Jiang Sheng stood before the hall with his hands behind his back, his expression calm and composed.
"Jiang Sheng, a Qi Refining cultivator of Qingping Mountain, greets you, fellow Daoists."
Seeing Jiang Sheng actually appear, many of the rogue cultivators grew wary.
He had probably not come with friendly intentions!
Jiang Sheng casually swept his gaze over the cultivators of Qing Province gathered in the county office.
"Were you not looking for me, fellow Daoists? Here I stand. Whoever thinks I am merely fishing for fame is welcome to put me to the test."
At those words, many of the rogue cultivators silently shut their mouths.
While Jiang Sheng was absent, they could naturally spout whatever nonsense they pleased. The law could hardly punish an entire crowd. With so many people here, could Jiang Sheng possibly kill them all?
But now Jiang Sheng stood before them, his Foundation Establishment Realm cultivation on full display. Which of these Qi Refining Realm cultivators, who had not even reached Foundation Establishment, still dared say another word?
Seeing that no one spoke, Jiang Sheng smiled. His smile was like a spring breeze brushing their faces, melting ice and snow, and both Zhang Qing and Xu Xiao could not help stealing several more glances at him.
Even Xu Xiao, accustomed as she was to seeing Qing Province's talented young men, felt her heart skip several beats. It was not that she had seen too little, but that Jiang Sheng was simply too outstanding.
The handsome youth, seemingly not yet twenty, stood there in an azure Daoist robe, his bearing untouched by worldly dust, like fresh, elegant plum blossoms and orchids, or tall, straight pines and green cypresses.
Especially at the moment Jiang Sheng swept through the air and landed lightly in the hall, every rogue cultivator and hero present seemed to become nothing more than his backdrop. This was precisely what it meant to be a crane among chickens.
And did anyone need to say who was the immortal crane soaring through the nine heavens, and who were the chickens plodding through their mediocre lives?
Wang Tianfang stood awkwardly, suddenly realizing that not one of the cultivators who had just been echoing his words would speak now.
All he had wanted was to draw more people to his side and build momentum for himself, while currying a little favor with Young Master Kongxu along the way.
He had never expected Jiang Sheng's mere appearance to cow all these Qing Province heroes into the silence of cicadas in winter.
Seeing the awkward atmosphere, one rogue cultivator hurriedly said with a smile, "Daoist Jiang, here—"
"You had best remain silent, fellow Daoist."
As he spoke, Jiang Sheng glanced at the rogue cultivator, who had not even reached the eighth level of Qi Refining, then turned his gaze back to Wang Tianfang. "Your name is Wang Tianfang?"
Jiang Sheng's gaze made Wang Tianfang's skin crawl, but he forced himself to remain composed. "I am Wang Tianfang. What business do you have with me, Daoist Jiang?"
"Just now, Fellow Daoist Wang, you said I regarded the heroes of Qing Province as nothing?" Jiang Sheng asked softly.
Though his voice was quiet, it rang like an explosion of thunder in the ears of Wang Tianfang and the others, jolting their minds.
Wang Tianfang stammered, "I... I..."
Jiang Sheng suddenly smiled. "There is no need to explain. I understand."
Wang Tianfang breathed a sigh of relief, assuming the matter had been put behind them.
After all, whatever else might be said, he was still a Foundation Establishment cultivator, a fighting force that could not be ignored.
At that thought, Wang Tianfang straightened his slightly hunched back again.
Exactly. I am a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Jiang Sheng might make trouble for those Qi Refining rogue cultivators, but would he dare make trouble for someone at Foundation Establishment like me?
Yet no one expected Jiang Sheng to continue, "From what I see now, Fellow Daoist Wang was not entirely wrong."
"If the heroes of Qing Province are the sort of rabble I see before me, then I suppose there is no need for me to go slay demons and vanquish monsters. It would only give the creature in the river a few more servings of flesh and blood."
"Daoist Jiang! What do you mean by that?!" a Qi Refining rogue cultivator demanded, rising angrily.
Another Foundation Establishment cultivator slammed the table and stood. "Daoist Jiang, do not think your origins in Penglai entitle you to belittle the heroes of the world! Qing Province has countless heroes. How dare you hold us in such contempt!"
Yet Jiang Sheng remained utterly composed. "I have never belittled the heroes of the world. But neither do I believe the likes of you deserve to be called heroes."
Ignoring their accusations, Jiang Sheng turned to Zhang Qingyun. "Magistrate Zhang, you invited heroes from throughout Qing Province, and this is the rabble you brought?"
At those words, Young Master Kongxu could no longer sit still. He lifted his teacup and glanced at Jiang Sheng, his voice carrying a soft, effeminate edge. "Daoist, do you regard the heroes of Qing Province as nothing?"
"Indeed I do."
Jiang Sheng's answer thoroughly enraged these Qing Province rogue cultivators.
Though the Qi Refining rogue cultivators still dared not rise, every last Foundation Establishment rogue cultivator stood up, demanding an explanation from Jiang Sheng.
With all that shouting, the county office looked even more like a gathering hall for martial-world brotherhoods, filled with an intolerable racket.
Zhang Qingyun watched the rogue cultivators continually demand an explanation from Jiang Sheng, then glanced at the renowned cultivators beside him. He genuinely wanted to see just how capable Jiang Sheng was.
Jiang Sheng's earlier attitude had displeased Zhang Qingyun greatly. If his abilities proved mediocre, the magistrate would have to make other plans.
Zhang Qingyun said, "Daoist Jiang has long lived in seclusion in the mountains, but his abilities are extraordinary."
Wenren Jie smiled at that. "Extraordinary abilities? Then this is the perfect chance to see what Daoist Jiang can do!"
