I Cheated While Cultivating

Is this what they call equal in strength?

Zhou Heng’s first reaction upon hearing the reward notification was not joy, but confusion.

Defeating Li Tonghe had been far too easy; where was the sense of an evenly matched struggle? It was a total mismatch, at best unremarkable.

He should have been rewarded with three copper fortune bags instead!

How did it turn into a single silver fortune bag?

“Hmph!” Li Tonghe snorted coldly, glared fiercely at Zhou Heng, then picked up the severed piece of his Black Smoke Sword, and walked down from the platform.

Before long, his large figure passed through the crowd and left the area.

Zhou Heng watched Li Tonghe’s retreating figure with suspicion in his heart, secretly wondering, “Could he have been hiding his true strength just now? But it didn’t look like that at all. Could there be another reason?”

By now, the crowd beneath the platform was dumbstruck, mouths agape, unable to utter a word.

After a while, the onlookers erupted into excitement.

“Incredible! So strong, truly worthy of being a top fifty expert on the individuals’ list!”

“So cool! It was really awesome. That sword move just now was unbelievably powerful; I couldn’t understand it at all!”

“Just now, Zhou Heng’s sword aimed straight at the weakest point of Li Tonghe’s attack. He succeeded in one stroke, truly marvelous!”

“I never expected Zhou Heng’s swordsmanship to be so formidable. Could this be skill with both saber and sword?”

Admirations burst forth one after another.

Bai Yuejian was beaming with pride, her small face tilted up as she looked around and happily exclaimed, “See, see! I told you big brother would win, big brother is the best!”

“The strength of the master is indeed hard to believe,” Bai Jingtian murmured as he stared at Zhou Heng’s figure on the platform. In his heart, Zhou Heng already loomed as a revered elder; now he seemed even more like a deity!

“Brother Heng is improving too quickly!” Yun Xiu covered her red lips with her delicate hand, exclaiming, “It hasn’t been long, yet he’s grown so powerful.”

She remembered that just over a month ago, Zhou Heng wasn’t even a Ninth Rank Martial Artist. Now, he could actually overpower a Seventh Rank Warrior and win the fight.

And it seemed that he hadn’t even used his full strength.

“Could it be a reincarnation of a great power…” Yun Xiu’s master watched Zhou Heng on the platform, lost in thought.

At a nearby tavern.

Liu Changsheng looked at the platform in astonishment, saying, “Zhou Heng has become this strong? If he could defeat Li Tonghe so effortlessly, isn’t he now beyond me?”

“Perhaps stronger than the young master,” Wang Lang spoke up in time, “He instantly saw through Li Tonghe’s swordsmanship, grasping its weakest point. Young master, you might not be his match.”

“I might not be his match?” Liu Changsheng’s brows furrowed, he was not convinced, saying, “I have the Sect Fifth Rank ‘Green Sky Longevity Sword’ and have already comprehended the fourth level. How could I not be his match? I don’t believe he could see through a Sect Fifth Rank secret technique.”

Wang Lang’s evaluation was hard for him to accept. After all, just over a month ago, Zhou Heng had not even reached Entry Rank, and it was with his help that Zhou had stepped into the Ninth Grade.

To think that so soon he would be surpassed by Zhou Heng?

That was too much to bear!

“Has the young master forgotten? Swordsmanship is not Zhou Heng’s strongest martial art,” Wang Lang gently shook his head and seriously said, “That saber technique, at least a Sect Fifth Rank secret technique, is his true trump card, and it might not be weaker than the Green Sky Longevity Sword.”

“But, but… such improvement is way too fast,” Liu Changsheng found no words to refute and his reason told him that he could indeed be no match for Zhou Heng.

“The young master need not be overly concerned, you are about to reach the peak of the Seventh Rank. Soon, with the internal and external merging, you will achieve the Sixth Rank, and you’ll be in an entirely different realm from Zhou Heng.” Wang Lang smiled and said, “We came to Yuanhe Prefecture City for the Sect’s mission.”

