Gibberish...
All of a sudden, Jiang Dao felt waves of intense hunger rising from his belly, as though he had not eaten for three days and three nights.
"Hungry, so hungry..."
His eyes reddened as he looked at the bowl of lotus seed porridge that had been prepared earlier. He grabbed the porcelain bowl and drained it in one gulp, yet it did nothing to ease his hunger. He immediately left the room and ordered someone to prepare dinner.
Half an hour later.
Jiang Dao sat in his chair, wolfing down food as though a starving ghost had been reborn.
He gnawed through a freshly roasted chicken in just a few bites.
He picked up a massive pork hock and stripped it clean in three bites.
He lifted a huge bowl of meat soup, gulped it down, and tipped his head back to pour it all into his mouth.
His terrifying table manners left Bi Yu, the maid attending him at the side, secretly horrified. She almost thought her young master had been possessed by a Malevolent Spirit.
Finally!
Jiang Dao burped, set down his plate, and the hunger in his belly gradually faded.
"Bi Yu, clean this up!"
He took out a silk handkerchief, wiped his mouth, and spoke.
Bi Yu hurried forward to clear the table.
"I wonder if I'll be this hungry every time I improve in the future? If so, that eating display was truly awful."
Jiang Dao walked out of the room with tightly furrowed brows.
Hungry or not, though, this terrifying strength in his body was utterly real.
Especially the muscles on his body. They could not be seen beneath his long robe, but once he took off his clothes, one could see even lines and bulging muscle. His back, arms, and thighs were all packed with formidable power.
As he walked through his own courtyard, he casually picked up a staff as tall as his brow. With a shake of his hand, a fierce wind howled. He suddenly swept it out, smashing viciously toward a stone bench nearby.
Crack!
The entire stone bench exploded on the spot as though it had been struck by a giant hammer, stone chips flying everywhere.
Jiang Dao was immensely satisfied.
The power of that move alone had already surpassed Pang Lin's full-force strike.
And he had merely thrown it out casually.
If combined with a killer move, the power of this strike would be even more terrifying!
Suddenly, his ear twitched as he heard some sounds.
Jiang Dao set down the staff, left the courtyard, and came to a nearby corridor, looking into the distance.
Several young and beautiful maids were wiping away tears and sobbing quietly. Their faces were filled with unwillingness as an old matron led them toward Old Daoist Changbai's quarters.
Jiang Dao's face instantly darkened.
That old bastard was harming decent women again!
But what could the Jiang Family do about this now?
They could only act as accomplices and let that old bastard do as he pleased!
Jiang Dao took a deep breath, forcing himself not to look any longer. Fire burned in his heart as he turned and left.
Before he knew it, it was already time to light the lamps.
Bi Yu came to help Jiang Dao undress and attend him as he went to bed.
Jiang Dao lay on the bed, lost in thought.
He wondered whether he would have the same dream again if he slept tonight.
The light was dim, and time passed.
Hengzhou City was exceptionally quiet at night.
Jiang Dao soon fell asleep.
The night passed without incident.
Early the next morning.
Jiang Dao suddenly opened his eyes and sat up in bed, frowning in surprise.
"Nothing happened?"
Had his nightmare ailment gotten better?
"Could it be because of martial arts? With sixty years of cultivation in my body, my blood and vitality have flourished, so even the little ghosts in my dreams no longer dare come near me?"
Jiang Dao was immediately delighted, feeling that his future held promise.
But then Jiang Dao heard a noisy commotion coming from the front courtyard. He frowned and got out of bed.
"Bi Yu, what happened again?"
Jiang Dao called out as he dressed.
The door creaked open, and Bi Yu hurried inside with a panicked look. Fearfully, she said, "Young Master, last night... last night a Malevolent Spirit came to the estate. So many of the maids died."
"What?"
Jiang Dao's expression changed slightly as he quickly dressed.
Not long after.
Jiang Dao appeared in the front courtyard.
More than a dozen guards stood gathered together, every one of them grim-faced.
All the servants and attendants had gathered here as well, their expressions frightened as they whispered among themselves.
