The Invisible Crisis

Not far away, Jiang Dao approached. Seeing this scene, he frowned slightly.

A big stick and a sweet date.

But this method would not last long.

So long as the strange source in Hengzhou City remained unresolved, the entire city would sooner or later descend into chaos.

His father could only rely on what little prestige the Jiang Family still possessed to suppress everyone for now. But once enough time passed and more people were killed, these people would no longer be able to hold things down.

Even more terrifying was the possibility that the guards and martial instructors might flee as well. If that happened, the Jiang Family would truly be finished.

All of the Jiang Family's current authority rested on the highly paid martial instructors and guards.

If they suddenly turned against them, the consequences would be unimaginable.

At this thought, Jiang Dao shivered again, feeling the crisis deepen.

"It's over. The Jiang Family is really finished..."

He quickly stepped forward to greet the middle-aged man and the Taoist beside him. "Father, Taoist Priest!"

"Dao'er, is your health any better?"

Jiang Dalong hurriedly asked.

As his eldest son, Jiang Dao was naturally someone he cared deeply about.

After all, Jiang Dao would be his successor in the future.

"Thanks to the Taoist Priest's wonderful prescription, I'm much better already," Jiang Dao said.

"You flatter me, Young Master. Just take the medicine on time from now on."

Taoist Changbai smiled. "Master Jiang, what about the maidservant?"

"I'll arrange it immediately. I'll have someone make the preparations at once," Jiang Dalong said with a hurried, ingratiating smile.

"Good, I'll trouble Master Jiang. Actually, Third Miss is quite good too."

Taoist Changbai chuckled and headed toward the room.

Jiang Dao frowned and murmured, "Father, is he setting his sights on Third Sister again?"

"We'll talk when we get back!"

Jiang Dalong's face darkened.

Father and son swiftly departed in silence.

Pang Lin, the head of the guards, ordered people to quickly dispose of the several corpses in the courtyard.

Inside the room.

Jiang Dalong shut the door tightly, his face dark as water. He grabbed a teacup and smashed it viciously onto the floor.

"That old bastard is determined to bleed the Jiang Family dry! He's got wicked intentions toward your Third Sister and your Fourth Consort alike!"

Jiang Dalong ground his teeth in hatred.

"What does Father intend to do, then? Drive him away?" Jiang Dao asked.

"No, we can't drive him away now. Leaving aside whether that old bastard might use force against the Jiang Family, even if he doesn't, what if another Malevolent Spirit incident occurs after he leaves? How would the Jiang Family defend itself then?"

Jiang Dalong spoke grimly. "There is only one way now. You and your brothers must go to him again and make sure one of you succeeds in becoming his disciple. As long as you learn that ability of his to kill Malevolent Spirits, I can deal with him without worry!"

Jiang Dao frowned slightly.

Easier said than done.

That old bastard was impervious to oil and salt. They had begged him so many times before, yet it had been useless.

"Father, how is the situation in Jinyang District?" Jiang Dao asked.

"Hard to say."

Jiang Dalong sighed softly. "That old bastard went to take a look just now. He only said the Malevolent Spirit had left and that there should be no more trouble, then he brought everyone back."

"The Malevolent Spirit has already left? What about the other places?" Jiang Dao asked.

"The situation elsewhere is still extremely grim. So long as Hengzhou City remains sealed off, it means the Malevolent Spirit is still here and could strike at any time. So far, more than five hundred people have died throughout the city."

Jiang Dalong's tone was heavy.

More than five hundred people...

Jiang Dao was shaken. This world was far more dangerous than he had expected.

"Father, then let's go find that old Taoist now," Jiang Dao said.

Jiang Dalong nodded lightly. "Call all your brothers over!"

Jiang Dalong had a vast household. He had taken eight concubines alone, fathered six sons and eight daughters. Jiang Dao was the eldest, born of the principal wife, so his status was fundamentally different from the others'.

Whenever Jiang Dalong was away from home, Jiang Dao was effectively the acting head of the family.

Jiang Dao quickly summoned all five of his younger brothers.

To be honest, he had no feelings whatsoever for those five brothers. He did not know whether the previous owner of this body had, but he certainly did not. After all, he had only transmigrated here three days ago and had only the most basic impression of them.

Without exception, they were all typical parasites, merely muddling through life and waiting for death.

"Father!"

"Greetings, Father! Greetings, Elder Brother!"

His younger brothers said with smiling faces.

"Come with me. We're going to pay a visit to Changbai Truebeing. This time, no matter what, one of you must become his disciple!"

Jiang Dalong said in a deep voice.

He walked in front, leading Jiang Dao and the others toward Elegant Gathering Pavilion.

