琅琊榜海宴小说

Chapter 6 - Constellation Body

He tore the note up and rushed out of the Yang Residence like a gust of wind, heading towards the Sunset Hotel.

The Sunset Hotel was near the Jade Palace Brothel. Long Chen picked up his pace and wove through the crowds like a wind. The people on the street felt a gust blow past them but when they turned around, they didn’t even see a shadow.

The brightly lit lanterns of the Sunset Hotel made it visible against the night sky. As Long Chen got closer, it got more crowded. He had no choice but to slow down as he approached the main gate.

Just then, a horse-drawn carriage ran out from the left side of the street. The pedestrians jumped away and cursed, but the carriage did not slow down. Long Chen could’ve easily run past the carriage, but at the critical moment he heard a child’s cry. A child was in the path of the carriage.

The child would be reduced to a paste if the speeding carriage hit him. Long Chen’s heart skipped a beat as his body reacted instantly. He was perfectly capable of dodging the carriage, but instead of doing so, he hugged the child and steeled himself. The carriage hit Long Chen’s back and sent him flying.

Everyone gasped, believing that both Long Chen and the child had died. However, Long Chen changed direction in mid air and landed lightly on his feet. He put the child down and didn’t even take time to console the child before he disappeared to save Huang. No one even saw what he looked like.

The scene of the crash was chaotic, and Long Chen felt pain on his back as he entered the Sunset Hotel.

As he crossed the doorway, Long Chen almost bumped into someone. He raised his head and was almost blinded by a dazzling young boy.

The boy was around fourteen to fifteen years old, slightly younger than Long Chen. Even though Long Chen was considered fairly good looking, the boy in front of him was ridiculously good looking. If not for his Adam’s apple, Long Chen would’ve thought he was a girl.

They almost bumped into each other. Long Chen and the boy stared at each other.

“Are you a boy or a girl?”

Long Chen’s tongue slipped and he blurted the question out.

Long Chen’s question was embarrassing, but the handsome young boy did not get mad. He stared at Long Chen calmly and pointed at his Adam’s apple, “I’m a boy.”

His face was serious but his voice was so melodious that even Long Chen felt his heart skip a beat. It was a remarkable feat since Long Chen was already used to the flirtatious voices of the prostitutes in the Jade Palace Brothel.

Long Chen silently cursed himself for thinking such thoughts. He still needed to rescue Huang so he ran past the boy into the Sunset Hotel.

“I saw you saving a child. You saved a life ...”

The boy said behind Long Chen’s back. He was surprised that Long Chen had rushed into the hotel. The young boy kept quiet as he watched curiously. He wasn’t offended at all, and instead, he was impressed with Long Chen for saving the child’s life.

“He’s like my brother and he has a faint scent of the constellations on his body. He probably cultivated something related to the constellations, and I haven’t used the ‘Constellation Body’ in quite a while ...”

The young boy continued to talk to himself as he watched Long Chen walking deeper into the hotel.

When Long Chen walked in, he felt an intense gaze trained at him. He turned around and saw Yang Zhan sitting next to a window with a pretty lady opposite him.

Yang Zhan is here too. Is he the one who took Huang hostage?

As he looked at the girl in front of Yang Zhan, Long Chen shook his head. If Yang Zhan wanted to dispose of me, he wouldn’t need to do such things. And it seems that he’s here for the girl.

Long Chen did not stop and went up to the second floor of the Sunset Hotel. The note had told him to go to the Peony One room. He could no longer hold in his anger as he reached the door and opened it. The room was in complete darkness.

He had just entered the room when Long Chen felt a sharp object closing on him. He quickly dodged and looked around. His attacker reached the door, closing it and staring coldly at Long Chen. Long Chen saw Huang tied up with rope. He had a cloth gag in his mouth. Long Chen saw Huang’s expression flash from panic and anger to sadness as he shouted through his gag.

Next to Huang was another man. Both the kidnappers wore masks that covered their faces completely, but they were filled with killing intent.

