A few days later, Jiang Chen finally finished the main items necessary for Project Dark Soldier. Then he simply had to wait for the endless production occurring on Zhong Ling Mountain.
Everything was automatic. He only had to pay a visit to check up on the progress every few days.
It occurred to him that this day was the test day of the Hero Palace, so he removed his disguise and left Zhong Ling Mountain without a trace with the help of tactical formations.
At the same time, at the Hero PalaceâŚ
Several grand elders had gone to Jiang Chenâs place. Judging from their expressions, they were there to scold him.
âThere is a tactical formation?â
They had intended to intrude directly, but were stopped by the tactical formation, so they hesitated.
At this moment, Ying Wushuang walked out. She asked in confusion, âElders, how can I help you?â
âWushuang, why are you at Jiang Chenâs place?â
The grand elders were very surprised. Although they knew about Ying Wushuangâs task, they hadnât expected them to live together.
They thought of what they had gone there for and a possibility occurred to them.
One of the grand elders asked, âWushuang, isnât Jiang Chen here?â
âNo. I donât know where he is these days,â Ying Wushuang answered.
The elders had unreadable expressions.
Jiang Chen wasnât home, but Ying Wushuang was. The relationship between the two didnât seem so simple.
âWushuang, let me ask you one thing. Why didnât you report Jiang Chenâs expenses sooner?â a female grand elder asked aggressively.
Ying Wushuang vaguely realized what they had come there for. She said honestly, âIâve been busy with practicing, so Iâm not staying with Jiang Chen.â
âReally? Ying Wushuang, how could you trick the elders for Jiang Chenâs sake?â
She hadnât expected the elder to question her directly.
âElder Snowbrow, what do you mean?â
Grand Elder Snowbrow was more than fifty years old, but she was still paying much attention to her clothes and hair. She looked elegant, but it was difficult to hide the traces of aging. When she spoke, the crowâs feet on her face became extremely obvious.
As a woman, she felt disgusted that Ying Wushuang was living at Jiang Chenâs place.
Elder Snowbrow sneered and pointed at a corner in the yard that wasnât very far away. She said, âYou havenât seen him, but youâre living here. Havenât you seen that, either?â
Ying Wushuang looked over and was surprised.
There was a sailing ship. It looked different after the improvements made by the puppets.
It was magnificent, like a man after he put on armor.
In the eyes of the grand elders and Ying Wushuang, this represented money.
Ying Wushuang had no idea when Jiang Chen had bought a ship. She had been preparing for the test at that time.
âYing Wushuang, what excuse do you have?â Elder Snowbrow shouted.
âElder, I donât have an excuse. I canât tell Jiang Chen what to buy. Itâs true I havenât reported it, but the month isnât over yet,â said Ying Wushuang.
If they were only accusing her of neglecting her duty, Ying Wushuang would have had nothing to say, but she couldnât stand the scornful tone of Elder Snowbrow. His explanation sounded like she had been hiding something from the elders intentionally.
âHow dare you! Ying Wushuang, you ended up in a bad way because of men. And now, once again, with Jiang Chen. Do you need men that much? Donât you know how to behave?!â said Elder Snowbrow.
âYou!â
Ying Wushuangâs scars hadnât completely recovered yet, and Elder Snowbrow had touched a delicate subject so ruthlessly.
âWushuang, Jiang Chen spent this monthâs quota again in the past few days. And he spent all of them to buy materials.â
âAccording to you, heâs been gone from the Hero Palace for several days. We think he might have gone to other fields to sell these materials.â
The other grand elders said.
Ying Wushuang knew nothing about it. But at the thought of Heaven Halo Bead and other practicing equipments, she shook her head and said, âItâs unlikely.â
âHuh.â
Grand Elder Snowbrow curled her lips and smiled scornfully, âYing Wushuang, so youâre really close to Jiang Chen, arenât you? Do you trust him that much?â
âElder, please donât slander me,â Ying Wushuang said angrily.
âDid I say anything wrong? Jiang Chen isnât home, but you are living in his yard. What does that mean?â
Ying Wushuang said, âIâm here practicing, preparing for the test. Thatâs all.â
âOkay!â
Grand Elder Snowbrow laughed oddly and said, âYeah, now I remember. You said last time that Jiang Chen bought those materials so he could build practice equipment. I assume that was just a lie you made up? Youâre cooperating with Jiang Chen to take wealth away from the Hero Palace.â
Ying Wushuang flew into a rage. At the same time, she was thinking that the equipment Jiang Chen had built were worth more than a yearâs quota.
In comparison, the grand elders that she had respected so much werenât even comparable to Jiang Chen.
âElder, youâre overthinking it. Thatâs all I have to say,â said Ying Wushuang.
âYouâre still denying it?! Tell us the truth. Where is Jiang Chen?â
âI really donât know. Elder, the test will begin soon. I should go,â said Ying Wushuang.
âYou didnât take part in many tests last year, yet this time you have to go? I think youâre escaping!â Elder Snowbrow said coldly.
Ying Wushuang finally experienced what it felt like when fire singed oneâs eyebrow. She was panicked. She had been working hard for so long, and she had promised Jiang Chen.
âYou canât go if you donât tell us where Jiang Chen is!â Elder Snowbrow shouted.
The other grand elders didnât speak.
âShe canât go? How impressive!â
Suddenly, Jiang Chenâs voice was heard. They saw him walking over slowly.
Ying Wushuang couldnât help but smile when she saw him. Even she herself didnât sense the smile. She felt like bright sunshine was piercing through dark clouds.
âJiang Chen!â
The grand elders looked at each other. They hadnât expected him to show up himself.
âWhere have you been these days? What did you do with the materials you bought?â asked one of them.
âJust ask me what you want to know directly, elder.â Jiang Chen shrugged his shoulders and said, âYou want to know whether Iâm doing business with the quota granted to me, donât you?â
The grand elders were surprised at his frankness.
âJiang Chen, the ten million upper-grade yuan stones are an award the Hero Palace gave youââ
âPrecisely speaking, I did turn the materials into money,â Jiang Chen interrupted the grand elder who was speaking and answered directly.
âHehe, you poor people. You just canât help showing your lowly nature whenever you have the chance. I never agreed to grant you a quota of such a large amount. So I was right,â Grand Elder Snowbrow scorned.
âElder, Iâm actually unhappy with the quota. Maybe youâd better cancel it.â
Jiang Chen said, âIs twenty million an extreme number in exchange for the method to help Reaching Heaven States who havenât developed their extraordinary meridians develop two?â
âWhy didnât you reject it when you didnât have any money with you? Now that youâve earned some, youâre tougher?â Grand Elder Snowbrow said.
âItâs fine. I can give the money back to you.â
âHaha, you spent all of the twenty millionâŚâ
âIâll not only give you back the twenty million, but to pay my gratitude to the generosity of the Hero Palace, Iâll give you back ten times that. No, a hundred times.â
Then Jiang Chen took out two Golden Dragon Cards.
âWhat?!â
They were all surprised. They were in a daze for a long time.
People who could be issued a Golden Dragon Card had to own more than ten million. Actually, they had to own at least one hundred million.