Chapter 30

The person who arrived was none other than Zhou Yaoyang, who had almost been flattened by Long Chen. Long Chen couldn’t help but marvel at how resilient a martial artist’s life force truly was.

Last time, Zhou Yaoyang had almost been flattened into a sheet of paper, but now he looked as if nothing had happened. It seemed the Zhou family had spent a considerable amount of money on him.

After being thrown by Long Chen, almost every bone in Zhou Yaoyang’s body had been broken. It took a large sum of gold coins to pull him back from the brink of death.

Even with the Zhou family’s wealth, this time it was a significant blow. Today, Zhou Yaoyang had come to ask for a few more Fundamental Strengthening Pills.

After all, he was now extremely weak, and after midnight, he would start having hallucinations, with countless ghosts tormenting him, scaring him so much that he didn’t dare turn off the lights at night.

Every morning, he would feel as if his soul was being pierced by tens of thousands of steel needles, causing him to roll on the ground in pain.

However, the alchemists from the Alchemist Guild had examined him several times and couldn’t determine the cause. They only said that it was probably due to his weak constitution and the invasion of dampness, and that he needed to focus on strengthening his foundation.

But half a month had passed, and there was no improvement; instead, it had become worse. Even if he didn’t sleep at night, Zhou Yaoyang would still see countless ghosts coming to claim his life.

In the morning, his soul was no longer being pierced by needles but was being scorched by intense flames, causing him such pain that he wished he were dead. Now, Zhou Yaoyang was emaciated, his face yellow, and he was no longer the suave person he once was.

"Zhou Yaoyang, it’s been a while. How have you been?" Long Chen greeted him with a smile, waving his hand from a distance.

Zhou Yaoyang, who was already somewhat disoriented, suddenly saw Long Chen and turned pale as if he had seen a ghost.

"Long Chen... What do you want?"

"That expression of yours makes me feel very uncomfortable. I’m just concerned about you and want to ask how it feels to be tormented by ghosts at night and have your soul scorched in the morning," Long Chen said, shaking his head.

"You... How do you know? Could it be... You did this?" Zhou Yaoyang’s eyes were filled with terror.

He suddenly remembered that after Long Chen had thrown him into unconsciousness, he had fed him a pill.

According to the alchemist, that pill was a Viscera Protection Pill, which would prevent him from dying due to organ failure in the short term.

But Zhou Yaoyang always felt something was off. When Long Chen mentioned it, he immediately recalled the pill and realized the truth.

"Long Chen, it must be you. You’re the one who did this to me. You’re so despicable," Zhou Yaoyang’s eyes were filled with venom.

Thinking about the torment he had endured, he was so enraged that he lunged at Long Chen with a roar.

"Slap"

A slap landed on his face, not with much force, but enough to send him flying without killing him.

"Despicable? How can I possibly live up to that? No matter how despicable I am, I’m not even a fraction as despicable as you. How many despicable means have you used against me over the years?"

Long Chen lightly raised his hand and said, "I’m sure you’ve forgotten. You reap what you sow. Now that I, Long Chen, have turned things around, if I don’t repay you, how can I live with myself?"

The slap on his face made Zhou Yaoyang more清醒. During his convalescence, he hadn’t stopped keeping an eye on Long Chen.

A few days ago, Long Chen had defeated a bodyguard of a prince from the Great Xia Kingdom, causing a sensation throughout the capital. That bodyguard was a genuine Blood Condensation Realm expert.

Now, in terms of martial strength, Zhou Yaoyang was no match for Long Chen. In terms of status, Long Chen was a noble alchemy apprentice, far beyond his reach.

Recalling the alchemist’s words, he suspected that the alchemist knew what Long Chen had done but refused to cure him, letting him suffer. He was so angry that his teeth ached.

However, what he didn’t know was that he had wronged the alchemist. The pill Long Chen had made was coated with Soul Chasing Liquid, which no one except Master Yun Qi could detect.

Clearly, the Barbarian Marquis didn’t have the means to invite Master Yun Qi, let alone a prince.

"Long Chen, what will it take for you to let me go?" Zhou Yaoyang gritted his teeth.

"Zhou Yaoyang, how can you be so spineless? I’ve been tormented by you for so many years, and I never gave in. Now that it’s my turn to fight back, you’re already giving up? That’s no fun. You need to follow the rules of the game," Long Chen said coolly and turned to leave.

"Long Chen, are you really not going to let me go?"

"If you want to escape your suffering, it’s simple. You have a sword in your hand. Just place it on your neck and it will only hurt for a moment, then you’ll be happy. Why ask me?"

Zhou Yaoyang trembled with anger. During the times he was tormented by ghosts and soul scorching, he had indeed thought of using death to escape.

But once that time passed, he immediately became a normal person, filled with a love for life, making it impossible for him to give up his precious life.

Living was unbearable, and dying was too much to bear. Zhou Yaoyang was on the verge of collapse. He didn’t have the courage to kill himself, but if things continued, he would soon go mad.

"Thud"

Zhou Yaoyang clenched his teeth and knelt down.

"Long Chen, please let me go. I admit defeat."

