72 Chapter 71: Jealousy (1/2)
BOOM!
Unable to alter the trajectory of their attacks or halt them in time, Pang Feng's gauntlet and Liang Shao Yang's swords smashed into poor Zi Xiao Ji, reducing her into a bloody pulp and killing her instantly.
…or would have, if someone hadn't stepped in to intervene in time.
”!”
”You…!”
Both Pang Feng and Liang Shao Yang stepped back, their expressions frozen in shock and disbelief. Similarly, Zi Xiao Ji slowly raised her head, surprised that she was still alive after her reckless and utterly stupid action.
”Uh…”
Two ice shields protected her from both sides, huge dents carved into their frozen surface. The Spirit Engraving gleamed, despite the rents that destroyed them, and the glacial barriers still held. The gauntlet and blades had pulverized most of the ice, reaching to the final layer of defense before finally halting.
Pushing my glasses up my nose as I stood up, I cast a cold glare at both Pang Feng and Liang Shao Yang.
”The cafeteria is a place for eating, not fighting. If you want to kill each other, go do it outside, and not in here.”
”That's…I'm sorry.”
Pang Feng looked ashamed of himself and lowered his head. His fighting intent and aggressive qi dissipated almost immediately. He turned to Zi Xiao Ji and cupped his hands apologetically, bowing deeply.
”I apologize for frightening and almost hurting you, Miss Zi Xiao Ji.”
”No, not at all. I'm fine, so everything's all right!”
Zi Xiao Ji tried to wave everything away.
”Please don't be too hard on my brother.” A young girl who was about a couple of years older than me showed up and also bowed. ”He was only standing up for me.”
”Yeah…” Pang Feng raised his head to glare at Liang Shao Yang, who still remained cold and indifferent, but his sister quickly placed a hand on his arm to stop him.
”Brother,” Pang Yun said with a shake of his head. ”That's enough. I appreciate you standing up for me, but we shouldn't be troubling everyone else.”
”…”
Pang Feng took a deep breath and finally nodded. He turned toward everyone and bowed his head.
”I'm very sorry, everyone.”
”It's all right.”
”Yeah, it's not your fault.”
Clearly, Pang Feng was popular with everyone, for the crowd dismissed his apology and assured him that he was fine. There were a few looks of hostility cast at Liang Shao Yang's direction, but as always, he ignored them.
”Thank you again,” Zi Xiao Ji told me. I flapped my hand frantically.
”Nah, I didn't do anything.”
”You just saved her life,” Pang Yun told me with a gentle smile. Zi Xiao Ji enthusiastically nodded in agreement.
”That's right!”
”How stupid,” Liang Shao Yang muttered and turned away.
”Hey! Don't you think you owe Miss Zi an apology too?!” Pang Feng hollered after him, his face contorting in rage.
”Hmph.” Liang Shao Yang snorted. ”I wasn't the one who forced her to jump in the middle of a battle despite not having the strength necessary to do so.”
That said, I noticed how he panicked and tried to stop (despite failing) when he spotted Zi Xiao Ji earlier. Evidently, even Liang Shao Yang wasn't dumb enough to cause harm to the daughter of the sect leader and his wife.
”Bastard…” Pang Feng growled, but Pang Yun held him back again. Shaking her head, she whispered firmly in her brother's ear.
”Brother, that's enough. Liang Shao Yang is not worth it.”
”…”
Pang Feng took a deep breath, closed his eyes and turned away with his bulky arms folded across his broad chest.
”Are you sure you're all right?” I asked Zi Xiao Ji. She nodded with a smile, despite still looking a little shaky.
”Ah, yes. But I should be the one asking you that. After all, you're the one who took the full brunt of the blow…”
”Not me. My shields did.” I tapped my ice shields, both of which shattered instantly at my touch and rained upon the ground in icy crystals.
”Thanks for intervening and saving Miss Zi's life.” I initially wasn't sure why Pang Feng was expressing his gratitude to me, then I realized that he was relieved that he was thanking me for saving him from being a criminal who murdered the daughter of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect leader and his wife. That would bring about terrible repercussions.
”Nah, I only did what anyone else would have done. Besides, it isn't that much of a big deal. I really didn't do much.”
”Still, that's pretty impressive.” Tong Xue finally showed up, gaping at me. ”How did you stop the attacks from not one, but two martial artists at the peak of the Flowing Qi Stage? You only seem to be at the middle level of the Flowing Qi Stage at most.”
I rolled my eyes. Again with this whole bullshit regarding stages and levels. I didn't care too much about how I was vastly inferior to my opponents in terms of levels or stages, it wouldn't have made any difference in deciding to jump out and save Zi Xiao Ji.
”Now that you've mentioned it, your qi seems a little irregular,” Pang Feng remarked, studying me. ”I can't really estimate your level or stage.”
”You mean it's normal to go around estimating people's stages and levels?” I blurted out with a raised eyebrow. ”Do you guys go everywhere with qi measuring devices, or are you guys walking qi estimators? How exactly do you measure someone just from sensing someone's qi? Are you able to accurately quantify and categorize someone's strength just from sensing his qi?”
