Chapter 316: Come, Come!
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Boom!
Xu Que and the husky sat in the driver's seat, completely safe inside the car!
This Bumblebee had been revised by the system so it did not come with built-in intelligence, meaning that Xu Que could control it with his mind and Soul Strength.
Thus, this was equivalent to wearing a gigantic suit of armor!
However, the transformation process had been rather jerky. The husky was behaving as if he had gone crazy, howling in fear. Nevertheless, the husky did not bark like a dog.
"Fuck, boy, what are you doing? This is an earthquake! And you still want me to shout that fucking 666? Quick, get out your precious sword and split this divine chariot open. This deity wants to get down!"
His face was full of nervousness and he was holding tightly onto Xu Que's arm as he yelled.
"Look at that scared face of yours!" Xu Que sneered. "This is called a transformation, just watch!"
Xu Que brushed the dog's paws aside. With a solemn expression, he used his Soul Strength to control Bumblebee.
The husky did not think this was safe and got out of the cockpit when he saw an opening. He shouted, "this deity will go get help!"
Shoosh! He instantly leaped out from the gap.
Clang! Clang!
At this time, the transformation had finally been completed. Xu Que's Bumblebee was now a giant robot.
The combination of the bright yellow, black and silver colors made Bumblebee bright and shiny.
The cool and suave design of the robot instantly captured the attention of all the cultivators present at the scene.
They had lived for many years, but never before had they seen anything as unique as this. A divine chariot transforming into a metallic monster in such a short span of time… how had he done it?
"No, this… this looks like the ancient armored puppet!"
"It does seem similar��� other than the material, size and shape, it does feel somewhat similar!"
"But that doesn't make sense! What does an ancient armored puppet have to do with a divine chariot?"
"He actually turned a divine chariot into an ancient armored puppet! This type of refining method is unheard of! Could it be his own creation?"
The whole group of cultivators was dumbfounded, especially those from Spirit Treasures Pavilion and God Treasures Pavilion!
Just seconds earlier they had been mocking Xu Que's divine chariot and calling it a heap of scrap metal.
But in the next moment, Xu Que's divine chariot had transformed. The whole process had taken place right in front of them. Now their faces were flushed red with embarrassment.
More importantly, for some unknown reasons, this eccentric-looking robot actually looked good! It fascinated them and they actually realised how much they would actually enjoy owning a robot like this!
After the husky had jumped out of the cockpit, he had actually run away as fast as he could. But in no time, he noticed that the atmosphere was too quiet to be true. He then turned around, and was also dumbfounded by the sight!
What the hell is this thing? It's not good for the heart, too flamboyant… but awesome!
Immediately, his eyes lit up and he ran back. He kept jumping around in front of the Bumblebee and yapped excitedly, "boy, quick, let me go up!"
"Get lost, you ungrateful dog!" Xu Que sat in the cockpit of Bumblebee, shooting a glare down at the husky.
This dog had thought that there was danger and had run away. He had even had the cheek to say that he was going to get help.
Now that he had realised that he could be part of the spotlight, he had shamelessly returned and was wanting to come up again!
He was lucky that Xu Que hadn't tried to teach him a lesson, let alone allowing him back up to act tough together with him!
"666!" Er Ha was like an idiotic dog running around Bumblebee. He thought that if he shouted 666, Xu Que would let him go up again.
Xu Que ignored the dog completely. He glanced through the crowd of cultivators and sneered. "How is it? Are you scared now? Who was it that wanted to knock me down just now? Come on, all together, fly to my chest and I'll smash you all with one hit!"
All of them looked grim and wary.
They were all in shock, as after the divine chariot had transformed, the material had undergone a great change to become unusually tough. It was also rich in the metal element Spiritual Qi.
But in fact, the metal element Spiritual Qi had originated from Xu Que. This was because when Bumblebee was in this robot form, it would need to consume a lot of Soul Strength energy!
As Xu Que had the celestial spiritual roots of all five elements, with the help of the ancient five elemental arts, he could convert the other four elements into metal element energy. And lastly, he had activated the automatic recovery ability for his energy. Otherwise, he would not have been able to keep up with the rate of Bumblebee's consumption!
The good thing was, because of this, Xu Que was gaining more Acting Tough Points!
Ever since he had driven the car out of the Sword Catacomb, the Acting Tough Points had been pouring in, hardly stopping at all. System notifications kept coming in!
"Come on, all of you can come at me together. I'll smash each and every person who dares to come towards me! Why? No guts? It's alright, this is just a small weapon of our Exploding Heavens Faction. All of you can try taking me on!" Xu Que continued with his insolent taunting.
"666!"
The husky continued shouting '666', but everyone ignored him!
Many cultivators were wary of Xu Que's Bumblebee. They were guessing how powerful it could be!
However, those with a cultivation level at the Infant Transformation Stage were getting impatient, especially the elder from Jade Sword Sect. He was so furious that he was on the verge of losing control!
"Shameless boy, stop your deceitful acts! Today I'm going to carry out justice on behalf of Heaven. Hand over your life!"
The elder from Jade Sword Sect was chasing Xu Que from behind, coming from a faraway distance. He pulled out his sharp sword, and rushed straight to Xu Que without any hesitation!
All eyes were on the faceoff between the two of them.
"The elder of Jade Sword Sect has struck! The elder will win for sure!"
"No matter how strong this armored puppet may be, it can't be stronger than a human!"
"Moreover, this elder is reputed to be so strong that he is near invincible among his generation. This young man is only at the Original Infant Stage, how can he possibly win against an elder of the Infant Transformation Stage from the Jade Sword Sect?"
"He's dead meat! The armored puppet will be damaged soon, what a pity!"
"Exactly, this kind of refining method is too amazing! It's simply marvellous!"
"He said that the Exploding Heavens Faction created it. We need to find out more about this Exploding Heavens Faction. Maybe we can buy things from them!"
...
Everyone had already decided who the winner of the battle would be in their minds—after all, it was a faceoff between an Infant Transformation Stage cultivator and an Original Infant Stage cultivator. Not to mention the fact that the Infant Transformation Stage cultivator was also an elder from the powerful Jade Sword Sect.
Therefore, they were more focused on Xu Que's Bumblebee instead!
However, at that moment, Xu Que was not flustered at all!
With a straight face, he watched the elder fly towards him. At the same time, he directed Bumblebee's huge robotic arm to slowly lift up.
"This thing is even more expensive than the God Powered Cannon." Xu Que curled his lips in contempt. "A meagre Level Five Infant Transformation Stage cultivator has the audacity to act tough in front of me? He's got a death wish, hasn't he? Well, I'll grant him his wish!"
Clang! Clang!
Sounds of clashing metal were heard. An energy cannon appeared on Bumblebee's huge arm. The black nozzle of the cannon was aimed directly at the elder of Jade Sword Sect!
The crowd of cultivators was baffled once again.
Evidently, they did not know what the use of the cannon was!
The elder from Jade Sword Sect sneered. Facing this eccentric-looking armored puppet, he did not feel threatened at all. In his view, this thing only looked good but was not useful.
He felt that strength was enough to crush any magic weapon!
"Shameless boy, I'll bring you down in the name of Ye Chang Feng!" the elder bellowed furiously, his sword gradually turning brighter and hurtling with a powerful force towards Xu Que!
"Old hairy one, you should go accompany him instead!" Xu Que wore an icy cold smile. Controlling Bumblebee, he pressed a button!
Boom!
The next moment, a bright, flaming beam suddenly shot out from the cannon on Bumblebee's arm. The elder of Jade Sword Sect was swallowed up by the destructive light!
Chapter 317: Dodge All You Like!
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The explosion was earth-shattering!
The explosion had shaken the group of people!
After the compression of his true core strength, the energy released was far greater what the original Bumblebee had been capable of. The system had modified Bumblebee to adjust it to the World of cultivators.
That was why this explosive power was even more terrifying than the God-Powered Cannon!
With this powerful explosion, there was no chance for the elder of Jade Sword Sect to shield himself from the light.
Everyone watched in horror as the old man's clothes turned powdery and then dissipated in the light's beam. Soon after, his skin began to crack with numerous, raw wounds appearing all over his body, all gushing blood.
It didn't matter what kind of technique one fought with, there was no resisting the power of the light beam!
Whoosh!
In the end, the elder from Jade Sword Sect was sent flying. Blood gushed out of his mouth as he fell to the ground with a heavy thud.
Clang!
The six-star sword he held in his hand then fell to the ground, bent and twisted!
Everyone was silent. They stared at the scene with widened eyes and chills running down their spines!
What… what was this terrifying power?
