Matrix Survival: One random treasure chest per day

Chapter 292 Misaka Tsuchiemon (Two Chapters Combined)

Since an auction is to be held, Li Zheng naturally needs to advertise in advance to build popularity and make it easier for interested players to gather resources beforehand.

To enhance the advertising effect, Li Zheng used a megaphone to briefly introduce the items to be auctioned.

To his surprise, the number of people contacting him via private message increased many times over as soon as the product description was posted.

Among them were some acquaintances, such as Tang Qianzang.

Tang Qianzang was more concerned about the "levitation propulsion device." With this item in hand, he would be invincible when encountering creatures that could not fly and had no ranged attack methods during exploration.

He contacted Li Zheng with the intention of buying the aircraft before the auction, but Li Zheng decisively refused.

"I'm not selling now. If you want it, come to the auction and I'll give you a spot."

Wouldn't it be a huge loss to sell now?

It's written in some novels that auctions are easy to get carried away with, and once you get carried away, you start bidding, and then you lose money for free. While others lose money, Li Zheng makes a fortune.

Besides Tang Qianzang, another person also sent Li Zheng a private message, inquiring about the details of the auction items.

"Mr. Li Zheng, could you sell me some of these three items—the levitation thruster, the intermediate culture medium, and the culture dish—before the auction? The price is negotiable." The sender of the private message was 'Misaka Tsuchiemon,' the player that Kato Junkazu wanted to kill through Li Zheng before his death.

According to Kato Junkazu, this person was an administrator in Takamagahara and had studied under Yagyu Kenshin of Muddy Country before entering the Matrix; he was exceptionally skilled.

"Not selling now, wait for the auction if you want to buy." Li Zheng refused outright, then checked other people's private messages to conduct today's potion transactions.

With the potions sold a few days ago serving as advertising, now whenever Li Zheng sends a message announcing the start of potion trading, countless people contact him.

With the idea of ​​prioritizing Chinese players, Li Zheng usually flips through Chinese names first, and only then selects some foreign players.

Of course, there are occasional exceptions.

There's no other reason than that they gave too much...

After selling out 200 sets of Black Iron Potions in 30 minutes, Li Zheng checked his private messages and found that many people who had bought the potions before were asking about Black Iron Potions with higher limits.

They gave a unified reply to follow the auction, then ignored it afterward, which whetted the appetite of many players and made them curse in private.

After spending some more time dealing with the private messages, Li Zheng discovered that Misaka Tsuchimuro had sent several more messages relentlessly.

Upon opening it, Li Zheng smiled.

"Mr. Li may not know who I am. Let me introduce myself. I am a middle manager in Takamagahara. I studied under the head of the Yagyu Kenkan and received the true teachings of Yagyu Kendo. I hope Mr. Li will give me the honor of selling some items privately."

"[Spatial Leap Device] There is an old saying in your country: 'A wise man knows when to yield.' I hope Mr. Li will not put me in a difficult position."

He used polite language throughout, but the threat was unmistakable.

Li Zheng replied with a cold laugh: "Come on, if you've got the guts!"

Are you really giving me a hard time?

We haven't even settled accounts with you Takamagahara for causing trouble on channel 879 yet, and now you dare to threaten me?
Come on if you dare! I'll beat you until you kneel down and beg for mercy, or I'll write the character "Li" backwards!

Less than thirty seconds after sending the private message, Li Zheng heard Xiao Ying shouting loudly outside the residence, as if someone had entered the room.

"Oh? You actually dare to come?" Li Zheng raised an eyebrow slightly, opened the private message restriction, raised his hand to summon his sheathed sword, and walked out.

A handsome and imposing man stood in front of the residence, dressed in a loose kimono with a slender platinum-grade katana at his waist.

"He looks decent enough, but it's a pity he's a bit short, only 1.6 meters tall." Li Zheng smiled knowingly and walked towards him.

The moment Old Pu saw Misaka Tsuchimon, he revealed all of Misaka's attributes, even detecting the color of his underwear.

Although Misaka Tsuchiemon had never purchased gene serums, his four attributes had been raised to Silver 5+ in a very even manner, and he was about to break through to Gold level.

Li Zheng was somewhat surprised by this. His physique had only just reached the threshold of the gold level, yet someone else had managed to reach the silver level limit without the aid of potions.

This made him think a lot.

Perhaps Takamagahara also possessed some kind of item that could enhance physical abilities, but he kept it very secret and it was not exposed.

No wonder Misaka Tsuchimon didn't care about the potion at all when he contacted me; it seems he didn't care about it.

At this moment, Li Zheng had already discerned some clues from the three items that Misaka Tsuchiemon wanted to buy.

The raw material for items that can improve physical fitness should be some kind of crop that one has never seen before.

Misaka Tsuchimon wants to buy petri dishes and culture medium, probably to expand the scale of his breeding, and perhaps even to use the properties of the culture medium to create some mutated products.

“No!” Li Zheng’s eyelids suddenly twitched. “His target should only be the culture medium. The reason he brought up the petri dish is just to make up an excuse for himself to buy culture medium from me in the future.”

