Chapter 40

Leaving the alchemy room, Zhang Ruochen saw the Ninth Princess and Shan Xiangling. Both of them were stunning beauties, standing tall and graceful, pure and gentle, giving a pleasing and refreshing feeling.

At this moment, they were both vying for Xiaohei.

"Xiaohei! You want to play with this princess, right?" the Ninth Princess said in a threatening tone.

Shan Xiangling, with her red lips and white teeth, her eyes misty, said softly, "Xiaohei, come with me, I'll take you to the best delicacies!"

The Ninth Princess grabbed Xiaohei's two ears, while Shan Xiangling held onto Xiaohei's tail, each trying to pull him away. They both wanted to take Xiaohei for themselves.

Xiaohei was in sheer misery. If he wasn't afraid of being sealed back into the scroll by Zhang Ruochen, he would have already killed these two human women.

How despicable!

I am the Emperor who slaughters the heavens and the earth. When did I become a plaything for two women?

"Screech!"

The iron door of the alchemy room opened.

Seeing Zhang Ruochen and Zaoen come out, the Ninth Princess and Shan Xiangling almost simultaneously let go, immediately resuming their ladylike demeanor.

The Ninth Princess gently adjusted her sleeves and robe, appearing noble and elegant. Shan Xiangling lightly touched her long hair with her jade-like fingers, appearing gentle and pure.

"Thud!"

Xiaohei was thrown to the ground, landing with a heavy thud, his eyes full of stars.

If not for seeing it with their own eyes, who would have thought that two of the four great beauties of Yunwu County would fight over a cat?

Is it really just for a cat?

It must be said that both the Ninth Princess and Shan Xiangling were extremely beautiful, ranking among the most beautiful women in the world. Other martial artists would be overjoyed to see just one of them, wishing to give all their wealth to make the beauty smile.

Zhang Ruochen didn't care if they were among the four great beauties. He said indifferently, "Ninth Sister, accompany me to the Qingxuan Pavilion. I need to buy an alchemy furnace."

"Sure!"

The Ninth Princess immediately picked up Xiaohei from the ground, looking somewhat smug, her eyes glancing at Shan Xiangling with a hint of triumph.

"Ninth Prince, Xiangling also happens to be going to the Qingxuan Pavilion. May I join you?" Shan Xiangling's voice was soft and ethereal.

Zhang Ruochen didn't find anything wrong with it and agreed.

The Engraving Guild and the Qingxuan Pavilion were close to each other, so the three of them walked there instead of taking a carriage.

What Zhang Ruochen didn't expect finally happened!

After all, both the Ninth Princess and Shan Xiangling were stunningly beautiful, the dream goddesses of many martial artists. Their admirers were countless, enough to line up from the Engraving Guild to the city gates.

It was usually difficult to see just one of them, but today, two such beauties were following a young man, causing a huge sensation in the martial market.

"That's not the beloved daughter of the Chiyun Sect's Sect Master, one of the four great beauties of Yunwu County, Shan Xiangling! She's so beautiful, like a fairy from a painting."

"Who is the woman standing next to Miss Shan? Her beauty seems to be on par with Miss Shan."

"You don't even recognize the Ninth Princess? The Ninth Princess is as famous as Miss Shan. In the capital, her admirers are countless and mostly of noble status with high martial cultivation."

On a nearby pavilion, two young men were sitting and glanced at Zhang Ruochen and the two women walking below.

Liu Chengfeng's gaze was fixed on Zhang Ruochen, his eyes cold. "Shan Xiangling and the Ninth Princess are actually walking with him. When did such a young man appear in the capital?"

The man sitting opposite Liu Chengfeng was named Situ Ge, the elder brother of Situ Linjiang.

Situ Ge smiled. "Liu brother, you don't even recognize him? He is the Ninth Prince of Yunwu County, who recently won first place in the year-end assessment. Now, he is the hottest young genius in the capital. Which beauty doesn't love a genius? Moreover, the Ninth Prince's noble status and outstanding talent make him even more admired by young girls."

Liu Chengfeng smiled faintly. "I see, it's him. So what if he won first place in the year-end assessment? He's just the best among the young generation of the royal family and nobles. In the entire capital's young generation, he might only rank in the top ten. In the entire Yunwu County, he probably can't even rank in the top twenty. I remember his cultivation is only at the Lesser Apex of the Yellow Extreme Realm! Haha!"

Liu Chengfeng smiled slightly, showing a look of disdain.

Situ Ge had seen Zhang Ruochen's battle with Situ Linjiang and knew he was very powerful. "With his Lesser Apex of the Yellow Extreme Realm cultivation, he can defeat a young genius at the Greater Apex of the Yellow Extreme Realm. He is definitely not someone to be trifled with. If his cultivation breaks through to the Middle Apex of the Yellow Extreme Realm, he might be able to briefly contend with a Great Perfection martial artist."

