Too Divine

In Chen Li's view, only Hua Jian Xin had fought the Devil Master and knew best how powerful he was. He trusted Hua Jian Xin greatly. Since she said the Devil Master had been driven back by an Old Beggar, he reported it truthfully.

Chen Li sighed. "The White-Clothed Guard investigated for months. There are not many Old Beggars capable of driving back the Devil Master. Either he is the leader of the Beggar Gang, or he is the Mad Taoist who has already gone mad. Both of them are like divine dragons whose heads can be seen but tails cannot—they are hard to find."

Jiang Changsheng asked, "So this matter is simply over?"

So many people had died, and such a huge uproar had been caused. For it to end like this was absurd.

Chen Li shook his head. "Only the incident is over. Once His Majesty returns, there will certainly be punishments. I have already resigned from my official duties and was transferred by the family head to run errands at the Ministry of Revenue. Though it is a demotion, at least it saved my life."

Jiang Changsheng nodded and did not continue asking.

Chen Li looked at Hua Jian Xin and said, "You have two paths now. First, I can send you out of the capital immediately. Second, wait until His Majesty returns to assign blame. If Eunuch Li and the leader of the White-Clothed Guard are brought to justice, you can return safely."

Hua Jian Xin shook her head. "Both of your paths amount to telling me to obey fate. Thank you for your kindness."

Chen Li fell silent, guilt showing on his face.

It was his invitation that had placed Hua Jian Xin in such a predicament, yet he had no way to resolve it.

"Then what do you plan to do..." Chen Li asked.

Hua Jian Xin said, "From now on, I will remain at Changsheng Taoist Priest's side. You need not worry about me anymore. As for the White-Clothed Guard, I no longer care about it."

She now spent every day studying the Jade Purity Severing Meridian Needle. All she wanted was to grow stronger.

That night, the Devil Sect had hunted her down, yet no one could help her. She never wanted to experience that helplessness and despair again.

Chen Li looked at Jiang Changsheng.

Jiang Changsheng smiled. "Let her stay. As long as she does not go down the mountain, nothing will happen."

Chen Li found that reasonable and nodded in agreement.

With Hua Jian Xin present, he could not vent his frustrations to Jiang Changsheng as he had before. He did not sit for long before leaving.

After Chen Li left, Jiang Changsheng asked, "Which faction do you think Chen Li belongs to?"

Hua Jian Xin pondered for a moment before answering, "He cares about the common people. He is stubborn and only recognizes dead logic. He disdains factional struggles, so he belongs to no faction."

"How did you two meet?"

"Back when he passed the imperial examination as top scholar, His Majesty held high hopes for him and sent me to protect him in secret. I guarded him for several years, and through a few coincidences, we became acquainted."

Hua Jian Xin answered, curious about what Jiang Changsheng intended to do, yet she did not dare ask.

For such an expert to live in the capital, he surely was not merely cultivating the Dao.

Jiang Changsheng asked no more and waved for her to withdraw. He then began practicing in his room.

His next goal was the fifth level of the Dao Follows Nature Skill.

Once he reached the fifth level, he would test the palace's Tongtian, then carry out the bold plan in his heart.

When fighting the Emperor, he could not charge in recklessly. Cultivation had to come first.

At worst, he could outlive him.

Jiang Changsheng silently thought this, warning himself that he must never become arrogant. He had to possess absolute certainty before making a move.

Within the resplendent, golden hall, Jiang Yuan sat broad and imposing upon the dragon throne. Wearing his imperial crown, he exuded the majesty of an emperor. The civil and military officials throughout the hall all kept their heads lowered, not daring to meet his eyes. Even the imperial sons did the same.

Eunuch Li stood diagonally below Jiang Yuan, bent at the waist as though none of this had anything to do with him.

Jiang Yuan sneered. "What? Have you all become mute? More than two hundred people died in the city, while the Imperial Guards and the White-Clothed Guard lost only one missing White-Clothed Guard? Can you become any more absurd?"

The Minister of Justice, Yang Che, stepped forward and knelt. Tears streamed down his face as he cried, "Your Majesty, seventy-three members of my Yang Family died, including this minister's younger brother... Please, Your Majesty, render justice!"

Another civil official stepped out and knelt as well, shouting, "My Hong Family lost one hundred and two people! Someone must be driving the Devil Sect from behind the scenes. During that period, the White-Clothed Guard vanished as a whole, while the Imperial Guards all played dead. No matter how we pleaded with them, it was useless. A high-ranking minister must have been giving orders behind this. Your Majesty, investigate thoroughly!"

