Line 245, Part One

It was so hard.

After Tong Xinyao finished speaking, she kept rambling on and on, and only then did Sun Chaoyue receive the money from her.

She knew that Tong Xinyao was doing it on purpose.

They were deliberately humiliating her.

Because she is prettier, she always attracts more people than Tong when they stand together.

Because of her superior talent, she reached the Fourth Grade at the age of twenty-two. Although her career has been delayed, she is still stronger than Tong.

Therefore, Tong Xinyao was always jealous of her and disliked her. Whenever they were out, she would always try her best to find opportunities to show that she was better than her.

But Sun Chaoyue stopped her thoughts, her eyes dimming slightly.

After taking the money, she turned around and was about to go find the vendor.

But suddenly I felt like someone was watching me.

Following her instincts, she turned her head and met Zhang Rongfang's gaze, who was sitting in the sedan chair.

Almost instantly, Sun Chaoyue recognized Zhang Rongfang.

Back in Tanyang, rumors circulated that Zhang Rongfang and the extremely fat Wan Yanlu were together.

She had seen it with her own eyes.

She saw Zhang Ying get into Wan Yanlu's carriage with her own eyes.

Therefore, she had a very deep impression of this person.

I never expected to run into you here again.

'How could he be in Citong? No, I must be mistaken. Maybe it's just someone who looks a lot like him.'

After thinking it over for a moment, Sun Chaoyue stopped worrying about it. That Zhang Ying was just an ordinary minor official from Tanyang.

Why would someone travel all the way to Citong? And judging from the sedan chair that person was riding in, it was a silk sedan chair that only high-ranking officials and nobles here were qualified to ride in.

Leaving aside the fox fur cushions on top, the two men carrying the sedan chair, one in front and one behind, were both muscular and strong, clearly martial arts experts.

Using warriors to carry a sedan chair—such a grand display in this place is something only powerful and influential figures could afford to do.

She looked away, walked up to the vendor, asked the price, and then ordered five bottles of watermelon juice.

The watermelon juice was served in a simple, palm-sized brown porcelain bottle, which was nicely decorated and tied with a red thread so it could be carried by hand.

"One hundred and fifty coins in total, young lady," the vendor said with a smile.

"Give."

He was carrying five bottles.

She paid, took her change, and turned to leave.

But then he suddenly paused.

"Sun Chaoyue?"

A deep male voice sounded from the side.

She stopped and glanced to the side.

It's Zhang Rongfang.

He got out of the sedan chair at some point, walked closer, and looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"You are... Tanyang, Sun Chaoyue, Chairman Sun?"

She was addressed as president because Zhang Rongfang only remembered that Sun Chaoyue founded the Yaoyuan Book Club, and he had even participated in the club's events at the time.

Therefore, it remains fresh in my memory.

President?

It's been a very, very long time since anyone called her that.

Sun Chaoyue's mind was filled with countless thoughts. She considered pretending not to know her, pretending that she was not Sun Chaoyue.

But since the other party recognized her, it meant that this person really was Zhang Ying! Zhang Ying?? She looked closely at this big guy who was much taller than her. Back then, he had made a deep impression on many people by attaching himself to Wan Yanlu.

But now it seems like this guy is doing quite well?

How did Tanyang, a minor official back then, end up in a big city like Citong, acting like a high-ranking official? Could it be that Zhang Ying has some unknown background? Countless questions flashed through Sun Chaoyue's mind.

But what does all this have to do with her? Besides, he seems unaware that it doesn't matter, as long as she can get through it, Sun Chaoyue tries her best to remain calm.

"You're Zhang Ying, the one who was with Wan Yanlu, right? I remember you."

Unconsciously, she subtly regained her former noble demeanor. Even though her clothes were far inferior to before, that kind of temperament was not something that ordinary people could fake.

In front of her old friends, she didn't want to lose the self-respect that belonged to her in the past.

"Yes, back then I was helping Wan Yanlu lose weight in Tanyang. A lot of people misunderstood me." Zhang Rongfang smiled. "It's been a long time since I've been back. I wonder how Li Huoyun and Wan Yanlu are doing now?"

"Yes, it's been a while since I've been back," Sun Chaoyue nodded.

The two weren't familiar with each other, and after a few casual words, Zhang Rongfang inquired about the situation, but he didn't quite remember Tanyang's situation back then.

I only remember that the Sun Family seemed to be Spirit Noble.

Now that we've met, I casually asked about Li Huoyun's Li Family situation, and also about Wan Yanlu's situation.

Sun Chaoyue gave a brief reply.

Zhang Rongfang also left, returned to the sedan chair, and slowly departed with Isibass.

Watching the sedan chair slowly depart, Sun Chaoyue breathed a slight sigh of relief.

If we keep asking, we might give ourselves away.

She didn't want people from her past to see her in a state of distress, especially people she used to look down on.

People who were once far inferior to him now seem to have far surpassed his expectations. They stand at an extremely high level, even though Zhang Rongfang just explained that he and Wan Yanlu were misunderstood back then.

Even so, back then, he was just a minor official in Tanyang who had just taken office.

Back then, she was the most prominent young lady in the entire Tanyang. Born into Great Clans, she had the potential to become Ninth Grade.

Unfortunately, life is unpredictable.

Sun Chaoyue felt relieved, thankful that she had finally managed to get through it.

