Volume One: The Kingdom of the Endless Night Chapter Forty-Nine: A Mediocre Young Noble of Wealth and Privilege

Jiang Wang placed his right foot in Pailan Street and his left foot in Qixia Street, lowering his head in deep thought, calculating that just in case, this spot was positioned perfectly.

Chai Bi wore a look of astonishment and suspicion.

Jiang Wang straightened his clothes and smiled gently, saying, "That person lying down is your subordinate, right? I killed him."

Chai Bi looked toward the green-robed cultivator, who nodded and said, "Whatever my master says is true."

So, who on earth actually killed him?

He then looked toward the sweet-looking female cultivator.

That female cultivator raised a finger and pointed directly at the green-robed cultivator.

Regardless of whose formidable pressure that had just been, the green-robed cultivator clearly looked easier to bully.

Chai Bi said in a deep voice, "Every debt has its debtor, and I am a very reasonable person."

Although Jiang Wang looked extremely frail, it paradoxically made him inscrutable. To be safe, he had to remain cautious.

Most importantly, when he felt that pressure earlier, his gaze had swept over Jiang Wang. Because he looked at his face, he instantly sensed the Huangting aperture location on him, yet in the blink of an eye, the Huangting could no longer be detected. Such an abnormality definitely meant something fishy was going on.

Hearing this, the green-robed cultivator made a move to step in on behalf of Master Jiang.

However, Chai Bi suddenly said, "Therefore, we must first figure out what is actually going on."

He originally intended to turn to the female cultivator, but on second thought, fearing she might say things he didn't want to hear, he pointed at the shop assistant instead and said, "You, explain."

Jiang Wang felt somewhat bewildered.

This fellow had arrived with such a menacing aura, why did it feel like all thunder and no rain?

The person was already lying on the ground, completely cold, shouldn't you be directly seeking revenge on me?

Why are you suddenly trying to reason things out?

The shop assistant naturally told the truth, without adding any embellishments or exaggerations.

Chai Bi was silent for a moment before saying, "It seems my disciple was indeed in the wrong first. What is Your Excellency's intention?"

He looked at Jiang Wang with a probing gaze.

Jiang Wang: (O_O)?

Your disciple is already gone!

And you are asking for my intention?

Jiang Wang gave a light cough, thinking this made things rather difficult for him.

He had clearly killed the man's disciple, yet the teacher acted completely reasonable, as if the disciple truly deserved death. If he were to push his luck now, he would appear far too villainous.

At the very least, give me an excuse to humiliate you.

Although starting a fight directly wouldn't be a problem, it didn't sound very pleasant. After all, his reputation as a great philanthropist was currently widespread throughout Hun City, and as a young master who made a living on his looks, saving face was extremely important.

Suddenly, his thoughts cleared up. He pointed at Old Xu, who was sitting blankly in his chair, and said, "This old bast... this old gentleman is an elder who watched me grow up. I have always shown him the utmost filial piety; how could I ever dare let him suffer the slightest mishap? Don't look at him as if he's fine on the outside, but he has actually suffered severe internal injuries and doesn't have much time left. This matter definitely cannot be dropped!"

Old Xu was dumbfounded.

Since when have you ever shown me filial piety?

Putting that aside for a moment.

How on earth am I on the verge of death?

In a panic, he hurriedly checked his own body, wondering if he had somehow sustained some hidden internal injury.

The shop assistant immediately lunged forward to hug the shopkeeper, wailing at the top of his lungs, "I never expected this! To think the shopkeeper is injured this heavily! Rest assured, sir, I will definitely take good care of the tailoring shop!"

Old Xu kicked him away with one foot. You rascal, you're simply coveting my shop!

He is truly an unfilial wretch!

Chai Bi was equally startled.

He hesitated and said, "My disciple has already perished, so this matter can be considered settled. If the old gentleman truly has any issues, I am fully capable of healing him. As it happens, I have a golden elixir on me; while it may not bring back the dead or reshape bones, it can certainly alleviate even the most severe injuries."

Jiang Wang was deeply shocked.