Immediately afterward, more officials knelt.

The Second Prince, Jiang Ming, furrowed his brow, as did the Crown Prince, Jiang Qian.

The Hong Family backed Jiang Ming, while the Yang Family backed Jiang Qian. They had followed the Emperor out of the capital, and both of their backers had suffered attacks. They believed the factions of other imperial sons were behind it.

Jiang Yuan gave a cold snort, sounding like a dragon's roar. It struck everyone's hearts like a hammer, and the clamoring in the hall came to an abrupt halt.

He slowly rose to his feet. True Qi billowed through his dragon robe, his aura visible to the naked eye, as though a translucent dragon coiled around his body.

Everyone grew tense. The military officials were secretly shocked. Meng Qiuhe, who had left Dragon Arising Temple, was also in the hall, and his heart trembled with shock.

The Emperor actually possesses such skill...

Meng Qiuhe thought in astonishment. As the Martial Arts Champion, he had always considered himself highly skilled and looked down on the imperial sons and the Emperor. Yet upon seeing him today, he realized that the Emperor who had forged this vast realm was no ordinary man.

Jiang Yuan swept his gaze across everyone and said coldly, "So many people died within the Imperial City. I want an equal number of heads to pay for their crimes."

Everyone felt chills creep into their hearts. Jiang Yuan truly dared to kill. No matter how high one's office, one could still lose one's head!

"Summon Zong Tianwu."

Jiang Yuan spoke again. Eunuch Li immediately raised his head and repeated the order loudly. The eunuchs outside the hall heard it and repeated it in turn, their voices passing one after another.

Zong Tianwu was the current Martial Arts Supreme, suppressing all heroes beneath heaven and standing atop the martial world through absolute martial prowess.

The civil and military officials looked at one another, then turned toward the entrance. Beyond the Golden Luan Hall stretched a stairway of several hundred steps. Below it lay the inner city's imperial gate, followed by a vast martial arts square.

A figure came rushing over like a ghost. He seemed to be constantly blinking through space, each step covering several zhang. In fewer than five breaths, he entered the hall. Once inside, his steps slowed, no longer so eerie, and he walked forward like an ordinary man.

He arrived before the throne and bowed.

He did not kneel.

Zong Tianwu wore white robes, with white hair, white brows, and a white beard. His body remained strong and sturdy, while arrogance showed between his brows. Squinting, he looked down upon the civil and military officials on both sides.

Jiang Qian frowned, deeply displeased by his gaze.

Jiang Ming, meanwhile, stared at Zong Tianwu with burning eyes.

"Starting today, the Heavenly Martial Bureau shall be established. Any official of the fifth rank or above may recommend two descendants to enter the Heavenly Martial Bureau and study martial arts. Beyond passing on martial arts, the Heavenly Martial Bureau will investigate the Devil Sect case."

"The Heavenly Martial Bureau answers to me alone!"

Jiang Yuan spoke each word with deliberate force. Such immense authority fell upon Zong Tianwu, causing the civil and military officials to look at him with envy and unease.

Zong Tianwu cupped his hands in salute. "I accept the command."

In the nineteenth year of Kaiyuan, just after the New Year ended, a bloody storm swept through the capital. Two hundred officials and constables of varying rank were beheaded in the streets to quell public resentment.

When Chen Li visited Jiang Changsheng and spoke of the matter, he was thrilled beyond measure, repeatedly praising His Majesty's vast dragon might. His only regret was that Eunuch Li had not died.

He also spoke of the Heavenly Martial Bureau. It had now become the most terrifying presence in the capital, because they were the Son of Heaven's blade. Even formidable founding generals, once condemned by the Emperor and attempting to flee, had been captured by Zong Tianwu. Rumor had it they could not even withstand a single move.

Jiang Changsheng developed immense curiosity toward Zong Tianwu. He wondered just how strong this Martial Arts Supreme was.

Besides bringing news, Chen Li also delivered a batch of medicinal ingredients, including the final herb needed to cure Taoist Priest Qingxu's poison.

It was rather bizarre. Taoist Priest Qingxu had been poisoned by the Devil Sect, yet even the Devil Master could not cure it. They had developed this poison precisely in pursuit of something no one could undo.

