A human cultivator from the God-Arriving Realm, escaping alone from the demon race heartland and bringing back the human race’s supreme treasure and a major secret of the demon race… this has never happened since ancient times!

This matter holds significance that can shatter mountains and shock the heavens.

It can even be called a heroic epic, something the human race should remember forever! Do you know what this means?

A voice in the mirror asked: “Zhuang Gao Xian?”

Great Zhuang Emperor, dressed in ceremonial robes, sat with his back to the mirror, his posture dignified. He calmly asked: “What does it mean?”

The voice in the mirror said: “It means you can no longer harm him by any means, open or secret. It means you can never shake his honor. It means everything you do is best done in a way that is never discovered. It means you can only watch with wide eyes as he grows up, waiting for him to come and draw his sword to kill you one day!”

“What are you laughing at?” the voice in the mirror pursued: “You don’t believe he can kill you?”

Zhuang Gao Xian gently flicked the corner of his robe: “No, quite the opposite. I am increasingly seeing his ability. To survive in this situation and still accomplish such a great deed. He is truly limitless! Cave True is just a matter of time for him, and Derive Dao is not necessarily out of reach either.”

“Then what are you laughing at?”

Zhuang Gao Xian said calmly and unhurriedly: “You are right, he should become a hero. But you are also not right. His becoming a hero does not mean I have to wait for death. It only means… I need to be wiser, more divinely martial, love the people more as my children, and make the country more prosperous and the people more peaceful.”

“He is a hero, I am a wise ruler. He is in the light, I am also in the light. The more radiant he is, the more he possesses everything, the more he is in this mundane world, mixing in the currents, becoming part of the system… the more he cannot draw his sword against me!”

“I have done nothing. Everything can be told to people. What is there to fear being discovered? What is the truth? The truth is just everything I said.”

“There is no evidence that he wants regicide. How can Jing Country allow it? Qi Country will be the first to not allow him!”

“I am not someone he can arbitrarily draw his sword against, not someone he can despise with a single word. Not some evil cult leader or a person from the left path of demons.”

“I am the ruler of a country, the Dao belongs to the country’s master, the representative of Jade Capital Mountain’s regime. And! Everyone’s… friend.”

The voice in the mirror was silent for a moment, finally saying: “You are right, our friend.”

The wind was like a knife. Jiang Wang stood in the wind. Cloud City was not far anymore.

No one would have ever thought that the Great Qi Wu An Marquis, famous throughout the human and demon realms, upon waking up, would not return to the Qi Court to report, nor would he be welcomed with the cheers of ten thousand people and enjoy heroic treatment.

Instead, he concealed his tracks, a single person, quietly heading towards Cloud Country. But he stopped outside Cloud City for a long time.

Finally, he did nothing, said nothing, and with a single person and a single sword, quietly returned to Qi Country.

Leaving aside how his disciple Chu Yao wailed and cried, leaving aside how Linzi City was in turmoil, and leaving aside how the Son of Heaven urgently decreed a summons.

The first thing Jiang Wang did upon returning to Linzi was to pull Heavy Xuan Sheng and sit in a quiet room. The first sentence he said was—

“I want to kill Zhuang Gao Xian!”

Heavy Xuan Sheng seemed not surprised. He just picked up the teapot and slowly poured tea.

In the calm sound of the water, he slowly said: “The matter of Frost Wind Valley, you think it was Zhuang Gao Xian?”

Jiang Wang said: “Besides him, I can’t think of anyone else.” “Do you have evidence?” Heavy Xuan Sheng asked.

Jiang Wang said: “I don’t need evidence.” Heavy Xuan Sheng pushed the full teacup in front of Jiang Wang and said seriously: “You need it.” Jiang Wang was silent.

After a while of silence, he then said: “I think I will never have evidence.”

Over the years, De Sheng Trading Company had collected no less clues about the destruction of Maple Forest City back then. After Heavy Xuan Sheng formally inherited his title, he also used the intelligence forces of the Heavy Xuan family.