Are you sure that was really your disciple?

He made another painstaking attempt, asking, "Were you frightened by that pressure from earlier? Please do not misunderstand at all, that has nothing to do with me. I am merely an utterly mediocre young master of noble birth!"

Chai Bi had originally only been suspicious, employing polite words purely out of caution.

But you just brought up that pressure yourself, and even claimed it wasn't caused by you!

This was clearly protesting too much!

Furthermore, how on earth are you "utterly mediocre"?

Do you have some kind of misunderstanding regarding those four words?

Not only are you exceptionally handsome, but I genuinely sensed your Huangting, and an upper Huangting at that!

According to Chai Bi's understanding, with an upper Huangting present, the other two Huangtings must surely exist as well.

Isn't this a peerless genius who was born with fully formed Huangtings?!

How does any of that relate to being utterly mediocre?

Chai Bi swallowed nervously.

A genius of this caliber, at this age, would likely have long been snatched up by some major sect. Even if your cultivation level is currently very low, you are still someone I cannot afford to provoke!

However, the intensity of that pressure was at least at the peak of the Cave-Nether Realm. Even if I were an idiot, I would still know what to do right now.

He glanced at Shu Ni and Ning Shiyi, feeling an even deeper chill in his heart.

Claiming to merely be passing by—who is he trying to fool?

With a Cave-Nether Realm cultivator as a bodyguard, accompanied by two soldiers from the Xiaoguo Army, his background was probably terrifyingly vast!

A few days ago, he had been thoroughly frightened by Luo Xianshan. Learning a lesson from past mistakes, he had to be smart this time.

Besides, the male cultivator who was killed was the truly mediocre one, taken in as a disciple only reluctantly due to some past favor his family had shown Chai Bi.

That fellow had character flaws and mediocre talent, and Chai Bi had never liked him anyway; he was hardly worth ruining one's own future over.

Chai Bi immediately said with righteous indignation, "Your Excellency possesses such noble character! I had long intended to purge the sect of him, unwilling to let such a vermin stain our lineage. Now that he has stirred up trouble again, the common people are the foundation of the Sui State, and to wantonly bully the common people... Your Excellency stepping in to execute him was an act of justice. It truly commands Chai's utmost admiration."

He looked at the sweet-looking female cultivator and said in a deep voice, "Baicai, I warned you long ago not to get too close to that fellow. If Your Excellency hadn't stepped in to help, you would surely have picked up his bad habits in the future. Such a great kindness, why aren't you kneeling to express your gratitude?!"

The sweet Baicai offered a dazed salute of thanks to Jiang Wang, then retreated back to her original spot in a daze.

She probably didn't even realize what she had just done, her head filled entirely with question marks.

Jiang Wang: (O_o)??

Ning Shiyi suddenly assumed a very excited expression, stepped forward, and cupped his fists, saying, "Senior Chai turns out to be a man of such profound righteousness! But since your disciple has after all died, I am willing to promise that as long as Senior Chai takes on another disciple of upright character, I can personally recommend him to join the Xiaoguo Army."

Chai Bi's eyes widened.

Such a wonderful thing existed too?

His sect was merely as small as a fly. If one of his disciples could serve in the Xiaoguo Army, not to mention his sect's status rising dramatically, he would also have sufficient leverage to contend for the position of sect master!

At that moment, Chai Bi wished that the dead male cultivator could come back to life just to die all over again—with such a massive blessing, dying ten thousand times wouldn't be enough.

He could be described as arriving with a menacing aura, and leaving in absolute ecstasy.

When Chai Bi led the sweet female cultivator away and disappeared into Qixia Street, Jiang Wang collapsed dejectedly onto the rattan chair, sighing that the world was truly a strange place.

Before leaving, Chai Bi had actually left the golden elixir with Old Xu.

For an ordinary mortal, swallowing a golden elixir could also prolong life, though it required the assistance of a cultivator, otherwise it would simply be rushing to an early grave.

With the green-robed cultivator assisting, Old Xu swallowed the golden elixir, which melted on his tongue. Instantly, he felt his back stop aching and his legs lose their soreness; running a few laps around Hun City probably wouldn't pose any problem at all.