He had set up a soundproof barrier in this private room, so he wasn’t worried that their conversation could be overheard.

“I know,” Liu Changsheng nodded, saying, “But how are we meant to obtain that wordless stele? The Wang Clan usually hides it very well; only the Family Head knows of its location.

“Even during the banquet following the martial arts competition, the wordless stele is just placed on a high platform, allowing people to approach within a yard for observation and enlightenment. We can’t just take it by force, can we?”

“We won’t have to take it, others will.” Wang Lang said with a smile, “The Yuanhe Wang Clan is just a branch of the Xuanzhou Wang Clan, with meager strength. Their strongest is only Sixth Rank, and they cannot stop someone who is determined to take it.”

“In that case, why has no one taken it before?” Liu Changsheng asked, puzzled, “The wordless stele is said to be a relic from the Middle Ancient period, and it can impart various martial arts, many should covet it.”

“Haha, does theyoungmasterknowwhy the Yuanhe Wang Clan was able to separate from the main branch in Xuanzhou?” Wang Lang laughed, saying, “Three hundred years ago, the former Family Head of the Wang Clan was a True Disciple of Qing Emperor Palace.

“Though the former patriarch of the Yuanhe Wang Clan is no longer present, they still have a smoldering relationship with Qing Emperor Palace. Unless necessary, who would come here to take things by force?”

The Qing Emperor Sect is one of the ten great sects of Da Qi, on par with the Five Elements Sect, with ancient heritage and formidable strength.

“Now that…” Liu Changsheng suddenly realized, asking, “Does someone want to prevent our Five Elements Sect from obtaining the wordless stele? Which powers are they?”

“The Plague Emperor Sect and the Honghua Palace,” said Wang Lang, “Apart from them, there seems to be a force from the overseas islands who also wants the wordless stele.”

“The overseas islands?” Liu Changsheng was startled at first, then said with interest, “I’ve heard that the martial arts of the overseas islands are drastically different from ours; I’d like to see for myself.”

“Young master, it’s best not to get involved with people from the overseas islands; their methods are often tricky and hard to guard against,” Wang Lang quickly advised, “If you really want to know about them, you can ask the lord back at the Sect after we return. But for now, it’s best not to make contact with those people.”

“I understand,” Liu Changsheng nodded, saying, “So we wait for the Plague Emperor Sect and the Honghua Palace, as well as those from overseas to make their move before we seize it from them?”

“The young master is quick to grasp,” Wang Lang nodded slightly, smiling, “Exactly. We take it and run, later we will have high-level experts from the Sect to support us, there’s no need to worry about anything else.”

Next, Zhou Heng, without any suspense, won nine bouts.

Having accumulated ten victories, he then stepped down from the platform.

It was somewhat regrettable that seven of these nine fights were against worthless opponents, whose defeat brought no reward, and the other two were simply no match for him.

In the end, he only earned two copper fortune bags.

Zhou Heng stepped off the platform, returned to Bai Yuejian and Bai Jingtian’s side, handed the Zhi Zhi Sword to Bai Jingtian for safekeeping, and looked towards Yun Xiu with a smile, “Miss Xiu’er, it’s been a long time since we last met, how have you been?”

“It hasn’t been that long,” Yun Xiu smiled. “I’ve been traveling the martial world with my master, encountering many novel things, which was quite eye­opening, and quite nice too.”

“And this lady is?” Zhou Heng looked at the woman beside Yun Xiu, somewhat surprised.

He had seen Yun Xiu’s master before and knew this woman was named He Mengqiu, but in his memory, He Mengqiu was just an ordinary-looking woman, at best above average, and didn’t possess the outstanding temperament or the fine features she had now.

In short, although the current He Mengqiu still bore some resemblance to the one in Zhou Heng’s memory, the overall impression she gave was as if she had been elevated numerous grades.

“No need for surprise, I’ve opened the gateway of life and death, built the bridge between heaven and earth, and drawn upon the energy of the cosmos to temper my body, furthering my transformation. Naturally, my appearance would differ somewhat from before,” He Mengqiu said with a smile. “Hmm, you’ll understand when you reach this step in the future.”

