Volume One: Autumn Festival Chapter Twenty-One: The Two Paths Laid Before Us

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Jiang Wang held the bronze mirror in his hands. No matter how much he struck it or called out, the wraith showed no response whatsoever.

Could it be depressed?

He felt a twinge of guilt, as if he had inadvertently broken the monster.

“Young Marquis, has it been dealt with?” Captain Zhou, having witnessed Jiang Wang repeatedly torment the demon, believed the creature was simply too troublesome. He saw how exhausted the young marquis looked—his face pale—and thought that for the safety of Huncheng, the young marquis truly took on his responsibilities without hesitation, a model for all.

Jiang Wang hesitated slightly.

The wraith was certainly still there.

But it seemed no different from being dead.

His recent actions were not without meaning.

He felt that his control over that power had become more skillful.

He could even tell that the wraith in the bronze mirror, though emanating a heavy aura of earthly calamity, had not harmed anyone.

A wraith trapped inside an old artifact cannot move the object unless someone moves it. If it stays in an uninhabited place, naturally, it has no chance to cause harm.

Moreover, since Tao the Celestial Master had captured it and kept it at home, though it was unclear what exactly was done, the wraith inside the mirror was indeed feeble—far from comparable to the one lurking in the alleys of Qixia Street.

The combination of these factors rendered the wraith in the mirror extremely weak, capable only of scaring people.

And after Jiang Wang's recent round of torment, it probably wouldn’t even manage that anymore.

He looked at Captain Zhou and said, “It’s resolved. Return this bronze mirror to Tao the Celestial Master.”

Thinking about the wraith’s diminished state and with Tao’s talismans suppressing it, the chances of trouble were slim. If it weren’t for Miss Shu’s unexpected encounter, Tao would have kept the wraith captured all this time without issue.

Captain Zhou thanked Jiang Wang, reassured Tao the Celestial Master a few words, and then took his leave.

Tao the Celestial Master sat slumped on the ground, staring at the bronze mirror in his hands. His expression shifted several times before he looked up at Jiang Wang and said, “Thank you, Young Marquis.”

Jiang Wang smiled. “It’s good that you understand. If any accidents happen again, you should know how I will respond.”

Tao nodded. The facts had proven that the young marquis was no ordinary man, and he felt somewhat fearful.

He could make talismans, no doubt, but he was nowhere near as legendary as the rumors in Huncheng suggested.

In truth, he was not a genuine Celestial Master.

His so-called talisman drawing to ward off demons was only a preliminary attempt—a simple talisman that could suppress weaker wraiths but had no power to kill demons.

Still, it could bring good fortune and avert misfortune, even heal certain ailments. By chance, it had saved a guarding official once.

He hoped to harness the wraith’s power to develop truly powerful talismans and earn a reputation.

Now, he realized he had to act discreetly.

Since cultivators were scarce in Huncheng, he could usually operate unnoticed, but after this incident, he felt a trace of fear.

He did not bring up the topic of fortune-telling for Jiang Wang again and staggered out of the Xunyang Marquis’s mansion.

A voice choked with emotion sounded.

Ning Shisi tightly gripped Miss Shu’s sleeve, his voice trembling. “Junior sister, it really was a misunderstanding. This man is no monster, but a cultivator.”

Only a very few wraiths could threaten cultivators at the Dongming stage. Otherwise, it was just a matter of how quickly they could be dealt with. But someone like Jiang Wang, who played with wraiths like toys, was beyond the reach of ordinary Dongming cultivators.

He knew clearly that his junior sister was a true cultivator but clearly no match for Jiang Wang.

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He could only reasonably guess that Jiang Wang was likely a great cultivator at the peak of Dongming.

Although they shared the same teacher as Miss Shu.

But Ning Shisi was just a martial artist.

He was confident he could defeat his junior sister with a single punch.

Yet he was equally certain that even a hundred punches would not faze a peak Dongming cultivator.

They simply were not on the same level.

Miss Shu stubbornly insisted, “Maybe it’s just a disguise. Who says a demon can’t kill demons?”

Though she sensed something was off, it sounded reasonable.

Ning Shisi hesitated. “Shall we retreat first? Regardless of whether he’s a demon or not, it seems beyond our ability to handle.”

Miss Shu was reluctant.

Their comrades hiding outside the mansion had cramped legs from squatting so long.

If they weren’t either third-rank martial artists or cultivators halfway through their hundred-day foundation establishment, skilled at concealing their aura, they would have been caught by Captain Zhou long ago.

While Miss Shu was still hesitant, Jiang Wang, taking advantage of the lingering power of the ‘Mirage,’ immediately threw several punches into the air. Each blow exploded loudly, shaking the entire mansion.

Those hiding outside scattered in fright.

Ning Shisi was stunned.

Though Jiang Wang appeared to be punching at random, the direction of the wind from his fists pinpointed where his comrades were hiding.

Since they were all outside the mansion, Jiang Wang’s move was clearly a warning.

Without hesitation, Ning Shisi grabbed Miss Shu’s arm and bowed to Jiang Wang. “Sorry to intrude, sir, we meant no disrespect. We will leave now. Please don’t be angry.”

In a panic, he pulled Miss Shu and scaled the wall again to escape.

