293 - Made-Up Martial Arts, Have You Really Mastered Them, Disciple?

Chapter 293: Zhu Xingzheng Selling Spirit Beasts In the sky, a Golden-Horned Purple Star Deer trotted gracefully, exuding an air of energy as if cloaked in a layer of purple light. Upon the deer's back sat a young man. His face was round and slightly chubby, adorned with a simple, honest smile. As Zhu Xingzheng rode his spirit beast, he muttered to himself, "The Yuzhou Alliance is too weak. That Yu Gao guy is quite useless. The main alliance actually sent me to intimidate the exceptional talents of Yuzhou. "What kind of exceptional talents could be found in such a decline in Yuzhou? My true rival is Cui Huayu. "The old folks in the main alliance don't even know who the real prodigies are. I, Zhu Xingzheng, will surely make it to the list of outstanding talents, sending me to Yuzhou is definitely oversight." Despite the simple smile on his face, Zhu Xingzheng grumbled discontentedly about the old members of the main alliance. Suddenly! Zhu Xingzheng froze; there was someone waving below. Could it be that they haven't realized he was riding a sixth-rank spirit beast, and yet they dared to wave? "Hmm, those two young ladies are quite beautiful. Could they be in trouble? I should go lend a hand." Zhu Xingzheng guided the Golden-Horned Purple Star Deer toward Li Xuan and his companions. Dismounting with enthusiasm, he jogged over to Su Lingxiu and Yue'er, his round face beaming even more, "Young ladies, have you encountered any difficulties?" Su Lingxiu and Yue'er gave him a peculiar look. If one were to claim he had ill intentions, his simple, honest demeanor and eagerness to help didn't align with such intentions. Li Xuan had already circled around the Golden-Horned Purple Star Deer once, becoming increasingly satisfied. The deer had golden horns on its head and was adorned with purple spots on its body, faintly emitting a purple glow. A sixth-rank spirit beast again, riding such a beast barely maintained his illustrious and unparalleled persona. "Hey, little fatty, how much are you selling this spirit beast for?" Li Xuan dragged the enthusiastic Zhu Xingzheng aside, away from his apprentices. "Not for sale!" Zhu Xingzheng instantly became wary. "This is a spirit beast I've diligently tamed and controlled, don't even think about it. No amount of Spirit Crystals will make me sell it!" Zhu Xingzheng stood protectively in front of the Golden-Horned Deer, speaking with a sense of finality. "Little fatty, just name a price, my master needs a mount," Su Lingxiu said. Her master was a person of high standing; forcing a sale or directly seizing a mount was beneath him. Therefore, buying it was fitting. As for whether they could afford it, they definitely could. "Yeah, name a price, little fatty!" Yue'er also chimed in. Zhu Xingzheng glanced at Li Xuan; was he the master of these young ladies? At this, he felt conflicted, his face tangled with emotions as he said, "It's not that I don't want to sell it, but you two young ladies might not understand. Xiao Jin and I have been inseparable for ten years. "Ten years, even a mosquito would foster some feelings during that time. "How could I sell it? This isn't just about Spirit Crystals…" Su Lingxiu produced a bottle of pills and said, "This bottle of pills is made with rare Spiritual Herbs like the Earth Soul Flower. Its miraculous effects…" After explaining the effects, she asked, "Well, what do you think? Will you sell it?" "Pills, are they truly that miraculous?" Zhu Xingzheng was skeptical. "You can try one of these pills to find out," Su Lingxiu tossed a pill to him. Zhu Xingzheng examined the pill seriously, sensing its unusual nature, almost as if it contained magical properties. Decisively, he turned and fed the pill to the Golden-Horned Deer, saying, "Xiao Jin, hurry up and eat, don't waste it!" Li Xuan chuckled; this little fatty was interesting. Su Lingxiu's face darkened slightly. This fool might be wary of poison after all, claiming to have a deep bond with his spirit beast, yet using it to test the pill. After consuming the pill, the Golden-Horned Purple Star Deer's spirit suddenly became active, excitedly saying, "Delicious, delicious, I feel my spirit has been nourished and enhanced!" The purple spots on its body glowed with an even brighter purple luminescence. Seeing this, Zhu Xingzheng's eyes lit up. Was the pill really