First Clash with Li Mou

As Zhou Ming's blood qi erupted.

The entire Spring Fragrance Tower was shaken.

"Damn, isn't that Zhou Yuxi? How was he already at Fifth-Grade Peak?"

"Something's off. It had only been a few days—wasn't he at Sixth Rank Completion?"

"Could he have been hiding his strength?"

"By the way, how had he run into Yang Shuo?"

"So what if they ran into each other? That bastard throws his weight around because he came from the Yang Family, doing whatever he pleased. Well, now he'd met a tough opponent."

Just then, four figures entered the private room.

The man in the lead spoke. "Brother Zhou, give me some face. Let this matter go."

Zhou Ming replied coldly, "How much is your face worth?"

Seeing the newcomers, Yang Shuo felt somewhat emboldened.

He immediately cursed, "Who the hell do you think you are? Do you really think no one in Qing Prefecture can deal with you?"

The moment the words left his mouth, his pupils abruptly contracted.

A fierce gust swept at him head-on, so fast that he had no time to react.

A palm covered in Jade Skin struck viciously across his face.

Slap!

The crisp sound echoed through the private room.

At the same time, his entire body smashed straight through the second-floor railing and crashed heavily into the first-floor hall, sprawled on the ground like a dead dog.

Zhou Ming walked to the railing and said coldly, "My thing is gone. Have you figured out how you're going to compensate me now?"

In the private room, two figures leaped down into the hall and helped Yang Shuo up from the ground.

One of them asked softly, "What did you take from him?"

Yang Shuo clutched his burning right cheek and roared, "I wanted to take it, but that thing vanished! It disappeared the instant I touched it!"

The other said calmly, "Why did you provoke him? Even when he was Sixth Rank, you couldn't beat him. Hurry up and take it out—stop hiding it. Now that he's at Fifth-Grade Peak, it was already good fortune from your past life that he didn't slap you to death."

Yang Shuo raged, "Shen Chong! I'm really not lying! That thing is gone! I really didn't hide it!"

Seeing the looks in their eyes, he felt somewhat helpless. "Wu Yuan, you don't believe me either?"

Wu Yuan shrugged and said evenly, "I believe you. Zhou Yuxi just said it was gone too. So have you figured out how you're going to compensate him?"

Ignoring the pain in his right cheek, Yang Shuo pointed at himself and shouted, "He slapped me, and I still have to compensate him? Whose side are you on?"

Zhou Ming looked expressionlessly at the three below. Blood qi burst from his body and slowly took shape.

"Yu Xi, he's General Yang's grandson. For the sake of that cultivation method, let it go."

Hearing Li Mu's voice behind him.

Zhou Ming dispersed the manifestation and said coldly, "For General Yang's sake, I'll spare you today. Remember to compensate the tavern for the damaged railing!"

Yang Shuo looked up at Zhou Ming, his mouth just beginning to open.

Wu Yuan and Shen Chong beside him immediately sealed him twice over and covered his mouth.

Shen Chong said with a placating smile, "Thank you, Brother Zhou, for showing mercy. We'll go find the proprietor right away. Don't worry, we understand the rules—triple compensation."

After the three left, Zhou Ming withdrew his gaze and turned around to look at the two people who remained before him.

He said to one of them, "Brother Huang, stay away from rotten fish and stinking shrimp like that in the future, understand?"

Huang Muheng smiled sheepishly. "Actually, I don't like him much either. It was just that Li Mu's brother invited us to get together."

Zhou Ming glanced at Li Mu, then at the man who had asked him to give face.

Seeing Zhou Ming's scrutinizing gaze, Li Mu said somewhat unhappily, "My brother, Li Mou."

Zhou Ming blinked.

Damn!

Wasn't this a flood washing over the Dragon King Temple—family failing to recognize family?

Zhou Ming immediately stepped forward, draped a hand over Li Mou's shoulder, and laughed. "Brother Li, you should've said so earlier. If you had, I definitely would've given you that face."

Li Mou lowered his eyes and glanced at the hand that had presumptuously landed on his shoulder. The rich, vast blood qi within his body suddenly surged, racing through his meridians straight toward his shoulder.