Everybody just stared at me.
”Uh…yes?” Tong Xue said as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
”If anything, it's weird that you are unable to measure and judge what level or stage someone is at,” Pang Feng agreed. ”You should be able to tell just from the amount of qi he emanates.”
”And how exactly do I measure that amount, other than 'it's a lot' or 'it's very little'?”
This was just too vague and made no sense to me. Everyone just stared at me again, not sure how to respond.
”It's hard to explain. We just…do.”
Thanks for the completely useless answer.
”Hmm, maybe you're already at the Qi Fusion Stage?” Tong Xue mused to himself as he scrutinized me. I was growing uncomfortable under his gaze and took a step in reflex. ”What stage have you reached, Fei Wu?”
”How would I know?!” I snapped. ”Am I supposed to be able to quantify my qi with nothing but instincts and qi sense, and then categorize it according to stages and levels?”
I mean, even on Earth, people didn't just divide their strengths into classifications based on some obscure sense. If you wanted to know the strength of your grip, you use a device that measured your output of strength in terms of kilograms, and even then the results would vary. You usually wouldn't get the identical quantity of strength twice. Physical proficiency was measured through how many pushups or pull ups you could do, or how fast you could run a certain distance – measured by using a timer or clock. Nobody just stared at you, use some sense, and then say, ”Oh, your grip is at level 10!” or ”You're at the level of running 4 kilometers in fifteen minutes!”
As for martial arts, the whole Dan system was incorporated by basing it on tests, not quantifiable numbers. If your master was satisfied with your performance in a test, then you get whatever Dan number they arbitrarily assigned you. And even most masters admit that these Dan ranking was essentially meaningless. A 10-dan karate black belt might still lose to an experienced fighter without any belts or Dan ranking in a street fight.
But obviously no one paid any attention to whatever I was saying. They were still obsessed with trying to figure out my levels and stages.
”What do you think, Senior Pang?”
”Hmm, well, you seem to have a point…”
I give up…
”Wow, as expected of Sister Qi Hong's assistant!” Zi Xiao Ji clapped her hands, impressed. ”No wonder she chose you!”
”No, that was just a coincidence…”
Even as I downplayed that remark, my curiosity was piqued by the way Zi Xiao Ji addressed Tang Qi Hong. Not as Senior Tang Qi Hong, but as Sister Qi Hong. Basically, in Chinese, normal people would address Tang Qi Hong as Tang Qi Hong Shi Jie, which literally means Senior (Big Sister) Tang Qi Hong, but Zi Xiao Ji was presently calling her Tang Qi Hong Jie Jie, which literally means Big Sister Tang Qi Hong, but in a more affectionate manner.
She must have some sort of relationship with Tang Qi Hong…
While thinking that, I caught a glimpse of something flickering in Pang Feng's eyes. But the glint was gone after a second and he forced a smile.
”So you're the assistant, huh…” he whispered to himself. He sounded disappointed – not disappointed with me, but at something else. Perhaps himself. It was almost as if he was jealous of me, but I couldn't be sure.
”In any case,” I spoke up, clearing my throat. ”I'm hungry and I want dinner. But the place is pretty trashed up, so let's help the poor staff clean up the place and repair everything before grabbing a bite. What do you guys say?”
With the exception of Liang Shao Yang, who had long departed the cafeteria, no one had any objections.
*
”Heh…”
The next day, Tang Qi Hong seemed to be in a foul mood. When she came to my apartment, she stopped at my doorway, folding her arms and tapping her foot impatiently against the ground. Her clear, sky blue eyes bore into me with heated intensity.
I shuddered involuntarily, wondering why she was so ticked off.
”Um…is everything all right?”
”Why wouldn't anything be?” Tang Qi Hong replied coldly. Shaking her head, she gestured toward a box of Sapphire Scorpion corpses. ”Here's your next task. I need you to skin these Sapphire Scorpions and extract their scales in one piece. Make sure you don't damage them! They're vital ingredients to be used for crafting protective armor!”
”Understood. I'll get it done right away. When do you need it?”
”Nine days. Don't rush. If you break the scales, I'll deduct from your mission rewards.”
I gulped. That was something I didn't want, so I nodded and made the sign of the Aquila. Praying to the God-Emperor that I would succeed without any problems, I accepted the box of Sapphire Scorpion Corpses and brought them into my workshop.
”You…seem to be pretty close with Xiao Ji, aren't you?”
”Huh?!” I almost dropped the box of Sapphire Scorpion corpses from shock. ”Where did that come from, all of a sudden?!”
Tang Qi Hong's lip curled. ”There's no use pretending. Last night, Xiao Ji came to me and raved about how you're her hero and everything. She said I was lucky and extremely perceptive, having the great insight to pick you as my assistant.”
Somehow I doubted luck and insight had anything to do with her decision, but I wisely kept my counsel to myself.
Instead, I shook my head. ”I helped her out yesterday, when she tried to stop Liang Shao Yang and Senior Pang Feng from attacking each other. But I assure you, yesterday was the first time I met her. I'm not close to her or anything.”
Tang Qi Hong's expression softened and she sighed.