Chapter 259: Yang Zhen

Yang Zhen naturally did not believe it; his childhood friend, that poor wretch who was even poorer and weaker than himself, could actually sign up to participate in next year's selection for Sect Registered Disciple.

One had to know that the registration fee required sixty thousand silver coins; he worked as a Constable and couldn't earn sixty thousand silver coins in a lifetime.

He initially thought there had been a mistake.

However, he saw the Yuanshun Escort Agency, then he saw the names of Duan Rong's deceased parents, as well as the address of his family's dilapidated house.

"It really is Duan Rong!"

It was that childhood friend of his!

Yang Zhen let his gaze linger on the document, at the description of Duan Rong's martial arts realm—Inner Breath Realm Third Layer Small Success Realm!

Yang Zhen looked at these few characters, his whole body feeling waves of cold.

"Inner Breath Realm, Third Layer?"

He raised his face, full of shock, and muttered to himself: "Duan Rong, is this still you?"

Sun Huang was usually steady in temperament and kind to others; having suddenly died an unnatural death, many people in the Escort Agency could not help but feel a sense of shared grief, and combined with pity for Liu Eying's lonely suffering, many people took the initiative to go to Liu Eying's home to help set up the mourning hall.

Duan Rong naturally went too; in the Escort Team, Sun Huang had treated him quite well.

The brothers in the Escort Agency finished setting up the mourning hall and paid their respects before dispersing.

Duan Rong looked at Liu Eying's lonely and grief-stricken appearance; he wanted to step forward to offer a few words of comfort several times, but finally, he kept his mouth shut.

Because he knew clearly that his few painless words of comfort were completely useless.

In this sandstorm of Liu Eying's own life, only she herself could pass through it; no one could help her.

At dusk, Duan Rong walked out of Sun Huang's house with a heavy heart; tonight was the Little New Year's Eve, the streets were cold and desolate, and the chill was biting.

Duan Rong paced to the entrance of the Escort Agency, and just as he stepped onto the stairs, he saw someone over there carrying a lantern walking over; it seemed they had just happened to see him step onto the stairs, so they called out his name.

As soon as Duan Rong heard that voice, his heart felt a surge of joy. It was Yang Zhen coming to find him.

"When did you get back?" Duan Rong knew Yang Zhen had followed Xie Daohan to the Prefecture City; after the Filthy Blood Case was just revealed, he had gone to Yang Zhen's house to look for him early the next morning, but he had come up empty.

"Just got back today." Yang Zhen laughed, the lantern he held in his hand illuminating his face. "Isn't it Little New Year's Eve? Let's go, I'll treat you to wine!"

Duan Rong smiled, his eyes fixed on Yang Zhen, and said: "Why do I feel like you have some ulterior motive? On Little New Year's Eve, don't you need to go to your second uncle's place?"

Yang Zhen gave a chuckle and said: "I told my second uncle that there is official business at the Yamen. What ulterior motive? I am both treacherous and thieving; just tell me if you are going or not?"

"You've set up such a big display, and you're already both treacherous and thieving, do I still have the face to not go along with it?"

Duan Rong smiled and was already walking toward Yang Zhen; the two of them walked together toward Yang Zhen's courtyard.

"Do we need to buy any more wine or food?" Duan Rong asked as they walked.

"It's Little New Year's Eve, and at this hour, what shops are still open on the street? Let's go, I've already prepared the wine and food."

"It seems you were indeed prepared." Duan Rong laughed.

The two walked straight toward Yang Zhen's courtyard, and just as they were about to turn into his alley, Yang Zhen suddenly asked: "Duan Rong, what realm has your martial arts reached now?"

Duan Rong was slightly stunned, not knowing why Yang Zhen suddenly asked this question; he just said in a flat tone: "The First Layer was achieved a few months ago, and there is still some distance to go before achieving the Second Layer."

He did not know that Yang Zhen had already seen his application materials for the Sect Registered Disciple.

In Duan Rong's view, these documents should have been handled by Clerk Qin. Yang Zhen was a Constable, so logically he shouldn't have been able to access them.

What Duan Rong answered Yang Zhen with was the training progress of a normal Escort; taking Escort Zhao Mu as an example, he hadn't even achieved the Internal Breath Second Stage yet, right?

Someone like him, who broke through several barriers in less than a year and was now only a thin layer of paper away from the Consummation of the Inner Breath Realm, was a monster!

It is best for monsters not to come out and scare people, especially on Little New Year's Eve, scaring one's own friends.

Duan Rong knew that Yang Zhen had not yet achieved the Inner Breath Realm Second Layer; after all, he had only entered the Ya Men this year and started practicing martial arts.

Counting it all up, the time spent practicing was less than a year; achieving the First Layer in a few months was already considered quite talented.

Yang Zhen listened to Duan Rong's words but remained silent; he walked to his own courtyard gate, opened it, pushed it, and walked into the courtyard.

Duan Rong followed Yang Zhen inside and closed the courtyard gate.

The two were walking through the courtyard one after the other when Yang Zhen suddenly turned around, looked at Duan Rong, and said: "Duan Rong, shall we trade a few moves?"

"Trade a few moves?" Duan Rong didn't know what kind of whim had seized Yang Zhen; Yang Zhen was holding a lantern, and the dim light shone on his face, making his expression look somewhat gloomy.