A single blow and a Level 4 Infant Transformation Stage cultivator had been flung backwards with grave injuries.
How could this be possible?
Even ancient armored puppets weren't this powerful!
No one could stay calm now. They had all thought that there would be no suspense in this fight, but it turned out that they were only half-right!
Yes, it had been a fight without much suspense, but the loser had turned out to be the elder member of the Jade Sword Sect!
"You didn't even know how to block, yet you still wanted to kill me?" sneered Xu Que. He directed Bumblebee's leg to take a step forward, and aimed the cannon on its arm towards the elder on the ground.
A surge of energy engulfed his body.
On the system's interface, his Acting Tough Points once again increased. The total value now exceeded 18,000 points!
"Ow!"
The husky suddenly barked in excitement. Its face had an imposing and dignified expression and it turned into a ghostly shadow and charged towards the elder on the ground.
"You old fart, get up and fight with me! Acha!" Er Ha shouted, then leaped into the air and kicked the elder's chest with his leg.
"Stop!"
The Jade Sword Sect's disciples watched in horror.
"Stop it now, buttface!" shouted Xu Que with explosive anger. But he was too late.
The husky had planted his foot firmly on the elder's chest—with a bam, the elder's ribcage began to crack. Blood spurted from his mouth. He was dead on the spot!
The Jade Sword Sect people screamed and wailed in fury!
Xu Que was mad himself. He raised the cannon and aimed it at Er Ha. "Son of a bitch! You filthy dog! You took away my target! You robbed me of my One Million Experience Points!"
Boom!
Immediately there was a loud explosion from the cannon and another light beam appeared.
Er Ha's fur stood on end as he was stunned by the loud cannon. He swiftly dodged the attack and shouted, "what the fuck are you doing? I can kill whoever I want! It's none of your business!"
"Fuck you, that was my target!" roared Xu Que. The robotic arm moved once more and aimed at Er Ha again. He shot another cannonball at him!
Er Ha's reaction was quick, though, so he dodged the attack easily.
But what was terrible was that the husky liked to run into areas where the crowd was dense with people—so every time Xu Que fired a shot, he would hit some poor bystanders who would instantly turn to ash!
And thus, the situation descended into pure chaos.
"Let's get out of here! We'll escape whilst both of them are fighting!"
"We can't win this battle now. The bastard's armor is too strange and terrifying. We must get help from someone stronger!"
"We're close to the Imperial City. We should ask for the Golden King's help."
"An elder and the Legendary Swordsman both died by his hands. Jade Sword Sect will never let him go. There's no point staying here now!"
"Holy shit, don't come over, buttface! The fucker is trying to kill you, why don't you go fight him instead of running?" said someone who saw the husky running in their direction.
"You have no right to call me buttface! I'm a wolf! You idiots should die!"
The husky then chased after those people while Xu Que aimed the cannon at him. Husky dodged the cannon, but the group of people inadvertently ended up as Xu Que's cannon fodder.
Still, Xu Que had won something in this battle.
He had earned 1000 Acting Tough Points, and although he had lost the Experience Points when Er Ha killed the elder, he had gained some more from killing an Original Infant Stage cultivator in the crowd as he was chasing after Er Ha.
The other elders from various sects and schools who were also in the Infant Transformation Stage had long left the scene, though.
Well, who could blame them for running, when even the elder of Jade Sword Sect had been killed within seconds?
Once they had reached the levels they were at now, they had naturally begun to value their lives very much. They would certainly refuse to die by the hands of a mere Original Infant Stage cultivator!
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Xu Que's cannon had turned the area outside the Sword Catacomb into a wasteland full of blackened pits.
"Ah…."
"Help…"
The cultivators all hugged their skulls and scattered in fear. Occasionally, their screams could be heard.
Everyone was hiding from Er Ha as if they were hiding from a terrifying god. But every time anyone was hit by Xu Que's attack, they found themselves dead on the spot.
Some cultivators observed the scene from afar. Their faces were pale and they trembled in fear as calamity unfolded before their eyes.
The people of Spirit Treasures Pavilion and God Treasures Pavilion watched as the divine chariot teams that they had previously arranged were blown to bits by the cannon, until only fragments were left. They felt as if their hearts had been pierced through by a dagger.
It was truly a disaster!
The two young women who had met Xu Que before were also watching from afar. Their eyes were filled with terror.
"How… how could that guy be so cruel?"
"He's so terrifying! I can't believe we once argued with him before. It makes me shudder just thinking about it!"
"We must rush to the Imperial City and tell the princess to report this incident to the Golden King!"
"Let's go!"
The two clenched their teeth as they made up their minds. They turned around and left for the Imperial City straight away!
At the same time, Xu Que was still chasing after Er Ha. He was determined to teach this filthy dog a harsh lesson for robbing him of his one million Experience Points!
How shameless of him! How could he just kill someone else's target?
"You're finished, buttface!" said Xu Que as he kept on firing the cannon.
But after dodging Xu Que's attacks several times, the husky turned bold and confident. He laughed and boasted, "come on, kid, do you want to hit me? Go ahead and try! I'm as fast as the wind, so you can't touch me!"
"I can't touch you, huh?" sneered Xu Que. He then lifted the other robotic arm.
Clang! Whoosh!
The robotic arm then took the form of a machine gun!
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat...
The machine gun fired relentlessly. The gun seemed to have grown a fiery tongue where the metal element Spiritual Qi condensed and became bullets that then shot through the air.
"Ow, ow, ow!" yelled Er Ha before he bolted off at top speed!
But this time, he couldn't escape the bullets that rained down from the robotic arm. The bullets struck his skin, triggering loud howling from the dog.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow! Aaaaah! That hurts! Stop it, you bastard! If you want to fight then come out and fight with me like a man, don't use this cowardly technique! Ow! That hurts!"
The husky ran all around the place, wailing and howling in pain at the top of his lungs, even though he was obviously uninjured!
Xu Que had no plans to stop. He opened fire with both robotic arms now and yelled, "go ahead, dodge my attacks! Dodge all you like, you son of a bitch!"
...…
Chapter 318: Nicholas Murong Buttface
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"Boy, don't be arrogant, or sooner or later, this deity will snatch this broken machine away from you! Owww, call a truce if you've guts! Ahh, ow, ow, ow, ow, ouch, truce, this deity wants a truce! Damn, this deity is not in a good shape today. I'll admit defeat, stop fighting! Dammit, you're still hitting me… owww!"
The husky was being fired at rapidly by bullets filled with the metal element Spiritual Qi. He was frantically evading the bullets by dashing towards the crowd!
At first, this tactic worked but as time passed by, most of the cultivators had been killed and the surviving cultivators had retreated. The husky was shocked as well, as he was the only one still running around avoiding the bullets. Finally, he had to admit defeat!
...
The cultivators who watched the scene fearfully from afar felt chills running down their spines!
That husky was already scary to begin with. And when Xu Que had begun to operate the armored puppet, he had become so savage that he was now trying to kill the dog.
"That boy is too ruthless. He's so crazy that he won't even let a dog off!"
"There are so many corpses… their blood is forming a river, but he isn't even blinking. What a cruel heart he has. What a ruthless person he is."
"The dog only killed the elder of Jade Sword Sect before him. Is there a need to chase after the dog so maliciously?"
"We all knew that he was the one who had defeated the elder. Could it be that he felt that his spotlight was seized by the dog, so he felt resentment towards it?"
"Who cares? In any case, this boy and that dog do not have kind hearts. Unless the strongest cultivators can come here, nobody will be able to touch them. We'd better hurry up and leave as well!"
Many of the surviving cultivators were worried for their own lives, and chose to quickly leave the area.
It was not easy to reach a high stage of cultivation. Hence, all of them treasured their lives. To them, no matter how great was the reward or how much hatred and feud could not be compared to the importance of their own lives!
Most of the surviving cultivators felt like they had been cheated by fate. They were the ones who had been pursuing and trying to kill Xu Que—but in the end, Xu Que had managed to kill almost all of them himself. Many major clans and sects had suffered heavy casualties and losses—they had all been disgraced!
The one that had suffered the worst losses was the Jade Sword Sect. Their most talented Legendary Swordsman, their team of guardians, and an elder, had been killed. Their elder had even been finished off by a dog—how humiliating!
Obviously the odds were against them!
They hadn't even been able to defeat a dog, and they were too ashamed to stay any longer.
Why would they stay there any longer? To die?
After having suffered such heavy losses, the ones from Jade Sword Sect had to quickly retreat, for fear of them all being annihilated.
In the end, the remaining crowd dispersed completely!