Jiang Wang stared blankly at the wall.

He wondered if he should make the wall higher.

...

Du Family Residence.

The old steward stepped out of the unrenovated main gate.

Du Heng nervously saw him off.

Only after the steward’s figure disappeared from view did he wipe the cold sweat from his brow.

Except for Jiang Wang himself, all the important people in the Marquis’s mansion had wandered through the Du family residence. Once bitten, twice shy, Du Heng urged the servants and summoned a large team of craftsmen to repair the main gate as quickly as possible.

Seeing Du Yanruo, Du Heng sighed, “With the Marquis’s mansion coming to us every few days, I can’t even get a good night’s sleep. I’m seriously considering moving the whole family out of Huncheng.”

Du Yanruo looked at the craftsmen repairing the gate, then pulled Du Heng aside to a private spot and said, “Cai Tanggu has returned to Yuyuan Academy and intends to exaggerate the matter. If a high-ranking official from the academy intervenes, Jiang Wang will be forced to beg for mercy. But I’m worried that if another accident happens and the Du family is implicated, there will be no way out.”

“There are only two paths ahead: either gain the Marquis’s pardon and extricate the Du family, or fight to the death and leave Jiang Wang to perish.”

Du Heng was surprised by his daughter’s ruthlessness.

“If Cai Tanggu fails again, what ability do we have to bring Jiang Wang to ruin?”

He said solemnly, “Though Cheng’er’s leg was broken by Shan Qiyu, Jiang Wang ultimately spared his life. Tong Ji was only reasonably suspicious because Jiang Wang was nearly assassinated again. Haven’t we explained ourselves clearly? I truly see no need to take the second path.”

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Du Yanruo said, “Taking the first path will come with its humiliations. I absolutely refuse to bow to Jiang Wang. No matter what, we must prepare a trump card.”

Du Heng asked seriously, “Have you already made up your mind, Ru’er?”

Du Yanruo nodded. “When Senior Brother Su and I first left Yuyuan Academy, we heard the Dean mention that this immortal-seeking expedition is highly valued by the court. We are just scouts. It’s said that the Qingxuan Department will also send people, and their envoy will be a cultivator stronger than Cai Tanggu.”

Du Heng asked, “Why would the Qingxuan Department help us?”

Du Yanruo smiled coldly. “The Qingxuan Department holds high office in the court, governs Sui Kingdom cultivators, and shoulders the heavy responsibility of exorcising demons and monsters. Only graduates with excellent records from Yuyuan Academy have the chance to join the Qingxuan Department. The two are closely connected.”

Her expression turned icy. “As long as Jiang Wang is tied to a demon, the Qingxuan Department cannot ignore it, whether officially or privately.”

Du Heng was shocked. “Isn’t that too risky?”

At this moment, he felt as if he was meeting his daughter for the first time.

If it were merely a matter of pride—refusing to bow to Jiang Wang—then plunging Jiang Wang into a desperate situation was not something he would expect from his own daughter.

Even Du Heng thought the plan was too cruel.

If anything went wrong, it would doom the Du family without hope of recovery.

After Du Zicheng returned safely, Du Yanruo kept pondering one question.

What was Jiang Wang’s purpose in revealing his feelings for Du Zicheng?

She thought and thought, concluding it was to humiliate them.

If they went now to beg Jiang Wang’s forgiveness, she dared not imagine what scene they would face.

Since Jiang Wang was merciless, she would be heartless in return.

What one cannot have, one destroys.

The Du family was in dire straits. This was their only chance to turn the tables.

Otherwise, she would live daily under Jiang Wang’s humiliation.

...

The night sky was clear, the stars shining brilliantly.

Xunyang Marquis’s Mansion.

Jiang Wang lay on a rattan chair inside his room, frowning deeply. “If it wasn’t Du Zicheng, then where did that old man come from?”

The old steward sat nearby and said, “Investigating his identity won’t be easy. Though they never truly fought, judging by the power behind the throwing knife, he is at least a fourth-rank martial artist. His strikes were decisive—retreating without hesitation after missing an opportunity—which fits the style of a Jianli assassin.”

He looked at Jiang Wang and speculated, “If nothing else, it’s likely connected to the Jianli assassin who also attempted to kill you in West City Alley. There may be two Jianli assassins in Huncheng; Du Zicheng found only one, and now the other has come for revenge.”

Jiang Wang rubbed his brow. “Though it makes sense, it’s still speculation. If he fails this time, he’ll surely look for a second chance. For now, Tong Bo should find an excuse to leave the mansion temporarily. Let Shan Qiyu return to the Black Flame Army camp. Rather than wasting effort investigating, it’s better to give him an opportunity.”

The steward, now trusting Jiang Wang completely and seeing no danger in this plan, nodded. “Then you should rest early, Young Marquis. Tomorrow morning, I will use the investigation as a pretext to take Shan Qiyu away.”

Jiang Wang said, “We must handle this carefully. He will surely observe in secret at first. We need to give him the perfect chance to strike without exposing any flaws, or all efforts could be wasted.”

If one tries to avoid the danger, there must be the most suitable reason. If the excuse is improper, timing will be off.

For example, if a matter that could be resolved quickly drags on too long, anyone alert could see the conspiracy.

...