Chapter 179 : Chapter 179
Lu Zheng took a few steps forward and stood before Yi Ning with a cold sneer, raising his right hand and clenching it into a fist.
An overwhelming pressure emanated from the fist, rushing straight toward Yi Ning.
Faced with such a crisis, Yi Ning furrowed her brow, stepped back several paces, and pulled the members of the “Friendly Profit” squad in front of her like a shield.
“You think this cheap trick can fool me?”
Lu Zheng snorted coldly and changed his fist into a claw.
His arm moved like a swimming dragon, effortlessly bypassing the human wall formed by the “Friendly Profit” team, and grabbed Yi Ning’s head from behind them, dragging her out.
“Ahhhh!”
Yi Ning struggled desperately under Lu Zheng’s claw, flailing her little arms and legs, launching a flurry of punches and kicks at Lu Zheng’s abs.
“Damn you! Beast! Don’t think you can refine this Emperor! Today, even if I have to self-destruct my origin, I, the Heavenly Emperor, will drag you to hell with me!”
Faced with such a massive difference in cultivation levels, Yi Ning’s attacks naturally had no effect on Lu Zheng whatsoever.
But she remained undeterred, still writhing around trying to inflict even a sliver of damage.
Lu Zheng felt a flicker of annoyance.
He applied a little more pressure with the hand gripping her head and reversed his grip to subdue her entirely.
“Awooo—!”
“Wrong! I was wrong! I was wrong!”
The pain from her scalp made Yi Ning immediately switch her attitude.
She used both hands to prop up Lu Zheng’s fingers, squeezing out a few teardrops from the corners of her eyes.
“Stop fooling around, Yi the Heavenly Emperor. After accepting their gifts, shouldn’t you be saying something to them?”
“Quickly thank them for me!”
Lu Zheng held Yi Ning’s head firmly and turned her toward Lester and the others, demanding she express her gratitude.
Out of his line of sight, Yi Ning’s eyes rolled slightly—a wicked idea popping into her head.
She puffed up her cheeks slightly, putting on a performance of a slightly aggrieved yet reasonable, obedient look.
“Thanking them is fine… but don’t you think, holding me like this, it looks more like you’re escorting me to the execution ground than expressing gratitude?”
Lu Zheng thought about it and admitted she had a point.
Since Yi Ning still had some sense of basic decency and was willing to give thanks—
It did feel a little inappropriate to keep gripping her like that.
So, he let go.
Feeling the pressure on her head vanish, Yi Ning curled her lips into a smirk.
Lu Zheng, you idiot, you fell for my trick again!
“Blehhhhh—!”
Yi Ning instantly spun around and launched a full-blown tongue-out and funny-face assault at Lu Zheng.
She even sprayed him with spit.
A man born between heaven and earth—how could he remain beneath others?
Scum, take that spit!
Lu Zheng: “…”
His face darkened. He wiped the spit from his face, then instinctively licked the corner of his mouth.
You are on the path to death.
Lu Zheng raised his hand and executed a Great Heavenly Creation Palm, capturing the fleeing Yi Ning with a backhand.
He pressed her wildly struggling head down, forcing her to bow—first to apologize for the earlier mess, then to express thanks for the fruit gifts.
What surprised Lu Zheng was that Yi Ning surprisingly didn’t resist much when it came time to give thanks.
Naturally so.
Even if Yi Ning was a villain and an Evil University graduate, she was still a highly educated individual. Basic etiquette like expressing thanks wasn’t beyond her.
But Yi Ning was the textbook definition of “mean to those closest.”
She was used to being polite with strangers, but when it came to familiar faces, she loved to mess with them.
And on top of that, she had a bit of a childish temper.
If Lu Zheng hadn’t brought it up, she would’ve thanked them just fine. But the moment Lu Zheng told her to thank them, her rebellious streak kicked in hard.
You want me to thank them? Who the hell do you think you are?