How many people are there in Takamagahara in total?

Li Zheng didn't know.

But the fact that even a mid-level manager like Misaka Tsuchiemon could reach the Silver Limit with this kind of physical enhancement means that the other organization must also have a cultivation vessel!

Otherwise, where would such a large output come from?
Misaka Tsuchimon never imagined that simply showing his face to Li Zheng would expose so many secrets within Takamagahara.

“You shouldn’t have come.” Li Zheng sighed meaningfully. Old Pu’s abilities were simply too incredible. The other party didn’t even notice and the secret was exposed.

"Mr. Li, do you regret what you said?" Misaka Tsuchiemon thought that Li Zheng meant he had backed down.

“No, what I mean is, you’ve caused a lot of trouble for Takamagahara since you came here.” Li Zheng shook his head. Misaka Tsuchiemon doesn’t have many abilities. Besides “swordsmanship expertise”, he only has the genetic ability of “manipulating metal”.

"Takamagahara isn't afraid of trouble." Misaka Tsuchiemon crossed his arms in front of him, seemingly not worried at all about Li Zheng suddenly launching an attack, and was very confident.

Li Zheng grinned: "You'll be scared in the future."

Misaka Tsuchimon rolled his eyes: "Does the master mean that we will become a problem for Takamagahara in the future?"

“Not in the future, it was always like this.” Li Zheng’s smile widened. “And it’s not just a problem for Takamagahara, but a problem for your entire Muddy Country.”

"You?" Misaka Tsuchimon's expression turned slightly serious.

"Just me," Li Zheng said calmly.

"That's such a pity," Misaka Tsuchimon said regretfully. "I originally admired you very much and wanted to be your friend, but now it seems we can only become enemies."

The smile on Li Zheng's face vanished abruptly: "Want to be friends with me?"

"you!"

"also!"

"match?"

With those three words and three phrases, Li Zheng dashed forward.

The sword was drawn, its cold light flashing, exuding a chilling aura.

Misaka Tsuchimon came with ill intentions. Rather than playing along and waiting for him to make the first move, it's better to strike first.

When Li Zheng makes a move, it's a deadly strike.

The world's strongest rapier technique, "Piercing Swallow," was unleashed with Li Zheng's movements.

The sword light flashed like thunder, and the sword's momentum was like a startled swan. As Zhan Zhouzhou said, with diligent practice, the same sword technique can bring new insights with each use.

Li Zheng's favorite move in battle is "Swallow Through the Hall," and he is also the most proficient at it. He has mastered "Swallow Through the Hall" to a level even more ferocious than when Zhan Zhouzhou first used it!
Misaka Saemon was merely standing there when, before the long sword thrusting towards him even reached him, he felt a swelling and soreness between his brows, as if his skull would be pierced in the next second.

"What powerful swordsmanship!" Misaka Tsuchiemon abandoned his arrogance, drew his katana from his waist, and prepared for battle.

He had only ever witnessed such a fierce sword technique from his own master.

Do not!
Or rather, the pressure Li Zheng exerted on him was even greater than that on his master!
This doesn't mean Li Zheng is better than his master; it only means that Li Zheng's style of swordsmanship is more ruthless and sharp than that of the headmaster of the Yagyu Sword Hall.

Misaka Saemon raised his katana to parry, then stepped back on one leg to adjust his balance and prepare for a counterattack.

"Tch..." Li Zheng scoffed disdainfully. If the Swallow Strike was so easy to block, he wouldn't start his day with this move every day.

The beauty of "Swallow Through the Hall" lies in its countless possibilities; all other moves in the Zhan family sword technique can be chained together and used afterward.

If Li Zheng wanted to, he could even pull out a gun with his left hand and fire it without affecting his right hand's ability to continue changing sword techniques.

But he was unwilling, or rather... he couldn't do it.

Because the capsule dwelling was released, he couldn't get his hands on the gun...

With a slight twist of his wrist and a powerful downward press, he used the blade to block Misaka Tsuchiemon's parrying attack. Sliding down the blade, the sheathed sword aimed directly at the opponent's hand holding the sword.

"Trying to cripple my hand? Didn't you see my sword has a guard?" Misaka Saemon saw through Li Zheng's thoughts and sneered inwardly.

However, the next second, Li Zheng's arm trembled like a spring, and the sword, after pressing down, suddenly leaped up, bypassing the guard and slashing towards his palm.

"What!" Misaka Tsuchiemon was shocked and could only ignore the danger, turn to the side, and pull his arm away.

"Trash who can't even hold a weapon!" Li Zheng sneered, about to continue his attack.

Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of the katana that Misaka Tsuchimon had abandoned, which was floating three inches above the ground. Taking advantage of his inattention, it slashed insidiously toward his ankle.

"Manipulate metal?" These four words popped into Li Zheng's mind. He didn't dare to be careless and leaped high to dodge.

Misaka Tsuchiemon responded with a cold laugh: "Unless you know light-footed kung fu, taking to the air first is suicide!"

Without leverage in the air, a person is likely unable to dodge subsequent attacks.

This is common knowledge among many martial arts practitioners.

