I Have 10 Equipment Slots-Chapter 173 - 117: Mr. Gu is Here

Changying Prefecture.

Prefecture City.

Within a vast, magnificent, and solemn estate in the East District.

"My son, my dear son, what’s wrong? Please, wake up and look at your mother~"

"Oh, heavens! If you must torment someone, torment me! Why must you do this to my son?"

"Ancestors, I beg of you, please let my son wake up."

In the spacious and bright room, a beautiful woman in her thirties, dressed in palace attire, with skin as smooth as cream and a noble air, was slumped over the bedside. Tears streamed down her face as she cried out, patting the back of Zhong Tianlang’s hand.

"My dear boy, my dear boy, please wake up! How can your mother live without you!"

"The world is so unfair! It’s always been against my son! He finally secured the title of Crown Prince, and in the blink of an eye, he’s about to lose it, snatched away by that bitch’s son!"

"My son, the longer you sleep, the happier that bitch will be! Didn’t we agree? We were going to make sure that bitch and her bastard spawn would die!"

"That goddamned Gu Zheng! It’s all his fault! If it weren’t for him...!"

"Enough!"

A steady, low shout suddenly came from the doorway.

Following the sound, a tall man with a commanding presence and a sharp, piercing gaze strode into the room.

"Zhong Zhengtang! You’re just in time!"

The beautiful woman by the bed shot to her feet the moment she saw him. Pointing a finger at the man, she shrieked in fury, "Send your men to kill Gu Zheng! Bring me Gu’s head! As long as we have Gu’s head, I know my son will wake up!"

"Silence!"

Zhong Zhengtang shot the beautiful woman an icy glare and waved away the Attendants kneeling all over the floor.

"All of you, get out."

"Yes, Your Highness." The kneeling Attendants scrambled to their feet, trembling, and quickly exited the room with their heads bowed.

Once outside, they closed the doors behind them.

The moment the four door panels shut, an invisible force instantly enveloped the entire room, sealing it off from all outside sounds and auras.

"What are you doing? Zhong Zhengtang, what are you afraid of?"

The beautiful woman refused to let it go. Waving her hands, nails flashing, she lunged at Zhong Zhengtang. "He’s just a Hundred Households of the Demon Slayer Bureau! Are you, a Prince, actually afraid?"

"This Prince is not afraid. I am thinking of the bigger picture."

Zhong Zhengtang spoke calmly, raising a hand to push the lunging woman away. "Do you think that Gu Zheng is just some ordinary Hundred Households? Let me tell you, Gu Zheng is also a disciple of Meng Taiqi and Xie Bisheng!"

"So what?"

The beautiful woman panted, indignant. "They’re nothing but two dogs our family keeps..."

"Silence!"

Zhong Zhengtang’s face darkened. "Do not speak those words again," he snarled. "If that gets out, don’t blame this Prince for being ruthless and disowning you and your ’good’ son!"

"..."

The beautiful woman opened and closed her mouth, knowing she had misspoken. Still, she was filled with resentment and indignation. Waving her arms, she paced back and forth, half-crazed. "So according to you, we should just let this go? Let that man Gu run around, free and happy, while our son lies in this bed, for who knows how long?"

"Wait."

Zhong Zhengtang replied calmly. "The time is not right. We just need to wait a little longer."

"Wait how long?"

The woman was unwilling to accept it. "Wait until that little brat Gu breaks through the Heroic Body Realm and advances to the King’s Body Realm before we kill him? By then, will you even be able to kill him?"

"Heh~"

Zhong Zhengtang chuckled. "Break through to Heroic Body and advance to King’s Body? Do you think the Heroic Body is some roadside weed you can pick as you please? And you even mention advancing to King’s Body?"

"Two hundred years ago, Meng Taiqi and Xie Bisheng were geniuses of their time, prodigious talents who surpassed their entire generation. And what was the result? After a hundred years of cultivation, are they not still stuck at the Heroic Body Realm?"

"That Gu Zheng’s talent may be great, and his opportunities have been good, but if he wants to break through to the Heroic Body Realm... tell him to try again in ten years!"

...

...

「Qingshi County.」

Gu Zheng put away the Ring of Power that Li Cunyi had given him.

It wasn’t that he looked down on it; the ring simply didn’t need to be equipped.

Anyone who wore the ring would gain the effect of their strength constantly increasing.

The ring was a complete treasure in itself!

No activation required, no infusion of Divine Wondrous energy needed. You just had to wear it.

’I wonder where Uncle Li Cunyi got a treasure like this,’ he thought.

According to Li Cunyi, his own master had never broken through to the realm above Grandmaster before he died.

’If he had possessed the Ring of Power all along, how could he have failed to even reach the Alien Body?’

’Did Li Cunyi get it recently himself?’

’Did he give me the Ring of Power as thanks for the Source Fruit I used to save him?’

’Knowing Li Cunyi’s character, that’s definitely something he would do.’

’But if that’s the case, then I really can’t accept it.’

The Ring of Power was helpful to him, but not by much.

Gu Zheng had worn it and tested it out.

If he were still at the Alien Body Xianfeng or even the Mortal Body stage, it could increase his Physical Strength by several pounds a day—or over ten pounds a day for a Mortal Body.

But now that he was at the Super Body·Radiant level, wearing the ring for ten days only increased his strength by about one pound.

This was because while the Ring of Power increased strength, it actually strengthened the entire physique, just with a primary focus on power.

One pound of strength every ten days, three pounds a month—to Gu Zheng, it was practically useless.

Of course, even if Gu Zheng didn’t want it, he could give it to Gu Sihai or Gu Pan’Er.

But after some careful thought, Gu Zheng decided it was better for him to take it and keep it safe on his person.

Leaving it at home was too risky.

The Ring of Power held little appeal for him, but if others found out about it, they would absolutely go crazy trying to snatch it.

Zhang Meiyuan alone could watch out for one or two waves of enemies, but he couldn’t fend off a dozen waves of relentless harassment.

Leaving it at home, unused, would just let it gather dust.

Besides, the last time Li Cunyi came back, he had said he would not be returning to Qingshi again.

The man left behind the Ring of Power and then took off for good!

He wouldn’t say where he was going, why he wasn’t coming back, or what had happened.

In short, he had left with a carefree air, leaving Gu Zheng behind, frustrated.