C24 Conflict

Upon his arrival at the Transport Inn, Zhang Yu was greeted with a beaming smile from the inn's attendant.

"Welcome, sir. Will you be stopping briefly or staying with us?" the attendant inquired of the young man clad in black.

The young man, known as Hao Rann, was none other than Zhang Yu, who had recently acquired an unusual item and was eager to examine it.

"I'll be staying. Find me a quiet spot, please. I don't want to be disturbed," Zhang Yu requested calmly.

"Sir, your timing couldn't be better. Our establishment has a secluded courtyard available. It's exceptionally tranquil, ensuring no disturbances. However, it does come at a premium. What do you say?" the attendant whispered.

"How much per day?"

"It's ninety Low Grade Spirit Stones a day. Does that work for you?"

"Book it for five days. The rest is for you," Zhang Yu said, tossing five Middle Grade Spirit Stones to the attendant without waiting for a reply.

Picking up on Zhang Yu's urgency, the attendant promptly responded with an obsequious grin, "A Sky Character courtyard is at your disposal, sir. Please, follow me."

...

After securing the door and confirming the courtyard was empty, Zhang Yu retrieved a black stone from his Storage Ring—the same stone that had triggered a reaction from the Creation Jade Disc.

"This thing seems ordinary," Zhang Yu mused, inspecting the stone several times to no avail, his spirits sinking.

"It caught the Creation Jade Disc's interest for a reason. It must hold some unique quality. If its secrets were easily uncovered, it wouldn't have ended up in my hands."

Undeterred, Zhang Yu tried everything—throwing, smashing, and even channeling spiritual energy into the stone, but the Black Stone remained stubbornly unchanged.

"Damn, it's so resilient! Let's see if it's tougher than my sword's edge!"

With that, he unsheathed the Thunder Shocking Sword from his back and struck the Black Stone!

With a "crack," the Black Stone finally split, revealing a small token from within, pulsating with potent spiritual energy.

"Could this be what the Creation Jade Disc detected?" Zhang Yu picked up the token and scrutinized it closely in his hand.

It's no surprise the Black Stone's secret had eluded discovery. The Thunder Shocking Sword was a Profound Artifact, renowned for its sharpness. Only with his spiritual energy could Zhang Yu cleave it open. Without such a weapon, even those more powerful than him would be at a loss.

"It's actually made from Spirit Stone Soul Essence!" Zhang Yu exclaimed in disbelief.

His astonishment was understandable; Spirit Stone Soul Essence was exceedingly rare. A massive vein might yield High Grade Spirit Stones, yet not necessarily Spirit Stone Soul Essence. However, the presence of Spirit Stone Soul Essence guaranteed the existence of a colossal spirit stone mine!

Across the entire Vast Dragon Continent, Spirit Stone Soul Essence was the stuff of legends. Any force lucky enough to acquire it would treasure and protect it, for only its pure spiritual energy could help a martial cultivator safely navigate the perilous breakthrough to Martial Ancestor.

But now, to Zhang Yu's outrage, this invaluable Spirit Stone Soul Essence had been fashioned into a mere token. Such a squandering of resources was outrageous!

There was a saying among the saints: Wasting is disgraceful!

Even though the token's true purpose eluded him, Zhang Yu was still thrilled. Setting aside its function, if he were to convert it into Spirit Stones, it would fetch at least ten thousand High Grade Spirit Stones! His windfall was astronomical!

Zhang Yu knew that ultimately, the Creation Jade Disc deserved the credit for his fortune. Without it, he would never have stumbled upon such incredible luck.

"Good thing that old man didn't catch on. He'd be green with regret if he knew," he mused.

Zhang Yu carefully stored the token in the Creation Jade Disc and glanced out the window. Noticing it was still early, he stood up, eager to explore the market further. His previous visit had been too rushed, and he hadn't seen everything yet.

As he strolled down the street, Zhang Yu felt light as a feather, nearly bursting into the song "We commoners are so happy today!"

Suddenly, chaos erupted. A group on Scarlet Dragon Horses charged through, knocking down those too slow to move out of the way. They showed no signs of stopping, continuing their reckless rampage.

Being new in town and not wanting trouble, Zhang Yu steered clear.