Just moments before, this spacious piece of land had been filled with a group of people creating a commotion, wanting to kill Xu Que. But now only Xu Que and the husky were left, and the area was filled with the dog's shrieks and cries.
Not too long after, Xu Que stopped attacking as well. He was frustrated by the annoyingly loud screams of the husky!
Clang! Clang!
A few metallic sounds were heard as Bumblebee returned to his sports car form once more.
The husky was lying on the ground. His tongue stuck out of his mouth and he was panting heavily. He stared at Xu Que unhappily.
There was nothing he could do, no matter how unwilling he was to admit defeat!
He could do nothing to Xu Que's Bumblebee and had ended up being fired at by so many bullets!
Not only that, but he couldn't flare up at Xu Que either. Even though Bumblebee had transformed back into a car now, Er Ha remained cautiously on the sides, looking on.
Xu Que was amused again when he saw that. "Are you unconvinced of my dominance?" said Xu Que loudly. "We can fight again!"
"Choose another day to fight!" The husky's temper cooled and flared quickly. He got up from the ground smoothly and stood on his hind legs. Then he ran on his hind legs like a human, straight towards the car.
A muffled bang was heard. His head appeared behind the windscreen and with a wink and a pleasing grin, he said, "666!"
"Stop that, don't count on that to get into the car. I'm going to rob the Imperial Tombs now. Goodbye!" With that, Xu Que stepped on the accelerator.
The husky quickly hugged the car with his body and shouted, "young man, if you don't have this deity to show you the way, you won't be able to find that cave. Quickly let this deity in, 666!"
Xu Que pondered for a while. If the dog had a way to get in the tombs, it would no doubt be a good thing, as the Imperial Tombs would absolutely be protected with some restriction spells. In order to get through them, System would definitely exploit him again. He realised he may as well bring this dog with him and save some Acting Tough Points!
Although this dog was shameless and brainless, he did seem to have his own unique capabilities. At the very least, the dog was very resistant to attacks. If a need arose when he need a human—or dog—punching bag, Er Ha would do nicely.
Immediately, he looked at the husky and spoke in a low tone, "fine. On account of your sincerity, I'll let you get on the car. But don't forget you owe me for that kill you stole. If you dare to mess around at the Imperial Tombs, I'm going to release the Sword Spirit and have him deal with you!"
"Ha, ha, this deity is prudent and steady and never messes around," promised the husky as he puffed out his chest. "Rest assured about that, young man!"
The husky's eyes formed crescents as he grinned!
Xu Que knew that the words of the husky could only be taken lightly. He didn't bother with any more banter and let the dog back into the car.
Thereafter, under the husky's guidance, the man and the dog quickly headed towards the direction of the Imperial Tombs.
...
The Imperial Tombs were located near the Sword Catacomb.
However, as the cave dug by the husky was at the other end of the Imperial Tombs, Xu Que had to make a roundabout in order to reach it.
Because of that, the man and the dog reached their destination in the evening. When they arrived, Xu Que put Bumblebee back into his storage!
Looking at the so-called cave entrance from a distance, Xu Que and the husky were totally confounded!
"How did this happen? Fuck, who did this? Who changed this deity's cave into a military camp?" the husky snapped angrily.
Xu Que was speechless!
Only God knew how big that cave the dog had dug in the past was!
Now, the whole cave had been turned into a military camp for the guards of the tombs, protected by a restrictive spell. Both of them could also detect the intermittent aura of at least two Infant Transformation Stage cultivators deep inside the camp!
"Er Ha, are you any use at all? Hurry up and dig another cave, or lick one with your tongue. The walls of these Imperial Tombs shouldn't be tougher than the Sword Catacomb, quick, give it a try!" Xu Que suddenly thought of a way to save on his Acting Tough Points by utilising the husky's tongue.
The husky was instantly peeved. "This deity is called the Mighty King, not Er Ha! Young man, try calling me Er Ha again, you'll pay for your mistakes!"
"What rubbish is Mighty King, you think that sounds nice? It sounds super lame! How about this? I'll give you a magnificent, luxurious and classy name," grinned Xu Que. "And you'll lick a cave out of these Imperial Tombs, how's that?"
"What's the name?" The husky's eyes flashed and he seemed interested!
"Nicholas Murong Buttface!"
"Ow!" The husky was angry. He gave a howl, bared his teeth and seemed on the verge of biting Xu Que.
Xu Que was very calm and nonchalant. "How about Nicholas Murong Pooper?"
"Ow, fuck! Boy, today, this deity really needs to fight you until the bitter end!"
The husky immediately came at Xu Que.
Chapter 319: Look Out! Here Comes the Imperial Tomb Conqueror!
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Xu Que smiled and prepared himself to test just how strong this Husky's body really was.
Whiz!
But before Xu Que could do anything, the guards who were patrolling nearby heard something and came barging in to check the situation.
"Who's there? How dare you intrude upon the grounds of the Imperial Tombs!" shouted the captain of the guards. He then led his men to surround Xu Que and Buttface, as Xu Que was now calling the husky.
These guards took the guarding of the Imperial Tomb deadly seriously. They were ready to kill immediately for the slightest signs of intrusion.
Their aggressive power was truly intimidating, especially because these guards were all Metal Nation's best cultivators who had been born with great amounts of natural power, and whose techniques were metal-based. And so the strength of each individual guard eventually made up a formidable army of guards, whose combined power was tantamount to that of the sharpest and most powerful sword in the world.
And through relentless practice of the same spells and techniques, although each guard was only in the Golden Core Stage, their powers twisted into one massive store of strength when they worked together. Their strength could easily kill any Infant Transformation Stage cultivator.
Facing this kind of power, Xu Que thought it would be a great idea to act tough in front of these guys some day!
Buttface, on the other hand, was scared witless. He raised his paw and said, "I was walking past this area when I noticed this bastard sneaking around looking suspicious, so I came here to catch him and hand him over to you. But I'm impressed that you guards had noticed him so soon after I did, excellent job!"
Xu Que was used to Buttface's shameless betrayals by now. He glared at him for a few seconds and said, "I'm Fire Country's—no, I mean the Jade Sword Sect's—elite disciple. I walked past this land and sensed the Imperial Tombs' majestic power, so I decided to take a look and nothing else. Was that so wrong?"
Xu Que remembered the hostile relations between Metal Nation and Fire Country and quickly changed his claim mid-sentence to portray himself as one of Jade Sword Sect's elite disciples instead. He also rummaged through Ye Chang Feng's storage ring and took out his Jade Sword Sect elite disciple badge as proof!
The captain of the guards glanced at the badge and his expression made a one-eighty turn. He now smiled and said reverently, "so you are an honored guest from the Jade Sword Sect! Forgive me for my impudence! But you've come much earlier than expected, the Imperial Tomb contest will only start in two days, so no one is allowed to enter this place right now."
Imperial Tomb contest?
Xu Que's eyes widened.
Holy shit, how relaxed was the Metal Nation with their Imperial Tombs? They'd use it as a contest ground, and even let disciples of various sects use it as well?
He hadn't expected the poor excuse randomly pulled from his ass to lead the guards to reveal this secret event.
A contest, you say?
Then how could Xu Que, the Act Tough King, not grace it with his presence?
It was a truth universally known since time immemorial—where there were rivers and lakes there would be people, where there were people there would be contests, and where there were contests there would be many talented people concentrated in one place.
What kind of an Act Tough King would he be if he didn't turn up to such a fertile ground for acting tough?
There was no doubt about it—he would definitely be there!
...….
It had turned out that the Jade Sword Sect really were highly regarded in Metal Nation… look at how respectful the captain of the guards was to him the moment he found out that Xu Que was an elite disciple from the Jade Sword Sect!
This was going to be fun!
...….
Xu Que smiled and slapped his forehead as he said, "two days from now? Ah, I must have gotten the time and date mixed up! Fine, I'll come back in two days, then. I'll just take my pet and leave now, farewell!"
"Farewell, master!" said the captain of the guards with a smile as he walked Xu Que out of the place like a host bidding farewell to an honored guest.
Buttface had seen the sheer number of guards and made no commotion, just following Xu Que quietly out of the area.
Once they were out of the guards' sight and earshot, Buttface immediately charged towards Xu Que and yelled, "fuckface! I'm a divine god! How dare you call me your pet! This is a shameful offence! I won't let this slide!"
"You ungrateful son of a bitch! Come on then, come at me. I'd like to see how strong that pathetic body of yours really is anyway!" said Xu Que, actually gleeful to see that he had angered Buttface.
He had been curious for so long about the actual extent to which Buttface's body could endure attacks—and also whether he would be able to compete with the dog!
