Zhang Linchuan, third on the Dao Merit List of Maple Forest City’s Dao Institute!
Zhang Linchuan, the White Bone Envoy who assassinated Maple Forest City Lord Wei Quji!
Jiang Wang’s eyes flickered slightly, then steadied. His steps remained light, a piece of food was still in his mouth being chewed, and the Poor Call continued its cries. Everything seemed unchanged, as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.
Yet, he alone knew what had just transpired.
It was impossible not to be influenced, impossible not to change. His mood, even his objective.
Due to his immediate escape using the White Bone Escape Technique with Jiang Anan and Song Qingzhi at the very beginning of the regional disaster, he had only ever known a rough outline of the tragedy in Maple Forest City. He knew that Dong A had deceived him, that Zhuang Gaoenv and Du Ruhui had stood by while the common people of the city perished. They had seized the White Bone True Pills from the hands of the White Bone Honored God, allowing Zhuang Gaoenv to recover her injuries and achieve the True Person realm.
Lu Yan and Dong A’s conversation had revealed part of the truth, but the more specific details of the disaster had come from Zhuang Ting’s public announcement. That announcement, filled with fabrications, held no credibility in Jiang Wang’s eyes.
Later, when he had slain the Snake Bone Face Person, the dying interrogation had yielded further intelligence. The Snake Face had said that the upper echelons of the White Bone Dao still consisted of the White Bone Holy Lord, Second Elder Lu Yan, White Bone Envoy Zhang Linchuan, the Holy Maiden, and the Dragon Face, Monkey Face, and Rabbit Face.
Subsequently, in Qingyang Town, the Monkey Face had been killed by Xiang Qian, and the Dragon Face had been personally slain by him. The Rabbit Face had escaped after attacking the Dragon Face with a Hate Heart Thorn. The high-ranking members of the White Bone Dao were then reduced to the White Bone Holy Lord, Second Elder, White Bone Envoy, White Bone Holy Maiden, and the Rabbit Bone Face Person.
Then, on the Qi Yang battlefield, Lu Yan had defected, and Miaoyu had ambushed the White Bone Gate… Almost all the surviving high-ranking members of the White Bone Dao had abandoned the White Bone Holy Lord. The followers loyal to the White Bone faith had all perished for various reasons. Without a doubt, their clean sweep of loyalists suggested a deliberate internal purge within the White Bone Dao. Just as the Dragon Face, the strongest of the twelve Bone Faces, whom Jiang Wang was not strong enough to kill, the Rabbit Face had conveniently “assisted.”
At that time, Jiang Wang already knew that the White Bone Holy Lord was the White Bone Honored God’s manifestation in the world. Witnessing the hasty retreat of the White Bone Holy Lord, he had even entertained the possibility that Lu Yan and Zhang Linchuan might eliminate the Holy Lord themselves.
But Zhuang Chengqian, in his guise as the Jiang Nightmare, had reminded him at that time, saying he lacked respect for the Nether God Deity. Jiang Wang had once tested this “Jiang Nightmare” at that time, but to no avail, only leaving behind some doubts.
However, in the underwater demon cave, the White Bone Honored God and Zhuang Chengqian had the most intense confrontation. The White Bone Honored God’s intense craving for Zhuang Chengqian was entirely understandable, and His attempt to descend into the world as a plague incarnation had also failed.
If viewed from the intelligence that Zhang Linchuan assassinated Wei Quji, Zhang Linchuan should only possess Inner Mansion Realm strength. Jiang Wang, now having opened two Mansions and mastered two powerful divine abilities, had no fear. But if the White Bone Holy Lord’s failure was taken into consideration… the strength of those within the White Bone Dao was unfathomable.
One must remember how terrifying the White Bone Honored God was, forcing even a character like Zhuang Chengqian into a desperate situation. Even if, during this period as “White Bone Holy Lord,” He did not exert the terrifying power He held over Zhuang Chengqian, nor did He possess a terrifying divine technique like the No Birth Tribulation that extended for several hundred years, being able to defeat Him was still enough to make one sigh.
