parentshiftbook Chapter 149: Change
Chapter 149: Change
The atmosphere inside the bamboo forest became eerie.
In the glow of fireflies, a man and a woman stood facing each other, while in the pavilion not far away, everyone was somewhat puzzled.
A night breeze blew, scattering the clouds in the sky and revealing the full moon.
Tonight, the fifteenth of the month, the bright moonlight shines upon the two of them.
Just then, a maid's voice rang out from the bamboo grove path: "Madam, the food from Xiangmanlou has arrived!"
Upon hearing the sound, the eerie atmosphere vanished instantly!
Fu Huiying clapped her hands: "Alright! The food's here. Looks like we won't be seeing the swordsmanship masters sparring today!"
As soon as she spoke, Hua Cheng started making a fuss. Martial artists are inherently very physically demanding, and he had been forced to cultivate for quite a while before coming here. At this moment, his stomach was already growling loudly.
Hearing the noise, Hua Zhu interrupted her conversation with her master and threw away the bamboo stick in her hand: "Brother Zhang, I suddenly remembered something, sorry!"
"Yes, it's nothing." Zhang Ping nodded with a smile.
Later, during the meal, the conversation gradually turned to scenic spots and historical sites in various places.
This world has many scenic spots, mostly places frequented by wealthy young people, some of which are quite famous.
Zhang Ping listened silently, noticing that Hua Zhu glanced at him secretly several times, and his curiosity grew stronger.
What exactly caught Hua Zhu's attention? It seems to have happened after his black blood appeared?
The black aura originated from Dao Xiao, and it carried the characteristics of Dao Xiao's power. Moreover, the commotion seemed to be caused by the two mantises on Dao Xiao's shoulders. Could it be that these two mantises recognize Dao Xiao?
However, Zhang Ping didn't intend to ask directly. This was his own power, and he didn't care about other people's opinions. In terms of strangeness, the qi and blood in his body were actually quite normal; the strangeness of things like the Xuanwu Armor and Eye Flame was much higher.
Now he also possesses Wind Attribute Affinity and Thunder God Transformation, and the effects of these two beast runes are quite similar. If he were to constantly care about other people's opinions, would he need to do anything else?
Now it's not like the time when we were weak. If anyone has any objections, let them talk to his sword.
After the banquet, Hua Zhu and the other two stayed for more than an hour before taking their leave.
Before leaving, Hua Zhu hesitated for a moment, then walked to Zhang Ping's side and whispered, "Brother Zhang, your qi and blood are very strange. You must pay more attention to them in the future to prevent any abnormalities from occurring."
She had barely finished speaking when she turned and left before Zhang Ping could reply.
Zhang Ping reached out and touched his chin, gazing thoughtfully at the girl's departing figure.
"They've already gone far away, why are you still looking? If you like them, go after them. Rou and I won't care." Fu Huiying walked to his side and said with a smile.
"Yeah, when did Zhang become so indecisive?" Lu Wanrou covered her mouth and chuckled.
Interrupted from his thoughts, Zhang Ping shook his head helplessly, raised his hands, and slapped them hard on the backs of the two men.
Snap—
The sounds were crisp and clear; generally speaking, Fu Huiying's voice was louder.
"Ah~"
After two soft exclamations, Zhang Ping explained, "Don't talk nonsense. I don't have those kinds of feelings for her. We're just like-minded friends."
What he said seemed to be true.
He initially found Hua Zhu interesting and optimistic, and their friendship blossomed after they bought the praying mantises together. Now, their bond has deepened with shared interests. Their friendship remains unchanged, untainted by any romantic feelings.
"Hehe, I knew it! When did this little man lower his standards? We were mistaken!" Fu Huiying chuckled, then ignored Zhang Ping and pulled Lu Wanrou away.
"Sigh, women, prepare to face the baptism of the storm." Zhang Ping shook his head and quickly caught up with her.
......
After the start of summer, the sun became increasingly scorching.
