Chapter 54: The Surging Dragon Halberd

Watching Wang Zhong leave, Chu Tian inevitably cast a somewhat aggrieved look at Wang Dali.

"So... Brother Wang, what kind of treasure did Captain Qin leave behind that made you carelessly conjure up an enemy for me out of nowhere?" Chu Tian said. "If you don't give me a clear explanation, I won't have the mood to fight that Wang Zhong in the competition. I might as well just surrender directly."

Wang Dali contemplated for a moment before saying to Chu Tian and Chen Meng, "Come with me."

With that, Wang Dali led the two of them to a secret armory of the Righteous Qi Alliance.

Upon opening the vault, a gleaming, massive halberd stood upright in the center of the room.

The Fangtian Huaji was over three meters long, its surface embossed with swimming dragons and radiating an inherent aura of murderous intent.

Even before getting close, both Chu Tian and Chen Meng could feel the razor-sharp edge emanating from it.

"This is... the weapon Captain Qin used back in the day?" Chen Meng said with a hint of surprise in her eyes. "It is said that fifteen years ago, Captain Qin Zhong of the Shang City Righteous Qi Alliance excelled at using a Fangtian Huaji. That halberd, also known as the Defying Dragon Halberd, is rumored to have been brought out of Kunlun by Captain Qin himself—a rare and exceptional spiritual weapon. But wasn't that weapon lost together with Captain Qin..."

"I brought it out," Wang Dali said, gazing at the Defying Dragon Halberd. "Back when Captain Qin was around, many young people wanted to join the Shang City Righteous Qi Alliance, and Wang Zhong was actually one of them. Of course, he still couldn't compare to me. After all, I was an official member back then, while he was just a substitute who hadn't even been promoted yet."

"So, during that operation, I followed Captain Qin to the underground palace tomb of the Ghost Emperor, but he didn't get to go," Wang Dali said. "The end result was that only the vice-captain and I escaped from that ancient tomb; everyone else died inside. Not being able to go to the underground palace tomb has always been a lingering trauma in Wang Zhong's heart. And since I lacked any cultivation talent, I was regarded by Wang Zhong as the biggest drag from that operation. Later on, after I took over the Shang City Righteous Qi Alliance, Wang Zhong left."

"He refuses to submit to me, yet he covets the Defying Dragon Halberd left behind by Captain Qin. And as for me, I have never agreed to give it to him," Wang Dali said, gently stroking the halberd.

"Why not give it to him?" Chu Tian's gaze swept over the Defying Dragon Halberd. Although it was a spiritual weapon, Chu Tian's Ghost-Slaying Saber was by no means inferior, and besides, he didn't even know how to use a giant halberd.

"Besides, Brother Wang, even if you gave me this thing, I wouldn't know how to use it," Chu Tian said.

"I know, because this was originally meant by Captain Qin for Wang Zhong," Wang Dali said, an undisguised trace of envy and jealousy flickering in his eyes.

"Captain Qin favored Wang Zhong from the very beginning," Wang Dali said with a slightly sour tone. "Wang Zhong has great talent, and he works hard at his cultivation. When it comes to many aspects of cultivation, he grasps things almost instantly, unlike me. Furthermore, Wang Zhong idolized Captain Qin immensely and always wanted to become a person just like him. Captain Qin liked him too; more than once, Captain Qin stated that this kid Wang Zhong was destined for greatness. Damn it, Captain Qin never praised me like that."

"So your jealousy got the better of you, and you deliberately made things difficult for him?" Chu Tian narrowed his eyes and asked Wang Dali.

"Envious as I may be, I, old Wang, am not that kind of petty villain," Wang Dali said. "Wang Zhong has great talent, but his personality has flaws. He is too arrogant and far too prone to extremes. Back then, Captain Qin took me in as an official member instead of Wang Zhong precisely to temper Wang Zhong's temperament."

"Unfortunately, Captain Qin never got the chance to carve and polish this piece of unpolished jade that was Wang Zhong." Wang Dali sighed, fell silent for a moment, and then continued, "Back in the underground palace tomb, Captain Qin once told me that if he couldn't make it out, I should bring the Defying Dragon Halberd out and pass it on to Wang Zhong. However, I had to wait until Wang Zhong's temperament stabilized; otherwise, if no one could keep him in check, that kid Wang Zhong would cause a catastrophe. That's why over the years, no matter how many times Wang Zhong asked me for the Defying Dragon Halberd, I never agreed."

"I understand now," Chen Meng said, looking at Wang Dali with contempt. "So, Chu Tian is simply a whetstone you prepared for Wang Zhong?"

"Hey, hey, don't put it that way. Little Brother Chu is the most talented person I've seen in all these years," Wang Dali said. "Even more talented than that stinky brat Wang Zhong. That's why I wanted to ask Little Brother Chu for a favor. And this won't be a free favor—although the Defying Dragon Halberd cannot be given to Little Brother Chu, our Righteous Qi Alliance still has quite a few good things. Once the matter is settled, I'll let Little Brother Chu pick an item from my private collection as a gift. Rest assured, although my private collection doesn't have a spiritual weapon like the Defying Dragon Halberd, there are still a few items of comparable value."

"No, five items!" Chen Meng instinctively countered.

"So ruthless? Can two items do?" A look of intense heartache appeared on Wang Dali's face.

"Deal!" Chen Meng clapped her hands and said, "As expected, always haggle when you have the chance; there are always unexpected surprises."

"I'll be damned..." Wang Dali looked at Chen Meng's expression, swallowed back a string of curses that had been hovering on the tip of his tongue, and said, "Fine, I accept my fate. Consider it compensation for utilizing Little Brother Chu without giving him advance notice."

"Since that's the case, I won't be modest," Chu Tian said with a smile.

"Good, then I'll have to trouble Little Brother Chu over these next few days," Wang Dali said.

"Don't worry," Chu Tian nodded and said, "No matter how many ghosts come to Shang City, as long as they aren't Ghost Emperors, I'll make sure they come and never return."

"Just say the word if you need help. Although Wang Zhong has left the Righteous Qi Alliance, he still has quite a few capable and extraordinary people under his command. During this competition, he will probably have his subordinates assist him, which might be a bit unfair to you," Wang Dali said.

"It's not like I don't have subordinates of my own, do I?" Chu Tian thought to himself, and besides, you call this unfair... Chu Tian mentally tallied the ghost officials currently under his command.

Yin Ghost Envoy: Chu Meng'er
Soul-Detaining Envoy: Song Shiyun
Underworld Demon Envoy: Feng Sanniang
Ghost Soldiers: Old Man Li, the Red-Robed Bath Ghost, Xiaohua, the Soccer Imp, the Consumptive Ghost...

So... if he sent all of them out just to deal with Wang Zhong... wouldn't that be... a bit like bullying?

Never mind, rebellious kids just need a beating, and didn't Wang Dali want to temper Wang Zhong's temperament anyway? A rebellious kid in his thirties like Wang Zhong needed a thorough beating even more.

Bidding farewell to Wang Dali, Chu Tian and Chen Meng returned to their home.

Deep at the bottom of the Tianshui River, beneath the thick riverbed, wisps of blue light burst forth from the mud.

Water transport and water spiritual energy billowed and swirled at the bottom of the river.

A massive black shadow cruised through these aquatic depths, driving away all nearby living creatures.

Its black scales were as cold as iron, and strands of ghostly aura coiled around its body.

It coiled its body on the cold riverbed, and when a pair of amber pupils snapped open, they looked like two yellow lanterns ignited in the endless abyss...