Life-Saving Grace

Jiang Minghuang glared viciously at Gu Changqing.

He wanted nothing more than to get up and strangle this bastard to death.

If he could not get any money back, how was he supposed to survive in this Lower Realm? He had truly had enough of these days!

Yet the moment his hands reached Gu Changqing's throat, he hesitated again.

If he strangled this fellow to death, would this young lord not be completely ruined? Who would repay all he had put in these past days?

Jiang Minghuang withdrew his hands and squatted before Gu Changqing.

This scion of an immensely prominent Upper Realm family no longer bore the slightest semblance of his proper status. Instead, like some street thug, he racked his brains over how to make the fellow who owed him his life repay his debt of gratitude.

"Do you have any valuable jewelry on you? You lost the cultivation technique, but some jewelry in return would do too."

Gu Changqing shook his sleeves.

His billowing sleeves were utterly empty.

Jiang Minghuang's expression grew even more ferocious. After a moment, he said as though conceding defeat, "I did save your life, after all. Then you have to at least let me eat a hot meal... No, meat. I want meat."

Outside the mirror.

The cultivators could not decide whether to laugh or cry.

One was Emperor Jiang, who had swept across the heavens.

The other was the Supreme Heavenly Emperor, who suppressed the Three Realms, looked down upon all living beings, and held supreme authority.

A life-saving grace was an enormous debt of gratitude, yet Emperor Jiang had such little ambition that all he wanted was one hearty meal.

In the present day, this was likely a karmic debt enough to make the entire Northern Profound Continent tremble!

"Fine."

Gu Changqing seemed to feel that this fellow was not quite so detestable after all.

His childhood had been miserable, and he had suffered the cruel abuse of others.

Thus, he would rather remain deep in the mountains than have anything to do with ordinary people.

This fellow was the first person he had encountered who seemed to bear him no ill will—and who had shown him such great kindness.

Most importantly, this fellow's character was not bad.

Jiang Minghuang helped him up, then handed him a woodcutter's blade.

Gu Changqing stared at Jiang Minghuang, looking somewhat stunned.

After all, it had not been easy for this fellow to carry him back, yet he had even brought back his blade.

Jiang Minghuang curled his lip. "This blade saved my life. Throwing it into a corpse pit just doesn't feel right."

Warmth rose in Gu Changqing's heart.

This blade held extraordinary meaning for him. Back then, it had supported the courage that let him resist fate's cruel torment.

So even though it was an ordinary item, Gu Changqing had kept it at his side all these years and never abandoned it.

When they stepped out of the dilapidated thatched hut, which did not even have a door, the freezing wind outside cut to the bone.

The two arrived at a market vegetable stall.

They looked at each other, yet neither took a single step toward the stall.

Other than a woodcutter's blade that could barely even chop firewood, they had nothing on them.

Neither could bring himself to swallow his pride and ask for handouts, begging others to give them a few vegetable leaves or some beast meat.

After all, one was a scion of an immensely prominent Upper Realm family.

The other was the sort of stubborn fellow who would rather lose his head than bend his waist.

"Let's go. We can head into the forest—I can hunt some beast meat for you."

"I, Gu Changqing, do not like owing others either. No matter what, I must repay this life-saving grace."

The Emperor of the Zhao Family had been slain. With the dragons leaderless, the territory fell into chaos and the court was shaken. Anyone with ambition led troops toward this realm.

The fortune golden dragon of the ancient sect had been beheaded. The Dao lineage that had stood in the cultivation world for tens of thousands of years had collapsed overnight, and every cultivator wanted to carve up the legacy left behind by Jade Void Palace.

The two made their way out of the city.

The mortal world was in chaos; the cultivation world was even more chaotic!

Yet none of this had much to do with the two of them at the moment. After all, the future Great Emperor Jiang now only wanted a hot meal with meat.

The two arrived at a mountain forest.

Though Gu Changqing's Dao Palace had shattered and his Divine Meridians had broken, his comprehension of the sword path remained. He could still unleash sword aura.

Hunting was still an easy task for him.

After all, having lived in the mountains for so many years, such skills had been carved into his bones.