But not a single useful piece of news was obtained.

That matter was as clean as Zhuang Gao Xian’s daily face wash.

So Heavy Xuan Sheng naturally understood that Zhuang Gao Xian was not someone who would leave behind any handles.

He just said: “After you were lost in Frost Wind Valley, Great Chu’s Left Duke pushed, Army God adult personally issued an order… General Xiu joined hands with Jing Country’s Mirror World Platform to thoroughly investigate the Civilization Basin.

In the end, Three Punishments Palace’s True Monarch Wu even personally went to New An City to question Zhuang Gao Xian. This matter was pushed by my family’s uncle… but in the end, nothing was obtained. Zhuang Gao Xian sits well in Zhuang King Palace, with no evidence proving he ever went to the Ten Thousand Demons Gate.”

In the absence of conclusive evidence, inviting a Legalist Grandmaster to go to New An City for questioning was considered a gamble. It was a method used when there was no other way.

Fierce Butcher must have paid some price, perhaps gambling his own reputation. But in the end, it still failed…

What Jiang Wang wants to do now, Heavy Xuan Sheng had already done when he thought Jiang Wang would not come back.

And even with Heavy Xuan Sheng’s wisdom, now he can only sit here and say—”You need evidence.” Jiang Wang only remained silent.

He was increasingly unable to tolerate it, but reality told him, he still could only endure!

Heavy Xuan Sheng took a sip of tea and continued: “When the news of your death in the demon realm came, an official from the Ministry of Rites submitted a memorial, saying the country should hold a funeral for you. The Son of Heaven said, the National Marquis ritual cannot be lightly set. If alive, the person must be seen; if dead, the corpse must be seen… then he shelved this matter, and your fief and income were not divided.”

“What do you think I want to say to you?” He lifted his eyes to look at Jiang Wang: “The Son of Heaven loves you, pities you, and has great expectations for you, but the state and land are his foundation, and the rivers and mountains are his heart! If you want to kill Zhuang Gao Xian, no one in Qi Country will support you.

Because you are challenging the state system. Ruler, the utmost name and the utmost tool!

Xie Huai An breaking Gui Yi, did not even dare to arbitrarily kill the Xia Ruler, and had to press him back to the Ancestral Temple. Killing Yang Jian De that time also required Fierce Butcher to personally strike.

Zhuang Gao Xian has no evil name, no crime name. If it were not for a war between two countries, who could arbitrarily kill him? How many heads do you, Jiang Wang, have?”

“Don’t think that you are now a hero of the human race, highly acclaimed. Once you act impulsively, and in the absence of any evidence, regicide the ruler of a country, everything you possess now will be lost. Jing Country will surely hold you accountable, Jade Capital Mountain will necessarily execute you, and no one in the entire world can protect you!” Jiang Wang just pursed his lips.

And Heavy Xuan Sheng saw his stubbornness, and softly said again: “I believe you have the courage to go all out, I believe you have won everything yourself, and you can let it go. But Jiang Wang, strip away Qi Country, and ask yourself again, can you kill Zhuang Gao Xian now? He is the ruler of a country, a contemporary True Person, with experts like clouds under his command, and countless hidden means. If it’s just you, it will be difficult even to approach Zhuang King Palace!”

“I know Grandmaster Bitter Awareness protects you very much, Yu Bei Dou is considered your friend, Ye Ling Xiao is willing to protect your life. This time you brought back the Knowing Bell, and Sumeru Mountain still owes you a huge favor.”

“But even if Bitter Awareness truly holds the Suspended Temple, and Sumeru Mountain turns against you, they also dare not, and cannot, challenge the state system and publicly regicide an innocent ruler!”

“The currents of the human path have rolled to this point, and this order has continued for four thousand years. You and I are both within it! Everything we operate, everything we possess, is also within it! We cannot escape.”

“To kill Zhuang Gao Xian, there is only one road to walk. That is to strip off his dragon robe, kick over his dragon seat, and this is not the work of a single day.”

