It was as usual, while the other four sleep and one of them on guard duty. Huang Wen would keep himself busy on meditating.

Huang Wen was analyzing the force around him, through his spiritual sense. He compared it with the force that was absorbed when he killed zombies and demons using the weapon from this new world. Like a chemist who tried various methods to separate one substance from the other, trying to break it into several basic substance and then purified each of its basic substance.

He was in deep meditation, observing, analyzing and experimenting with the force. He had several clues. First was from fireball skill, the way he could extract only fire attributed force. Second, was his spiritual sense and his own body.

In his time during exploring the city he tried to kill a zombie without using his weapon but self made weapon from materials around him. As the zombie dispersed into its surroundings, he used his spiritual sense and his third eyes to observe it. Next he killed a zombie using his sword. As the force absorbed into his body, he watched and observed it. The characteristic of the force, the path it took, the place where it stored within his body and so on.

Later he wanted to improve his level and observe how the points actually distributed into the stats. How the collected force turned into certain stat. For now he wanted to learn everything he could about the soul and its essence, the force, before he tried that. Besides he needed lots of experience points to reach the next level. If he wasn't prepared and thoroughly learned everything about the soul essence, he might waste that chance to learn something and had to wait another breakthrough before he could have another chance to observe it again.

Slowly he opened his eyes, as he felt tired. It took him a few seconds before he realized that Zhang Tian Yi was there watching.

"Oh... Big brother Zhang...", he a little bit surprised.

"Still working on your observation? What is it this time?", Zhang Tia Yi approached him and smiled.

Huang Wen didn't sense any hostility from him. Neither mockings within his words and he smiled back, "Yes..., I just meditate and trying to get some inspiration.."

Zhang Tian Yi nodded, his eyes showed his admiration, "That's good... young man need to work hard for their future."

Huang Wen felt like Zhang Tian Yi was in love with him about something important. Usually the other just left him alone when he was studying. Huang Wen simply nodded his head and waited. Zhang Tian Yi seemed a bit hesitated, he stood awkwardly for a while before he pointed at the sofa.

"Let's sit there for a moment.", said Zhang Tian Yi and he went there to sit without waiting for Huang Wen.

Huang Wen obediently followed. He wondered what was bothering Zhang Tian Yi's mind. The old man acted a bit weirdly. They sat in silence for quite some time before Zhang Tian Yi spoke, obviously it wasn't a simple problem.

"What do you think of Master Zhang Hu?", suddenly Zhang Tian Yi asked after a long time of silence.

"Err.. I think he's a good man, a capable man, more than capable perhaps he had the charisma of a leader.", Huang Wen answered.

He was wondering why Zhang Tian Yi asked that question.

"Good man... yes, he is a good man and capable too. A capable leader...", Zhang Tian Yi nodded his head and another stretch of silence filled the room.

"Don't you think he's a bit ambitious?", suddenly Zhang Tian Yi asked again.

"Oh... about that... well, anyone with eyes can see he is building a power base but... I think I understand why it's necessary to do that. In this chaotic world, we'll need some sort of law and order and only a ruler could set it for us.", Huang Wen answered after gave it a thought.

'Zhang Tian Yi was one of Uncle Zhang's trusted men. Surely he got to have some hints about it. Even if Uncle Zhang didn't tell him anything, he wasn't the kind of man who won't be able to notice it.', Huang Wen silently thought.

"Hmm... that is obviously isn't it...", said Zhang Hu, he seemed to be deep in thought.

"....what if he wants to be some sort of king?", after a while, Zhang Hu asked another question.

This time Huang Wen didn't answer right away.

"... I think I could accept that. I will trust him more than some corrupt official government in any day. Especially in our current situation.", he said carefully.

Zhang Hu sighed and slowly nodded his head, "Well... I guess if you're smart enough to learn a skill through your observation, then you should be able to tell that much."

Huang Wen wondered, what did Zhang Tian Yi wanted to tell him? It couldn't be that he just wanted to tell him this, that Zhang Hu planned to find a kingdom and be a king. Zhang Hu still sat there silently, it seemed that whatever he wanted to say, it wasn't easy for him to say it.

"Boy... I just want to tell you to be careful... Zhang Hu is a good man but power could corrupt even the best man among men.", finally he said it.

