Team Introduction
Tong-Kuang came back to the clan in three days just like he told Zheng-Fu. When he left the clan, his energy level was at the sixth level of the Foundation Building stage. However, the energy level had gone up to the seventh level when he came back. Now wherever he went, he had a strong aura around him…
“Has your energy level moved up to the next level?”
Tong-Kuang looked at Zheng-Fu and smiled dryly. He was disappointed because he wanted to surprise Zheng-Fu, but Zheng-Fu could sense the change before he could say anything…
Tong-Kuang: “Yes, sir. While I was on my trip, I had an easy fight with a monster. That helped me improve my Qi energy level. Now I am at the seventh level of the Foundation Building stage, sir!”
“I see! That’s great. You’re very strong. This is perfect because I want to ask you to come with me to the monster forest today. What do you say?”
“The monster forest!?”
Tong-Kuang was somewhat faltered. He thought the last time that he fought with that ninth-level monster, his heart almost stopped. If the monster came in a group, he never wanted to imagine what would happen to him and Zheng-Fu…
Tong-Kuang: “Well…Young master! I don’t think we should go back there. I’m not really that strong enough to protect you. I am afraid that…”
Tong-Kuang thought that even though his energy level had improved, it still was not enough to deal with monsters. Besides, he felt that Zheng-Fu was still at the ninth level of the Qi Gathering stage. He had been at that level three days ago and was still there now. So, he thought that it would be too tough to go back to the monster forest again…
“If you don’t want to go, then I can go there by myself!” Zheng-Fu said while smiling at Tong-Kuang…
Tong-Kuang did not know about Zheng-Fu’s success in breaking through to the next energy level. That was because Zheng-Fu found a way to hide his true energy level. He knew how to do it from the Xianxia novels he read from the previous world. It actually worked in this world…
He found a way to trick the true energy level within him not to show itself. Then he also found another way to suppress the energy to be at a false level. As a result, no one knew his true energy level. If he could turn pro on the processes, no one would be able to sense his energy at all…
Tong-Kuang:” I would go anywhere that you want to go, sir…”
“Thank you very much. But before we go, I need to teach you something.”
…?
Tong-Kuang was confused to hear that from Zheng-Fu when he said that he was going to teach him something…
Zheng-Fu walked towards Tong-Kuang. He asked Tong-Kuang to bend down and whispered something in Tong-Kuang’s ears, slowly…
What!?
“Can we actually do that?”
Tong-Kuang’s face was full of surprise when he heard the whisper. Zheng-Fu told him how to hide his true energy level so he could trick the enemies…
“If you don’t believe me, why don’t you try it!?” Zheng-Fu smirked while he was saying that to Tong-Kuang…
Tong-Kuang stood stunned for a while before starting to do according to what Zheng-Fu told him. Not long after the attempt, he could feel that his energy around him began to subside. He could feel that there was an extra room built within his Qi energy center…
That very extra room could be used to hide some of his true energy…
“How was it?”
Tong-Kuang: “It’s unbelievable. It did work, young master. This would help trick our enemies when they try to detect our energy level…”
“That’s correct. And when we become more excel in the process, we will be able to disguise ourselves efficiently, especially if we want to hide from the bad guys…
Tong-Kuang nodded to register Zheng-Fu’s thought. He could catch up with what Zheng-Fu meant very quickly…
“Do you know where I can acquire Qi energy stones, brother Tong-Kuang?”
Qi energy stones!?
Tong-Kuang: “I heard that Qi energy stones occur in nature. They can only be found in the Cave of the Immortals. But the Cave of the Immortals was owned by those influential clans and the people who are authorized to oversee it…”
“The Cave of the Immortals!?”
Tong-Kuang: “I don’t know about the production rate of the Qi energy stone, but the stones are very expensive. A low-level Qi energy stone cost about 300 monster crystal coins. The mid-level one could cost up to a hundred times that price…”
“A hundred times! So, it could be three thousand monster crystal coins for a stone?”
“Yes, sir!”
*It means that I have to use only the low-level stones for now. It’s almost the time of the month that I will receive another six low-level stones from the clan. With the money that I have, I can buy more of them too.*
Zheng-Fu stroked his chin while contemplating the whole thing. Tong-Kuang saw him doing that and it made him think that Zheng-Fu must have something not normal going on in his mind. Ever since he started to hang out with Zheng-Fu, the boy always gave him surprises…
“I think we should postpone the trip to the monster forest, brother Tong-Kuang. I want you to take me to the place where they sell Qi energy stones!”
