Chapter 153 (Patreon)

Hello everyone! I am back from my break. Enjoy!

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Qiong Qi hadn’t sounded threatening as he spoke but his words triggered the surrounding Rattan Armor Soldiers to pull out their spears.

“Don’t test me right now, Qiong Qi,” Bao Si snapped, her hands still pressed to Xie Jin’s chest. “They’re my people.”

“And they killed my people,” Qiong Qi said.

“As if the situation created allowed for another solution,” Bao Si bit back.

“What about us, or this situation has given you the idea that we’re reasonable people?” Qiong Qi said.

Bao Si finally looked up. “Are you really doing this right now?”

Qiong Qi shrugged. “Do you expect me to overwhelm the opinions of my men? It would be the height of hypocrisy, considering why we’re here.”

Chen Haoran stood and interrupted the back and forth, leaving Phelps and Bao Si with Xie Jin. The Rattan Armor Soldiers shifted their spears like on-guard animals as he did. His sense traveled across the soldiers in a circle, and he noted the stiffening as they felt it fall on him. Qiong Qi spared him an amused glance as his attention fell on him. Chen Haoran moved on and finally settled on the soldier who originally spoke. Qi flooded into his legs, and he disappeared from his spot and appeared before the man. The soldier had enough time to bring his spear up in a reflexive stab before Chen Haoran punched through the spear point and the haft and buried his fist into his chest.

The Rattan Armor Soldiers around the man quickly gave way. They still kept their spears pointed toward him, but the fact they backed away rather than press forward and stab him said volumes about what they thought of him. It seems his reputation had spread.

The soldier he punched doubled over before he could manipulate his vine armor to entangle him. Chen Haoran let him fall to his hands and knees and proceeded to sit on the soldier’s back, crossing his legs and folding his hands. The soldier tensed as he realized what Chen Haoran was doing, and he could feel the man’s qi build up beneath his armor.

“If you move, I’ll kill you,” Chen Haoran lightly said.

The soldier froze.

“I wonder what you’re intentions are,” Qiong Qi mused. “Surely you don’t think this will end up well?”

“Intentions?” Chen Haoran asked as if he didn’t understand the question. “Do I need to have a reason to take a seat?”

“Normally, people would sit on a chair. Not another man’s back,” Qiong Qi said.

Chen Haoran leaned forward. “Is that so? Do you think you people are any different from chairs in my eyes?”

That got a reaction. The amused expression fell from Qiong Qi’s face, replaced with narrow, scrutinizing eyes. The Rattan Armor Soldiers bristled and found some of their lost courage in the aftermath of the insult, marching forward and holding their spears and hairsbreadth away from Chen Haoran’s body. Bao Si briefly looked up from Xie Jin in concern.

“You’re playing a dangerous game, stranger,” Qiong Qi said.

“Stranger?” Chen Haoran asked. “No, you and I are not strangers. What you should be saying is, master. My name is Chen Haoran.”

“Is that name supposed to mean something to me?” Qiong Qi sarcastically asked. 

"It should because you're right. I am playing with you. None of you deserve my respect anyway."

“Bold words for man surrounded,” Qiong Qi said.

Chen Haoran shook his finger. “Ah ah ah, let me tell you something. The guys I’m worried about are currently outside this barrier. Inside? You chumps? I’ll give you points for boldness, but if you think you can kill me, then go ahead. Let’s see who ends up worse off between us.”

For emphasis, Chen Haoran brushed his hand over the hilt of his sword. The Rattan Armor Soldiers collectively flinched. Qiong Qi did not move, but his two lotuses lit up with ice and fire. Chen Haoran pulled his hand away from his sword with a smile and waved at them.

“Why is everyone so serious?” He joked.

Qiong Qi disappeared from his spot in a burst of speed and appeared next to Chen Haoran, whirling into a kick that whipped toward his head. Chen Haoran brought up his arm to block at the same time. The sound they made when they collided was more like two massive drums being struck than actual flesh. In a match-up between leg and arm, the leg would win out in terms of power. Chen Haoran trying to block a Ninth-Layer’s kick with just one arm was pure arrogance. Arrogance, which he paid for as he felt his bones crack beneath the blow.

