The Attack of the Wastrel

Hey guys, great news!  Two more top-performing sneak peek Chinese novels licensed from Zongheng have left VIP-only and are available for you to read, each with fifty chapters and a 2/day schedule!  These novels are Yama Rising, translated by Minotauruz (who did the great translation of Demoness' Art of Vengeance) and Star Odyssey, translated by OMA who did Warlock of the Magus World and City of Sin!  Both are veteran and highly capable translators, and I'm excited to bring this to y'all.

Yama Rising: This novel,...

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On the last day that they spent in the Heavenly Lands, they did not meet a single beast. This was something that has never happened before, causing Wei Lingshu to give out a fortunate sigh.

“Maybe our bad luck has run out,” Jin Hao laughed.

“Really?” Wei Lingshu’s instinct told him it was not as simple as that. Yet, he could not think of the reason. Eventually, he pushed it to the back of his mind as he put on a satisfied smile and patted the Storage Ring in his hand, “With these strands of Spiritual Origins, there will be even more small Martial Artists appearing in the city next year.”

Fang Yue nodded in agreement, “That’s right, the two brats in my uncle’s house can finally cultivate.”

Everyone was laughing as they talked when all of a sudden, Yao Teng sighed softly, “If I remember correctly, Pang Huan’s kid has also reached the age to begin training right?”

This sentence caused the air to become heavy, losing all of its energy previously. The eyes of a few of them involuntarily turned red. To them, every comrade was like a family and they would all feel upset losing anyone.

A while passed before Wei Lingshu turned to Rong Yuan, “Elder, could you return Pang Huan’s body to me?”

Rong Yuan did not say another word as he retrieved Pang Huan’s body from his Storage Ring and handed him over to Wei Lingshu. Beside him, Gu Lingzhi said, “My condolences.”

Wei Lingshu nodded, “Thank you.”

He then turned around and kept Pang Huan’s corpse into his Storage Ring before speaking under his breath, “Pang Huan, we are bringing you home.”

With a heavy heart, the group looked for the Dragon Horse carriage that they had left behind and started their journey back towards the Spirit City.

After over a month on the road, the group finally arrived in the Spirit City. Gu Lingzhi and Rong Yuan could finally have a glimpse of the only last remaining city in the Lost Lands that still had Martial Artists.

The gate guards caught sight of Jin Hao leading the Dragon Horse carriages from afar and waved their hands at him excitedly. Hearing their elated shouts, the people in the city turned to look.

The Dragon Horse carriage in front of them automatically moved out of the way, allowing them to pass.

Jin Hao laughed as he rode the Dragon Horse carriage furiously. The three Dragon Horse carriages similarly quickened their pace and very soon, they were at the gates of the Spirit City.

Seeing the simple and unadorned look of the city walls, along with the bold words “Spirit City” written on the city gates, Gu Lingzhi felt like she had seen this sight before. But as she dug into her memory, nothing similar appeared.

Shaking off the familiar feeling, Gu Lingzhi looked at Rong Yuan beside her and realised that he was frowning. He looked as if he had something on his mind.

“Why? Did you realise something?”

“Nothing.” Rong Yuan replied, “I just find this very familiar, but I can’t seem to place a finger on it.”

Gu Lingzhi’s eyes narrowed, “I have the same feeling!”

The two of them exchanged glances and turned to look at the city walls and the board on the city gate. This feeling of familiarity yet, not being able to place the feeling was making the two of them uncomfortable.

Turning back, Fang Yue grinned, “Could it be that the other cities in the Lost Lands were built following the Spirit City’s design, that’s why you find it familiar?”

Thinking back on the structure of the Forgotten City, there were indeed some similarities with the Spirit City. As their supplies were short and the materials that they used being similar, it was only natural that she felt a sense of familiarity here.

“When you put it like that, it is indeed pretty similar.” Gu Lingzhi laughed naturally believing that she had found the reason. However, beside her, Rong Yuan remained deep in thought. Wrapping Gu Lingzhi’s tiny hand in his large one, he touched the door frame of the Dragon Horse carriage lightly with his other hand, pondering as he looked at the scenery outside.

The friendliness and hospitality of the people of the Spirit City was beyond what Gu Lingzhi had expected. As soon as the group crossed the city gates and were heading towards the Chancellor’s Manor, there were over ten people greeting Jin Hao and the others in the carriages. They wore warm and friendly smiles on their faces. Anyone who saw them would be able to tell that these people were sincerely welcoming them back.

Suddenly, a young child’s voice asked Wei Lingshu, “Leader Wei, how many strands of Spiritual Origins did you bring back this time? Mother said that if there isn’t much Spiritual Origins this time, I will have to give up training and let the other weaker younger sisters train.”

“Rubbish, how can you ask this kind of thing here?” The boy’s mother reprimanded as she looked around, awkwardly carrying her child away.

“The child means no harm, it doesn’t matter.” Wei Lingshu’s voice floated out from the Dragon Horse carriage in front of them, “Please head to the Chancellor’s Manor tomorrow morning. What we brought back this time will certainly not disappoint!”