Whoosh!
Xu Que stepped into a fighting stance. He didn't use any special powers, only relying on the physical strength that he had attained after cultivating the God of Hell's Compulsion technique to fight against Buttface.
"Shit, you're serious about this?" asked Buttface, almost ready to turn around and bolt. But then he noticed how Xu Que wasn't using any weapons nor summoning that frightening iron armor of his.
"Hehe… young man, your arrogance will be the death of you! You're like a newborn calf who isn't afraid of the tiger—yet. How foolish of you to think that a mere Original Infant Stage cultivator like you can defeat a divine spirit like me! Come at me, then! I'll show you what true strength really looks like!"
Buttface then stood on his hind legs and charged towards Xu Que at full speed.
Pow!
The man's fist and the dog's paw collided with a loud bang!
"Oww!"
Buttface wailed in pain as he was flung a few feet backwards. He fell to the ground with a thud.
Xu Que was pushed back a few steps. He could feel a smarting pain on his fist and his whole arm started to go numb. Then a cut appeared where his fist had made direct contact with Buttface's paw, and blood began to drip out of the wound!
This alarmed Xu Que very much. Buttface's body was definitely much stronger than a mere mortal's. It was probably comparable to that of a divine spirit!
Although it may have seemed like Xu Que had won during that confrontation, Xu Que understood that in terms of the sturdiness of their bodies, Buttface had won by a wide margin!
The dog might have been sent flying backwards and was now whimpering in pain, but in fact, there was no sign of any cuts or bruises on his body at all. Meanwhile, the bones in Xu Que's hand almost felt as if they had been broken. Even though there was only a small cut on his skin, it was clear as day that Buttface's body was much stronger!
"Owww! What the fuck is your body made of, you bastard?" complained Buttface. "How can you be that strong? Ah, look at me, I'm injured! Fetch me some Purifying Water! I'm dying here!" Buttface was now writhing on the ground, pretending to be suffering in a lot of pain.
Xu Que ignored Buttface and summoned the system to heal his wound by spending a small amount of Acting Tough Points. He then summoned Bumblebee and coldly said, "hey Buttface, I'm going to spend the night in the Imperial City now. Why don't you get a nice rest here, so your wounds can heal? I'll come back in two days when there's the contest in the Imperial Tombs."
"Fuck, don't you dare leave me here, you bastard! How could you let an injured divine spirit spend the night alone on the street, you shithead!" Buttface then immediately got up and rushed into Xu Que's car as fast as the wind.
Xu Que glanced contemptuously at the dog in the passenger seat and shook his head. He then stepped on the gas pedal and sped towards the Metal Nation's Imperial City.
He wasn't going to waste his Acting Tough Points forcibly breaking into the Imperial Tombs anymore, since there was going to be a contest there in two days anyway.
Besides, what was more important was that if he broke into the Imperial Tombs now, he'd only be acting tough in front of a mangy dog and no one else—and that would be unacceptable!
There's no point in acting tough if he wasn't doing it in front of a crowd of people!
Moreover, the contest would surely attract a large group of talented people! Things would surely get lively and interesting then!
Xu Que couldn't help but feel excited even thinking about it!
He looked straight ahead with glimmering eyes and shouted with an impassioned tone, "look out! Here comes the Imperial Tomb Conqueror! Shout 666, Murong Pooper! Here's our first stop—the Imperial City!"
Chapter 320: Labor Is Most Glorious!
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
When they reached the Imperial City, night had fallen already!
The night sky was filled with stars. A silver moon hung high in the sky glowing as gently as a river!
When Xu Que arrived outside the Imperial City, he stored the car in his storage and entered the city together with Buttface!
Although it was already night time, the Imperial City was still bustling with activity. There was a night market filled with stalls and everywhere was crowded with people!
There were many stalls on the streets, selling all kinds of desserts and snacks. The whole street was filled with the fragrance of mouth-watering food.
Buttface was drooling as he walked along the street. His eyes were transfixed by all the delicious food he saw. "Young man, let's get some food," urged Buttface. "This deity has fought all day today and needs food to replenish energy!"
Coming to this place that was filled with human and activities, Buttface was full of excitement. After all, he had been trapped for so long without even a mouthful of water to drink.
Standing at the foot of the Imperial City where there were all kinds of appetizing snacks, Buttface could only think about food right now.
"Oh, there's a stall selling steamed buns over there, you can go buy some!" Xu Que pointed to a stall.
Although the flavor of the food was very charming in the night market, Xu Que was not interested at all, as the food was too rough for him. The seasoning would never compare to that of the modern world on Earth.
Besides, he was a foodie with a penchant for strongly flavored food. He loved barbecued food, stinky tofu and spicy hotpot that frequently cost six yuan. Most of the night market food belonged to the category of lighter snacks that could not stir up Xu Que's appetite!
"But the steamed bun isn't enough to replenish much of my energy. Young man, get some silver or spirit stones," urged Buttface. "This deity will personally go get some food!" Buttface was unable to endure the temptation of the treats and tugged at the sleeves of Xu Que.
Xu Que smiled. "You can have some silver or spirit stones but, you need to get something to exchange. Don't look at me this way. I do this for your own good. I can't let you develop the bad habit of being spoon-fed. You need to learn to work for money! Labor is most glorious!"
Xu Que felt that he had to decisively eliminate the bad habit of Buttface wanting to be spoon-fed for good.
"Bullshit, this deity has always been relying on labor to earn money. On what basis are you accusing this deity?"
"When did you work for money?"
"I'm doing it right now! Can't you see that this deity is already moving his hands by tugging at your clothes? This is a kind of labor!"
"Yo, are you trying to commit a robbery? With me as your target?"
"You can say that if you want. Anyway, this deity is relying on strength to get money!"
"Hmm, there's nothing wrong with your words. Fine then, all my money's with the Sword Spirit. You want money, right? Okay, I'll let the Sword Spirit out!"
As he spoke, he pulled out a sword from his system storage.
Small little thing!
If you're not happy, we can spar!
I have the Sword Spirit, do you think I fear you?
"Owww!"
Buttface immediately howled, his tail tucked between his legs. He ran away in a blur!
Xu Que had no choice but to use the Sword Spirit to scare Buttface. This husky was like the Monkey King after he had begun to wear the hoop given to him by his master, the Tang Monk. He sure was a big headache to Xu Que.
Xu Que gave a cackle and replaced the sword again.
He needed to teach Buttface a lesson for asking for money in such a manner. That personality of his, if left be, would become overly arrogant.
"Heh, Buttface, why did you run? Still want money?" Xu Que saw Buttface hiding in the corner of a wall and used his soul strength to speak to Buttface.
"Damn, boy, you have guts! Just wait and see, this deity will get his own food!" Buttface got angry and turned away to leave.
"Don't go, I'm just messing with you," laughed Xu Que. "Okay then, I'm hungry as well, I'll grill some chicken wings for you, how's that?"
"Fuck, chicken wings? That's for dogs. This deity is not going to eat such lowly food. Goodbye!"
Buttface suddenly dashed into an alley and disappeared!
Deeper into the alley, the fragrance of food floated in the air, as if someone was cooking in the kitchen of some household!
Following the fragrance, Xu Que saw that it was actually the kitchen of a restaurant. He shook his head and a bitter smile appeared on his face.
"And I thought this silly dog suddenly got backbone. I didn't expect him to still be so shameless that he would enter other people's kitchen to steal some food."
Xu Que turned to leave. He decided to make his own food.
This stupid Buttface actually looks down on the grilled chicken wing?
Grilled chicken wings are a delicacy!
But first, the problem of raw materials needed to be solved. It has been a long time since he had hunted for demonic beasts. There was not a single chicken wing left in his system storage even if he wanted to make some to eat.
Xu Que strolled along the street but there were no stalls that sold chicken meat!
Sometime later he finally found a stall selling meat patties. There was chicken drumstick, chicken meat and many other cuts available, except chicken wings!
According to the stall owner, chicken wings were too thin and contained more bones than meat. They were the same as chicken necks. Nobody wanted to eat or buy them. Generally they threw or gave them away to refugees!
Xu Que was not pleased to hear that. This group of idiots were the same as those from the Fire Nation. They were actually wasting such a wonderful raw ingredient!
He continued his search as he was bent on finding chicken wings!
At last, when he reached the end of the street, his eyes locked on a stall!
Whether it was the ancient times or the modern world or another totally different world, the more prosperous a piece of land was, the more expensive it would be!
All these stalls on the street needed to pay rent.
And the amount of rent in the central zone would definitely be more expensive than the less crowded and quieter zones.