This fat Marquis seriously looked at his closest friend and said in a deep voice: “Wait again.”

Jiang Wang was surprisingly calm at this time, and calmly smiled: “A good country ruler, indeed considered an unbreakable golden body.”

And this golden body, because it can be built steadily and cannot be broken, is precisely because of the tens of thousands of people who sleep forever in the domain of Maple Forest City. Truly ironic.

“Indeed, it can be considered unbreakable,” Heavy Xuan Sheng said: “When you have an audience with the Son of Heaven, be careful not to speak carelessly.”

Jiang Wang stood up and simply said: “I understand.”

Actually, to kill Zhuang Gao Xian, there was still one road to walk. But as a friend, Heavy Xuan Sheng did not hope he would walk that road.

The door of the quiet room slowly closed, just like this life, closing off one kind of possibility.

“Has the Marquis finished bathing?” Qiu Ji, standing beside the palace carriage, had a smile on his face and a warm, slow voice. The Son of Heaven had decreed an urgent summons.

He was the pen-holding eunuch, Qiu Ji, who personally drove the carriage.

And Jiang Wang had actually stayed in the quiet room talking with Heavy Xuan Sheng for a while before being willing to go out. If this matter were to spread, the Wu An Hou would not avoid the fault of claiming merit and being arrogant.

So he took the initiative to speak, defining this matter as the Wu An Hou burning incense and bathing to show respect to the Son of Heaven, which was also considered a gesture of goodwill.

Jiang Wang politely replied with a warm voice: “It is a labor for the eunuch.”

At this time, a call came from afar: “Wu An Hou!”

Jiang Wang looked in the direction of the sound and saw Ji Zhao Nan, in white robes and silver armor, coming with long strides, accompanied by Wang Yi Wu with a long face and deep eyes.

He then half-stopped on the carriage and said: “General Ji!”

Ji Zhao Nan walked closer, and without a second word, right there on the street, he pushed Mount Tai and inverted the Jade Pillar, giving a heavy salute to Jiang Wang: “Regarding the matter of Frost Wind Valley before, Ji Zhao Nan apologizes to Wu An Hou. It was my insufficient consideration and reckless action that caused you to encounter danger. If you could not have come back, I would have difficulty sleeping peacefully!”

Jiang Wang stepped down from the carriage, grasped Ji Zhao Nan’s arm armor, held him up, and sincerely said: “Our generation’s conquest of the demon realm is all for duty. Let alone Brother Ji, you just did what you should have done. Even if you truly owed me a little… Senior Brother Rao also repaid it for you.”

The peerless Ji Zhao Nan, who never evaded responsibility and never cared about the world’s eyes, was suddenly stunned in place at this moment, daring not to believe as he looked at Jiang Wang.

One sweep of his white robe seemed to fly like snow, and the brilliant light in his eyes was terrifyingly bright.

Jiang Wang then realized that for some unknown reason, Army God had not yet informed Ji Zhao Nan and the others about Senior Brother Rao Bing Zhang’s matter in the demon realm.

He raised a finger and handed the immortal thought that engraved Rao Bing Zhang’s spear to Ji Zhao Nan’s forehead: “Senior Brother Rao often used knife techniques in the demon realm, until the last time… he used a spear.”

Ji Zhao Nan tightly grasped this piece of immortal thought, looked at it once, and then looked at it again. There wasn’t much expression on his face.

But that Shao Hua Gun… inexplicably rang.

He took a deep breath, then said to Jiang Wang: “Wu An Hou, I owe you a human favor. In the future, if you have any requests, I will not refuse!”

His voice was hoarse.

Jiang Wang was slightly silent and said: “What if I want to ask you to help me kill someone?”

Ji Zhao Nan didn’t hesitate at all: “Just based on this spear you sent back, as long as they are not from Qi, I can kill anyone.”

“How long does this promise last?” Jiang Wang asked.

Ji Zhao Nan said: “As long as I am alive, it is always effective. If I die, there is still Junior Brother. If Junior Brother doesn’t make it… I still have Senior Brother.”

