I Can See Your Combat Power
Chapter 1142 - Chapter 1142 Chapter 436 Shigang Tavern

Chapter 1142: Chapter 436: Shigang Tavern Chapter 1142: Chapter 436: Shigang Tavern “*Hic,* who are you?” the Xiang Family Head, bleary-eyed from drink, belched and called out to the blurry figures before him, “Without this family head’s order, who allowed you into the study, huh!?”

In front of the alcohol-infused family head was a messy square table. The Xiang Family’s memorial tablets were carelessly piled at the edge, while the main case in the center was heaped with wine bottles and small dishes, greasy scraps of food falling from the chopsticks, staining some of the open memorial tablets with ink.

Two dark shadows rose from the ground, looking at each other with furrowed brows, finding it hard to believe that this middle-aged man was the Xiang Family Head who, according to legends, was diligent in clan affairs.

“Perhaps he’s a body double. Let’s capture him and see.”

“That works.”

The Xiang Ange, who had been bleary-eyed just a moment ago, suddenly sobered up upon hearing this, his threatened soul becoming agitated, channeling Spiritual Power to transform into a Cloud Tiger, pouncing toward the two men, while Xiang Ange himself retreated to the window ledge, shouting, “Assassins!”

“His cultivation is indeed genuine.”

Gu Han extended his hand to snuff out the Cloud Tiger, saying indifferently, “It seems to be him indeed, after downing eight bottles of Immortal’s Brew, one should be this way.”

“The Xiang Residence’s armored soldiers should be encircling us by now. I will go play with them; leave the Xiang Family Head to you, Master.”

The skinny shadow sank back into the ground, while Gu Han transformed into a wisp of black smoke, appearing before Xiang Ange in a flash. Towering demonic aura morphed into a huge ghost face with green complexion and sharp fangs, just waiting for Xiang Ange to throw himself into the demon’s maw.

“I am the Xiang Family Head, the Longzhou Envoy anointed by the An Family Divine Dynasty; if you dare to lay a hand on me, the An Family will never let you off!” Xiang Ange said, stopping in his tracks, while still issuing threats.

…

There are a total of fifteen roads leading north of Chaochang City, of which three go northward.

Traveling continuously on Lingbei Road will take you to a place called Shigang outside the city, known to locals as Giant Rock Mountain.

It was once a towering mountain, but after a thousand years of mining, only these scattered stone hillocks remained, cutting out a small path leading to the central part of Longzhou.

Because the road is narrow, few caravans pass through, making it the favored path of wandering martial artists.

Thus, there are a few rustic eateries and taverns along the way, providing rest and sustenance for travelers, but considering that those who take Lingbei Road are usually roaming martial artists, the quality of these establishments naturally isn’t high. Not to mention delicacies, even freshness and cleanliness can’t be easily found.

After all, the caliber of the clientele dictates. If these places were too well-off, it would attract unwanted attention, not to mention that the passing paupers couldn’t afford it.

This was Old Ma’s business philosophy, although he could not fathom what fortune had come his way recently, as Shigang’s tavern had attracted a group of lavish travelers who gave Old Ma a hefty sum to book the entire tavern for a month.

Observing these youthful and generous customers, Old Ma was clear in his heart that this might just be the sons of some families on an incognito excursion; he just needed to take the money.

Hence, Shigang’s tavern turned into an operation run by a group of wealthy patrons, although their service attitude was indeed worse than when Old Ma was there.

It had been ten days without business. The waiter squinted and squatted at the tavern’s entrance, staring at the passing traveler warriors.

Those who traveled Lingbei Road were mighty individuals unafraid of treacherous mountains, and under normal circumstances, they would have slapped such an insolent servant upon meeting him. But this one they truly did not dare to provoke.

In these past ten days, all who wanted to teach the waiter a lesson ended up schooled by his brother, who was as burly as a bear.

Although I didn’t know to whom Old Ma had sold the tavern, if it kept operating like this, it was surely doomed.

Watching the tavern remain deserted for ten whole days, the neighboring business owners of Shigang couldn’t help but mutter to themselves.

After all, servers are supposed to draw in customers and make merry; while others smiled from ear to ear, this lad spent all day with a glum face squatting by the door, staring creepily at passersby with his unsettling eyes–it’s no wonder business was bad!

Just as everyone had pegged him as nothing more than his off-putting expression, a slender young man with plain features, dressed in simple garments, made his way along Lingbei Road toward Shigang.

The young man walked with purpose, though his movements were hindered; his legs appeared stiff when he bent them, nearly but not quite limping, which looked rather comical.

And it was such a comical gait that caused the server with the dead-fish eyes to suddenly widen his.

The server then scrambled in a frenzied rush, approaching the limping young man while awkwardly trying to strike up a conversation, “Gr… tavern… Tang…”

He cycled through three different addresses, yet couldn’t complete a single sentence. The limping young man glimpsed at the server and said indifferently, “Call me Boss Luo.”

“Yes, yes, yes,” the server, as if granted amnesty, nodded repeatedly, groveling and fawning, “Boss Luo, Boss Luo, please come into the store–all leading; Du Boss is waiting for you.”

After welcoming Boss Luo into the tavern, the server closed the door and hung up a ‘closed’ sign, then squatted by the door. The face that had just adopted the look of a servile flatterer once more turned repulsive, and he provocatively sneered at the onlookers, “What are you staring at, want to get beaten up or what!?”

The person who had entered the tavern was none other than Tang Luo, who had escaped from the inner city of Chaochang. To be honest, his legs hadn’t fully recovered, but who could blame him with the Yun Family’s remnants being so persistent?

Left with no choice, he had to come out first, and the reason why the warrior from Marshal Star Pavilion appeared outside Chaochang City was naturally because of his summons.

Since his departure from seclusion last April, it had been more than nine months. For a martial artist, and especially for a burgeoning organization, it was quite some time.

“How has it been, in the ten months I’ve been away, has Marshal Star Pavilion run into any trouble?” he asked with a smile, settling down in the tavern and facing the expressionless man opposite him.

“Business as usual.”

“The influence of the Stone Heart Bloodline on you is deepening.”

This was both praise and concern. Unless bloodline abilities were highly developed, those capabilities rarely influence a martial artist’s personality, let alone that of a staunch fighter like Du Sha.

Yet conversely, if a bloodline was so potent that even a formidable warrior like Du Sha could be affected, how could it not be worrisome?

After all, the traits of Stone Heart weren’t all positive for the Human Race.

“Happiness, anger, sorrow, thought, grief, fear, shock,” Du Sha faced the issue head-on: “These emotions are slowly fading as my cultivation deepens.”

The flaw in the Soul Casting method of Visualizing was exactly this: ultimately, one can’t escape the influence of Spiritual Power–even a powerful fighter like Du Sha, under the dual effects of the Stone Heart Bloodline and Xuan Ding Visualizing, was gradually becoming less human.

“It’s time to halt the development of your bloodline and spiritual soul. If you go further, you might turn into a divine statue.”