Among the existing high-ranking members of the White Bone Dao, the most formidable and terrifying in strength should be Lu Yan. In Maple Forest City, he was just a strong expert of the Outer Building realm, and as the only remaining Elder of the White Bone Dao, his original status was also the highest.
However, in Qingyang Town, the name the Dragon Bone Face Person roared before his death was clearly Zhang Linchuan…
This implied that it was highly possible that in the Dragon Bone Face Person’s view, the core figure who defected was Zhang Linchuan, rather than Lu Yan. Of course, it could not be ruled out that before his death, the first person he thought of was the one who instructed the Rabbit Face to defect.
Considering all these factors, Jiang Wang could not ascertain Zhang Linchuan’s true strength.
He was here for revenge, not to court death.
Therefore, the moment he saw Zhang Linchuan, he did not choose to draw his sword and charge forward, but instead concealed his thoughts and calmly walked past. The county city street was calm and placid, with passersby going their own ways. Life was tranquil, cycles repeated.
He, a foreigner in a foreign land, saw a person from his hometown, yet the hometown person knew not the hatred of the hometown person!
To avoid alerting the enemy, during his time in Wenxi County city, Jiang Wang had never actively inquired about news related to Qingyun Pavilion. He only listened in, or subtly guided others to narrate information. He had rented a moderate room in a decent inn. During the day, he would simply stroll around, ostensibly wandering everywhere, tasting local delicacies, while secretly gathering relevant information. As soon as dusk fell, he would return to the inn, absolutely avoiding causing trouble or chaos. He steadily and surely explored the newly opened second Inner Mansion and controlled the newly acquired divine abilities. Additionally, he diligently worked on “reducing his swelling”…
The Bitter Awareness Yin Damage and Ye Lingxiao were not to be trifled with. The swelling left by the two True Persons would not truly harm Jiang Wang, but eliminating it was by no means easy. It required extremely fine control of his Dao Origin to oppose it, only then could those traces be expelled little by little.
However, this process itself accelerated Jiang Wang’s state adjustment, allowing him to recover to his current peak condition at a faster pace.
Walking on the streets of Wenxi County city, Jiang Wang was no different from any other outsider walking on this street. He blended in seamlessly, walking naturally, even his actions of eating were the same as usual. But in his mouth, he could no longer taste the flavor of the food. Only with every bite, that “squeak squeak squeak” sound, in its powerlessness and futility… Poor Call!
“Tasty, isn’t it?” a big aunt with a genuine smile on her face said.
She was probably a local of Wenxi County city. Seeing Jiang Wang eat with gusto, she had a sense of pride in her local cuisine. Even seeing him wear a mask and unable to see his true appearance, she was not distant.
“Absolutely delicious!” Jiang Wang said with a smile. He intentionally adjusted his accent to avoid being recognized by Zhang Linchuan, though perhaps Zhang Linchuan wouldn’t remember his voice. The lines of his thin lips exposed outside the Zodiac Dragon mask were very clear, and his chin had a clean and neat curve.
“Zhang Mazi’s stewed noodles in the north of the city are also very tasty!” the big aunt was enthusiastic and generous.
“I’ll go try it tonight!” Jiang Wang said.
The big aunt had just been passing by and chatting casually for a few sentences. Hearing Jiang Wang’s response, her footsteps were light, and she continued forward satisfied, walking past Jiang Wang.
Jiang Wang turned around: “Thanks!”
“No need!” The big aunt didn’t look back, as if feeling she had contributed to her hometown again, she was very proud.
In that forever silent Maple Forest City, there were once such lovely hometown people…
Jiang Wang withdrew his gaze and continued forward—
In the instant he had turned around, he had already clearly seen Zhang Linchuan’s back and the direction he was walking in.
Why did he come to Yong Country? What did he want to do? Where was he going? The map of the entire Wenxi County city in his mind gradually became clearer in specific details.
And Jiang Wang’s steps were light, biting through the last “Poor Call”—
Squeak squeak squeak!