Turbid World: Martial Arts Master of the Republic of China Era, I Cultivate Immortality!

Chapter 125 The attack power bonus cap for the talent "Greedy and Cruel" has been increased! (Please subscribe!)

Private room on the second floor of the restaurant.

"Have a meal!"

Zhao Zheng spoke to Xiao Rou, who hesitated for a moment before picking up her chopsticks and wolfing down her food. Since the outcome was already decided and she couldn't resist, she was prepared to die of overeating.

Although she was puzzled as to how much the expensive-looking dishes on the table cost, she wondered if the money she received would be enough to pay the bill.

But soon, she discovered something that puzzled her: her illness seemed to have been cured.

A cold, also known as a flu, can be fatal even in modern times, let alone in this day and age.

Xiao Rou had been sick for two days, so she naturally knew how serious her illness was. Just as she was wondering if her cold had gotten better, Zhao Zheng put down his chopsticks and asked her.

"Have you finished eating? If you have, let's go. I'll arrange a job for you, you can start doing it and learn a skill while you're at it."

"???"

"What's wrong?"

"You're not one of Guo Qing's people?"

Xiao Rou spoke timidly, realizing she might have misunderstood something. Zhao Zheng thought for a moment and continued, "I am Mr. Guo's student!"

"Are you really not one of Guo Qing's people?"

Xiao Rou said with some disbelief, the Guo Qing she was referring to was naturally her brother, the brother who sold her.

"No, I've never seen him before—"

Zhao Zheng spoke without hesitation, and what he said wasn't exactly a lie. The second cycle had just begun, and he hadn't actually met Guo Qing yet.

"You—are you really my father's student?"

Xiao Rou still couldn't believe it. Zhao Zheng nodded, and then Xiao Rou tearfully recounted her miserable experience.

Although Xiao Rou's experience was tragic, she was lucky in some ways. For example, after Guo Qing sold Xiao Rou to a slave trader, she was soon resold to a brothel.

However, nothing bad happened to Xiaorou. The brothel where she worked was destroyed by a fire not long after.

Xiao Rou wanted to find a job, but the servant who had escaped from the brothel with her, the coachman, was unwilling.

The driver, relying on his fists, began to coerce Xiaorou. Later, Zhao Zheng found out that Xiaorou had half-closed the door under the driver's threats.

It was just a coincidence that Xiaorou got sick; she fell ill before things even started. Otherwise, something terrible might have really happened to her.

Regarding this, Zhao Zheng felt that nothing bad should happen, because Xiao Rou's illness was rather serious.

Judging by the timing, if he hadn't saved Xiaorou, Guo Qing should have been able to see her from below.

Zhao Zheng was not puzzled by the contradiction between Xiao Rou and Guo Qing's words, that is, whether Xiao Rou had been sold to a human trafficker by Guo Qing or not. He simply asked.

"Alright, stop crying. Here, wipe your tears. I'll find you a place to stay and maybe even arrange some work for you!"

"Thank you, young master, for saving my life!"

Xiao Rou took the handkerchief to wipe her tears and was about to kneel down, but Zhao Zheng did not accept it and stood up to avoid kneeling.

"Get up—"

More than an hour later, outside the back gate of Zhao's Money Shop.

"Alright, stop crying. Do your job well. It's just some simple tasks like serving tea and water, but I told them you can read—"

Zhao Zheng comforted Xiao Rou and watched her walk into the money shop. Then he looked at the "Life's Many Faces" panel, where the talent "Greedy and Cruel" had finished evolving.

[Talent: Greed and Cruelty]

[Introduction: He took evil as his strength, cruelly committed acts of harm, and Heaven took his life away, the consequences of which would follow him in the future—]

Although the name and description of the talent "Greedy and Cruel" remained unchanged, Zhao Zheng clearly sensed that the attack limit had increased from "+100%" to "+200%".

In other words, the original attack power of his punch could reach 1+1=2 with the blessing of his innate talent, Greed.

So now it becomes 1+2=3!

