Rise of the Midnight King - Rise of the Midnight King – Chapter 36
Bao bi left with the prince and princess, Jiang Wenyan, and Xiong Menyao. He seemed to know a place that sold something called spirit food. Bao bi had never heard of such an item, but from Jiang Wenyan’s descriptions, it had to be something good. Even Liao An had seemingly encouraged him to go. Since she was escorting his mom home, Bao bi felt reassured. That little girl was a monster when it came to fighting. Any threat that could take her down was a threat that Bao bi wouldn’t be able to resist.
Well, he had no reason to believe that there were any threats anyway. It was just getting dark and he worried about his mother walking home like he worried about any woman who was out in the city late at night alone. Bao bi was perfectly happy going out to celebrate.
“Can we drink spiritual wine?” Bao bi asked.
“Why couldn’t you?” Jiang Wenyan declared.
Bao bi gave an awkward shrug. He didn’t want to point out that he was underaged. He actually hadn’t consumed alcohol since his previous life, so he was eager to take a sip. Plus, the way Jiang Wenyan spoke of it was enough to make his mouth dry.
“You’ve never tasted something so sweet. A mortal can’t drink such an item, but we’re all cultivators. The wine will aid you in cultivation, I absolutely swear it.” Jiang Wenyan was declaring.
It seemed like it was an item for cultivators, but the age limit didn’t come into play. It also helped with cultivation, so that explained why Liao An was all for him trying some. He was a bit surprised that she hadn’t introduced it to him earlier, or shoved it down his throat and made him eat it the last few years. Her drive to cultivate could sometimes be extremely intense.
“Bao bi, what are you thinking about?” Jiang Ying Yue asked.
“Liao An.”
“Gehh!” She made a noise as if she had just been punched.
Bao bi could see her brother waving his hands behind her, mouthing the words ‘no’. Was he not supposed to talk about Liao An? Did those two not get along? He wasn’t aware of them having met that much in the first place. Then again, Bao bi was familiar with how women could be. At the workplace, women were often extremely catty and territorial. Some pornstars would just hate each other for seemingly no reason. When they were put in the same movie, all of their scenes needed to be done separately.
Bao bi remembered once having to film a threesome with two women that refused to be in the same room together. How was this accomplished? It just involved a little bit of camera trickery, as well as a body double. It was a pain in the ass. It took twice as long to film the scene that way. That was that much longer that Bao bi had to keep an erection and that many more pills. It did eventually give him a heart attack, so those once-fond memories had taken a bit of a bitter tinge.
“Jiang Ying Yue, I noticed you are very beautiful the way you dressed today.”
The greatest way to distract a woman was to compliment her. That’s what Bao bi believed. Women tended not to forgive anything. The best you could do was distract them. A stream of compliments was a means of keeping them distracted and happy. Jiang Ying Yue kept her head down, her hair hiding her face, but he was pretty sure she was smiling. At least Jiang Bo was giving Bao Bi a thumbs up. When did he suddenly start acting as a wingman for his sister? Bao bi almost preferred it when Jiang Bo was fighting him for her honor.
The location they arrived at had a locked entrance, and that lock could only be opened by pushing profound energy into a device in the door. In other words, a mortal wouldn’t be able to open this door. Jiang Wenyan took the initiative and put some energy into the door. It opened up with a click, and he led the group in. They walked up a long stairway, and then came out into a fine-looking restaurant.
Even the prince and princesses eyes went wide as they looked up the massive room that seemed to be completely hidden. Bao bi swore that the outside of the building didn’t contain enough space to fit all of this. He did know that there were items that could bend space and store things within. Storage rings, for example, were such an item. This building had to be another such item, but that was a high-level cultivator thing. Just how much had it cost for this restaurant to create such a large, ornate space?