Jiang Dalong, the family head, wore a gloomy expression. He had on a watermelon cap and a black short jacket, rolling two large walnuts in his hand as his gaze remained fixed on several corpses in the courtyard.
Taoist Changbai was carefully examining the corpses.
Without exception, they had all died in an appalling state. Their bodies were shriveled, as though something had sucked them dry of their essence and vitality.
"Father, Master Pang."
Jiang Dao approached from afar.
"Young Master."
Pang Lin greeted him softly.
Jiang Dalong nodded gently at him, then turned back to Taoist Changbai and asked in a low voice, "Daoist, where is this Malevolent Spirit now? Is it still in the estate?"
Taoist Changbai's expression was ugly. He quickly finished his examination, rose to his full height, and sighed. "Master Jiang, we should discuss this in private."
"In private?"
Jiang Dalong's expression changed.
Was the situation actually this serious?
Naturally, he understood what Taoist Changbai meant.
A private discussion meant he did not want others to hear, lest panic spread.
In other words, this Malevolent Spirit might be something even Taoist Changbai could not handle.
"Very well, Daoist, please come with me!"
Jiang Dalong spoke heavily and led Taoist Changbai toward the study.
Jiang Dao's expression changed slightly, and he immediately followed after them.
Before long, they arrived at Jiang Dalong's study.
Taoist Changbai took a seat. Jiang Dalong had Jiang Dao shut the door tightly and forbade anyone from entering.
"Daoist, please speak plainly!"
Jiang Dalong cupped his hands.
Taoist Changbai's gaze was grim as he said, "This time, the Jiang Family is in trouble. The thing you have provoked may be something even this old Daoist cannot necessarily deal with!"
"What kind of Malevolent Spirit is it?"
Jiang Dalong hurriedly asked.
"This old Daoist calls them Spirit Children. They are incomparably strange. Wherever they appear, disaster follows. They can cause nearly a thousand people to die miserably. More terrifying still, Spirit Children do not come alone. When they appear, they come in a whole nest. And behind these Malevolent Spirits, there may even be an even more terrifying great Malevolent Spirit controlling them..."
Taoist Changbai's tone was grave. "This old Daoist has traveled throughout the Great Ye Dynasty and encountered Spirit Children only twice. But on both occasions, nearly a thousand people died. Once, they made a sect with a three-hundred-year legacy vanish in just two days. The other time, nearly half the people in an ancient city died!"
"What?"
Jiang Dalong looked utterly shocked. "Does this mean my Jiang Family is doomed? Daoist, please save the Jiang Family."
He hurriedly cupped his hands in supplication. At the same time, he swiftly pulled a stack of banknotes from his sleeve and stuffed them into Taoist Changbai's hand. "Daoist, if my Jiang Family survives this calamity, we are willing to donate more than half our property to you."
Jiang Dao was secretly startled as well, unsure whether the old Daoist was deliberately frightening them or whether it was truly so.
He stood at the side, not daring to speak for the moment.
"Dealing with Spirit Children is not difficult. The difficult part is the existence behind them. It may even be a terrifying force."
Taoist Changbai said.
Yet his hand involuntarily closed around the stack of banknotes. Judging by its thickness alone, he knew how much silver it represented, and he calmly tucked it into his sleeve.
"Master Jiang, this old Daoist and the Jiang Family can be said to share a fated connection. At present, I can only do my utmost. I will protect you for as many days as I can. If it truly proves impossible, do not blame this old Daoist."
"Of course, of course. So long as Daoist does your utmost!"
Jiang Dalong repeatedly cupped his hands.
"Daoist, you just said there might even be a terrifying force behind the Spirit Children?"
Jiang Dao suddenly spoke up.
"Correct!"
Taoist Changbai nodded lightly. "Otherwise, this old Daoist truly cannot imagine how these Spirit Children could suddenly appear and then suddenly vanish. And after every one of their actions, they leave behind no trace at all."
"Then what force are they?"
"That is unclear."
Taoist Changbai shook his head. "Moreover, Malevolent Spirits have another trait: they hide during the day and leave no trace, only coming out to move about at night. So even if we wanted to search for them now, we would not be able to find them!"
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