Little did she know that Tong Xinyao, who was not far away, had already witnessed the scene.

A faint, unusual color appeared in the underside of his eyes.

At the invitation of Isibass, Zhang Rongfang dined with him and then watched the latest Zaju: The Beautiful Oak Forest, The Sea Storm, and Zhao Lao San Sells Donkey.

Zhang Rongfang gave high praise to these Zaju with their Overseas Style, which made Isibass quite happy.

The two engaged in a heated discussion about the development of Zaju).

In Zhang Rongfang's view, isn't this Zaju type of Chinese opera) just a simplified version of a TV series?

As someone who has watched countless TV dramas in the past, even a casual remark about the plot reveals a trope that no one in the world had ever imagined.

It was naturally easy for Isibass to consider him a confidant.

It was getting late.

After bidding a respectful farewell, Zhang Rongfang left the Mansion and returned to Chen Xiang Temple in a sedan chair.

Along the way, he was also thinking about his future plans.

During his conversation with Isibass, Zhang Rongfang realized that finding the Main Herb the Golden Toad Skill in the Sun Chasing stage would likely not be something that could be accomplished in a short time.

Therefore, he could only proceed with the original plan for now.

As night fell, the crescent moon slowly peeked out from behind the clouds.

Chen Xiang Temple is located on the top of a mountain called Chen Xiang Mountain, outside the outer ring road of Citong.

This mountain is less of a mountain and more of a small hill. People often go up there to enjoy the flowers.

Under the protection of Chen Han and several soldiers, Zhang Rongfang was carried into the temple, swaying as he pondered.

At this moment, outside Chen Xiang Temple, in Banyan Grove in the distance, several people were standing on the branches of tall banyan trees, gazing at Zhang Rongfang entering the temple by the moonlight.

"This person should have already broken through to the Hidden Moon Second Layer, right?" Miao Yu asked softly with doubt.

As a master of the Sensing Gate, she had also practiced the Golden Toad Skill.

To be precise, many people in the Sensing Gate are envious of the Golden Toad Skill's ability to strengthen the body, so they all want to practice it.

Unfortunately, the damage was too great.

Therefore, they are very clear about the specific manifestations of the damage caused by the Golden Toad Skill.

"I feel like we'll be able to return to Great Capital soon," Zheng Shuyang agreed from the side.

"I'm already starting to miss the taste of Great Capital spicy lung slices."

"He doesn't look well; he's not as Essence, Qi, and Spirit as before. It's obvious that the poison from the pills has damaged his internal organs. Keep practicing, keep practicing, hehe, practice with all your might," Miao Yu laughed.

"However, this person has recently started collecting the Main Herb for the First Layer of the Sun Chasing. Isn't that a bit too fast?" Yan Shuang hesitated from the side.

"I guess they're planning ahead. After all, medicine is hard to find, so they're looking for it now so it won't be a problem when they need it," Miao Yu replied.

"However, even within our sect, among so many experts and geniuses, not one has been able to cultivate to the Sun Chasing."

Even if his Daozi far surpasses that of ordinary people, it's impossible for him to be far beyond that.

At most, it's only at the second level right now.

"The second level is also very powerful. But..." Yan Shuang still felt something was off.

"Why do I keep feeling that his complexion is much better than before?"

When Zhang Rongfang was recovering from vomiting blood, they were all overjoyed, almost thinking he was finally going to go back to rest.

But before long, he recovered from his weakness to his current slightly weak state, just like when he was inflated.

That's weird.

"It should be a final burst of energy before death. When the Golden Toad Skill first takes effect, doesn't it also cause some recovery? He probably has a special constitution, and the period of weakness in the middle is short, so the effects of the Golden Toad Skill are immediately apparent," Miao Yu explained.

"So what do we do now?" Zheng Shuyang frowned. "What if he keeps going like this? Are we just going to have to wait here forever?"

"Don't worry, it should be soon." Yan Shuang said seriously, "Based on my former uncle's personal experience, this guy is definitely just all bark and no bite. He looks strong, but he's actually about to be ruined inside."

Just wait and see. It could take six months at most, or two months at the shortest. Once he breaks through to the third level, something bad will definitely happen!

"Alright then, let's wait and see." Zheng Shuyang accepted this explanation and guess.

The three left satisfied and dispersed back to their lodgings.

As for Zhang Rongfang's search for the Main Herb of the First Layer the Sun Chasing Realm, that thing is too rare. Perhaps only the most outstanding grandmasters in the Sensing Gate would know the clues.

This time, they were powerless to help.

In the blink of an eye, another half month has passed.

Zhang Rongfang stayed obediently inside the Chen Xiang Temple and didn't go anywhere else.

He spends his days meditating and cultivating himself, occasionally practicing martial arts to maintain his physical condition.

Within half a month, he gained four more attribute points. This time, he added them all to his health.

Health points have also increased from 44 to 48, completely restoring them to their previous state.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Rebel Sect, Zhang Yunqi, at his request, collected information on various masters of External Skill Hard Skill and recommended it to him.

Martial arts Civilian Skill are very different.

Martial arts require mastering many details; it cannot be easily learned by simply following a manual.

They must be taught one-on-one.

Concerned about potential problems, Zhang Rongfang immediately sought out a master of Hard Skill to personally instruct him.