Of course, there is a price to pay. The price is that because of the increased cap, the cost also increases. The maximum cost to activate the talent "Greedy and Cruel" has increased from two dollars to four dollars.

As Zhao Zheng walked toward the Zuowang Temple, he looked at the poem on the second painting in the "Hundred Aspects of Life" series, titled "The Master's Guest."

He squandered a fortune to become a Taoist priest, and fifteen years of hardship were exchanged for a life of gratitude. He wanted to teach his disciples to repeat his mistakes, but greed ultimately led to his demise.

Looking at the poem and then at Guo Qing in the painting, whose expression seemed to have changed slightly, Zhao Zheng thought for a moment and added a poem in his mind.

He vainly sought mystical arts, knocking on the gates of immortality; he sold his sister, squandering his fortune to conceal the bloodshed. Only in death did he realize the thousand mistakes he had made; his soul returned seeking to redeem his sister, hoping she would live on.

After reciting the poem, Zhao Zheng put away the "Life in All Its Forms" illustration and began to ponder how Zhang Daqi knew that Xiao Rou's hands were very soft.

After thinking about it, he figured that Zhang Daqi must have forcibly touched Xiaorou's hand when he was indulging in debauchery.

Bah, despicable!

Zhao Zheng spat inwardly and continued walking towards the Zuowang Temple. It was quite a while before he returned to the temple.

Unlocking the gate of the Taoist temple, Zhao Zheng walked in and looked up at the sun, which was no longer hanging directly in the sky but was already slightly setting in the west. He wondered to himself.

Will Master Qin cause me trouble again?

Zhao Zheng opened the main hall of the Taoist temple, wondering whether he should cause trouble for the other party since they weren't bothering him.

A somewhat familiar yet malicious voice suddenly rang out from outside the gate: "Master Zhao, didn't your master teach you how to write the word 'rules' before he passed away?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Zheng turned around, his gaze sweeping over the incense burner in the courtyard before raising an eyebrow at the one-eyed Taoist priest Qin, who had just entered the Taoist temple courtyard.

Master Qin's expression was no longer the same; he looked much angrier than in the first time, which surprised Zhao Zheng for a moment. After thinking about it, he understood—it was because he had returned more than an hour late.

He could imagine Master Qin waiting patiently nearby under the scorching sun, and thinking about it, he couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"You—humph!"

Master Qin snorted coldly with an ugly expression. He moved swiftly, like a dragon, past the incense burner, and stood in front of Zhao Zheng, raising his large hand as if to slap him.

"Don't hit someone in the face!"

Zhao Zheng spoke calmly, raised his left hand, and caught Qin Daoist's falling right palm before he could react. He then stretched out his right hand.

Snapped-

With a crisp crack, Master Qin let out a scream and performed a 720-degree mid-air spin.

When he landed heavily on the ground, his only remaining right eye stared at Zhao Zheng in shock: "You're a martial artist!"

Wait, something's not right. Didn't you say you don't hit someone in the face? Master Qin, lying on the ground, covered his left cheek and glared at Zhao Zheng.

Knowing what Master Qin was thinking, Zhao Zheng chuckled. He had said he wouldn't hit someone in the face, but that didn't mean he would abide by it!

He already said it himself, he's a hypocrite!

After finishing his rant, Zhao Zheng looked at Master Qin, who was struggling to his feet, and asked, "Uncle Qin, do you think they didn't dare to attack me, but instead sent you to attack me?"

Master Qin was taken aback upon hearing this, and his expression immediately became even more gloomy. Seeing this, Zhao Zheng did not say anything, but muttered to himself that it was the beginning of a dog-eat-dog fight, and turned to walk into the main hall to offer incense.

Master Qin looked at Zhao Zheng with a gloomy expression. He covered his aching left cheek and left in a sorry state under the watchful eyes of the crowd who had come to watch the commotion at the entrance of the Taoist temple.

As usual, Zhao Zheng gave an explanation, mentioning that his uncle would be arriving soon. After speaking, he glanced at the rooftops in the distance and then walked into the main hall of the Taoist temple.

