PCJ – Chapter 470 This Road Is Opened by Me

Zhang Jiaohua ran into an alley. He had never been to the capital city before and didn’t have a map, but he wasn’t worried about getting lost. He had an exceptional memory, and he could remember every place he passed. This was an advantage of cultivators like him, who had reached the “Qi Refining to Spirit Transformation” stage.

The last time he lost consciousness, he had received a massive amount of information from a legacy magical artifact. After months of unconsciousness, he not only absorbed this knowledge but also transitioned from the “Essence Refining” stage to the “Qi Refining to Spirit Transformation” stage. The distinction between these two realms wasn’t very clear; it was more of a vague difference.

Zhang Jiaohua glanced around the alley he had entered. It resembled the old street of Gezhuping Town, with narrow interconnected paths and low houses. Compared to the tall buildings near the train station, this place lacked any luster. It seemed that in every glamorous area, there would always be a shadow cast by the backlight.

In the alley, a few young people, around 20 years old, were sitting. As Zhang Jiaohua walked by, they looked up at him with disdain, like wolves eyeing prey, clearly unimpressed.

Zhang Jiaohua ignored them and intended to walk quickly past. Just as he was about to pass a “hair-punk” with yellow-dyed hair, the punk suddenly stretched out his leg.

Zhang Jiaohua snorted coldly. He wasn’t familiar with street tricks and thought the punk was trying to trip him. So, he stomped heavily on the punk’s leg.

“Ah!” The punk screamed in pain like a pig being slaughtered.

The other punks were momentarily stunned by the shrill scream, realizing the acting was overly dramatic. They figured he was just trying to scam someone, and whether the scream was real or fake didn’t matter.

“Hey! Did you break your leg? If not, I can help you!” Zhang Jiaohua sneered at these street thugs.

“Shit, the southerner’s up to no good!” The other punks immediately stood up, grabbing baseball bats from the ground. Clearly, these bats were their weapons. They were much safer than other weapons. Although the alley was narrow, it was still in the capital, where the security was stricter than in other places. If they had steel rods or knives, they would have been caught by now. The baseball bats were made of steel, of moderate weight, and just the right length for street fights.

But in the next instant, the sound of metal clashing echoed through the alley like a blacksmith’s shop. The residents, thinking someone had messed with the punks, sighed. The punks were notorious troublemakers in the alley, usually scamming newcomers, but now they were the ones lying on the ground.

One of the onlookers, braver than the others, stuck his head out and widened his eyes when he saw the scene. The ones lying on the ground weren’t outsiders, but the punks themselves. A boy who looked about the same age as a high school student stood in the middle of the alley, unharmed, while the punks lay like dead dogs on the ground. It was a heartening sight.

“Don’t get involved. If those bastards see you, it’ll cause trouble,” one man’s wife quickly warned.

“Don’t worry, from today on, they’ll have no time to bother us. Honey, come here and have a look, those punks are lying there like dead bodies!” the man replied.

The alley residents almost wanted to celebrate with fireworks but reconsidered, remembering the punks’ past bullying. They decided against it.

“Hey, stop playing dead. I need to ask you something.” Zhang Jiaohua kicked the yellow-haired punk.

But none of the punks moved, continuing to play dead on the ground.

Zhang Jiaohua picked up a baseball bat from the ground, muttering, “I don’t even know what material this bat is made of, and I don’t know if it’ll crack open their skulls.”

He then raised the bat lightly and made a motion as if about to hit the punk’s head. But before he could strike, the punk on the ground suddenly wet himself, and a smell of urine filled the air. The yellow-haired punk had been so scared he peed himself.

Zhang Jiaohua walked away in disgust and approached a chubby guy, saying, “You, with all that meat on you, should be able to take a beating better.”

Before Zhang Jiaohua could raise the bat, the fat punk scrambled to his feet, “Good man, spare me! I’ll tell you anything, I’ll even tell you what underwear I’m wearing.”

“Shut up! What do I care about your underwear? I’m looking for a place to rent. Do you know where I can find one?” Zhang Jiaohua asked.

“Yes, yes, I know. My house is pretty big. If you want to stay, you can stay as long as you want,” the fat punk immediately replied.

“Then I’ll rent your place,” Zhang Jiaohua said, “Lead me there. By the way, what’s your name?”

“My name is Wu Yuan,” the fat punk replied.

“I don’t care what your name is, I’ll just call you Fatty,” Zhang Jiaohua dismissed.

“Your sister!” Wu Yuan cursed under his breath, wanting to punch Zhang Jiaohua, but realizing the difference in strength, he only cursed inwardly.

Wu Yuan led Zhang Jiaohua to a courtyard house. “Well, good man, it’s just me living here. My parents passed away, and I don’t come back often. You can live however you like.”

“How much is the rent?” Zhang Jiaohua asked.

“Good man, how could I ask you for money?” Wu Yuan said, not daring to.

“Fine, from today on, I’m living here,” Zhang Jiaohua declared.

Wu Yuan’s face turned sour, like he was constipated. He had hoped Zhang Jiaohua would decline, but now he had no choice but to accept. However, he felt there might still be a chance to recoup his loss as long as Zhang Jiaohua stayed.

Wu Yuan didn’t dare to report to the police; he couldn’t afford to lose face. If he went to the police, he wouldn’t be able to survive in this alley anymore.

He thought to himself that he would first settle Zhang Jiaohua down, then go back to find his older brother, Zeng Lei, and tell him the whole story. Zeng Lei, who grew up in this alley, had been in the army, and was a special forces soldier. He was tough and skilled. Though he wasn’t part of this group of punks, he had often led them in the past. With a bit of embellishment, Zeng Lei would surely come to settle the score.