Breaking Army - Chapter 7

Cries of agony echoed within Listening Wind Ravine. A figure was Relentlessly kowtowing and begging for mercy: “Spare me! Let me go! Aaaaah!”

“Tsk tsk, someone actually had the nerve to stir up trouble in the Underworld,” Zuo Yi remarked, perched on a mountain rock with one leg crossed over the other. The person before him was in a wretched state, limbs mangled and bloody. Zuo Yi let out a mock sigh. “Listening Wind Ravine, the wind it listens to is the gale blowing up from hell. Did you think it was some poetic, literary name?”

“Did you have anything to do with Prince Po Jun’s poisoning?”

The prisoner, who had been on the verge of fainting, suddenly forced his eyes open at the mention of “Po Jun.” His gaze was filled with deep-seated hatred. He struggled to crawl up, his mangled limbs pressing against the ground like a beast. “You, just kill me, kill me!”

The surrounding guards immediately pressed their blades against him. Zuo Yi leaned his head back slightly, looking disgusted by the stench coming off the man. “A demon? It seems you’re a follower of the former Demon King. What was so good about him? He was a lunatic. I say…”

“Zuo Yi! Stop slacking off!”

A roar interrupted Zuo Yi’s words. You Chang arrived like a whirlwind, quite literally kicking up a gust as he stormed over. Zuo Yi rubbed his ears. “I’m helping capture someone, how is that slacking?”

“Listening Wind Ravine is protected by the Lord’s barrier and guarded by three layers of sentries. What kind of person requires your personal intervention?” You Chang glanced contemptuously at the battered demon. “Him? If the guards couldn’t even catch this guy, they should go practice in the Mountain of Blades and Sea of Fire before coming back.”

You Chang grabbed his sleeve. “Hurry up and follow me, the paperwork for today hasn’t been finished yet!”

“Fine, fine, fine, let’s go, paperwork it is.” Zuo Yi threw his hands up in surrender, clearly afraid of the nagging. He hopped down from the rock and, as he passed by, casually kicked the demon. “Coming here is just seeking death, and even if you die, your soul is still under the jurisdiction of the Underworld.” He grinned, a playful yet utterly chilling expression. “Welcome to the Underworld.”

The demon couldn’t stop shivering at that smile, which seemed to hurt even more than the blade wounds. As he was dragged away by the guards, leaving trails of blood on the ground, he desperately twisted his head to look toward Listening Wind Ravine. Xiao Chen was right there. The murderer of his King was right there.

He wished he could cut Xiao Chen into a thousand pieces, yet Xiao Chen himself was currently strolling leisurely through a city gate. Indeed, he had finally reached a place teeming with people.

Yesterday, he had encountered a group of traveling merchants being ambushed by bandits. Xiao Chen stepped in to help and ended up traveling into the city with them. The merchants wanted to invite him to their homes to express their gratitude, but Xiao Chen waved them off and declined.

Thinking for a moment, the merchant pulled out a money bag. “The hero saved my life and my fortune. It would be improper to do nothing. Please accept this silver. If I am disrespectful to my savior, my elderly mother would scold me when I return.”

Silver. Right, the stories Xiang Zhi told mentioned that the currency used for trade in the human realm was gold and silver, unlike the spirit stones used in the Demon and Spirit realms. Xiao Chen didn’t stand on ceremony this time. He took the bag and opened it, finding some silver pieces and slips of paper. The paper had “Banknote” written on it with a face value of ten taels of silver, which seemed to be another form of currency.

Xiao Chen had gold and jade on him. He thought for a moment and asked, “If I wanted to buy your entire carriage of goods but didn’t have silver, how much gold or jade would it cost?”

“Oh,” the merchant chuckled, waving his hand, “my goods are worth less than five hundred taels of silver. If you have high-quality jade, my goods wouldn’t even compare. It seems our benefactor is interested in my business, but unfortunately, this batch already has a buyer. If you like our wares, I’ll make sure to set aside a batch for you next time!”