Even in many RPG games, there's a saying in PvP: "The one who jumps first will always lose."

However, just as Li Zheng overlooked Misaka Tsuchimon's abilities, Misaka Tsuchimon also overlooked the advantages that Li Zheng possessed that he could not match.

That means Li Zhengzhen can really fly!
puff~

The levitation thrusters spewed out powerful airflow, and Li Zheng's body did not fall; instead, he rose again, dodging Misaka Tsuchiemon's subsequent attacks.

"Didn't expect that, did you? I can fly!" Li Zheng leaned forward, unleashing a series of sword moves with his sheathed sword, pressing closer and closer to Misaka Tsuchiemon's upper body vitals.

"Yosh! Mr. Li is indeed a formidable opponent. I have no choice but to take this seriously." Misaka Tsuchiemon drew back his sword, no longer showing weakness, and unleashed his true abilities to fight Li Zheng.

Although the place where Misaka Tsuchimon studied was called "Yagyu Kenkan" and his master was known as "Yagyu Kenjin".

In reality, the distinction between knives and swords was not obvious in the Nihong Kingdom.

Some people say that the sword used in Mudkō Kendo is different from the tachi and is called a "single-edged sword".

Actually...

Well, those who know, know. Japanophiles always manage to come up with some strange and bizarre viewpoints to glorify the Japanese.

In fact, as can be seen from many films and television works in Japan, the so-called "single-edged sword" is actually just a "katana," with almost no difference between them.

Even the samurai who studied at the "kendo dojo" called their weapons "katana".

As for the question of whether there is a difference between the so-called "katana" and "Tang sword"...

Free evaluation of evidence!

Here's a joke: the Kusanagi Sword.

The style that Misaka Tsuchimon learned... let's call it "Yagyu Kendo" for now. It is actually a streamlined and efficient style, with orderly offense and defense and a well-defined pattern.

To put it bluntly, it's essentially a fusion of the basic techniques of swords and sabers, resulting in a distorted product.

This deformed product, when used with a slender katana, also known as a "single-edged sword," indeed possesses extraordinary power.

At least Li Zheng would find it difficult to defeat Misaka Tsuchiemon in a short time based solely on his techniques.

However, Li Zheng still had many tricks up his sleeve. With the advantage of his aircraft, even if he couldn't break through Misaka Tsuchimori's defenses, he still had the upper hand.

It's rare to find such a suitable punching bag. How could Li Zheng possibly stop until he's squeezed every last drop of value out of him?

So gradually, Misaka Tsuchiemon became Li Zheng's practice target. Li Zheng took the opportunity to practice all the moves in the Zhan family sword technique several times, greatly improving his proficiency.

After Li Zheng finished practicing his moves, Misaka Tsuchiemon became familiar with Li Zheng's techniques and rhythm, and his responses became easier. He even had the leisure to speak: "Mr. Li doesn't seem to have any more moves?"

Li Zheng did not respond, but instead used two more sword techniques, making slight adjustments compared to the same sword technique he had used before.

Misaka Tsuchimon was unaware of Li Zheng's subtle movements, easily parrying the two sword strikes and attempting a counterattack.

Misaka Tsuchimon's counterattack disrupted Li Zheng's "practice" rhythm, and his interest in continuing to practice vanished instantly, causing him to furrow his brow deeply.

“A punching bag should have the awareness of a punching bag,” Li Zheng muttered under his breath, dissatisfied. “Awareness in a double sense.”

He spoke too softly, and Misaka Tsuchimon didn't hear him clearly, instinctively asking, "What?"

Li Zheng ignored him, glanced at the time, and realized that they had been playing for more than twenty minutes. No wonder he was tired and hungry.

"Huh? Wait... How come I'm hungry so soon?" Li Zheng was slightly taken aback, turning his head to dodge the blade that Misaka Tsuchiemon was thrusting at him.

Frowning, Li Zheng remembered that he had been busy and hadn't eaten dinner even though it was ready.

"It's time to end this." Li Zheng's eyes suddenly narrowed, and the previously dissipated murderous aura suddenly intensified.

"How... has it suddenly changed again?" Misaka Tsuchiemon felt extremely uncomfortable because the rhythm of the battle was entirely under Li Zheng's control, leaving him with a deep sense of powerlessness.

It's like an ADC in a team fight who can never find their position and is afraid of dying from an unknown area-of-effect attack.

However, team battles are unavoidable, so it can feel very frustrating.

Li Zheng remembered it was time to eat and decided to finish quickly and deal with Misaka Tsuchiemon first.

Suddenly, he stepped back two steps, and a faint blue aura emanated from his body.

The chill initially was faint, then intensified, turning a deep blue.

Misaka Tsuchiemon shivered from the cold temperature, and even the moves in his hands showed slight distortion.

"Finish!"

A faint voice reached Misaka Tsuchiemon's ears; all he could see was a deep blue expanse, and every cell in his body screamed for danger.

P.S. Actually, there is indeed a "single-edged sword" among the strange weapons. It is an ordinary longsword that is cut vertically in the middle into two halves, which is straighter than a "katana".

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(End of this chapter)