Chapter 258: Chapter 258: Yang Zhen’s Thoughts

Yang Zhen naturally did not believe it. His childhood friend, who was even poorer and weaker than him, could actually register to participate in next year’s sect named disciple selection.

To know the registration fee, it requires sixty thousand silver coins. As a constable, he couldn’t earn sixty thousand silver coins in his lifetime. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

He initially thought there was a mistake.

However, he saw the Yuan Shun Escort Agency, and subsequently the names of Duan Rong’s deceased parents, and the address of his dilapidated family home.

"It’s Duan Rong!"

It’s really his childhood friend!

Yang Zhen lingered on the part of the document describing Duan Rong’s martial arts realm—Inner Breath Realm Third Level Minor Success Realm!

Yang Zhen looked at these words, feeling chills all over his body.

"Inner Breath Realm, Third Level?"

He raised his face, shocked, and murmured, "Duan Rong, is this still you?"

Sun Huang, usually calm and kind, suddenly met a violent death. Many in the escort agency couldn’t help but feel a sense of shared sorrow and, coupled with empathy for Liu Eying’s loneliness, many people went to Liu Eying’s home to help set up the mourning hall.

Duan Rong naturally went too, as Sun Huang had taken quite good care of him in the escort team.

The brothers from the escort agency, after setting up the mourning hall and paying their respects, dispersed individually.

Duan Rong looked at Liu Eying’s pitiful and heartbroken appearance. He several times wanted to step forward and offer a few comforting words but eventually held back.

Because he knew that his few words of comfort would be of no use.

In Liu Eying’s life’s dust storm, she was the only one who could cross it; no one else could assist her.

In the evening, Duan Rong, with a heavy heart, walked out from Sun Huang’s house. Tonight was New Year’s Eve, the streets were deserted, and the cold was biting.

Duan Rong walked to the entrance of the escort agency. Upon just reaching the steps, he saw someone approaching with a lantern from the side. It seemed the person had just spotted him stepping up, and they called out his name.

Upon hearing the voice, Duan Rong felt a joy in his heart. It was Yang Zhen coming to find him.

"When did you return?" Duan Rong knew Yang Zhen had gone to the prefecture city with Jie Daohan; right after the sordid blood case was exposed, he went to Yang Zhen’s house the very next morning, but he couldn’t find him.

"Just returned today." Yang Zhen smiled, the lantern he held illuminated his face. "Isn’t it New Year’s Eve? Come, I’ll treat you to a drink!"

Duan Rong smiled, looking straight at Yang Zhen, and said, "Why do I feel like you’ve got some ulterior motives? It’s New Year’s Eve; aren’t you supposed to be at your second uncle’s?"

Yang Zhen chuckled, "I told my second uncle there’s work at the government office. What ulterior motives, I’m both a thief and a scoundrel, just tell me if you’re coming or not?"

"You’ve gone all out with this grand invitation, and you’re both a thief and a scoundrel. How could I not oblige?"

Duan Rong laughed, already walking towards Yang Zhen, and the two of them headed towards Yang Zhen’s house.

"Do we need to buy some drinks and dishes?" Duan Rong asked while walking.

"It’s New Year’s Eve this late; where would you find any stores open on the street? Let’s go, I’ve prepared food and drinks."

"Seems like you really came prepared." Duan Rong laughed.

The two walked straight towards Yang Zhen’s house, almost turning into the alley leading to his home. Suddenly, Yang Zhen asked, "Duan Rong, what level is your martial arts at now?"

Duan Rong paused slightly, not knowing why Yang Zhen suddenly asked this question. He calmly said, "The First Level was achieved a few months ago; still some distance from achieving the Second Level."

He wasn’t aware that Yang Zhen had already seen the document for his sect named disciple registration.

In Duan Rong’s view, these documents should have passed through Qin Shuban’s hands. As a constable, Yang Zhen shouldn’t have had access to them.

Duan Rong’s answer to Yang Zhen was a normal progress rate for an escort master. Taking the example of Zhao Mu, he hadn’t even achieved the Second Level of Inner Breath yet?

For someone like him, breaking through several barriers within a year, with only the paper-thin wall of Perfection in his way, was truly monstrous!

Monsters should best not scare people, especially on New Year’s Eve, frightening their own friends.

Duan Rong knew that Yang Zhen had not yet reached the Second Level of the Inner Breath Realm either. After all, he had just joined the government office to start training this year.

Counting all the time together, it had not been even a year; achieving the First Level in just a few months was already very talented.

Yang Zhen, after hearing Duan Rong’s words, remained silent. They reached the gate of his yard, opened the door, and walked into the courtyard.

Duan Rong followed Yang Zhen inside and closed the courtyard gate.

The two walked one after the other across the courtyard, and Yang Zhen suddenly turned around, looked at Duan Rong, and said, "Duan Rong, shall we spar a bit?"

"Spar a bit?" Duan Rong didn’t understand what had come over Yang Zhen suddenly. Yang Zhen was holding a lantern, its dim glow illuminating his face, which looked somewhat gloomy.

