Chapter Twenty-Four: Zhang Yihan
To be honest, Liu Ji had not expected that merely slaying a single vengeful ghost would stir up such a storm in the Southern King’s City. His heart was suddenly filled with an inexplicable worry.
As he was cultivating, the sound of armor scraping suddenly echoed behind him. He turned to see Liu Heng approaching, clad in black battle armor.
Liu Ji was puzzled.
Hadn’t Liu Heng left last night to inspect the Southern Tiger Cavalry’s outpost at the southern border? How was he back at the residence so early this morning, still armored?
He also noticed the heavy expression on Liu Heng’s face. Without preamble, Liu Heng spoke directly: “Last night, you revealed your strength and killed a vengeful ghost?”
“…Yes,” Liu Ji nodded.
“Foolish!” Liu Heng barked, “Do you realize killing the ghost is minor—revealing your strength is major? You’re pushing yourself into danger! Do you even know how many factions across the empire keep watch on us?”
“…The guards weren’t with me, and the situation was urgent—I had no choice but to act,” Liu Ji replied honestly, facing Liu Heng’s anger.
“You—!”
Liu Heng stretched out a trembling finger at Liu Ji, but couldn’t utter another word. The bald middle-aged man beside him stepped in to mediate: “Brother, the young lord acted out of necessity; you can’t blame him for it.”
He grinned: “Besides, it’s only the young lord revealing his strength to kill one vengeful ghost—hardly a big deal. Southern King’s City is our stronghold; can outsiders really reach us here?”
He was Yan Ye, known as Bald Yan, a sworn brother who had fought alongside Liu Heng through many battles.
“You know nothing!” Liu Heng cursed. He sighed, “Fine, from the moment you chose the path of cultivation, I should’ve known this would happen sooner or later. But remember, unless absolutely necessary, never reveal your strength again!”
“Yes,” Liu Ji nodded. He was no fool—Liu Heng wouldn’t be so furious without reason, and the current situation must be far more perilous than he imagined.
Liu Heng turned to Yan Ye: “Expel last night’s guards from the residence. Investigate their backgrounds thoroughly. How could they lose track of several living men? Are they useless?”
“Understood!” Yan Ye nodded and left.
Liu Heng gazed at Liu Ji, hands clasped behind his back, lost in thought. After a long silence, he advised, “In any case, go about your usual business.”
He spoke solemnly: “But remember—unless there is absolutely no other way, you must not reveal your strength again. From tomorrow, I’ll assign more men to protect you in secret. Also, limit your activities strictly to within Southern King’s City!”
He warned, “Ji’er, remember—the current situation is shrouded in a gray fog. The more one leaps about, the more tragic their end!”
“I understand,” Liu Ji answered seriously. He knew well enough not to be reckless—the events of last night forced his hand.
He hadn’t expected the vengeful ghost to target him. Could it be that half a month ago, when he visited Wang Mazzi’s estate and touched the corpse of Wang Mazzi’s concubine, he earned the ghost’s hatred? But wasn’t it said that vengeful ghosts have no consciousness?
He couldn’t make sense of it.
Liu Heng nodded. “Having only the Supreme Heavenly Steel Art is not enough. Starting tomorrow, go learn some skills from your elder brother Liu Ming. He spends his days in the martial arts hall and has mastered nearly all the techniques our family possesses.”
With that, Liu Heng turned and departed.
Watching his father’s retreating figure, Liu Ji sighed inwardly. It seemed he had indeed caused trouble this time. Yet, though Liu Heng always wore a cold face, when it mattered, he truly cared for his son's safety.
Stretching lazily, Liu Ji’s bones crackled like beans in a pan. He headed toward the training ground, thinking he must indeed learn some moves; otherwise, when it came to real combat, he might not have the upper hand.
…
Night once again descended upon Southern King’s City. As a famed century-old tavern, the bustle here only grew as darkness fell.
“You have to admit, Young Lord Liu has endured much—he’s been holding back for nearly ten years! Such fortitude is impressive!”
“Exactly! Who would have thought that the infamous wastrel would suddenly display such strength? I was startled!”
