After bidding farewell to the parents and their endless thanks, and refusing their gifts of gratitude, the two returned to Yuan Wuxing's small courtyard.
"I see you're quite talkative when you're with me, so how come you didn't say anything in the court? Maybe that City Lord Zeng didn't even notice you at all."
Yuan Wuxing scratched his head and chuckled sheepishly, "I'm a coward. I've never seen such a scene before, so my mind went a little blank." Jiang Li laughed in spite of himself.
"You, you spent ten years investigating a behemoth like the Jiang Family, persisting even when you knew the hope was slim. If anyone were to say your will is not firm, they would surely be blind. But you get timid at every critical moment. It was like this at the Jiang Family today, like this in the court, and it was also like this when you tried to break through to Nascent Soul. My Dao Sect emphasizes the Dual Cultivation of Nature and Life, but right now, you are only cultivating nature, not life."
Yuan Wuxing felt as if he had been struck by lightning. He was indeed just as Jiang Li had described. When trying to break through to Nascent Soul, he was always hesitant, his thoughts as chaotic as a surging sea.
He would think things like, "I'm still young anyway, why risk life and dao to break through? Wouldn't it be better to enjoy a hundred years of freedom and break through later? What's the use of breaking through to Nascent Soul?
Above Nascent Soul, there's still Spirit Transformation. When will cultivation ever end? So many people have failed to break through to Nascent Soul, what makes me think I can succeed?" and so on.
This led to him being just a step away from breaking through to Nascent Soul several times, yet always ending in failure.
"Thank you for your guidance, Senior."
Yuan Wuxing bowed respectfully to Jiang Li. Jiang Li just smiled and said nothing. Yuan Wuxing remembered something and asked anxiously, "Senior Zhang, I suspect the Jiang Family will send people to that space to destroy the evidence.
We must go stop them quickly!"
"I'm only afraid they won't go to that space. Otherwise, how can we blow this matter up?"
Jiang Li signaled for Yuan Wuxing to calm down but didn't tell him the reason. And yet, Yuan Wuxing truly believed Jiang Li's words and calmed down. They had clearly only known each other for a single day, yet Yuan Wuxing had begun to trust Jiang Li unconditionally.
"Excuse me, are Mr. Zhang Li and Mr. Yuan Wuxing present?"
A knock came from the door. The knocking was very light. After speaking and receiving no response from within, the person did not knock again, simply standing respectfully outside.
It was clear the visitor was very polite. Yuan Wuxing opened the door, and his hand trembled uncontrollably. He fought back the urge to strike.
"This old one knows he has wronged the common people. If beating this old one can alleviate Mr. Yuan Wuxing's hatred, this old one will not say a word."
The Jiang Clan Leader stood outside the door, leaning on his cane, his eyelids drooping with an apologetic look. To face two enemies, one at Peak Golden Core and one at Peak Nascent Soul, with his Golden Core Stage cultivation, yet with no attendants behind him. How could Yuan Wuxing not hate the Jiang Clan Leader?
If Jiang Yixing was the main culprit, then the Jiang Clan Leader was the biggest accomplice. The deaths of those infants could absolutely be laid at the Jiang Clan Leader's feet.
"What have you come for? To threaten us?"
In the end, Yuan Wuxing did not attack. He just gave a sarcastic remark with a smile that didn't reach his eyes and plopped down onto a chair, gulping down tea. He didn't dare to make a move.
Who knew what kind of tricks this old fellow had up his sleeve? It was best not to create more trouble if he could avoid it. Who would have thought that after entering the room, the Jiang Clan Leader would toss his cane aside and kneel directly on the ground?
This gave Yuan Wuxing such a start that he nearly dropped his teacup. Jiang Li watched the Jiang Clan Leader with great interest, wanting to see what kind of show this descendant could put on for him.
"The Old Ancestor was at fault, but no matter how great his mistake, it is not greater than the Human Emperor. If word that the Human Emperor, my clan cousin, cultivates the Demonic Path spreads throughout the Nine Provinces, what will the people of the world think? It's inevitable that they will harbor resentment. And if some ill-intentioned people fan the flames, what a huge blow it will be to the Human Emperor's reputation!"