If anyone else said they might not make it, Wang Yi Wu would surely be full of old fists. But Ji Zhao Nan said it like this, and in front of Jiang Wang like this, Wang Yi Wu just remained silent.

Jiang Wang looked deeply at Ji Zhao Nan and said seriously: “No matter what others think or say. Brother Ji, this journey to exile in the demon realm, I have never blamed you.”

After saying this, he turned and got on the palace carriage, following Qiu Ji to have an audience with the emperor. On the long street in front of the Marquis’s mansion, Ji Zhao Nan stood alone for a very long time. Wang Yi Wu opened his mouth and said: “Senior Brother Rao… he…”

When the news of Rao Bing Zhang’s death was initially transmitted back, he had not yet formally entered the sect.

Just before, he and Ji Zhao Nan had run over and said they would be his Senior Brother. They even made him perform punching. He punched out a set of Crouching Tiger Long Fist, and said the so-called absolute world secret book was actually “Crouching Tiger Long Fist · True Explanation”.

The so-called true explanation was just truly having a few sentences of explanation. Such as, this punch should be thrown like this, and so on.

Regarding his impression of Rao Bing Zhang, Wang Yi Wu’s heart was actually vague. He only remembered he was very handsome and very noisy. Ji Zhao Nan spread out his white robe, lifted his spear, and walked towards the other end of the long street, his voice like metal: “Yi Wu, remember—”

“Ji Zhao Nan is just fake潇洒, Rao Bing Zhang is truly peerless!!” There is no second in the world, just this separation!

Several times in dreams, I hear the absolute sound!

The palace carriage slowly drove into East Hua Pavilion.

In this half-formal, half-private place, Jiang Wang had seen His Majesty more than once.

The palace lamps were magnificent, and bright pearls hung and shone. On the brocade couch, the Son of Heaven rarely put down his book, carefully sizing up Jiang Wang, and suddenly said a sound of “Good!”

“Wu An Hou has progressed, actually making me wait for you!”

Jiang Wang did not say any empty words about burning incense and bathing. He saluted properly: “This minister had some things not thought through. After serious consideration, I dared to come and see Your Majesty.”

The Son of Heaven of Qi slowly said: “You will still have many things not thought through in the future, but people must always look towards higher places. When you stand high enough, many things are no longer matters.”

He said, lifted his hand, indicating to grant a seat, and continued: “Wu An Hou thinks he… stands high enough?”

Han Ling personally moved a chair over.

Jiang Wang lowered his eyes to look at his boots and sat on the edge of the chair: “Not high enough, but already know the cold.”

The Son of Heaven said: “This answer is considered cautious, but lacks a few points of vitality! Bo Wang Hou is young, how can twilight spirit be born so early? Misleading my heaven’s pride!”

This blame could be considered severe.

Jiang Wang supported his knees with both hands: “This humble minister survived a hundred deaths. I know how precious life is, and thus I have a heart of sincere fear, but it is not what Bo Wang Hou taught. Please, Son of Heaven, see clearly.”

The Son of Heaven of Qi waved a hand, indicating to let this matter pass, and said again: “I have waited for you for five months. You still gave me a great surprise.”

He leaned forward slightly: “Today in this East Hua Pavilion, there are no outsiders. Tell me, what reward do you want?”

Jiang Wang said plainly: “This minister can return safely, all thanks to the Son of Heaven’s protection. My heart is grateful, truly without any desires.”

The Son of Heaven lifted a finger and pointed at him: “Empty words!”

Jiang Wang barely managed to say again: “Relying on Your Majesty’s grace, this minister already has everything, hence I have no desires and no pursuits…” The Son of Heaven’s finger pointed again: “Empty words!”

Jiang Wang simply stood up, stood straight like iron, his voice like gold and jade: “This minister seeks the method to Cave True, seeks True Person invincible, seeks to cut off the heart’s blockage, seeks to get what I wish for in this life!”