Tong-Kuang knew that Zheng-Fu must ask him to do that kind of thing, so he could only give Zheng-Fu a dry smile. He thought anything would be better than going to the monster forest. In that forest, he could never be sure when monsters like that one would jump out to greet him and Zheng-Fu…
Zheng-Fu and Tong-Kuang left the clan immediately to the Cave of the Immortals that was overseen by the authorities in In-See City…
Each of the five influential clans, including the Tian-Tang clan, owned the Cave of the Immortals too. However, Zheng-Fu and Tong-Kuang chose to go to the one in In-See City because they did not wish for anyone to know that they wanted to visit the Cave…
There were two Caves of the Immortals in In-See city. One belonged to the owner of the city, the other belonged to the Association of the Alchemists. The one that was owned by the association was much smaller compared to the one owned by the city owner…
Before Zheng-Fu left the clan, he told his parents that he would meditate for a whole week. He asked for no one to disturb him in the process. He also told his mother that he already prepared the food that was enough for the whole week…
Zheng-Fu thought that his excuse seemed to be silly, especially if he said this in the previous world. However, in this Xianxia world, hibernating for Qi energy cultivation was a big deal. So, it was very important for others not to get in the way…
“How long does it take to the Cave of the Immortals, brother Tong-Kuang?”
Tong-Kuang: “Two days, sir!”
“I see!”
Zheng-Fu and Tong-Kuang took five or six mercenaries with them on this trip to the Cave too. These people were close to Tong-Kuang. They had been working together for many years. Tong-Kuang himself trusted these guys, so he asked them to tack along…
The group left the clan since dawn. They stopped to camp for a night beside the road when it got dark. The camp was set in a lawny space with some trees here and there all over the place. The path that they were on was free from high-level monsters. There were only some low-level monsters in the area…
Tong-Kuang: “I already asked my guys to set fire to cook, sir!”
“Great! Why don’t you take these meats? I checked them and found that they are great-quality meats because they were from the monster that was in the Foundation Building stage.”
“Yes, sir!”
Normally, people would hunt monsters of lower-level to cook. Their meats were not any different from regular meats. The meats from higher-level monsters, on the other hand, could turn out to be great energy food or medicines…
Tong-Kuang: “Young master! I completely forgot to introduce these six guys of mine. They’d been on many missions with me for years. We’re very close, so you can be yourself around them…”
All six mercenaries stood up and bowed to pay respect to Zheng-Fu. They did not understand why Tong-Kuang took Zheng-Fu in this much because he never let anyone in like this before. Now Tong-Kuang could die for Zheng-Fu…
Tong-Kuang: “The first guy who wore the purple outfit was called Ji-Zhung-Gong. Everyone calls him the Furious Ji-Zhung-Gong. His signature moves are the Mountain-Shatter Palm and the Wall of the Earth skill.”
Ji-Zhung-Gong: “My name is Ji-Zhung-Gong. It’s my pleasure to meet you, young master of the Tian-Tang clan…”
Tong-Kuang: “The next one is Yan-Yu. He is a man with a pretty face, but his sword skill is not as sweet as his eyes. It is so quick that his enemies can’t catch up with…
Yan-Yu: “I am Yan-Yu. It’s very nice to meet you too, young master Zheng-Fu! My nickname is ‘Yan-Yu, the Handsome Swordsman’!”
Spit!
Ji-Zhung-Gong: “The Handsome Swordsman or the Bitter Swordsman? Hahaha!”
Yan-Yu: “Stop it, you chubby martial artist!”
“You!”
“That’s enough guys!”
Tong-Kuang: “They are being silly. Please don’t be offended by them!”
Tong-Kuang tried to stop his friends. They normally liked to tease one another like that…
“It’s fine. I don’t feel offended or anything. They must be very close.”