There was a bouncer at the door, but he only nodded and allowed the group to pass. Bao bi could tell that he was a 2nd realm cultivator. He was in the 2nd realm, and yet he was only good enough to be called a bouncer for a restaurant? That left Bao bi floored. He wasn’t the only one, though. Everyone had shocked and awed expressions over the lavishness of this place. It had a giant ornate fountain in the center, a beautiful glass chandelier twenty feet overhead, and even the windows displayed imagery that wasn’t the city, but strange and exotic locations.
They were seated at a table somewhat near the entrance. The place wasn’t busy, but everyone was given ample space to gain a certain level of privacy. Jiang Wenyan immediately ordered some food. Only a short time passed when Jiang Ying Yue spoke up.
“Ah! I-I need to go…” Jiang Ying Yue blushed.
“You must leave so soon?” Jiang Wenyan asked, a bit unhappy.
“No… I need to… you know…” Her cheeks reddened.
“She needs to use the restroom.” Bao bi finished her words.
Her body stiffened at those words.
“Oh!” Jiang Wenyan coughed. “S-sorry… I forgot. This place doesn’t have a restroom.”
“Huh? Why not?”
“Because.” Xiong Menyao rolled his eyes. “When you reach the 3rd realm, you no longer produce excrement. All toxins in your body are removed with every breath, and the rest is broken into energy.”
“R-really? You don’t poo?” Bao bi asked.
“Bao bi!” Jiang Bo blushed too.
Jiang Wenyan took in in strive, laughing. “By the time you reach the third realm, you won’t even need to eat except for enjoyment.”
So, that’s why when you were in the 1st realm and you removed toxins, you had to go so much. This was the thought going through Bao bi’s head, but if anyone else heard it, they’d slap their own face. Bao bi’s unique ability to produce bowel releasing concoctions was still an inexplicable wonder.
“Well, I’m not leaving.” Xiong Menyao crossed his arms. “I just got comfortable.”
“We’ve already ordered.” Jiang Wenyan shrugged, politely implying that Jiang Ying Yue would just have to hold it.
“Mmm…” Jiang Ying Yue moaned lightly after being discarded.
Her legs were shaking and it was clear that she had to go. However, she was a princess and a cultivator, so forcing the issue would only lead her to be embarrassed. As the wine and rice were brought out, her cheeks were pink and her brow was furrowed with concentration.
“I need to go too.” Bao bi stood up. “If anyone wants to join me, I think I saw a bathroom in a place across the street.”
“This…” Jiang Wenyan was embarrassed.
“You’ll need to be able to control a fair amount of profound energy. You might get locked out of this place.” Xiong Menyao responded, an eager look on his face.
“I should be able to manage.”
“Are you sure?” Jiang Bo asked cautiously. “I can wait at the door for you.”
“Naw, it’s fine.”
Bao Bi was confident in his ability to wield profound energy. He had been able to observe how Jiang Wenyan was able to do it and felt he could replicate it. A normal first realm wasn’t able to manage to summon up or control profound energy enough to manage that lock. In that way, the lock didn’t just lock out mortals, but low-level cultivators who didn’t have any friends in the right places. However, Bao bi was a bit odd and was able to store profound energy in his cells, even though he didn’t have a Dantian. This would allow him to open the lock where a less experienced cultivator would fail.
In truth, a first realm would be able to open the lock, as it didn’t require the storage of profound energy, just the utilization of it. The problem was that most cultivators were unable to figure out how to utilize profound energy until they could probably store it. Bao bi was a notable exception to this. Most disciples could barely even summon the energy for the testing stone, and that’s why it took quite a while for most people to be measured, as they had to utilize profound energy for the first time. If they found themselves unable to do so, that was just one more way that someone might end up being disqualified before the selection.
“I’m going too!” Jiang Ying Yue stood up, unable to last any longer.
“Sister…”
“I-it’s okay.”
