madnovel Chapter 1420 - 848: Liu Zheng Becomes a Father (Part 2)
Chapter 1420 - 848: Liu Zheng Becomes a Father (Part 2)
Ma Fuguo looked at her, then at Liu Zheng, then again at Liu Zheng’s uniform, hesitating to speak."Let’s go."
Liu Zheng left the martial arts hall and headed straight for Kongxiang Gallery.
Kongxiang Gallery was located by an artificial lake, surrounded by lush greenery, a stark contrast to the steel wasteland style of the rest of the Metropolis.
The architectural style of Kongxiang Gallery was also interesting; it was a four-story bamboo-stilted house.
Slender columns pierced the water, resembling the legs of a spider.
Around the artificial lake stood four other buildings, styled after the Sydney Opera House, the Bird’s Nest, a castle, and a six-layer cake.
Of course, all were miniature versions.
Liu Zheng only took a glance before turning his gaze away.
Being neighbors with Timor Layman meant they couldn’t be too shabby; he preferred not to complicate matters.
He ascended the stairs to the first floor of the stilted house, holding four secret martial arts manuals in his hand, then knocked on the door.
"Please wait a moment."
A voice floated down from above the stilted house.
Liu Zheng looked up but saw nothing.
Soon after, the door opened.
A tall, thin man appeared before Liu Zheng.
He wore a blue flannel home outfit, with sunken eyes, a hooked nose, high cheekbones, and drooping lips, exuding the aura of an ascetic and a killer.
Fortunately, his eyes were large and round, clean and clear, diluting the harshness of his appearance.
"What can I do for you, benefactor?"
The man asked directly.
"Are you Timor Layman?"
Liu Zheng asked in return.
"I am,"
The man nodded.
"I am a delivery man from the Bloody Restaurant, and I have a delivery for you to sign for."
Liu Zheng said.
"I decline to accept."
Timor Layman’s attitude was gentle yet firm.
"Understood. I heard you like collecting secret martial arts manuals, so I specifically sought these four secret manuals for you to appraise."
Liu Zheng bowed and presented the four manuals.
"A delivery man from the Bloody Restaurant bringing me manuals, that’s unusual. Since you are a guest, please come in."
Timor Layman smiled and made a welcoming gesture.
"Then I’m intruding."
Liu Zheng did not refuse, offering a polite remark before stepping inside.
The first floor resembled a gallery and reception room, with walls lined with picture frames; some contained paintings, others were empty.
He noticed that each frame differed in size and shape.
"Since you are here, benefactor, why not choose a painting?"
Timor Layman suggested.
"Sure. Is there anything special I should know?"
Liu Zheng followed his lead.
He wasn’t afraid of demanding customers, only indifferent ones.
"You may choose three times. If you choose correctly, take the painting with you. If you don’t, stay behind."
Timor Layman explained.
"I don’t quite understand. Could you elaborate?"
Liu Zheng slightly furrowed his brow.
"The Buddhist Sect speaks of conditions arising from emptiness. If you choose correctly, you are destined for the painting; if not, you are meant for the gallery. Since there is destiny, you should stay and integrate with the frame, then achieve emptiness."
Timor Layman explained.
"That’s not how those terms are interpreted, right? Besides, didn’t you leave the Buddhist Sect? Why use their philosophy?"
Liu Zheng squinted as he asked.
"I left the Buddhist Sect, not the Buddhist Law. My true nature is as it is; my techniques are Buddhist Law."
Timor Layman’s tone was calm, yet his words carried an air of unyielding authority.
"If I choose the painting correctly, will you sign for the delivery?"
Liu Zheng tested the waters.
"Of course not."
Timor Layman shook his head.
"Then why should I choose it?"
Liu Zheng pursed his lips.
He had no interest in things without benefits and with potential risks.
"Why come to a gallery if you don’t want to buy paintings? If you’re not my guest, there’s nothing to discuss. Moreover, since it is a painting sold by me, it naturally holds its own mysteries."
Timor Layman said.
"Alright then. How do I choose?"
Liu Zheng asked.
"You can choose any way you like. You can look, listen, smell, taste, or even chop at it with a knife. As long as you can remove the painting, you’ve chosen correctly. Similarly, any action to take the painting counts as a choice."
Timor Layman said.
"If I damage it, will you make me pay?"
Liu Zheng asked suspiciously.
"Naturally, you would have to compensate."
Timor Layman stated matter-of-factly.
"Ha. You shouldn’t be called Timor Layman, but rather Timor Boss."
Liu Zheng remarked sarcastically.
"Names arise from discrimination; without discriminatory mind, names have no distinction. Call me whatever you like."
Timor Layman remained unperturbed by his sarcasm.
"I can’t outtalk you, so I’ll choose a painting."
Liu Zheng conceded, turning to face a painting.
This painting was an oil painting depicting a lady lounging on a couch, reading a book.
The lady was beautiful and voluptuous, her clothing light and thin. While nothing inappropriate was exposed, it provoked endless imagination.
Liu Zheng’s eyes lingered on the lady’s chest for a few seconds before moving on to the next painting.
The second painting was an ink painting of a peddler selling goods to a few children.
The peddler was wearing light gauze, barely concealing a skeletal frame.
The children were plump and fair but only had half their bodies.
Liu Zheng wrinkled his nose, as if smelling the scent of decay.
He stared at this painting for a while before decisively grabbing the frame with both hands.
In a moment of disjointed perception, he became the peddler, while the children reached out to him with their small hands.
"What will you sell to them?"
A voice echoed in Liu Zheng’s ear, perhaps Timor Layman’s, perhaps not.
"Whatever they’re missing, I’ll sell,"
He replied without hesitation, then swung his blade, slicing his own waist.
The two thick and sturdy goat legs bent backward, walking to a child. The child hopped up, and upon connecting with the goat legs, transformed into a small version of Liu Zheng.
Seeing their companion complete, the other children grew anxious, crying out sharply.
"Don’t worry, everyone will get one,"
Liu Zheng reassured them, raising his blade to cut off the newly regrown lower half.
After several swings, all the children had lower bodies, and they all looked like small versions of Liu Zheng, as if multiple births.
"Daddy, Daddy, play with us,"
The small Liu Zhengs clamored.
"I don’t have time to play with you; I need to earn money to feed you brats,"
Liu Zheng rolled his eyes and said.
"Then what should we do?"
The small Liu Zhengs asked.
Now with legs, they didn’t know where to go.
"Of course you should find those bastards who ate your lower bodies. Don’t tell them you’re mine unless you win; I can’t afford that disgrace,"
Liu Zheng said arrogantly.
"But they have sharp teeth and claws,"
The small Liu Zhengs said timidly.
"What’s there to fear? They have sharp teeth and claws, you have knives and clubs,"
Liu Zheng said, splitting open his chest to pull out his entire rib cage, then breaking them into bone knives, swords, spears, and other weapons.
"Go, and bring their heads back, or don’t return to me."
He tossed the bone weapons to them, speaking loudly.
"We will follow Daddy’s orders."
The small Liu Zhengs distributed the weapons among themselves, then laughed and hopped away.
"Hiss!"
Liu Zheng drew a sharp breath.
"Damn it hurts,"
He muttered, clutching his chest.
Though he was touching the hard shell of his artificial body, the soul’s torment of being divided was similar.
"Congratulations, benefactor, you are destined for this painting,"
Timor Layman’s voice came from behind.
Liu Zheng looked at the painting in his hand, where the children had vanished without a trace, leaving only the skeletal peddler in the Legendary Armor, his basket no longer filled with goods and toys but rather a variety of weapons made from white bones.