Chapter 234 - Inverted Forest

Jia City City Lord’s Residence.The lord of Jia City, Xi Family’s family head Xi Munan, was seated at the head.

The man had grizzled temples and an authoritative aura.

In his eyes, one could faintly discern the air of his youthful elegance.

Presumably, he must have been a handsome man in his day.

In his hands, he was fondling a letter, which read—

Jiang Wang, born in Maple Forest Town of Fenglin City in Qinghe County of Zhuang Country, studied the Tao at the Taoist Academy of Fenglin City.

Has a younger sister residing at Lingxiao Pavilion in Yun Country.

Addendum: Fenglin City was destroyed in the Bone Tao chaos of December of the 3917th year of the Dao Calendar, and to this day remains caught between the Underworld and the living world.

Xizi Chu, dressed in brocaded robes, stood at the lower seat, speaking confidently, “… he understands the ’cause and effect’ of the lapis lazuli vein.

With my compensation and his own gains, the loss suffered by the Zhong Xuan Family can be almost wholly recouped.

With this, he no longer has any reason to stay at the mine site.

We can just take this opportunity to eradicate the Zhong Xuan Family’s influence and fully control this domain.

It’s ideal for what’s to come…”

As he spoke, his speech took a turn, “As for Hu Shaomeng, this man will not turn against his own son.

He has always been like that since he was young; even if he is now apprenticed to Diao Hai Building, it will be no different.

What he covets will ultimately belong to his son.”

“What if…” Xi Munan fondled the object in his hand, speaking slowly, “Jiang Wang doesn’t leave?”

“Why wouldn’t he leave?”

“Sometimes overconfidence becomes arrogance,” Xi Munan lightly chided his son.

“While you were off entertaining women, those five family stewards have safely made it back to Jia City already.”

Xizi Chu thought for a moment before saying, “I underestimated Jiang Wang.

But that’s no problem; sparing those people’s lives is merely his way of expressing dissatisfaction with his son or perhaps incidentally plundering some wealth.

It’s a harmless matter in the grand scheme of things and doesn’t affect the overall situation.

The son can just increase the amount of compensation, a little property is nothing of a price to pay.”

Xi Munan silently nodded; this child was indeed clever.

From the information he had received earlier, he had mostly guessed Jiang Wang’s actions correctly.

Yet, he couldn’t help but be slightly too confident, thus overlooking some things.

“Haven’t you realized it yet?” Xi Munan shook his head, “He won’t be leaving Hu Clan Mine Site.”

“Why not?

The son truly can’t figure out, at the height of the fierce competition between Zhongxuan Sheng and Zhongxuan Zun, what reason he has to waste time here.”

“Is it possible that he has seen through both yours and Hu Shaomeng’s intentions?

If you can see through Hu Shaomeng, and Hu Shaomeng could also instantly detect your awareness and immediately return to Qingyang Town, then couldn’t Jiang Wang, as the chief guest of Zhongxuan Sheng, see through you two as well?”

Xizi Chu confidently shook his head, “In my experience with supremely intelligent people, he is not one of them.”

“Is the diagnostic method of East King Valley truly that magical, or is it that you’ve not mastered your studies?”

As he spoke, Xi Munan tossed the paper letter into Xizi Chu’s hands.

“The years-old devil of Bone Tao, Underworld Eye Lu Yan’s years of plotting.

The sly and cunning Du Ruhui of Zhuang Country, concocting the ‘disharmony between the general and the minister’ ruse, had hoodwinked the world for so many years.

With such a contest between two such figures, their backing came from Bone Respecting God from beneath the Yellow Springs and the whole of Zhuang Country.

The fall of Fenglin City had been certain.

How dare you take Jiang Wang so lightly when he survived a disaster of that magnitude?”

“He’s one of the victors of Heavenly Abode Secret Land.

Among those who also emerged victorious were Zhongxuan Sheng, Li Longchuan, Wang Yiwu!”