They were the same guys who had tried to assassinate Long Chen that night. Long Chen still couldn’t figure out why someone would want to kill a minor character like him?

“Who are you guys? Why are you targeting me?”

“We are merely being paid to remove an obstacle. No need to ask too many questions. Die, Yang Chen!”

The men swung their blades fiercely, and the blades ripped through the air, flashing as they headed towards Long Chen.

They both have the same amount of Qi as I do, but they are much more experienced in battle. They must’ve killed so many people. These guys are at least a hundred times more dangerous than Chen Liu. If I don’t fight with all my strength, I will die!

Looking at their movements, they must be used to fighting in pairs. I need to defeat one of them first to reduce their combat strength!

In the dark night, Long Chen’s eyes grew cold as the two blades approached him quickly. He twisted his body to one side to break through the assailants\' formation while they chased after him.

“Gust Blades!”

With the sound of tearing wind, one of them closed in on Long Chen, his blades growing closer.

When he saw that the gap between the two men in black had widened, Long Chen clenched his teeth and circulated all of his Qi. Instead of running, he launched himself at the closest assailant!

“Meteor Fist!”

A burst of starlight flashed in the dark room and blinded one of the assailants before he felt a strong force deflect his blade and land on his body.

Bam!

The assailant in the lead spat blood as he crashed into the other one.

Long Chen did not stop and continued to rush forward. He took the fallen blade and stabbed it right through his attacker’s heart. Blood sprayed on Long Chen’s face and shirt.

The fight might’ve seemed basic, but it was filled with danger. Long Chen’s biggest opportunity had come when the sudden flash of light from the Meteor Fist temporarily blinded vision. The Meteor Fist was also an intermediate Yellow-tier martial technique, comparable to the strongest attack of a Third Draconic Stage cultivator. This was why Long Chen had managed to injure and kill one of them so easily.

When the other one saw that his partner had died, he didn’t even say anything as he ran out from the window, staring at Long Chen in fear. Long Chen was about to give chase and ask who had hired them when the door opened. Yang Zhan stood at the doorway. When he saw the dead man on the floor and Long Chen’s face caked in blood, his brows furrowed in frustration.

“Damn animal. Why are you so stupid? Just because you’ve gained a little strength, you decide to kill someone in the Sunset Hotel? Don’t you know that I am good friends with the owner Boss Qing?”

Long Chen ignored him as he undid Huang’s ropes. “Huang, leave now. We will talk about it later.”

Two assassins–one dead and the other escaped. Huang stared at Long Chen in awe but realized that Yang Zhan was not an ally. Huang was afraid of Long Chen’s safety but there was nothing he could do. He ran off as if he were trying to look for help.

Yang Zhan’s face contorted when he noticed Long Chen ignoring him.

A fat man in lavish clothing behind Yang Zhan saw the bloody scene and his face paled. “Sir, you’ve gone too far. Many of my customers were chased off by the bloody fight. It seems that my business is going to be in trouble.”

Both Boss Qing and Yang Zhan were cooperating to ensure that Long Chen would face a harsher penalty. However, Long Chen had just killed someone, and his killing intent was at its peak. A single glare from him was enough to make Boss Qing stagger back.

Still, Long Chen did not want to fight Yang Zhan, who was at the Fourth Draconic Stage and had mastered many martial techniques. Long Chen was not a match at all for Yang Zhan, and he could only endure.

Regardless of Long Chen’s attempts to de-escalate the situation, Yang Zhan was still angry.

Yang Zhan had long hated Long Chen. After bullying Long Chen for so many years, Yang Zhan felt that Long Chen had challenged his authority as soon as he’d got stronger, especially since he also hurt Chen Liu. Previously, he could only suppress his anger, but now his hatred of Long Chen emerged once again. Looking at Long Chen’s eyes, Yang Zhan’s killing intent started to leak out.

“... I already spared you when you hurt Chen Liu the last time, but you dare to sully the Yang family’s name today? Looks like I have to teach you a lesson or you will think no one will keep you in check!”

