Chapter 61: Don’t Panic, Your Master is Here

“Oh? It seems you regard the Luo family as easy prey, yet you complain about my intervention. Luo Tian didn’t mention this to me either,” Zhang Shen said, his eyes wide open, not blinking as he told his story. “When he came to me that day, I saw he was old and pitiable, so I agreed to offer protection. However, given the bad reputation of the Luo family members, I only agreed to protect some of them. As for the Luo family’s territory, I, Zhang Shen, have no interest in it whatsoever. Daoist Li, you need not worry.”

Li Wen was furious, and Ma Qiang was also slightly annoyed. It was as if Zhang Shen was treating them like fools.

Aside from the territory, what about other resources? 

Would Zhang Shen agree to protect them without receiving any benefits from Luo Tian? 

And those benefits should have been theirs. Not to mention, the benefits required to sway a True Core cultivator must be substantial.

“There’s no need for further words. You rashly intervened, trying to snatch a piece of the pie from our hands. Let’s see if you have the capability.”

Li Wen had no interest in continuing the conversation. If talking was useful, why would they need to use their fists? A long whip appeared in Li Wen’s hand, surrounded by gusts of raging wind.

Seeing this, a blade flew out from Zhang Shen’s sleeve, landing in his hand, with an aura of heat and dominance filling the air.

“In that case, Daoist Li, please enlighten me.”

The momentum of both parties surged, and the overwhelming spiritual energy shook the heavens and the earth, colliding to create sparks and lightning.

Li Wen lashed out with his whip, intending to give Zhang Shen a good lesson.

With a sway of his figure, Zhang Shen, like a dragonfly, dodged the whip and flew towards the distance.

“Don’t run!” Li Wen quickly gave chase.

Zhang Shen was not avoiding the battle, he simply didn’t want to fight there.

Below was his Shanshui Residence. If it was damaged, who would be responsible? Whether he won or lost, he would be at a loss, so of course, he wanted to change the battlefield.

Li Wen’s speed was faster than Zhang Shen had expected. A gentle breeze accompanied Li Wen on both sides, making him appear agile and swift as he continuously closed the distance with Zhang Shen.

Thousand Mountains March!

Zhang Shen’s aura transformed, and his speed surged. The Mountain of a Thousand Layers technique was accompanied by a body movement method which made his speed no less inferior to Li Wen’s.

Just a small display of this movement technique was enough to make Li Wen and Ma Qiang, who were following behind, retract their underestimation of Zhang Shen. After all, men who were fast were generally not too weak.

Zhang Shen didn’t fly too far before stopping above a marshland.

Li Wen, rushing over, unfurled his long whip.

Crane Lowers its Head!

Rolling spiritual energy poured into the long whip, transforming it into a celestial crane swooping down.

Zhang Shen gently caressed the True Essence Flame Blade and whispered, “Blazing Prison Fire Star.”

Red spots appeared on the blade, creating heat waves that distorted the light around them.

Clash! The sound of metal on metal resonated as Zhang Shen and Li Wen collided in a fierce battle, resembling a celestial crane dancing amidst flames.

Looking from the side, Ma Qiang’s expression gradually turned solemn. He was well-acquainted with Li Wen and deeply understood the strength of Li Wen’s Celestial Crane’s Sevenfold Dance Technique. Usually, any True Core cultivator would be at a disadvantage in front of Li Wen.

Yet, astonishingly, Zhang Shen was holding his ground.

Ma Qiang reflected on Zhang Shen’s age and the time it had taken him to advance to the True Core stage, a shadow crossing his heart. The only consolation for Ma Qiang was that Zhang Shen was still at the first layer of the True Core stage.

“Good, good, good! To be able to fight me, no wonder you dare to intervene,” said Li Wen as he flicked the whip, producing sounds akin to crane calls.

“Daoist Li flatters me. Your strength is what is truly awe-inspiring,” responded Zhang Shen and moved, sending out streaks of flame blade energy. 

Although Zhang Shen appeared to struggle, even forcing out a few drops of sweat on his forehead, both Li Wen and Ma Qiang couldn’t help but feel joy in their hearts.

