Volume One: Autumn Festival Chapter 24: Mr. Jiang’s Righteous Aura

Jiang Wang glanced at Ning Shisi, lost in thought. Had it not been for Miss Shu’s intervention, he might have revealed more. It was a pity.

"Shu Ni... to lose to any opponent you encounter, that is indeed quite a poetic meaning."

Is that how the name Shu Ni is interpreted? And in Hun City, when has she ever won? If one were to look at it from another angle, it means losing to anyone she encounters. Miss Shu felt that Jiang Wang was likely mocking her.

Seeing that Shu Ni was on the verge of anger again, Jiang Wang hurriedly said, "As long as you help me find the demon, I agree to help you as well. Didn't you originally come to me for help because you found me through Old Xu?"

Shu Ni retorted, "At the time, you said that if I helped you intercept that old man, you would do anything for me!"

Jiang Wang ignored this and turned to look at Ning Shisi, saying, "Brother Ning is a man of upright character. With a demon lurking in Hun City and the common people under threat, surely a mere matter of hunting a demon would be nothing for you."

Ning Shisi straightened his back and spoke with righteous indignation, "Master Jiang is right. Besides, this is merely tracking the demon to lead us to it; the actual task of subduing the demon will be handled by Master Jiang himself. People like us should not shirk such duties. For the sake of the safety of the people of Hun City, this favor, I, Ning Shisi, will definitely help with, and my Junior Sister shall do the same!"

Shu Ni was shocked. Although Ning Shisi was a bit long-winded and slow-witted, he shouldn't be this foolish, right? Was he really swayed by just a few words from Jiang Wang?

"Good!" Jiang Wang clapped his hands and said earnestly, "Brother Ning is truly righteous. There is no time to lose; I shall wait at the Marquis's estate for your good news!"

Ning Shisi cupped his hands and said, "Farewell!" He was very excited, grabbed Shu Ni, and leaped over the wall once more.

Jiang Wang looked up. He watched their figures rise and fall as they crossed several walls of the Marquis's estate and disappeared from sight. He sighed with emotion, "I only thought there were apricot blossoms on the wall, yet it turns out to be Ning Shisi."

He left the rattan chair and prepared to return to his room to sleep, but as he stood before the door, he suddenly felt a sense of alertness. He turned his head abruptly. The night was silent. A light breeze blew. The branches and leaves of the banyan tree outside the wall swayed, casting claw-like shadows on the ground. Jiang Wang frowned. Finding nothing unusual, he pushed the door open and entered his room.

...

In the dark of night, pedestrians on the streets of Hun City became sparse. Leaving Qixia Street, Shu Ni shook off Ning Shisi's hand and said irritably, "Is your brain filled with paste? You believe whatever he says? Where is this 'upright character' you speak of? It’s clearly just stupidity!"

Ning Shisi sighed helplessly, "Junior Sister, no matter how I look at it, Master Jiang does not seem to be a demon. Besides, you haven't sensed any demonic aura from him either, so how can you slander someone based on your personal likes and dislikes? Regardless, there is a demon in Hun City; even without Master Jiang, we cannot just ignore it."

Shu Ni knew that caution was necessary when it came to demons, but with Jiang Wang involved, she had to be extra careful.

"Even if we are hunting a demon, we must get the facts straight. That man surnamed Jiang is full of lies. When I questioned him earlier, he deliberately changed the subject. I fear that even if we do find the demon, he won't keep his promise."

Ning Shisi frowned and said, "But I see Master Jiang as a man of integrity, not the type to act like a villain. Locking the disciple of Yuyuan Academy in the woodshed was done for a reason, and he did open the doors to convenience. You must have a deep misunderstanding of him, Junior Sister."

Shu Ni rolled her eyes. "The two of you are both so 'righteous' that you seem like birds of a feather. I can't be bothered with you."

Ning Shisi soothed his junior sister's mood, saying, "I am a martial artist with a low cultivation realm, unable to detect demonic aura; this matter must rely on you, Junior Sister. If we can truly rid Hun City of this scourge, you will deserve the primary credit. When the time comes, our teacher will help you petition for merit, and you will be able to join the Xiaoguo Army in the Divine Capital."

Shu Ni could only nod. Ning Shisi’s "low realm" was not meant literally; it was just that unless a martial artist reached the Grandmaster level, it was difficult to detect demonic aura. However, because Shu Ni was only a practitioner in the Dongming Realm and had not been building her inner cultivation for long, her range of investigation was limited. Finding the traces of a demon was not an easy task. Furthermore, if a demon intentionally hid its presence, even low-level practitioners would find it hard to notice anything.

The process of hunting the demon was dull. The entire night passed without seeing anything worth noting.

The next morning, Ning Shisi arrived at the Xunyang Marquis's estate alone, feeling very ashamed. Jiang Wang had held expectations, but sometimes, the greater the expectation, the heavier the subsequent disappointment. He lay in the rattan chair in the courtyard. Looking up at the branches of the banyan tree outside the wall, that bird was still there. It tilted its head, as if staring at Jiang Wang.

After staring at each other for a while, Jiang Wang felt a strange sense of panic. He felt as if something was off. He pointed at the banyan tree and asked Ning Shisi, "Do you know what kind of bird that is?"

Ning Shisi looked over, frowned, and said, "It looks like a crow, but the color is darker, the beak is broader, the eyes are a glowing blue, and there is a white feather on its tail. Birds with such features are common, yet one that fits all these traits seems not to exist. I do not know."

