Chapter 62: Xiang Wentian Turns Out to Be an Old Scoundrel

Ren Woxing was a ruthless man, a firm believer in the law of the strong: those who obey prosper, those who resist perish.

He gave a swift order: “This boy can’t have gone far. Search everywhere for the whereabouts of that disciple from Mount Hua. When you find him, keep it quiet. I want to handle this myself!”

Ren Woxing had no fear that he could not subdue Zheng Jian, just as he was not afraid of the others paying him lip service while secretly defying him. With the Three Corpse Brain Divine Pill in their bellies, he could rest assured of their obedience.

To return to the Black Wood Cliff, he had to overcome the obstacle of Dongfang Bubai. But Dongfang Bubai’s martial arts had already reached an unfathomable level—Ren Woxing knew this all too well, so he needed helpers.

One Xiang Wentian was not enough. Ren Woxing had been worrying about where to find such a master, but now Zheng Jian had delivered himself to his door; how could he not be tempted?

…

Upon seeing Ren Woxing appear in person, Zheng Jian made an immediate decision to withdraw.

Back in Hangzhou, Zheng Jian found a small inn, instructed the attendant not to disturb him, and only then began to digest the gains from this fierce battle.

To be honest, Zheng Jian had profited greatly. Although he hadn't managed to capture Xiang Wentian outright, he’d already gotten what he wanted: battle experience!

He began to review the fight.

In the early stage, Zheng Jian’s lack of combat experience was painfully obvious. Facing Xiang Wentian’s formidable assault, his responses were barely adequate, relying mainly on his superior Xiantian Skill and the Nine Swords of Dugu.

After a hundred exchanges, Zheng Jian gradually adapted to the tempo of a duel between supreme masters. The fight became evenly matched, and his understanding of the Nine Swords of Dugu deepened considerably; he could wield various sword moves at will, no longer confined by form.

By the latter stage, Zheng Jian already had a distinct advantage. The rapid inner energy recovery from his Xiantian Skill meant he showed no signs of fatigue, while Xiang Wentian was clearly running out of steam.

By rights, at this point, Zheng Jian should have been able to convert his advantage into outright victory. But then, Xiang Wentian showed the cunning of an old hand. First, he used the “Qi Absorbing Earth Method” as a ruse, throwing Zheng Jian off his stride and nearly scaring him away!

When that failed, he switched tactics, feinting in one direction and striking in another, seizing on a fleeting gap in Zheng Jian’s psyche to make his escape.

“As expected, a real duel between masters is not just a contest of who can unleash the flashiest moves—true strength lies in the blend of psychology, martial prowess, and cunning. Every calculation can directly impact the outcome…”

Reflecting on this, Zheng Jian sighed. If it were only about determining superiority, the weaker would simply admit defeat without a fight—what would be the point?

The so-called hierarchy of masterful strength is not absolute, after all. It’s only a measure of overt power, not a guarantee of victory.

Especially in the world of Smiling Proud Wanderer, not even the most formidable experts transcend human limits. Poison can still kill; a well-laid trap can bring down the mightiest.

Take, for example, Ren Woxing, whose strength clearly surpassed Zuo Lengchan at the same time. But Zuo Lengchan had a plan, using his Icy True Energy to counter the Star Absorbing Technique—extremely effective!

The proactive Ren Woxing fell right into the trap.

Dongfang Bubai, undisputed number one in the martial world, couldn’t be brought down even by the combined efforts of Ren Woxing, Xiang Wentian, and Linghu Chong.

But Dongfang Bubai too had a weakness: Yang Lianting. Once Yang Lianting was held hostage, Dongfang Bubai lost all composure and perished as a result.

Thus, the battle with Xiang Wentian was a real lesson for Zheng Jian. Lacking in martial skill can be compensated with cunning—it was no empty saying. And such cunning, in the context of battle, could be summed up as experience. In other words, if Zheng Jian had been more seasoned, he would have seen through Xiang Wentian’s ruse in a flash…

“Choosing Xiang Wentian as my first opponent was the right call! This fellow is as sly as a fox—compared to him, Ren Woxing is no more troublesome, and it’s no wonder that in the original story, Xiang Wentian laughed to the last. One by one, the great figures like Dongfang Bubai and Ren Woxing perished, while this sly old fox picked the fruit and rose to become the leader of the Sun and Moon Sect… In a way, he’s quite like Yang Xiao from the Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber world—both men of martial prowess and shrewd intelligence.”

One is the Left Envoy of the Ming Sect; the other, the Left Envoy of the Sun and Moon Sect. Break down the character for “Ming” and you get “Sun and Moon”—the connection is clear.

At this realization, Zheng Jian admitted he had underestimated this so-called “Heavenly King” Xiang Wentian. In the original tale, Xiang Wentian seemed full of boldness and loyalty, but in truth? He spent over a decade secretly searching for Ren Woxing, and when he finally found him, he schemed against Linghu Chong, swapped things under everyone’s noses, deceived even the sharpest minds—by the end, he became the biggest winner of the Sun and Moon Sect!

If this were a game of Three Kingdoms Kill, he’d be the perfect candidate for the role of hidden traitor, on par with Lu Meng or Sima Yi.

As he admired Xiang Wentian, Zheng Jian began to ponder another crucial issue: how to deal with the Star Absorbing Technique!

After all, on Zheng Jian’s challenge list, Ren Woxing was next after Xiang Wentian. Moreover, given Ren Woxing’s vindictive nature, having clashed with Xiang Wentian and revealed his strength, Zheng Jian doubted Ren Woxing would let him go. So if he truly faced Ren Woxing, how could he counter the Star Absorbing Technique? That became a problem he had to solve.

The weaknesses of the Star Absorbing Technique had already been mentioned, but Ren Woxing had spent years perfecting it. The completed version was truly a peerless skill, drawing from both the Northern Darkness Divine Skill and the Energy Dissolving Method. Zheng Jian might look down on it, but he couldn’t deny Ren Woxing’s power.

“In the original, the Shaolin Master Fangzheng fought Ren Woxing, and the righteous, supple energy of the Muscle-Tendon Changing Classic could not be absorbed by Ren Woxing at all!”

“Then there was Zuo Lengchan’s Icy True Energy—he let Ren Woxing absorb it on purpose, nearly freezing the old man to death!”

“So, to counter Ren Woxing, it seems I’ll have to use one of those two methods. But I don’t possess any special energy like Icy True Energy, so it’ll mostly have to be the first way.”

Zheng Jian mused, “Wait, my Xiantian Skill is also an orthodox Daoist divine art. In terms of the quality of inner energy, it’s no less than the Muscle-Tendon Changing Classic. If Fangzheng could do it, why couldn’t I?”

The realization dawned. The dread he held for the Star Absorbing Technique diminished. In truth, it was the legendary reputation of the Northern Darkness Divine Skill from his previous life that made him wary of the Star Absorbing Technique, which was derived from it.

But in terms of grade, Xiantian Skill was hardly inferior to the Northern Darkness Divine Skill. Why fear the Star Absorbing Technique?

Suddenly, Zheng Jian’s senses sharpened; he called out in a clear voice, “A guest is a guest—why not reveal yourself?”

…

(End of this chapter)