Old Xu felt as though he had regained the reckless vigor of his youth.

Filled with overflowing vitality and spirit, Old Xu looked at Jiang Wang and Shu Ni, his mind starting to drift. He smiled and said, "The two of you look like a match made in heaven no matter how I see it. Feelings, after all, require time to nurture. Don't be shy; if you have anything to say, just speak your mind boldly..."

Jiang Wang stood up and left.

The green-robed cultivator followed closely behind, carrying the rattan chair.

Shu Ni wore a gloomy expression, yet with tacit understanding, she began walking at the exact same time as Jiang Wang.

Seeing Old Xu launch into a lengthy speech, Ning Shiyi felt that leaving so abruptly would be impolite, so he stood frozen in place, feeling rather awkward.

Inside Qixia Street.

Shu Ni looked back at Jiang Wang, who had originally started off walking together with her but had now fallen far behind, and sneered, "Are you a tortoise?"

Jiang Wang wore a desolate expression, his eyes sweeping over the surrounding cultivators passing by—so many lambs waiting to be slaughtered, yet he couldn't catch a single one.

Receiving no response, Shu Ni stopped in her tracks. When Jiang Wang finally walked up to her, she said, "It's time for you to fulfill your promise."

Jiang Wang waved his hand casually and said, "As for people, there are plenty of them."

He directly tossed his token to the green-robed cultivator, instructing him to dispatch the Black Flame Army to Hun City, then pointed at the rattan chair resting on the ground and said, "Could I trouble Lady Shu to carry this?"

Watching the green-robed cultivator flash away, Shu Ni muttered under her breath, but with a single hand, she lifted the rattan chair.

"Qixia Street has almost been turned upside down, yet there isn't a single immortal to be found. You people sure know how to make a fuss over nothing."

Shu Ni said coldly, "Just how many of those who come here seeking immortals genuinely believe they can find one? Either they're just putting on a show, or they're harboring wishful thinking, hoping to bring glory to their sects. Only Ning Shiyi is taking it completely seriously."

Jiang Wang asked curiously, "Earlier, that fellow surnamed Chai seemed extremely polite to you guys. Is that Xiaoguo Army really that formidable?"

The reputation of the Xiaoguo Army naturally resonated widely throughout the Sui State, but Jiang Wang had not been stepping outside his estate for very long.

In the past, he rarely came into contact with the outside world. Occasionally, when he sneaked out of the manor and sat outside Old Xu's tailoring shop, listening to the storyteller in the teahouse across Pailan Street, he had never once heard any stories concerning the Xiaoguo Army.

Because his constitution was frail beyond belief, traveling from the marquis's manor to the tailoring shop was almost enough to exhaust him completely. Moreover, Old Xu knew his condition well; even if he rested briefly, Old Xu would never let him run around Qixia Street, even though the teahouse was very close by.

That was because there were simply too many people in Pailan Street, making it prone to accidents.

Separated by a wall and some distance, he could only barely hear the sound of voices, and the stories were always disjointed, yet his past self had never tired of listening.

If not for the fact that his health had improved somewhat later on, and that he frequently met with Old Xu, Old Xu would definitely have led Shu Ni straight to his home when arranging their matchmaking.

Shu Ni looked at Jiang Wang as if he were an idiot. In the ears of ordinary folk, the great name of the Xiaoguo Army carried far more weight than any cultivation sect. Even those who knew nothing about it had certainly heard of them.

If one were to truly recount the history of the Xiaoguo Army, it would likely take days and nights without end.

She could only answer in the most concise manner possible: "The Xiaoguo Army is the most invincible existence in the Sui State."

Jiang Wang came to an understanding—they were just like the Black Flame Army of the Qi State.

Upon returning to the marquis's manor, Jiang Wang suddenly realized a problem.

Since Qixia Street was currently packed with immortal-seekers, if he were to manufacture some traces of immortals and wait for the seekers to come flocking at the news, wouldn't he have plenty of opportunities to pick fights?