"Beyond the Nine Provinces, the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons are watching with covetous eyes. It is thanks to the successive generations of Human Emperors holding up the banner of the Nine Provinces and fighting the Heavenly Demons that the Nine Provinces has been spared from disaster. The Human Emperor's power lies in faith. If the Human Race's faith in the Human Emperor is shaken, Human Emperor Jiang's strength will surely decline. How dangerous would that be for our Nine Provinces!"
"I know that you two care for the common people and are men of justice. My Jiang Family may be petty villains who operate in the shadows, but when it comes to the Heavenly Demons, our stance is the same. I implore you both to think of the countless billion living beings of the Nine Provinces and let this matter rest. This old one thanks you two gentlemen in advance!"
After speaking, the Jiang Clan Leader actually kowtowed three times. Three dull thuds rang out, and a bloody mark even appeared on his forehead. When he rose and looked up, his face was already streaming with tears.
Yuan Wuxing was moved by the Jiang Clan Leader's sincere words and actions. He couldn't help but think that perhaps they should just let this matter go. It really wouldn't be good if it had any negative impact on the Human Emperor.
Taking a step back, so what if the Human Emperor cultivated the Demonic Path? He was doing it to fight the Heavenly Demons, for the sake of all the world's people. Yuan Wuxing was truly on the verge of being persuaded by the Jiang Clan Leader.
After all, what the Clan Leader said was reasonable, and the part about shaking the Human Emperor's faith was indeed something that could happen. The strength of the Human Emperor was half due to their own tyrannical power, and the other half was due to the blessing of faith from successive generations.
The two multiplied, allowing the Human Emperor's power to reach an extremely terrifying level. Though not an Immortal, he was greater than an Immortal. The space outside the Nine Provinces was chaotic, and an attack by Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons could be encountered every few hundred years.
But each time, it would bring a world-ending crisis to the Nine Provinces. As the number one expert of the Nine Provinces, the Human Emperor was the first to charge into battle with the Heavenly Demons. More than half of all Human Emperors died in this process; few met a peaceful end.
If Human Emperor Jiang were to fall in a future battle against the Heavenly Demons because of a decline in faith, then he, Yuan Wuxing, would truly feel guilty for the rest of his life.
"What the Jiang Clan Leader says is reasonable. But since the Jiang Family knew long ago that this could shake the people's faith in the Human Emperor, why did you still perform the Blood Sacrifice on infants?"
The Jiang Clan Leader said in shame, "The Old Ancestor was greedy for the splendors of the mortal world. He wanted to break through to Nascent Soul to see a few more days. Who would have thought that one misstep would lead to eternal regret, making it difficult to turn back."
Jiang Li was greatly surprised, "What is the Clan Leader saying? If the Jiang Family has the intention to turn back, how could I not help you fulfill it?" The Jiang Clan Leader rejoiced inwardly.
These self-proclaimed champions of justice truly couldn't be threatened or bribed; one had to persuade them with righteousness. Who knew that Jiang Li would continue, "Even if Yuan Wuxing and I no longer press charges against the Jiang Family, other cultivators will come to investigate this matter. Let me point out a path for the Jiang Family.
The Great Zhou Law stipulates that the dead are not held accountable for their crimes. So please ask Jiang Yixing to recognize his mistakes and correct them. He can commit suicide."
The smile on the Jiang Clan Leader's face stiffened. For a moment, he didn't know what to say in rebuttal. Indeed, as long as the Old Ancestor died, the matter would be concluded.
But how could that be possible? I came here to put on an act to get you to stop causing trouble, how did the act end with my Old Ancestor being acted to death!
"Mr. Zhang Li is joking."
"These are but words from my heart."
The Jiang Clan Leader's face darkened so much it seemed like water could drip from it. He slowly stood up, no longer wearing his previous compassionate expression.
"It seems Mr. Zhang Li is determined to see this matter through to the end."
Only then did Yuan Wuxing realize that the man had been acting the entire time. A wave of fear washed over him. These old foxes were truly terrifying; you really couldn't believe a single word or expression.
Fortunately, Senior Zhang Li was here.
"It's not about seeing it to the end. I just like to see things through from beginning to end. Jiang Clan Leader, if you please."
The Jiang Clan Leader gave a cold snort, flicked his sleeves, and departed.
(End of this chapter)