chsdbacks Chapter 107: The Southern Prince's Mansion
Chapter 107: The Southern Prince's Mansion
The next day, at the high-rise building in the mansion.
As the sun rose in the east, its orange-red rays shone on Zhang Ping's angular face.
His face wasn't exactly handsome, but after long-term training, it had become more pleasing to the eye than his previous ordinary appearance. He had a well-proportioned and sturdy physique, and his height had increased from 1.7 meters to over 1.8 meters.
In his previous life, he would have been called handsome.
"Young Master, Patriarch Nangong has arrived." The sound of a door opening came from behind, and Xiaoqing walked up to the balcony of the pavilion and announced softly.
After the Lu family's incident, Lu Wanrou arranged for her to live with a commoner's family, where she secretly inquired about Zhang Ping's whereabouts. As soon as Zhang Ping returned, she was brought into the mansion and is now responsible for taking care of the three of them.
"Please invite her up." Zhang Ping did not turn around.
Xiaoqing acknowledged and withdrew. After a while, she led Nangong Feiyan, who was wearing a wine-red dress, in, and then left. Only the two of them remained on the balcony.
Zhang Ping slowly turned around and looked at Nangong Feiyan, who was bathed in the morning light.
Her face was exquisitely beautiful, yet her brows carried an undeniable air of strength. Seeing the wine-red dress she wore, which accentuated her slender waist and exuded a seductive allure, he raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Patriarch Nangong, what brings you here? What happened three days ago was an impulsive act on my part, and I apologize to you for it," Zhang Ping said.
Nangong Feiyan did not answer immediately, but stared at him, recalling how he had lowered his head and dared not look at her when he was in front of her because of the Dragon Blood Stone, and she was slightly lost in thought.
He quickly withdrew his gaze, and with a slight hint of respect, said:
"I dare not accept such praise. I am merely the head of a small family; how could I possibly show the slightest disrespect to a master at the Marrow Infusion Realm?"
In the morning light, her face was radiant. These words startled Zhang Ping, and he couldn't help but look at her a few more times.
These words were so blunt that Zhang Ping didn't react for a moment. Only then did he suddenly remember that this was the former territory of Wei and Zhao, a great world where martial arts reigned supreme.
Although the Great Wei has laws and people talk about right and wrong, in the end, strength is the fundamental factor.
The standards of right and wrong are set by the strong. When power is overwhelming enough, one gains the right to disregard the law.
He could hear the resentment in Nangong Feiyan's words, yet she was also afraid of angering him and incurring the wrath of a martial artist at the Marrow Infusion Realm. That was something the Nangong family could hardly bear. Even if the matter itself was difficult to judge as right or wrong.
To avoid this consequence, Nangong Feiyan was even willing to wait outside the mansion for three days, just to see him as soon as possible and find out his attitude.
Noticing this change, Zhang Ping suddenly felt somewhat bored.
In just six months, his strength improved so rapidly that he didn't even fully understand what this power meant. The Nangong family, who were once unapproachable and wanted to use him as a pawn or henchman at will, now referred to themselves as a "small family" in front of him.
What about the other acquaintances? What will their attitude be?
Zhang Ping sighed and waved his hand, "Patriarch Nangong, please sit down. I still remember your kindness in gifting me the Dragon Blood Stone."
Bullying others by abusing one's power is ultimately not what he wanted.
Seeing this, a smile finally appeared on Nangong Feiyan's face, her seriousness fading considerably, though the stubbornness between her brows remained. Her tone changed:
"Where have you been all this time? Lanjiang City has changed a lot."
"The Angry Dragon Prefecture, along with other prefectures, flooded into Lanjiang City, seizing resources on a large scale. The Nangong family itself also suffered considerable losses, including the Sitong Martial Arts School's headquarters and the Lu family's affairs... I found it difficult to intervene at the time."
"It's alright, the Lu family has already taken care of it, they threw it into the Lanjiang River to feed the fish. As for the martial arts school..." Zhang Ping paused, thinking of Wang Dashan.
According to Fu Huiying, Wang Dashan disappeared without a trace to avoid being summoned by the Demon Exorcism Bureau, and no one knows what has become of him.
"We've taken back the martial arts school's location; let's leave it for now."
He noticed the change in Nangong Feiyan's aura, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "The Nangong family head has broken through to the Essence Blood Realm?"
Nangong Feiyan nodded and said, "During this period, the Demon Extermination Bureau ordered the release of secret medicines and cultivation techniques, and with the significant increase in the supply of demon materials, many martial artists have made progress in their cultivation."
Then, she talked to Zhang Ping about demons. Zhang Ping told her everything he knew, including their encounter with the Demon Lord, and warned Nangong Feiyan to prepare in advance.
Nangong Feiyan also shared some secrets she knew. Over time, the misunderstanding from three days prior dissipated considerably. Zhang Ping had held back then, mainly because destroying the buildings was the key factor.
"Patriarch Nangong, have you ever heard of 'Spirit Gu' and 'Sea God Stone'?" Zhang Ping asked casually.
