“For me while die?”

Jiang Wang sat in a relaxed posture, his lips twitching.

Even Chong Xuan Sheng, who was not one to admit it easily, had to concede that from this angle, the Jiang fellow had indeed grown quite presentable! Especially that half-mocking, half-derisive, seemingly nonchalant laugh – it held a certain princely charm.

Of course, Chong Xuan Sheng had no idea that Jiang Wang’s current nonchalance stemmed from the considerable effort he was expending to deal with the bruise near his eye. The power of a Realm True Person was not easily dispelled. Thankfully, Jiang had accumulated extensive experience in such matters.

“If I were to actively pursue the Bao family after this, wouldn’t that be rather ungracious?” Jiang Wang asked, changing the subject to divert attention.

Chong Xuan Sheng pursed his lips. “Not bad, you’re already learning to deduce from one point.”

“They’re propagating this. Aren’t they afraid I’ll disregard the ties between marquis and earl and step forward to expose them?” Jiang Wang inquired.

Chong Xuan Sheng chuckled. “The Bao family might never have admitted that Bao Zhongqing died for you. Those are all just street rumors, wild speculation. Can you blame the Bao family for that? The Bao family’s official stance is that Bao Zhongqing died fighting the evil cult, perishing for the greater good. What, the man’s already dead. You, Wu An Hou, and the Bao family, how much animosity do you truly have? Are you still going to step on his reputation? Besides, True Person Bao lost his eldest son on the battlefield and then his second son in the purge of evil. The old man is heartbroken. Do you really not care for the feelings of this commander-in-chief who has faced death countless times?”

Jiang Wang mused for a moment, then sighed. “True Person Bao’s methods are truly sophisticated, far superior to Bao Zhongqing’s.”

He asked again, “How do you think Bao Zhongqing truly died?”

Chong Xuan Sheng shook his head. “I don’t want to guess, and there’s no need to. He’s the Bao family’s scion, it’s an internal family matter. However the Bao family says he died, I’ll listen.”

“I will attend his funeral,” Jiang Wang said with a light sigh. “Regardless of what came before, with death, grudges vanish. It is only right to pay respects.”

At the beginning of the year, Bao Zhongqing’s grand wedding, ten miles of red silk, the entire street ablaze with color – how magnificent it had been!

Marrying a beautiful wife, as a scion, and entering the Jixia Academy – one could say his life was fulfilling.

And yet, he had died so inexplicably, so silently.

Though Jiang Wang held no affection for Bao Zhongqing, nor felt any particular sorrow for his passing, he couldn’t help but sigh at the impermanence of worldly affairs. He remembered the first time he encountered Bao Zhongqing in Linzi. He had been incredibly wary, just like Chong Xuan Sheng at the time, viewing him as a dangerous individual. Back then, he couldn’t even be considered Bao Zhongqing’s opponent.

He could only contend with Bao Zhongqing’s retainers…

Now, time had shifted.

That young master of a noble family, with his grand ritualistic processions, demon horses pulling carriages, and experts clearing the way, had become a pile of dry bones in his home.

No one could deny that Bao Zhongqing was indeed a dangerous character. But death was death, and with death, ten thousand matters turned to dust.

His scheming, his talent, his future, all stopped abruptly, just like his elder brother.

“I will go too,” Chong Xuan Sheng said. “I knew Bao Ma Zi from a very young age. It’s not that we shared the same fate, but to a certain extent, we were very similar… If I hadn’t met Shisi, and hadn’t met you, perhaps I would have been just like him.”

For some reason, this sentence made Jiang Wang faintly recall something. However, he had no time to ponder it at that moment.

He simply looked carefully at Chong Xuan Sheng and said seriously, “You are not like him at all.”

“Tell me why,” Chong Xuan Sheng leaned back leisurely, a smile playing on his lips. “Where am I not like him?”

Jiang Wang also laughed. “You just look more pleasing to the eye than him.”

“Looking more pleasing to the eye than Bao Ma Zi might not be something worth being happy about.”

“Then what is worth being happy about?”

“Do you know about the Linzi Handsome Men List?”

“Vaguely. It’s not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning. You know, I don’t care about such empty titles.” Chong Xuan Sheng snorted through his nostrils, his tone serious. “Look me in the eyes and tell me honestly, am I much more handsome than Chong Xuanzun?”

