The lead wolf's final memory was of an azure light sweeping across a hundred zhang.
He dimly saw the Daoist in azure robes and a jade crown standing atop a fire dragon, unleashing a hundred-zhang beam of sword light that cleaved in two the magical artifact he and his seven brothers had forged together.
When the magical artifact shattered completely, the backlash stripped the lead wolf of consciousness as well.
When Tian Ming'an hurried into the temple's front hall, cupping that tiny candle flame in his hands, all he saw were eight desiccated corpses sprawled across the ground.
The Eight Wolves of Dongjun, a band of evil cultivators who had once terrorized the region and rampaged across Qing Province, had become dead wolves for good.
And the magical battle between Jiang Sheng and the Eight Wolves of Dongjun had destroyed nearly half the Daoist temple.
The front hall was utterly demolished. Only shattered remnants remained of the walls on either side, and even half the main gate had been smashed apart.
Flames burned everywhere he looked. Broken bricks and tiles littered the grounds, and every one of the green pines and verdant bamboo planted there had been snapped and ravaged, leaving a scene of utter devastation.
As Jiang Sheng surveyed the wretched state of his cultivation grounds, a rare trace of anger appeared in his eyes.
Anyone would have been angry.
He had been minding his own business, cultivating in the mountains, only for a bunch of strangers to come knocking with a sneak attack.
The enemies were all dead, but half his cultivation grounds had been destroyed as well.
Who was he supposed to take that grievance to?
"Daoist?" Tian Ming'an looked up with boundless admiration at Jiang Sheng, who stood atop the fire dragon with Qing Feng in hand.
Jiang Sheng sighed and withdrew the magical power sustaining the fire dragon.
Even with his Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment and the tremendous magical power he now possessed, he could hardly maintain the fire dragon for long.
In the end, it had really come down to a contest between Jiang Sheng and the Eight Wolves of Dongjun over who had greater reserves and more abundant magical power. Clearly, Jiang Sheng had been the one to laugh last.
Deprived of magical power, the fire dragon gave one final low rumble, then dissolved into flames that filled the sky before vanishing.
Jiang Sheng landed on the ground and waved a hand. "All right, go get some rest. Whatever it is, we can discuss it tomorrow."
Tian Ming'an nodded obediently, but after returning to his room, he kept tossing and turning, unable to sleep.
What had happened that night had far exceeded his imagination. He was far too excited to sleep.
Jiang Sheng did not get much rest either. The front hall was completely ruined, and nearly half the middle hall had been destroyed by the battle's aftershocks. He could only hang the founding master's portrait in the rear hall and set up the incense altar and candles anew.
Sitting cross-legged before the founding master's portrait, Jiang Sheng swallowed an Essence-Gathering Pill and began slowly regulating his breathing and cultivating.
After the fire dragon disappeared, the scorching heat lingering in the air persisted for a full quarter of an hour before the falling snow finally neutralized it.
The swirling snowflakes began falling once more, extinguishing the remaining flames in the temple and covering the brutal scars on the ground.
At the hour of the Hare the next morning, just as the horizon began to redden, Tian Guofu hurried up the mountain with the people of Qingping Town, carrying all manner of tools.
The dragon's roar the night before had awakened the entire town. They knew only that it had come from Qingping Mountain, not what had happened.
With the heavy snow falling, they had been forced to wait until dawn before entering the mountain to investigate.
Worried about his grandson, Tian Guofu had brought the town's able-bodied men up the mountain at first light.
After the arduous climb halfway up the mountain, Tian Guofu and the able-bodied men of Qingping Town stared at the ruined temple and the devastation surrounding it. Their hearts sank: Could Daoist Jiang have been eaten by a dragon last night?!
"M-Mayor, Daoist Jiang couldn't have..." One of the men felt himself trembling all over. His sharp eyes had spotted a corpse not entirely buried by the snow, its withered body frozen an ashen blue-gray by the ice and snow.
Tian Guofu was worried about his grandson too, but he forced himself to remain composed. "What nonsense are you spouting?!"
"Daoist Jiang is a high-ranking Daoist priest from Penglai! Stop imagining things!"
Despite saying that, Tian Guofu strode forward. "Come on, let's look inside the temple!"
Seeing the mayor take the lead, the men hurried after him, and the group entered the temple.
Although the falling snow had buried most of the traces, the heaps of debris on the ground and the completely collapsed front hall made it clear that a fierce magical battle had taken place here the night before.
The shattered bricks and broken tiles strewn throughout the front courtyard, in particular, along with the various traces of magical combat, showed at a glance how dangerous the situation had been.
At the sight of those marks, Tian Guofu's heart sank. "Oh no, something terrible must have happened!"
"What terrible thing has happened?" Jiang Sheng's voice abruptly sounded in everyone's ears.
Hearing Jiang Sheng's voice, Tian Guofu immediately felt reassured for no particular reason. Since Daoist Jiang was unharmed, his grandson must be safe as well.
At that thought, Tian Guofu hurriedly bowed toward the rear courtyard. "Daoist Jiang, last night we heard what seemed to be... some noises in the mountains."
"But it was the middle of the night, and the snow was coming down hard. Worried as we were for your safety, we didn't dare enter the mountain rashly. We had to wait until dawn and the snow stopped before coming up to help you."
