A Mighty Noble, Descendant of a Demonic Beast

The abbot was the master of a Taoist temple and could also be directly addressed as Taoist Priest within the Great Jing Dynasty.

Become the abbot of Dragon Arising Temple?

Jiang Changsheng hesitated and did not answer immediately. It would be impossible to say he had never considered it. He believed his strength was already the greatest in Dragon Arising Temple, and no one was more qualified than him. He simply had not expected to face this matter so soon.

Dragon Arising Temple was not much of a power-holding institution. There was no scheming and strife; the disciples were pure-hearted and free of worldly desires, so Taoist Priest Qingxu naturally had no need to test them.

Jiang Changsheng answered, "I am naturally willing to serve the temple, but I am still young and fear I cannot take up the position. Eldest Sister is more suitable than I am. Besides, Master, why do you ask this? You can remain abbot for many more years."

Taoist Priest Qingxu raised his right hand. His sleeve fell back, exposing a wrist covered in black veins, as though countless black worms were crawling over the surface of his skin and writhing there. It was horrifying and dreadful.

Jiang Changsheng frowned.

Taoist Priest Qingxu said calmly, "This poison is the Devil Sect's most wicked poison. Even True Dragon Qi cannot purge it. Your master has, at most, five years to live. I will give you another five years to prepare yourself to shoulder an abbot's duties. As for your Eldest Sister, she is a woman, beautiful in appearance, and Qiu He's blood sister. If she became abbot, disaster would surely follow."

Jiang Changsheng found that reasonable. Dragon Arising Temple itself stood at the center of Great Jing Dynasty's power. High officials and nobles often came to visit. A beautiful abbot would indeed invite much trouble.

Five years...

By then, he would only be twenty-one. Wasn't that far too early?

Although Jiang Changsheng did not refuse to become abbot, neither did he wish to become busy too soon. At present, he wanted to devote his main efforts to cultivation.

"Is there truly no cure?" Jiang Changsheng asked with a frown.

Taoist Priest Qingxu shook his head and smiled. "Nothing is absolute. It is merely that no antidote has yet been found. Changsheng, take this as a warning. Do not provoke the Devil Sect too readily. Whether good or evil, those who go against the great tide of heaven will always bring misfortune upon those around them."

Jiang Changsheng pressed on, "Why do you say that? Does the Devil Sect have some special origin?"

Those who went against the great tide of heaven...

Could they be rebels?

Taoist Priest Qingxu shook his head and said no more.

After hesitating briefly, Jiang Changsheng continued, "Master, do you know about my origins? It seems someone wishes to kill me. That previous disaster..."

"Do not overthink it. It has nothing to do with you. Someone merely wishes to eradicate Dragon Arising Temple." Taoist Priest Qingxu cut him off.

Jiang Changsheng frowned again.

He had finally found an opportunity to ask. He would not give it up.

Taoist Priest Qingxu was so close to Emperor Jiang Yuan. He had to probe further!

"Why has His Majesty shown me such special favor? I heard Chen Li mention that after only meeting me once, he wished to recommend me for the Martial Arts Imperial Examination. He even had the Fourth Prince come to me to learn martial arts. The way His Majesty looked at me last time..."

Jiang Changsheng did not continue, because Taoist Priest Qingxu was staring fixedly at him. That gaze was utterly unfamiliar. Jiang Changsheng had never seen Taoist Priest Qingxu reveal such an expression before.

In that instant, Jiang Changsheng had already prepared himself for battle.

He dared to ask because his strength gave him confidence!

If Taoist Priest Qingxu's rescue of him had also been part of some conspiracy, then at worst, he would flee the capital first and return to kill his way back when he was invincible.

Taoist Priest Qingxu said faintly, "Changsheng, I do not know who taught you what you have learned, but there must be an expert guiding you from behind the scenes. An expert so great that even your master cannot detect him—his power is beyond imagination. He is likely a peerless master above the Spirit Sense Realm. But your master urges you to be careful. Do not trust others lightly. That is right, your origins truly are not simple. Yet the mysteries within are not worth your investigation. They are dangerous, and cruel."

Hearing this, Jiang Changsheng frowned. He did not refute Taoist Priest Qingxu. There was no harm in fabricating a backer, but Taoist Priest Qingxu's words made him consider even more possibilities.