Jiang Ying Yue was already embarrassing herself by admitting she needed to go and even leaving behind spirit wine and rice that was just served to do it. At the very least, she could spend a few moments alone with Bao bi as her reward. That’s why when Jiang Bo looked like he was going to barge along with them, she gave a quick shake of her head. Thankfully, Jiang Bo nodded and eased himself back in his seat. He wanted to try the food after all, and the other two were already going at it with no intention on leaving any for the rest.
As Bao bi headed back down the stairway to the street, Jiang Ying Yue held the back of his shirt and allowed him to lead her on.
“I’m s-sorry,” she said.
“About what? I really have to go!” Bao bi declared.
That wasn’t true. He had only stood up and declared he needed to go so that Jiang Ying Yue didn’t have to suffer. Watching her struggle like that was painful for Bao Bi. He was sensitive to those kinds of things. There were plenty of shots he’d do where the woman had to hold it. They’d make her drink a ton of water and then wait until she was shaking to do the scene. When she finally came, she’d shoot like a fountain, which was an industry secret to how squirt scenes were done.
It was stressful for the girls, and it did lead to a lot of urinary tract infections, which was why the industry had started banning the practice, at least officially. Some girls still made their careers at being squirters, and would down a gallon of water right before the shoot to get the look right. The point being, Bao bi was mindful of Jiang Ying Yue’s comfort and knew exactly what her facial expressions meant. She couldn’t wait, and rather than suffer a majorly embarrassing situation later, he took the initiative.
“There is a bathroom in the back.” Bao bi learned after asking a guy in front of a much smaller fried rice restaurant.
The place was pretty busy, and as Bao bi walked back, there was a group of three men that followed them.
“I-I’ll be a while.” Jiang Ying Yue told Bao bi.
“Oh, you need to go number two?”
“N-no!” Her face turned red. “I’m just a sh-shy… n-nevermind!”
She spun around and ran into the female side. These were open door bathrooms which would provide privacy by preventing people from seeing inside, much like a festival restroom. Bao bi went in on his side. He didn’t have to go, but he figured he’d give it a shot. He pushed open the door to one of the stalls to see that it was just a hole in the ground. There was tile, but otherwise, you just had the squat. That wasn’t too unusual, and Bao bi had gone camping enough times that going without a toilet wasn’t awkward. Either way, he didn’t need to.
As he went to enter the stall, he suddenly felt something was off. He ducked back as a foot slammed into the door where he was standing. Turning around, he saw that the three men that had followed him into the bathroom were now attacking him. Another man pulled out a sword and lunged at him. Bao bi could see a glow around his body, which was a sign he was using profound energy.
These weren’t just bathroom creeps; they were cultivators. Bao bi leaped back, narrowly avoiding the sword, and slammed into the wall. The bathroom wasn’t that big, so he was instantly blocked by three cultivators.
“Don’t hurt him, idiot! Just capture him!”
These men were trying to capture Bao bi? They must have even followed him to the restaurant and had been waiting for a moment to strike. Since these men had nefarious purposes, then Bao bi wouldn’t hold back. He could tell all of the men were in the second realm. The man with the sword who had attacked first was even in the upper tiers, 7th or 8th realm.
Bao bi made fists, pulling on the Midnight techniques that Liao An had taught him. If he wanted to keep himself from being attacked, he’d need to fight. Seeing him lifting his fists, the three men, who had their faces covered with hoods up, started chuckling to themselves like this was a joke.
“Kid, it’ll be less painful to you if you just let us take you. We won’t hurt you. We’re just going to drop you outside of town.”
“Far enough you can’t get back before the selection- geh!”
The leader elbowed the other one. “Shut up!”
So, their ultimate goal was to make Bao bi fail the selection? He wished he could be surprised, but it didn’t take a lot of imagination to realize that there were those in the Xaoi sect that wouldn’t want him returning. After his father was kicked from the sect, him being let back in would be embarrassing to them. At best, it would be a slap in the face to those that said his family line had become useless.
“Die, kid!”
“I thought you said you didn’t want to kill me!”