Tian Guofu's explanation almost made Jiang Sheng laugh. "If you're worried about your grandson, just say so. No need to use this poor Daoist as an excuse."
"Rest assured, Mayor Tian. Your grandson is sound asleep at the moment. If you'd like to see him, come to the guest room in the rear courtyard."
Hearing this, Tian Guofu immediately ran toward the guest room in the rear courtyard. Barely two steps later, he stopped and turned toward the men from town. "What are you standing around for? All this mess—why aren't you helping Daoist Jiang clean it up?"
Only then did the men come to their senses. Each took up his tools and began clearing the snow and removing the rubble.
When Tian Guofu reached the rear courtyard and saw that his grandson really was sleeping soundly, he angrily hauled Tian Ming'an up. "You thoughtless boy! Do you know how worried everyone at home has been? You didn't even come home at dawn to tell us you were safe. Your parents and I spent half the night worrying!"
Tian Ming'an, abruptly dragged awake, was still bewildered. Only when he suddenly realized his grandfather was standing before him did he come to his senses. "Grandfather, why did you come up the mountain?"
Tian Guofu replied irritably, "How else was I supposed to make sure you were safe?"
"With all that commotion in the mountains in the middle of the night, the whole family was worried sick!"
As he spoke, Tian Guofu cupped his hands toward the rear hall. "It was only thanks to Daoist Jiang's kindness that you were kept safe. And look at you! Instead of helping ease his burdens, you came here to sleep your head off!"
Listening to Tian Guofu's scolding, Tian Ming'an lowered his head and obediently admitted his fault. Then Tian Guofu dragged him into the rear hall.
Tian Guofu bowed respectfully to Jiang Sheng. "I saw the marks in the front courtyard. In such a fierce magical battle, you still remembered to keep this boy safe. I truly don't know how to thank you..."
Jiang Sheng smiled. "It's no trouble. I was the one who asked him to stay last night. Had I not kept him here, he wouldn't have encountered any danger."
"Since I asked him to stay, I was naturally going to keep him safe."
As he spoke, Jiang Sheng slowly rose. He looked at Tian Guofu, then at Tian Ming'an. "Mayor Tian, do you regret letting this boy come up the mountain?"
Tian Guofu froze for a moment, unsure how to answer.
In truth, Tian Guofu really did regret it.
He had intended to have his grandson spend some time with Jiang Sheng to gild his prospects. If Jiang Sheng was truly willing to teach his grandson a trick or two, he might become a Daoist official someday, bringing glory to his ancestors and lifting the Tian Family to soaring prosperity.
But Tian Guofu had ultimately underestimated just how dangerous the world of cultivators was.
That dragon's roar had echoed through the mountains the night before. And now, looking at the traces of fierce magical combat in the front courtyard, he saw scorch marks and scars like blade cuts and axe blows everywhere, crisscrossing cracks covering the courtyard's blue bricks and stone slabs, and even the remains of monsters that looked hideous despite the snow covering them...
The world of cultivators was far too frightening...
Understanding Tian Guofu's thoughts, Jiang Sheng said, "Rest assured, Mayor Tian. I won't force your boy to stay."
"After all, it was because of me that he was exposed to danger yesterday. If all you want for him is a lifetime of wealth and honor, take him home. I'll have a word with Magistrate Zhang. Securing him a prosperous life would be no trouble."
"There is no wealth or honor to speak of at my side. I'm simply a man devoted to quiet cultivation, unwilling to become too entangled in the mortal world's dust. I have no desire to concern myself with the affairs of the Qi Kingdom's court or its martial world, either."
"But even so, he could face danger at any moment if he stays with me. Something like last night could happen again at any time."
Jiang Sheng's words genuinely tempted Tian Guofu, but before he could say anything, Tian Ming'an spoke up.
Ever since witnessing how wondrous the world of cultivators was the night before, Tian Ming'an had been filled with longing for cultivation, even though his own life had been endangered.
He yearned desperately to become a cultivator like Jiang Sheng, not some wealthy old man.
Thus, after hearing the exchange between Jiang Sheng and his grandfather, Tian Ming'an abruptly pulled free of Tian Guofu's hand and dropped to his knees before Jiang Sheng. "Daoist, I want to stay!"
Tian Guofu stared at his grandson in astonishment, but Tian Ming'an did not look at him at all. He simply kept his head lowered. "Daoist, last night was my first time witnessing cultivators fight with magic. I'm not afraid of danger. I'm only afraid of spending my whole life plodding along and accomplishing nothing."
"Before, I was only a frog at the bottom of a well, ignorant of how vast heaven and earth truly are. But last night, you showed me the vastness of the world and the wonders of heaven and earth. I truly don't want to go back to that life of mediocrity."
"My only wish in this life is to follow you, serving you before the saddle and behind the horse. Please, Daoist, let me stay!"
Today's first update~ Gentlemen, please leave plenty of comments. Feel free to offer any suggestions or corrections. As long as they're reasonable, Lin Yuan promises to accept them humbly. (But no insults!)
(End of chapter)
Please take a moment to share this website on Facebook so that we can keep it running.
Before you continue