"When we were young, I was strong, you were weak, and I always protected you in fights. But now we’re both Martial Artists, and who’s stronger or weaker isn’t clear without a spar."

After saying this, Yang Zhen suddenly tossed the lantern aside, and with a swish, he drew his saber and lunged at Duan Rong.

Duan Rong felt a jolt in his heart; he didn’t expect Yang Zhen would take action so abruptly.

Watching the saber light approaching, Duan Rong also prepared to draw his saber in response, planning to suppress his power to below the Second Level of the Realm to spar with Yang Zhen.

But just as Duan Rong drew his saber, Yang Zhen, already close, suddenly shook his sleeve, and a crossbow arrow shot out like a snake.

With a flash of cold light, it was aimed directly at Duan Rong’s heart!

Duan Rong felt his scalp tingle; at such close range, shot suddenly, and aimed at his heart.

With a flash of his blade, Duan Rong deflected the arrow, but by then Yang Zhen’s Barrier Saber’s tip was already approaching Duan Rong’s throat.

Duan Rong infused his Inner Breath, twisted the blade, and knocked away Yang Zhen’s weapon, then coldly looked at Yang Zhen.

Had he used Divine Sense to scan Yang Zhen, he could have discovered the crossbow in his sleeve early on, but he did not want to treat Yang Zhen this way, as he did not want to spy on a friend.

But Yang Zhen, the arrow and the saber just now were both filled with killing intent!

Yang Zhen’s weapon was knocked away, yet he sneered coldly, looking at Duan Rong and sarcastically said, "Indeed, you’re a master at the Minor Success Realm! Such extraordinary skill right from the start!"

After speaking, Yang Zhen scowled, picked up the Barrier Saber thrust into the ground by Duan Rong and put the saber back into its sheath, then entered the main room.

When Duan Rong heard Yang Zhen mention the Minor Success Realm, his brow twitched, his mind racing. On the registration form for next year’s Sect Named Disciple selection, he wrote his Martial Arts Realm as the Minor Success Realm.

Duan Rong also sheathed his saber and entered the main room.

As soon as Duan Rong entered, Yang Zhen threw a scroll of documents onto Duan Rong and coldly said, "If I didn’t test you, were you ever going to tell me about your Martial Arts Realm? And the matter of your registration for the Sect Named Disciple selection, were you ever going to tell me?"

Duan Rong was stunned, picked up the scroll from the ground, and flipped through it. It was the registration list for the Sect Named Disciple selection, along with detailed information about the registrants.

Duan Rong laughed and said, "Ah, I was just about to tell you. Just haven’t found the right moment yet."

Yang Zhen looked at Duan Rong’s smile, feeling a tremor in his heart. He knew that Duan Rong didn’t tell him out of respect for his dignity and that bit of pride remaining in his heart. But despite what he did to Duan Rong today, Duan Rong did not get angry with him, showing that Duan Rong not only had greater Martial Arts skills but a broader mind than he did.

Yang Zhen suddenly realized that this childhood friend of his, he truly no longer knew.

"Let’s have a drink!" Yang Zhen said mildly and sat at the table.

The table was already filled with various prepared foods and two large jugs of rice wine.

Duan Rong placed the documents to the side and also sat down, and the two began to eat and drink.

While eating and drinking, they exchanged a few words, but the original intimacy and warmth between them was entirely gone, leaving a somewhat awkward and strange atmosphere.

They didn’t eat many dishes, but they finished the two large jugs of rice wine, and Yang Zhen was already drunk, leaning over the table.

Duan Rong had a better tolerance for alcohol, only slightly intoxicated. He got up and shook Yang Zhen, but Yang Zhen remained dead drunk and unconscious. Duan Rong had no choice but to help Yang Zhen onto the bed, cover him with a blanket, and then leave.

Duan Rong walked out of the main room, his mind somewhat unsettled. He could feel that he and Yang Zhen could never return to the relationship they once had.

Because, there was now a barrier between their hearts.

Duan Rong sighed, walking slowly through the moonlit courtyard. As he reached the courtyard gate, he suddenly saw on the ground the very crossbow arrow he had deflected earlier.

Duan Rong’s heart stirred, and he bent down to pick it up. In the moonlight, Duan Rong noticed something peculiar about the arrowhead.

He touched it, discovering that the arrowhead was made of hard wood, merely coated with a layer of silver paint, and to increase weight, a hole was made in the shaft behind the arrowhead, filled with lead.

Duan Rong looked at the crossbow arrow in his hand, deeply shocked.

Yang Zhen wanted to test him but feared truly hurting him!

Duan Rong stood at the courtyard gate, turned to look at the window of the east wing.

Inside the dark room on the bed, Yang Zhen had already opened his eyes, breathing heavily due to the alcohol, murmuring, "Duan Rong, you’ve really come so far! I’m jealous of you, but I’m also happy for you! Damn, it’s amazing!"