"Today, your master will tell you of the current realms of martial arts. From low to high, they are third-rate, second-rate, first-rate, True Essence, Spirit Sense, and the Spirit Sense Realm. In the ordinary martial world, those in the Spirit Sense Realm are called Peerless Experts, but that is not the truth. There are higher realms beyond it. What your master currently knows is the Heaven Arrival Realm. His Majesty may appear to possess no inner power, but he carries Son of Heaven Luck. Once he unleashes True Dragon Qi, he can rival a Spirit Sense Realm master. Most importantly, there is a Heaven Arrival Realm expert within the imperial palace. That person is the true pillar of the Great Jing Dynasty."

Taoist Priest Qingxu's tone was unfathomably profound, and his emotions could not be discerned.

Third-rate, second-rate, first-rate, True Essence, Spirit Sense, Heaven Arrival!

Jiang Changsheng's brows furrowed even more deeply. Ghost Eye Evil King had been a Spirit Sense Realm master. Before breaking through to the fourth layer of the Dao Follows Nature Skill, he had been able to kill Ghost Eye Evil King with ease. That meant he had at least possessed invincible strength within the Spirit Sense Realm at the time. Now, he far surpassed his former self. He should be able to contend with a Heaven Arrival Realm expert.

That was only his guess. He did not dare gamble. He had only one life and no chance at reincarnation. He had to tread with the utmost caution.

Taoist Priest Qingxu spoke again. "By saving you, your master has already brought a heaven-shaking calamity upon Dragon Arising Temple. I had intended to conceal it, but since you already have the desire to investigate, I can only tell you this. Changsheng, there are only two paths to survival before you. First, your master sends you to a holy land of the martial world, but even then, you will not escape your enemies' pursuit. Second, I shelter you for another five years. Within those five years, grow as much as you can. Afterward, borrow Dragon Arising Temple's name to gather your own connections and contend against that mighty noble. Dragon Arising Temple was established when His Majesty founded the nation and proclaimed it to the world. Unless Dragon Arising Temple commits treason, not even His Majesty may uproot it."

"Great Jing takes trust and righteousness as the foundation of the nation. From the Son of Heaven above to the common people below, trust and righteousness are paramount."

"Enough. You may leave."

This time, Jiang Changsheng did not ask further questions. He cupped his hands in salute, turned, and departed.

Once he turned away, his expression turned cold.

Heh.

A mighty noble.

Jiang Changsheng had already understood Taoist Priest Qingxu's unspoken meaning. At the same time, he felt both fortunate and afraid. Fortunately, he had not acted rashly when he met Jiang Yuan.

Within the quiet little courtyard, Taoist Priest Qingxu stared at the old tree before him. A mottled autumn leaf drifted slowly down, landing upon the grass below without stirring even a speck of dust, soundless and still.

"Alas, family and country cannot both be fulfilled..."

The day after speaking with Taoist Priest Qingxu, Jiang Changsheng moved out and found a courtyard to live in alone. As the Second Senior Brother, he naturally had the right. Meng Qiushuang, who held the real authority, did not even ask a single question before agreeing.

Qing Ku was quite reluctant to see him go, but Jiang Changsheng agreed to let him visit whenever he wished in the future. Only then did the boy smile.

The reason Jiang Changsheng chose to live alone was that he did not wish to be disturbed and wanted to practice in peace.

The Heaven Arrival Realm expert in the imperial palace had already become his imaginary enemy. He had to grow as strong as possible.

As for the poison Taoist Priest Qingxu had suffered, he would also find a way to see whether it could be cured. After all, he had already mastered the Spring and Autumn Medical Canon. He simply could not cure it for now. He would wait a year or two first. If no danger came during those two years, that would prove Taoist Priest Qingxu truly treated him well.

Jiang Changsheng's move did not surprise the disciples. Instead, they found it only natural. He should have moved out long ago.

With Second Senior Brother living in their courtyard, they could not help feeling somewhat restrained in their daily lives.

After moving out on his own, Jiang Changsheng no longer even rang the bell, passing that duty to other disciples. He was now the Second Senior Brother, and aside from Meng Qiushuang, naturally no one dared refuse him.

In the blink of an eye.

The great snow finally arrived, and cold snow blanketed the capital.

