Chapter 59: Staying at Your Place for a Few Days

Turning back the clock to the moment Jiang Wang parted ways with Zhao Rucheng.

The path to the Mingde Hall was one Jiang Wang had tread countless times. Every eatery along the way, good or bad, was etched into his memory.

This was Fenglin City, the place where he had lived and cultivated for years. As he walked through its streets, he felt a sense of ease and security rarely found elsewhere.

He was so relaxed, in fact, that when that figure collided with him, he failed to evade.

No, perhaps he had tried his best to dodge, but was still struck.

The sensation of this collision was utterly bizarre. They weren't pushed apart by the force of impact as would be expected, one person perhaps falling, the other standing firm due to their differing foundations.

Instead, they stuck together.

In other words, the collision seemed to generate a force of attraction, not repulsion.

This was far too strange!

Jiang Wang's hair stood on end as he looked at the black-robed man standing almost pressed against him.

He had a strong premonition: this fellow was utterly terrifying, and he was no match.

The disparity in strength was so vast that if he were to try and escape now, revealing his status as a Dao Academy disciple to raise an alarm, the other party could easily kill him before calmly making his escape.

"Looks like that guy's junior apprentice brother, eh..." The black-robed man leaned in close to Jiang Wang's ear and whispered, "Can I crash at your place for a few days?"

Jiang Wang's body stiffened, and he nodded.

"Very good." The black-robed man pulled back, allowing Jiang Wang to see the face hidden beneath his hood. It was a rough, brutish face, with an innate air of ferocity. "You're a smart fellow. You should know not to do anything foolish."

It was then that Jiang Wang noticed: the hooded black robe this fellow wore was very similar to the one on the little fatty from Sanshan City. He was also bald.

There wasn't much time to think. The bald man's eyes were dangerous.

First, Jiang Wang was certain he absolutely could not bring this dangerous character home. Neither Zhao Rucheng nor Ling He could help him; they would only be implicated. Not to mention An'an was home.

"But... I live in the Dao Academy dormitory." Jiang Wang swallowed, making no attempt to hide his fear. "I am an inner disciple."

"Hmm, meridians opened, but not yet Foundation Establishment. Honesty is the start of good cooperation." The bald man seemed satisfied. He turned around, placed a hand on Jiang Wang's shoulder, and walked beside him. "But I'm sure you have a way, right?"

On the bustling street, people came and went, yet no one seemed to notice anything out of the ordinary about them.

Or rather, Jiang Wang was working harder to appear completely normal, so as not to be struck down immediately.

Jiang Wang's mind raced.

First, "that guy's junior apprentice brother." Who was the "that guy" the bald man referred to?

Combined with the black robe, which was identical in style to the one worn by the little fatty in Sanshan City.

Jiang Wang had a bold guess – could it be Zhu Weiwu?

Then the identity of this bald man became clear – The Heart Swallowing Demon, Xiong Wen!

Zhu Weiwu had been pursuing Xiong Wen this entire time, even missing the Tri-City Discourse for it. He never expected this Xiong Wen to be so audacious as to sneak into Fenglin City, playing the game of hiding in plain sight.

This was a Sixth Rank Ascending Dragon Realm cultivator who had already opened his Heaven and Earth Gate.

Even with his two major secret techniques, the Four Spirits Body Refinement Art and the Purple Qi Coming East Sword Scripture, it was impossible for him to leap three ranks to defeat this person.

"A way... there might be, but I need to think... Can I have some time to think?" Jiang Wang was not a genius strategist who could plan seven steps ahead. He was trying to buy some time.

"You can. But not too long. Because I don't have much patience." The bald man seemed quite accommodating, even patting Jiang Wang's shoulder.

The two of them walked like this, arm in arm, like a pair of close friends.

Jiang Wang continued his analysis.

The Tri-City Discourse was just the day before. He had sensed the conflict hidden within the discourse. He hadn't delved deeply into matters that didn't concern him, but Zhao Rucheng had casually mentioned that it seemed to be Wei Quji's retaliation for the tragic incident at Xiaolin Town.

Thinking back now, the only thing he could be sure of was that the city's defenses must have been incredibly tight during those two days, yet this bald man had not revealed the slightest trace. This showed he was skilled at concealing his movements.

So what reason would he have for appearing on the street and randomly picking someone to find a new hiding place?

There was only one explanation: his previous hiding place had been exposed. Or rather, Zhu Weiwu had already discovered he was hiding in Fenglin City!

Perhaps this was where his chance lay...

But clearly, if this bald man was truly Xiong Wen, he would also be aware of this.

Therefore, he absolutely could not leave anything behind to alert Zhu Weiwu. Playing tricks under the nose of an Ascending Dragon Realm cultivator was undoubtedly seeking death.

Jiang Wang continued to think about where to go next.

He didn't dare to head towards the City Lord's Manor, nor did he dare to go into the Dao Academy. Without a doubt, those two places were his lifeline. But this bald man was definitely not a fool.

What kind of method could he possibly use?

He absolutely could not use his own strength to estimate the strength of an Ascending Dragon Realm cultivator. During the previous Tri-City Discourse, he had already witnessed Lin Zhenren's combat power. This Xiong Wen was definitely only stronger, not weaker.

Ideas came and went, each one being dismissed.

His thoughts were a tangled mess, and he almost despaired, but he couldn't afford to.

He suddenly remembered that he hadn't picked up An'an today. Would An'an go home by herself? Would she be scared?

Then he thought of the little girl named Qing Zhi, and the unfathomable old man named Gui.

Perhaps...

He quickly discarded these thoughts. He could never bring danger to Jiang An'an.

But thinking of An'an gave him strength.

"I have a friend..." Jiang Wang said with difficulty. "But I can't take you directly to where he's staying now. I can't harm him."

The bald man looked interested. "And then?"

"He has a courtyard in his clan's territory that he hasn't lived in for a long time. It's very quiet. No one will disturb us." Jiang Wang added cautiously, "But the problem is, his clan is quite strong. If we're not careful, there might be a little trouble."

"Oh? How strong?" There was a hint of unconcealed disdain in the bald man's voice. Local clans in the Fenglin City region were indeed not worth his attention.

"It's one of the three major clans here, the Fang family. They might have some, extraordinary power. I'm not entirely sure of the specific situation."

The friend Jiang Wang spoke of was, naturally, Fang Pengju. Throughout Fenglin City, within Jiang Wang's known range, apart from the City Lord's Manor and the Dao Academy, the only ones who might cause trouble for the Heart Swallowing Demon were the three major clans.

Among them, he had no grievances with the Zhang or Wang families. As for Fang Pengju, there was a deadly hatred between them, and Fang Heliang had been constantly entangled with him. He had also fallen out with Fang Zehou last time...

The most important point was that among the three major clans, he was indeed only familiar with the Fang family, and had only been to the Fang family's territory.

In the small courtyard within the Fang family territory he described, Fang Pengju had once shared drinks with him, and they had talked late into the night by candlelight.

Now, it was up to the bald man whether he would agree to this choice.

Concerning his own safety, the bald man pondered for a while before saying, "Lead the way."

A weight lifted from Jiang Wang's heart.

The first hurdle was cleared!