Rumble—
Thunderclouds churned overhead. Rain still fell through the night sky, growing heavier and heavier.
Meng Qiushuang, Dragon Arising Temple's third disciple, stood before Ghost Eye Evil King with sword in hand. Rain drenched her Taoist robe, yet though she was a woman, her delicate face showed not the slightest trace of fear.
The other Dragon Arising Temple disciples watching from the surrounding buildings all stared nervously at Ghost Eye Evil King. They trembled like leaves in the wind, not daring to make a move.
Ghost Eye Evil King remained where he was, neither advancing nor looking at Meng Qiushuang. Instead, he stared into the night sky behind her, where a figure stood atop a rooftop, watching him.
"I never expected Dragon Arising Temple to have another expert besides that old Qingxu. So you were the target all along."
Ghost Eye Evil King gave a sinister laugh. Meng Qiushuang frowned, unable to understand what he meant.
Meng Qiushuang said coldly, "Devil, you slaughtered disciples of our temple. Once my master returns, he will never spare you. And this is the capital—I have already sent disciples to notify the authorities. The capital is a net cast over heaven and earth; you cannot escape."
Ghost Eye Evil King ignored her and laughed. "Why has Your Excellency not attacked? Why have you not fled?"
Only then did Meng Qiushuang understand. He had not been watching her at all. She turned around, but buildings stood behind her, blocking her view of the figure hundreds of feet away. The disciples around her were all weak—who was this peerless expert the devil spoke of?
"From the sound of it, you came for me. Could it be that you arranged the earlier assassination attempt as well?"
Jiang Changsheng's voice echoed beneath the night sky, making it impossible to tell where it came from.
Upon hearing Jiang Changsheng's voice, Meng Qiushuang and the disciples all froze. They naturally recognized it, but Jiang Changsheng was a peerless expert?
Ghost Eye Evil King sneered. "Oh? There was another assassination attempt? It seems that one failed. But this time, you are doomed."
He leaped into the air and landed atop the pavilion behind Meng Qiushuang. The disciples hurriedly gathered together and retreated to the gates of Dragon Arising Temple. Looking into the distance, they finally spotted Jiang Changsheng.
Jiang Changsheng stood on the eaves of the Hall of Bright Mind. From afar, his features could not be seen clearly; only his upright figure was visible. Beneath the thundercloud-filled night sky, he exuded an indescribably powerful aura.
"Junior Brother Changsheng..."
Meng Qiushuang murmured, tightening her grip on her sword.
Jiang Changsheng looked at Ghost Eye Evil King, his gaze icy as killing intent rose within him.
His True Qi is not even half as strong as mine, but he is far stronger than Master. He also looks battle-hardened. I cannot be careless. I must go all out.
Jiang Changsheng began to mobilize the True Qi within his body, and his Taoist robe billowed loudly.
Ghost Eye Evil King rushed toward Jiang Changsheng, bounding across the rooftops. The two rapidly closed in on each other, making the Dragon Arising Temple disciples tense to the extreme.
Could Changsheng withstand such an evil fiend?
Meng Qiushuang and the disciples worried.
Ghost Eye Evil King sprang upward, pouring True Qi into his right palm. His smile was vicious, and his eyes brimmed with excitement.
"Boy, die!"
Under the night sky, lightning flashed and thunder roared, illuminating the two figures.
When they were less than fifty feet apart, Jiang Changsheng suddenly moved.
At a speed Ghost Eye Evil King could scarcely track, he leaped up and launched a flying kick. His body moved like a phantom. In Ghost Eye Evil King's pupils, Jiang Changsheng's leg produced afterimages, as though dozens of kicks were striking at him at once.
Bang!
Jiang Changsheng's kick struck Ghost Eye Evil King in the chest midair. Accompanied by a crisp crack of breaking bones, True Qi erupted from his right foot, sending Ghost Eye Evil King flying.
"How is this possible..."