On a distant rooftop, Xiang Yu, hiding behind a chimney, swallowed hard and looked at his master, Daoist Tianyi: "Master, I have a feeling that Junior Brother Zhao has discovered us?"

"Probably not!"

Similarly, Master Tianyi, who was hiding behind the chimney, was not entirely sure. He didn't think his junior apprentice, who had only been a disciple for a little over a month, could discover his whereabouts.

"That's good then. By the way, Master, why don't we just go to the Taoist temple and tell Junior Brother Zhao that we've arrived?"

Xiang Yu asked, puzzled. Daoist Tianyi frowned, looking at the Zuowang Temple in the distance where there were few worshippers, and said without turning his head.

"I have my own plans as a teacher!"

To put it simply, he wanted to take this opportunity to test his nephew's character and abilities, and to see if his elder brother had made a mistake in accepting a disciple.

"All right----"

Having roughly grasped his master's thoughts, Xiang Yu pursed his lips and looked up at the sun, which was rapidly being obscured by dark clouds.

"Master, it's going to rain!"

"Rain? How could that be? I just calculated that the next few days would be auspicious—" Master Tianyi stopped speaking midway.

He looked up blankly at the large raindrops pelting down from the sky, and wiped the rain off his face.

"Walk!"

As he spoke, Daoist Tianyi frowned slightly and glanced at Zuowang Temple in the distance. Strangely, he felt that this rain seemed to be man-made, and it seemed to be Zhao Zheng who did it.

"Hmm? Why do I feel like he's behind this rain?" Master Tianyi wondered as he came down from the roof.

Don't be surprised, this rain was indeed man-made!

If Zhao Zheng knew what Daoist Tianyi was thinking, he would surely have answered with his own thoughts. Unfortunately, he did not know what the other party was thinking.

Zhao Zheng put away the altar and stood quietly at the main hall entrance, looking at the torrential rain pouring down outside.

I like rainy days —

As evening approached, in the living room of Master Qin's Taoist temple.

"He's a martial artist? And a practitioner of both martial arts and Taoism?"

Guo Qing walked into the living room and listened to Master Qin's words with a blank expression. When Master Qin stopped, he looked at Master Qin, who was sitting in the chair and had not gotten up, with a look that said, "Do you think I'm stupid?"

"Old Qin, if you're scared, just say so. I'll find someone else to do it. Why use this excuse!"

He could understand that Zhao Zheng knew martial arts, after all, which Taoist priest didn't know a little martial arts? But Master Qin said that Zhao Zheng was a martial artist, and even a martial artist who cultivated both Taoism and martial arts.

He simply didn't believe it!

Cultivating Taoism is cultivating Taoism, and practicing martial arts is practicing martial arts. Most practitioners don't have the energy to cultivate both at the same time, including him.

He only has talent in martial arts, and his master doesn't teach him Taoism, otherwise he wouldn't have practiced martial arts.

After all, in his eyes—or rather, in the eyes of many cultivators—martial artists were ultimately just brutes, while cultivation was the true path.

"Afraid? If I were afraid, I wouldn't have volunteered to help you drive him away!" Master Qin, sitting in the armchair, slammed his fist on the table in anger.

After saying that, he deliberately showed Guo Qing his still swollen left side of his face and said, "Do you think that if he weren't a martial artist, he could have beaten me up like this with my skills?"

"You—you're really not making excuses?"

Looking at Master Qin's expression, Guo Qing frowned, somewhat convinced. Master Qin snorted coldly and said nothing more.

"Fine, I'll go and meet him myself. If he really is a martial artist, then leave this matter to me. But don't worry, what I promised you still stands. Once this is over, I guarantee your Taoist temple will be bustling with customers and overflowing with incense offerings!"

Guo Qing spoke up, and Master Qin's expression softened slightly upon hearing this, saying, "I hope you can keep your word, otherwise don't blame me for being impolite!"

"Don't worry, I wouldn't dare to break the rules. Besides, if you don't trust me, can't you trust Master Zhang?"

