Chen Ming was immensely relieved to have escaped, and deeply grateful to the system. Although it was usually useless and often toyed with his nerves, it really could save his life when it mattered.
The system had detached from him and transferred to Xiang Zhili, leaving Chen Ming wondering whether this would change the plot.
In truth, Xiang Zhili simply did not care about a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator he could destroy with a flick of his hand. Before a Soul Formation powerhouse ranked among the strongest in the Heavenly South, someone with Chen Ming's cultivation stood little chance of escaping-even a Nascent Soul cultivator would have struggled, let alone one at the Foundation Establishment Stage.
Had the system not piqued his interest, he might really have kept Chen Ming there.
There was something Chen Ming did not know: the system was supposed to have been attached to Xiang Zhili all along. By a twist of fate, when Chen Ming's soul suddenly descended, the system had been passing through the Seven Mysteries Sect on its way to Yellow Maple Valley. The two happened to collide, and only then did it remain attached to him.
Perhaps it was fate. Xiang Zhili had originally escaped one calamity, yet after all those twists and turns, he still could not escape his destiny of having his body possessed in the future.
After resting for a night, Chen Ming slowly opened his eyes to a bright, sunny morning. He stood, summoned the Azure Glow Sword, and stepped onto it to continue his journey.
After flying for roughly an hour, he heard piercing eagle cries coming from a mountain ahead. A giant eagle with black-and-white plumage circled in the air.
It seemed to be searching for food. Suddenly, it turned its head and spotted what looked like a flying insect. With a shrill cry, it charged toward Chen Ming.
Chen Ming watched the Black-and-White Eagle rush straight at him. Its wings beat sharply, and it swept toward him like a gust of wind.
At the sight, Chen Ming gave a faint chuckle. Twelve fireballs appeared in his hand, and with a gentle wave, he sent them shooting toward the Black-and-White Eagle.
Seeing that this insect could actually spit fire, the Black-and-White Eagle gave its wings a slight shake and climbed higher to dodge the fireballs, then reached its talons toward Chen Ming.
Chen Ming hurriedly dropped lower, avoiding the Black-and-White Eagle's talons. Then he fired a pale blue fireball at them.
An explosion rang out. The fireball struck squarely in front of the Black-and-White Eagle's talons and burst, but did little damage.
The Black-and-White Eagle had not expected such a small insect to attack so fiercely. The explosion had actually caused it a slight stinging pain.
The Black-and-White Eagle spread its wings with a powerful jolt, beat them several times, and soared high into the sky before making a sharp turn and diving down.
Seeing this, Chen Ming darted past on his sword and rose into the wind. He drew a substandard magical artifact, the Ghost-Head Saber, and slashed at the Black-and-White Eagle.
Sparks flew as they collided.
Chen Ming used his momentum to climb even higher, then turned and put the Azure Glow Sword back into his Storage Bag. He plunged downward, gripping the Ghost-Head Saber in both hands as he hurtled straight toward the Black-and-White Eagle.
The Black-and-White Eagle checked its dive and was about to turn when wind whistled behind it. A sudden pain stabbed its backside. Looking back, it saw that the insect had somehow reached its tail.
The Black-and-White Eagle swept a wing and knocked Chen Ming away. Agonizing pain radiated from its backside, and a glance revealed blood seeping out. It spread its wings and flew straight into the distance.
Chen Ming was flung dozens of meters away. He hurriedly summoned the Azure Glow Sword to steady himself, then looked toward the Black-and-White Eagle. Its silhouette was already shrinking as it flew farther away.
He glanced down at the substandard Ghost-Head Saber in his hand. Several small chips had appeared along its edge. Clearly, that head-on clash had not been worth it.
Watching the Black-and-White Eagle disappear into the distance, he could do nothing. In terms of flying speed, Chen Ming could never catch it. At the same cultivation level, flying demonic beasts were far faster in the air than humans.
He came to a lakeshore and washed the blood from the Ghost-Head Saber before putting it back into his Storage Bag.
Looking at the lake, he suddenly found it somewhat familiar. After studying it carefully, he realized he had actually returned to the lake into which the Iron-Armored Boar had knocked him while chasing him back then.
He had never expected to end up back within the Wangshui Kingdom after all.