The demons launched a three-pronged attack: Black Tiger King fought fiercely against three Marrow-Entry Realm warriors on the Lanjiang Prefecture front, shocking the Great Wei Dynasty when the news spread; in the same month, Sha Kui crossed the defense line and appeared in Nulong Prefecture, destroying most of the prefecture city and causing countless deaths and injuries, before finally retreating under the siege of Marrow-Entry Realm warriors who came to its aid.
Along the Taiwu Prefecture line, the Unicorn Qilin continued to lead the demons in a fierce attack, but the newly dispatched guardian warriors from the Demon Extermination Bureau happened to cultivate water-attribute qi and blood, preventing the demons from gaining any advantage.
The warriors of Great Wei did not choose passive defense. From the direction of the East Sea, a small team led by high-ranking members of the Demon Extermination Bureau ventured into the heart of the demon territory and discovered a crack in the sky above the eastern border of the Southern Frontier, spewing forth primal power. This crack was the secret to the ever-increasing strength of the demons.
To salvage the rift, the imperial court dispatched four military commanders, but their efforts ended in failure. The specific details were not disclosed, but Zhang Ping received the general information from the Prince of Chu Nan.
In order to close the rift, the four soldiers at the Marrow Marrow Realm stepped into the world behind the rift. In the end, three of them died, and one escaped with serious injuries.
After this battle, the lineage of the Demon Extermination Division's Chief of War suffered heavy losses. Fortunately, the Great Wei Dynasty had been established for three hundred years, and in addition to its surface forces, there were still many hidden powerhouses. Although this battle was a defeat, it did not have a significant impact on the situation at the front lines.
Zhang Ping didn't say much after hearing the news. He had seen that crack several times before, and the world behind it was probably the space that sealed the ancient demon, so it was normal for it to be dangerous.
Aside from his daily intelligence gathering, Zhang Ping spent most of his time improving his proficiency in beast patterns.
This is the best way for him to improve his cultivation.
As for his martial arts cultivation, he had long since given up on the idea of cultivating on his own. The last time he imprinted the "Yin Yang Divine Union Heavenly Capital Fate Crossing" beast pattern, his martial arts strength had already reached the mid-stage of the Essence Blood Realm. If he wanted to improve further by imprinting beast patterns, it would be extremely difficult; and cultivating on his own would require a lot of time.
During this period, due to the large-scale retreat of the Lanjiang Prefecture front, the Nangong family also withdrew from the front line and moved to the territory of the Nanwang Mansion, but did not settle in Chuwang City.
The Nangong family suffered setbacks on the front lines, with heavy casualties among their powerful members. They exhausted their resources to withdraw from the battlefield and now reside in a small town not far from the Chu King's city.
Upon hearing that Zhang Ping was living in Chu King City, Nangong Feiyan rushed over to pay her respects after settling her family there.
Zhang Ping was somewhat interested in this strong woman, but not much. He received her with proper etiquette, and during their conversation, Nangong Feiyan surprisingly proposed to give Zhang Ping the eldest daughter of the Nangong family as a concubine.
Zhang Ping refused without even thinking. What kind of nonsense was this? He was already at the top of the Great Wei Dynasty; if he wanted to find a woman, why would he need to look for a woman from a family he had never met before?
The Nangong family has a complex system, divided into direct and collateral branches, and Nangong Feiyan belongs to the direct branch. However, although this woman married early in life, she has never had any children. There are rumors that Nangong Feiyan did not like her husband and that she only married him to consolidate her position as clan leader.
When Zhang Ping refused, Nangong Feiyan lowered her standard to that of a maid, but Zhang Ping still refused. Helpless, she had no choice but to give up the idea.
Time passed day by day.
On this day, several streaks of light flew into the headquarters of the Demon Extermination Bureau above the capital of the Great Wei Dynasty.
The streets were still bustling. An old man selling candy, carrying a load on his shoulder, watched the streak of light streak across the sky once more, clicked his tongue, and said, "Another big shot. What day is it today that so many big shots are returning?"
The capital city is the center of the Great Wei Dynasty, with many high-level martial artists. Even experts at the Marrow Infusion Realm who fly in the sky can be seen by ordinary people several times a year.
The old man shook his head, rested for a moment, and then picked up his load again to continue selling candy.