Still, he blocked it.

Earth-Rank qi. Wood Element. In their clash, Chen Haoran quickly got Qiong Qi’s measure and was measured in turn. Of all the Rattan Armor Soldiers he’d seen, Qiong Qi was the only one comparable to Pan Gong and Lu Aotian.

Qiong Qi was the first to break off, lowering his leg and standing over Chen Haoran. “Alright, who are you?”

Well. That was one way to introduce yourself. Chen Haoran didn’t really have a right to cast stones.

“Your ally, I suppose,” Chen Haoran said.

“You say that, but your first thought was to join the Garrison,” Qiong Qi retorted.

“You really don’t know who I am.” Chen Haoran pitched his words such that the question was more of a statement. One that was full of wonder. Not that it was hard to fake. It really was wonderful that someone didn’t know who he was.

“Enlighten me,” Qiong Qi drawled.

Chen Haoran huffed a laugh and placed his hand on Qiong Qi’s shoulder. “Southern Dragon King Chen Qitao.”

Qiong Qi stiffened.

“Right now, I’m the only person in Zumulu whom Xi Wangmu has to treat with respect,” Chen Haoran said. His smile turned dark. “So if you all want to make it out of here with a future, you should start sucking up to me.”

Qiong Qi stared at him with a searching look. Chen Haoran returned his gaze with far more confidence than he was feeling. A thousand-to-one odds were still a lot.

“What do you want,” Qiong Qi finally said.

Chen Haoran smiled. “First? Some privacy.”

——————-

A rough stone hut was erected using Earth Techniques. For the rebels and Chen Haoran’s peace of mind it was constructed near the barrier and outside the rebels fortifications. Chen Haoran pulled out fine blankets from his storage bag and they laid Xie Jin atop them. Phelps sat guard outside, the smell of blood too much for him in the cramped space. Chen Haoran stood over Bao Si with a grave look on his face as she pressed her hands to the fist-sized hole in Xie Jin’s chest and covered his bleeding, claw-marked heart. Xie Jin was pale as bone and stained the silk blankets with sweat and blood. His blood-soaked Beetle Gu sat groggily to the side under the watch of Bao Si’s Centipede Gu.

“What’s going on with him?” Chen Haoran asked.

“This fool fused with his Gu.” Sweat beaded on Bao Si’s face as she fed healing miasma into the wound. “It’s a dangerous technique even for Black Bone Shamans. Gu are just too greedy to be allowed so close to your blood and qi. It’s not just his heart, its his meridians and arteries. Damn fool.”

Chen Haoran pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from Bao Si’s brow. “Is this room secure?”

Bao Si spared him a glance. Her Centipede Gu chittered, and purple qi ran down its length like water. “Nothing will get out.”

Chen Haoran hid his hand in his storage bag and summoned the 40-thousand-year-old Paradise Pomegranate. As soon as he pulled it out, the room was filled with with a strange scented qi. Sweet and sour and heavy enough to seep through the walls and curtain door of the hut were it not for Bao Si’s Gu absorbing it. Chen Haoran roughly ripped the fruit in half, and the scent became even denser. A quick scan with his sense counted exactly 613 ruby seeds. He delicately pinched one between his fingers and swallowed it. As soon as it touched his tongue, the seed liquified, and its juice flew into his body in a warm current. Chen Haoran felt himself flush as the heat built up to an almost unbearable level in his chest, but under his inner eye, he could see the red liquid wash across his inner wounds and assist his regeneration.

He immediately pinched another seed and fed it to Xie Jin, gently pushing it past his lips. He focused his sense to a fine point and tracked the state of Xie Jin’s body and qi as he waited for the liquid to do its work. The waiting was always the worst part. Seconds passed by, but they felt like minutes. Chen Haoran debated whether to use another seed. Would it be dangerous? Could Xie Jin handle another while in his state? Was taking more than one even useful? As he fretted, however, there was a change. Color finally returned to Xie Jin’s cheeks.