He was fairly familiar with the Wangshui Kingdom. Leaving the Ten Thousand Monster Mountain Range, he headed to Wu'an City, where he had first met Shen Gongbao.
He found an inn and rested for a few days before entering the Zhao State again. Everything was as familiar as ever, with little having changed.
With Jiayuan City just ahead, Chen Ming immediately took out his mask and put it on. After entering the city, he headed to a tavern to inquire about the Mo Mansion's current circumstances.
The Drunken Immortal Tower was the best-informed place in Jiayuan City. People from every walk of life gathered there. With a pot of good wine and a few dishes, one could hear all the latest happenings in the city, great and small.
Chen Ming pushed open the door and entered. A waiter immediately greeted him with a broad smile. "Come in, honored guest! Would you prefer a private table or the main hall?"
"The main hall will do."
Chen Ming casually tossed him a piece of silver. "A pot of Bamboo Leaf Green and two catties of beef braised in sauce."
He chose a corner by the window and sat down. Outwardly, he drank at his leisure, but in truth, he kept his ears pricked for the conversations around him.
Several men dressed as merchants sat at the next table, discussing something with spittle flying. One slapped the table and said, "Did you hear? The Mo Family's eldest daughter returned home to visit her relatives the day before yesterday. What a procession! Tsk, tsk-she had more than thirty maids and servants accompanying her alone!"
Another chimed in, "Naturally. She's the young mistress of the City Lord's Residence now. How could her entourage be small? I heard the city lord's eldest son dotes on her. They've been married for two years, and he hasn't taken a single concubine."
"That's not all!"
A lean, middle-aged man lowered his voice. "The Mo Family's position in Jiayuan City is now as unshakable as Mount Tai. Even the city lord has to show the Mo Mansion some respect when discussing affairs."
Chen Ming's hand paused slightly around his wine cup.
Mo Fengwu married the city lord's eldest son?
The news was like a boulder cast into a tranquil lake, stirring a thousand waves in his heart.
He remembered the little girl who had always followed him around, calling him "Brother Ming." He remembered the two faint dimples at the corners of her mouth when she smiled, and the nervous yet excited expression on her face when she secretly brought him pills...
But now, she was another man's wife.
Chen Ming tilted his head back and drained his cup. The fiery wine slid down his throat into his stomach, yet it could not suppress the emotions surging in his heart.
"Honored guest, your food is ready."
The waiter brought over the braised beef. Noticing something strange in Chen Ming's expression, he ventured an extra question. "What's wrong, sir? Is the wine not to your liking?"
Chen Ming shook his head, took out another piece of silver, and pushed it toward the waiter. "I've just arrived and would like to ask about a few things. This Mo Mansion... is it truly doing so well?"
The waiter's eyes lit up. He swiftly pocketed the silver and lowered his voice. "You may not know this, sir, but today's Mo Mansion is nothing like it was three years ago. Ever since Miss Mo married into the City Lord's Residence, the Mo Family's business has sailed smoothly with the wind at its back. Seven out of every ten shops on that street in the east of the city belong to them. And..."
The waiter glanced around, then lowered his voice further. "I heard the Mo Mansion is secretly recruiting powerful independent cultivators. It seems they're planning something big."
Chen Ming frowned slightly. "What are they planning?"
"That, I don't know."
The waiter waved his hands. "But if you're interested, sir, you could visit the Gathering Worthies Pavilion in the south of the city. People from the Mo Mansion often come and go there."
Chen Ming nodded and waved the waiter away. He picked up a slice of braised beef and chewed slowly, rapidly analyzing the information.
The Mo Mansion is blazing like the midday sun, Mo Fengwu has married into the City Lord's Residence, and the Mo Family's influence reaches throughout the city...
Learning all this reassured Chen Ming. However, when he learned that Mo Caihuan had become one of Jiayuan City's Four Scourges-and the foremost among them-his expression soured somewhat.
Zhang Tie had also begun helping manage some of the Mo Mansion's businesses and had officially become the young leader of the Amazing Flood Dragon Society. Apparently, he was no longer such a thickheaded fool and had grown more worldly!
Zhang Tie's cultivation had also reached the ninth level of the Innate Realm. It seemed he truly was a martial arts prodigy.