Jiang Wang truly stared into Chong Xuan Sheng’s eyes, truly looked for a while. After a long time, his face crumpled. “I really can’t say.”

Chong Xuan Sheng immediately scoffed. “You deserve to go out without money, with empty pockets! You just don’t deserve to have money!”

Jiang Wang burst into laughter. After he finished laughing, he waved his hand and said, “Quickly, go back. Come pick me up on time tomorrow, and we’ll go to Shuo Fang Bo’s mansion together.”

Chong Xuan Sheng’s small eyes widened. “Are you chasing me away?”

“No. But Shisi is still waiting for you at home, isn’t she?”

“Are you hiding something from me?”

“You’re thinking too much.” Jiang Wang said helplessly. “I’m just preparing to cultivate.”

Chong Xuan Sheng looked at him suspiciously again for a moment.

Jiang Wang propped his forehead on his study table, his face innocent.

“Something’s not right. How come you haven’t changed your posture since I came in?”

“Have I?” Jiang Wang blinked his eyes, leaned back with the momentum, and naturally only presented Chong Xuan Sheng with his profile. “Go back quickly. Shisi must be waiting anxiously.”

“Oh,” Chong Xuan Sheng replied. “Then I’ll go back.”

He took a step towards the door. As he reached the doorway, he suddenly flashed back and ran in front of Jiang Wang!

But how could the Wu An Hou, who cultivated a full realm higher, let him succeed? Jiang Wang leaned back in his chair, his hand still supporting his forehead, and said deeply, “I’m thinking about a very important Dao technique problem. Go back first, A Sheng.”

Chong Xuan Sheng reached out to pull him. “Take your hand away and let me see.”

Jiang Wang even turned a full circle with the chair, his voice low. “Really, go back.”

Chong Xuan Sheng didn’t waste any more words and directly activated his Chong Xuan divine power.

Poor Bo Wang Hou, he didn’t see anything before being completely pushed out of the study.

The door closed tightly.

Only Jiang’s voice was heard from within. “Housekeeper, see the guest out!”

The funeral at Shuo Fang Bo’s mansion was conducted entirely as a private family ritual.

No outsiders were invited to participate in the sacrifice. White flags were not displayed outside, and mournful music did not leave the courtyard.

Jiang Wang and Chong Xuan Sheng coming to offer condolences was, of course, not publicized.

The two of them, plus Shisi, three people in casual clothes, sharing a carriage, arrived at the Bao mansion discreetly. After becoming Bo Wang Hou’s madam, Shisi’s status was incomparable to the past. Strictly speaking, she shouldn’t be following Chong Xuan Sheng everywhere like a close guard. But who cared?

The young couple did as they pleased.

Shisi was not happy being a mistress of the household, nor could she manage the accounts. She just loved following by Chong Xuan Sheng’s side. Chong Xuan Sheng also loved having her by his side – wasn’t he just beaten by a certain brute yesterday when she wasn’t around for a moment?

If Miss Yi had been present, the Jiang fellow would have had to think twice.

For outsiders, Bao Zhongqing’s death was at most a sigh of pity, or a sigh for Shuo Fang Bo’s family’s unwavering loyalty and fierce dedication. The truly deep sorrow was felt only by his family.

But upon entering the Bao mansion, Jiang Wang didn’t feel any particularly sad atmosphere. It was more of a solemnity, an orderly solemnity like soldiers arranged in formation.

On the grounds, Jiang Wang and Chong Xuan Sheng didn’t exchange many words. The mourning money had already been sent by a servant the day before. They were originally just coming to offer incense, go through the motions, and leave.

Under the guidance of the Bao mansion’s housekeeper, they went directly towards the spirit hall.

And the commander-in-chief of the Yan Lei army, Shuo Fang Bo Bao Yi, was already waiting outside the spirit hall.

At this time, based on identity and position alone, Wu An Hou Jiang Wang and Bo Wang Hou Chong Xuan Sheng were already on the same level as Bao Yi.

No one in the entire Bao family, except for a few uncles, had the qualifications to receive them.

For the funeral of the scion Bao Zhongqing, the Bao family’s Chang Hua Bo and Ying Yong Bo did not return to Linzi to participate.

So Bao Yi had to personally welcome them.

