Chapter 169: Bounty Hunter Murong Qing
Chen Dong was stunned for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "Thunder Dharma King? What the hell kind of title is that? A nickname? Whoever came up with it, stand up right now! I, Chen Dong, promise I won't beat you to death!"
'I'm not some comic book villain! Of all the names they could have picked, they went with Thunder Dharma King!'
The woman before him, dressed in a black tracksuit with a matching face mask, scoffed. "Who came up with it? How would I know? How many Martial Artists even have a title these days? You should be happy! But whether you're happy or not doesn't matter. Tonight, you've fallen into my hands, and your only fate is to become my bounty!"
Chen Dong looked at the heavily concealed woman in surprise. "A bounty? Someone actually put a price on my head? They must have good taste. So, how much am I worth?"
"One hundred and thirty million! It's the Military Suppression Department's bounty, of course. Who else's would it be? For a Grandmaster, your bounty is already quite high. In the Jiangzhou area, only the Blood-Handed Pervert Demon, Shen Gong, is worth more—by twenty million! But facing Shen Gong would be a little... dangerous for a woman of my looks. You, on the other hand, are a different story. I've made foolproof preparations!"
'Damn it, Shen Gong's bounty is actually higher than mine? What is that supposed to mean? Are they looking down on me, the Thunder Dharma King?'
He had already subconsciously accepted the title!
The woman cautiously advanced on Chen Dong, her steps measured. "Your only outstanding skill is that thunder technique. From the looks of it, your True Qi has only just achieved a leakless state. You can't be that strong. As long as I can suppress your thunder technique, that bounty is as good as mine!"
A playful look entered Chen Dong's eyes as lightning crackled in his palm. "Oh? And just how do you plan to counter my thunder technique?"
The woman chuckled. "Before I came, I coated my entire body with an insulating layer. Your thunder technique will have no effect on me!" As she spoke, she pounced toward Chen Dong like a cat.
Chen Dong smiled and retracted the lightning. The woman was only at the Great Accomplishment stage of the Grandmaster Realm; she posed no threat to him at all. This made him feel like toying with her.
He dodged her pounce by a hair's breadth. As their bodies crossed, he brushed a hand against her waist, trying to feel what this "insulating layer" was. He found nothing but the soft feel of her body; there was no insulation at all. 'Looks like she isn't a complete idiot,' he thought.
Feeling the touch on her waist, alarm bells went off in the woman's mind. 'This Thunder Dharma King's Body Technique is surprisingly good.'
No longer taking him lightly, she circulated her True Qi until it flowed around her body like a current of water. She attacked Chen Dong again, aiming for his lower body to restrict his movements.
Chen Dong dodged again, raising an eyebrow. When this woman fought, there was a sound of flowing water. It was faint and indistinct, like the muffled gurgle of the deep ocean, yet it seemed to be everywhere.
'No wonder she dares to be a lone Bounty Hunter. She's got a few tricks up her sleeve.'
Chen Dong's figure drifted back, landing in the courtyard. The woman's brow furrowed slightly as she followed. Chen Dong retreated again, running out of Li Manor.
The woman called out in a sweet but mocking voice as she gave chase, "Did I scare you off the moment I got serious?"
Chen Dong stopped in an empty, deserted lot. "Scared off? You've got to be kidding!" he said coldly. "I was just afraid of bothering the neighbors. This place is perfect. Now, let's see what's so special about your Cultivation Technique!"
The woman's voice changed slightly. "Special my ass! It's just the insulating layer I applied!"
Chen Dong had no intention of arguing with her. Lightning flared to life around his body. 'We'll find out once we fight.'
The woman laughed lightly. "Perfect timing for your thunder technique! Let me show you just how powerful my insulating layer is!" With that, she lunged at Chen Dong, her hand formed into a sharp claw.
Chen Dong formed a ball of lightning in his palm and shot it straight at the woman's face.
The woman didn't dodge or evade, continuing her attack as she shouted, "Remember that the one who captured you is the Bounty Hunter, Murong Qing!" In Murong Qing's eyes, this attack was sure to succeed. Chen Dong was relying too much on his thunder technique; besides this Palm Thunder, he had made no other defensive moves.
The ball of lightning struck Murong Qing square in the face, and then... and then, like a drop of water creating a gentle ripple, it passed straight through her body and exploded in the night sky.
Chen Dong's expression froze. 'What kind of Cultivation Technique is this? There's no record of it, not even on Celestial Essence Mountain.'
While Chen Dong was momentarily stunned, Murong Qing's claw strike landed squarely on his chest.
His brand-new pajamas, which he had just bought, were instantly torn open. But the one left stunned was Murong Qing. Her confident blow had landed on Chen Dong's chest, yet he only let out a muffled grunt. He didn't go flying backward, coughing up blood, as she had expected.
Murong Qing's pupils shrank in horror. 'The intel is wrong! This Chen Dong either has an extremely advanced body-hardening technique, or he's not a Grandmaster at all!'
She was more inclined to believe he was a body-hardening expert who also cultivated a thunder technique. She didn't dare let her thoughts stray toward the Astral Realm; after all, Chen Dong was far too young. To reach the Astral Realm at such an age would require monstrous talent. She herself was exceptionally gifted, and after training diligently, she had only reached the Great Accomplishment stage of the Grandmaster Realm at the age of twenty-one.
There was no time to think. Chen Dong's palm shifted into a claw as he grabbed for her arm. With a shift of her feet, Murong Qing's Body Technique flowed like clouds and water as she spun away, appearing on Chen Dong's left and aiming a knee strike straight at his most vulnerable spot.
Chen Dong's mind was still racing. 'Tidal Wave Technique? No, that's not it. Flowing Cloud Clear Heart? Not that either.' The deep-sea gurgling in his ears grew clearer as Murong Qing's True Qi surged more violently.
He had intentionally taken a blow from her, allowing her True Qi to enter his body, but he still couldn't identify the origin of her Cultivation Technique.
But now, Chen Dong broke out in a cold sweat. This woman was ruthless! Even with his profound Realm, he wouldn't dare be careless with that particular spot. Better to be safe than sorry, especially when his future lifelong happiness was on the line.
Astral energy instantly flared around Chen Dong's critical area!