“In Nan Yao City, he overwhelmed Daqi’s fourteenth prince Jiang Wuyong.

The weapon-crafter Lian Que nearly broke with his family for him, Zhongxuan Sheng challenged Jiang Wuyong head-on for his sake.”

Xi Munan looked at Xizi Chu somewhat disappointingly from his seat, “Zi Chu, let the former matters be aside.

But you knew about these two latter events, didn’t you?

How have you become so dismissive of the world’s heroes after just a few years in East King Valley?”

Xizi Chu lowered his head, “Father, I realize my mistake.”

He quickly raised his head again, “Father, where did you learn of his origins?”

This intelligence may only have a few lines of text, but the power it represents is incredibly formidable.

Who could have the strength to unearth a person’s birth in Zhuang Country while in Qi Country?

Certainly not the Xi Family.

This consistent astuteness pleased Xi Munan, but he never showed his commendation for his son, simply stating, “The Zhong Xuan Family.”

Xizi Chu nodded, “It seems that Zhongxuan Sheng truly values this Jiang Wang.

Otherwise, Zhongxuan Zun wouldn’t have passed this information to us.

Given this, it’s likely we can’t drive Jiang Wang away, much less kill him.

We’d be easily seen as picking sides.

We cannot get sucked into the whirlpool of the Zhong Xuan Family.

We’re far away in Yang Country, and winning holds no real benefits for us.

Losing, on the other hand, could mean calamity for our family within a day’s notice.”

“The thing that you and Hu Shaomeng were keeping an eye on, you don’t want it anymore?” Xi Munan asked intentionally.

“Compared to the several hundred years of the Xi Family’s existence, other things are not worth mentioning.”

“That’s true, but…” Xi Munan said, “We can’t kill Jiang Wang, but we must drive him away.”

Xi Zi Chu smiled bitterly, “You said it yourself, Jiang Wang is determined not to leave the Hu Clan Mine Site.

If we can’t kill him, how can we possibly drive him away?”

“That’s not right.” He immediately realized, “I’ve already given up on that thing.

Why do we still need to drive him away?”

Xi Zi Chu looked at Xi Munan, “Father, are you hiding something from me?”

Xi Munan avoided the latter question and simply said, “We can’t kill him, but that doesn’t mean others can’t.”

Just at that moment, a person resembling a steward walked in quickly and whispered a few words into Xi Munan’s ear.

Xi Zi Chu recognized him.

This was Master Liu, the most trusted by his father.

Although he had no actual position, in the entire City Lord’s mansion, he ranked only below Xi Munan.

He had doubts in his heart, but he would not ask his father for answers in front of this man.

After Master Liu said a few words, he retreated to the side.

Xi Munan kept a straight face and looked at his son, “Something has happened at a tavern in the south of the city, go handle it.

Remember what I told you.”

Xi Zi Chu glanced at Master Liu, only responding, “Yes.”

When Xi Zi Chu rushed to the scene at the tavern, the place had already been cordoned off by the City Guard Army.

Xi Zi Chu noticed that the expressions of the soldiers guarding the outside of the tavern were very ugly, as if they had been shocked by something.

Not far from the ground, one could see the filth from vomiting.

Inside the tavern, there might be something disgusting, something horrifying…

Xi Zi Chu briefly surveyed the exterior and then walked through the passage that had been specifically cleared for him into the sealed-off area.

Stepping into the tavern, even with mental preparation, his footsteps still involuntarily paused for a moment.

He saw—

The entire tavern was a mess, tables and chairs toppled and askew, with eyes full of broken dishes and jugs scattered in dark red pools of blood.

In the middle of the great hall stood a large iron pot, beneath which fierce flames blazed.

Above the iron pot…

Naked human corpses, hanging upside down like a forest.

Each was mutilated.

Some were cut away by more than half.

Some were reduced to mere bones.

Through the drifting white mist, one could faintly see…

Half of a human palm, bobbing in the iron pot.