Jiang Wang asked again, "Did Miss Shu notice anything unusual in the Marquis's estate last night?"

Ning Shisi shook his head. "Except for the person in the woodshed, nothing else."

Jiang Wang was silent for a moment and said, "Thank you both for your hard work. If you find any traces of the demon, you can come to me at any time."

Because they hadn't found the demon, Ning Shisi felt too embarrassed to bring up what Shu Ni had requested, so he said his goodbyes and left.

Jiang Wang continued to stare fixedly at the bird. Suddenly, he grinned. He picked up a pebble and threw it straight at the bird. The bird shifted to the side and easily dodged the stone. The smile on Jiang Wang's face grew broader.

"When Master Tao told me that there might be a great demon in Hun City, it was the very day you landed on the banyan tree in my yard. Miss Shu and her companion searched all night and found nothing. Perhaps it is because the demon is not elsewhere in Hun City, but right here on Qixia Street, inside my home."

Jiang Wang tapped his right index finger gently on the rattan chair.

"You saw everything that happened last night. Perhaps Miss Shu’s cultivation is too low to sense your presence, but you know I am looking for a demon, yet you still linger in my house without leaving. That must mean your cultivation is deep enough. But since I have discovered you, you won't be able to leave."

The courtyard was deathly quiet. Jiang Wang looked up at the bird. The bird looked down at the man.

Its glowing blue eyes were beautiful. Jiang Wang continued, "Let me be direct. All practitioners and martial artists in the world take subduing demons and eliminating evil as their duty. I want to eliminate you; what do you intend to do?"

The banyan tree swayed slightly, and fallen leaves drifted into the courtyard. The bird's beak opened, and it spoke in a human voice, "Taking subduing demons and eliminating evil as your duty? Perhaps that is true for the practitioners and martial artists of the world, but coming from your mouth, do you even believe it yourself?"

Jiang Wang raised an eyebrow and said, "What? Do you think my temperament doesn't match that of a righteous demon-slayer? Are you trying to insult me?"

The bird truly displayed an expression of human-like disdain and said, "I have observed you for three days. Is your purpose in searching for the demon really to subdue it and eliminate evil? You could only fool a naive child with that."

Jiang Wang said indignantly, "I don't like hearing that. I intend to carry out the task of subduing demons and eliminating evil for the rest of my life. You, a demon, are slandering me. It seems you have never tasted my beatings. Today, I shall let you experience it!"

The bird sneered, "Come on, then. I'm standing right here. If you have the ability, hit me."

Jiang Wang, who had just stood up, slowly sat back down and gestured, "I'm afraid I might kill you outright. Very well, I'll give you a chance; you strike first."

The bird turned its head and pecked at its back. "I don't want to."

Jiang Wang urged, "You must!"

The bird shook its head. "I just don't want to."

"..."

At this moment, Xiao Yu arrived in the courtyard. She asked in surprise, "Young Master, who are you talking to?"

Jiang Wang reached out and pointed at the banyan tree, but just as he was about to speak, he discovered that the bird was no longer there. This was the strangest demon he had ever seen.

"It's nothing. What is it?"

"The two practitioners from Moonlit West Tower are here and are waiting in the main hall."

Hearing this, Jiang Wang was very surprised and immediately rose to go to the main hall. "You two have returned so quickly. Have you found the culprit?"

The practitioners in green and white robes quickly bowed to Jiang Wang. The former said, "We only found some information, but as it concerns you, Master Jiang, we hurried back immediately."

Jiang Wang sat in the main seat, took the tea handed to him by Xiao Yu, and asked in confusion, "It concerns me?"

The white-robed practitioner said, "Because of the Du family, you were once assassinated by a 'Jianli' (wandering assassin). With the help of the Moonlit West Tower's resources, we discovered that the martial artist named Feng Linghuai is likely the mentor of the assassin who targeted you."

The green-robed practitioner added, "That assassin was killed by you, and we are worried that Feng Linghuai might seek revenge. We also found tracks indicating that Feng Linghuai has been lingering near Hun City, though he is very good at hiding. If not for the fact that the Moonlit West Tower has practitioners spread throughout Kutan, it would have been hard to get this news so quickly."

Jiang Wang pondered for a moment and smiled. "Feng Linghuai has already tried to kill me once. I have never been able to figure out the other party's identity. The news you bring now comes at just the right time."

Connecting Feng Linghuai to the old man in coarse clothes made the logic clear. He guessed that the master and disciple had come to Hun City to carry out a mission. It was just that Feng Linghuai's target was the purple-robed practitioner of Moonlit West Tower, while his disciple had happened upon the assassination contract for Du Zicheng.

"If Feng Linghuai is just a 'Jianli,' he must be hired by someone. Have you found out who it was?"

The green-robed practitioner frowned and said, "Although there are practitioners among the 'Jianli,' they are mostly martial artists. A mission to kill a practitioner is inherently unusual. We three brothers have spent half our lives in cultivation, and truly, we have few enemies."

"Furthermore, for a martial artist 'Jianli' to accept a mission to kill a practitioner, the price must be unimaginable. Practitioners who are not short of money all have status and backgrounds. We have always avoided those people; how could we have offended them?"

The practitioners of the Moonlit West Tower relied on mutual support, and their wealth and influence were relatively weak. If it wasn't a practitioner with a major background, it could only be someone from a wealthy family, but the two practitioners had no clue for the moment.