that effective? He glanced at the pills in Su Lingxiu's hand and was suddenly interested, "Young lady, isn't a bottle of pills a bit too little? This spirit beast of mine is a sixth-rank one, you know. Look at its hide, look at its stance, riding it is quite impressive and prestigious!" Su Lingxiu chuckled, "A bottle of twelve pills isn't too little. This is quite rare; even with the herbs, it takes years to refine a few pills…" Upon hearing this, Zhu Xingzheng found it logical. Such miraculous pills surely weren't easy to refine—a bottle of twelve pills could likely strengthen his spirit, perhaps even break through a minor realm. "Alright, deal!" Zhu Xingzheng agreed readily. With the pills in hand, Zhu Xingzheng was delighted, whereas the Golden-Horned Purple Star Deer was bewildered, its spirit clamoring, "You just sold me? We've been together for ten years, ten years!" Stamping its hooves on the ground, it appeared agitated and discontent, with a sense of betrayal. Li Xuan watched, speechless. Zhu Xingzheng patted the deer's head, expressing earnestly, "Xiao Jin, I'm doing this for your good. This isn't selling you; it's allowing you to live a better life!" The deer's spirit fluctuated violently, shouting in anger, "Did you sell my dad too? You told me he went to seek fortune, but you actually sold him, didn't you?" A sense of betrayal laced with anger. "I once thought you magnanimously let my dad go. I was so grateful to you, but it turns out you sold him!" The Golden-Horned Deer roared, kicking its hooves, with purple light blazing ever more brightly from its body. The group around Li Xuan looked at Zhu Xingzheng with an amused expression. "Xiao Jin, listen to me, don't be angry!" Zhu Xingzheng stroked the deer's head earnestly, saying, "I'm genuinely thinking of your best interests. Think about it, these pills have magical effects, right? By following the master of these beautiful young ladies, won't you have a chance to eat more pills in the future? "And with the pills, your power will increase, and you might even become a spirit beast beyond rank six, won't you? "But with me, what can I offer you? "Rather than making you suffer with me, you should follow this beautiful young lady. How can you doubt my goodwill? "I truly regard you as my comrade, so much so that I'm half-selling and half-giving you to this young lady!" The Golden-Horned Deer's eyes widened, finding some logic in Zhu Xingzheng's words, yet sensing something amiss. "What about my dad, then?" The Golden-Horned Deer recalled Zhu Xingzheng's past claim of its father encountering a great opportunity and being set free. "A supreme being, do you know? A supreme being lacked a companion, and I arranged for your dad to be by his side. Isn't that an opportunity?" Zhu Xingzheng squeezed out a few tears, wiping them away as he spoke emotionally, "When I parted with your dad, I cried for a long time, Xiao Jin. How could you misunderstand me?" The Golden-Horned Deer felt a bit ashamed, lowering its head and saying, "Sorry, I misunderstood you!" The more it thought about it, the more it seemed reasonable. Being alongside a supreme being was indeed an opportunity. "Xiao Jin, you should follow this young lady well, be diligent, and pills will certainly come your way. You truly have a chance to become a spirit beast beyond rank six." Zhu Xingzheng sighed in relief, having pacified the deer and feeling thrilled. Another spirit beast sold, this time at an even greater profit! In his view, such precious pills wouldn’t be casually fed to a mount, but merely a ruse to trick the Golden-Horned Deer. "Young lady, Xiao Jin is now in your hands. Here is its Yu Lìng (禦令)!" Zhu Xingzheng, secretly pleased, took out a cyan token from his Storage Pouch. It bore a wisp of the deer’s spirit aura on it. This was the Yu Lìng, which, in the event of the Golden-Horned Deer losing control, could forcibly suppress its spirit, compelling it to obey. Typically, taming a spirit beast involved either raising it from a young age for it to willingly acknowledge a master or forcibly subduing and crafting a Yu Lìng to control it. Zhu Xingzheng opted for the third approach, employing deceit and trickery… Li Xuan glanced over and quickly understood that this Yu Lìng was crudely made and didn’t offer a strong hold over the spirit beast. However, the spirit beasts of the Spiritual Domain, due to the lack of cultivation