“Another,” Bao Si ordered.

Chen Haoran fed Xie Jin another pomegranate seed, then, following Bao Si’s instructions, began feeding him in intervals while she focused on directing the healing. After five seeds, the wounds in Xie Jin’s heart closed, and the flesh began to knit back together as Bao Si created a bridge between bones, muscles, and skin using her Earth qi. A sixth seed saw the open hole in his chest fully close, and Bao Si then went on to work across the rest of his body, checking his meridians and veins. After making sure all else was in order, she finally pulled her hands away and fell back on the floor.

“He’ll live,” she said.

Chen Haoran handed her a bottle of Machu River water. “Good work.”

She near emptied the bottle in two swigs and then poured the remainder over her head. “The Garrison? Really?”

“I figured you would have rathered go alone than help the rebels after what Xi Wangmu put you through,” Chen Haoran said. “Sorry for being wrong.”

“Things happened,” Bao Si said. “There wasn’t much choice.”

“Funny,” Chen Haoran replied. “Things happened to me too. What’s the situation.”

“They’re all insane and are going to die.”

“Lovely.”

Xie Jin suddenly coughed. His eyes fluttered open and rapidly flickered to and fro as he took in his surroundings. When he saw Chen Haoran and Bao Si, he relaxed a margin. “Where are we?” he croaked.

“Inside the rebels’ little fort,” Chen Haoran said. He took out another water bottle and carefully raised Xie Jin’s head to let him drink it. “How are you feeling?”

“Like death,” Xie Jin said between sips.

“What happened out there?” Bao Si demanded. “You know how dangerous that technique is.”

“I was fighting for my life,” Xie Jin said. “Crazy fucking bastard. I would have died if I didn’t advance to the Liquid Meridian Realm.”

“If you stayed in that state for any longer, you would have actually died,” Bao Si said. “And as for your so-called ‘advancement’….”

Bao Si did not need to say anything more. Chen Haoran could feel with his sense just how weak Xie Jin was right now. Where there should have been coursing currents of Liquid Qi in his meridians, there were now barely droplets. It was hard to call Xie Jin a proper Liquid Meridian in this state.

“Just give me some time, and I’ll recover,” Xie Jin said, letting his head fall back into his pillow.

Bao Si snorted. “What time? With what power? You think you can control your Gu in that state?” Her Centipede Gu chittered menacingly over the slumbering Beetle Gu. “Know this, Xie Jin. If you can’t convince your Gu to spit out what it took, I will devour it.”

Xie Jin’s expression was ugly, but he didn’t refute her words.

“Let’s take it easy now,” Chen Haoran interrupted. “There’s no need to be so heavy when we’ve finally met back up. Xie Jin, what do you need to recover?”

“Some quiet and time to cultivate. My Gu isn’t that insubordinate that I won’t be able to control it with a bit of qi.”

“Give him two more of those pomegranate seeds,” Bao Si added.

“Right,” Chen Haoran said. He took two seeds then reached into his storage bag and summoned a high-grade spirit stone. The room fell silent as they looked at the dark blue crystal. Even Bao Si’s centipede Gu abandoned watching the Beetle Gu and stared at him. “Will this help?”

“Every time I leave you, it’s like you come up with better and better things,” Xie Jin said in wonder. He took the stone in hand. “I’ll owe you this favor later.”

“Just recover well, Chen Haoran said. “Gonna need you when we get out of here.”

A hiss emerged from outside. Chen Haoran and Bao Si turned toward the curtain entranceway as Phelps slowly backed through it, qi rising off his back.

There was a knock on the frame. “It’s Qiong Qi.”

“Enter,” Bao Si said.

Qiong Qi pushed aside the curtains and strode in. His gaze fell on Xie Jin, but it was brief, and he was soon ignored in favor of Bao Si and Chen Haoran. “I’ve come to discuss dealing with the Garrison.”

“I’d actually like to discuss leaving here,” Chen Haoran said. “I don’t care what else you do, but I’m no longer interested in wasting time in this place.”

