Azure Emperor Legacy

"I am willing to give you the Great Emperor Legacy." Zhang Lingyue spoke with a serious expression.

"Let me think. I know about every Great Emperor who appeared in Central Province. The only one whose whereabouts remained unknown was the Azure Emperor from ten thousand years ago. Your legacy is the Azure Emperor's?" Jiang Ming yawned.

"Yes." Zhang Lingyue was shocked. The young man before her knew far too much. She had already lost count of how many times he had astonished her.

"You met the Azure Emperor?" Jiang Ming asked as he ate grapes.

"I did."

"What do you want?" Jiang Ming asked.

"I want the master of Bloodslaughter Hall dead. If you can do that, Young Master, I will offer the Azure Emperor Legacy with both hands." Zhang Lingyue looked serious, then gave a bitter smile. Really, the moment she met someone extraordinary, she immediately assumed he had enough power.

"No problem, provided your information is worth the life of a Saint Realm cultivator." Jiang Ming said. He did not care about Saint Realm cultivators, nor did he care about a Great Emperor Legacy. But no Emperor had emerged in ten thousand years—there had to be a reason. As the last Great Emperor, the Azure Emperor surely knew something. That was why Jiang Ming was willing to help.

Zhang Lingyue said in surprise, "But the master of Bloodslaughter Hall is a Saint Realm cultivator." She seemed unable to believe it, then came to her senses. The value of a Great Emperor Legacy truly exceeded the cost of becoming enemies with a Saint Realm cultivator, but unease still stirred in her heart.

"I know," Jiang Ming said flatly.

A bright light flashed in Zhang Lingyue's eyes. It seemed this young master was even more mysterious than she had imagined. Those who dared oppose a Saint Realm cultivator could only be the six great sacred lands, the eight great Saint clans, or the legendary Emperor clans. Hope rose in her heart. There was hope for revenge.

"What did he say?" Jiang Ming asked.

"The Emperor's Path has been severed." Zhang Lingyue let out a breath. Keeping it bottled up all this time had been unbearable; at last, she had someone to share it with.

Jiang Ming was slightly surprised, then smiled. "You trust me that much?"

"I have no other choice. I might as well take a gamble." Zhang Lingyue smiled bitterly.

"Congratulations, you bet right." Jiang Ming smiled. "Go on."

"After entering the Saint Realm, one must comprehend laws. Below fifty percent comprehension, one is a Lesser Saint; above that, a Greater Saint. Yet there are only so many portions of any one law. To become an Emperor, one must pass through the Emperor's Path and slay those who wielded the same law. Once one completely controls the law, one receives the Heavenly Dao's investiture and becomes an Emperor. The power of the law also transforms into the power of the Heavenly Dao."

"The Heavenly Dao's investiture?" Jiang Ming knew everything else, but this was the first time he had heard that becoming an Emperor required the Heavenly Dao's appointment. It seemed he needed to return to the clan someday and learn its hidden secrets.

Jiang Ming stroked his chin, feeling that something was off. Did becoming an Emperor not mean becoming the Heavenly Dao's puppet? A complete and utter lackey. If the Heavenly Dao possessed consciousness, that would be troublesome.

"How was the Emperor's Path severed?" Jiang Ming asked.

"I don't know. He did not say." Zhang Lingyue shook her head, then fell silent.

"That's all?"

"That's all."

"No, miss, you want to trade one sentence—'the Emperor's Path has been severed'—for a Saint Realm cultivator's life?" Jiang Ming was stunned.

Zhang Lingyue's little face reddened. "No, there is also the Azure Emperor's legacy. It contains cultivation techniques and divine abilities, as well as insights into the Life Law. It can speed up one's comprehension of the Life Law and allow one to cultivate all the way to becoming an Emperor."

"But the Emperor's Path has been severed?"

"Yes."

"Then what's the point? How can you become an Emperor if the Emperor's Path is broken?"

Zhang Lingyue's eyes reddened, despair showing in them.

"You hate Ying Wushuang that much?" Jiang Ming asked.

