Facing Tang San

"Wuming offended you earlier, Master. Please punish me."

"Get up. We're on the same side now. How could I hold it against you?" Jiang Chen smiled and helped Jing Wuming to his feet.

Jing Wuming stood, but his expression remained respectful as he waited for Jiang Chen's instructions.

He still had his own thoughts, but his soul now held a sense of obedience to Jiang Chen, as if it had been ingrained in him from birth.

Jiang Chen checked once more to make sure nothing had gone wrong, then spoke. "I have your first task: find out as soon as possible who wants me dead."

"Understood!" Jing Wuming bowed respectfully.

"Also, I learned from your memories that you planned to add Soul Rings to your Second Martial Soul?"

Jing Wuming wasn't surprised that Jiang Chen knew his memories. He nodded. "That's right."

"Don't rush to add any Soul Rings to your Second Martial Soul," Jiang Chen said.

Jing Wuming froze. "Please enlighten me, Master."

"Your Shadow Martial Soul is enough to let you keep cultivating. Wait until you reach Soul Douluo or even Titled Douluo before adding Soul Rings to your sword. By then, you'll be able to withstand Soul Rings that are ten thousand years old, or even a hundred thousand years old."

Jing Wuming's eyes suddenly blazed. Then he dropped to his knees and said respectfully, "Thank you for your guidance, Master."

"But, Master, most of my attack power comes from my Sword Martial Soul. Without Soul Rings, my strength will be greatly diminished."

Jiang Chen seemed to have expected the question. He smiled. "Take a careful look at how your body feels."

Chapter 18: Facing Tang San

Jing Wuming carefully examined the changes in his body. After a moment, he couldn't hold back his excitement.

"Master, my Soul Power has actually reached level twenty! And I feel like every aspect of my physical condition has improved by a lot. I'm more than twice as strong as before."

He was still a boy, after all. Even as an assassin, Jing Wuming couldn't help showing his delight.

Jiang Chen nodded. "That's an ability I bestowed upon you. And that poison of mine—you remember it, don't you? You carry it in your body now, too. As your cultivation improves, the poison will grow more potent. Even without any Soul Rings, your Sword Martial Soul will be capable of astonishing power."

Jing Wuming finally understood what Jiang Chen meant, and his gratitude deepened.

"But this powerful ability comes with a serious side effect." Jiang Chen's words made Jing Wuming freeze.

"Before long, you'll discover that you have a powerful craving for blood. You'll have to drink your fill to ease it. You're no longer a normal person. To be precise, you've become a blood-drinking monster. You can only survive by drinking blood."

Jiang Chen didn't know why he could live like a normal person, but he knew Jing Wuming was a true zombie. Only blood could keep him alive.

Jiang Chen's words left Jing Wuming horrified. A blood-drinking monster—what could be more evil and terrifying?

Though frightened, Jing Wuming's submission to Jiang Chen didn't waver in the slightest.

Jiang Chen continued, "From now on, you can drink blood drawn from people or animals. But without my permission, you must never bite a living person."

Jiang Chen knew from experience just how terrifying zombies could be. If the zombie virus spread through this world, it would bring an unprecedented catastrophe.

If that ever happened, zombies would become monsters hunted by everyone across the Douluo Continent, and Jiang Chen himself wouldn't escape unscathed.

Until he had grown powerful enough, he certainly didn't want that to happen.

Though he hadn't yet felt the craving Jiang Chen described, Jing Wuming had engraved his master's order into his soul. He would never bite another person, not even if it cost him his life.