Xu Que arrived at the end of the street. Basically it was far away from the central zone of the night market, and might even be considered remote. There were very few people walking by in the area, and they did not even stop to look at the stalls!
The business of the stalls here were bleak. Firstly, they did not have enough money to rent a better location. Secondly, what they were selling was not unique enough to attract people.
Xu Que was staring at a stall run by a mother and son in plain clothes. The woman looked very young and beautiful. She had a five to six-year-old son who seemed to be very densible helping out at the stall.
They were selling some minced meat pies.
Perhaps they did not have enough money and the woman could not afford to buy other forms of chicken meat. She was sitting quietly on the edge, picking out the meat from chicken wings to make the pies!
"Mother, your meat pies are so delicious and cheaper than sugar-coated haws. Why don't people come and buy them?" The young child looked at his mother with his big innocent eyes as he asked the question.
The woman looked at her child lovingly and smiled. Patting the head of her child, she answered, "this is because the sugar-coated haws are nicer. Don't you want to eat them when you see them?"
"No, my favorite food is mother's meat pies. I won't eat sugar-coated haws anymore!" The young child clenched his fist and looked resolute, as if he had made a difficult decision!
Xu Que couldn't help but feel amused by the young child's behavior. He walked over to them.
Chapter 321: I'll Teach You How to Grill Chicken Wings!
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"Mama, look, there's a man coming!"
The kid pointed his little finger at Xu Que the moment he saw him.
The woman rarely had any customers, so she shot up to her feet immediately and timidly addressed Xu Que. "Mister, would you like…"
She bit her lips and paused mid-sentence when she looked up at Xu Que.
His attire and appearance gave him a unique sense of presence that prompted the woman to think that perhaps he was a rich young master of some noble family!
His bonus charisma points helped as well. In that moment it would be no surprise at all if an average person thought of him as an angel or a white knight!
The woman was dumbstruck for a moment as she took in the sight of this extraordinary man in front of her. How could a nobleman like him end up in this part of the city?
"S-Sir, would you like to buy some meat pies?" asked the woman nervously.
She might have lived in the Imperial City all her life, but she was still just a commoner, so she had never been so up close and personal with upper-class people before. This was why she was suddenly so nervous!
"Hey mister, my mama makes the best meat pies in town! Try it!" said the kid, trying to help his mother.
Xu Que smiled and stroked the kid's head gently. "I'm not buying meat pies, I want chicken wings!"
"Huh?" The woman froze in confusion and was unable to formulate a replt.
He wanted chicken wings?
Had she heard him right? Who would spend their money on chicken wings?
Xu Que looked at the woman and said, "Ma'am, picking out the meat and throwing the wings away like this is just too wasteful! Let me teach you my secret recipe for the best grilled chicken wings, then I'll get three pairs of wings for free, how about that?"
"Grilled… grilled chicken wings?" asked the woman, even more bewildered now.
Did he say he was going to grill chicken wings? Who would eat that? There was barely any meat on chicken wings! Wouldn't it be more sensible to grill chicken drumsticks instead?
The boy kept on picking the meat off the chicken wings with his head down while adding, "mister, try my mama's meat pies! They're really the most delicious pies in the world!"
"I know, I know," replied Xu Que with a laugh. Then he turned to the woman and said, "So what do you think? I'll make you an offer. You can just give me two pairs of chicken wings instead of three!"
The woman finally regained her senses and waved her hand and laughed nervously, "sir, you must be joking! If you want chicken wings I can just give them to you for free! They're not worth any money anyway."
"That won't do! We from the Exploding Heavens Faction would never cheat or rob anyone! Come on, let me teach you Exploding Heavens Faction's secret recipe for the best grilled chicken wings in the world!"
As he spoke he rolled up his sleeves and pulled out a pile of charcoal and a barbecue grill from the storage in the system. Then he twirled his finger in the air and a small flame appeared at the tip of his finger which lit up the charcoal instantly!
Both mother and child were flabbergasted.
This man was a divine spirit!
But what… what the hell was he trying to do exactly?
The woman's face turned pale and she held her son closer to her immediately as she stared at Xu Que with a face full of apprehension.
Obviously divine cultivators had left a very bad impression on them. This woman's reaction to Xu Que was full of fear and alarm, as if she was concerned that Xu Que might hurt them.
After all, they were just powerless commoners, so they had never had the chance to interact with any immortals at such a personal distance before.
But still, this spirit was acting strange. Why would he want to teach them how to grill chicken wings? Even lowly mortals like themselves didn't eat chicken wings, so naturally it was impossible for divine spirits to want anything to do with these scraps… right?
And what was this spirit going to do to them?
Xu Que smiled cynically and said, "Ma'am, you're misunderstanding me. All I want is to teach you how to grill chicken wings. You can't break the promise, though! Once I've taught you how to grill the chicken wings you must give me two pairs of them for free!"
"S-Sir, w-we're just lowly commoners…"
"I know, I know! Look, don't worry! I'm not like any of those fuckhead Cultivators out there! I'll have you know that I'm the cream of the crop in the World of Cultivators!"
Xu Que then casually went to work and started piercing the chicken wings through an iron skewer and placing them on the grill.
"Now pay attention. This is the first step. You must always grill the chicken wings with moderately high heat!"
The woman was completely flummoxed and clueless as to what Xu Que was doing. All she did was silently stand and watch him, unsure of what to do.
Then Xu Que continued to take out more ingredients for the chicken wings from the system—chili powder, honey, barbecue sauce, a basting brush…
The woman had never seen such exotic things before and was getting more and more confused. The boy simply stood there curiously watching Xu Que with eyes as wide as saucers.
This immortal spirit sure was strange!
The boy kept on watching him even more keenly now, hardly daring to blink!
Meanwhile, though, the woman pulled her child even tighter against her body. She bit her lips as she watched Xu Que's strange actions as he played arounf with his peculiar bottles and jars. She was completely at a loss as to what to do.
Flap!
Xu Que pulled out a chef's apron from the storage in the system and swiftly wrapped it around his body. Then, with his left hand holding the skewer, he used his right hand to brush the marinade onto the chicken wings.
"These steps are key to making delicious chicken wings, you see. You must remember the exact order—baste the chicken wings with the marinade, then grill them until they're golden brown, then brush the honey onto the chicken. Now, for the sauce ingredients…"
Xu Que explained as he basted the chicken wings with the sauce he had made. In fact, he was meticulous in every step of the cooking process and made sure that everything was done perfectly.
The woman gradually calmed down as she saw how engaged Xu Que was in his task. He started to think that this cultivator really was different to the others that she had encountered before!
Sizzle, sizzle…
The chicken wings coated in sauce had been grilled until their skin was a scrumptious golden brown. The oil and fat that dripped out from them fell onto the charcoal, sizzling and spitting whilst filling the air with an irresistibly delicious aroma.
"It smells yummy!" cried the child who was clasped in his mother's arms.
The woman was stunned herself. She stared wide-eyed at Xu Que, expression incredulous. Who would've thought that once grilled, chicken wings could give off such an enticing smell? It was probably the most appetizing fragrant she had ever smelled in her life!
"Now, time to brush on the honey!"
Xu Que's movements were quick and efficient. He picked up a new brush and basted the golden honey onto the chicken wings with smooth swipes of his wrist.
At that moment, his movements were so smooth that he looked extremely cool, even though he was only grilling chicken wings!
Sizzle… sizzle…
After the chicken wings had been brushed with honey, they were now golden and glistening. The sumptuous smell became even more intense as the steam from the grilled chicken filled the whole area.
What a heavenly smell! The common folk in that area had never smelled anything like it before!
The hawkers nearby began to flock to Xu Que, lured by the mouth-watering aroma of the chicken wings. In no time at all, he was completely surrounded by a huge crowd of people trying to catch a glimpse of what was producing such a tempting aroma.
"Do you believe me now, Ma'am?" asked Xu Que. "These chicken wings should be done now. You can ask the customers how spicy they like their chicken wings and adjust the amount of spice you add accordingly. As for me, I like them fiery hot!"
As he spoke, Xu Que sprinkled a generous pinch of chili powder onto a pair of wings. They turned from golden brown to flaming red! As for the rest, he sprinkled a tiny pinch of the same chili powder on them, making them look instantly more scrumptious!
And so the inviting aroma of grilled chicken wings spread further and further into the heart of the night market…
Chapter 322: Exploding Heavens Faction KFC
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"Eh?"
Many people in the originally lively and noisy night market suddenly stopped walking and looked around.
The fragrance of barbecued meat that they had never smelled before was filling the entire street!
