8mi Chapter 94: Is 3 a reasonable compensation to me?
Chapter 94: Is 3 a reasonable compensation to me?
Chapter 94. Is 300,000 yuan too much to compensate me?
"Did Senior Brother Zheng Zhijie apologize to us just now?"
Wang Yuan blinked, and only then did he come to his senses.
"It seems like they apologized."
Zhao Tong nodded, somewhat bewildered. He was surprised that Zheng Zhijie, a true disciple of Zheng Zhijie, had bowed and apologized to him in person, and also dreamed of defeating Zheng Zhijie without any effort.
It's so dreamlike, it all feels exactly like a dream.
Didn't I just say that Senior Brother Zheng is very easy to talk to?
Surprisingly, he was so easy to talk to that he was subdued by smashing him with his sword, one blow at a time.
Moreover, shouldn't Junior Brother Mo's swordsmanship be known for its lightness, agility, and speed? How come it was like splitting a mountain, forcefully suppressing Senior Brother Zheng Zhijie's Zhenyue Saber Technique?
The rules of the Martial Arts Hall dictate that the ranking on the True Inheritance Stele is determined by two factors: the progress of the disciples in conquering the Tower of Ascension and the duels between them.
This victory meant that Mo Zheng's ranking as a true disciple rose significantly, replacing Zheng Zhijie.
But he had only been a disciple for a few days?
In just two months!
This talent is terrifying! No wonder he's hailed as the number one genius in the martial arts academy.
"Headmaster, thank you for your trouble today."
Mo Zheng stepped forward and bowed to express his gratitude to Headmaster Feng for acting as a mediator.
This Zheng Zhijie is not only despicable in his actions, secretly causing trouble for his two senior brothers Wang Yuan and Zhao Tong, but his character is also extremely vile. Even after losing, he refused to admit defeat and slandered Zheng Zhijie for taking pills to increase his strength.
Fortunately, Headmaster Feng was there; otherwise, even if they had won, the 300,000 taels bet would have been wasted.
"Have you finished all ten Bone Strengthening Pills?" Headmaster Feng asked with a smile.
Mo Zheng nodded. After comprehending the sword intent, his cultivation in the Bone and Tendon Realm became much smoother. His internal energy tempered his bones and muscles, and with the support of the sword intent, his speed advanced by leaps and bounds. Even when he took Bone and Tendon Pills one after another, he did not waste the medicinal power. On the contrary, he digested them extremely quickly. This is why he made such rapid progress. In just two months, he went from the minor completion stage of the Bone and Tendon Realm to the major completion stage.
However, reaching the peak of the Bone and Tendon Realm would be difficult to achieve in just a few months; it would take at least half a year.
This has nothing to do with elixirs, but rather with the fact that in martial arts cultivation, each breakthrough in a minor realm becomes increasingly difficult.
Mo Zheng's progress is considered fast. Without comprehending the Unity Realm, at most he can only cultivate to the minor completion of the Tendon and Bone Realm. Even if he comprehends the Unity Realm and has sufficient resources to support him, it is considered fast if he can cultivate to the major completion of the Tendon and Bone Realm in three to five years. To achieve perfection, many people need to spend seven or eight years or even ten years.
When he reached the minor completion stage of the Bone and Tendon Realm, the headmaster commented that his strength was comparable to that of a martial artist at the peak of the Bone and Tendon Realm. Now that he has reached the major completion stage of the Bone and Tendon Realm, his strength is so great that only the Visceral Realm can surpass him.
If it had been Zheng Zhijie who started by comparing swordsmanship skills, Mo Zheng might have had to put in more effort. But Zheng Zhijie came up with the intention of overwhelming him with brute force, so it was only natural that he was hacked to pieces like that.
"You've made rapid progress. I hope you can bring some surprises to our Hun Tian Sect in the Haotian Secret Realm two months from now. If you run out of pills, buy more; don't be stingy with your money."