Very soon.

Gu Changqing caught a rabbit.

Jiang Minghuang somehow found a broken crock, lit a campfire, and cooked a pot of steaming rabbit soup.

In barely half a quarter-hour, the fragrance of meat wafted over.

Jiang Minghuang's Adam's apple bobbed. Paying no heed to his noble status, he directly tore off a rabbit leg and began gnawing on it.

"Fragrant, so fragrant! This is simply the most delicious rabbit meat I've ever had in my life. Even the delicacies of the Upper Realm can't compare."

With his mouth stuffed full of rabbit meat, Jiang Minghuang did not forget to offer his appraisal.

After speaking, he actually picked up the broken crock and gulped down the rabbit soup mouthful after mouthful.

Full of food and drink, this youth who looked like a banished immortal lay idly on the ground, rubbing his belly, his face brimming with satisfaction.

"I'll consider this debt repaid." From beginning to end, Gu Changqing did not touch the pot of rabbit meat.

Jiang Minghuang, who had been speaking with every word as firm as a nail just moments ago, was now reluctant after tasting the rabbit meat's freshness.

After all, he had been in the Lower Realm for over a year, and this was the only hot meal he had eaten.

If Gu Changqing left, what would he do about food and clothing from then on?

He pondered for a moment, then suddenly rose to his feet, his face wearing an unfathomable expression.

"Originally, I wanted to get along with you as an ordinary person, but since things have come to this, I can only lay my cards on the table."

"In truth, I am the son of an immensely powerful aristocratic family in the Upper Realm. I merely came to the Lower Realm to travel and gain experience. Once the five-year term is up, I will return to the Upper Realm."

"If you can give me meat to eat every day and take good care of me, then when I return to the Upper Realm, I'll bring you with me."

After Mei Gongzi neutralized Cao Yuwei's attack this time, she did not rush to counterattack. She merely stood still where she was.

Cao Yuwei frowned slightly. Was this little girl's perception truly so keen? After he had transformed flames into armor, he had other methods at his disposal. If Mei Gongzi had followed up with an attack, he would have been confident in using that method to restrain her. But Mei Gongzi had not stepped forward, forcing the ability he had poised and ready to launch to be interrupted.

The warblade slashed out again, its powerful blade intent even stronger than before. Cao Yuwei moved with the blade, man and blade becoming one as he charged straight at Mei Gongzi.

The Heavenly Secret Plume in Mei Gongzi's hand once again formed the Heavenly Mysterious Circle, and with an instantaneous teleportation, she switched positions. While neutralizing his attack, she also broke his lock-on. In the next instant, she was already on the other side. Golden-red light flashed across Cao Yuwei's body and vanished. Had she not dodged so swiftly, another ability would undoubtedly have descended upon her.

A battle of attrition! She seemed determined to compete with Cao Yuwei in terms of endurance.

Yet no one doubted the origin of this ability. After all, the Peacock Demon Race's greatest innate gift was Stellar Transposition. Her technique bore the same wondrous resemblance to Stellar Transposition despite differing in form.

After Mei Gongzi neutralized Cao Yuwei's attack this time, she did not rush to counterattack. She merely stood still where she was.

Cao Yuwei frowned slightly. Was this little girl's perception truly so keen? After he had transformed flames into armor, he had other methods at his disposal. If Mei Gongzi had followed up with an attack, he would have been confident in using that method to restrain her. But Mei Gongzi had not stepped forward, forcing the ability he had poised and ready to launch to be interrupted.

The warblade slashed out again, its powerful blade intent even stronger than before. Cao Yuwei moved with the blade, man and blade becoming one as he charged straight at Mei Gongzi.

The Heavenly Secret Plume in Mei Gongzi's hand once again formed the Heavenly Mysterious Circle, and with an instantaneous teleportation, she switched positions. While neutralizing his attack, she also broke his lock-on. In the next instant, she was already on the other side. Golden-red light flashed across Cao Yuwei's body and vanished. Had she not dodged so swiftly, another ability would undoubtedly have descended upon her.

A battle of attrition! She seemed determined to compete with Cao Yuwei in terms of endurance.