Chapter 95: The Transformation of Zhao Zheng

Jiang Xiaotian was all too familiar with that sardonic voice. He immediately ducked his head, desperate to avoid being recognized on the spot, lest he become the target of some unwanted attention.

Zheng Yang, however, saw his expression shift from gloom to a fawning smile the moment he heard that voice. "Brother Zheng, you've come?"

Jiang Xiaotian couldn't help but roll his eyes. Cao Ren was right after all—wasn't Zheng Yang just a dog for Zhao Zheng?

The members of the Cao family stiffened at the sight of the newcomers, their faces turning deathly pale. They were caught in a dilemma, unable to leave and unsure how to stay. Zhao Zheng led his cohort of the Zhao family in a grand, sweeping entrance. As they arrived, the very air seemed to thicken, pressing down on everyone until they struggled to breathe.

Cao Ren was determined to find out who had sabotaged him, and he refused to let anyone leave. While some might have dared to slip away earlier, now that Zhao Zheng had arrived, no one dared to move an inch. The crowd held its breath, and Zhao Zheng, looking down upon them like an emperor, stood tall. If it weren't for the other two major families keeping him in check, he would truly be the king of Dragon City; he was dead set on claiming the treasure.

"Huh?" Jiang Xiaotian watched him from the corner, feeling a flicker of doubt. The aura surrounding Zhao Zheng was strange—he was far more powerful than before, yet something felt off, though Jiang couldn't quite put his finger on it. He kept his eyes locked on Zhao Zheng, hoping to discern the truth.

"Well? Whoever did it, step forward yourself and save me the trouble of hunting you down. Enough of these boring games," Zhao Zheng sneered, radiating arrogance. He clearly didn't think much of the person Zheng Yang had described.

The floor remained silent. No one knew who could be bold enough to meddle in the affairs of these two families, and the crowd exchanged uneasy glances. When the culprit failed to appear, Zheng Yang grew impatient. Just as he was about to lash out, Zhao Zheng raised a hand to stop him, then turned with a sinister smile toward Cao Ren.

"I heard you called Young Master Zheng my family's dog?"

Cao Ren remained silent, but beads of sweat broke out on his forehead. It was clear he was terrified. In truth, the Cao family had always detested the Zhao family’s overbearing and treacherous ways, but they lacked the strength to challenge them and dared not show their true feelings. Now that he was face-to-face with the Zhao family, how could he possibly stand his ground?

Seeing his silence, Zhao Zheng’s smile deepened. "What? Mute? If we’re talking about dogs, aren't you just a dog for the Ouyang family? A loyal defender of those bitches? What right do you have to be arrogant here?"

This verbal assault infuriated the elders of the Cao family, but their strongest member was only at the intermediate stage of Internal Strength. Against the Zhao family, they were like a mantis trying to stop a carriage—they had no chance of winning.

Yet, Cao Ren was no coward. He clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and as if coming to a final realization, he jerked his head up. "Yes! I said it! So what!"

Having spoken, he felt a sudden weight lift from his shoulders. Even knowing what he would have to face, he felt no regret. The rest of the Cao family, unable to swallow the insult, stepped up behind him, ready to face death.

Zhao Zheng was surprised by their defiance. He turned to Zheng Yang with a smirk. "Look at that, Young Master Zheng. Now that is what you call backbone! Too bad they might not live long enough to enjoy it. By the way, I think you might have blamed the wrong person. Perhaps it was Cao Ren who destroyed your folding fan?"

Zheng Yang immediately denied it. "Impossible! That’s absolutely impossible! Him?"

However, Zhao Zheng shook his head with a laugh. "No, no, I think it was him. There is someone I absolutely despise who also uses fire, so I’d like to spar with Young Master Cao. What do you think?"

Cao Ren was stunned. He was only at the intermediate stage of External Strength; how could he possibly be a match for Zhao Zheng? Wouldn't stepping up there be suicide?

Zhao Zheng flexed his wrists, eyeing Cao Ren with playful malice. "Young Master Cao, if it wasn't you, then it must be someone else. That would be a bigger problem, as I would be forced to find them and seek justice for Young Master Zheng today!"

Cao Ren didn't say a word, his teeth nearly shattering from the pressure of his clench. Zhao Zheng was a bully of the highest order. This move was ruthless—it forced Cao Ren to fight or admit that someone else had helped him, which would be like the farmer and the snake. Was he that kind of person?