Seeing Zhou Yaoyang kneeling, Long Chen’s hatred had already diminished. Now, Long Chen was at a level far beyond Zhou Yaoyang, and he didn’t consider him a threat.

However, Long Chen wasn’t the type to be kind to an enemy. Seeing Zhou Yaoyang’s pitiful state, his hatred had lessened.

Long Chen was planning to get some information from him. Just as he was about to reach into his ring, his soul power noticed Zhou Yaoyang’s tightly clenched hands and the venom in his eyes.

After a moment of thought, a cold smile appeared on Long Chen’s lips. He touched his ring, and a pill appeared, which he threw to Zhou Yaoyang.

"Here, take this pill. I hope you won’t be my enemy in the future, or you’ll regret it for the rest of your life." After throwing the pill to Zhou Yaoyang, Long Chen turned and left.

Zhou Yaoyang caught the pill and only stood up after Long Chen was far away. Looking at Long Chen’s retreating back, his eyes narrowed.

"Long Chen, if I don’t make you die without a burial place, I won’t be Zhou Yaoyang."

He wasn’t worried that Long Chen would poison him, as many people had seen the scene. If he died from the pill, Long Chen would be implicated. So, he swallowed the pill without hesitation.

The next day, to Zhou Yaoyang’s surprise, after taking the pill, he no longer had terrifying nightmares at night, and he no longer suffered from the soul scorching in the morning.

Zhou Yaoyang sneered to himself: Long Chen, you wait. When I strike next, I’ll take your life. Then, you’ll be the one to regret.

Seeing Zhou Yaoyang take the pill, a cold smile appeared on Long Chen’s lips: Truly, one reaps what one sows. I was going to spare you, but you’re asking for it.

"Brother Long?"

As Long Chen was walking, a voice called out to him.

Turning around, he saw Yu Fatso, who had already reached the Third Stage of Qi Condensation. Due to his cultivation, his large frame now had a hint of a robust aura.

"Fatso, not bad, you’ve reached the Third Stage of Qi Condensation," Long Chen said with a smile.

"Hehe, all thanks to Brother Long," Yu Fatso said shyly. "Brother Long, I was just about to visit your residence."

"Is there something you need?"

"Well, now that I’ve broken through to the Third Stage, I should celebrate, right? Shi Feng threw a party, so I can’t be too shabby, right?" Yu Fatso said.

"Shi Feng advanced to the Blood Condensation Realm, and you’re just at the Third Stage. Is it really necessary to be so grand?" Long Chen couldn’t help but laugh.

"Cough, that’s different. I couldn’t cultivate before, so the surprise is just as great as Shi Feng’s," Yu Fatso said seriously.

"Alright, I generally don’t refuse invitations. Let’s go."

"Hehe, great, I’ve already booked the banquet. Just waiting for you."

The restaurant Yu Fatso mentioned was in the southern part of the city. Although it wasn’t as famous as the Juying Tower, it wasn’t far off.

When Long Chen arrived, as Yu Fatso had said, Shi Feng, Monkey, and the others were already there.

"Ha, Brother Long, you’re finally here."

Long Chen also laughed and greeted everyone, taking his seat. Soon, the food and drinks were served.

"Today, we’re celebrating Yu Fatso’s advancement to the Third Stage of Qi Condensation, marking the beginning of his cultivation journey and a bright future. The first cup is to Brother Long."

Everyone agreed, as they all owed their changed fates to Long Chen, who was their benefactor.

Long Chen didn’t hesitate, raising a large bowl of wine and drinking it down.

Since they were all familiar, there was no need for formalities. They drank freely, but apart from Shi Feng and Yu Fatso, the others were only at the First Stage of Qi Condensation, with high spirits but low alcohol tolerance.

After a few bowls, their tongues started to loosen.

"Brother Long, with your extraordinary talent and heroic appearance, we’re wondering what kind of woman would be worthy of you," someone said, emboldened by the alcohol.

Before Long Chen could respond, Monkey chimed in, "Hehe, no need to wonder. At the very least, she should be of princess status.

"As for her appearance, she must be so beautiful that fish dive and geese hide, and the moon is ashamed and flowers close.

"As for cultivation? It doesn’t matter. No one would dare to bully Brother Long, not even the prince of the Great Xia Kingdom. So, his future wife doesn’t need to be that powerful, ha ha."

"That’s right. I think the only one in our Fengming Empire who meets these criteria is the Third Princess," Yu Fatso’s eyes lit up.

"I’ve seen the Third Princess. She is beautiful, but her temper is terrible, and most people can’t handle her," someone sighed.

"Pfft, that’s only because she hasn’t met Brother Long. If she met him, even a tiger would turn into a kitten."

Long Chen was speechless. How did the conversation veer off like this? However, when they mentioned the Third Princess, an image of Chu Yao’s face appeared in his mind.

He felt a pang of sympathy. Chu Yao was actually a gentle and kind woman, but to protect herself, she had to put on a tough exterior.

Thinking about their time together, a warm feeling spread through his heart, but he also felt conflicted, wondering if this was unfair to Meng Qi.

As he was lost in thought, a woman’s cold voice interrupted him.

"Bold peasants, how dare you talk about the Third Princess?"