Chapter 154: [Schadenfreude] (Combined Edition)

"A single golden bean has such a massive effect?" Tang Mubai exclaimed in wonder, then asked in puzzlement, "This thing seems to have a limit, though."

Hearing this, Yang Kai scratched his messy hair, turned to look at the brawny young man, and asked, "Old Gao, based on your judgment, how many times can this saber be repaired in total?"

The brawny young man, Old Gao, went by the full name Gao Tieyi. Ever since he was a child, his only interest was in weapons-forging.

With anyone else, he wouldn't even have bothered to tag along, but the miraculous nature of the golden bean forced him to stay put. He replied in a deep, booming voice, "At most five times."

"Five times is already amazing!"

Yang Kai waved his hands excitedly and said, "Leader, a single golden bean can allow for damage and self-repair five times. If we had more golden beans, we could modify even more apparatuses!"

"So, the properties of the golden bean include memory, self-repair, deformation, and fusion?" Tang Mubai inquired.

"Yes! Compared to those alloys, the golden bean is the ultimate universal metal!"

Yang Kai’s face was flush with excitement as he cried out, "This stuff is way too useful! With it, the success rate of my first robot will increase by a good few tens of percent! Leader, are there any more of these golden beans? If there are, how many? Do we have a hundred kilograms?"

Gao Tieyi didn't speak, but he perked up his ears to listen intently.

"...There should be about a hundred grams," Tang Mubai said, the corners of his mouth twitching.

A hundred kilograms?

Let's just say Yang Kai was overthinking things!

If Abao could excrete that much, how much of all sorts of metals would it have to consume?

Even so, the capabilities of the golden bean left Tang Mubai quite astonished.

Who could have imagined that those useless, discarded scrap metals, after being consumed by Abao and subjected to some alchemy in its belly, would be discharged from its body as a universal metal?

This ability was simply a hundred times more formidable than ambergris!

...

"A hundred grams?"

Yang Kai dropped his jaw, trying to express his shock, but ultimately let out a powerless sigh and smiled bitterly, "True enough. Such a powerful metal, if the yield were high, it would have been discovered long ago."

Gao Tieyi remained silent for a moment before asking, "The hundred grams we have now, are you selling?"

"Can you afford it?" Tang Mubai countered.

Gao Tieyi: "..."

Right, he couldn't afford it!

A single golden bean could facilitate five instances of self-repair.

The value of this saber alone couldn't be bought for less than one million Federal Dollars.

A hundred grams amounted to roughly ten golden beans, which meant at least ten million Federal Dollars.

And that was estimated at the lowest market price; the actual price would only be higher.

The problem was, who would be willing to sell such a universal metal?

Just like Vajra Rings, although they had a listed price, the chances of actually getting your hands on one were far too slim.

With the money Gao Tieyi had on him, even if he sold this weapon workshop, it wouldn't even come close.

Listening from the side, Yang Kai also felt a blush of embarrassment.

His old friend certainly had a wild imagination; it was most likely just a momentary surge of excitement and overenthusiasm.

"Leader, are you planning to forge a weapon?"

Taking a deep breath, Yang Kai put on a flattering smile and said, "As long as you give me the remaining golden beans, I guarantee I'll forge the most powerful battle saber for you!"

"Forget it," Tang Mubai waved a hand with an amused smile. "Weapons forged from golden beans can at best reach the third rank of battle gear. Reaching the spiritual weapon tier is basically impossible. You might as well use the remaining golden beans to build your robot; I'm looking forward to your mechanical battle armor."

"No problem!"

Hearing this, Yang Kai rubbed his hands together in excitement.

Tang Mubai had been so generous, which left him not only happy but overflowing with gratitude.

The terms battle gear and spiritual weapon were classified based on whether they possessed elemental attributes or not.

Spiritual weapons, much like martial arts techniques above the fourth rank, all possessed unique abilities of their own.

For instance, Tang Mubai's Flaming Bone Saber was actually a spiritual weapon, imbued with the power of fire.

Spiritual weapons belonged to the category of treasured artifacts, but treasured artifacts were not limited to blades alone.

The universal property of the golden bean, when fused into other metals, would undoubtedly have an even greater utility!

While Yang Kai was thrilled and excited by this, Tang Mubai felt no grand emotional ripples; instead, he harbored some lingering doubts.

Could Abao's ability really be limited to just this?

Was it merely turning waste into treasure?

Although turning waste into treasure was exceptionally remarkable, considering its origin, its capabilities shouldn't stop there!

Tang Mubai suppressed the doubts in his heart.

...

Having confirmed the functions of the golden bean...

Tang Mubai and Yang Kai didn't linger any longer. Carrying the newly forged battle saber, they left the Cloth-Clad Weapon Workshop.

On the way back, Yang Kai remained extremely excited, chattering endlessly about the construction of robots.

Just as they were nearing the mercenary corps' campsite, Tang Mubai's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

Someone was tailing them!

