C44 Tang Tian, Who Was on the Verge of Exploding

"Hey tough guy, is it really comfortable lugging that heavy thing around on your back?"

Murong Fu had been trekking for four hours with a mid-grade treasure artifact weighing him down, panting from exhaustion.

"You're only feeling the weight because you haven't practiced the right body refining techniques. If you had, it would feel lighter and lighter instead."

"I suggest you just put it down! It's enough to have experienced the burden."

"Alright." Murong Fu agreed and promptly removed the treasure artifact from his back.

Min Zhenkang watched Murong Fu's struggle but held his tongue.

Together, they continued on for another full day.

"Senior Brother Murong, is that Little Dragon up ahead?"

Murong Lin was scanning the area in search of Murong Fu when Tang Tian's voice reached him.

"That is Little Dragon! Why is he moving so slowly, and who's that with him?"

Murong Lin squinted and recognized his younger brother, Murong Fu.

But Murong Fu's sluggish pace puzzled him, and it was then he noticed Min Zhenkang.

Murong Lin, unfamiliar with Min Zhenkang, mistakenly thought Murong Fu had been taken hostage!

Determined not to overlook any details about Murong Fu, they hadn't been hurrying on their journey.

"I recognize him, but how did he end up walking with Little Dragon?" Tang Tian wondered aloud.

"Junior Sister Tang, who is that man?"

"Min Zhenkang!"

"Min Zhenkang? Which one is that?"

"Senior Brother Murong, have you heard about the commotion at the Jee family's place not long ago?"

"I've heard bits and pieces, but I'm not clear on the details."

"Did you know the person who stirred up trouble at the Jee family was rescued by Junior Sister Tang?"

Murong Lin inquired of Tang Tian.

"Yes, that's correct. The one who caused the uproar was Min Zhenkang, the man you see before you."

"Jee Gong, for some reason, captured Min Zhenkang's father as a threat, but it backfired spectacularly, nearly leading to the Jee family's downfall at his hands."

Jee Gong nearly got himself into serious trouble, but even so, he ended up with his cultivation level crippled by Min Zhenkang."

"Really? Is Min Zhenkang that formidable? What level of cultivation has he achieved?"

"I have no idea. For some reason, even my father can't discern his true cultivation level. It's quite baffling!"

"Could it be that he's mastered a technique to hide his cultivation, or perhaps he possesses a treasure artifact that conceals it?"

"I'm not sure. What really intrigues me is how he ended up teaming up with Lil' Long!"

"Well, it looks like we won't be able to figure it out on our own. Let's go ask them directly. Since Lil' Long is unharmed, Senior Brother Murong can breathe easy." Tang Tian suggested.

"Yeah, Lil' Long is grown up now, but he's still such a handful!" Murong Lin lamented, the thought of his younger brother bringing on a headache.

His brother had talent, but he lacked dedication to his cultivation, preferring to indulge in frivolities.

Murong Lin was frustrated that even an issue of this magnitude failed to capture his brother's attention, who continued to act on a whim as always.

"Lil' Long."

Murong Lin and Tang Tian hurried over to where Min Zhenkang and Murong Fu were.

But Murong Fu was engrossed in conversation with Min Zhenkang and didn't notice their approach, not even recognizing his own elder brother.

"Big brother? What brings you here? And Miss Tang! Both of you—"

Murong Fu greeted them with a sly grin upon noticing their arrival.

"Cut it out. Junior Sister Tang and I specifically came looking for you," Murong Lin interjected quickly.

"And you, what's your excuse? Father wrote to say you'd left for the Fang Sect ages ago, yet you still haven't arrived. You're causing too much trouble!"

Murong Lin reprimanded his younger brother.

"Ah, Big Brother, don't worry about it. With you around, getting into the Fang Sect is just a matter of your say-so. I figured I'd take this chance to really enjoy myself."

"You know how tightly Father watches over me back in Steelgrave. I never get a chance to have any fun. Now that I've got the opportunity to be out and about without anyone hovering, of course, I'm going to make the most of it!"

Murong Fu said with a chuckle, "You're being reckless. If something were to happen to you, how would I explain it to our father?"

Murong Lin continued to scold his younger brother, "Don't worry, big brother. With this guy by my side, no one would dare lay a finger on me. Plus, you'll never guess who he is!"

The look on Murong Fu's face when he mentioned Min Zhenkang made you want to smack him.

"Little Long has been quite a handful for Brother Min on our journey. Please don't hold it against him; he's always been this playful, even as an adult."

Murong Lin spoke to Min Zhenkang with a courteous tone.

Murong Fu's mouth hung open wide enough to fit an egg, his eyes bulging. He had been bragging to his big brother about the tough guy beside him, only to find out that Murong Lin knew him, which instantly deflated his enthusiasm.

"No worries. Having Brother Murong to talk to and look out for me along the way is what allowed me to arrive here safely."

Min Zhenkang realized that Tang Tian must have revealed his identity to Murong Lin.

"Big brother, how do you know this tough guy? You haven't been back to Steelgrave, have you?"

Unable to contain his curiosity, Murong Fu blurted out the question.

"Junior Sister Tang informed me, hence my admiration for Brother Min's courage," Murong Lin replied.

"Oh, how could I have forgotten? It was Miss Tang who rescued this tough guy!"

Murong Fu smacked his forehead as the pieces fell into place.