Zhang Shen’s strength had exceeded their expectations, but it was still within their tolerance range.

By this point, Li Wen had lost his desire to continue the fight. It was still a friendly sparring match, but any further, and they would be in a heated brawl.

“Zhang Shen, I have a move. If you can withstand it, I’ll acknowledge your right to a share of the spoils,” Li Wen declared.

With that, Li Wen took a step back, his aura transforming into something far more menacing.

A Hundred Cranes Soar to the Sky!

The long whip in his hand twisted and turned, conjuring hundreds and thousands of cranes that screeched as they filled the sky, their presence menacing and fierce.

Zhang Shen got serious. This move was no small feat. He swung the Flame Essence Sword, and layers of flame waves covered the heavens and the earth.

Inferno Starfall!

Fireballs shot out, colliding with the flock of cranes. A series of continuous explosions ensued, with waves of air and plumes of white smoke billowing out.

Li Wen simply floated in the air after executing this powerful move. Once the smoke and dust settled, Zhang Shen emerged, the right sleeve of his robe, where he held the sword, now tattered with specks of dirt and dust.

Seeing this, Li Wen’s heart leaped with joy. He was indeed the stronger of the two. But he also acknowledged that managing to hold one’s ground against him was an accomplishment in itself.

Feeling victorious, Li Wen decided to show some magnanimity and offer consolation to the seemingly defeated Zhang Shen.

“Good, you do have some skills. You’ve earned your right to join in on the spoils,” Li Wen declared triumphantly.

Unbeknownst to Li Wen and Ma Qiang, they had already acknowledged Zhang Shen’s right to a share of the spoils. Now, as long as Zhang Shen didn’t demand more, no one would trouble him again.

Feigning bitterness, Zhang Shen glanced at his tattered sleeve. He really did like that robe, and now it was ruined. His gaze then shifted to Li Wen, a mixture of emotions playing in his eyes.

Little did Li Wen and Ma Qiang know the effort Zhang Shen had put into pretending to be overpowered, skillfully maneuvering the cranes to fly past the starfall and land in front of him.

‘What an incompetent bunch,’ he thought to himself.

Li Wen and Ma Qiang misinterpreted Zhang Shen’s gaze as one filled with frustration and dejection of defeat.

With a theatrical sigh, Zhang Shen said, “Thank you both for showing mercy.”

“Rest assured, fellow Daoists. I, Zhang Shen, am well aware of the boundaries. Apart from the people within the Luo family whom I have promised to protect, I shall not intervene in any other affairs,” Zhang Shen reiterated. 

This time, Li Wen and Ma Qiang were willing to accept the outcome. The trio chatted for a few more moments before Li Wen and Ma Qiang departed.

Before leaving, Li Wen gave Zhang Shen a meaningful glance, seemingly etching into memory the face of this opponent who was only a half-step behind him.

Zhang Shen stood in place, lost in thought.

‘The hidden observers have left as well,’ he sensed. 

The watchful eyes that had been lurking in the shadows were now gone, allowing him to finally breathe a sigh of relief.

“All things considered, the outcome was favorable,” Zhang Shen was quite content.

A slight display of vulnerability had resolved the conflict and brought him resources. It was, indeed, a worthwhile trade-off.

Engaging in a fierce battle? No, thank you. 

Facing an undetermined number of True Core masters, even laying all his cards on the table might not guarantee victory, not to mention the risk of exposing himself to greater dangers. The cost far outweighed the benefits, so why bother?

Things had turned out quite well, all things considered.

He had already taken a piece of Luo Tian, and he had no intention of partaking in the following feast.

Upon his return to Shanshui Residence, Li Zhi, Zhang Yu, and the others were waiting anxiously outside. They were all competent fighters at the Innate stage and had felt the reverberations of the earlier battle.

Alarmed, they had come searching for Zhang Shen, only to find him missing.

They realized that Zhang Shen could very well have been one of the fighters, which filled them with dread. But seeing Zhang Shen, albeit missing a sleeve but otherwise unscathed, they all sighed in relief.

“It’s settled now. It’s just the aftermath of the matter with the Luo family. There won’t be any True Core masters coming to cause trouble over the Luo family matter,” Zhang Shen briefly explained the reason behind the fight.