After Chen Li left, Jiang Changsheng began refining pills. He did so in the courtyard, using only an ordinary small cauldron.

The Devil Master emerged from the room and came to Jiang Changsheng's side, watching him refine pills together with Hua Jian Xin.

Pill refinement had always been a legend in the martial world. Most people refined pills no differently from physicians boiling medicine, without the slightest hint of mystery.

Jiang Changsheng used spiritual power to control the fire. Within the Medicine Cauldron, all the medicinal ingredients, after being refined, naturally condensed into a single pill. It even floated in midair inside the cauldron without touching its bottom.

The Devil Master and Hua Jian Xin could only swallow hard at the sight.

Too divine!

Whenever he had nothing to do, Jiang Changsheng enjoyed refining pills for amusement. His pill-refining art had already reached great mastery, so he succeeded in one attempt.

After refining it, he went to find Taoist Priest Qingxu.

Along the way, every disciple he encountered bowed to him, all showing deep reverence.

When he arrived at Taoist Priest Qingxu's courtyard, Jiang Changsheng saw his master.

Ever since Jiang Changsheng had brought the Devil Master up the mountain, Taoist Priest Qingxu had hidden in the courtyard and never gone out again. Normally, only disciples delivering food saw him.

Taoist Priest Qingxu still sat meditating beneath the tree. He was not practicing, merely staring blankly at the old tree.

"Master, your disciple has refined the antidote. It will certainly cure your poison."

Jiang Changsheng smiled, waiting for Taoist Priest Qingxu's complicated expression of surprise and gratitude.

However, Taoist Priest Qingxu remained expressionless and did not even turn his head.

Could the poison have turned him stupid?

Jiang Changsheng grew somewhat worried and stepped forward twice.

"Bring me the antidote." Taoist Priest Qingxu raised a hand toward Jiang Changsheng.

Jiang Changsheng immediately took out the antidote, muttering inwardly, He is so arrogant.

He did not fuss over it. No matter what, Taoist Priest Qingxu had saved him when he was young and given him a place to survive. Perhaps it had all been part of the Emperor's scheme, but while being passed from one treacherous person to another, Jiang Changsheng had clearly heard that some people truly wanted to kill him.

Taoist Priest Qingxu accepted the medicine and swallowed it directly without hesitation.

After taking it, he stood up, turned to Jiang Changsheng, and said, "Disciple, your master is preparing to descend the mountain."

Descend the mountain?

Jiang Changsheng was stunned.

His eldest senior brother had run away, his second senior brother had run away, and now even his master was running away?

Just as he was about to speak, Taoist Priest Qingxu shook his head. "Your master originally intended to protect you for five years, but now you are already strong enough. Even the palace's Tongtian may not be able to defeat you. Your master can rest easy, and it is time for your master to leave."

Jiang Changsheng frowned and asked, "Where are you going?"

Taoist Priest Qingxu answered, "To where I belong."

With that, he started walking, brushing past Jiang Changsheng.

"Dragon Arising Temple will be yours from now on."

Taoist Priest Qingxu left behind these words, then vanished into the corridor.

Jiang Changsheng frowned. Was the old fellow trying to run away?

He hurried after him. No matter how he tried to persuade him, Taoist Priest Qingxu only continued onward. At the mountain gate, Jiang Changsheng finally stopped and watched Taoist Priest Qingxu descend the mountain.

He just left like that?

Without even packing his things?

Jiang Changsheng did not know how to explain this to the other disciples. In the end, he simply returned to his courtyard and focused on cultivation.

Two days later.

People from the imperial court arrived. Escorted by a group of Imperial Guards and Imperial Guardsmen, Eunuch Li made his way to Jiang Changsheng's courtyard. Qing Ku led the way, while many disciples followed behind.

Hua Jian Xin and the Devil Master hid inside the room while Jiang Changsheng walked up to Eunuch Li.

Eunuch Li raised both hands. An Imperial Decree was in them.

He smiled and nodded at Jiang Changsheng, then unfurled the Imperial Decree and proclaimed, "By the Emperor's decree: Taoist Priest Qingxu is advanced in years and no longer able to serve as abbot of Dragon Arising Temple. From this day forth, Taoist Changsheng shall be the abbot of Dragon Arising Temple. He shall enjoy the salary of a fourth-rank court official and may oversee the temple's incense offerings and gates. Thus decreed!"