Unconventional [Rebirth] - Chapter 15

The bark of the Marrow Jade Tree can absorb external ling qi (spiritual energy) and convert it into its own nourishment. Furthermore, when subjected to an attack from the Foundation Establishment stage or above, it can form a protective barrier and reflect the attack back.

Jiang Rui has no opponents in this world; within the Secret Realm, no spiritual plant or spiritual beast other than this Marrow Jade Tree will attack him. His only sparring partner is the Jade Tree.

The experience of being beaten black and blue and utterly battered by a tree is not pleasant. Jiang Rui tried attacking with just three-tenths of his strength using his techniques, but it was useless; the counter-attack reflected from the Jade Tree was always the maximum power that could be exerted at the initial Foundation Establishment stage.

Ten or so days into the summer break, Jiang Rui had progressed from being completely passive and taking a beating against the Jade Tree to being able to dodge slightly. He suffered countless surface wounds and once was even nearly hit in a vital spot. Fortunately, with the Spiritual Pond, even severe external injuries would heal after soaking for a few days.

What Jiang Rui found somewhat comforting was that these beatings were not in vain. The proficiency of his Foundation Establishment stage spells surged, and even his Meridian Breath Refinement technique advanced from the first level of Body Quenching and Tendon Forging to the second, representing a small breakthrough in his body-refining realm.

The last time he extracted the marrow fluid nearly cost him half his life, and that was from the upper branches, which are somewhat easier to access. This substance is far too precious and difficult to acquire. Forget extracting it at will; even taking just one drop daily would likely require him to break through to the Origin Transformation stage, reach the Golden Core stage, and raise his body-refining realm by another major level, achieving the state of Harmonious Unity. Otherwise, it would only damage his foundation.

The gold price in Jiahai City seemed to finally stabilize. It had risen from eighty-plus kuai per gram to over a hundred. This time, nearly everyone was eager to sell the gold they held. However, Jiang Rui knew that in a few more days, the price would experience a major retreat, and shortly after that, the price would see a short-term, incredible spike—a price so high it would be unbelievable, the highest price in the preceding and following ten years. That fleeting gold price surge was widely reported at the time and is still remembered and frequently brought up in later generations.

On June 19th, Jiang Rui sold all the gold he held. In just a few short days, his bank account gained over ten million kuai, an astronomical figure at the time.

Jiang Rui concluded his trip in Jiahai. Only about one-third of the summer break had passed. He wasn’t in a hurry to return to Qing City. After routinely calling his parents to report his itinerary, Jiang Rui bought a ticket and traveled to Yingchang City in Jinlin Province.

He was going to find one person: Xiao Jinnan.

Jiang Rui lived his previous life in a haze, surrounded by countless fair-weather friends. When Wang Chenghui protected him, no one dared to offend him; those who feared him avoided him or fawned over him, and even those who didn’t fear him had to yield a little.

Only Xiao Jinnan was different.

Xiao Jinnan, like Wang Chenghui, built his empire from scratch, rising from being a pool hall coach to the underground king who held Yingchang City in the palm of his hand. Wang Chenghui was ruthless, but he was far more humane and normal than Xiao Jinnan.

Jiang Rui dared to throw tantrums and act tough in front of Wang Chenghui, but upon seeing Xiao Jinnan, he was like a mouse seeing a cat. He couldn’t flee fast enough. Because of this, Wang Chenghui often mocked him.

What truly dispelled Jiang Rui’s fear of him was a conversation he had with Ye Wenbin just before his death.

At that time, separated by a pane of glass, he and Ye Wenbin seemed to be in two different worlds. Ye Wenbin desperately wanted him to die, and many others wanted him dead, but there was one person who didn’t: Xiao Jinnan.

Ye Wenbin’s gaze was filled with jealousy and hatred because, due to Jiang Rui, Qing City had nearly been turned upside down by Xiao Jinnan and Wang Chenghui. Wang Chenghui’s position was unstable, and the first to suffer was Ye Wenbin—how could he not hate Jiang Rui?

Jiang Rui was astonished at the time. He thought about it over and over and realized that every time he saw Xiao Jinnan, the other man would step on his dignity and insult him, yet every word seemed to be a warning to him. It was just that back then, he completely trusted Wang Chenghui and was obsessed with Ye Wenbin. He had never bothered to think deeper.

In fact, his relationship with Xiao Jinnan hadn’t started as that of a mouse and a cat. Initially, neither of them knew who the other was. They played pool all night in a pool hall, winning and losing equally, each refusing to admit defeat. When they got tired of playing, they drank beer and chatted; once the conversation was done, they continued playing. At the time, Jiang Rui found everything about Xiao Jinnan agreeable and liked his appearance, and Xiao Jinnan felt the same. When they parted the next day, they didn’t exchange contact information or names, knowing they were sure to meet again.

However, in their subsequent meetings, Xiao Jinnan never spoke to him kindly again. He became increasingly outrageous, bullying him in the cruelest ways possible. Wang Chenghui couldn’t even stop him. Jiang Rui knew Xiao Jinnan had powerful connections and didn’t want Wang Chenghui to genuinely fall out with him. He couldn’t beat him, couldn’t afford to provoke him, and wasn’t as psychotic as him. Fearing the bullying, Jiang Rui simply avoided him whenever he saw him.

By his calculation of the timeline, Xiao Jinnan should still be holed up in a pool hall in Yingchang City right now. With a single backpack on his shoulder, Jiang Rui stepped off the train, a smile appearing on his face at the thought of meeting his old ‘friend.’