"You know the master of Bloodslaughter Hall?" Zhang Lingyue frowned tightly. Suddenly, she suspected that the young man before her might also be from Bloodslaughter Hall. Damn it, how had she failed to consider that? She was filled with regret.

"I'm not from Bloodslaughter Hall." Jiang Ming found Zhang Lingyue's chagrin rather amusing.

"My master treated me as her own daughter. Ying Wushuang killed my master. I cannot live under the same sky as him." Zhang Lingyue gritted her teeth. "Young Master, aside from the Great Emperor Legacy, I can give you everything I have." She was truly throwing caution to the wind.

"Emm, you are quite pretty. I happen to be short a maid. What do you think?"

"Fine. As long as Young Master can kill Ying Wushuang, you may do whatever you wish."

"Come here." Jiang Ming beckoned.

Zhang Lingyue gritted her teeth and walked over with clenched fists. Since she had already made her decision, she would go all in. She let out a breath.

Jiang Ming took her hand and had her sit by the bed. "Massage my feet."

Zhang Lingyue's slender fingers gently stroked Jiang Ming's calf.

Jiang Ming frowned. "Didn't you eat? Put some strength into it."

Zhang Lingyue bit her lower lip and increased the force in her hands.

"Mm, not bad. Keep this strength."

"Young Master, the Azure Emperor Legacy..." Zhang Lingyue said quietly.

"Oh, keep it yourself." Jiang Ming said indifferently.

Zhang Lingyue was speechless for a moment. After a while,

"Young Master, when will you..."

"You don't need to rush me. Do your own job well. Since I agreed, I will not go back on my word." Jiang Ming waved a hand.

Zhang Lingyue had no choice but to suppress her thoughts and continue massaging him with all her heart.

"Young Master, what about Young Master Yun outside?" Zhang Lingyue asked curiously.

"Don't mind him. He is just a spoiled young dandy." Jiang Ming said carelessly.

"We have rested enough. Let's go." Jiang Ming spoke to Zhang Lingyue. He took out a Thousand-Mile Teleportation Talisman and teleported with her back to the mountain peak where they had been before.

Teleportation Talismans could choose their destination, while Escape Talismans teleported to random locations. Escape Talismans activated instantly, whereas Teleportation Talismans required time.

Zhang Lingyue could only feel that being born into a good family truly was different. A Saint clan could casually use Thousand-Mile Teleportation Talismans. Her own Teleportation Talisman had been a coming-of-age gift from her master. Thinking of her master made her nose sting and her eyes redden.

Jiang Ming looked at her strangely, utterly bewildered. What did I even do, miss?

"Are you... all right?" Jiang Ming asked softly.

Zhang Lingyue rubbed her eyes and choked out, "I'm fine, Young Master." Her master had treated her as her own daughter, and the sect had been like a home—her only attachment in the world. Yet because of her, the sect had been destroyed.

She had even been reduced to a courtesan, disguising herself every day. Now that she had left Jadeite House, she had fallen into Jiang Ming's hands instead. This woman, who had never been strong to begin with, was on the verge of collapse.

"Uh..." Jiang Ming looked at Zhang Lingyue's reddened eyes and rubbed her head. "Since you are this young master's maid, you will not suffer grievances again. Being my maid does not count as a grievance."

Whenever she had suffered grievances in the past, her master had always rubbed her head to comfort her. As if possessed, Zhang Lingyue reached out with both hands and grasped Jiang Ming's hand. Jiang Ming paused, but did not resist.

"Where are they? I'm asking you, where are they? How could two living people just vanish?" Yun Shaomeng roared at the two Nascent Soul cultivators guarding the door.

"Young Master, they were clearly inside. The entire room was within our perception, and no one entered or left."

"What about inside the room?"

"Young Master did not order us to probe inside and inspect it."

"Idiots! That brat is so rich, he must have a Teleportation Talisman! Damn it!" Yun Shaomeng cursed.

The two Nascent Soul cultivators lowered their heads and did not dare speak. After all, the clan head doted on this eldest young master the most.