Ghost Eye Evil King's eyes widened in disbelief. Blood spurted uncontrollably from his mouth, leaving a crimson arrow across the night sky. He flew over one pavilion after another, passed above the disciples' heads, crossed the cliff, and plunged toward the foot of the mountain, vanishing into the mist.
Meng Qiushuang and the disciples stood dumbfounded, unable to believe their eyes.
At the foot of Dragon Arising Temple, a large number of prison guards and soldiers arrived. Zhang Tianren also ran over carrying a long spear. In the light of the torch in his left hand, his neck could be seen flushed red.
"Are you sure it was this direction?"
A general asked with a frown, his tone puzzled.
Zhang Tianren nodded. "That's right. This direction."
The general hesitated. "But this is Dragon—"
Before he could finish, a gust of wind came from above. Startled, they instinctively turned to look. A figure fell from the sky and smashed into the steps at the foot of Dragon Arising Temple, scattering shattered rocks and splashing blood everywhere.
The soldiers were startled and hurriedly surrounded the body.
"It's Ghost Eye... Evil King... He's dead!"
A prison guard cried out in shock, drawing Zhang Tianren and the general over to inspect the corpse. Ghost Eye Evil King lay on the stone steps, his limbs twisted into disturbing angles. His chest had caved in, faintly revealing stark white bones. He had died with his eyes open, as though he had seen the most terrifying thing in the world, his eyes filled with terror.
Zhang Tianren was moved. He raised his head to look at the mountain ahead. Beneath the night sky, thunderclouds rolled endlessly, making Dragon Arising Mountain seem profoundly mysterious.
After examining Ghost Eye Evil King's injuries, the general said gravely, "He was kicked to death by an incomparably fierce leg technique. He died from a single strike. The gap between their strengths was enormous."
An enormous gap in strength?
Zhang Tianren came back to himself and recalled the scene when Ghost Eye Evil King had broken out of the Heavenly Prison. His expression became complicated.
Inside his room, Jiang Changsheng returned and closed the door behind him. He let out a long breath.
He was both excited and nervous. This was the first time he had killed an enemy, and he had gone all out. Fortunately, he had not overturned the cart in a ditch.
After killing Ghost Eye Evil King, he had been surrounded by the disciples. Yet they were not particularly excited, for quite a few disciples had died, while Second Senior Brother Meng Qiuhe had suffered severe injuries. Dragon Arising Temple was now under Third Senior Sister Meng Qiushuang's management. Meng Qiushuang had told him to return early and rest, lest more villains come to assassinate him.
This night had been Dragon Arising Temple's worst calamity in more than a decade. At least twenty disciples had died.
Jiang Changsheng sat on his bed. He did not blame himself. What he considered was whether enemies would come to attack again.
Kaiyuan Year 14: Ghost Eye Evil King attacked you and was slain by you. You survived a killing calamity and received a survival reward—spell: 'Sword Control Art'.
A line of text appeared before Jiang Changsheng's eyes. He smiled. At last, it was no longer martial arts, but a spell!
He immediately began receiving the Sword Control Art's inheritance.
He spent the entire night without sleep.
Morning came.
Jiang Changsheng was still practicing. Four disciples stood guard in the courtyard, quietly discussing last night's events. Jiang Changsheng's performance had shocked everyone in the temple, but some also blamed him, believing that he had brought the evil fiend upon them.
Yet Jiang Changsheng was also an orphan, and they could not make any definite judgment. They could only speculate based on Ghost Eye Evil King's words.
Jiang Changsheng's hearing far surpassed that of ordinary people, so he naturally heard these remarks. But he did not care. He was no teenager; he was an adult who had lived two lives. In this life, he only wanted to survive as long as possible. He had no time to worry over the deaths of others.
Besides, how could a martial arts sect situated within the capital possibly avoid calamities?
Jiang Changsheng practiced in peace. Without a sword, he could not train in the Sword Control Art, so he still focused on the Dao Follows Nature Skill.
His training was not interrupted until Chen Li came to visit. Chen Li had not come alone; another person accompanied him.