Once the crowd had scattered, Zhang Yu's gaze fell upon a small girl sitting bewildered in the middle of the street. If the riders kept their course, she would surely be caught in their path, with tragic consequences.

Perhaps they recognized the formidable presence of the other party, or maybe they were simply looking out for their own safety, but no one nearby stepped forward to help the little girl.

As the horse's hooves were about to come crashing down on the girl, Zhang Yu darted forward like a shooting star, his palm striking the horse with force.

With a "thud," the burly man atop the Scarlet Dragon Stallion, halted abruptly by Zhang Yu's intervention, was flung to the ground.

The stallion let out a series of panicked neighs as its rider forcefully reined it in.

"Damn you, are you looking to die? How dare you get in my way!" bellowed the burly man, picking himself up from the dirt and furiously confronting Zhang Yu.

"Little sister, are you okay?" Zhang Yu inquired softly, turning his attention to the little girl.

"Thank you, kind sir, for saving my child. I am forever in your debt," a middle-aged woman with a pallid complexion suddenly burst forth, dropping to her knees in gratitude before Zhang Yu.

"Please, stand up. It was nothing, really. Just be sure to keep a closer eye on your daughter in the future," Zhang Yu responded with courtesy.

The burly man, unnoticed and seething with humiliation, drew his knife in a flash of anger and lunged at Zhang Yu.

Zhang Yu, sensing the man's martial prowess, remained unfazed. After safely passing the girl to the woman, he casually delivered a palm strike to the man's chest.

A "puff" followed as the burly man coughed up blood.

Zhang Yu was taken aback. He knew the man was no match for him, and his palm strike hadn't been particularly forceful—just enough to repel him.

Unseen by Zhang Yu, the man's eyes glinted with malice as he staggered to a nearby horse, wailing, "I have shamed the young master. I beg for your retribution!"

Just then, a young man alighted from his horse with an air of grace. He appeared to be in his late teens, tall and handsome, with a smile that added to his charm, especially when paired with his luxurious brocaded garments. What was truly impressive, though, was his status as a Beginning Level Great Martial Master. Yet, Zhang Yu couldn't shake a profound sense of revulsion at the sight of him.

"Rise and return home for your thirty lashes," the youth said with a nonchalant tone.

Yet to the brawny man, those words were like a melody from the heavens. He realized his own punishment was trivial. With the young master intervening, the man who had embarrassed him was as good as dead.

"I'm Hao Jian of the Hao family. And you are?" asked the young man with a smile, addressing Zhang Yu.

"Zhang Yu," he replied, barely suppressing a chuckle. The name was amusing—Hao Jian? Sounded like 'so cheap.'

"May I ask why you dealt such a heavy blow to my men, Mr. Zhang?" inquired Hao Jian.

"Why, Mr. Hao, did you allow your men to run wild? Had I not stepped in, that little girl would surely be dead. You seem like a man of understanding; surely your servants have misled you!" Zhang Yu deftly turned the conversation, noting Hao Jian's omission of the earlier incident.

"Mr. Zhang, as you've heard, I've dealt with the wrongdoer. Now, I'd appreciate it if you would extend the courtesy of an apology to my man, and we can put this matter to rest. What do you say?"

"Ha, if anyone's owed an apology, it's me. Everyone witnessed it—he struck first." Zhang Yu was aware that offending the Hao family, especially as a newcomer, was unwise. A strong dragon does not overpower a local serpent, and he was but a small fry.

Yet, Zhang Yu wasn't about to capitulate without a fight. Cultivation requires steadfastness, and bowing to fear of the Hao family's influence could plant seeds of doubt, hindering his future progress.

In Sunset City, combat is expressly forbidden. Surely even Hao Jian, a member of the Hao family, wouldn't flout the law with an unprovoked attack. So, Zhang Yu persisted in engaging Hao Jian with reason.

"Heh, Mr. Zhang, you really won't afford my Hao family any respect. Just who do you think you are?" Hao Jian's voice chilled as Zhang Yu's defiance became apparent.

"Mr. Hao, here I am, just a solitary cultivator without any backing, not like you, comfortably nestled under the shade of a great tree," Zhang Yu remarked with a hint of irony.

"Just now, I couldn't help but notice Mr. Zhang's impressive abilities. How about I show you a few techniques today?" Without waiting for Zhang Yu's response, he launched a powerful punch in his direction.