“Sister Zixi, Brother Zhou… is from the Valley of Medicine Masters?” Seeing how afraid all three generations of the Shi family were that the young man was from the Valley, Ren Jiapei could not help but lean into Yang Zixi’s ear and whisper.
“I don’t know,” replied Yang Zixi. She looked equally lost. “I don’t… think so?” She remembered that Brother Zhou had told her that he had grown up in Yunfeng prefecture, and this was the first time that he had left the prefecture.
Of course, Zhou Donghuang had told her this because it was indeed his first time leaving Yunfeng prefecture on such a long journey in this life. In his previous life, he had gone much further, even being brought to a faraway planet, Earth.
“No?” Ren Jiapei was somewhat disappointed, but not afraid because the young man had already displayed immense power. Furthermore, despite knowing that the Shi family had a level-eight adept, he had been bold enough to enter the house in this manner. Surely, he did not fear them.
After about fifteen minutes, Shi Hao led Yang Yunji to the hall in the Shi family household. The Shi family chief had ridden a ferghana horse to the Yang family and brought the Yang family chief here directly.
“Chief Shi, you have yet to tell me why you brought me here in such a hurry?” Yang Yunji asked as they reached the hall in the Shi family household. He sounded confused.
“You’ll find out once we go in,” Shi Hao replied as they entered the hall.
Yang Yunji followed him in. Immediately, he saw his nephew, Yang Zixi, whom he had chased out of the Yang family, standing behind the head seat in the hall, looking like she owned the place. He was not surprised to see Ren Jiapei beside her, as he had known that First Lady Ren had taken his niece in, though there was nothing he could do about it. Finally, his gaze landed on the young man sitting on the head seat arrogantly.
“It’s you?!” Yang Yunji was first taken aback, then asked incredulously, “You… what are you doing here?”
Yang Yunji could not imagine why this bum from an inferior prefecture was sitting on the head seat in the Shi family hall. Furthermore, now, even the old Shi family chief, a level-eight adept, was standing beneath him, looking afraid of the young man.
Could it be that he had been mistaken?
“Young Master Donghuang, I’ve brought him here… now, can you please tell us?” Shi Hao stared at Zhou Donghuang and asked.
“Tell you what?” Zhou Donghuang replied flatly.
“Young Master Donghuang, are you from the Valley of Medicine Masters?” pressed Shi Hao.
“Valley of Medicine Masters?” Initially, upon seeing Shi Hao, the chief of the tycoon Shi family, treat the young man so respectfully, Yang Yunji’s expression had changed slightly. Now, the color drained from his face.
Valley of Medicine Masters? Wasn’t this lad from an inferior prefecture? How could he be from the valley?
“No,” answered Zhou Donghuang.
“No?” Shi Hao’s eyes flashed, as the rest all heaved a sigh of relief. They did not think that Zhou Donghuang would deny it, because in such circumstances, at least he had not lied by saying “yes.”
“So Young Master Donghuang… which family clan are you from?” Shi Hao continued.
“Stop probing,” said Zhou Donghuang as he stood up suddenly. “I have no family backing me… as for me, I was born and raised in the inferior Yunfeng prefecture. I have an adopted mother who was a disciple of a lesser family in Yunfeng prefecture, but she has left that family now.” Zhou Donghuang revealed his entire background.
“If you really want to know about my background… I, Zhou Donghuang, am my own background!” As he said this, his eyes flashed like the sparkling stars in the night sky. An aura of confidence seemed to surround him, as if there was nothing in this world that he feared.
“Chief Shi, I was wondering why you brought me here so hurriedly, so it is because you thought that this country bumpkin was from the Valley of Medicine Masters… you’ve been overthinking, disciples of the Valley are not like cabbages that can be found anywhere,” Yang Yunji said as he laughed, shaking his head.
“If you’re not from the Valley, how dare you be so brazen in my home?” Shi Hao turned to Zhou Donghuang again, his gaze icy cold. He stepped forward as he declared, “Today, since you have come to our Shi family, don’t think of leaving!”
Shi Ji stood at the side, frowning slightly as he looked at the young man. If this man had no family background, how could he be so arrogant? He could not fathom what was the source of his confidence if he lacked a family backing. Was he simply putting on a front? Or pulling a bluff?
“Then I want to see, if I want to leave… how will you stop me?” Zhou Donghuang strode towards Shi Hao.