The other party's tracking technique was extremely covert; if Tang Mubai's sensory perception hadn't reached the limit of 20, he truly wouldn't have been able to discover them.

Without hesitation, Tang Mubai parked the car by the roadside, pretended he needed to buy something at a convenience store, and told Yang Kai to drive back to the camp first.

Yang Kai didn't think much of it, gave a cheerful shout, and drove off at a leisurely pace.

Tang Mubai strolled through the convenience store, bought some snacks that his young cousin liked, and walked out to head back toward the camp. Moreover, as if for convenience, he took a shortcut that led through a narrow alley.

However, the moment he stepped into the alley, his figure suddenly accelerated. He shot straight up into the air, cleared the courtyard wall, and looped back toward the rear.

When he reappeared in the alley, he was standing right behind a man in his thirties who was hesitating and trying to retreat.

"Who are you? Why are you following me?" Tang Mubai suddenly spoke up.

The man's body stiffened, but he quickly relaxed again. He slowly turned around, met Tang Mubai's gaze, and asked in confusion, "Are you talking to me, my friend?"

"Ha," Tang Mubai let out a cold laugh. "You want to play dumb with me?"

"Well, is my friend perhaps misunderstanding something?" The man still looked perplexed. "I just happened to pass by here. I've never seen my friend before this, so where would this—"

Boom!

A majestic and formless pressure descended from the skies, enveloping the man and slamming him instantly onto the ground with a dull thud, rendering him completely immobile.

On the man's pale face, the previous calmness and perplexity vanished, replaced by terror and shock.

"You... how could you possibly be a Grandmaster?"

Xi Yifan was dumbfounded.

Never in his wildest dreams would he have expected that Tang Mubai, a mere "professional third-rank," could suddenly transform into a "Grandmaster"!

He knew Grandmaster-tier pressure all too well; the pressure Han Pingdao released when enraged wasn't even as potent as this casual display from Tang Mubai.

Choosing to tail Tang Mubai was a move he had initiated himself.

In Xi Yifan's mind, Tang Mubai was an orphan who had lost his father, making him the least likely to have any powerful backing.

Yet reality had just dealt him a resounding slap in the face.

Tang Mubai didn't need any backing at all; he was his own backing!

...

"Can you tell me now why you were following me?"

Tang Mubai looked down from above and shouted in a low voice, "If you want to resist to the very end, I can play along with you to the very end! Let's see if your mouth is harder or my methods are harder!"

Xi Yifan remained silent.

Tang Mubai was a "Grandmaster," so he admitted defeat. But Han Pingdao was also a Grandmaster. If he betrayed Han Pingdao, he would still meet a miserable end.

Unable to offend either side, Xi Yifan could only keep his mouth shut.

"Still not talking, right?" Tang Mubai waited for a moment. Not receiving any response from Xi Yifan, he chuckled softly and grinned. "Fine, since you want to sample my craftsmanship, I'll grant your wish."

With that, he hoisted Xi Yifan up, shot into the sky under the cover of night, and headed straight for the rear of Monkey Mountain.

Upon reaching the familiar old spot, Tang Mubai hovered above the plantation, carefully sensing the surrounding movements. Making sure there was no one around, he executed the *Soaring Sky Dancing Technique* and shot straight up into the firmament.

Just as Xi Yifan was marveling at Tang Mubai's terrifying speed and panicking over what he intended to do, he suddenly realized that his entire body was abruptly lifting into the air, rising higher and higher, and higher still.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Gale-force winds blew, roaring across the heavens.

Carrying Xi Yifan, Tang Mubai flew straight up, heading for the pinnacle of the firmament.

Just like last time, he continuously accelerated all the way up, faster and faster, and faster still.

One hundred meters, two hundred meters, three hundred meters, four hundred meters...

"No, no, no, no, no... Ahhhhhh!!!"

Xi Yifan's startled cries quickly turned into shrieks.

He was facing downward, which meant he could literally watch with his own eyes as the ground grew farther and farther, and farther and farther away.

The freezing high-altitude gale lashed against his face, frightening him completely out of his wits.

The higher they rose from the ground, the more blank Xi Yifan's brain became.

Until Tang Mubai, gripping the back of Xi Yifan's collar, flew all the way to an altitude of three thousand meters in one breath.

Then, he gently let go of the hand holding Xi Yifan.

"Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!"

His mind temporarily blank, Xi Yifan jolted awake. The moment he came to his senses, he realized he was plummeting straight down, and a shrill shriek instantly pierced the night sky.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"

The urgent rush of wind whistled past his ears, and Xi Yifan's descent grew faster and faster.

Accompanied by his sharp screams, he drew closer and closer to the ground, closer and closer.

...

One thousand meters, eight hundred meters, six hundred meters, four hundred meters...

Realizing that in less than fifty meters he would smash headfirst into a pile of minced meat.

Whoosh!

Abruptly, the air stagnated.

Xi Yifan's falling body was gently caught by an invisible force, and with its speed slowed down more than tenfold, he dropped to the ground with a soft *thud*.