Qiao Xuan leaned on a green bamboo cane with one hand and smoked a dry tobacco pipe with the other. "Indeed. Ability is nothing to fear; a lack of it is. This place is a jumble of fish and dragons. If we can clear out those merely filling seats in the orchestra without knowing how to play, our work afterward will be easier."
Young Master Kongxu clearly shared that view.
These renowned rogue cultivators of Qing Province all wanted to see how much substance Jiang Sheng truly possessed beneath the almost miraculous tales about him!
Only then did Zhang Qingyun realize that these cultivators had already reached an unspoken understanding. Since he had the same intention, he too quietly settled in to watch.
"There is no need for further words. Come at me together, all of you. Let me see just how much weight these heroes of Qing Province truly carry."
Once Jiang Sheng said that, reconciliation became impossible.
Rogue cultivators might not readily provoke conflicts with one another, but Jiang Sheng had now planted his foot on everyone's faces.
Even a clay figurine had a spark of temper, let alone these rogue cultivators who had fought their way up!
Besides, they had numbers on their side. Now it was a crowd against one man. No matter how they looked at it, there was no possibility of losing.
Thus, these rogue cultivators held nothing back. Several Foundation Establishment cultivators attacked without hesitation, unleashing their fiercest moves from the outset!
In an instant, wind blades, golden needles, and fireballs came sweeping toward Jiang Sheng from every direction, the skyful of spells seeming ready to engulf him entirely.
At the same time, the ground cracked, and vines surged beneath it, seeking to bind Jiang Sheng where he stood.
Their attacks alone revealed considerable practical combat experience, and their coordination was exceptionally smooth.
The underground vines would restrict Jiang Sheng's movements. The sweeping wind blades, fireballs, and golden needles might look like feints meant to draw his attention, but their killing power was very real.
From above and below, from front and back, they sealed off Jiang Sheng's movements.
Qiao Xuan, Wenren Jie, and Young Master Kongxu all looked toward the courtyard.
Even they would have to exercise caution against the combined assault of so many Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining cultivators, yet Jiang Sheng had been so presumptuous.
Now that these Foundation Establishment cultivators had joined forces, they had completely sealed off his room to maneuver.
Examining their own hearts, they knew even they could only avoid the initial onslaught and then seek another solution. Did Jiang Sheng have any other choice?
But if Jiang Sheng truly could handle it, would that not mean these Qing Province rogue cultivators were indeed mediocre?
For a moment, even these renowned Foundation Establishment rogue cultivators of Qing Province felt conflicted.
Compared with those rogue cultivators, Xu Xiao and Zhang Qing felt rather more worried about Jiang Sheng.
They truly did not want to watch such a handsome young cultivator die here for nothing.
Yet Jiang Sheng had humiliated all these Qing Province rogue cultivators in the calmest tone imaginable. His tongue was truly venomous.
Moreover, by showing such contempt for Qing Province's cultivators, he clearly thought nothing of their Moon-Embracing Sect either.
Could this Daoist from Penglai really possess some means of dealing with this?
Unlike those spectators with their tangled feelings, the attacking cultivators were already beaming with delight.
Even a cultivator at the late stage of Foundation Establishment would struggle to withstand their surprise assault. How could Jiang Sheng possibly resist it?
The ground trembled. Vines bursting from the earth sent the azure bricks paving the county office's courtyard flying. The immensely tough azure vines bound Jiang Sheng layer upon layer.
The wind blades were razor-sharp, the fireballs explosive, the golden needles piercing. Every spell was deadly.
The instant the azure vines bound Jiang Sheng, the spells came shrieking toward him, engulfing him in the blink of an eye.
For a time, all anyone could see was spell after spell exploding where Jiang Sheng stood, flames scattering and smoke swirling.
Seeing the Foundation Establishment cultivators seemingly doom Jiang Sheng with their very first attack, some of the Qi Refining rogue cultivators were already overjoyed:
"The heroes of Qing Province are extraordinary indeed! Look, the moment those Foundation Establishment cultivators attacked, Jiang Sheng gave up struggling!"
"Exactly! Where did he get the confidence to belittle us cultivators of Qing Province? He will probably fall right here!"
"To witness a Foundation Establishment cultivator perish with our own eyes is a fortuitous opportunity for us as well."
They chattered over one another, and even the Foundation Establishment cultivators who had launched the assault felt they had successfully killed Jiang Sheng.
Yet, to their astonishment, Jiang Sheng's clear voice rang out again from amid the smoke and flames. "My fellow Daoists of Qing Province do possess some ability."
"Unfortunately, you are still a little short of what it takes to hurt me."
At those words, everyone's expression changed involuntarily. What?!
Could Jiang Sheng be completely unscathed?!
The wind rose!
Inexplicably, a wind suddenly blew in from the west before the county office's hall.
At first it was a gentle, balmy breeze. Then it grew stronger and stronger, becoming a howling gale within a few breaths!
When the wind blew away every spark and wisp of smoke before the hall, everyone saw Jiang Sheng standing completely unscathed in his original spot. He had not even shifted his feet!
Neither the jade crown on his head nor the azure robe on his body bore the slightest trace of smoke or scorching.
The azure bricks all around him, however, had been shattered beyond recognition.
Smooth fragments left by slicing wind blades, scorch marks from exploding fireballs, and dense holes pierced by golden needles crisscrossed in a web of spell damage, yet every trace stopped three inches from Jiang Sheng.
Standing with his hands behind his back, Jiang Sheng cast them a calm glance. His presence was like a still abyss and an unmoving mountain, chilling the hearts of every rogue cultivator who had attacked.
They had coordinated seamlessly and struck by surprise, believing they could take Jiang Sheng down. Never had they imagined he would emerge completely unscathed!
Here is today's second update! Dear readers, you are welcome to leave comments~
(End of chapter)
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