Just as Shi Hao was also wondering why this young man was so arrogant, Yang Yunji laughed coldly, “Lad, someone like you doesn’t need the Shi family chief to get his hands dirty, I can send you on your way myself!”
With that, Yang Yunji ran towards Zhou Donghuang using a lesser-grade swiftness technique.
Hwah!! Yang Yunji reached Zhou Donghuang, his palm outstretched. He looked formidable, his power as a level-six adept fully displayed.
Just as Yang Yunji was about to attack Zhou Donghuang, Zhou Donghuang struck Yang Yunji’s palm with his right palm in a lightning-fast motion, without so much of a glance in his direction.
Bang!! As the two palms hit each other, the loud sound resounded around the hall.
Kach’ng!!
“Ah—!”
The sound of bones cracking accompanied Yang Yunji’s guttural scream as he flew backward. He crashed into the screens in the hall along the way before falling on the ground, blood gushing out of his mouth. The arm which he had used to attack Zhou Donghuang had been totally destroyed by the strike from Zhou Donghuang’s palm.
Instantly, a hush fell over the hall.
“Brother Zhou…” Even though the two young ladies were prepared to see this, they still could not help but draw in a sharp breath upon seeing Zhou Donghuang injure Yang Yunji so terribly with just a casual strike.
Yang Yunji was the chief of the grand Yang family and a formidable level-six adept. But now, in front of their Brother Zhou, he had been defeated in just one strike as if he were a baby.
“How is this possible?!” Shi Yu’s expression changed. Initially, he had found it hard to believe that the young man was a level-four adept. But now, the young man had injured the level-six Yang Yunji so severely with just a strike. That meant that he was at least a level-seven adept. Or even stronger.
“This young man… could he be reincarnation of a magnificent practitioner?” Xiao Chen started at the young man with fright, his heart thumping. For a sixteen or seventeen-year-old teenager to be stronger than a level-seven adept was unheard of, even in the Valley of Medicine Masters that transcended Yunyang country. Thus, Xiao Chen could not help but suspect that this young man could be the reincarnation of a magnificent practitioner.
Even the God-tier adepts who had surpassed the levels of gathered qi were not fit to be considered “magnificent practitioners,” a term reserved only for the beings who surpassed God-tier.
These beings could fly, even use their physical form to transcend through space, leaving Ziyun planet for other planets. To the people of Yunyang country, these were legendary creatures. Across the whole Ziyun planet, there were few of such beings.
“Shi Hao, chief of the tycoon Shi family and a level-seven adept… I heard you are the strongest level-seven adept in the Shi family?” As Zhou Donghuang walked towards Shi Hao, he did not break his stride even as he blew Yang Yunji away with just a strike. Within an instant, he was right in front of Shi Hao.
“Sir…” It was only when Zhou Donghuang came face-to-face with him that Shi Hao recovered from his shock, his face revealing his fear. Even he did not have the power to injure Yang Yunji like that; in the Shi family, only his father had such power.
“Young Master Donghuang, please have mercy!” Shi Ji stepped forward. Now, he finally understood why the young man was so arrogant… as he had said, his background was he himself!
The strength that the young man had displayed showed that he was a level-eight adept like him. Although it seemed unbelievable, but he had just witnessed it for himself.
“Why? You want to stop me?” Zhou Donghuang tilted his head and glanced at Shi Ji. Without a warning, he rushed towards Shi Ji like a crazed bull.
Seeing this, Shi Ji reacted quickly, prepared to attack.
But, he was too slow.
Just as he had gotten into his stance, Zhou Donghuang had accelerated and reached him. He did not strike with his hands or legs, but whammed into his chest with the side of his body.
Bang!!
With a loud bang, Shi Ji flew backward as if he had been hit by a ferocious beast. He landed on a pillar in the hall, a huge human-shaped mark forming on the stone.
In the next instant: Boom! Boom! Bang! Bang!
…
The whole hall trembled as if a huge earthquake had happened.
When things became quiet after a while, Shi Ji’s old body had landed on the ground, fresh blood gushing out of his mouth. His breath was weak and his face pale as he struggled to get up.
“Father!”
“Grandfather!”
Both Shi Hao and Shi Yu were horrified.
Xiao Chen was appalled as well. He never would have thought that this teenage medicine master was such a powerful adept.
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