Who is Yuan Wu Xing?

"I have a major case to report." Jiang Li set Jiang Yixing down on the ground and cupped his hands toward City Lord Zeng.

"Speak."

"My name is Zhang Li, a native of Qing City and a Nascent Soul rogue cultivator. This is my companion Yuan Wu Xing, a Foundation Establishment rogue cultivator. The two of us heard that Qing City has seen many infants go missing in recent years, and since the city's official forces are short-handed, we conducted a private investigation and finally caught the culprit."

Jiang Li paused, pointing at Jiang Yixing on the ground.

"The culprit is none other than the Old Ancestor of the Jiang Clan, Jiang Yixing!"

The crowd outside the main hall erupted in uproar at Jiang Li's words.

The dozen or so parents who had lost their children wailed loudly upon hearing this. If not for the guards holding them back, they would have charged into the hall to demand Jiang Yixing's life. Yuan Wu Xing had already told them that their children had been blood-sacrificed.

"Zhang Li, you must not speak recklessly. The Jiang Clan has been virtuous for generations and even produced a human hero like the Jiang Human Emperor. If you have no evidence and are merely speculating wildly, I will have no choice but to charge you with slander." City Lord Zeng's tone was calm, but a veiled threat lurked beneath.

"Evidence naturally exists. Why has the Jiang Clan been stealing infants repeatedly? Jiang Yixing's talent is mediocre; even reaching Foundation Establishment was a struggle for him. Thus, he thought of using demonic methods—blood-sacrificing infants, using their forms to supplement his Nascent Soul intent, thereby breaking through to Nascent Soul and extending his lifespan."

Jiang Li ignored City Lord Zeng's threat and analyzed unhurriedly.

"Am I right, Jiang Yixing?" Jiang Li leaned down to look at the old man, whose face was aged yet ruddy—a result of absorbing infant blood essence.

"Who exactly are you?!" Jiang Yixing lay on the ground, gravely injured and unable to move, his heart shaken. Aside from those of his generation who also lived in Qing City, who would know that his talent was so mediocre—stuck at the level where Foundation Establishment was possible but Nascent Soul was out of reach!

Jiang Li sent a voice transmission: "You use my name to wave a banner, yet you don't recognize me, cousin?"

Jiang Yixing's eyes widened, the shifting image of Jiang Li reflected in his pupils. He finally glimpsed, from his build and the look in his brows and eyes, the faint outline of the person who had run away from home all those years ago.

An immense terror seized Jiang Yixing. If Jiang Li personally acted to clean up the Jiang Clan, then he had no chance of survival. Not even if the Qing City Lord shielded him, not even if the Zhou Emperor himself came in person!

He tried to muster all his strength to shout Jiang Li's name, but Jiang Li secretly knocked him unconscious with a spell, leaving him unable to wake for who knows how many days.

Hearing Jiang Li say that Jiang Yixing had cultivated demonic arts, the onlookers whispered among themselves. The Old Ancestor of the Jiang Clan, the Human Emperor's own cousin, practicing demonic arts—this was a massive scandal. If word got out, other imperial dynasties would surely mock them, laughing at how they prided themselves on law and order yet failed to govern strictly, laughing at how the Human Emperor's hometown was rife with demonic cultivation.

The Jiang Clan Patriarch hobbled over slowly, leaning on his cane. The crowd parted for him automatically. Seeing the Old Ancestor unconscious on the ground, he hurried forward to check. Finding that the Old Ancestor was merely injured and unconscious, with his foundation intact, he breathed a sigh of relief and spoke angrily to Jiang Li.

"You mean to say that our Old Ancestor used infants to cultivate, so his body must be filled with their resentment? Fine, test it if you dare. But remember this: if no infant resentment is found, you will pay the price for insulting the Jiang Clan and Qing City!"

The Jiang Clan Patriarch referred to the standard method for checking demonic cultivation across the Nine Provinces Continent. Demonic cultivation harms others to benefit oneself, so most practitioners carry resentment within them. For someone like Jiang Yixing, who had used hundreds of infants, the resentment inside him must be sky-high.

Jiang Li chuckled lightly: "Patriarch Jiang, you're truly getting senile. Have you forgotten that you used Faith Power to erode the resentment inside Jiang Yixing?"

The Jiang Clan Patriarch's face turned ashen as Jiang Li saw through his scheme.

That Faith Power could erode resentment was something few knew. He had no idea how Jiang Li had found out.

But dwelling on that now was useless. Suppressing this matter as quickly as possible was the top priority.

"Resentment can be eroded, but the infants' bones remain. I happened to discover a Space Node piled high with infant remains. Why don't you, my lord, take some people to have a look?"

"My lord, do not listen to this man's nonsense! He only entered the city a day ago and has never been to Qing City before. How could anyone stumble upon a Space Node in a single day and then insist it belongs to the Jiang Clan? This man must have been sent by another clan to slander us. I beg you to investigate thoroughly!"

The reason the Jiang Clan Patriarch had arrived late was that he had sent people to secretly investigate Jiang Li's identity and dispose of the evidence. Unfortunately, it was too rushed. They had only found out that Jiang Li had just arrived in Qing City, and the Space Node had not yet been cleaned up.

"It's getting late. This case is complex and difficult to conclude. To ascertain the truth, we will reconvene on another day." City Lord Zeng glanced at the unconscious Jiang Yixing, then at the troublesome Jiang Li, afraid he might seize on some new point. He paused and continued, "Jiang Yixing will be temporarily held in the main prison."

"Court adjourned!"

After court adjourned, City Lord Zeng dropped his composed demeanor and hurried with the Jiang Clan Patriarch to the Secret Chamber for an urgent discussion.

"I told you to stop long ago, but you wouldn't listen. Now look—you've been found out!" City Lord Zeng complained.

"What could I do? The Old Ancestor insisted on doing this. Who could stop him?" The Jiang Clan Patriarch offered a weak rebuttal, lacking conviction.

"You told me back then that this matter was secretly authorized by the Jiang Human Emperor." City Lord Zeng shot the Jiang Clan Patriarch a glance.

"It was the Old Ancestor who insisted, and the Jiang Human Emperor reluctantly agreed." The Jiang Clan Patriarch quickly filled the gap in his story.

"Can't you ask the Jiang Human Emperor to personally step in and suppress this? If he intervenes, even The Emperor would have to show some face."

"That's difficult. The Jiang Human Emperor always follows his whims, coming and going as he pleases. The Jiang Clan has no way to contact him." The Jiang Clan Patriarch wanted to say, "What Jiang Human Emperor? If we could actually contact him, would we have gone through all this trouble to deceive one city lord after another?" Of course, he couldn't voice such thoughts.

"Then what do you suggest we do now?"

"Two preparations. The Old Ancestor is meticulous. The only thing that could count as evidence is that Space Node where the infants were blood-sacrificed. I've already sent people to deal with it, but it's hard to say what those two might stir up next. Yuan Wu Xing is easy—timid and weak-willed. But that Zhang Li is tough. I've never heard of him before, yet his combat strength is extremely high. From the way he captured the Old Ancestor alive, calling him Qing City's top martial expert wouldn't be an exaggeration."

"Force won't work. I'll go see him myself tonight and try to persuade them to leave. This matter concerns the Human Emperor's reputation. Surely this man wouldn't disregard that and insist on prosecuting the Old Ancestor."

"That would be best." City Lord Zeng stroked his beard and nodded. "But there's still one question."

"What?"

"Who is Yuan Wu Xing?"