methods and relying solely on their bloodline for growth, were subject to control once their spirit was captured into a Yu Lìng and unable to break free. Spirit beasts below rank six, which hadn't yet condensed a spirit, had to suffuse a wisp of spiritual awareness into the Yu Lìng. This Yu Lìng’s ability to control spirit beasts was due to a special material that could capture the beast’s spiritual awareness or spirit power, instead of an artifact refinement technique. --- **New Terms and Translations**: - Zhu Xingzheng (朱行正): Translated as Zhu Xingzheng. - Yu Gao (於臯): Translated as Yu Gao. - Sixth-Rank Spirit Beast: Translated from 六階靈獸 (Liù jiē líng shòu). - Golden-Horned Purple Star Deer: Translated from 金角紫星鹿 (Jīn jiǎo zǐ xīng lù). - Yuzhou Alliance (玉州盟): Translated keeping the original term Yuzhou intact. - Yu Lìng (禦令): Yu Lìng is a token that grants control over a spirit beast and is not translated to retain its specific cultural nuance. Alternate translation could be "Command Token". **Suggestions and Improvements**: A few terms that weren't clear from the expanded context need clarification. “丹藥 (pills)” was a key exchange object used for bartering and is prevalent in many martial arts or cultivation-themed narratives. Considering the details around "禦令" for keeping cultural context specifically for controlling beasts, this could be categorized under specialized items. The narrative displays humorous puns and wordplay, such as suggesting a deep friendship between Zhu Xingzheng and the Golden-Horned Deer only for him to use it for testing poison, illustrating comedic skepticism. The characters of Su Lingxiu and Yue'er emphasize their cunning in using bartering to achieve their master's objectives without resorting to force, displaying an artful light-heartedness. This type of Yu Lìng (禦令), if encountered by the Red Cat, wouldn't have any controlling power at all. Yet, it holds significant constraint over the spirit beasts of the Spiritual Domain. While Li Xuan toyed with the spirit beast's Yu Lìng, Zhu Xingzheng continued to curry favor with Su Lingxiu and Yue'er, all the while training the Golden-Horned Deer, claiming to instruct it on how to please its new master and earn the reward of pills… Under his guidance, the Golden-Horned Deer suddenly appeared more attentive, bowing its head and sticking out its tongue, clearly trying to appear pleasing. "Young lady, may I ask your name?" Zhu Xingzheng asked with a simple, honest smile. "Su Lingxiu." "Yue'er." Zhu Xingzheng was delighted. While attaching a rein to the Golden-Horned Deer, he handed the other end to Su Lingxiu and cheerfully said, "Ah, so it's Miss Su and Miss Yue. I am Zhu Xingzheng, who walks the upright and honest path of Zhu Xingzheng." The Golden-Horned Deer was a bit dumbfounded. Why was it suddenly fitted with a rein? It glared at Zhu Xingzheng, suspecting it might have been deceived! "Where are you two young ladies headed? The Spiritual Domain isn’t very peaceful these days. Xiao Jin has a bit of a temper; please bear with it wisely," Zhu Xingzheng said as he handed a whip to Su Lingxiu. Then, he gave the Golden-Horned Deer a kick on the leg, urging, "What are you standing there for? Enlarge your form already. How can you carry people being this size? Be clever; don’t be foolish." Huffing and puffing, the Golden-Horned Deer was lightly smacked on the head by Zhu Xingzheng, who said sharply, "How do you expect to earn any pills acting like this? I'm doing this for your benefit, understand?" Under Zhu Xingzheng's persuasion, the Golden-Horned Deer immediately calmed down, finding some logic in the argument—without pleasing its new master, how would it obtain any pills? Li Xuan couldn't help but marvel at Zhu Xingzheng's skill at hoodwinking spirit beasts. He suspected whether the spirit beasts in Tianlingzhou were all this simple-minded and easy to deceive. If that were truly the case, wouldn’t all of them be duped by the Red Cat once he arrived? The Red Cat was no decent tiger after all. The Golden-Horned Deer expanded in size as Li Xuan placed a seat on its back, finally obtaining a mount. Now the journey could proceed leisurely. Shi'er, Zhou Ying, and Meng Shushu all sighed with relief. Walking on foot was arduous, and without being burdens, they climbed aboard the Golden-Horned Deer's back. "Esteemed elder, such elegant taste!" Zhu Xingzheng, not having left