Chapter 167: What Happened?

Wang Zen looked around the place Xue Shaonu was. He knocked on the entrance gate of her compound for some time. He waited for 2 hours and Xue Shaonu did not answer. He sighed, there was nothing he could do now. Though he hated it, he knew she would be safe if Chen Jian was looking after her. And it would not be good for hm to be found around her premises at night when most of the school believed he was a raging pervert.

“Stupid Chen Jian,” he saidunder his breath as he walked away with a vow to return. He walked towards his cousins homestead, wanting to see if he was okay.

“Out for an evening stroll?”

Zen stopped at the familiar voice. He looked towards where the fifure was, who was shrouded in shadow but he could see the familiar mask on his face. “Hue…”

“Don’t!” he said. “You never know who is watching or listening.”

“What are you doing here?”

“What do you think?”

Zen remained silent.

“I’m being watched and I need you to deliver something to Lu Daomeng.”

“Me?”

“You have less heat than me and a little freedom.” He said. “You should enjoy cause soon it will be mostly gone.”

Zen’s lips stayed shut in confusion. He had many questions but now, one was important. “What do you want me to deliver?”

He held up a card and flicked it to Zen, who caught it. He looked at its face and saw a blank card.

“Wow,” Zen smiled, thinking of the first time that he was given a card like this. “I haven’t seen you use this trick in a… while?”

There was no one there, Zen was alone once again.

Wang Zen knocked at the gate.

“Who is it?” he heard Jao Fuu said.

“Wang Zen!” he said.

A section of the gate opened and he could see his cousin peer out at him. “Prove it.”

“Jao Fuu, really?”

“You’re right, no one could fake those looks.” She said as the clicks of locks opening could be heard. “Nor would they want to.”

The gate opened and Zen walked in.

“I’m a bit cautious after what happened today.” She said.

“What happened?” Zen said. “I heard screaming and then the enforcerswere attacking the students.”

“It started in our class.” She said. “An enforcer walked in the middle of class and demanded a student to come with him.”

“Why?”

“She was accused of… you know, helping the commoners rebellion.”

“What? Someone in our year?”

“No commoner is above suspicion.” She said. “Anyways, our teacher refused. He got in a fight with the enforcers, some of the commoner kids got involved, the enforcer called back up then… then all hell broke loose.”

“How could this happen?”

“Its these bloody Black Cloth Gang!” she spat. “They bought this bloody commoners rebellion to our school!” she punched a wall.

Zen looked at Jao Cong. He was sitting cross legged, meditating. However, he did not look at peace. “How is he?” Zen nodded toward him, seeing the uncormfortable look on his face.

“A little shaken up.” She said. “He’s trying to calm down by meditating but considering he looks like you when you meditate, I’d say its not working. I hate seeing him like this.”

Zen smirked, “He can’t find his inner peace.” Zen touched his storage stone and out came the glowing root he had found some time ago. “Lucky for you, I know a few things about that.” He walked to Jao Cong. “Hey Coz!”

Jao Cong looked up at him and smiled. “You are okay?”

“Of course,” he said. “Can you help me out coz.” He extended the root to him. “I found this earlier, not sure what it is.”

Jao looked at the glowing root and his eyes widened. “That’s… That’s a Red Root.” He took it as Zen handed it to him.

“Okay,” Zen nodded in mock understanding. “What is it?”

“It’s a medicinal herb that can add ki directly to ones ki base and momentarily open their ki pores so that they can absorb more mana and create more ki.”

“Great, then I’ll take it now.” Zen snatched the root and and tossed it in the air where he opened his mouth, waiting for the root to fall in.

“NO!” Cong grabbed the root before it could land. “Eaten raw its very dangerous because its unstable.”

“But it could make me stronger?”

“Yeah… if you can handle it.”

“I can handle it, let me at it.” Zen snatched it again and threw it toward his mouth.

“NO!” Cong shouted again.

This time it was Fuu who grabbed it in midair. “Hey, listen before you start eating things you find lying around.” She said.

“Zen’er, it will be safer if you have the pill processed into pills.” He said. “That way you can mitigate all the risk. Only skilled cultivators can eat this without any risk.”

“Fine,” Zen rolled his eyes. “I’ll have it processed into pills.” He said, taking it from Jao Fuu and placing it in his stone. “You can go back to meditating.”

He nodded and returned to his cross legged position. This time, his cultivation efforst went smoothly.

Jao Fuu’s mouth gaped. “How did you know that would work?”

“I guess I know my coz.” He said. “His interest in gaining and sharing knowledge can overpower anything.”

“Your smarter than you look, Wang Zen.”

“Thanks!” he smiled then frowned a second later. “Hey, what does that mean?!”