Chapter 920: Zhang Ye, Enhanced Edition! (Beginning)
Chapter 920: Zhang Ye, Enhanced Edition! (Beginning)
Translator: Legge Editor: Legge
Nightfall.
Peace and quiet had finally descended upon the world.
The last non-affiliate from Shanghai who insisted on training his hard qigong downstairs at the inn was getting tired. He let out a shout before cooling down with the closing form, then proceeded upstairs back to his room to sleep.
In Zhang Ye's room.
Chenchen called out, "Zhang Ye."
Zhang Ye looked over and asked, "What?"
Chenchen said, "Why were you so mean?"
Zhang Ye blinked. "Was I mean?"
Chenchen asked, "Zhang Ye, why is it that wherever you go, that place would always suffer?"
"I was just stepping in to help in the face of injustice, ha!" Zhang Ye boasted without shame, "Did you see your Uncle Zhang's imposing manner when I commanded the masses earlier? Did you see it? That's what you call appeal and charisma. How was it? They still had to agree to compensate everyone's medical fees at the end, didn't they?"
Chenchen pointed out, "Didn't you ask for 100,000 yuan in compensation? Wasn't it non-negotiable?"
Zhang Ye chided her in embarrassment, "What 100,000 yuan? We should not be too greedy."
Chenchen said, "Zhang Ye."
Zhang Ye replied, "What?"
Chenchen looked at him then asked in all seriousness, "Is this what they were talking about on television when they mentioned 'healthcare disturbance'?"[1.]
Pfft!
Zhang Ye nearly fainted!
Healthcare disturbance, your sister! Could you put it any more scandalous than that?
"You insolent brat, go to sleep already!" Zhang Ye rolled his eyes and said indignantly, "If you have the time, you should be learning to be good from your Uncle Zhang instead. Don't always learn from your aunt." But after saying that, Zhang Ye's face turned red. What good could she learn from him? Throughout the day, he had not really done anything good for her to learn from.
Chenchen nodded in acknowledgment.
After settling Chenchen down and watching her fall asleep in bed, Zhang Ye found a chair to sit down on and started rubbing his arms and legs in pain. He had received a few blows in today's fight and it was really painful for him. With this fight, it also allowed Zhang Ye to gain a comprehensive understanding of the Chinese martial arts world. He had now formed a general understanding of the conflicts that existed between the sects, the role that the National Martial Arts Association played, the size of the community, and the martial arts skills of this world. By contrast, he gained a better understanding of his own martial arts skills now. With his subpar skills, he realized that they weren't really enough to do anything. Any one of those ordinary disciples from the large sects who'd trained every day since childhood would already be equal to Zhang Ye's level. If they were more talented, like that rogue from the Kunlun Sect today, Zhang Ye would definitely not be able to take them on if they were to fight for real!
His skills were still not at that level!
The key issue was that his physical fitness could not keep up!
As the Martial Arts Conference would officially be convened tomorrow, he didn't know if Old Rao would make an appearance or not. In any case, he knew that the situation would not be good after listening to the conversations between those large sects' disciples at dinner. Many of them were here to deal with Rao Aimin, and this made Zhang Ye feel very nervous. He did not know what the situation would be like tomorrow, but if any trouble occurred, he would be of little help with his mediocre kung fu. Not only would he be of little help, he would also find it difficult to fend for himself. After all, this was the most important convention of the Chinese martial arts world. All the talented and reclusive experts, as well as sect leaders of the martial arts community, would be in attendance and every one of them possessed unique skills that were incomparable!
This won't do!
He had to improve his physical fitness!
If not, he wouldn't even be able to truly wield the power of those hundred-plus Taiji Fist Skill Experience Books effectively since his strength and stamina were limiting his abilities!
Zhang Ye felt that he was like a child with extraordinary skills. Even with his impressive martial arts and deep set of skills, if his physical fitness wasn't there, it would be impossible for him to beat an adult of similar standing. These objective conditions would be the decisive factors. This was the state Zhang Ye was in. A city dweller who went through a nine-year compulsory education, a person who did not even do the dishes or laundry, someone who could not even pass his PE classes; even if he had learned the Melancholic Palms, he could not have brought out the prowess of it! He might even twist his back![2.]
As such, Zhang Ye was only left with one choice!
It's time for the lottery draw!
He opened the game ring's interface. It had been a long while since he had used the lottery functions of it. As such, when Zhang Ye saw the interface, he felt a strange sense of familiarity. He managed to quickly recall it, and with a slight hesitation, did not open the Lottery Draw (Two), but chose the lower grade lottery draw that only cost 100,000 Reputation Points per try. Because today, Zhang Ye only wanted to get the items from the Stats Category. As long as they could improve his physical fitness and build up his body's foundations, he would accept whatever he got from the lottery draw. As long as his foundation was strong enough, he would be able to increase the proficiency of his kung fu!
