Chapter 17: Who Has a Grievance

"Ah, yes." Before departing, Zhang Linchuan's gaze fell upon Tang Dun. "Are you Tang Dun?"

"That is my name."

Zhang Linchuan smiled. "Dun, meaning honest and sincere. A fitting name."

Tang Dun scratched his head. "My shifu gave it to me when I was a child."

"Oh?" Zhang Linchuan inquired.

"Our Tang She Town is impoverished, lacking the means for schooling. Few hunters concern themselves with literacy. It was my shifu, a wanderer who settled here, teaching us for three years before departing once more. He favored me greatly, calling me some kind of uncarved jade."

This explanation was reasonable.

The practice of journeying for knowledge was espoused by the scholars of that era, a path many disciples tread.

Confucian disciples, for instance, believed in perusing ten thousand scrolls and traversing ten thousand li, with many venturing across the land. Some sought to broaden their horizons, while others aimed to offer their skills wherever they went.

Then there were the disciples of the Mo school, who roamed the world and experienced everything firsthand. If they had encountered Tang Dun, they might have imparted martial arts, or even rudimentary mechanical techniques, rather than solely focusing on reading and writing.

Though the Zhuang Kingdom held Taoism as its state religion, it was not wholly exclusive of other schools. Tang Dun's upbringing was thus not unusual.

Jiang Wang then added, "Since you possess some learning, it would be a pity to remain a mere constable. After Niu'er's funeral, if you are unburdened, you might consider attempting the outer gate examination of the City Taoist Academy."

This was an expression of his appreciation for Tang Dun's straightforward nature and a touch of regard for his potential, though the final decision rested with Tang Dun.

...

Leaving Tang She Town and heading south along the official road led back towards Maple Forest City.

Due to the inscribed array patterns, not a single beast could be found on the official road.

The horses' hooves maintained a steady rhythm, and Zhang Linchuan's voice, from atop his steed, was neither rushed nor slow. "Do you know how much the court invests each year to maintain the official roads throughout the Zhuang Kingdom?"

Jiang Wang shook his head; these matters were beyond his knowledge.

"It is an astronomical sum," Zhang Linchuan declared. "Furthermore, these array patterns can only deter low-level monsters. The more powerful demons and beasts still require strong individuals to clear them out. The court expends immense manpower and resources annually to ensure smooth passage across the land. They also pour resources into the Taoist Academy without hesitation, and the sole task entrusted to us is to mature swiftly and assume our corresponding duties."

"Your guidance is appreciated."

"Then permit me another question: why does the court not gather everyone within the great cities, where protective arrays are in place?"

"I believe there are two reasons." Jiang Wang pondered for a moment. "Firstly, even a great city has its limits and cannot sustain the needs of everyone. Secondly, the influence of each city is finite. The court requires these official roads, with towns as nodes, to extend in all directions, for this represents the true extent of our territory. And land is a source of resources."

"You perceive it clearly. The arrays of each town and village cannot compare in safety to those of a great city, yet these towns serve an irreplaceable purpose. Consider Tang She Town: as long as it stands, Maple Forest City can reap the resources of the Qichang Mountains. Should Tang She Town ever fall, the Qichang Mountains would become irrelevant to our Zhuang Kingdom."

"The people of Tang She Town dare to hunt within the Qichang Mountains, implying they possess their own masters. That demon lay low when we departed the Criminal Investigation Division, taking no further action in our absence. Yet, it launched an attack the moment we arrived..."

Here, Zhang Linchuan turned his head and looked at Jiang Wang with a smile. "Junior Brother Jiang, do you carry anything that might attract them?"

Jiang Wang was at a loss for an answer.

He certainly held a secret, but it was merely the Void Key inherited from Zuo Guanglie. All transformations occurred within the Taixu Illusory Realm and should not have been detectable in reality. However, if it wasn't related to this, the first time he was assaulted by a demon seemed to coincide with his entry into the Taixu Illusory Realm.

He was contemplating how to frame his reply to evade the question when Zhang Linchuan suddenly raised his hand and pointed, bending his middle and ring fingers while extending the other three, aiming directly at Jiang Wang.

An arc of electricity leaped from the tips of these three extended fingers, converging into a bolt of thunder that sped towards Jiang Wang!

Jiang Wang had no time to react. The lightning brushed past his ear, striking a poison arrow dyed in an ink-green hue, obliterating it and causing it to fall.

Only then did Jiang Wang hear the sudden acceleration of the poison arrow's sharp whistle, and only then did he catch the scent of burnt hair that had been grazed by the lightning.

