Chapter 226 Love, Lies, and Secrets
The colossal tiger lay lifeless on the forest floor, its massive head impaled by Liu Qian's precise strike. As the adrenaline of the battle began to settle, Liu Qian gracefully rose to her feet, her body injuries miraculously healed, leaving no trace of the recent struggle.
In a shaded corner of the forest, Zhang Jun, who had just arrived, let out a sigh of relief. His initial panic and shock transformed into genuine admiration as he witnessed Liu Qian emerging unscathed from what seemed like a perilous situation.
Having stumbled upon the scene with Liu Qian apparently wounded, Zhang Jun had contemplated rushing to her aid. However, he halted in his tracks, awestruck by the revelation that Liu Qian not only survived but single-handedly defeated the formidable tiger.
"Beautiful and powerful... You should belong to me, Qian'er!" he declared with a determined gleam in his eyes.
Despite Liu Qian's consistent rejections, Zhang Jun held firm to the belief that their return to the Yuan dynasty would usher in a change in their relationship.
Zhang Jun resolved to close the distance, taking a purposeful step toward Liu Qian. However, his advance came to an abrupt halt when he noticed Liu Qian engaging with someone in the inner depths of the forest.
His eyes followed Liu Qian's line of vision, but being in the secluded part of the woods, he couldn't perceive what was happening on the other side.
Suddenly, he fell into silence, freezing in place as a man, roughly his age, materialized before Liu Qian.
A displeased expression overcame Zhang Jun's face. Swiftly, he leaped with remarkable agility, concealing himself behind the cover of a tree.
His narrowed eyes scrutinized the man, and after a lingering gaze, his eyes widened with sudden realization.
From the stranger's posture and countenance, it was the very same individual he had encountered at his sister's apartment!
"That bastard! What's he doing here?" Zhang Jun seethed, his forehead furrowed in anger.
The memory of the man's face and the insults hurled during their previous meeting were etched vividly in his mind.
"I'll make sure he learns a lesson!" he declared with an icy determination.
With that resolve, he commenced his advance. Yet, his steps suddenly halted, his body seemingly frozen in disbelief as the scene unfolded before him.
There, Liu Qian embraced Long Tian, wrapping her arms around his neck, engaging in a passionate kiss.
His entire being felt paralyzed, struggling to comprehend the surreal sight.
"What..." His words faltered, infused with incredulity.
Swiftly, disbelief morphed into a surge of anger, the veins in his body pulsating with fury. The woman he ardently desired was intimately entwined with another man!
"So, that guy is your boyfriend, Qian'er. Then I'll kill him right now!" he spat with seething rage.
In a spontaneous act, he seized a small stone from the ground, and it immediately radiated with a purple energy aura.
Subsequently, Zhang Jun propelled the stone skyward, ascending to great heights. His eyes gleamed with a potent killing intent as he raised his right hand, enshrouded in a purple energy field.
"Descend!" he commanded.
The stone in the clouds suddenly enlarged thousands of times, enveloped in purple energy seemingly under Zhang Jun's control.
With a weight now measured in tons, the stone hurtled towards the ground, wreathed in flames as it sliced through the air.
What once was an inconspicuous rock had transformed into a celestial spectacle—a meteor!
Zhang Jun gazed upward, monitoring the faint light in the sky, his own creation. Few were privy to his ability to manipulate the size of objects, a skill honed since childhood and now wielded with mastery.
Meanwhile, Long Tian and Liu Qian continued their passionate kiss.
In a breathless moment, Liu Qian broke the kiss, suggesting, "Let's find a more comfortable place," her voice laden with desire, her cheeks flushed.
Long Tian smiled, ready to respond, but his intention was abruptly interrupted. His gaze shifted upwards with seriousness, catching sight of an approaching meteor, now perilously close.
Without a moment's hesitation, he pushed Liu Qian away, urgently stating, "Get to safety!"
Liu Qian, too, stared in disbelief at the incoming meteor.
Contrarily, Long Tian had no inclination to evade. He was intrigued, testing whether he could confront the impending threat.
The meteor's speed roared with a thunderous sound, prompting birds in the surrounding forest to take flight.
Unyielding, Long Tian stood firm, now gripping his darkblade and bracing himself.
The blade emanated a dense dark energy as he focused on the rapidly approaching meteor.
His gaze remained sharp, anticipating the precise moment.
In the ensuing seconds, he swung his sword upward, creating a slashing effect of profound darkness directed at the meteor.
Slash!
The powerful motion immediately cleaved the meteor into two halves. To add to the spectacle, both halves were enveloped by black flames, causing the stone to rapidly evaporate into fine dust.
The diminished halves descended to the ground without impact, their size greatly reduced by the consuming black flames.
Long Tian's countenance had settled after the danger passed, yet he remained curious about the sudden appearance of the meteor—surely, there was a reason.
Sheathing his sword into his spatial ring, he turned away. Abruptly, his reflexes kicked in, his expression shifting to seriousness.
Swiftly turning back, he found Zhang Jun wielding a greatsword aimed at him.
Long Tian's reflexes wasn't fast enough, granting Zhang Jun an opportunity to slash the sword across his shoulder.
The sound of the impact echoed differently, not resembling a blade slicing through flesh but more akin to the clash of iron.
Zhang Jun's countenance contorted with disbelief, finding no substantial wounds on Long Tian's shoulder—only a meager cut oozing a trickle of blood.
On the flip side, Long Tian's expression swiftly morphed into anger. Clenching his fists, he delivered a punch to Zhang Jun's head. But Zhang Jun, with nimble reflexes, evaded by leaping backward, creating distance.
His expression turned serious, filled with anger, as he braced to face Long Tian.
On the other side, Liu Qian rushed forward, shouting, "What are you doing, Zhang Jun!" her tone saturated with anger.
Zhang Jun's expression still held resentment. Conversely, Long Tian appeared rather intrigued.
"So, you're Zhang Jun, huh? I suspected as much. You're Zhang Mei's little brother," he remarked, his tone somewhat mocking.
Zhang Jun's fury intensified. "And you're the shameless bastard!" he spat. Then, his gaze shifted to Liu Qian, "Qian'er, do you know what this bastard did? He slept with my sister, and here he is, your boyfriend? He's undoubtedly a red flag!" he accused.
Hearing this, Liu Qian looked at Long Tian as she narrowed her eyes, seeking an explanation.
Long Tian merely smiled and elucidated, "His sister was my ex-
girlfriend. And honestly, she's ten years older than me, and that time was just a small reunion. We got drunk, and it eventually went in the wrong direction."
Liu Qian still narrowed her eyes, but Long Tian's explanation was quite reasonable.
"But I'll admit that Zhang Mei's body is so hot," Long Tian added, his tone cutting as he shot a mocking look at Zhang Jun.
Zhang Jun's fury reached new heights upon hearing this. "I'll kill you!" he bellowed, immediately lunging towards Long Tian.