So, gritting his teeth, Cao Ren stepped forward. "I did it!"

Zhao Zheng nodded in satisfaction. "Good! That's a man’s answer. Young Master Zheng is no match for you, and you called him my dog—well, one must respect the master when beating the dog. I'll take you on now. No objections, right?"

"No objections..." Cao Ren forced a bitter smile. What good would objections do? Whether he agreed or not, he was going to take this beating anyway. He took a deep breath and stood before Zhao Zheng.

Jiang Xiaotian was surprised; Cao Ren was truly a man of character. He hadn't backed down, and Jiang felt his efforts to save him hadn't been in vain. But what now? Jiang fell into deep thought. He knew exactly what kind of person Zhao Zheng was; he was clearly looking to make an example of someone to intimidate the rest, and as the "chicken" being slaughtered to warn the monkeys, Cao Ren’s fate would be catastrophic.

As he thought this, Jiang Xiaotian’s spiritual energy began to circulate through his body, ready to strike at a moment's notice. The Cao family continued to urge Cao Ren not to be impulsive, begging him not to make an irreparable mistake for the sake of a momentary temper. But Cao Ren was unmoved; he didn't fear Zhao Zheng—his only hesitation had been for the sake of his family.

"Come on then." Cao Ren’s face was resolute, his expression one of a man facing death.

Zhao Zheng sneered, holding him in utter contempt. Just as the two were about to clash, Jiang Xiaotian pushed through the crowd, ready to intervene. If it came to it, he would fight Zhao Zheng himself—he wasn't afraid of him!

However, as a familiar presence approached, the tension in Jiang’s heart eased. He retreated back into the crowd, knowing that Cao Ren would be saved. Sure enough, Zhao Zheng, who had been wearing an air of nonchalance, suddenly frowned and looked into the distance. A split second later, his expression changed drastically!

A slender figure descended from the sky directly above him!

Ouyang Zijin raised her leg high and brought it down without mercy onto Zhao Zheng’s head! By the time he reacted, he could only raise his arms to block!

"Boom!" With a thunderous sound, Zhao Zheng was driven to one knee, pinned firmly to the ground by Ouyang Zijin! The ground around him collapsed, spiderwebbed with countless cracks—a sight that left the onlookers trembling!

"Heh, I wonder who it is," Zhao Zheng said. He didn't seem injured, pushing Ouyang Zijin aside and shaking his arms. Although his expression remained composed, anyone with eyes could see he had been hurt.

Ouyang Zijin performed a few backflips and landed in front of Cao Ren, staring intently at Zhao Zheng. "You actually broke through to the intermediate stage of Internal Strength in such a short time? What have you done?"

No wonder she had struck so hard, and no wonder the Zhao family experts hadn't moved to help! Jiang Xiaotian’s heart sank. It seemed his intuition was correct; Zhao Zheng really had reached the intermediate stage of Internal Strength! He remembered that only a few months ago, Zhao had been at the peak of External Strength. How many people spent their entire lives stuck at that bottleneck? Yet here he was, not only having broken through but having stabilized his cultivation in the intermediate stage!

The families who were at odds with the Zhao clan gasped in collective shock.

Zhao Zheng shrugged. "What? Are you the only one allowed to be a genius, Ouyang Zijin? Why can’t I, Zhao Zheng, be one too?"

Ouyang Zijin couldn't be bothered to ponder how he had achieved it, but the boy was undeniably a major threat now. Even though he had truly reached the intermediate stage, Jiang Xiaotian still felt something was off. The fact that Ouyang Zijin had injured him with a single blow suggested this "intermediate" rank had a lot of artificial padding.

The situation had the crowd buzzing with excitement; it was rare to see a duel between the successors of two giant families! But they couldn't continue fighting just yet—if a real battle were to happen, it would have to wait until the treasure hunt began.

"Hehe, my sister is still quite impressive, isn't she? Look, she’s not even at a disadvantage against an intermediate Internal Strength fighter." A familiar voice sounded from behind him, and Jiang Xiaotian shivered violently!

He turned around to see none other than Ouyang Ziqian!

Jiang Xiaotian quickly pretended not to recognize her, nodding with a sheepish grin.

However, Ouyang Ziqian looked at him with a mischievous smile. "Is your neck all better? Does it still hurt?"