After giving a brief instruction, the headmaster handed over the silver notes.
Mo Zheng took it and immediately realized something was wrong. The thickness seemed to match the stack he had brought.
"Headmaster, this—it seems a bit insufficient—" Mo Zheng said.
"Three hundred thousand taels, where is that not enough?"
"This is what I brought, along with Zheng Zhijie's bet."
"The bet is this: look around you. You've ruined the entire floor of my yard, and even one of the walls has collapsed."
Headmaster Feng shook his head and said, "What, you won the duel, but you don't want to pay compensation?"
"Pay up, you should pay up, you should pay up—"
Looking at the mess around him, Mo Zheng couldn't help but smile awkwardly. Indeed, they had caused too much damage.
However, when martial artists make a move, they are fighting for their lives and cannot afford to give way in the slightest.
Let alone giving way to even a single move, even if a single thought flashes through your mind or your hands and feet are a fraction of a second slower, you could very well be struck in a vital spot and die instantly.
In this situation, who has the mind to consider their surroundings?
"However, this 300,000 taels—"
"The bluestone floor you're standing on is made of jade stone transported from Qinglong Mountain, thousands of miles away. It's extremely comfortable, cool in summer and warm in winter, and a single finished piece is worth ten thousand taels of silver," the headmaster introduced with a smile. "The entire courtyard was designed and built by the master craftsman Shi Delong. He charged me fifty thousand taels of silver for the work. The glazed tiles on it were a gift from the Great Yan royal family, exclusively for the royal family. They cost about a thousand taels each. The bricks are cheap, but the cold crystals dug from the Cold Marrow Mine are only about eight hundred taels each."
"You do the math yourself, 300,000 isn't too much to compensate me, is it?"
Mo Zheng was dumbfounded when he heard that a piece of jade cost 10,000 taels and a piece of glazed tile cost 1,000 taels. He had broken far more than 20 or 30 pieces of bluestone bricks just by fighting with Zheng Zhijie.
In addition, there were glazed tiles and cold crystals—
If we were to follow the market price as the headmaster stated, even his 300,000 taels would have to be lost, and it might not be enough to cover the losses.
"So dark—cough cough—"
Mo Zheng coughed twice, almost blurting out what he was thinking. He said, "I mean, Headmaster, you really know how to live. Three hundred thousand is not too much at all."
"Good to know. It's getting late, so I won't keep you any longer. Go ahead."
The three of them immediately took their leave.
Seeing the three figures disappear, Master Feng revealed a look of shock and muttered to himself, "Goodness, they've reached the Great Perfection of Bone and Tendon in just two months. That's even faster than Di Xiao's cultivation speed back then."
After comprehending the essence of martial arts, it will naturally be of great use to the cultivation of the Bone and Tendon Realm, but breaking through a small realm in just two months is too fast.
Although he had expected it, Master Feng had cultivated step by step, and it took him two years to break through from the minor completion of the Tendon and Bone Realm to the major completion of the Tendon and Bone Realm.
This contrast made him feel a pang of sadness.
Who wasn't a genius back then?
"Perhaps he has a chance to obtain the Martial Saint's opportunity from the Haotian Secret Realm."
"My God, the life of a master in the Visceral Realm is too luxurious."
As they descended the mountain, Zhao Tong was still marveling at the material prices that Headmaster Feng had mentioned earlier. He said, "A single brick costs tens of thousands of taels of silver. That entire courtyard must be worth tens of millions of taels of silver if it were sold!"
The number of bricks and tiles needed for a courtyard is undoubtedly astronomical.
"It's not that expensive. Buying these things piece by piece is naturally quite valuable, but large-scale purchases would be much cheaper. Besides, the owner of these mines might be the headmaster himself, so he might not have spent much money," Wang Yuan said.
Mo Zheng laughed but didn't reply. The headmaster's status and position meant that so many teachers at the Visceral Realm were obedient to him. He was one of the most powerful martial arts experts below the Martial Saint level. What did money matter to him?
