Chapter 400 - 222: A Helping Hand from the True Master Realm?

Jiang Che’s words—"The price for injuring my master"—sent a violent tremor through Zhao Kang’s heart!

’Master?’

’What does that mean?’

’Could it be...’

’This person is a disciple of one of those martial arts hall masters?!’

’This... How is this possible?!’

He was utterly dumbfounded.

What’s more, the horrifying state of his brother’s corpse filled him with such terror that his stomach began to churn.

He didn’t even notice the warm, wet patch spreading across his crotch.

Jiang Che shook his head.

’This kind of scum thinks he’s fit to be a king? He only knows how to lord it over those weaker than him. The moment he encounters a true expert, his pathetic nature is instantly exposed.’

He wasted no more words. He squatted down, looked at Zhao Kang, and said, word by word:

"I just need you to do one thing for me."

"After you’ve done it, I will let you go."

"Please, Senior! Just tell me what to do! I’ll do it, I swear!" Zhao Kang nodded frantically, as if clutching a lifeline.

"Help me find a man named Jiang Dawu. He’s a carpenter! Remember, I want him brought before me, completely unharmed!"

"If you can do this, you will live."

"Understand?"

"Yes! Yes! I understand!" Zhao Kang nodded repeatedly.

But he glanced at his twisted limbs, his face contorting in misery. "But... Senior... in my current state... it would be... awkward to be seen by my subordinates..."

"Easily solved."

Jiang Che once again took out an Elixir Pill, stuffed it into his mouth, and channeled a stream of even purer True Qi into him.

Zhao Kang felt a power that was incredibly gentle, yet brimming with endless life force, instantly spreading through his entire body!

His broken bones actually began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye!

’This... What kind of miraculous Elixir Pill is this?!’

’And this energy... is it... True Qi?!’

Shockwaves of terror crashed through Zhao Kang’s mind.

’Could it be... just like that other one, he’s a True Master? A True Master this young?!’

A moment later, he struggled up from the ground, changed into a clean silk robe, and aside from his slightly pale face, there were no longer any signs of injury.

"Senior, you see..."

"Go."

Jiang Che looked at him and said coolly, "Remember, don’t try any tricks."

The moment his words fell, his figure vanished into thin air once again!

Zhao Kang shuddered. Not daring to overthink it, he quickly composed himself, strode out of the main hall, and summoned a trusted subordinate. He relayed the order to find Jiang Dawu as a highest-priority directive.

"Remember! You must treat him with the utmost courtesy! This person’s identity is extremely important! There can be absolutely no disrespect or rough treatment!"

"Yes!" Although the subordinate was confused, he didn’t dare ask questions and immediately left to carry out the order.

After his subordinate had left, Zhao Kang wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and spoke respectfully to the empty hall:

"S-Senior... I’ve done as you asked."

"Mm."

A calm response echoed through the air.

"Then... then you..."

"We will wait right here."

"Yes! Yes!" Zhao Kang nodded repeatedly. He didn’t dare say another word, simply standing obediently in place like a schoolboy waiting to be reprimanded by a teacher.

However, Jiang Che, hidden in the shadows, remained vigilant.

’Something feels off... This Zhao Kang is cooperating a little too smoothly.’

’Could it be... he has some kind of trump card I don’t know about?’

Still, he wasn’t afraid.

’In this tiny Lin Yuan City, is it possible for a top expert at the Sixth or Seventh Layer of the True Master Realm to suddenly appear?’

Besides, even if he really couldn’t win, he could still use Shadow Escape to get away.

Since he broke through to the True Master Realm, the threshold for seeing through his Shadow Escape had risen; now, it would take someone at the True Mastery Realm to do so.

Even more, if he used the Concealing Breath Treasure Pearl with his Divine Soul, not even a Great Power of the True Mastery Realm could detect him!

’If worst comes to worst...’

’I can still be resurrected!’

Jiang Che thought of the clone he had left in the quiet chamber at the Cangyun Sect.

Although the price of resurrection was high, causing a significant drop in his Realm...

...the ability to be resurrected already placed him in an invincible position!

He would wait and see just what kind of tricks this Zhao Kang would try to pull!

And so, the two of them waited for news in the great hall.

「Before long.」

A sudden commotion erupted from outside the main hall!

It was followed by the dull thud of synchronized footsteps and the CLANG of colliding Armor!

’An army?’

Jiang Che’s figure slowly materialized. He looked at Zhao Kang with great interest.

"So, Zhao, is this your trick?"

The terror on Zhao Kang’s face was long gone, replaced by a calm and confident expression.

"What do you think?"

The words had barely left his lips when an old yet resonant roar of anger echoed from outside the hall:

"What scoundrel dares to cause trouble here!"

Following the roar, a white-haired old man in a gray Daoist Robe, with the bearing of an immortal, appeared inside the hall in a flash of lightning-fast movement!

When Zhao Kang saw the newcomer, his face was instantly filled with ecstatic joy!

"Master! Save me!"

As if grasping a lifeline, he immediately activated his Cultivation Technique and was about to run toward the old man!

However, just as he took his first step, he felt an irresistible, terrifying force slam down on his shoulder!

THUD!

With a muffled sound, he was brutally slammed face-down onto the cold floor, unable to move an inch!

Jiang Che looked down at Zhao Kang, who was pinned to the ground like a dead dog, and frowned.

"Who gave you permission to run?"

He hadn’t killed Zhao Kang, because he still needed this dog to do his bidding.