Who Is Yuan Wu Xing?

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

"Speak."

"My name is Zhang Li, a Nascent Soul Rogue Cultivator from Green City. This is my companion, Yuan Wu Xing, a Golden Core Rogue Cultivator. We heard that many infants had gone missing in Green City in recent years, while the local authorities were short-handed, so we investigated in secret and finally caught the true culprit."

Jiang Li paused, then pointed at Jiang Yixing on the ground.

"The true culprit is the Old Ancestor of the Jiang Family, Jiang Yixing!"

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

The dozen or so parents who had lost their children wailed even louder. If not for the guards stopping them, they would have rushed into the hall long ago to demand Jiang Yixing pay with his life. Yuan Wu Xing had told them that their children had already been blood-sacrificed.

"Zhang Li, you must not speak recklessly. The Jiang Family has been righteous for generations and even produced a human hero such as the Human Emperor Jiang. If you have no evidence and are merely making wild guesses, this official will charge you with slander." City Lord Zeng's tone was mild, yet it carried an undercurrent of threat.

"Of course I have evidence. Why else would the Jiang Family repeatedly steal infants? Jiang Yixing's aptitude was mediocre. Reaching Golden Core had already been a struggle for him, so he turned to Demonic Path methods, blood-sacrificing infants to replenish the intent of Nascent Soul with the form of infants. Only then could he break through to Nascent Soul and extend his lifespan."

Ignoring City Lord Zeng's threat, Jiang Li laid out his analysis unhurriedly.

"Am I right, Jiang Yixing?" Jiang Li bent down to look at Jiang Yixing's aged yet ruddy face, a result of absorbing the blood vitality of infants.

"Who exactly are you?!" Jiang Yixing lay on the ground, too severely injured to move, his heart shaken beyond measure. Other than those of his generation who also lived in Green City, who would know that his aptitude was mediocre, that Foundation Establishment was within reach but Golden Core was difficult to attain?

Jiang Li transmitted his voice to him: "You used my name to wave a great banner, yet you don't recognize me, Cousin?"

Jiang Yixing's eyes widened. Jiang Li's shifting appearance reflected in his pupils, and from his build, brows, and expression, he finally vaguely recognized the person who had once run away from home.

Overwhelming terror shrouded Jiang Yixing. If Jiang Li had personally moved against the Jiang Family, there was absolutely no chance of his survival. Forget the Qing City Lord shielding him—even if the Emperor of Great Zhou came in person, it would be useless!

He wanted to gather all his strength and shout Jiang Li's name, but Jiang Li secretly knocked him unconscious with a spell. Who knew how many days it would be before he woke again.

When they heard Jiang Li say that Jiang Yixing cultivated the Demonic Path, the onlookers whispered among themselves. The Old Ancestor of the Jiang Family, cousin to the Human Emperor, actually cultivated the Demonic Path—this was an enormous scandal. If word got out, the people of other Imperial Dynasties would surely mock them: mock them for priding themselves on law while governing so poorly, mock the Human Emperor's homeland for being overrun by the Demonic Path.

The Jiang Family Patriarch slowly approached, leaning on a cane. The crowd automatically parted to make way for him. Seeing the Old Ancestor unconscious on the ground, he hurried forward to examine him. Upon discovering that the Old Ancestor was merely injured and unconscious, with his foundation unharmed, he finally let out a breath of relief and angrily said to Jiang Li,

"You wish to say that our Old Ancestor used infants for cultivation, so there must be the resentment of infants within his body? Fine, test him as you please. But remember this: if you find no infant resentment, you will pay the price for insulting the Jiang Family and Green City!"

What the Jiang Clan Leader described was a method common across the Nine Provinces Continent for examining Demonic Path cultivators. Demonic Path cultivation harmed others for one's own benefit, so resentment usually lingered within the body. Not to mention Jiang Yixing, who had cultivated using several hundred infants—there must have been enough resentment within him to shoot into the heavens.

Jiang Li chuckled. "Jiang Clan Leader, you truly are muddleheaded with age. Have you forgotten that you used Faith Power to wear away the resentment inside Jiang Yixing?"

Jiang Clan Leader's thoughts were exposed by Jiang Li, and his face turned livid.

Few people knew that Faith Power could wear away resentment. He could not understand how Jiang Li knew this.

But there was no use thinking about that now. The most urgent matter was to suppress this affair.

"Resentment may be worn away, but the infants' bones still remain. I happened upon a Space Node, and it was piled full of infant corpses. My lord might as well bring people there to take a look."

"My lord, you absolutely must not listen to this man's wild nonsense! He only entered the city a day ago and had never been to Green City before. Who could happen to discover a Space Node in one day and insist that it belongs to my Jiang Family? He must have been sent by another family to slander the Jiang Family. I beg my lord to investigate clearly!"

The reason Jiang Clan Leader had arrived late was that he had sent people to secretly investigate Jiang Li's identity and dispose of the evidence. Unfortunately, time had been too short. They had only discovered that Jiang Li had just arrived in Green City, and the Space Node had not yet been cleaned up.

"It is already late. This case is tangled and complex, and it is difficult to reach a conclusion. To uncover the truth, we will reconvene on another day." City Lord Zeng glanced at the unconscious Jiang Yixing, then at the troublesome Jiang Li. Afraid that Jiang Li would find another opening to speak, he paused before continuing, "Jiang Yixing will be temporarily imprisoned."

"Court is adjourned!"

After court was adjourned, City Lord Zeng no longer maintained his previous steady composure. He hurried with Jiang Clan Leader to the Secret Chamber for an urgent discussion.

"I told you long ago to stop, but you refused to listen. Now look what has happened—you've been discovered!" City Lord Zeng complained.

"What could I have done? The Old Ancestor insisted on doing this. Who could stop him?" Jiang Clan Leader retorted weakly, lacking confidence.

"You told me back then that this matter had been secretly instructed by the Human Emperor Jiang." City Lord Zeng shot Jiang Clan Leader a sidelong glance.

"The Old Ancestor insisted on doing it, and the Human Emperor Jiang reluctantly agreed." Jiang Clan Leader hurriedly patched the gap in his words.

"Can't we ask the Human Emperor Jiang to personally intervene and suppress this matter? If he takes action, even The Emperor would have to give him some face."

"It's difficult. The Human Emperor Jiang has always acted as he pleased, coming whenever he wishes. The Jiang Family has no means of contacting him." What Jiang Clan Leader truly wanted to say was, What Human Emperor Jiang? If we could really contact the Human Emperor Jiang, would we need to painstakingly deceive city lord after city lord? Of course, such thoughts could not be spoken aloud.

"Then what do you think we should do now?"

"Prepare for both possibilities. The Old Ancestor was meticulous. The only thing that can truly be called evidence is that Space Node where the infants were blood-sacrificed. I have already sent people to deal with it, but it is hard to say what other trouble those two may stir up. Yuan Wu Xing is easy enough to handle—timid and shrinking, with an unsteady will. But that Zhang Li is difficult to deal with. We had never heard of him before, yet his combat strength is extremely high. Judging from how he captured the Old Ancestor alive, calling him Green City's foremost expert would not be an exaggeration."

"Using force is no longer an option. I'll go find him personally tonight and see whether I can persuade them to leave. This matter concerns the Human Emperor's reputation. He should not be so heedless of it as to insist on accusing the Old Ancestor."

"Excellent." City Lord Zeng stroked his beard and nodded. "There is only one more question."

"What?"

"Who is Yuan Wu Xing?"