For those who had been eating light-tasting food for years, this smell hit them like a mattress!
The fragrance was strong, with a faint hint of chilli that actually stimulated the appetite of the countless people who were smelling it.
"This smells too good. Is it a new snack?"
"Who's making this dish?"
"Where is it?"
"Damn, where the hell did it come from?"
"I can't help it, it smells too good!"
...
Many people commented on the sudden smell and they began to scurry around the stalls in the night market, searching for the source of the fragrance!
The patrons of some nearby restaurants were also attracted by the fragrance. They walked out and took a deep breath, faces full of enjoyment!
"There's actually a delicacy in the world that emits such a wonderful fragrance. Come! Go buy it for this young master!" ordered a well-dressed young man.
The boy servant next to him took a big breath before running into the streets, looking for the source of the fragrance!
In a luxurious restaurant, in a private dining room on the second floor, the fragrance drifted in through the window!
Several good-looking and refined young men and a woman were also stunned by the wonderful smell!
"This smell…"
"It smells too good. Such a unique fragrance of meat actually exists among the common folk. How is this food being prepared?"
"This prince has tasted all kinds of delicacies in the palace, but never before have I come across any food with such a smell!"
"Elder brother is right. We must find it and try out its taste. Xiao Li Zi, go quickly, buy the food no matter the price!"
These young men, fascinated by the fragrance, were actually the princes of the Metal Nation. One of them ordered a white-faced man to buy the food. The man agreed immediately and hurried downstairs, leading a group of several other men!
At this time, one of the young men turned to look at a woman, who was wearing a veil and standing by the window.
"Seventh sister, since you're travelling outside most of the time," the young man said with a smile, "you should be more well-informed than us. Do you know what food is emitting ths fragrance?"
"Elder brother, you must be joking. I'm on the path of cultivation and have abstained from food for many years. I'm not as good as any of my royal elder brothers in this aspect!"
The Seventh Princess shook her head slightly. Even with the veil, one could still see her bitter smile from the way her eyes did not crinkle.
As per what she said, she had already lost her desire for food as she had abstained from food all these years. However, after smelling this fragrance, she was affected, and actually felt like tasting the food!
The several princes laughed when they heard that.
"Looks like we're going to satisfy our tastebuds tonight!"
"I'm already sick of the delicacies served in the palace. Encountering this extraordinary food tonight outside the palace is totally unexpected! This prince actually has the desire to taste the food!"
"I'm curious as to what kind of food it is!"
"It feels like the fragrance of chicken meat. But even roasted chicken meat is not as fragrant as this?"
"There's no hurry, wait for Xiao Li Zi to come back with the food, and all will be clear!"
...
In an alley, Buttface was now satisfied after filling his stomach. He snuck out carefully from the backdoor of a kitchen. His two eyes sneakily looked around when suddenly, he began to drool again!
"Owww, what is this smell? It dares to tempt this deity? This deity is going to attack it!"
The next moment, Buttface was dashing into the crowd and heading straight to the end of the street without hesitation.
Most of the people were still searching for the food like headless flies when they coincidentally saw the husky dashing by.
Someone immediately exclaimed, "quick, follow the dog, the dog's nose is thr most accurate!"
Everyone came to a realisation.
That's right, the dog's nose will know where the smell came from, just follow it!
With a 'wow', large crowds of people headed towards the end of the street!
...
...
At the same time, people were already surrounding a stall right at the end of the street. They were other stall owners who had been attracted by the smell of the food, and were all wearing dumbstruck expressions on their face!
The mother and son pair were also bowled over by the wonderful smell of the food. They watched in a daze as Xu Que sprinkled cumin powder onto the chicken wings, a flavorful scent that made them swallow a mouthful of saliva!
After all, this was cooked by Xu Que, a One-Star Chef. Ordinary folks would find his food irresistible!
"Young… young master, is… is this really chicken wings?" the woman who was hugging her child asked Xu Que in disbelief.
She had not expected that the world's most useless chicken wing, something nobody wanted even when given away for free, could be transformed into a delicacy with such a wonderful flavor.
This took some superb culinary skills!
"Have you watched carefully? In future, you can sell grilled chicken wings. You can call the name of your store… Exploding Heavens Faction KFC!" declared Xu Que cheerfully.
He handed the chicken wings to the mother and son. He also took two chicken wings for himself and raised them to his mouth!
He took a bite. It was crispy on thr outside and tender on the inside. The flavors of cumin and chill exploded in his mouth!
"Oh my God, this monstrous level of spiciness is amazing. Ooh, delicious!" Xu Que turned into a foodie in that instant. He took out a stool and sat there, enjoying his chicken wings without caring for his image!
The woman took the chicken wings, and with some reservations and doubt, slowly held them to her mouth and took a small bite.
Crunch!
The crispy skin of the chicken wing crunched loudly, followed by a soft and smooth taste that filled her mouth.
The woman's head went blank with a boom in her head!
This must be the most delicious food in the world!
From childhood to adulthood, even after she had gotten married, she had never tasted anything so appetizing!
What was even more amazing was that the food was actually just chicken wings!
"Mother, Xiao Bao wants to taste it too!" The young child was also drooling and wanted to have a bite.
The woman dhook herself from her daze and with a doting smile, she gently blew the chicken wing a few times before handing it over to the young child. "Xiao Bao, take small bites, it's still hot!"
"Yes, mother!" Xiao Bao answered obediently and took a small bite from the chicken wing. In no time, he was chewing the food with a face full of satisfaction.
The stall owners who surrounded their stall could no longer stay silent. They asked with great interest and curiosity, "young lady, what is the name of these chicken wings?"
"Uh, the young master over…" the woman began to answer.
But before she could finish speaking, a large crowd suddenly swarmed over with a huge commotion. And there was a dog right in front of the crowd, actually running on his hind legs!
"Owww!"
In front of the human race, Buttface dared not talk recklessly so he could only howl like a wolf!
The crowd behind him was loud and clamorous.
"Here it is! The fragrance is getting thicker!"
"Look everyone, it's that stall!"
"Lady, what are you selling? Hurry, my young master will buy all of them!"
"Damn, who's your young master? My young missy wants to buy all of them too!"
"Bullshit, I'm under the orders of the Third Prince to purchase the food. Do all of you want to snatch it away from me?"
"Fuck, we shouldn't provoke this eunuch!"
"Don't fret about him. Just buy it!"
...
The crowd was noisy as each person wanted to come up to the front.
The woman and the surrounding stall owners were startled as they had never seen anything like this in their whole life.
Clang!
The grilled chicken wing that the woman was holding fell from her hands abruptly and landed in front of a pot. She hurriedly carried her child and took a few steps back. In an uneasy tone, she said, "this … these are roasted chicken wings, all of you can take what you want…"
Shoosh!
Suddenly a muffled sound was heard!
Xu Que stood up abruptly from his stool and shook his head with a smile. "Take what you want? No, these are made using a secret recipe!"
After saying that, he came up to the stall. With a wave of his hand, he shouted in a serious voice, "come, come, come. If you are on the way or just passing by, don't miss the freshly grilled Exploding Heavens Faction chicken wings. Ten taels … bah, wrong, 100 taels for a pair of chicken wings. Everyone can only buy a pair every day. If you want to buy it, you have to queue. If anyone dares to create any trouble, I'll kill you without mercy!"
Chapter 323: The Name Rings A Bell!
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
One hundred taels for a pair of grilled chicken wings!
Everyone was astounded as Xu Que yelled out these words.
The woman hugged her child closer to her body. She was speechless as her head went completely blank!
One hundred taels! That much money would be equal to three to five years' worth of living expenses for an average family! As for the hardworking mother and son, this money would be enough for them to live on for up to a decade!
Was he really going to sell a pair of chicken wings at that exorbitant price? Had he lost his mind?
Many people were disgruntled and shouted, "are you kidding me? This is daylight robbery! Who'd pay one hundred taels for worthless scraps like chicken wings?"
"That's right! You're clearly conning people! You should be reported to the authorities and get dragged into jail for this!"
"His greed must've clouded his judgement. Who'd be foolish enough to put the price of chicken wings at one hundred taels?"
The crowd was buzzing with shouts and murmurs of discontent.
...…
Xu Que remained calm and unperturbed. He shook his head with a smile and said, "chicken wings may be worthless scraps, but my recipe is definitely not! Look, this bottle of spice is called chili powder. Have any of you ever eaten anything with chilli powder before? I've brought it over from overseas and it cost me more than ten thousand taels a bottle!"
Xu Que then picked up the bottle of chilli powder and showed it to everyone. People in thr crowd were staring at it with eyes full of doubt.