Masters at the Internal Organs Realm no longer care about money, let alone Headmaster Feng.
He casually took out a treasure, some of which were worth huge sums of money from powerful families and influential groups, and even then, they might not be considered top-tier.
After all, no matter how much money you have, you can't withstand a single move from a monster or a powerful martial artist. Only your own life is the most precious thing.
So for him, money is no longer money; any price is normal.
"In short, this matter is over. You two senior brothers can now focus on recuperating and cultivating. Zheng Zhijie should not dare to cause trouble again," Mo Zheng said.
The headmaster himself was a witness to this.
If Zheng Zhijie still dares to bully the weak, he is disrespecting the headmaster. I believe he wouldn't be so unwise and would still hope to duel Mo Zheng a second time.
After parting ways with the two and returning to his own courtyard, Mo Zheng completely forgot about Zheng Zhijie.
This guy is no match for him now, let alone in the future.
His mind was focused on comprehending the essence of martial arts.
He was getting into a better state of mind and making rapid progress in comprehending the essence of the Gale Sword Intent.
At this pace, although it may not be possible to fully master the Gale Sword Intent within two months, it is estimated that it will not take more than ten months.
Whether he can make it to meet the one-year agreement with Headmaster Feng is hard to say, but Mo Zheng is extremely eager to do so now.
It wasn't just because of the reward, but also because of the 300,000 taels of silver. Mo Zheng felt somewhat unbalanced if he didn't have to make the headmaster bleed.
The next day, in the morning.
Under the bright sunshine and clear blue sky, two black-scaled horses rode side by side. One of the riders was a young man in a black robe with an ordinary face but a sharp aura; he was the sword madman He Kuang. The other rider was dressed in brocade robes and had a handsome face, but his hooked nose added a touch of sinister aura; he was You Chendong.
The two dismounted, and You Chendong said, "Senior brother, congratulations! You have finally achieved your wish and successfully entered the True Inheritance Stele."
He Kuang successfully completed his fourth attempt at the Tower of Heaven last night, thus becoming a true disciple.
This was naturally a joyous occasion, and he and a group of friends celebrated in Liangzhou City until late at night before dispersing.
Early in the morning, Yu and You Chendong arrived at the martial arts hall together, ready to meet Wang He.
"After seven years of arduous cultivation, I have finally attained the state of oneness. I am ashamed to say that I am no match for you, my junior brother—"
He Kuang shook his head, showing no pride on his face.
Those who are familiar with their own situation know best. Although he has good talent in swordsmanship, it took him seven years to reach the Unity Realm, so he is not particularly outstanding in the Martial Arts Hall.
Not to mention he can't compare to Fang Yang, even You Chendong in front of him has the potential to surpass him in the future.
He Kuang had a clear understanding of himself. After a night of revelry, he should put aside yesterday's glory and set his sights on higher goals. Otherwise, the already slim chance of reaching the Visceral Realm would become increasingly distant from him.
It's true that every disciple of the Martial Arts Hall aspires to reach the Visceral Realm after crossing the threshold of the Unity Realm.
"Let's go, don't keep the teacher waiting."
He Kuang urged them on, and then followed You Chendong and the other into the entrance of the Martial Arts Hall.
However, as soon as they entered the mountain gate, they saw a group of disciples pointing and gesturing at the True Inheritance Stele.
You Chendong laughed and said, "Senior Brother He, it seems your name has been engraved. Congratulations!"
Upon hearing this, He Kuang couldn't help but show a hint of joy.
After all, having one's name engraved on the True Inheritance Stele is a common pursuit for all disciples of the Martial Arts Hall today. The difference is that the vast majority of disciples simply cannot achieve it.
"Have you heard? Yesterday someone saw that Senior Brother Mo Zheng and Senior Brother Zheng Zhijie seemed to have agreed to a duel."
