Volume One: Autumn Festival Chapter Twenty-Nine: I Am Truly Not an Immortal

The Night Wanderer, perched on Jiang Wang’s shoulder, spoke in a calm tone: "Although I can allow you to manifest that power, the time is limited. We must resolve this quickly."

Jiang Wang made no reply. Tan Laoliu, having noticed his falling flying sword, had joy written all over his face. He immediately channeled the sword again, intending to pierce Xiaoyu’s skull.

At the critical moment, Jiang Wang’s figure vanished and reappeared before Xiaoyu. He clenched his fist and shattered the incoming sword into dust, the force of his punch then blowing a hole through the wall behind it.

Tan Laoliu did not even have time to scream before he was reduced to a mist of blood.

Jiang Wang’s body immediately went limp, collapsing to the ground.

"Young Master!" Xiaoyu, snapping out of her trance, dropped the Long Night Blade and hurriedly moved to support him.

"I intended for you to kill him yourself, but I ended up stealing the moment," Jiang Wang said, rubbing Xiaoyu’s head with a smile. "Next time, I will certainly let you do it."

Xiaoyu shook her head. She did not blame Jiang Wang for killing Tan Laoliu; rather, she felt ashamed that her own fear had given Tan Laoliu a chance to counterattack. If not for her Young Master, she would surely be dead.

She had simulated the scene of killing her enemy countless times in her mind, so why, when the moment finally came, had she still felt fear?

Yet, the reality was not as she perceived. While the fear was real, so was her resolve to kill Tan Laoliu; that trace of fear was, in truth, negligible.

The green-robed and white-robed cultivators had also joined forces to subdue Akong.

"Mr. Jiang, what should be done with her?"

Jiang Wang looked at Xiaoyu. Xiaoyu glanced at Akong and shook her head.

Akong was even younger than her, and there had been no sign of her when the tragedy at the Yu residence occurred.

Understanding this, Jiang Wang turned his attention to Akong.

His expression suddenly turned strange.

He saw Akong, pinned down by the two green-robed cultivators, struggling to pull a squashed steamed bun from her robes. Mumbling something unintelligible, she took a large bite and wore an expression of deep satisfaction.

"Uh... her character doesn't seem bad, just... a bit dim-witted. Let’s just let her go."

The green-robed cultivator also wore a peculiar expression. "This girl’s fighting style is quite bizarre, and to be thinking of eating a bun when facing death—she is indeed a bit too dim."

The white-robed cultivator looked at the shattered wall, where not even a trace of Tan Laoliu remained. He said nervously, "In the end, it’s still the worst-case scenario. As things stand, we must guard against the Qingxuan Bureau finding out about this situation."

He immediately grabbed the green-robed cultivator and said, "The Du family is the culprit. As you said, we must cut the weeds and pull up the roots. We absolutely cannot let the Du family spread word of this!"

Jiang Wang said nothing. After the two cultivators in green departed, he looked at Akong again. "The person you were following has been killed by me. Don't you intend to take revenge?"

Akong swallowed the last bite of her bun and said calmly, "He only provided me with food, so I followed him. Whether he lives or dies, what does it have to do with me? Besides, all his money is with me now."

Jiang Wang had not expected such a situation. He continued, "At the very least, he provided you with food. Never mind not avenging him, how can you sever ties so easily and even make off with his money?"

Akong seemed to be getting sleepy. She mumbled, "I provide him with as much work as the amount of food he gives me; the terms were always clear. He is gone, so the money is useless to him. What does it matter if I take it?"

Jiang Wang remarked, "Though it feels wrong, what you say seems to make perfect sense."

The white-robed cultivator returned. "Mr. Jiang, the three members of the Du family have fled. My brother has gone in pursuit."

Jiang Wang tossed him a token. "Go thirty miles outside the city and mobilize the Black Flame Army. Do not let a single one escape."

The white-robed cultivator caught the token and soared into the sky.

Xiaoyu seemed to have only just noticed the bird perched on Jiang Wang’s shoulder. She asked curiously, "Young Master, what is this?"

Jiang Wang replied casually, "A monster."

Xiaoyu was shocked. "Young Master, are you really involved with monsters?!"

If Tan Laoliu hadn’t been lying, then the matter of the Yu residence...

Before Xiaoyu could spiral, Jiang Wang smiled and said, "But it claims to be a god, and it seems it really is one. With the blessing of this divine bird, Xiaoyu will surely have all her wishes come true."

"A divine bird?" Xiaoyu looked at the Night Wanderer, and seeing its listless appearance, asked doubtfully, "Why does it look like it’s about to die?"

Jiang Wang said, "It’s just like that. Don't worry about it."

The Night Wanderer’s voice suddenly echoed in Jiang Wang’s mind: "You are the one who looks like you’re about to die! Why are you saying whatever comes to mind! You are no immortal. If you expose my identity as a deity, do you have any idea what kind of trouble you will face!"

Jiang Wang frowned and attempted to speak in his mind: "I was only saying it for Xiaoyu’s sake. She is very easy to fool; I’ll just come up with another reason, and she’ll forget all about it."

The Night Wanderer’s voice echoed again: "It better be that way. I must have had the worst luck in eight lifetimes. I searched for an immortal for centuries, hoping to finally return to my divine throne, only to encounter a fake! My golden core! What a waste!"

