Chapter 98 - 87: News from Buci Island, [Saint King] Tran Nash

Chapter 98: Chapter 87: News from Buci Island, [Saint King] Tran Nash

’Even if he’s in his critical Nirvana Stage right now, instantly killing him shouldn’t be a problem.’

’Actively approaching him feels... risky.’

After some thought, Zhang Ji decided to let things happen naturally.

If they happened to meet, he could try to talk to him. They had no conflict between them, and Tran’s personality profile was relatively friendly. He might even have something to gain from it.

But there was no need to actively seek him out.

An expert of his caliber could easily detect the slightest emotional fluctuation in others.

If Zhang Ji revealed any hint of his ulterior motives and gave Tran the wrong idea, the loss would far outweigh any potential gain.

But most importantly, back when Zhang Ji played the game, he had gotten himself killed by Tran for doing something stupid, leaving him with a bit of trauma.

As his thoughts shifted, Zhang Ji looked at Erin and said, "I have a favor to ask, and I hope you won’t refuse. If you do this for me, the club will make you a special member, which will allow you to learn the Little Five Elements Fist. We’ll also waive your membership fees for ten years and give you a bonus of one hundred thousand."

"Really? What is it?" Erin asked, pleasantly surprised.

"I’ve been researching ancient history recently. I was hoping you could take me to your town. I’d like to do some on-site research," Zhang Ji said.

"Okay, no problem," Erin said with a smile, nodding eagerly.

Zhang Ji gave a slight nod in response.

Having Erin, a local, guide them was also a gesture of goodwill.

With a local as their point of contact, he could avoid unintentionally starting any needless conflicts with the townspeople.

-----------------

The matter of the Buci Island Ruins Realm was too important, so Zhang Ji decided to handle it himself.

And he had always been a man of swift and decisive action.

Once he had a goal, he would act on it immediately.

So, after some brief preparations, he set off with Bai Xiaoxiao and Erin on May tenth.

After a full day of flying, it was late at night by the time they arrived in Mammon Country.

Then they transferred to a bullet train and took a self-driving taxi, finally arriving at Knight Town.

A beautiful little town by the sea.

You had to admit, the social benefits here were really good.

Erin hadn’t paid for the taxi or the bullet train; she just swiped her government-issued travel subsidy card.

They even provided free meals.

The meals even included high-end fruit, steak, and... red wine?

"I heard that citizens here can apply for government subsidies to travel?" Bai Xiaoxiao asked Erin as they walked down the town’s clean streets, pulling a luggage cart.

"You can, but the amount isn’t very high. Only about fifty thousand," Erin replied.

"Fifty thousand? Let me check the current exchange rate... that’s almost forty thousand Romance Coins, isn’t it?" Bai Xiaoxiao said in surprise. "People in the lower class of Roman Country don’t even make that much in a year, and you can apply for this annually?"

"Mhm," Erin said with a nod.

"Hey, sis, how about you give a guy a chance?" Bai Xiaoxiao said.

It was difficult to gain citizenship in Mammon Country, but if you married a citizen, you could renounce your original nationality and automatically become a citizen of Mammon.

"We’ll see how you behave," Erin said with a laugh.

Zhang Ji shook his head, paying little mind to the two young people’s playful banter. His gaze fell on a distant church.

’The silver cross that can dispel the mist should be in there.’

’As for information on Buci Island, I’ll need Erin, the local, to ask around among the townspeople.’

The three of them soon arrived at Erin’s home.

A two-story villa.

"Dad, Mom, little brother, I’m home!" Erin called out.

She hadn’t told her family she was coming, so they were all quite surprised.

Zhang Ji had planned to stay in a hotel with Bai Xiaoxiao, but Erin insisted they meet her family. Considering it would help with gathering information and blending into the town, Zhang Ji agreed.

"Why are you back all of a sudden?"

Erin’s mother was clearly confused.

"Well, it’s like this..." Erin quickly explained Zhang Ji’s cover story about coming to do research.

After learning Zhang Ji’s identity, Erin’s parents were respectful.

As for Erin’s younger brother, he had been rubbing his eyes since the moment he first saw Zhang Ji.

Even now, he still couldn’t seem to believe his eyes.

"Hello, my name is Zor Stephens!" the thirteen-year-old, green-eyed boy with short hair said excitedly, extending a hand to Zhang Ji.

"Hello, I’m Zhang Ji," Zhang Ji replied with a smile.

"I know. The champion of the World Martial Artist Association’s Spring Tournament. I’ve watched every single one of your matches," Zor said, his eyes filled with adoration. "Those guys were no match for you at all. You could take them all down in a single blow..."

Clearly, he was a fan of the competitive fighting circuit.

It was the age of being hot-blooded, of having that middle-schooler’s obsession with epic battles.

The kind of kid who’d watch anime and argue about which character was stronger.

Anime characters couldn’t cross dimensions for a real fight, and their power levels were depicted differently, making it hard to definitively say who was stronger. The arguments were endless.

But in this world, there were powerful martial artists who could actually get into a ring and fight for real.

So it was obvious at a glance who was stronger.

"I’m not as amazing as you make me sound," Zhang Ji said modestly. "They were very strong opponents. I was just lucky enough to find their weaknesses."

"Can I become as strong as you? I want to be a martial artist when I grow up!" Zor said.

"Then you’ll have to train very hard," Zhang Ji said.

’At his age, without having started formal combat training, it’s actually very difficult to achieve much.’

"Zor, don’t pester our guest. Go get some rest. You have school tomorrow," said Erin’s mother.

"I know."

Zor nodded and left reluctantly.

After the boy left, Erin’s mother prepared rooms for her guests. Both Zhang Ji and Bai Xiaoxiao were given their own rooms; the house was certainly large enough.

From his room, Zhang Ji could see the ocean out the window.

He opened the window, letting the sea breeze wash over him, and his mood lifted.

Gazing into the distance, Zhang Ji spotted a gaunt old man standing on the beach.

His lonely figure looked somewhat forlorn under the moonlight.

The two were nearly two kilometers apart, but Zhang Ji’s eyesight was sharp enough to make out every detail of the man’s body—one of the benefits of his life-level evolution after breaking through to B-rank.

Zhang Ji sensed that this old man was no ordinary person. He could clearly feel the man’s immense Spiritual Power even from such a great distance, which led him to a certain suspicion.

Just then, the man seemed to notice Zhang Ji’s gaze and suddenly turned to look back.

As their eyes met, Zhang Ji confirmed the man’s identity.

It was none other than the Saint King, Tran Nash.

’According to the backstory, he should be at a low point right now, his life nearing its end. Every night, he comes to the seashore to reminisce about the people and events of his past.’

’Once he truly moves on from his past, his Spirit will metamorphose. Relying on his innate talent for superpowers, the world itself will be shaken by him.’

Their gazes met for a moment before the old man looked away.

’He wasn’t sure why such a remarkable person had come to this small town, but he was just an old relic with one foot in the grave. These things had nothing to do with him anymore.’

Tran clasped his hands behind his back, turned, and walked away from the beach, gradually vanishing from Zhang Ji’s sight.