Seeing Xiao Chen’s fine clothing, the merchant assumed he was wealthy and was happy to potentially make a deal. However, Xiao Chen only wanted to confirm that gold and jade were viable currency. He wasn’t actually looking to trade. Having received his answer, he exchanged a few pleasantries and took his leave.

He heard people call this place Mingxiao City. It was filled with tall buildings and bustling streets. Xiao Chen stopped at a steamed bun stall and asked for one, casually handing the owner a piece of silver. The owner looked troubled. “This… Guest, I just opened for the day, and I don’t have enough change for this silver. You see…”

Xiao Chen took the bun in his hand. “No need for change.” Since gold and jade were usable, he wasn’t worried about money.

The owner’s eyes widened. Making sure he hadn’t misheard, he quickly clutched the silver and tucked it away as if fearing Xiao Chen would change his mind, nodding and bowing in gratitude. “Ah! Thank you, noble guest! Thank you so much!”

Xiao Chen walked away while unwrapping the oil paper. Biting into the bun, he found the white dough incredibly soft with a hint of sweetness. The skin was thin and the filling was rich. Compared to his previous grilled fish, this was a heavenly delicacy.

Consequently, after walking just a few steps, Xiao Chen turned back to the bun stall.

The owner saw him returning and worried he wanted the silver back. Just as he was getting nervous, he heard the handsome young master ask, “Is there a good place to eat around here?”

Human tastes vary wildly and delicious food comes in many forms. While grand restaurants have delicacies, street stalls have their own charm. In Mingxiao City, it was hard to crown one place as the most delicious, but the most expensive was undoubtedly Mingxiao Restaurant.

Xiao Chen stood before the restaurant’s plaque, which read “Mingxiao Restaurant.” Named after the city, it was built quite grandly. It turned out the bun stall owner, seeing Xiao Chen’s extraordinary aura and generosity, had recommended the most expensive spot.

Upon entering, Xiao Chen was immediately greeted. The establishment had three floors. It wasn’t very busy yet, so there were many empty seats. Xiao Chen went to the second floor, looked over the menu, and ordered over a dozen dishes in one breath.

Xiao Chen said, “Bring these for now.”

The waiter noted the dishes and asked politely, “Is the guest expecting others? If so, when would be the best time to serve? If hot dishes get cold, the flavor will suffer.”

“Just me, serve them as they are ready.”

Just one person? The waiter’s smile faltered. Ordering so much, could one person even finish it? But whatever, maybe it was just another guy showing off his wealth. Having worked here for years, he had seen all sorts of people. This young master looked elegant and refined, but who knew he was the type to buy status with money?

Business was business, so the waiter simply smiled. “Understood, please wait a moment.”

“Ah, wait,” Xiao Chen called him back, “bring a jar of wine, the strongest you have.”

“How strong would the guest like? Our most famous and potent wine is called ‘A Jar of Spring.’ It’s said that ‘one jar reveals a hundred scenes,’ meaning even those with the highest tolerance will find themselves drunk after one jar!”

Xiao Chen found that interesting. He was someone who never got drunk. He hadn’t yet tasted the strong spirits of the human realm. “Bring a jar for me to try.”

“Right away!”

The wine arrived before the food, served in a porcelain jar. The jar wasn’t large. Could such a small amount really get someone drunk? Xiao Chen poured himself a cup. The aroma was rich. Taking a sip, it felt like a hot, spicy blade rolling down his throat, full of strength. Xiao Chen praised, “Good wine.”

However, if they wanted a Star Lord to “view a hundred scenes,” one jar wouldn’t be enough. Even if they emptied the entire cellar, it would still fall short.

Now that he knew the taste, Xiao Chen wasn’t in a hurry and sipped slowly. Just as the first dish was served, a commotion broke out in the hall downstairs. The waiter peeked over and whispered “Oh no,” then hurried downstairs after putting the dish down. Xiao Chen leaned against the railing to take a look.