Tong-Kuang: “That’s Lang-Guang-Kuang. He doesn’t speak a lot, but he is one of the most skillful martial artists among us. He uses the Claws fighting skill as his signature move…”
Lang-Guang-Kuang merely stood up and glanced at Zheng-Fu before walking into the darkness without greeting Zheng-Fu like what Ji-Zhung-Gong and Yan-Yu did…
Yan-Yu: “He is always like that. He doesn’t like to talk and wants to be by himself. But he is someone that we can rely on, especially when he slips into his fighting mode. There was one time that he got mad and killed everyone from the opposite side, leaving no one to us…”
Yan-Yu told the story while trying to make a thrilling noise to scare Zheng-Fu. Not only was Zheng-Fu not scared, but he smiled happily along with the story too…
Yan-Yu: “Aren’t you afraid?”
“Afraid!?”
“Why do I have to be afraid? Everyone has that side in them. Why do I have to be scared when things happen?” Zheng-Fu said innocently to Yan-Yu…
Snorting!
Yan-Yu could only give a dry smile. He never thought that Zheng-Fu could be very still with a scary story and he smiled when he heard the story too…
“Ahem!”
Tong-Kuang: “The next one is the guy who is guarding the camp right there. His name is Fu-Tao-Qi. I respect him for his toughness. The weapon of his life is the Axe of the Fiery Bull. It can cut a big tiger in half in just one hit…”
Fu-Tao-Qi: “Please accept my respect, young master Zheng-Fu. I have been hearing great things about you from brother Tong-Kuang. Let me protect you on this trip…”
“Please don’t be too courteous, brother Fu-Tao-Qi. I’m not that great.”
Clomp! Clomp! Clomp!
All of a sudden, a blossoming woman with a huge straw hat walked sexily towards Zheng-Fu and sat down next to Zheng-Fu. Her pleasant smell hit Zheng-Fu’s nose…
Wu-Xiao: “And I am Wu-Xiao, young master Zheng-Fu!”
Wu-Xiao introduced herself to Zheng-Fu while slowly dragging her beautiful fingers on his arm. He felt something, but could suppress the feeling and stayed calm…
“Please to meet you, sister Wu-Xiao.” Zheng-Fu greeted Wu-Xiao back while looking at her provokingly…
“Whoa!”
All of a sudden, Wu-Xiao felt strange as if Zheng-Fu’s eyes could pierce into her body. She had to hold up her hands to cover her breasts instantly. Her reaction stunned Ji-Zhung-Gong and Yan-Yu a little because normally she did not feel shy easily like that…
Tong-Kuang knew what happened well, so he could not help but laugh inside and thought, *Young master is such a bad boy!* Then Tong-Kuang had to cough lightly again…
“Ahem!”
Tong-Kuang: “Wu-Xiao is the only woman in our team. But don’t let her fool you that a woman like her is lesser than men. Many men died because of her before. She is also a great assassinator…”
Wu-Xiao: “Don’t you want to rest your head on my chest, brother Tong-Kuang?”
“Tee-hee!”
Tong-Kuang: “No, thank you!”
“Hahaha!”
After that, a man was walking towards the group and laughed in a satisfied fashion. Then he said, “You haven’t changed, brother Tong-Kuang.” And then he turned to Zheng-Fu and cupped his fists and said…
Dan-Chun-Gu: “I’m Dan-Chun-Gu. Please to meet you, young master Zheng-Fu!”
“I’m Zheng-Fu. Please to meet you too.” Zheng-Fu stood up and cupped his fists to greet Dan-Chun-Gu. He appeared to be graceful and calm while looking at the guy…
Dan-Chun-Gu: *He’s not bad at all. Even though he is a kid, the way he carries himself makes him look like a mature person. His choices of words and emotions are perfect.*
Tong-Kuang: “These fighters are mercenaries that I have known for years. I hired them to come with us to help smooth things up on this trip to In-See City. However, they joined us without taking any money…”
Rustle!
“I’m Zheng-Fu! Thank you very much for joining us on this trip. I will definitely pay you back for what you give me.”
Dan-Chun-Gu: “Don’t think too much, young master Zheng-Fu. We’re more than happy to come. We don’t need anything in return…”
After the official introduction, everyone went back to their duties. Ji-Zhung-Gong had a job to cook while Yan-Yu acted as his helper, preparing ingredients for the cook…
Dan-Chun-Gu and Fu-Tao-Qi had a duty to guard the camp. Wu-Xiao took care of the sleeping area, while Lang-Guang-Kuang stepped outside to check for security around the area. After all, he liked his solitude very much. His job was to report everything that was going on in the area. If he saw anything strange or monsters, he would rush to report the group…