"I began to understand your character after spending time for days with you and I think, you're a bit too soft hearted.", Zhang Tian Yi continued.

Huang Wen opened his mouth to argue but Zhang Tian Yi raised his hand and stopped him.

"I know... I know... these past weeks. You're hardening your mental fortitude. You no longer some green who pukes whenever you kill a man. I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about people in power.... sometimes.... sometimes they sacrifice harmless people for the sake of the bigger picture. What would you do if Zhang Hu does something like that?", Zhang Tian Yi said it after some hesitation.

Now Huang Wen didn't know how to answer, he silently wondered, 'Would Zhang Hu do something like that?'

With a heavy heart he answered it, 'I guess he would. He wouldn't mind sacrificing other if it meant he would save those who are important to him.'

'But only as a last resort.', he quietly added.

Huang Wen sighed, "Maybe... but I think his heart is in the right place. At least for now."

"Yes, I believe it too. Otherwise I won't follow his order. At least, for now.... ", said Zhang Tian Yi.

"But boy... Huang Wen... when one day your conscience and his action are conflicted, what would you do? You're going to marry his daughter right? And you plan to bring your parent and brothers to his hand too.", Zhang Tian Yi carefully pushed it even further.

Huang Wen frowned his eyebrows. He never gave it a thought that far. He was too happy that everything seemed to fall in its place when he met Zhang Hu. He would marry Zhang Xuan, he would go to find his parent and he would get an important role in the future. He was too satisfied with how everything developed that he stopped worrying at all.

"What should I do then?", Huang Wen asked weakly.

Zhang Tian Yi smiled and patted his shoulder, "I'm not saying that it's going to happen that way. It will be far in the future and there is no telling how things will develop later. I just want to remind you, that there is such possibility so you should have some sort of plan. At least you need to keep some secret to yourself, something that could save you in a difficult time. Don't tell Zhang Hu ... or his daughter everything."

Huang Wen watched Zhang Tian Yi's expression, he could feel his sincerity, slowly he nodded his head, "Okay.... I'll keep that in mind..."

"Well, that's all I wanna say. Now go back to your training.", said Zhang Tian Yi before he got up and left.

Huang Wen sighed and sat for quite some time, to reorganize his mind and mixed feeling. Somewhat he felt happy, because he knew how much Zhang Hu trusted Zhang Tian Yi and how much Zhang Tian Yi revered Zhang Hu, but for his sake, Zhang Tian Yi warned him against Zhang Hu. Of course it's just a possibility, it might never happen in the future but since Zhang Tian Yi warned him, didn't it mean that in the eyes of Zhang Tian Yi, he, Huang Wen, was more important than Zhang Hu?

"Thank you", he whispered softly.

But that night Huang Wen got more surprised, one by one, by the time they got the turn to guard duty, his companion found him and gave a similar warning. Huang Wen didn't know whether he should cry or laugh. He never expected it, that revealing one secret could change their heart that much. He realized now, that sincerity did, touched people's heart.

He reminded himself though, that not everyone would be like that. He was lucky that he met such people.

Now after he learned of their character he didn't regret his decision back then, not even a bit. He took their advice to heart though and wouldn't easily reveal more secrets he had in his sleeve in the future even to those who were close to him.

When morning came and they were having breakfast before heading toward this district public school. Huang Wen could tell from a glance that no one knew that all of them had been indirectly warned Huang Wen of Zhang Hu. Whenever he met one of them they secretly gave a signal to keep it as a secret. Huang Wen found the situation quite funny and secretly laughed.

He had thought about it last night and decided to keep it as a secret from them.

They warned him and wanted him to have something in his sleeve and this could be one of it. Say that one day it did happen that a conflict arose between him and Zhang Hu. He could use the help from them, but let's say that at that time one of them had a change of heart. If they knew the incident last night, this person could tell Zhang Hu to keep watch at the other four.

After gave it a thought. Huang Wen believed that it would be better to keep that as a secret.

It might be awkward for a little while but as long as he kept his mouth shuts. It would be fine. He was right, when they noticed that he kept their meeting last night as a secret, naturally they relaxed and no one seemed noticed that brief moment of awkwardness.

"Okay, let's hope that they still in that public school and we can finish this mission today.", said Tian Zhong.

Next: Chapter 39.