Jiang Wang seemed interested, though only in this method of communication.

He thought to himself: "As you said, I have indeed heard that the seekers of immortality came because of the 'Mirage.' But I know full well that I am no immortal. You never asked me, you just spoke to yourself and then spat out your golden core. You cannot blame me for this."

Seeing that the Night Wanderer remained silent, Jiang Wang continued: "What is that stone statue in the Mirage that looks exactly like you?"

The Night Wanderer’s voice carried a hint of confusion: "Strange. This is indeed a divine fruit position. Once your cultivation realm improves and your Divine Kingdom truly matures, I will be able to use it to return to my throne. But how can this be?"

"You are not an immortal. It is strange enough that you possess a Divine Kingdom, but how could you give birth to a fruit position?"

It seemed to perk up. "Could it be that you are truly an immortal? A newly born one? That is why you possess a Divine Kingdom, yet it is empty inside? That must be it! That is how my golden core could manifest a fruit position! I do not know what immortals were like in the beginning, but perhaps this is the truth!"

Jiang Wang asked: "If you have been following immortals, how can you not know how one becomes an immortal?"

The Night Wanderer said: "I was created by an immortal. Though I have followed them since birth, how would I know how an immortal becomes an immortal?"

Jiang Wang mused: "Could I be an immortal? No matter how I think about it, it’s impossible."

The Night Wanderer said excitedly: "Never mind whether you are an immortal or not. Since a fruit position has been born in your Divine Kingdom, you have the qualifications to become one. It seems my luck isn't so bad after all. I’ve endured hundreds of years; I can wait for you to truly become an immortal."

Jiang Wang was too lazy to think about such ethereal matters; there were more realistic problems to consider. "You didn't mention that there was a time limit on manifesting that power after stepping out of Qixia Street."

The Night Wanderer said: "You didn't ask. Besides, I was in a terrible mood at the time."

It continued: "Perhaps because you have not yet become an immortal, your body cannot withstand the power of the Divine Kingdom, which is why you are so weak. If there is no way to improve this, I fear you won’t live for many more years."

The Night Wanderer sighed: "I am truly unlucky. The Divine Kingdom drained my power directly to stabilize itself, which prevents your lifespan from shortening further, but it has left me as weak as the monster Aoyin."

"You must work harder to control the power of the Divine Kingdom, or we will both be dead before you ever become an immortal."

Jiang Wang nodded. It seemed he would have to provoke more powerful enemies.

Should he just let Du Yanruo and the others go?

But then he thought of the Qingxuan Bureau’s power in the Sui Kingdom; for now, that was certainly not a good idea.

He looked at Akong.

Perhaps leaving her to her own devices, as the only remaining witness, would be an added hazard.

Although he felt the threat Akong posed was far less than that of the Du family, it was undoubtedly safer to keep her under his control.

He stopped paying attention to Akong and prepared to head home with Xiaoyu.

The night was very deep.

There were no pedestrians on the street.

As they were about to step out of South City Lane, a dark shadow blocked the path.

Jiang Wang’s expression turned serious.

This scene seemed familiar.

"Feng Linghuai, you have finally decided to show yourself."

A short blade appeared in the shadow's hand, flashing with a cold glint in the darkness.

"Young Marquis Jiang, while I was waiting for an opportunity, you were also investigating me."

Jiang Wang said in a deep voice: "Your disciple took a mission he shouldn't have. Moreover, those of you who are 'Jianli' should be prepared to lose your lives if a mission fails. You coming for revenge now—while it may make sense in terms of logic—is fundamentally wrong."

Feng Linghuai said flatly: "My actions this time do not conform to the rules of the Jianli, but I only had one disciple. He died an unclear death in Hun City. If I do not avenge him, I would be unworthy of being his master."

Jiang Wang looked at Xiaoyu.

Xiaoyu’s face was deathly pale. Were it not for her relying on her martial artist's aura to hold herself up, she would likely have collapsed.

Supporting Xiaoyu with one hand, he asked in his mind: "Bird, is there a way to face this head-on?"

The Night Wanderer replied: "Your body cannot take it. It seems I must take the lead, but there is something I must say."

Jiang Wang asked, puzzled: "What?"

The Night Wanderer said: "Please change how you address me."

Jiang Wang replied: "Alright, Bird."

The Night Wanderer immediately unleashed a string of curses, flapping its wings in fury. Its form instantly expanded, becoming incomparably vast, covering the entire South City Lane.

Feng Linghuai retreated a step, shocked. "A monster?!"

"Monster yourself!" The Night Wanderer’s scarlet eyes, like two bright moons, stared straight at Feng Linghuai. It exhaled gently, and a hurricane was unleashed.

South City Lane seemed to be facing a catastrophe. Buildings swayed and crumbled as if being dismantled, flying layer by layer into the high sky. The stone-paved ground was cleanly lifted away, and Feng Linghuai, struck by a heavy blow, vanished into the night sky, spraying blood.

Looking at the scene of ruins and broken walls, Jiang Wang’s heart bled.

Fortunately, this was a street, not a place where commoners lived; otherwise, one breath from the Night Wanderer would have spelled mass destruction.

But with the place destroyed like this, he feared he would have to pay a great deal of money in compensation.