"I've been waiting for you!" Zhang Linchuan leaped from his horse, his empty right hand forming an exceedingly strange pinching gesture. A whip of lightning condensed out of thin air.

"Perish with me!"

He wielded the lightning whip like a diving eagle, hurtling towards the attacker concealed within the woods to the left of the official road.

It turned out he had been prepared, multitasking by secretly performing hand seals and pre-preparing two spells, allowing him to retaliate the instant the attack began.

Jiang Wang was still far removed from such battle-hardened senior brothers.

At that moment, a voice echoed from the woods on the right. "The situation is precarious, retreat separately!"

Jiang Wang, who was about to follow Zhang Linchuan, suddenly spun around!

How could he not recognize that voice? In the little girl's room in Tang She Town, though the exchange was brief, it had etched itself into his memory!

A Taoist element within his Heavenly Palace silently exploded, and Jiang Wang, like a frenzied beast, charged with the most resolute determination towards the source of that voice.

Living within the Zhuang Kingdom, almost the first lesson instilled in all commoners before venturing out was to remain on the official road.

For beyond the human settlements' influence, the official road marked the boundary of the wilderness. That was the domain of beasts, monsters, and even ferocious creatures.

Zhang Linchuan was formidable, thus he paid it no mind.

Jiang Wang sought to kill, and thus he also paid it no mind.

Never, not once, had he been so consumed by rage. While Fang Pengju's betrayal was hateful, it was at least understandable. But that little girl, so young, how could she have been so innocent?

Jiang Wang's sword trembled in its scabbard. It seemed to have become excited, as if it knew it was about to unleash its most brilliant radiance.

Ten years of sharpening a sword, its frosted edge untested. Today, he would reveal it to those who had committed such injustice!

*Qiang qiang qiang qiang qiang.*

The moment the long sword leaped forth, it struck the scabbard no less than five times. Then it emerged!

The sword was a shooting star, the man a dragon.

A large tree wailed and crashed to the ground, and a left-handed demon hidden within the tree swiftly retreated.

In his haste, his face was obscured, only the paleness beneath his disheveled hair was visible.

The Taoist elements within the Heavenly Palace exploded one after another.

Jiang Wang had never been so profligate, feeling a surge of overwhelming power.

Before the condensation of the Taoist vortex, the dissipation of each Taoist element represented a regression in cultivation.

Longevity and the future were inconsequential; he cared not.

He intended to sever this demon, to find an outlet for the accumulated fury, and to attain peace of mind.

The Purple Qi Comes from the East Sword, the second form of killing, brought forth a swathe of frost light.

The white-faced demon, unable to perform hand seals as he retreated, felt his right arm swell rapidly, muscles bulging, blood vessels distending, and he launched a straight punch at the frost light.

The sword and this demonic right arm clashed dozens of times in an instant.

Only then did Jiang Wang abruptly realize his misjudgment! This opponent was formidable! Far stronger than himself, at the very least! This was certainly not merely what he had initially thought, simply relying on stratagem or possessing slightly higher cultivation.

In other words, if this white-faced demon had unleashed his full strength during the attack in Tang She Town, Jiang Wang could scarcely have guaranteed his survival at that moment.

But Jiang Wang did not retreat in the slightest. The long sword vibrated again, giving rise to a sharp howl.

The Purple Qi Comes from the East Sword Technique, the third form of killing!

That demonic right arm was actually severed and flew away!

"Damn you!!"

The white-faced demon roared. He had not anticipated being forced to a dead end by this desperate youth due to a moment of carelessness.

His hind feet slammed against a large tree in the midst of his retreat. He knew he could retreat no further; any more and he would perish. Life arose from combat.

With the point where his hind feet touched as the center, the entire large tree withered in an instant.

Then, from his roaring mouth, grey mist spewed forth, carrying an intensely putrid odor and a pungent stench.

Manipulating the power of life and death—this was a Taoist technique belonging to the netherworld!

The sword light soared.

The Taoist elements propelled the sword light, the sword light cut through the grey mist, and Jiang Wang leaped out of the grey mist!

The Purple Qi Comes from the East Sword Technique, the fourth form of killing!

He had allowed this demon to escape in Tang She Town, caught off guard and without choice.

At this time, at this moment, he *must* provide an accounting for the little girl named Niu'er!

This was a cultivator's responsibility to the common people.

This was an adult's responsibility to a child!

Jiang Wang's figure, leaping through the air and tearing through the grey mist, appeared in the white-faced demon's eyes.

And in his eyes, which were wide with shock, a brilliant sword light, descending from above, became clearer the more he opened them.

That was the last light he would witness before eternal darkness.