Volume One: The Divine Kingdom of Eternal Night, Chapter 44: The Imperial Tutor (Part I)

Cai Tanggu’s face twitched. Tong Ji’s calm demeanor was, without a doubt, a profound humiliation to him.

"The Marquis Manor is already in this state; you should focus on guarding your young master. If he is ignorant of the situation, are you the same? As long as the Yuyuan Academy desires it, your Marquis Manor will cease to exist. Even if you defeat me, what does it matter? Are you willing to see the Manor destroyed in a single stroke?"

Tong Ji replied indifferently, "The state of the Marquis Manor has nothing to do with you. Since you know the origins of the Xunyang Marquis Manor, you should understand that without a reason that can silence the world, let alone the Yuyuan Academy, even the Emperor could not protect you."

Cai Tanggu was rendered speechless.

Although the Emperor did not favor the descendants of the fallen kingdoms, he was obliged to maintain the appearance of granting them sufficient honor. Provocations or bullying, as long as they were not too excessive, would be met with the Emperor’s feigned ignorance. But if he were to slaughter the entire Marquis Manor over some inexplicable reason, he would undoubtedly be the first to meet a swift death. Just as when he informed the Libationer about the Huncheng Marquis Manor, or when he sought to return for revenge, the Libationer had said nothing. However, there was a bottom line to such retribution; it did not mean he could do whatever he pleased. In truth, he had never intended to truly uproot the Manor; he had merely wanted to take revenge on Jiang Wang without restraint. He had not expected to be defeated once again. If he were to continue his vendetta, he would likely cross that line.

Tong Ji looked at him and said, "Though I do not know why, the young master seems unwilling to let you die. You should feel fortunate; otherwise, this sword would not be resting against your head, but piercing straight through it."

Cai Tanggu’s expression became peculiar. What exactly was that fellow Jiang Wang playing at?

He cast a sidelong glance. The battle between Jiang Wang and Dong Chongyang had become a contest between mere martial artists—fist against fist, blade against blade. At that moment, they were trading kicks, colliding with a dull thud before rapidly pulling back.

Cai Tanggu felt he had underestimated Jiang Wang. Dong Chongyang had practiced martial arts before cultivating Qi. By the time he reached the perfection of the Hundred-Day Foundation, he had already entered the third realm of martial arts. Although he had focused his efforts on cultivation after officially embarking on that path, his martial prowess had still advanced to the fourth realm over the years. Given his aptitude, had he not pursued cultivation, he might have long since broken into the Dongming realm. While one could not call him the peerless expert beneath the Zao Xue realm, he was certainly among the top five. Yet, the fact that he had been unable to subdue Jiang Wang for so long was truly inconceivable.

He was deeply worried that something unexpected might occur here.

...

Jiang Wang took a shallow breath. The Long Night Blade felt heavy, a consequence of his immense physical exertion. Yet, this only made him feel more exhilarated. Wasn’t this exactly what he had hoped for by waiting for Cai Tanggu’s revenge? As long as the enemy was not strong enough to kill him instantly, the more difficult they were to deal with, the better. The power of the Divine Kingdom would only grow stronger as he expended his own energy.

The Night Wanderer’s voice echoed, "You have only one cup of tea's time left."

Jiang Wang smiled. "That is still quite generous."

The Night Wanderer said, "Your opponent’s consumption is far lower than yours. If this becomes a battle of attrition, it will favor him. Do not be too optimistic; you are currently borrowing power, and you cannot fully unleash the strength of the Divine Kingdom. If you cannot gain the upper hand within half a cup of tea, you will surely lose."

After a brief pause, the Night Wanderer added, "There is one thing I must remind you of. Due to the chaos caused by the Great Demons, the true powerhouses have not arrived in Huncheng, or perhaps because the so-called 'immortal descent' omens have not been rare over the past few centuries, those great entities may not have come in person. But should any one of them suddenly take an interest and appear in Huncheng, and you happen to offend them, killing you would be simple. Even if you wish to make the Divine Kingdom stronger, you must choose your targets wisely, or you are simply courting death."

Jiang Wang nodded. "I am well aware. The help Cai Tanggu has brought is already his limit. If they were any stronger, I would find them hard to manage. Rather than burning all bridges, it is better to leave some room for maneuver."

He looked into the Marquis Manor. Rong Yulu was already nearing the woodshed, and at the same time, Xiaoyu was also heading in that direction. "Can I speak directly to Xiaoyu?"

The Night Wanderer said, "I can help."

As the words fell, a thread flew out from the Divine Kingdom and vanished into the Manor. Following the Night Wanderer’s instructions, Jiang Wang tracked the thread and said in his heart, "Xiaoyu, don't stir up trouble. Just let that man surnamed Rong take the person away."

Xiaoyu, who had just arrived near the woodshed, was stunned. "Young Master? Where are you?"

Jiang Wang’s voice followed immediately, "Go back to sleep obediently. Don't come out no matter what noise you hear."

Xiaoyu looked around in bewilderment, but she was obedient enough to turn and leave. Because she had been wholeheartedly contemplating the martial arts knowledge taught to her by Luo Xianshan, she had been oblivious to the world around her and had no idea what was happening in the Marquis Manor. If not for the fact that she was tired and her consciousness had emerged from that state of contemplation, she would never have noticed Rong Yulu’s presence.

Jiang Wang refocused his attention on Dong Chongyang and smiled. "I was distracted just now. Why didn't you ambush me?"

Dong Chongyang remained silent.

Jiang Wang continued, "This is the final strike. You might as well use your full strength, otherwise, you will have no more chances."