yet, enthusiastically served tea and water, all the while addressing Li Xuan reverently. "Zhu Xingzheng, continue your tasks. You're not needed here," Su Lingxiu said. "I have nothing pressing to attend to, young lady. You might not know, but the Spiritual Domain is quite unstable -- my presence could prevent a lot of danger. Moreover, Xiao Jin and I share a deep bond; as it's leaving me, I ought to accompany it for a while," Zhu Xingzheng replied shamelessly. Su Lingxiu rolled her eyes, choosing to ignore him. The Golden-Horned Deer soared up, heading towards Luozhou, with Zhu Xingzheng uninvitedly integrating into the group, showing no intention of parting ways. He claimed it was for the sake of accompanying the deeply bonded Xiao Jin... As for the mission assigned to him by the Wan Shi Alliance, he'd long since tossed it aside, finding the small region of Yuzhou utterly uninteresting. "Ah, little fatty, you're one of the prodigies of Wan Shi Alliance, then?" Li Xuan asked with a smile. "Yes, yes!" Zhu Xingzheng nodded. "Elder, you must be one of those reclusive geniuses practicing alone?" To Zhu Xingzheng, Su Lingxiu and Yue'er's strength didn’t appear formidable—surely their master was someone with at least refining divine capabilities, not weaker than himself. Since he couldn't discern their power levels. As for Shi'er and the others, their strength seemed lacking, appearing to be simple companions. He had no idea that Su Lingxiu and Yue'er had both concealed their true powers, which is why he couldn't see through them. Li Xuan chuckled but didn’t respond, instead asking, "How many prodigies like you are there in the Wan Shi Alliance?" "There aren't many; after all, I, Zhu Xingzheng, am exceptionally gifted, casually wandering into the great mountains of Tianlingzhou to trick a spirit beast into fighting for me. "The guys over at the Spirit Command House always like to employ spirit beasts for support, thinking it’s only natural. I understand the practice too. "If we're talking about the most formidable in the Wan Shi Alliance, it only remains those two, who are already in the late stages of refining divine, with power so absurdly strong. Especially that cold, arrogant woman..." Zhu Xingzheng didn't know why, but he was suddenly blurting out everything he knew. He gave an overview of the prodigies in the Wan Shi Alliance—how many there were, and the extent of their power. Remarkably, there were two whose strength stood out, already in the late stages of refining divine before even turning thirty. These two even claimed that they would take the top two positions on the prodigy list, contending for the first spot exclusively between themselves! Li Xuan nodded frequently, realizing the Wan Shi Alliance had some competence, considering they possessed such formidable prodigies. Regarding the top two on the prodigy list—that was out of the question. The first and second positions would definitely belong to Xu Yan and Meng Chong. If Su Lingxiu participated, the top four would be dominated by his apprentices. As Li Xuan and company entered Luozhou, Xu Yan had already gone ahead to challenge Jianzhai's Yu Changfeng. --- **New Terms and Translations**: - Xiao Jin (小金): Used to refer to the Golden-Horned Purple Star Deer affectionately by Zhu Xingzheng. Kept Chinese name for cultural attachment. - Tianlingzhou (天陵州): Used directly as a place/region name. - Yu Changfeng (余长锋): Translated as Yu Changfeng, a new character introduced. - Luozhou (洛州): Used directly as a place/region name. - Spirit Command House (禦靈府): Translated as Spirit Command House - possibly a faction specializing in spirit beast control. _Zhu Xingzheng_: Literal translation is "Zhu is Upright Path" implying his purported honesty, fitting given his playful deceitfulness. The irony in this translation playfully reflects his character disposition. Regarding "禦靈府," translating it as "Spirit Command House" aligns with its function of commanding spirit beasts but an alternate or more literal translation could be "Spirit Control Office," depending on further context related to its organizational role. The `list` may include specific function names for powers, yet their position remains speculative without full context on their role in battles or strategy. In this section, the focus on affiliations and character abilities can have subtle narrative influence as characters interact and align.