Guo Qing said with a smile. When Master Qin heard the words "Master Zhang," his expression softened, but then he frowned slightly and said...

"Be careful, this kid's suspicious!"

"Don't worry, even if he really is a martial artist, so what? He's only been a disciple for a little over a month. At most, he's just entered the early stage of the ninth rank. I've killed many early-stage ninth-rank martial artists before!"

Guo Qing said confidently. Master Qin nodded and said nothing more, only looking at the rain that had stopped outside the main gate.

"The rain has stopped? Perfect, I'll go to the Meditation Hall to meet him—" Guo Qing said, holding a long sword in his left hand.

"Be careful!"

Master Qin stood up and stepped forward to offer a reminder, but Guo Qing smiled and walked towards the door without turning back, saying, "Old Qin, don't worry, I'm a martial artist too, he can't turn the world upside down—"

"Why don't you two fight like dogs?"

A voice suddenly rang out from behind the two of them, silencing Guo Qing and causing Master Qin to swallow back the words he was about to say.

The two men turned around abruptly, their expressions changing drastically. Before them sat Zhao Zheng, sipping tea in a grand chair, smiling broadly at them.

"You—when did you arrive?!"

Master Qin retreated in horror, staring wide-eyed at Zhao Zheng, who seemed to be sitting in the armchair next to him.

Not only was Master Qin shocked, but Guo Qing was too, especially after he thought about why he had been standing and talking. A nameless fear rose in his heart.

"I've always been here—"

Zhao Zheng put down his teacup, commented that the Tieguanyin tea was overcooked, and chuckled as he looked at Guo Qing, who was gripping the knife handle tightly in his right hand and watching him back with a wary expression.

Looking back, he stood like a lackey when facing Guo Qing. Now, Zhao Zheng couldn't help but sigh, "Large intestine wrapped in small intestine."

"Kill!" ×1+1

Guo Qing and Qin Daoist both gave a cold shout and attacked Zhao Zheng from the left and right. Qin Daoist pulled out a dagger from his sleeve and stabbed at Zhao Zheng, while Guo Qing drew his long sword with a clang and followed closely behind.

"Taoist priest—a person of virtue—"

Zhao Zheng said something indifferently, and the moment his eyes swept over Master Qin, Master Qin froze, standing there dumbfounded.

Guo Qing's expression changed upon seeing this. He stepped back, sheathed his sword, and turned to flee. His speed astonished even himself.

Just as he was overjoyed to run out of Master Qin's Taoist temple, the environment in front of him suddenly changed.

The night sky, which had been dark due to the rain and approaching evening, became bright. Where there should have been a wall in front of him, there was now an alley, an alley that exuded a pungent smell of perfume, which startled him.

"How did I end up in the Eight Great Hutongs?!"

Guo Qing was surprised, but soon his gaze was drawn to the women who had unbuttoned their clothes because of the heat. He chuckled and subconsciously walked into the alley, finding a woman who looked very familiar.

"How many----"

Guo Qing stopped speaking abruptly. He frowned as he looked at the familiar-looking woman in front of him and asked in confusion.

"Do we...know each other?"

"Brother, have you really forgotten? —"

The woman spoke slowly, and Guo Qing's eyes widened in disbelief as he staggered back: "You—you're Xiao Rou!"

"You've even forgotten your own sister?"

"I—I didn't—"

Guo Qing stammered as a memory he had been unwilling to confront surfaced in his mind: his sister had been sold to a human trafficker by him after his parents died.

He did all this because he wanted to learn real skills from his master, but in the end, he still didn't learn any real skills.

"Brother, you remember now, you remember that you sold me?" Xiao Rou's gentle voice pierced Guo Qing's heart like a dull knife, making Guo Qing's eyes redden as he spoke.

"It wasn't me, I didn't, I didn't—"

"Lying will make your teeth fall out—"

Xiao Rou's gentle voice rang out again, and the scene shifted to reality. In the living room, the frozen Master Qin stared in horror at Guo Qing, who was breaking off his teeth one by one.