Also, since Jiang Wang and Chong Xuan Sheng were younger generations, he didn’t have to welcome them out of the main gate. Guarding the spirit hall here was sufficient. This was the most appropriate arrangement.

“Wu An Hou, Bo Wang Hou.” Bao Yi was dressed in black today, his expression solemn. “For Zhongqing to have friends like you, it can be considered his fortune. He did not live in vain.”

From his attire, one could perhaps see his state of mind.

When Bao Bozhao died, Shuo Fang Bo wore the ritualistic “cut decay” clothing himself. In a large sect family, the ritual for the death of the direct eldest son, the heir, involved wearing mourning clothes. This was because the direct eldest son bore the responsibility of “passing on the weight” of succeeding the sect and society, and his physical being was considered significant, hence the saying “father grieves for the eldest son.”

After Bao Bozhao’s death, Bao Zhongqing became the sole heir of the Bao clan, the rightful scion of Shuo Fang Bo. Yet, Bao Yi did not wear mourning for him.

Of course, one couldn’t blame a father who had lost both his eldest and second sons in quick succession.

Jiang Wang bowed in return. “Bo Ye, please restrain your grief. Although Brother Zhongqing and I did not have deep interactions, we were, after all, fellow students who entered the Jixia Academy in the same period. We can be considered classmates. Today, I offer a stick of incense for him, hoping he has no regrets.”

Chong Xuan Sheng, who was accustomed to social graces, naturally didn’t mind claiming to be Bao Zhongqing’s friend. If it served his interests, he could even perform a full kowtow to Bao Zhongqing on the spot and forge a brotherhood that had nothing to do with the underworld.

Jiang Wang was different. Even though Bao Zhongqing was already dead, he was unwilling to go with the flow. He clearly stated to Bao Yi, “we were not close.”

His willingness to come here today, his willingness to offer incense for Bao Zhongqing, was merely to maintain face for both sides. He hoped that Shuo Fang Bo’s mansion would stop here.

His and Bao Zhongqing’s “brotherly affection” had already been exaggerated to a ridiculous extent, with tales of Wu An Hou ‘seven times charging into the enemy lines to save Zhongqing’ on the Qixia battlefield. There was really no need for such fabrications.

Bao Yi showed no sign of annoyance.

With the exhaustion of Chong Xuan Yunbo’s lifespan and Chong Xuan Sheng stepping onto the stage, the old generation’s grudges between the Bao and Chong Xuan clans could be considered a thing of the past. On the Bao family’s side, Bao Bozhao and Bao Zhongqing had died in succession. The struggle between the young generations of the Bao and Chong Xuan families had not even begun before it ended.

It was difficult to say that these two families, who had been political rivals for generations, would continue to fight.

The only one with the qualifications to contend with him, Chong Xuan Chuliang, had already declared himself independent of the family.

Surely, he, Bao Yi, and Chong Xuan Sheng wouldn’t step out and put on a show for the world to see? It would be laughable.

Finding a suitable reason for Bao Zhongqing’s death was one thing. Using Bao Zhongqing’s “deep and righteous affection” with Jiang Wang, employing this method that was neither showing weakness nor being overly aggressive, to temporarily restore peace between the Bao and Chong Xuan clans was the primary consideration. As for the difficulty of resolving the old grudges, they could wait until the grandchildren grew up to discuss it.

Chong Xuan Sheng’s visit today in his capacity as Bo Wang Hou was sufficient. It showed that the newly appointed Bo Wang Hou understood the situation and was willing to accept it.

Bao Yi knew in his heart what Bao Zhongqing had done to Jiang Wang, or what he had attempted to do. Jiang Wang was unwilling to feign emotion with a dead person, and he understood the temper of young people. He simply stepped aside and led the way. “Please come in. If Zhongqing knew you were here, he would be very gratified.” He made no further mention of “good friends.”

The spirit hall was not large.

Everything was arranged very simply.

In the coffin lay only clothes and a hat – it was said that the corpse had been completely dissolved by Zhang Linchuan’s potent poison.

Bao Zhongqing’s remaining wife, Miao Yuzhi, knelt by the side, her expression wooden, like a clay sculpture. Dressed in coarse hemp and white clothing, she exuded a certain icy coldness.

