, unfazed, raised an eyebrow, stood up, and handed Li Jun a metal plaque engraved with the words "Heavenly Gap": "Brother Jun, you decide when to act—just give me a call. I'll definitely show up within half an hour."

Li Jun took the plaque, gestured to the mountain of loot on the table, and laughed: "Take these away; they're all your extortion gains, wholly yours."

"That's rather embarrassing."

Shen Li protested with his lips, but his hands moved swiftly; he snatched off his filthy outer robe and bundled up everything on the table.

"Gentlemen, just wait a moment."

Wang Qi, left hanging aside, saw the two about to split the loot and disperse, and hurriedly shouted: "What about me?"

Li Jun, somewhat helpless, said: "I already told you—we're of the Martial Order; this path isn't for you."

"How isn't it suitable? I think it's perfect!"

Slaying Ronglu, seizing Guo Qiu—watching those earlier scenes made Wang Qi's blood surge.

The manly bravado in the exchange between Li Jun and Shen Li made him feel as if he'd gulped a shot of fiery liquor, his innards burning; since this is a dream‑like game, why wouldn't I choose the swiftest, most satisfying path?

Even if danger lurks everywhere, what of it?

Even if the sunset nears dusk, at the very least it holds boundless beauty!

"Having plucked the spirit aperture, there's still no chance to restore original flesh and blood?"

Li Jun pondered a moment, then turned his head to glance at Shen Li.

Shen Li sized up Wang Qi from head to toe, a hand stroking his chin: "He isn't yet a follower of any order, so there shouldn't be a big problem. Even if he can't make it, I have some connections in Jinling; helping him find a path won't be an issue."

"Then you just point him the way; being able to break the lock and advance in rank is enough."

Li Jun's voice trailed off: "No need to bring him into the Heavenly Gap."

"Understood."

Shen Li blinked, then greeted the elated Wang Qi: "Come on, Brother Wang—let's find a spot so I can measure your length and breadth."

The dead are dead, the gone are gone; amidst the chaotic mess of the tavern, only Li Jun remains seated, unmoving.

Li Jun swirled the remaining dregs in the shallow-bottomed bottle, tipped it back and drained it, his peripheral vision catching the headless corpse on the floor.

"This affair is fishy; Old Zou over there is likely to run into trouble."