“We simply lacked foresight.”
“It’s hardly our fault—Young Lord Liu’s ability to endure is exceptional! That’s what they call ‘silent until thunderous’!”
…
The tale of Liu Ji slaying the vengeful ghost continued to be the subject of spirited discussion. It seemed the city would not rest until it had been debated for several days.
On the tavern’s second floor, seven or eight elegantly dressed young men sat together, all scions of Southern King’s City’s noble families.
Among them was Sun Zi’ang.
Listening to the chatter below, the man at their center—dressed in black with golden embroidery, resplendent and luxurious—laughed, “Looks like Young Lord Liu will be famous in the city for quite some time!”
Sun Zi’ang scoffed, “Brother Zhang, you say that, but when has Liu Ji not been famous here in Southern King’s City?”
The others paused, then burst into laughter.
A young lord chimed in, “True enough! Young Lord Liu is always known in Southern King’s City. Not just here—even across the empire, he’s more renowned than any of us, isn’t he?”
They all shook their heads and smiled.
That black-clad young man was Zhang Yihan, the eldest son of the Zhang family—the city’s most prominent clan after the Liu family. Among the younger generation, his reputation was considerable; even Sun Zi’ang respectfully addressed him as Brother Zhang.
Zhang Yihan said, “Brother Sun, regardless, Young Lord Liu is the heir to the Southern King’s Estate. I know you have a grudge with him, but let me advise you: don’t go against him further.”
He shook his head, “You can’t win against him. Rather than meeting with hostility every time, why not make peace and be friends?”
“Bah!” Sun Zi’ang retorted disdainfully, “Brother Zhang, I’ll never reconcile with that bastard Liu Ji—unless he lets me kick him below the belt!”
As if recalling something, he complained bitterly, “You don’t know—if I hadn’t guarded myself in time, my manhood would’ve been ruined. Even so, I was bedridden for days! Now, just thinking about it, I can’t even get hard anymore!”
The group around him burst into laughter. So their Young Lord Liu was truly ruthless—of all places, he chose to kick there.
Zhang Yihan patted Sun Zi’ang’s shoulder, stifling his own laughter. “If you want revenge, it won’t happen in this lifetime. Maybe in your next life, you’ll have a chance.”
Sun Zi’ang’s face was bitter—next life, nonsense! A true man settles scores in this life; who waits for the next? What kind of revenge is that?
Suddenly, Zhang Yihan’s expression grew serious. “But speaking of it, Young Lord Liu’s endurance is remarkable. He’s borne nearly ten years of humiliation. I must admit, even I am ashamed by his resolve.”
Others nodded. “If it were me, suffering so many rumors, I’d have died of humiliation. If you have strength, why not show it?”
“He’s not so impressive!”
At that moment, a booming voice sounded from below.
Zhang Yihan, Sun Zi’ang, and the others looked down to see a burly man gulping wine from a bowl, his face full of disdain. “Let me ask you—do you know how long Young Lord Liu has been cultivating?”
The diners shook their heads; how could they know?
The man spread his hands, his expression as if embarrassed to even mention it: “Ten years! He’s been cultivating for ten whole years, yet he still hasn’t reached the Microstar Realm! Still stuck at Body Refinement—how useless can he be?”
“What? That’s impossible! He’s the Southern King’s son—how could his talent be so weak? With all the estate’s resources, how could he be so feeble after ten years?”
Someone questioned skeptically.
Another chimed in, “Exactly, where did you hear that? Don’t slander Young Lord Liu without reason!”
“Heh!” The burly man sneered, “Do you know who I am? I was Young Lord Liu’s personal guard!”
He paused, his face dimming, “Though now, I’ve been expelled from the estate—hmpf, none of the Liu family are any good!”
“So what if you were his guard? Even personal guards don’t know everything—how can you guarantee your words are true?”
“Heh.” The man smiled, “Indeed, as his guard, I don’t know his private secrets.”
He paused, then smiled mysteriously, “But there’s someone who does—his super-close maid…”
“Xiaoya!”
…
…
PS: Second update, seeking recommendations~