Yang Zhan took a few steps forward as his oppressive aura enveloped Long Chen.

This bastard ... is strong.

The Fourth Draconic stage was no joke. Yang Zhan’s imposing glare was like a large mountain, causing Long Chen to slowly back away.

Still, he held onto the blade in his hand, blood dripping down the sharp edge. Long Chen’s gaze was fierce, as if he really wanted to fight with Yang Zhan.

Yang Zhan saw Long Chen’s fierce appearance and got even angrier as he clenched his teeth. “You damn mongrel. You dare challenge me? Don’t think of staying alive if you don’t kneel down and lick my toes!”

Long Chen remained silent as he stared at him coldly.

If Yang Zhan was really forcing him to fight, Long Chen would make sure that Yang Zhan paid the price even if it cost him his life.

Just as the two of them were about to fight, the lady sitting with Yang Zhan appeared from behind Boss Qing. She saw the bloody scene in the room and her face paled as she took a few steps back.

“Brother Zhan, please don’t fight. Let’s leave ...”

Yang Zhan calmed down before staring right back at Long Chen. “Fine. I will let you live one more day. I will show you the true meaning of suffering tomorrow morning.”

He hugged the girl and left with her.

Long Chen sighed as he let go of the blade.

“Yang Zhan, it seems that our hatred for each other has only increased. I am already at the threshold of the Third Draconic Stage. When I become stronger than you, you’ll be the one to know the true meaning of suffering.”

One assassin had died, while the other had run away. Not only did Long Chen fail to find out who had employed the two men, he was also worried the escaped assassin would come back with more assassins. This was not a place to stay long so Long Chen left quickly.

As he went down, he saw Huang waiting for him anxiously. He sighed in relief when he saw that Long Chen was fine and quickly told Long Chen, “Young Master Chen, I had just run down when a pretty boy told me to pass this to you. He said that he appreciated you a lot but he had to leave first due to some matters.”

Long Chen was confused but remembered that pretty young boy earlier. As he thought about the boy’s voice and serious expression, he cautiously took the book in Huang’s hand. He opened it up and saw the characters “Constellation Body” on the front page.

“The young boy said that this particular technique complements your Meteor Fist. Since you saved a child today, he decided that you were a kind person. He said that he no longer needed this so he’s giving it to you.”

Long Chen nodded and read more about the Constellation Body.

This is an intermediate Yellow-tier technique...

I saved a mere child but he gave me the book so I could cultivate the Constellation Body. It seems that he’s not an ordinary person. Maybe a disciple from a larger sect rather than someone from Baiyang Town.

Fine, I guess this is fate. I also need this urgently. I will just repay him the next time I see him.

Long Chen smiled and told Huang to go back home before returning to the Yang family himself.

“... absorb the power of the constellations and embed it into the skins, bones, and flesh ... temper it day and night, and the Constellation Body will be completed after perseverance ... sands and stones fly while walking and a mere fist contains as much power as a martial technique...

“The Constellation Body is not just a martial technique but a Body Tempering method! It’s rarer than a regular martial technique.”

“The Constellation Body is divided into two stages, the incomplete and complete stages. Although the mantras are difficult, I can somehow understand them. Tonight’s sky is filled with stars. I can use them to cultivate the Body Constellation technique. As long as I am successful, my attacks will contain the strength of a beginner martial technique! I can escape from Yang Zhan, or at the very least, fight on equal strength!”

To Long Chen, the method to cultivate the Constellation Body was not difficult.

Under the starry night, his cultivation of the technique went smoothly.

After a short period of time, his body reflected the starlight in the heavens, emitting a soft glow as if he were a star himself.

Long Chen opened his eyes all of a sudden.

“I haven’t finished cultivating the Constellation Body, but my Qi is increasing after today’s fight and the nurturing I received from the starlight, plus the mysterious Dragon Jade Pendant! I can break through the barrier of the Third Draconic Stage!”