A man was sitting there with an arrogant, sloppy posture. “I’m just asking you to sit and have a drink with me. Today, you’re sitting whether you like it or not. Do you know who I am? Beauty, I appreciate fine things, but don’t be ungrateful!”

The man was draped in gold and jade, appearing wealthy, but one glance from Xiao Chen revealed he had a “bitter face.” His fortune would soon vanish. This man had sown too many evil seeds, and his path ahead was destined to be rocky. He had some ancestral blessings, but they were paper-thin. Once he squandered that bit of luck, even his ancestors wouldn’t be able to protect him.

Standing before the doomed wealthy playboy was a person with their back to Xiao Chen. Dressed in blue, they had a tall, well-built frame suitable for martial arts, with a sword hanging at their waist. They were surrounded by several thugs who looked like family servants, blocking their path.

The person in blue took a deep breath. Their hand moved, making the servants tense up, fearing they would draw their sword. The manager was trying to mediate, accompanied by the background noise of “harmony is precious,” when the man in blue raised his hand.

He didn’t draw his sword, but instead slowly made a hand gesture.

Everyone was confused. What did that mean? Among the many onlookers, someone quickly realized and exclaimed, “Ah, he’s a mute!”

To think such a striking figure was a mute! The crowd whispered about the pity of it, but the playboy’s eyes lit up, his expression becoming even more disgusting. “A mute? A mute is good, has a unique flavor, hehe… Ouch! Who did that!?”

His lecherous laughter stopped abruptly as a cup flew out of nowhere and struck his arm, instantly numbing half his body. His arm had been propped on the table, causing him to lurch and fall off his chair completely off guard. The servants scrambled to pull him up. The playboy looked around, fuming. “Who, who dares mess with me!”

“Who would want to mess with you? Do you think you’re some precious treasure? Touching you feels like dirtying one’s hands.”

The voice was like a crisp mountain spring, incredibly pleasant. It flowed down from above, drawing the attention of everyone on the first floor. Looking up, they saw a man in white sitting by the railing, a casual smile playing on his lips and in his eyes, watching the farce below.

Whoa, the crowd’s eyes lit up again: What kind of day was this, for such ethereal men to appear one after another!

Xiao Chen wasn’t wearing the outfit Rong Yuan had prepared for him. He had changed into his own white robes, his hair tied in a ponytail. Along with that eye-catching earring, he looked dashing and noble, exceptionally handsome.

The playboy had been furious, but his eyes glazed over the moment he looked up. He muttered, “Another one… a different flavor. Heh, I’m having great luck with beauties today. You threw the cup at me? If you throw yourself into my arms and let me have a feel, I might not press charges, otherwise—ah!”

He didn’t get to finish his sentence because someone really did land in his arms, though it certainly wasn’t Xiao Chen. It was one of his own servants. The man in blue, who hadn’t moved until now, had grabbed a servant and thrown him directly at the playboy. Despite his lean frame, his strength was surprisingly immense.

Xiao Chen had already picked up another cup, but he stopped when he saw this. The person in blue turned around and looked up, their eyes meeting directly with his.

Wow, Xiao Chen was stunned: This person truly deserved to be called a beauty.

He hadn’t seen clearly from behind, but from the front, the “beauty” was actually a young lad, appearing about seventeen or eighteen in human years, with a hint of lingering youthfulness. As for his features and build, every part of him seemed designed to be a “country-toppling” beauty. Even now he was this stunning, so once that youthfulness faded and he fully matured, what kind of world-renowned appearance would he have?

No, forget the mortal world, he could probably top all six realms.

Furthermore, that move just now was clean and sharp, his footing was steady, and his skills were solid. The human realm was truly a place of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, but… Xiao Chen toyed with his wine cup, his eyelids lowering slightly: This person was peerlessly elegant, had skin as white as jade, and was a mute.

A mute with skin like white jade. He had just seen one in the Underworld, and now he had encountered another in the human realm.

A coincidence? This was far too coincidental.

Support Breaking Army