“Yes, yes, that is great!” Receiving the answer she wished to hear, the boy’s mother smiled widely as she carried her child away.

There were also some that asked Fang Yue and Yao Teng curiously who Gu Lingzhi and Rong Yuan were upon seeing them in the same carriage. Upon knowing that the two of them were Martial Artists from the outside world that had been invited, they all let out sighs and looked at them as if they were mystifying animals. After the fifth time someone asked who she and Rong Yuan was, followed by giving them curious looks, Gu Lingzhi silently rolled down the curtains in the Dragon Horse carriage. This finally stopped the enthusiasm from the city residents.

In this manner, the hour-long journey had turned into four hours by the enthusiastic greetings by the residents. When they finally entered the manner, the sky had turned dark blue.

Arriving in front of the Chancellor’s Manor, the group alighted and left the Dragon Horse carriages with servants to handle. The people from the Chancellor’s Manor had already expected the group and knew why they were here. As the group got off and stabilised themselves, the housekeeper Lin Xiao wore a smile on his face as he greeted, “The two of you must be the Martial Artists from the outside world that Leader Wei mentioned in his letter. My master has already heard of your reputation, please follow me.”

The housekeeper then bent over and gestured for them to follow him.

On the other hand, Wei Lingshu and the rest did not need Lin Xiao to attend to them as they automatically headed into the main living room. Fang Yue even turned back and gestured happily to the two of them, “Elders, aren’t you coming? My master does not like to wait for people.” He was then dragged in by Jin Hao.

Gu Lingzhi smiled as she looked at the architecture that resembled the Royal Palace in the Tianyuan Continent and headed towards the living room. The Chancellor’s Manor was different from the one the Forgotten City’s Chancellor had.

As soon as both her feet stepped into the living room, Gu Lingzhi could feel eyes trained on her like an eagle. The hairs on her back stood. Just as Gu Lingzhi was feeling slightly uncomfortable, a familiar silhouette appeared in front of her. Rong Yuan’s voice resounded in the vast living room, “Is this the way the Spirit City treats its guests?”

As Rong Yuan stood in front of her, Gu Lingzhi felt the fearful feeling of being watched disappear and she could finally take a deep breath. She moved from standing behind Rong Yuan to standing beside him and looking forward.

In the front of the big empty hall, a middle-aged man wearing a dark reddish purple gown was sitting. Stars seemed to glisten in his eyes. With sharp eyebrows and thin lips, he felt as if he knew whatever anyone was thinking just by looking at them. The gaze that Gu Lingzhi felt when she first stepped in, must be from him.

Lin Chongyuan did not reply to Rong Yuan but only smiled and praised him, “Not bad. You are definitely from the outside world. A Demigod and a peak Martial Sage.”

Sitting on his right, Chu Jiang, the Vice Chancellor, stood up and smiled along, “Two elders, please do not misunderstand. Our leader has never been good with words. Although he seems serious, he does not mean ill. Please be magnanimous.”

“Ha.” Rong Yuan did not comment as he choked a laugh but did not seem to want to make a big deal out of it. He remembered his deal with Guan Yue and his goal of finding a way out of the Lost Lands. There was no need for him to pick a fight. However, if the leader is bent on treating them hostilely, no one could blame him then.

“Haha.” Seeing how his own master had ruined the atmosphere by his usual scrutinising gaze, Wei Lingshu could not help but try to salvage the situation, “The Vice Chancellor is right. Our leader only has this flaw on him. His eyes are too scary, every child in the city is scared of him. Even the First Mistress is also slightly afraid of him. Two elders please do not be fooled by him. Our leader is actually a very good person. What do you all say?”

At the last sentence, Wei Lingshu turned to ask Fang Yue and the rest. Their faces immediately stiffened as they forced themselves to agree. However, internally they felt like they were bleeding.

Since when was it only their master’s eyes that were scary? There was not a single part on his entire body that was not scary. If not, how would he have managed to prevent any rebellions from all four of his cities? But now was not the time to expose him and they could only agree. The reluctance on their faces were clear as day.

Thankfully, Gu Lingzhi and Rong Yuan were not very serious and reluctantly accepted Wei Lingshu’s forceful explanation. Under Chu Jiang’s orders, they sat in the seats that were prepared for them.

When the two of them had taken a seat, Chu Jiang chuckled, “We heard about your existence from Lingshu’s letter and went ahead to ask about you in the Forgotten City. We found out that you two elders only came in three months ago from the outside world. I hope you don't mind us asking about you.”

“We don’t mind.” Rong Yuan said blandly. They had no intention to hide that they were from the outside world. Even if Chu Jiang did not send someone to investigate, the news of the two of them would very soon spread to the Spirit City anyway. There was nothing for them to mind.

At this, Fang Yue interrupted, “Vice Chancellor, if you have anything to say please go ahead and ask. The two elders are very nice. You don’t have to beat around the bush.”

Chu Jiang’s face stiffened as he showed an expression that seemed like he was torn between laughing and crying. He then scolded, “You brat, you have been gone for just a short while. Are you in a rush to leave?”

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