"This is Minister Yang, the Minister of Justice. He has come to investigate the matter of Ghost Eye Evil King. Ghost Eye Evil King not only killed Dragon Arising Temple disciples, but also several prison guards. This matter has already alarmed the imperial court. His Majesty is furious and has ordered a thorough investigation."
After Chen Li's introduction, Jiang Changsheng cupped his hands in greeting.
In the Great Jing Dynasty, the position of High Official was considered among the second rank of official posts. Fewer than ten people held greater authority than the Minister of Justice.
Minister Yang studied Jiang Changsheng, a strange look in his eyes. He asked, "Do you know Ghost Eye Evil King? The villain who attacked Dragon Arising Temple last night. I heard that you were the one who killed him."
Jiang Changsheng answered, "Reporting to Minister Yang, Changsheng has been an orphan since childhood and has remained at Dragon Arising Temple all his life. Aside from Top Scorer Chen and His Highness the Fourth Prince, I know no one from below the mountain."
Minister Yang said expressionlessly, "Then tell me everything you saw."
Jiang Changsheng answered truthfully. After Minister Yang recorded it all, he turned and left, leaving only Chen Li and Jiang Changsheng in the room.
"Not bad! Your martial arts are that strong? You could even kill Ghost Eye Evil King? I heard you kicked him down the mountain and he was smashed to death?"
Chen Li dropped his serious facade and asked excitedly.
Jiang Changsheng's strength made him feel that his investment over the years had not been meaningless.
Though Chen Li had never roamed the martial world, he had heard of Ghost Eye Evil King's vicious reputation. Earlier, he had even told Jiang Changsheng about Ghost Eye Evil King being captured by the imperial court.
Jiang Changsheng shook his head. "He saw that I was young and let his guard down, that was all."
Chen Li waved his hand. "Why be modest? Even the general guarding the capital was astonished by your leg technique. Ghost Eye Evil King was an expert above the True Origin Realm. According to martial world rankings, such people were called peerless experts. Martial artists of this kind could freely release and withdraw their True Qi; they were no longer foes ordinary men could face."
Jiang Changsheng silently remembered it.
Third-rate, second-rate, first-rate, True Origin Realm, peerless expert!
The third layer of the Dao Follows Nature Skill could already easily kill peerless experts. The gap between cultivating immortality and practicing martial arts truly was immense.
Chen Li also explained the case. The Heavenly Prison was an important place in the capital, yet a death-row prisoner had escaped. The emperor had lost face. The prison guards responsible for watching Ghost Eye Evil King had already been ordered executed, and personnel at every level of the Heavenly Prison would continue to be investigated. That was why the Minister of Justice had personally come. If the matter was not handled properly, even his position as High Official might not be secure.
The position of High Official was so lofty—under another dynasty, how could one fall so easily? But the Great Jing Dynasty was different. Most of the powerful ministers were meritorious founders of the dynasty, and the emperor had always wanted to remove them. Ministers were replaced almost every year, and the six High Officials naturally walked as though on thin ice.
"Your identity and background are very simple. Taoist Priest Qingxu reported every disciple's household registration, so you need not worry too much. Killing Ghost Eye Evil King will certainly earn you merit, and His Majesty will have to reward you when the time comes. Tell me, what do you want? If His Majesty mentions it during court, I can speak on your behalf." Chen Li smiled as he swirled his teacup.
He was riding high on the spring breeze. After a single night, all the powerful and noble families in the capital knew that Dragon Arising Temple had produced a young peerless expert, one who could kill the Ghost Eye Evil King, whose might had shaken the martial world, with a single kick. In the martial-minded Great Jing Dynasty, his future was boundless.
Any expert above the first-rate was proud and arrogant. The Chen family had only recruited one peerless expert, and that person was not even in the capital, requiring a summons whenever there was business. Jiang Changsheng was different. He lived in the capital and was an orphan; it might not be impossible to recruit him into the Chen family.
Updates were at noon and six in the evening, generally speaking~~
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