Li Zhi, Zhang Yu, Li Zhong, Ye Ruohuo, and the others furrowed their brows.

Was this the aftermath of the situation with the Luo family? The group’s impression of the Luo family had diminished even further. Now that their glory was intricately tied to Zhang Shen, they sincerely hoped he wouldn’t take any unnecessary risks.

In the future, even if they didn’t actively undermine the Luo family, they would undoubtedly be more stringent with them.

Zhang Shen, however, wasn’t interested in micromanaging this situation.

Though he had accepted members from the renowned Luo family, they were, after all, from a True Core family. Raised in such an environment, they naturally carried a certain level of arrogance. To fully integrate into the Ancient Covenant and accept that they were no longer part of the prestigious True Core family, but simply ordinary members of a True Core force, would indeed require some adjustment and polishing.

After deciding to leave Li Zhi to assess her progress during this period, the others went their separate ways.

With ample resources at her disposal, Li Zhi, who was cultivating on the Mountain of a Thousand Layers, didn’t lack the necessary earthly treasures and heavenly materials of the earth attribute. 

Her progress was swift.

Although it was not as rapid as Zhang Shen’s had been back then, Zhang Shen’s physical body had always been far ahead of his martial arts cultivation. He had certain advantages during his cultivation, making it an unfair comparison.

“Innate fourth layer, not bad at all,” praised Zhang Shen. “Remember, don’t be impatient. Be steady and methodical. That way, you’ll have a greater chance of breaking through to the True Core stage in the future.”

Li Zhi nodded. She harbored grand ambitions when it came to cultivation. With Zhang Shen’s guidance, she felt somewhat confident about breaking through to the True Core stage.

For this reason, she had diligently followed Zhang Shen’s advice, step by step, steadily climbing upwards. However, this time, she was clearly distracted.

“What’s the matter? You seem troubled. What’s on your mind?” Zhang Shen curiously asked, wanting to know what was going on in his disciple’s head.

With a wave of his hand, Zhang Shen conjured a cloud of mist that enveloped his figure. Moments later, when the mist dispersed, he had changed into a new outfit.

“Master, I am feeling a bit worried,” admitted Li Zhi.

“Oh? Tell me more,” Zhang Shen’s interest was piqued.

Li Zhi began, “Everything that has happened with the Luo family is truly terrifying.” Her face was etched with fear as she continued, “Once glorious and bright, the Luo family now finds itself on the brink of being devoured by others. As time passes, it seems inevitable that all things eventually wither away.”

Li Zhi seemed to lose herself in her thoughts as she asked, “Master, will our fate be the same? Will we be forced to bow our heads and beg for mercy?”

Zhang Shen understood the root of her distress.

Was it because of Luo Tian that she felt such empathy? Or perhaps her ambition in cultivation extended only to reaching the True Core stage?

Everything Li Zhi had experienced and known led her to believe she could cultivate to the True Core stage. But she had a master, and her master had no intention of stopping at the True Core stage. Therefore, she, too, would not stop at the True Core stage.

“My silly disciple, even though there are times when we may need to compromise, it won’t always be the case. The Luo family’s future is not our future. We are different from them. You and I are also different from Luo Tian.”

Li Zhi was left puzzled, but Zhang Shen had no intention of elaborating further. The time was not right.

“You don’t need to feel lost. Just remember, your master stands firmly behind you.”

After reassuring his disciple, Zhang Shen felt a wave of sentimentality wash over him.

Being a master was indeed troublesome. It wasn’t just about imparting knowledge and teaching. It also involved caring for the disciple’s physical and mental well-being.

He wondered how effective his words had been in dispelling her confusion.

Upon reflection, he believed they would prove to be quite beneficial. After all, his speech was nothing short of a stellar performance, worthy of being noted down in a little notebook for future reference and contemplation.

And by the time that little notebook, aptly titled “How to Be a Good Master,” was filled to the brim, he would undoubtedly have transformed into an experienced and exemplary master.

With this thought in mind, Zhang Shen was filled with a renewed sense of determination and zeal.