Nangong Feiyan pondered for a moment: "Jing Gu... judging from the name, it sounds like some kind of Gu worm. Perhaps we can look for clues in ancient books about the Southern Frontier."
Southern Xinjiang, located south of the Great Wei, covers less than a third of the Great Wei's area and has a sparse population. However, the cultivation methods of martial artists there are quite unique.
Martial artists in the Southern Frontier are keen on raising Gu worms, relying heavily on them in battle. Gu worms are essentially a type of exotic beast, cultivated by generations of Southern Frontier martial artists over thousands of years, forming a complete system. From ordinary people's daily lives to martial artists' training, Gu worms are used extensively.
However, this cultivation method is not accepted by the martial artists of the Great Wei Dynasty and is rarely seen within its borders. The "Jing Gu" sounds like a Gu worm, and it is most likely to be found in the Southern Frontier.
After listening to Nangong Feiyan's story, Zhang Ping also thought of the Southern Frontier. He had read in ancient books that it was ruled by the bloodline of the legendary Southern Frontier King.
However, the journey to southern Xinjiang is long and arduous, and it is impractical to travel thousands of miles based on mere speculation. Moreover, the main road to southern Xinjiang has been blocked by demons, so one would have to take a detour, which would take much longer than before.
"Aren't there any records of Gu worms within the territory of the Great Wei?" he asked doubtfully.
"Yes. The Southern King's Mansion is the place in the Great Wei that has the largest collection of books from the southern border, including many records of Gu insects."
"The Southern Prince's Mansion?" Zhang Ping was taken aback.
The Southern King's Mansion, the Southern King of Chu. The only non-royal king in the Great Wei Dynasty, granted a prefecture located in the southern part of the Great Wei's heartland.
"That's right. The King of Chu's wife is a princess from the Southern Frontier royal family. Because she is fascinated by Gu insects, she brought a large number of ancient books and secret records of Gu insects with her when she married into the kingdom. Now, the Southern King's residence is the place in the Great Wei with the most Gu insects."
Nangong Feiyan nodded in confirmation, then glanced at him with a strange look in her eyes, "Speaking of which, this Prince of Chu Nan has something to do with you."
"Oh?" Zhang Ping frowned.
"Chu Hanwei".
Zhang Ping's eyes narrowed, and a figure instantly appeared in his mind.
Her face was as delicate as an iceberg, but her chest showed a hint of regret... Back then, Chu Hanwei was seriously injured when he went to Lanjiang City, and then disappeared without a trace, only saying that he was going home to recuperate.
Chu Hanwei…King Chu Nan…. So that woman actually had such a background.
"Although I don't know why you're looking for these two things, I've never heard of the Sea God Stone, but if you're looking for the Spirit Gu, going to the Southern Prince's Mansion is a good choice," Nangong Feiyan continued.
"Moreover, the Southern Prince's Mansion is located in the heart of the Great Wei, where the Demon Extermination Bureau is powerful, and the demon chaos has not yet reached there. It will be very safe to take your two little lovers there."
When this matter was mentioned, Nangong Feiyan's phoenix eyes would occasionally sweep over Zhang Ping. Seeing that his gaze was not aggressive, her hidden vigilance relaxed slightly.
Noticing her subtle change, Zhang Ping was puzzled. However, he did take her advice to heart.
After another short while, Nangong Feiyan took her leave.
Step down from the high-rise building and out of the mansion gate.
Outside the mansion, the exquisite ancient-style buildings are brand new and well-maintained, with some ornamental vines peeking out from the top of the walls.
The road paved with blue bricks is clean and tidy, and it is swept every morning.
This area is reserved for the most prominent figures in Lanjiang City. The Nangong family also has a mansion nearby, though it is slightly smaller in scale.
There were many horse-drawn carriages parked on the blue brick road.
Upon seeing Nangong Feiyan emerge from the main gate...
The beautiful women who peeked out from behind the carriage curtain immediately lowered their heads, not daring to look any longer. Beside the carriage, their husbands were either owners of small martial arts schools or heads of small families who curried favor with the powerful.
The days of bringing gifts to someone's door are gone; now it's fashionable to bring one's beautiful wife to build a relationship.
Nangong Feiyan glanced at it, her expression strange.
The latest rumor in the city: Zhang Ping, a peerless genius, has had a unique quirk since childhood: he dislikes naive young girls and only loves married women.
She once joined a martial arts school in a small county town and stole the master's wife; after arriving in Lanjiang City, she seduced the deceased head of the Lu family. Her story was told in a measured and logical manner.
This led to the scene before us: those trying to build connections brought their wives along...
This is really...
Nangong Feiyan shook her head, thinking to herself that it would be better to reduce direct contact with Zhang Ping in the future. If there was anything to discuss, she would rather choose a beautiful married woman from the clan to do it for her.
After Nangong Feiyan's carriage had gone far away, the beautiful women of various appearances in the carriages in front of the mansion gate pulled back the curtains, their faces slightly flushed.
Even the high and mighty Nangong family head has "compromised" like this, so why should these people keep putting on airs?