A sharp stabbing pain instantly traveled from Zhou Ming's palm and spread throughout his entire body. He abruptly withdrew his hand and looked at Li Mou with a grave expression.

Li Mou shifted his gaze to his younger sister and said lightly, "In three days, return to the Imperial City with me."

Li Mu's expression changed, and she immediately said, "I'm not going back to the Imperial City with you!"

"The Ninth Princess said that if you refuse to return, she'll send the Sky Patrol to arrest you and bring you back, then confine you for three years." After saying this, Li Mou turned and left.

Huang Muheng cupped his hands toward Zhou Ming and left together with Li Mou.

"It's over, it's over, Jiang Jiang! I haven't had enough fun yet!"

Zhou Ming turned around to see Li Mu clinging to Jiang Jiang, looking as if she wanted to cry but had no tears.

From Jiang Jiang's arms, Li Mu glared at Zhou Ming. "It's all your fault, all your fault! If you hadn't brought out that ghostly thing, how could you have drawn my brother here? Great, now I have to go back to the Imperial City."

Zhou Ming stood rooted to the spot.

Were women all this unreasonable?

How could this be blamed on him too?

This meal had not been a pleasant one.

After returning to the small courtyard, Zhou Ming looked at the delighted Li Mu and could not figure out what Jiang Jiang had told her.

She had been seething with resentment one moment, only to change her face in the blink of an eye.

Seeing the two holding hands as they entered the courtyard they shared, Zhou Ming turned and headed toward his own room.

Back in his room, Zhou Ming sat in a chair.

Feeling the lingering sting in his palm, he shook his hand.

Damn it.

He was still a little too weak!

Li Mu's brother looked to be not even thirty.

Fourth Grade, huh? He had some skill.

Sooner or later, Zhou Ming would win this back.

"Brother Ming, may I come in?"

Just then, Jiang Jiang's voice came from outside the room.

Hearing Jiang Jiang's voice, Zhou Ming's old face reddened. This girl!

That had been his first kiss after two lifetimes of being single from birth.

It was one thing for her to take it.

He had not even properly savored the feeling before it ended just like that.

What embarrassed him even more was that he had been the passive one.

"Jiang Jiang, it's getting late..."

"I have an important matter to discuss!"

Uh!

What else could he do?

A short while later, Zhou Ming furrowed his brow.

He had just confirmed something with Jiang Jiang.

The reason Jiang Jiang could not stomach food was that after eating, Turbid Qi would actually form within her body again, because she could once more merge spirits into her body.

This meant that people whose bodies had been tempered by spirits in this way had improved talent and innate foundations, but they could not become Immaculate Bodies like him.

The Turbid Qi between heaven and earth would still erode their fleshly bodies.

Zhou Ming fell into thought.

Was it because of the Immaculate Body? Mine was a permanent state, while theirs was an added state?

As time passed, once the Turbid Qi accumulated to a certain degree, its negative effects would erupt.

Divine abilities—the War God had passed down thirty-six jade slips. Once he had mastered them and gained an Innate Divine Ability, others could no longer master them.

Was that the uniqueness of an Innate Divine Ability?

After a long while, Zhou Ming raised his head and said gravely, "Because your body resembles one without impurities, every breath you take will be eroded by Turbid Qi. But it's only slight, and it won't make you feel uncomfortable."

"But eating intensifies the process even further. It's like actively absorbing Turbid Qi, and it will be very unpleasant. Are you sure you want to live like this from now on?"

Jiang Jiang's gaze was resolute. "I'm sure!"

Zhou Ming teased, "Then you won't be able to enjoy delicious food anymore. And if you want to maintain your endowment, you won't be able to do without the Spirit of Heaven and Earth."

Jiang Jiang's pretty face flushed slightly as she whispered, "But aren't you here?"

Hearing that, Zhou Ming smiled. "All right. Since you agreed to Li Mu's request, I agree to this too. Consider it her lodging fee."

Jiang Jiang hesitated somewhat. "Although I mentioned this to Mu Mu, I never promised her that you would agree! If this matter would harm you in any way, you needn't force yourself to accept it."

Oh!

Was this girl worried about him?

Zhou Ming grinned broadly. "It's no trouble at all."