Even if she had already drafted the thank-you speech in her head, she had to put on a “I’d rather die than be polite” act, just to show her dissatisfaction with Lu Zheng.
An absolute pain in the ass.
Fortunately, the members of the “Friendly Profit” squad didn’t seem to mind her reluctant, half-hearted gratitude. Instead, they reminded Yi Ning not to openly use her dimensional storage pouch in front of strangers.
“Spatial-type storage equipment is very valuable. When traveling, you must keep a low profile.”
“Thanks for the reminder.”
This time, without Lu Zheng’s pressure, Yi Ning gave a straightforward and cheerful thank-you.
Though she didn’t really take the warning seriously.
With Lu Zheng by her side, anyone trying to rob her would be turned into handmade meatballs.
They resumed their journey to the Adventurers’ Guild.
The “Friendly Profit” squad was going back to submit a completed quest. Lu Zheng, on the other hand, wanted to join the Adventurers’ Guild.
The reason was simple.
To efficiently retrieve the trash Yi Ning had scattered all over this alien planet, a steady income was a must.
Lu Zheng needed a job that had no time or location constraints.
An adventurer, with guild branches worldwide and portable quest acceptance, was the perfect match—like finding a pillow right when you’re feeling sleepy.
“By the way, Lester, that Kir Artifact… what exactly is it?”
Before reaching the guild, Lu Zheng took the chance to ask about something that had piqued his curiosity.
According to the guards, it was a weapon granted by the Great God Kir, possessing unparalleled power and a variety of miraculous effects, each item branded with the god’s divine mark.
And because the god was rather capricious, anyone might receive one.
That description sounded too vague—Lu Zheng found it all a bit fishy.
Lu Zheng’s belief in gods was more like, “It doesn’t cost anything, so might as well believe a little.”
Not much actual faith.
So, he was skeptical about what the guards had said.
A god… giving out weapons.
With no conditions, to anyone.
Was that god made of money?
To better understand this world, he figured he might as well ask a friendly native.
Just like the guards earlier, Lester gave Lu Zheng a shocked expression when he heard the question.
He looked over Lu Zheng and Yi Ning’s clothes, an expression of confusion rising in his eyes.
“Huh? You really don’t know about that? But you’re both wearing clothing modeled after the garments granted by the Great God Kir, copied by the Kir Church.”
Clothing?
Lu Zheng froze for a moment.
A few seconds later, Lester clapped his fist into his palm, as if something had just clicked, and nodded thoughtfully.
“You said you came from a secluded village, but I didn’t expect it to be that secluded. Even the Kir Church never went to preach there?”
“Wait a minute… that would mean… you’re wearing genuine clothing blessed by the Great God Kir?!”
“Y-yeah…”
Lu Zheng let out an awkward laugh, feeling relieved that he had claimed to be from some hidden village deep in the mountains when they entered the city.
That vague background helped activate Lester’s imagination, and now they had an explanation.
Hearing Lu Zheng’s confirmation, the entire “Friendly Profit” team stepped forward, led Lu Zheng and Yi Ning to the roadside, and formed a semicircle around them by the wall.
As the leader, Lester rubbed his hands together and approached Lu Zheng with a sheepish smile.
“Um… Mr. Lu Zheng, there’s something I’d like to ask you. It might be a bit rude, but…”
This strange behavior made Lu Zheng feel a bit wary.
He instinctively stepped back—but didn’t get far before his back hit the wall.
No escape.
Left with no choice, he spoke.
“What do you want to ask?”
“Uh… well… it might be a little impolite…”
Lester stammered.
Next to him, Eunice had had enough. She pushed him aside, stepped up to Lu Zheng, and said it straight.
She pressed her hands together and raised them above her head, bowing deeply to Lu Zheng and Yi Ning.
“Mr. Lu Zheng, Miss Yi Ning, we know this is a bold request, but please—can we… touch the clothes you’re wearing?”
Lu Zheng & Yi Ning: “?”