“I’m afraid we don’t have any way of sending you out early, Chen Haoran.” Qiong Qi cupped his hands in mock respect. “Do forgive me.”

Chen Haoran frowned. “I was told the way out would be through this pyramid once its rewards were acquired.”

“You heard correctly. Unfortunately, doing so will teleport everyone outside, which is at odds with our goals.”

“Your goals stopped mattering the moment the Garrison broke out of your traps,” Chen Haoran derisively said.

“Perhaps,” Qiong Qi evenly replied. “You’re free to try and leave. It’s just that you’ll be teleported back to the original pyramid with the Garrison.”

Chen Haoran narrowed his eyes. “And where would you go?”

“Naturally, we’ll be teleported elsewhere,” Qiong Qi said. “I’m just not sure who we’ll be able to bring with us if we’re suddenly forced to leave.”

This fucker was threatening them.

“You really think it will end well if you leave us like that?” Chen Haoran asked.

“Leave you? Why would I ever do that?” Qiong Qi looked righteously affronted. “It seems you don’t trust me, which is fair. So why don’t we cooperate with each other as a way to build some mutual trust.”

Chen Haoran shared a look with Bao Si. Qiong Qi had worded it as them trusting him, but what he really wanted was an assurance that he could trust them.

“Fine,” Chen Haoran said.

Qiong Qi clapped his hands. “Don’t look so aggrieved. Despite what it may seem, we have no intention of being buried here. We just have to hold the Garrison here for as long as possible, preferably until their antidote supply runs out. Since we control the pyramid, we can choose to pluck its treasure anytime we want and leave.”

“Which is the real reason you’re here, no doubt,” Bao Si said.

Qiong Qi clicked his tongue. “Come now, Princess Bao. I told you my ideals already.”

“Of course, and the treasure accumulated after 2 thousand years is just icing on the cake,” Bao Si drawled.

“You wound me, Princess Bao.”

“Enough of that,” Chen Haoran said. “What do you want from us?”

“Well, from you, I hope that you could help tie down the Garrison’s Ninth-Layers,” Qiong Qi said.

Chen Haoran immediately shook his head. “Too much. I can hold back Pan Gong, and that’s it.”

While he had put up an impressive showing before, it didn’t change the fact that there was a Seven-Layer difference between him and the Garrison’s Captains. The Banquet Peach only put him within range of their playing field, not above them. Sure, he might have almost killed Lu Aotian, but that was when he was still hurting from what Xie Jin had done to him and because he underestimated what Chen Haoran was capable of. A fresh and wary Lu Aotian wasn’t someone he was one hundred percent sure he could defeat. Plus, there was no way in hell he was going to exhaust himself fighting the Garrison with the rebels at his back. At least with Pan Gong, he had an insurmountable advantage in the Yellow Dragon.

Qiong Qi thought about it for a moment and nodded. “That’s enough. It’s fortunate you appeared. With you as Pan Gong’s hard counter, the rest of us will face less pressure.”

“It isn’t only Pan Gong you should be worried about,” Chen Haoran said. “Their Formation Officer Six-Eyes is just as dangerous if not more so.”

“I’m aware,” Qiong Qi dryly said. “I was in the middle of hunting him when I met Princess Bao.”

That’s right. Six-Eyes had mentioned Qiong Qi before, hadn’t he? Perhaps he’d given the rebel Ninth-Layer less credit than he deserved. He couldn’t average if Six-Eyes specifically noted him. Chen Haoran internally sighed. Yet another person with more layers than met the eyes.

“I’ve been meeting so many onions lately,” Chen Haoran muttered.

“Excuse me?”

“Nothing,” Chen Haoran said. “Anyway, our companion needs his rest. The Garrison isn’t planning on attacking immediately, so we should have a few days. Come and find me once they start their attack.”

“Ah,” Qiong Qi said, and for some reason, Chen Haoran’s heart fell. “You must not know your Garrison friends as well as you thought because they’re preparing to attack as we speak.”