It was true that they had never seen chilli powder before, but they had definitely seen and eaten chilli peppers before and there was no reason a small bottle of chilli powder would cost that much!
"And this is honey! Well, obviously you've all had honey before so I'm not going to dwell on that. But what about this one? This is cumin powder! I bet none of you have even heard of cumin powder! You wouldn't be able to buy this abroad even if you had the money! This is a special spice exclusive to the Exploding Heavens Faction! Do you get it now? We're not just selling the chicken wings, we're selling the extraordinary techniques and high-quality ingredients that go onto the chicken wings!"
Xu Que kept a straight face all the while as he explained it to the crowd.
The crowd stared at the cumin powder with skepticism and curiosity.
This was their first time hearing the name of such an exotic spice. They had also indeed smelled a striking aroma coming from the chicken wings which was unlike anything they had ever smelled before.
Now they knew that it was because of this strange spice!
All of a sudden, their eyes gawked at the bottle of cumin powder with greed—if they could just get a hand on the spice, they'd certainly make a fortune in the future!
"Did you say a hundred taels a pair? I'll take them! I'll take them all!" said one person from the crowd who was wearing what looked like the livery of a rich household. He had a haughty air about him.
The crowd turned to him in surprise, but once they saw his face, their shock instantly vanished.
"Ah… it's the servant of the city's richest merchant family!"
"Well, if it's the Liu family then they'd have no problem paying thousands of taels anyway!"
"What's a thousand taels to the Liu family? I heard they have enough silver to cover the whole Imperial City!"
The crowd now rustled with whispers about the merchant.
But then, another man came out and said, "excuse me, but my young master wanted all of these chicken wings!"
Gasp!
The whole crowd drew in a sharp breath. They knew who this man was as well!
"That's the Senior Minister Wu's clerk!"
"Who'd dare to compete with the powerful Minister Wu?"
"That's right, it doesn't matter how much wealth the merchant Liu has, he's no match for Minister Wu's power!"
...…
"Wait!" shouted a squeaky voice among the crowd. "No one gets the chicken wings! They're all going to the palace!"
It was a fair-skinned man with an oddly gentle demeanor. Some people immediately recognized him as a eunuch—and a high-ranking one at that!
"Holy shit, I know him! He's the eunuch serving the Third Prince!"
"They say he's a cruel man who must not be provoked!"
"No shit. Don't you know how powerful the Third Prince is these days? Provoking this eunuch would be the same as provoking the prince himself!"
"Surely the senior minister wouldn't offend the Third Prince just for these chicken wings?"
"I never thought I'd see anything like this in my life! The rich and the powerful of the Imperial City are all fighting for some chicken wings!"
...…
The crowd was abuzz with murmurs and whispers. Judging by the current situation, the reputation of the Exploding Heavens Faction would surely spread across the Imperial City by the break of dawn.
Meanwhile, Xu Que remained as expressionless as ever as he stood at the stall with his chicken wings, paying no attention to the tense atmosphere in front of him.
Then the eunuch stomped up towards Xu Que and glared, saying, "what are you waiting for? Are you deaf? I told you that the chicken wings will all go to the palace!"
"Pah!"
Xu Que spat out a piece of bone and raised an eyebrow as he swept a glance up and down the eunuch's body. "You're not getting any fucking chicken wings!"
The night market went as silent as a graveyard.
Everyone was stupefied. Their jaws dropped, and their eyes bulged out.
What… what had this kid said?
He wasn't getting any fucking chicken wings?
Shit, had he lost his mind?
Didn't he know that crossing the Third Prince's servant was tantamount to suicide?
The woman who owned the stall was so scared that all the blood drained from her face. She had never expected Xu Que to be so brazen and disrespectful to the palace eunuch!
"You… you impudent fool, how dare you speak that way to me?" shouted the eunuch, pointing his finger at Xu Que. He was seething with rage, so much so that his whole body shook. Ever since he had become the Third Prince's personal servant, he had never been treated this way before and he wouldn't stand for it!
"Shut up, eunuch! How dare you raise your voice at me! Go to hell! If it weren't for this kid here, I would have slapped your bitchy face!" yelled Xu Que as he stared the eunuch up and down. He was only at the Golden Core Stage... in other words, completely unworthy of Xu Que's precious time at all!
"You...you..." The eunuch pointed at Xu Que in so much shock and anger that he seemed to be on the verge of blowing up. He couldn't even complete his sentence.
But Xu Que was getting impatient with him.
"What 'you'? Are you stupid? Didn't you hear what I said? I told you to queue up and that everyone can only buy a pair of chicken wings a day! Did you think that just because you've got a little bit of money you could just step over everyone else?"
"Y-you…" The eunuch flapped his flowy sleeves in fury and yelled, "fine! Just you wait, I'll teach you a harsh lesson for daring to cause such a ruckus in the Imperial City!"
"I'll wait! What's so great about this Imperial City anyway? We at the Exploding Heavens Faction can easily blow you up in no time! If you don't believe me then just ask around, you'll see what the Fire Country has become thanks to our faction!" sneered Xu Que, completely unperturbed by the eunuch's threat.
He couldn't wait for the incident in Fire Country to finally spread to the ears of these people in Metal Nation. Once that happened, he could easily use the Exploding Heavens Faction's reputation to act tough any time!
Unfortunately, due to the vast distance separating the two nations and their hostile relationship, news from Fire Country rarely traveled to Metal Nation. It would probably take another month or two before anyone here got wind of the incident in Fire Country.
"Humph!" The eunuch harrumphed pompously and left the scene with a scowl on his face.
Then the crowd fell into silence for a few moments and just stared at Xu Que. They thought he'd be dead meat soon for sure!
The shouting match he had had with the eunuch was definitely going to land him into hot water! Offending the eunuch was just as bad as offending the entire royal family after all!
Still, that didn't stop him from conducting his business! The moment the eunuch left, the senior minister's clerk and the wealthy Liu family's servant rushed up and ordered the chicken wings from Xu Que.
A hundred taels a pair to them was nothing. What was most important was that they'd completed their masters' commands.
"Give me a pair of chicken wings!"
"I want a pair as well!"
"So do we!"
By that point there was a long line in front of the stall!
Xu Que was insistent on his 'hunger marketing' strategy where he'd reduce the production and only sell one pair of chicken wings to each customer so that the demand would shoot up and he'd be able to sell them at a sky-high price. This way he could easily put a spotlight on the reputation of the Exploding Heavens Faction!
Some people were smart to get around Xu Que's rule, though. They paid some common folk to get in line for them so they could get more chicken wings!
Xu Que couldn't be bothered about it, though, now that his Acting Tough Points were shooting up steadily.
"Don't worry, Ma'am," said Xu Que. "I'll be guarding the situation here so no one will dare to cause you any problems! You go on and keep grilling these chicken wings here, after a few days you'll have enough money for the rest of your life so you can just stay home raising your kids!"
Xu Que then took all the spices bottles and sauces and replaced them in his storage in the system. He pulled out a stool and sat beside the stall, wearing a cool and intimidating expression befitting a man who would be 'guarding the situation'!
The woman's face was still full of doubt and worry, but she nonetheless pulled her child close and started to grill the chicken wings the same way that she had seen Xu Que going about it.
Soon, they had sold more than ten pairs of chicken wings and made more than a thousand taels. The woman stared at the money incredulously and pinched herself to make sure that she wasn't dreaming.
Xu Que wasn't just going to take advantage of this hapless woman. He would guard the stall and make sure that she could make some money for as long as possible. In any case, she would make enough money soon enough to ensure a comfortable life for her and her child!
But soon afterwards, Xu Que's eyebrows furrowed as he noticed something wrong!
He was sure that the woman had grilled no less than thirty pairs of chicken wings so far and had only sold about fifteen or sixteen pairs, yet right now the grill was completely empty!
"Fuck, there's a thief!"
Xu Que immediately stood up and walked around the stall.
Sure enough, there was a dark shadowy figure hiding under the stall, gnawing on the chicken wings. As he looked more closely, he realised that it was none other than Buttface!
"Buttface! You shameless petty thief! Are you so heartless that you would even steal from a powerless woman? Pay up, you son of a bitch!"
Xu Que was now enraged and started to go after Buttface, demanding payment for the chicken wing.
Buttface didn't dare to expose his talking abilities in front of such a huge crowd, so all he did was bark "oww!" Then he turned and ran!
"Where do you think you're going, Buttface?"
Xu Que then chased Buttface around with an empty skewer in his hand.