"The righteous and demonic paths gathered at Meeting Yang Mountain, intending to fight a world-shaking battle. Yet who would have thought that a man would walk out from Meeting Yang Mountain, calling himself Emperor Yang Zhao? His power was terrifying beyond measure. The righteous and demonic paths joined forces, yet he alone beat them all down the mountain, making his name known throughout the land."

"Though it was the martial world, how could he dare call himself emperor? When His Majesty learned of it, he flew into a towering rage and ordered the Silver Armor Leopard Light Cavalry to encircle and suppress Meeting Yang Mountain. Three thousand Silver Armor Leopard Light Cavalry! They were the elite of the Great Jing Dynasty. More than a thousand were killed or wounded, yet Emperor Yang Zhao escaped. Now, rewards for Emperor Yang Zhao are posted in every corner of Great Jing."

Chen Li spoke with rising and falling cadence, wine cup in hand, like a storyteller. Jiang Changsheng listened with great interest.

In the new year, Chen Li had aged faster than time itself. More white had appeared at his temples, and his eyes and brows were filled with exhaustion.

Whenever Chen Li came to Dragon Arising Temple, aside from bringing gifts, he would tell Jiang Changsheng of affairs in the martial world and imperial court. Sometimes, he would also use them as an excuse to vent his frustrations.

After hearing of the prominent figures stirring the martial world, Jiang Changsheng asked curiously, "Is His Majesty still obsessed with the pursuit of alchemy?"

At once, Chen Li said indignantly, "Yes! He is simply muddleheaded and incompetent!"

Jiang Changsheng was startled. Although his senses were exceptional and he knew there was no one outside the building, Chen Li's boldness was no good thing. It could easily bring fatal disaster. He did not want to live a wandering, unsettled life.

"Do not speak recklessly, Brother Chen. You should still pay more attention to your words and conduct. Perhaps your predicament is related to precisely those words and conduct."

Jiang Changsheng spoke earnestly. Some of the wine haze immediately cleared from Chen Li's mind, but he remained furious.

Chen Li gritted his teeth. "His Majesty favors the Demonic Taoist, and the Demonic Taoist is close to the Second Prince. Sooner or later, a crisis over the succession will arise. When that happens..."

Jiang Changsheng immediately caught the implication.

The fake Crown Prince's position was unstable.

Could the Demonic Taoist's closeness to the Second Prince be Jiang Yuan's own intent?

Chen Li lifted his wine cup and drained it in one gulp. Wiping his mouth, he let out a long breath of foul air and said, "Changsheng, I will be leaving now. There is a snake egg in that small box. It was laid by a demonic serpent and is highly spiritual. If you raise it well, it can be passed down from generation to generation and become a mountain-guarding spirit beast in the future."

He rose, put on his straw rain cape, took his sword, and left.

Looking at his bent back, Jiang Changsheng could not bear it and called out, "Brother Chen, if you encounter trouble, tell me. If I can help, I will."

Chen Li stopped at the door and chuckled. "Brat, if I ever truly need your help, then my Chen family will already have reached the end of its road. At that time, I will not hesitate to ask. Cultivate well."

He pushed open the door, stepped out, and gently shut it behind him.

Jiang Changsheng fell silent. It seemed the whirlpool in the capital was growing ever more chaotic.

The emperor was obsessed with seeking immortality. In the history of Huaxia from his previous life, that had always been a bad beginning, perhaps even heralding the collapse of a dynasty.

Could the Great Jing Dynasty be this world's Qin Dynasty?

Jiang Changsheng rose and walked to the table. He lifted the cloth from the small box and opened it. Inside lay a white egg larger than a goose egg. When he reached out to touch it, it was unexpectedly scorching hot amid the winter cold. He could even sense a faint, strange energy within.

A descendant of a demonic beast?

Jiang Changsheng became interested. Raising a pet did not sound bad.

From what he understood so far, demonic creatures did exist in this world, but they were scarce. At the very least, they were not numerous enough to overthrow human dynasties. There were also no immortals or gods in this world. As for immortal cultivators, most were Demonic Taoists and Jianghu swindlers who bewitched people's hearts. They were often forced to reveal their true colors by martial artists, cutting utterly disgraceful figures.

During the first month of a new book, updates could not be too fast, but there were still more than six thousand characters every day. Updates would gradually increase later on~~