"When we were young, I was strong and you were weak; whenever there was a fight, I was the one protecting you. But now that we have both become Martial Artists, who is strong and who is weak—after a few moves, I don't know anymore."

After Yang Zhen finished speaking, he suddenly threw the lantern away, drew his blade with a *swish*, and stabbed toward Duan Rong.

Duan Rong's heart stirred; he didn't expect Yang Zhen to attack as soon as he spoke.

Seeing the blade light close in, Duan Rong also prepared to draw his blade to respond; he intended to suppress his power to a realm below the Second Layer to trade a few moves with Yang Zhen and play along.

But just as Duan Rong drew his blade, Yang Zhen, who had already closed in, suddenly flicked his sleeve, and a Crossbow Arrow shot out like a venomous snake that had suddenly lunged.

A cold light flashed; it was aimed directly at Duan Rong's heart!

Duan Rong's scalp instantly prickled; at such a close distance, it was launched suddenly, and it was aimed at his heart.

Duan Rong's blade flashed, knocking away that Crossbow Arrow, but at this moment, the tip of the barrier blade in Yang Zhen's hand had already pressed against Duan Rong's throat.

Duan Rong channeled his Internal Breath, rolled his blade edge, and knocked away Yang Zhen's weapon, then looked at Yang Zhen with cold eyes.

If he had scanned Yang Zhen with his Divine Sense, he could have discovered the crossbow in his sleeve early on, but he didn't want to treat Yang Zhen that way because he didn't want to pry into a friend in such a manner.

But Yang Zhen—that arrow and that blade just now were both filled with chilling killing intent!

Yang Zhen's weapon was knocked away, but a cold sneer appeared on his face; looking at Duan Rong, he mocked: "As expected of a great expert at the Small Success Realm! Your first move is truly extraordinary!"

After Yang Zhen finished speaking, he picked up the barrier blade that had been knocked away by Duan Rong and was stuck in the ground not far away with a gloomy face, sheathed the blade, and walked into the main room.

Hearing Yang Zhen mention the Small Success Realm, Duan Rong's brow twitched and thoughts rolled in his heart; the martial arts realm written on the application materials he submitted for next year's Sect Registered Disciple selection was indeed the Small Success Realm.

Duan Rong also sheathed his blade and walked into the main room.

As soon as Duan Rong entered the room, Yang Zhen threw a scroll of documents at him and said coldly: "If I hadn't tested it out, were you never planning to tell me your martial arts realm? And that matter of you signing up for the Sect Registered Disciple selection—were you not planning to tell me that at all either?"

Duan Rong was stunned; he picked up the scroll of documents from the floor and flipped through it—it was indeed the registration list for the Sect Registered Disciple selection and the detailed information of the applicants.

Duan Rong laughed: "Hey, I was just about to tell you. I just haven't found the right opportunity, have I?"

Yang Zhen looked at Duan Rong's smile, his heart trembling. He knew clearly in his heart that Duan Rong not telling him was out of consideration for his face and the little bit of pride he had left. But he had treated Duan Rong like this today, and Duan Rong still hadn't turned against him; it was evident that Duan Rong not only surpassed him in martial arts but also in breadth of mind.

Yang Zhen was shocked to discover that he truly no longer recognized this childhood friend of his.

"Let's drink!" Yang Zhen said indifferently, then sat down before the low table.

The low table was already covered with various cooked foods and two large jars of rice wine.

Duan Rong set the documents in his hand aside and sat down as well; the two of them began to eat and drink.

As they ate and drank, they chatted a little, but the intimacy and warmth that had originally existed between them had vanished completely, and the atmosphere was somewhat awkward and strange.

The two had not eaten much food, but they had finished both large jars of rice wine, and Yang Zhen had already passed out drunk on the low table.

Duan Rong had a better tolerance for alcohol and was only slightly tipsy. Duan Rong stood up and shook Yang Zhen, but Yang Zhen remained dead drunk and unresponsive; with no other choice, Duan Rong helped Yang Zhen onto the bed, covered him with a quilt, and only then did he head out the door.

Duan Rong walked out of the main room, his thoughts in turmoil. He could feel that the relationship between him and Yang Zhen could never return to what it once was.

Because there was already a barrier in their hearts.

Duan Rong sighed and walked slowly across the courtyard, where the moonlight was like water; just as he reached the courtyard gate, he suddenly saw that on the ground there lay that very Crossbow Arrow he had knocked away earlier.

Duan Rong's heart stirred, and he bent down to pick it up. By the moonlight, Duan Rong noticed that the Arrowhead looked somewhat unusual.

He reached out to touch it and realized that the Arrowhead was actually carved from hardwood, merely coated with a layer of silver paint, and to increase its weight, a hole had been bored into the shaft behind the Arrowhead and filled with molten lead.

Looking at the Crossbow Arrow in his hand, Duan Rong was greatly shaken.

Yang Zhen had wanted to test him, but was afraid of actually hurting him!

Duan Rong stood at the courtyard gate and turned his head to look toward the window of the east wing room.

And on the bed inside the east wing room, Yang Zhen had already opened his eyes in the darkness; he breathed out the scent of alcohol and muttered, "Duan Rong, you have actually reached this stage! I'm jealous of you, but I'm also happy for you! You're truly damn impressive!"

(End of this chapter)