"I'm just a simple man; Brother Murong, you flatter me too much!" Min Zhenkang responded humbly to Murong Lin, then turned to Tang Tian with a friendly smile, "Miss Tang, we meet again!"

"Whenever I see you, it's never for anything good. What brings you here? And how did you end up with Little Long?" Tang Tian inquired.

"Well, Miss," Min Zhenkang began, but Murong Fu quickly interjected.

Murong Fu then recounted the entire sequence of events.

"Big brother, since we've missed the recruitment window for the Fang Sect's disciples, whether you say one word or two, why not bring this tough guy along with us?"

Finally, Murong Fu addressed his elder brother.

"Oh? So Brother Min has come to join the Fang Sect's disciple recruitment as well! Since the deadline has passed, why don't you come with me? I'll speak to the elders; getting you both into the sect shouldn't be an issue."

Murong Lin spoke up.

"Much appreciated, Brother Murong!" Min Zhenkang gave Murong Lin a respectful fist salute.

"You're too kind, Brother Min. We're all acquainted now, and you've been a great help to Xiao Long on our journey. No need for formalities over such a trifle."

"Mm."

"Hey, did you run into any trouble with the Jee family after you got back to Whalespell?"

Tang Tian suddenly remembered to ask Min Zhenkang.

"Thank you for your concern, Miss Tang. The Jee family hasn't troubled Min's mansion!" Min Zhenkang replied.

"That's a relief. It looks like the Jee family knows their place. Otherwise, I'd have my father level them."

"Miss Tang, what about you and that tough guy? Are you two...?"

Murong Fu, ever the meddler, chimed in.

"Little Long, looking for a spanking?" Tang Tian narrowed her eyes at Murong Fu.

Seeing that look, Murong Fu quickly took refuge behind his older brother.

"No, no, no, I was just curious, heh!"

They had played together often as children, with Murong Fu invariably getting under Tang Tian's skin.

Angering Tang Tian meant a chase and a beating.

Oddly enough, despite the beatings leaving him bruised, Murong Fu never learned his lesson and continued to provoke her, though he didn't dare trouble anyone else.

"But Miss Tang, with your fiery temper, be careful or you might scare everyone off!"

"Actually, with that temper of yours, only the tough guy can handle you. You two are truly made for each other!"

Murong Fu teetered on the brink of mischief and another beating!

"Little Long!"

Seeing Tang Tian on the verge of exploding, Murong Lin quickly intervened to stop his brother.

If Tang Tian really lost her temper, Murong Fu wouldn't be able to dodge the thrashing, even with his brother present.

Upon seeing Tang Tian's expression, Murong Fu quickly clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Min, we're heading back to the sect. Do you plan to keep cultivating, or will you come back with us?" Murong Lin deftly steered the conversation in a new direction.

"I've decided to continue my cultivation, so I won't be able to join Brother Murong on the return to the sect."

"Very well, then Min, take this token of mine. When you arrive at the Fang Sect, present it to the disciples guarding the gate, and they will take care of you," Murong Lin said as he unhooked a token from his waist and handed it to Min Zhenkang.

"Thank you, Brother Murong," Min Zhenkang said with gratitude, accepting the token.

"However, I must be upfront about something. I can ensure your entry into the Fang Sect, but your position within will be at the discretion of the sect's leadership."

"Since you've missed the recruitment period, I can't make any guarantees regarding your role," Murong Lin explained, concerned that Min Zhenkang might later resent being assigned menial tasks.

"No worries. Just being able to join the Fang Sect is enough for me. I have no other expectations," Zhenkang replied with an easygoing smile.

"Alright then, I'll head back to the sect now. We'll meet again within its walls," Murong Lin said, offering a fist salute.

"Mm."

"Lil' Long, time to leave!"

Murong Lin was ready to take his brother back to the sect when, to his surprise, Murong Fu leaped to stand behind Min Zhenkang.

"Big brother, you go on ahead. I'll accompany Min Zhenkang to the Fang Sect, and I'll find you once we're there."

"That won't do. You've already imposed on Min Zhenkang enough. Don't burden him further!" Murong Lin reprimanded, his brow furrowed.

"Big brother, you and Junior Sister Tang go ahead. I'll stick with Min Zhenkang. It's not much farther, and we'll arrive shortly," Murong Fu said, giving his elder brother a conspiratorial wink.

Catching Murong Fu's hint, Murong Lin had a good idea of his brother's intentions. He suspected that Murong Fu feared he couldn't keep his mouth shut on the journey, risking Tang Tian's ire and another beating!

After considering this, Murong Lin no longer pressed his brother and turned to Min Zhenkang.

"Min, looks like I'll need to ask you to keep an eye on Murong Fu. If he causes any trouble, please don't hold it against him."

"I assure you, once we reach the Fang Sect, I will have a satisfactory response for you."

"No worries. Having Murong Fu along will definitely make the journey more enjoyable! Besides, I already consider him a friend," Min Zhenkang replied with a smile.

"Thank you for that, Min. Junior Sister Tang and I will head back to our sect now. We'll see you there later."

"Understood."

"Lil' Long, try not to be a nuisance to Min. If I hear about any misbehavior, you'll have me to answer to!" Murong Lin warned his younger brother once more.

"Alright, alright, big brother, I get it. No need to nag like a nagging woman!"

"..."