Liu Chengfeng said, "How is that possible? A Great Perfection martial artist has completely fixed meridians and a fully developed martial body, which is not comparable to a Greater Apex of the Yellow Extreme Realm martial artist. Even if he breaks through to the Middle Apex of the Yellow Extreme Realm, he wouldn't last three moves against a Great Perfection martial artist."

Situ Ge smiled. "Liu brother's martial cultivation ranks among the top three in the capital's young generation, having reached the peak of the Great Perfection of the Yellow Extreme Realm. Even if the Ninth Prince is exceptionally talented, he wouldn't be a match for Liu brother until he reaches the Great Perfection of the Yellow Extreme Realm."

The term "young generation" refers to martial artists under the age of twenty.

Liu Chengfeng reached the Great Perfection of the Yellow Extreme Realm at the age of seventeen. Apart from the Seventh Prince, who had a heaven-defying talent, no other young genius could match him in a single move.

Liu Chengfeng's face showed a smug smile. "Unfortunately, the Ninth Prince is still too weak. Otherwise, he would have been a decent opponent. With his current cultivation, I have no interest."

Situ Ge smiled. "Liu brother is only interested in Miss Xiangling, right? Unfortunately, Miss Xiangling seems to prefer the Ninth Prince. If Liu brother really likes Miss Xiangling, he needs to be more proactive, or she will become the Ninth Prince's woman."

"Hmph! With my status in the Martial Market Bank, I am not much worse off than the Ninth Prince. Wanting a woman is just a matter of a word," Liu Chengfeng said.

Liu Chengfeng's father, Liu Chuanshen, was the head of the Martial Market Bank in Yunwu County. The bank had vast wealth and numerous powerful allies.

It could be said that Liu Chuanshen controlled a significant force, holding the economic lifeline of Yunwu County.

Liu Chengfeng, as Liu Chuanshen's son, was naturally a powerful figure among the young generation.

If he really wanted to obtain Shan Xiangling, he only needed to convey his intentions to the Sect Master of the Chiyun Sect, who would surely be delighted to marry his daughter to him. Aligning with the Martial Market Bank would only benefit the Chiyun Sect.

However, Liu Chengfeng did not want to marry Shan Xiangling; he just wanted to toy with her, like a prostitute.

With his status and martial talent, he already had better marriage prospects. A mere Sect Master's daughter was only good for a night's pleasure, and once he was tired of her, he would discard her.

...

Qingxuan Pavilion, the market.

Qin Ya lay comfortably in a jade bathtub, her snow-white body exposed.

The bathtub was filled with a milky white liquid, emitting a faint white cold mist that enveloped her well-defined body. Her full chest and buttocks, slender waist, and straight legs were barely visible through the mist, making her especially alluring.

If a man saw such a scene, he would surely spurt blood.

At this moment, Mo Hanlin was sitting outside the bathtub, his body tense, not daring to look inside. His voice trembled slightly. "Chief, the Martial Market Bank has lost half of its financial power in Yunwu County to us. Should we take action against Liu Chuanshen and completely dismantle the Martial Market Bank's presence in Yunwu County?"

Qin Ya narrowed her beautiful eyes, her long lashes trembling slightly, droplets of water falling.

Her crystal-clear, rosy lips moved slightly. "Not yet! The Martial Market Bank is still very powerful, not as simple as it appears on the surface. Moreover, if we take action against the Martial Market Bank, the official forces of Yunwu County will definitely intervene."

"The Yunwu County King will not allow us to control the economic lifeline of Yunwu County. Besides, the black market has long wanted to take action against the Martial Market Bank. Let them fight first! We will hide in the shadows and wait for the right opportunity!"

Mo Hanlin nodded slightly.

"Tap tap!"

Footsteps sounded.

A servant girl entered, bowing towards the bathtub. "Madam, the Ninth Prince has come to the Qingxuan Pavilion. He wants to buy a Seventh Rank True Martial Treasure-level alchemy furnace."

Mo Hanlin, who was already drenched in cold sweat, immediately stood up. "Madam, I will go to receive him!"

"Hold it! Since it's the Ninth Prince, how can I not personally receive him?"

Qin Ya opened her beautiful eyes and immediately stepped out of the bathtub, wrapping a thin red veil around her alluring body. Drops of fragrant water slid down her white back, landing on the jade floor with a soft tap.

Zhang Ruochen was the first man who was not tempted by her, with mental strength and willpower far exceeding that of ordinary people. Qin Ya was very interested in him.

Moreover, she suspected that there was a super powerful figure behind Zhang Ruochen. Otherwise, it would be impossible for Zhang Ruochen to reach the Lesser Apex of the Yellow Extreme Realm in just three months.