Here we go.
It was time to give it a spin and see how his luck would turn out.
100,000 Reputation Points were spent. To a person with close to 2.2 billion Reputation Points, this was just a drop in the bucket to him.
The wheel began to spin. The lottery draw began!
Once around…
Twice around…
Thrice around…
Zhang Ye went to the bathroom and turned on the fan. He lit a cigarette, and after a few drags, the result of the lottery draw was out. The needle had actually stopped in the Stats Category slice. A Treasure Chest (Small) appeared. Zhang Ye laughed as he opened it, hoping to test his luck. But when he opened the golden treasure chest, he found that there was nothing in it—it was empty and he had wasted his Reputation Points! Zhang Ye didn't know whether to laugh or cry at this bad start! In the Lottery Draw (One), the chances of receiving an empty treasure chest were extremely low. He had only met with one such occasion before in the many spins of the lottery draw. This was the second time.
Again. Let's give it another try.
Without further ado, Zhang Ye tapped the lottery draw button again!
The wheel began to spin!
Zhang Ye did not really mind the outcome of this round either. The first two draws were just to warm up. After the needle stopped, Zhang Ye had a look at the result and was very disappointed when he saw that it was a Consumption Category's treasure chest. Although some rather good items had appeared in this category before and given Zhang Ye some really important help in the past, he did not feel that he needed these today. His target was the Stats Category's Treasure Chest (Small). That was the most pressing matter right now.
Since that was what he had gotten, he just opened it.
He flipped open the treasure chest—out came a familiar item!
Lucky Bread: Increases the player's luck stat for a duration of five minutes.
Zhang Ye had gotten this item before and even earned the right to purchase a similar item from the Merchant Shop under the Special Category—the Lucky Halo. Actually, upon further thought, the luck effects of the Lucky Halo and Lucky Bread should be exactly the same as they were the most basic of luck enhancement items. Of course, Zhang Ye later earned the right to purchase the upgraded version of the Lucky Halo, which had now become the Lucky Halo (Upgraded) item.
Zhang Ye smiled as this item was rather good too. It was good since he was unwilling to spend so many Reputation Points by activating the Lucky Halo (Upgraded) to draw in the Lottery Draw (One). This Lucky Bread had come at the perfect time!
He ate it! The Lucky Bread was activated! Go!
Zhang Ye immediately put the Lucky Bread to use!
Lucky Bread in effect: Counting down. 4:59.
Following that, Zhang Ye did not dare waste any more time and instantly started the next round of the lottery draw. He waited as the wheel spun round and round!
One revolution…
Five revolutions…
The wheel began slowing down!
Zhang Ye treated it seriously and was fully focused this time. His mind was also continuously predicting the position that the needle would stop at. Eh, it seemed like it was going to stop at the Stats Category?
It's gotta be it!
Zhang Ye immediately put in the additional stakes. 100 stakes, 300 stakes, 500 stakes. Initially, he hesitated a while here, but he grit his teeth like he was gambling and thought, Fuck it! If we're gonna play, let's play big!
1,000 additional stakes!
Counting the original stake, the total was now 1,001 stakes!
100 million Reputation Points! This was 100 million Reputation Points Zhang Ye had used up just like that!
Fruit of Strength!
Fruit of Strength!
It must be strength!
Zhang Ye kept wishing for it in his head. This was what he wanted the most right now and also what he lacked the most!
The wheel stopped and the needle was really pointing at the Stats Category! Zhang Ye took a deep breath and clenched his fists. Then he abruptly opened up the Treasure Chest (Small)!
[Fruit of Stamina] × 1,001: Permanently increases the stamina of the player.
It was not strength?
But a Fruit of Stamina instead?
Haha, this wasn't too bad either!
Zhang Ye was feeling excited all the same. There was no need to explain how important stamina was for a martial artist. This was one of the most basic foundations of physical fitness that Zhang Ye was desperately lacking. Every martial arts expert must have exceptionally good stamina that could be put to great use. For example, one could run farther than others when fleeing for one's life.
Of course, it would, without a doubt, be useful during a duel too!
1. Violence against doctors in China (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violence_against_doctors_in_China). The phenomenon of Yi Nao (Chinese: 医闹; literally: 'healthcare disturbance') has been identified as a contributing factor in violence against medical personnel. Yi Nao is the organized disturbance of hospitals or medical staff, usually to obtain compensation for actual or perceived medical malpractice.
2. Melancholic Palms - http://wuxia.wikia.com/wiki/Melancholic_Palms