The crowd watched as Xu Que chased a dog round and round the stall, perplexed by his strange reaction to a dog stealing his chicken wings.
So what if a stray dog stole your chicken wings? A normal person would just chase him away and leave it at that. Who in their right mind would demand the dog to pay up?
This kid was definitely insane!
Better not provoke him further…
...
Meanwhile, in an inn near the night market, the eunuch who had demanded the chicken wings from Xu Que earlier suddenly returned!
In front of the princes and princesses, his demeanor changed, and he was now playing the role of the poor, bullied character, aggrievedly wailing and complaining of how cruelly he'd been treated.
"Your royal highnesses, you should have seen how aggressive the man acted towards me. He pointed at my nose in front of everyone and declared that he would blow up the entire Imperial City! Then he refused to sell me any chicken wings, saying that they were a hundred taels a pair and that everyone could only buy one pair of chicken wings each!"
Bam!
The Third Prince banged his fist on the table and his face turned dark.
"What a brazen commoner! Does he think that he's the most powerful man in this city? This behavior is unacceptable!"
"It sounds like there's more to it than meets the eye. Could he be deliberately causing a scene?" asked another prince with furrowed brows.
The eunuch knelt down and hurriedly explained, "I did tell him that these chicken wings were going to be served to the princes and princesses, but that man claimed he didn't care because he was a member of the Exploding Heavens Faction!"
"Exploding Heavens Faction?" The princes and princesses frowned. They had never heard of such a faction before!
Only the Seventh Princess turned thoughtful.
"Exploding Heavens Faction…" murmured the princess. "Hmm… the name rings a bell!"
Chapter 324: We'll All Go Together
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"What?"
In the private dining room, the chatter of the princes paused in an instant and they instantly looked towards the Seventh Princess. They were all stunned!
The Seventh Princess wore a faint smile. "A young lady from Spirit Treasures Pavilion happens to be a friend of mine. She told me that something bad happened today at the Trial of the Sword Catacomb. Even if I say nothing about this, you'll certainly receive news tomorrow as well!"
"Something bad happened at the Sword Catacomb? What was it?" The princes were bewildered.
Although the Trial of the Sword Catacomb was only a small competition, it was still valued highly by the various clans and factions that would send their Infant Transformation Stage elders there. How could something bad have happened?
"I heard that a young man by the name of Takumi Fujiwara, who proclaimed himself to be from the Exploding Heavens Faction disturbed the trial all by himself. His real name is Xu Que. He killed Jade Sword Sect's Legendary Swordsman, Ye Chang Feng, and all of his guardians. Many people died by his hand!"
"What? How is that possible?"
Several princes stood up suddenly in shock. Their eyes were wide with disbelief.
Ye Chang Feng, the Legendary Swordsman of Jade Sword Sect…
To them, this name was not unfamiliar. One of the princes even enjoyed a good friendship with Ye Chang Feng, and knew how strong Ye Chang Feng was!
Moreover, Ye Chang Feng held an extremely high status in Jade Sword Sect… how could he have gotten killed?
"This doesn't stop here!"
The Seventh Princess paused for a while before continuing. "After this person left the Sword Catacomb, he drove a divine chariot that has never been seen before. It could transform into a steel giant that massacred many cultivators from various clans and factions. Even the Sixth elder from Jade Sword Sect died by his hand with a single hit of his cannon beam!"
Gasp!
The princes inhaled a mouthful of cold air. They were so shocked that they were speechless!
The elder from Jade Sword Sect had been a Level Four Infant Transformation Stage cultivator. He had very strong sword skills and his attacks were ferocious. He was such a strong and skilled master—yet he had died by the hand of a nobody?
"Seventh Sister, this Xu Que from Exploding Heavens Faction… is he actually at the stage of Infant Transformation?" asked the puzzled Third Prince, whose brows were furrowed. "But this is not right, just now you said that he is a young man, right?"
The Seventh Princess shook her head. "Xu Que is at Level Nine of the Original Infant Stage! When his divine chariot transformed into a steel giant, his abilities must have increased many times over. After he dealt a critical blow to the Sixth elder, his dog rushed up to the elder and with a kick, the elder died!"
"Ah?"
The princes were now dumbfounded.
A dog?
Kicked an elder of the Jade Sword Sect to death?
This… how is that possible?
"This is absolutely true," continued the princess, looking grim. "That young man is extraordinary, and so is his divine chariot. Even the esteemed Spirit Treasures Pavilion felt that it was no simple thing!"
The Third Prince furrowed his brows again. "We must not let this matter be known to our Second Brother and Eighth Brother. No, they will know very soon anyway. But we need to strike first!"
"Yes, if the one who is grilling the chicken wings is Xu Que from Exploding Heavens Faction, we need to get him on our side before they do!" agreed the Seventh Princess with an emphatic nod.
But as soon as she said this, the expressions of the princes became very strange!
"Seventh Sister, you're saying… to get Xu Que on our side?" The puzzled Third Prince asked.
The other princes were also confused. "Why do you want to please him and get him on our side? You can't do this!"
"Exactly! Seventh Sister, if what you said is true, he killed the Legendary Swordsman and an elder of the Jade Sword Sect. If we rope him into our side, we'll be enemies with the Jade Sword Sect!"
"Not only that, but you just said that he killed a lot of other people there as well. If he becomes a part of our team, that will be equivalent to directly opposing many major clans and factions! This will be extremely unfavourable for Third Brother who is fighting for the position of the Crown Prince."
"My elder brothers are right!"
The Seventh Princess shook her head. "Yes, he has offended so many people," she said softly, wearing a slight smile, "his enemies are everywhere and he might be cornered soon! But have you ever wondered why he dared to come to the Imperial City at this point in time? Moreover, he did it so ostentatiously. Clearly, he's not afraid of being hunted!"
The princess's words startled the princes!
"Generally in this kind of situation," the Seventh Princess continued, "there are only two possibilities! Either that man is a madman or… he has full grasp of the situation, possesses absolute confidence, and has powerful backing!"
The princes fell into silence and pondered the princess's words.
"Seventh Sister, continue!" said the Third Prince earnestly.
"Third Brother, I feel that you should really use this opportunity to rope in this man! With our current situation, instead of competing with the other brothers for the support of Jade Sword Sect and the rest of the major clans and factions, why not just… go all out!"
Upon hearing that, all of the princes looked grim and solemn!
The princes knew their seventh sister very well; she was both intelligent and bold.
But they hadn't expected her to be bold to this extent. Simply because of the rumours, she wanted to place all her bets on an unknown young man who had countless enemies!
Go all out?
From the Third Prince's perspectie, his situation was not that desperate.
"Seventh sister, your idea is a bit extreme!" The Third Prince shook his head. "If we place the wrong bet, we'll suffer a complete defeat! Besides… I really can't think of any other sect, with the exception of Sky Incense Valley and Enlightenment Sect, which has an influence stronger than Jade Sword Sect!"
"Third brother, ain't no mountain high enough, ain't no valley low enough. Over these years of travelling around, I've learnt that there's always someone better out there! Maybe Jade Sword Sect is very strong in the five nations, but it might only be a small sect overseas!"
"Do you mean… Xu Que might have come from overseas?"
"I'm not sure." The Seventh Princess shook her head slightly, her eyes flashing. Her eyes seemed to be affixed on something out the window.
The rest of the princes remained silent as well. Only the eunuch, who was kneeling on the floor, broke out in a cold sweat!
From the moment the Seventh Princess had talked about what Xu Que from the Exploding Heavens Faction had done, he felt petrified with fear!
That fellow is actually that strong? So that means that I could have died just now?
Thinking back to what Xu Que said earlier, the eunuch couldn't help but feel frightened. Had it not been for the child who was present, he really might have been dead right now. He was now full of gratitude to the child!
He was a dignified Imperial eunuch of the Imperial Palace yet he had been spared by Xu Que because of the child. That really felt strange… but now that he was thinking back to the incident, he trembled with fear.
The Third Prince suddenly stood up and spoke. "How about this? We'll all go together to meet Xu Que of the Exploding Heavens Faction and find out about his origins! Instead of speculating here, why not… go personally to find out for ourselves!"
"Ah?"
The eunuch shivered when he heard that. His face was ashen and he felt like wetting himself from fright!
What … what should I do?
How can the royal princes and princess go to such lengths?
Moreover, if that young man really is Xu Que of the Exploding Heavens Faction… then as the Princess has said, he is a ruthless man. Just now I scolded that Xu Que, so will I be seeking my own death if I go back there again?
This … this is too dangerous!
"Xiao Li Zi, why are you so frightened? Hurry, get up and lead the way for us!"