They passed through a long corridor and several courtyards before arriving at Changbai Truebeing's residence.

"Taoist Priest, are you in?"

Standing in the courtyard, Jiang Dalong smiled and called out loudly.

"Master Jiang!"

A cheerful voice came from inside the room. Changbai Truebeing opened the door and smiled. "Has Third Miss come?"

The moment he finished speaking, his gaze swept over them, and the smile on his face instantly froze.

No women?

A group of men?

Changbai Truebeing frowned deeply, immediately seeing through Jiang Dalong's intentions. He deliberately asked in a low voice, "Master Jiang, are you making sport of me? What is the meaning of this?"

Jiang Dalong chuckled and stepped forward. He casually took a purple sandalwood box from his sleeve and smiled. "Taoist Priest, I was fortunate enough to obtain a wild mountain ginseng eight hundred years old. I wish to present it to you, and I hope you will accept it."

"An eight-hundred-year-old mountain ginseng?"

Taoist Changbai's eyelids twitched slightly. Smiling, he said, "Why must Master Jiang be so courteous?"

He casually accepted the purple sandalwood box, gently opened the lid, and cast his gaze inside.

Besides a thick purple ginseng root, there was also a thick stack of silver notes.

The largest denominations were one thousand taels.

There were at least a dozen of them.

The smile on Taoist Changbai's face became even brighter. "Master Jiang is being so courteous that this old Taoist feels rather embarrassed."

"What are you saying, Taoist Priest? You and I hit it off the moment we met; what do these things amount to? It is only that matter I mentioned to you last time. Could you reconsider it? There are so many people in my Jiang Family—could there truly not be even one suited to become your disciple? An apprentice would do as well!"

Jiang Dalong pleaded earnestly.

Taoist Changbai's face darkened, and he decisively shook his head. "If they cannot learn it, then they cannot learn it. This old Taoist explained it last time: Spirit Eliminators are born, not made. It depends on one's bloodline. If it is in the bloodline, one can do it. If it is not, no method will help. Even if I take them as disciples, they still will not learn anything in the end!"

"Is there really no way?" Jiang Dalong asked unwillingly.

"None!"

Taoist Changbai shook his head. "Master Jiang, do not be so obsessed. Even if the Jiang Family cannot produce a Spirit Eliminator, isn't this old Taoist still here? So long as I remain, I can ensure the Jiang Family's safety!"

Jiang Dao's mouth twitched.

That old bastard truly wanted to cling to the Jiang Family and never leave.

"Taoist Priest, if one learns martial arts, could that be of even the slightest use?" Jiang Dao could not help asking.

"Martial arts?"

Taoist Changbai sneered. "Martial arts are nothing but a petty path. They may be useful against ordinary mortals, but against Malevolent Spirits, they are utterly useless. Eldest Young Master, I advise you not to blindly fuss about. If you train yourself into some problem, it will be bad for you too. Am I right?"

"It is better to have it yourself than to rely on father or mother. Even if martial arts cannot deal with Malevolent Spirits, learning it for oneself can never be a bad thing!" Jiang Dao said sullenly.

"Then Eldest Young Master should simply study it properly. Why come here and say more to this old Taoist?"

Taoist Changbai was exceedingly contemptuous. He looked toward Jiang Dalong. "Master Jiang, do not forget the maidservant you promised."

"Of course, of course. I'll arrange it right away!"

Jiang Dalong repeatedly forced a smile.

Taoist Changbai snorted coldly, glanced at Jiang Dao again, then turned and entered the room.

Jiang Dalong's face instantly became frighteningly dark. His fists clenched as he turned around and said in a low voice, "Come on, we're going back!"

His chest was full of rage, and he desperately wanted to smash something to vent it.

He had handed over thirty thousand taels in silver notes, yet had not even made a splash.

"Father, I want to learn martial arts!" Jiang Dao said.

Jiang Dalong halted and turned back to look at Jiang Dao, astonished. "Dao'er, you... are you certain? You're not saying this in anger?"

"I'm certain!"

Jiang Dao nodded heavily.

The Jiang Family appeared prosperous, but in truth, it stood on the brink of collapse at any moment.

Without some strength of his own, he would not even be able to keep those guards in line in the future.

"Good son, I'll have someone arrange it for you right away!"

Jiang Dalong patted Jiang Dao's shoulder approvingly. Then he suddenly glared furiously at his other five sons and berated them, "A bunch of useless trash! Look at your elder brother! When will you be able to spare me trouble like he does? All you know every day is eating, drinking, whoring, and gambling. Sooner or later, you'll whore yourselves into ruin!"

The younger sons all smiled awkwardly and lowered their heads.