This statement was made with a firm belief that Zhou Heng would reach the Sixth Rank.

“Then I thank the senior for your auspicious words,” Zhou Heng smiled. Then, he turned to Yun Xiu and said, “Is Miss Xiu’er also planning to participate in this martial arts competition?”

“I had some thoughts about it, but I’ve dismissed them now,” Yun Xiu gently shook her head and smiled. “Overall, to secure a top-five finish and emerge victorious, one would need to be at least at the pinnacle of Eighth Rank or even Seventh Rank. My humble Ninth Grade wouldn’t stand a chance.”

“I brought her here to cheer you on and lend you support,” He Mengqiu said with a smile from the side.

“Master- ” Yun Xiu pouted.

“Hey, big brother, that big lug is on stage again,” Bai Yuejian suddenly shouted out. Zhou Heng saw that right after he had left the platform, Li Tonghe had gone up again and was initiating challenges to the crowd.

However, this time he deliberately ignored Zhou Heng’s presence.

“Hehe, it seems like this guy got scared off by teacher, huh!” Bai Jingtian laughed, “He doesn’t dare to challenge teacher anymore.”

“Knowing he would lose, of course, he wouldn’t challenge again,” Zhou Heng smiled, then added, “But with his strength, securing a top-five spot shouldn’t be a problem.”

His gaze lingered on Li Tonghe on the platform, trying to spot signs of him hiding his real strength in his upcoming fights, but alas, he found none.

After that, one master after another took to the stage, and Zhou Heng also went up two more times.

As dusk settled, the top five were determined based on the number of victories.

Zhou Heng, Li Tonghe, Wan Hongyi, Si Ying, and Lu Xiuming.

Four men and one woman.

Apart from Zhou Heng, they were all Seventh Rank.

Among them, Wan Hongyi was a disciple of the Shocking Thunder Manor, and he looked at Zhou Heng with quite an unfriendly gaze, while Si Ying and Lu Xiuming were said to be from minor families and were not well-known.

The martial arts competition came to an interim close as the sky in the west was filled with crimson clouds, and everyone dispersed.

“Big brother Heng, Master and I have reserved a private room at the Osmanthus House, it’s been a longtime since we met, so I’m treating you to a meal,” Yun Xiu said with a smile. “Remember to come-”

The Osmanthus House was a well-known restaurant in Yuanhe Prefecture City, reputed for their excellent dishes and desserts.

“Sure,” Zhou Heng smiled, “but I need to get sorted first, I’ll be there before the hour of the Pig.”

He planned to rest for a bit and also open the fortune bags he had obtained that day.

“Then Master and I will wait for you,” Yun Xiu nodded and smiled, then took her leave with He Mengqiu.

“Big brother, can I go with you tonight?” Bai Yuejian blinked her big eyes, full of anticipation.

“Don’t talk nonsense, teacher has his own matters,” Bai Jingtian whispered. “Stay at home tonight; tomorrow, brother will buy you a chicken leg.”

He felt he was being quite mature.

“Okay!” Bai Yuejian nodded and smiled. The little girl was quite easy to persuade.

The trio returned to their home in the backyard of Bai’s family’s medicine shop.

Bai Jingtian led Bai Yuejian in first, while Zhou Heng followed at the back. Just as he was about to enter, out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly caught sight of a person standing on the rooftop of a nearby building.

From the figure, it was a man.

He was tall and lanky, dressed in black fish scale armor that covered even his hands and feet, fully armed, but of course, the most eye-catching was the mask he wore on his face.

The material of the mask appeared identical to the ones Zhou Heng had previously seen on Cheng Jianjian and her companions, also painted with a pattern on it.

A weapon resembling a long halberd, entirely black.

A member of the Zhou Tian Boundary Officer?

Could it be that a ghoul had appeared in Yuanhe Prefecture City?

Zhou Heng furrowed his brow.

Just then, as if the man realized Zhou Heng was watching him, his figure flickered and he leapt away, disappearing from sight without a trace.