"It seems he acted rashly for the sake of his beloved Senior Sister Zhen!"
"But speaking of which, with Senior Sister Xiang Zhen being so beautiful, it's no wonder that both senior brothers were attracted to her."
Suddenly, several disciples walked past the two of them, talking amongst themselves, which made You Chendong frown.
He asked, puzzled, "How could Mo Zheng fall for a slut like Xiang Zhen?"
-
Xiang Zhen's identity could be kept secret from others, but not from the You family, a local power in Liangzhou City. The so-called daughter of the Xiang family of Youzhou was actually just a member of a branch of the clan. A woman with martial arts talent was sent to the Liangzhou Martial Arts Hall to cultivate because they were afraid of being framed by the main branch.
Xiang Zhen had always wanted to find a martial arts genius who could break through to the Visceral Realm, so that she could help her return to Youzhou and seize power in the future.
Even for true disciples, breaking through to the Visceral Realm is extremely difficult.
"Haha, Junior Brother You, I was planning to tell you about this later, but it seems there's good news coming soon."
He Kuang laughed and said, "I was the one who secretly stirred up trouble regarding Xiang Zhen's matter."
"You were punished for not fighting. Although your teacher didn't say anything, she was actually quite upset. She's always been very protective of her students."
"Since Senior Brother Fang couldn't come forward, he asked me to find a way to vent your anger. So I chose Zheng Zhijie. Isn't he obsessed with Xiang Zhen, that pretty face? And Xiang Zhen also wanted to get something out of Mo Zheng, so I said a few words to her, and it seems to have worked."
He Kuang said smugly, "Zheng Zhijie comes from a poor family after all, and he's too short-sighted. He was able to put up a fight with Mo Zheng in just a few words."
He's the eleventh disciple of the true lineage, and I heard he's almost passed the fifth level of the Tower of Ascension. Mo Zheng's downfall is likely just around the corner in the next couple of days.
"I see."
You Chendong suddenly realized that Mo Zheng, who didn't seem like the type to be obsessed with women, had gotten into a fight with Zheng Zhijie because of Xiang Zhen. It turned out that He Kuang was behind it all.
"Thank you for remembering my little matter, Senior Brother He. If Mo Zheng can suffer a loss, it will truly be a way to vent my anger."
You Chendong deeply resented Mo Zheng, as he had suffered far too many setbacks at Mo Zheng's hands along the way.
In martial arts, he saw no hope of surpassing his opponent, and his ancestor forbade him from fighting him, only allowing him to focus on his cultivation.
Although Mo Zheng had broken through to the true lineage, he was still relatively new to the path and was no match for Zheng Zhijie. "We are brothers, why should we talk about thanks?" He Kuang said with a smile.
You Chendong laughed and said, "Come on, senior brother, let's go admire your great name on the True Inheritance Stele together."
After saying that, he took the lead and squeezed into the crowd.
He Kuang followed closely behind.
However, when the two looked up, they were immediately stunned.
The last place was indeed He Kuang, but the one ranked twentieth was not Mo Zheng, but Zhang Baisong, who was originally ranked nineteenth.
The two instinctively looked upwards, but it wasn't eighteen, nor seventeen, until they finally found the middle position:
【True Teaching Eleven: Do Not Compete】
"He—how did he become eleven?" He Kuang almost thought he was seeing things. "Impossible!"
"Yes, impossible, he only broke through in two months—"
You Chendong couldn't believe it either, but it was no use not believing it; the True Inheritance Stele couldn't be faked.
Suddenly, You Chendong noticed the name below Mo Zheng: [True Disciple Twelve, Zheng Zhijie]
Recalling what He Kuang had just said, he fell silent.
A duel must have already resulted in a conclusion between the two before any adjustment in rankings occurs.
He Kuang wasn't stupid; he also saw Zheng Zhijie's position and understood the whole story.
The two brothers' good mood vanished instantly, and they stared at the two names with complicated expressions, lost in thought.