“It’s an expression.”
“It’s a threatening expression!”
The man lunged at him, and Bao bi struck out with his fist, colliding it with the attacker’s own. There was a resounding crack, and they both slid back. Bao bi immediately hit the wall and regained his footing, but this opponent slid back a few feet. He stared in shock. He was a complete full realm above Bao bi. His punch should have brought the kid to within an inch of his life, but instead, they had been mostly equal.
“Come on, get him quickly.” The man ordered, still a bit flustered. “Then, we can have that little bitch he came here with. I bet she’ll cry when I take her vital yin.” He laughed.
Hearing such vulgar words, Bao bi didn’t grow angry. Instead, his body instantly cooled down. It was like a switch had been triggered in his body. Those that he cared about had been threatened. It was clear that these men no longer deserved to live.
Before the assailants could think about the implications of the expression on his face, Bao bi moved first. He grabbed the man who had pulled out the blade. Grabbing and twisting his wrist, he forced the man to drop the sword, which fell into his hand. He immediately slashed, taking the man across the stomach. The other lunged at him, but he brought the blade up and slammed it through the man’s heart. Both men fell dead, barely able to expres their shock at both the speed and erratic movements that Bao bi made, completely unanticipated from a first realm.
When they were asked to beat up this kid and dump him far enough away that he couldn’t return in a reasonable amount of time, they never thought that this would risk their own lives. Yet, two men had died to this little boy just like that. Not just two men, but two cultivators, which were worth ten men.
“You bastard. I said we weren’t going to kill you!” The surviving leader, and the strongest of the bunch, snarled.
“How is that my problem? I never promised not to kill you. If you’re going to attack me, I’ll defend myself!” Bao bi responded. “And if you’re going to threaten to hurt someone I care about, then you die!”
“You die first!” He lunged at Bao bi, but Bao bi threw the blade.
This forced the man to stop. His body glowed, and he struck the blade away. A grin formed on his face, but then he blinked as Bao bi was already right in front of him. A fist struck out and hit his stomach. He prepared himself to take the blow. It was a rather simple punch, after all. That’s why he couldn’t believe it when his profound power shattered. At that moment, profound power exploded from Bao bi, and transferred to his fist, magnifying the punch by many times.
The man felt his insides become destroyed as he flew back and hit the wall. He crumbled to the ground in a heap. He still stared in wide-eyed disbelief. Too many unbelievable things happened all at once. Bao bi used a seemingly simple fist technique that was far too misleading. It obliterated the man in a way that shouldn’t have been possible with a strength someone his age shouldn’t have. Then there was the profound energy. This kid was still in the first realm. He shouldn’t have had the ability to channel any profound energy, but he seemed to contain almost as much as him.
When Bao bi discarded his sword, the man had assumed he threw away his strength. However, Bao bi’s fists were far more deadly than any weapon he could use. Had the man been prepared and known of Bao bi’s strength, then the fight would have gone on far longer and the winner might not have been certain. It all happened much too swiftly. He was utterly defeated, and he could barely even fathom how.
Bao bi walked up to the man as he coughed up blood. His organs were destroyed and he could feel the life draining from him.
“It’s too late… we’ve already got… the woman…” He spoke defiantly with his last breath.
Bao bi’s eyes flashed, and then he raced out the bathroom. Without hesitation, he raced into the female portion. He moved desperately. If they had hurt Jiang Ying Yue, he would kill them again! For a second, he almost understood those idiots who kept threatening to kill someone they had already planned to kill. He kicked open the only closed stall door, moving so fast that he slipped and fell to his knees.
“Ying Yue!”
“Eh?” Ying Yue fell back in alarm.
She had her dress up, and her panties down and was squatting. As soon as he popped in, she fell back against the wall. At that exact moment, she released. Pee shot out and then landed on Bao bi’s feet. She stared wide-eyed as she continued to pee, unable to stop herself. Bao bi… saw everything!