After Jiang Wang and Bao Yi had spoken for a while outside, she seemed to snap back to reality, turning her eyes towards them, finally showing a glimmer of spirit.

“Thank you, Wu An Hou, Bo Wang Hou, Bo Wang Hou madam, for coming to mourn my husband.” She bowed her head deeply, her voice hoarse.

Jiang Wang said nothing, only returned the bow, then went to the spirit altar to offer incense.

The last time he saw Madam Bao was in front of the old Hou Ye’s spirit hall. He never thought that they would meet again at a funeral.

At that time, Miao Yuzhi, pregnant with the direct bloodline of the Bao family, accompanied by the very gentle scion of Shuo Fang Bo, was in a quite relaxed state. She handled matters with extreme ease and freedom.

And seeing her again today, she was gaunt and haggard, a mere shadow of her former self.

But besides sighing, there was indeed nothing more to say.

Every moment in this world, people are born and people die. If it doesn’t happen near you, you won’t even ripple. They had no connection before, and probably wouldn’t after.

Jiang Wang, Chong Xuan Sheng, and Yi Shisi offered incense one after another, thus completing their condolences. Just as they were about to say goodbye and leave, a child’s cry suddenly rang out from inside the room.

A wet nurse holding a baby walked quickly into the spirit hall, saying urgently to Miao Yuzhi, “Madam, madam, the young master is crying incessantly for some reason. He has already had milk, and been given toys, but nothing will soothe him…”

She then nervously curtsied to Bao Yi.

Bao Yi simply waved his hand.

The child the wet nurse was holding was very healthy, his cry remarkably clear. It sounded as though he had been well-fed, and for a moment, his cry filled the entire spirit hall.

It actually left Jiang Wang and the others who had come to mourn somewhat at a loss.

Miao Yuzhi disregarded etiquette and directly stood up to take the child, cooing softly, “What is it, what is it, my little baby, be good, don’t cry, don’t cry.”

Her extremely hoarse voice was now extremely gentle, and her extremely haggard face was now extremely gentle.

Only the small baby obviously couldn’t understand his mother’s hardship, kicking his small legs and howling without stopping.

This even made Bao Yi a little anxious. He glared sternly at the wet nurse. “Besides spiritual vegetables, have you eaten anything else today?”

The wet nurse was so frightened she knelt on the ground, desperately explaining that every mouthful of water she drank was according to the rules, and she absolutely dared not be careless with the young master’s food.

Jiang Wang looked at the child curiously. He could vaguely see Bao Zhongqing’s features in his eyebrows and eyes, but his face wasn’t pockmarked.

It was quite strange.

The wailing baby, in the midst of his kicking and struggling, suddenly met Jiang Wang’s eyes.

Then, he actually quieted down.

He looked at Jiang Wang with his black, shiny eyes, then parted his mouth and laughed softly.

His round, chubby little face, his innocent and carefree smile, were extremely cute.

Chong Xuan Sheng was extremely surprised and looked at Jiang Wang’s face with curiosity. For the first time, he truly doubted his own aesthetic judgment. Could it be that this fellow really was very good-looking? Was there no foul play on the Linzi Handsome Men List?

Miao Yuzhi held the brightly smiling baby and looked at Jiang Wang gratefully. “Jing’er seems to like Wu An Hou very much. Although he is very small, he also knows how to admire heroes.”

Jiang Wang of course had no ill feelings towards a child. He simply said somewhat awkwardly, “This child is called Bao Jing?”

Chong Xuan Sheng rolled his eyes.

“Bao Xuanjing,” Miao Yuzhi said softly. “This name was given by his grandfather, hoping he can have a ‘bright mirror in his heart, close to wisdom and far from evil.’”

“Oh, Bao Xuanjing.” Jiang Wang chanted the name. He felt that this name indeed had a certain flavor. True Person Bao was worthy of being True Person Bao, he also loved to read. He smiled gently and waved to the small baby. “Hello there, little Xuanjing.”

The small baby struggled in his mother’s arms, his chubby little hands reaching out to grab Jiang Wang’s face. His posture was quite like a deadly claw aimed at his face, which made the several people present laugh.

Jiang Wang friendly extended his hand and let him grab it.

The chubby little hand grabbed hold of Jiang Wang’s index finger.

Little Bao Xuanjing laughed gleefully.