Dong Chongyang frowned. "I was actually thinking about something just now. You seem to have no foundation in cultivation, nor have you studied martial arts, yet your physique is unusually robust. The Qi Kingdom was a mighty nation in its day, and it is normal for them to have had unknown divine abilities, but I am still very curious: how exactly did you come to possess this power?"

Jiang Wang did not understand. What "Qi Kingdom"? Which country was that?

The Night Wanderer said, "Before the Sui and Tan eras, the world was filled with many nations. The Qi Kingdom could be considered one of the most powerful dynasties. At that time, I had already fallen to the status of a demon, and I witnessed with my own eyes how the Qi Kingdom, with the strength of the entire nation, beat the demons back step by step. The victory in the Mozhang Campaign was largely due to the contributions of the Qi Kingdom. But unfortunately, the people of the Qi Kingdom suffered immensely in that conflict, and the nation eventually perished."

Jiang Wang frowned. He had heard of the so-called "Mozhang Campaign," as it was recorded in historical books and various classics. It was the second great war between human cultivators and demons; because the lead demon was named "Mozhang," it was called the "Mozhang Campaign."

"But what does that have to do with me?"

The Night Wanderer said, "Does the Marquis Manor not have a unit called the Black Flame Army?"

Jiang Wang nodded, replying in his heart, "Yes, it does."

The Night Wanderer said, "The Black Flame Army was the most powerful fighting force of the Qi Kingdom. I imagine no other military unit in the world today would dare share that name."

Jiang Wang was shocked. "The Black Flame Army belonged to the Qi Kingdom?!"

The Night Wanderer said, "Either they are the remnants of the Qi Kingdom's Black Flame Army, taken in by the Marquis Manor, or the Manor itself has a great connection to the Qi Kingdom. Perhaps you are even a descendant of the Qi royal family."

Jiang Wang shook his head violently. He found it hard to believe that imperial blood flowed through his veins. If he were truly a descendant of the Qi royal family, how could he have ended up in such a miserable state? Although it was true that they were wealthy, that was not how logic worked. He had not even seen a single book that contained records of the Qi Kingdom.

Looking at Dong Chongyang opposite him, Jiang Wang realized, "He suspects that I have cultivated some divine ability left behind by the Qi Kingdom?"

The Night Wanderer said, "If he has developed greed, this matter will be hard to resolve. After all, it fits the logic, and once he has concluded this, no matter how you explain it, he will think you are lying."

Jiang Wang smiled. "Then I won't explain. He can guess whatever he likes."

The Night Wanderer coughed lightly. "Your time is truly running out."

Jiang Wang’s expression turned serious. He struck, and a scorching current spread through Qixia Street. The hanging lanterns were instantly incinerated, and the ground became searing hot, but at the same time, an incredibly cold aura erupted from the Long Night Blade, striking directly at Dong Chongyang’s face.

Dong Chongyang, who was waiting for Jiang Wang’s reply, had not expected the young man to launch an ambush.

He instantly tensed his muscles; his loose clothing billowed as if filled with air. The flagstones beneath his feet cracked, and he slowly exhaled a breath of True Qi. White smoke steamed through his clothes, and the blade in his hand was instantly infused with Yellow Court Qi. As he raised his blade, the stars in the night sky seemed to flicker.

At the moment the Long Night Blade arrived, Dong Chongyang unleashed a strike that condensed all his strength.

The two blades collided once again on Qixia Street.

This was their final strike. It was the strike that would decide the victor.

Xie Wuxing hovered high in the air, watching the scene intently. "Jiang Wang’s power is a bit weaker than when he fought me." Although it was not very obvious, Xie Wuxing had that distinct feeling.

The man surnamed Xiao, who was also hovering in the air, said indifferently, "He is at the end of his tether."

Jiang Wang’s face grew paler, and his hand holding the blade trembled. He released every ounce of his remaining strength, and the Divine Kingdom flickered in his mind. The Night Wanderer, residing within the stone statue, seemed to sense something and flew out, circling within the Divine Kingdom.

A great mountain rose from the ground. A small stream flowed swiftly. The empty Divine Kingdom, since the birth of the stone statue, now had mountains, water, and gradually, some flowers and grass.

Following this, a majestic aura surged forth!

Jiang Wang, who had been wilting, suddenly felt a surge of vitality. The icy aura on the Long Night Blade intensified several times over. With Jiang Wang’s shout, it swept forward like a falling tree, quickly swallowing Dong Chongyang’s power.

Dong Chongyang’s face flushed; he released his Yellow Court Qi as much as he could, but it was to no avail. It was like throwing a pebble into the vast ocean—it created only imperceptible ripples before vanishing without a trace.

Xie Wuxing said in surprise, "How did his power become so strong again in an instant!"

The man surnamed Xiao raised an eyebrow.

On the field, Dong Chongyang hunched over, his blade frozen by the cold. He lifted his eyes slightly; Jiang Wang stood right before him. "Were you hiding your strength?"

Jiang Wang exhaled and said calmly, "You can think that."

Dong Chongyang said in a deep voice, "This matter cannot be hidden. If it becomes known that someone of your caliber is in Huncheng, and your source of cultivation is investigated, your troubles will be endless."

Jiang Wang waved his hand. "Why won't you just believe that I am naturally gifted?"

Dong Chongyang fell silent.

At this moment, inside the gate of the Marquis Manor, Rong Yulu emerged with Su Lingyi and Du Yanruo.

Looking at the scene before him, Su Lingyi was bewildered. Du Yanruo looked around, and accidentally raising his head, he met Xie Wuxing’s gaze. His expression changed slightly.