Face down, swallowing a mouthful of mud, Xi Yifan's entire body went limp. Unable to feel his limbs, he sprawled flat on the dirt, trembling incessantly.

After a long while, he finally trembled, his voice quivering as he replied, "I... I'll talk! I... I'll talk!!"

Xi Yifan's trembling voice echoed across the plantation.

His whole body shook continuously, his hands and feet clinging desperately to the muddy earth.

He would rather be beaten to death by Han Pingdao than watch himself fall from the high altitude and be dashed to pieces!

If his heart hadn't been strong, he would have been scared to death the moment he dropped just now!

"I... I'll talk! I'll talk!!"

Terrified that Tang Mubai would act again, Xi Yifan screamed shrilly.

"Ha, finally willing to talk?" Tang Mubai grinned, chuckling lightly. "Aren't your kind supposed to have very stubborn mouths? How did yours turn to mush so easily?"

"I... I'm sorry!"

Xi Yifan raised his head, squeezed out a smile, and stiffened as he said, "I... I was in the wrong just now. I'll speak right now, I'll speak right now! It was Han Pingdao who told me to tail you—the master of the Winged Sword Sect. He told me to secretly investigate your exact background and see if you had any backing or patrons. If you did, I was to find out who they were and report back to him. If you didn't, then..."

"Then what?" Tang Mubai casually prompted.

"Then... just dig a hole and bury you," Xi Yifan forced a dry smile. "Those were Han Pingdao's exact words; I swear I didn't add or omit a single word. His son has gone missing—neither hide nor hair of him can be found. Han Pingdao suspects that one of you few who showed formidable strength and lacked an overt background in the youth group tournament qualifiers did it!"

His intuition was quite spot-on!

Tang Mubai thought to himself, maintaining an expressionless facade as he asked, "His son went missing, why suspect the few of us?"

"Because Han Pingdao's son, Han Li, was also a participant in this youth group tournament, and Han Li's goal was none other than first place. This guy is sinister and ruthless, using any means necessary to achieve his goals. The few contestants without any background whose displayed surface strength threatened his ranking in the finals—he had planned to approach you all privately for some shady dealings. As for the specifics of those dealings, I'm not too sure. Anyway, Han Li and his subordinates went missing last night. They searched all day today and couldn't find them."

Xi Yifan hurriedly replied, "Because of this, Han Pingdao locked his suspicions onto the few of you. Wanting to find out your specific information, he dispatched us."

"So that's how it is." Tang Mubai dawned with realization and nodded, saying, "In other words, if the few of you who were sent out don't return, he will know who was behind his son's disappearance, and that person will become the prime suspect!"

"...Yes," Xi Yifan nodded.

Han Pingdao was simply using them as pawns.

Knowing full well that whoever snatched Han Li away was at least a half-step Grandmaster, he still sent them out to tail Tang Mubai and the others.

It was abundantly clear he hadn't cared whether they lived or died!

"Then the few of you are truly pitiful, ending up with such a cold-blooded and ruthless master. By the way, Han Pingdao is your master, right?" Tang Mubai asked again.

"...Yes!" Xi Yifan's voice was rough and heavy.

Hearing this, Tang Mubai smiled and said, "I feel it's terribly unfair for you lot, but since you wanted to kill me, I can't let you off. Of course, you can choose how you want to die. Shall I send you up to the sky to do another free-fall exercise, or..."

"I choose the second option!"

Before Tang Mubai could finish, Xi Yifan hurriedly shouted, "I choose the second option!"

"Certain?" Tang Mubai chuckled.

"Certain, positive, absolute!" Xi Yifan yelled, "Just tell me what you want me to do!"

"Very well." Tang Mubai turned solemn, speaking in a serious tone, "The second method of dying is for you to tell me all the information you have on Han Pingdao, including his exact residence, secret outposts, the cultivation realm of the martial arts he practices, what levels of weapons, treasured artifacts, and spiritual items he possesses, and so on. In exchange, I'll give you a quick release and let you die easily."

"Deal!"

Without even pausing to think, Xi Yifan answered decisively.

He spilled every single piece of detailed information he knew about Han Pingdao.

At the end, he whispered a plea, "I know I don't have the right, but I still want to beg you—if possible, please spare the other disciples of the Winged Sword Sect. Han Pingdao founded the Winged Sword Sect over twenty years ago, and he has never treated us disciples well. He only dotes on his son, Han Li!"

"That depends on how those disciples of yours choose to act. If they make a move against me, I won't hold back," Tang Mubai said indifferently.

"Thank you, thank you." Upon hearing this, Xi Yifan hurriedly expressed his gratitude.

Although Tang Mubai hadn't made an explicit promise, the implication behind his words was already crystal clear.

As long as his fellow martial brothers didn't court death, Tang Mubai would let them live.

As for Han Pingdao...

He now felt only bitter resentment.

And, of course, a slice of schadenfreude.

Being targeted in the shadows by a "Grandmaster" like Tang Mubai, he might as well wait for death!

Hahahaha...