156: Chapter 156 The Great Competition Between Good and Demon (Part 10)

Zhong Jiang's body recovered even faster than Su Yixiao's.

Back to being whole with all limbs intact, Zhong Jiang immediately thanked the City Lord of Dan City, then picked up his spear and prepared to leave.

Chen Xuanfeng called out to stop him.

"Weapons share the same principles. I have some insights that might help you achieve a Breakthrough in your spear path. Why not stay and we can discuss how to Cultivate together?"

Chen Xuanfeng felt that too many people from the Righteous Path had died, and as the Manifestation True Lord, he felt a bit embarrassed. Seeing that Zhong Jiang had some talent, he thought that perhaps a little guidance could help him secure one of the final hundred spots, which is why he spoke up to keep him.

He thought it was a sure thing, but he noticed a clear look of struggle on Zhong Jiang's Face, which Chen Xuanfeng found strange.

"What is it? Is there some difficulty?"

Thinking of his cousin who insisted on watching him practice his spear every moment, Zhong Jiang gave a wry smile. "Fellow Daoist Chen, could you allow me to inform him first?"

Chen Xuanfeng frowned. This was making it seem as if he were begging Zhong Jiang to stay.

Seeing Chen Xuanfeng frown, Zhong Jiang quickly added, "My cousin has always been worried about me participating in the Righteous and Demonic Grand Competition and insists on watching me practice my spear to ensure I have more self-preservation ability. Letting him know will put his mind at ease, so he knows I haven't been wasting time while out."

Chen Xuanfeng understood and waved his hand, telling Zhong Jiang to do as he pleased.

Zhong Ziqi received the paper crane message from Zhong Jiang and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

"Chen Xuanfeng? How could Zhong Jiang possibly attract Chen Xuanfeng to take the initiative to befriend him?"

A look of jealousy flashed in his eyes, and then his pupils suddenly constricted.

"Could it be..."

"No! I must quickly send a message back to Father and have them ask my dear aunt who the villain was that defiled her all those years ago!"

Zhong Ziqi's eyes flickered intensely. "If it really is..."

He kept stroking the paper crane in his hand, his expression shifting between bright and gloomy.

"What a pity. Why did I only realize this now? If it had been earlier... Alas, fate is cruel. Zhong Jiang, you cannot be left alive!"

"No rush. I still need to secure the spot for the Soul Stone Secret Realm. Since Chen Xuanfeng is willing to help Zhong Jiang improve, that is a good thing."

Zhong Ziqi took out a paper crane, sent a secret voice transmission, and watched as it flapped its wings and flew away as if it had a spirit of its own.

At Duobao Tower, Zhong Jiang received the paper crane, listened to its contents, and felt relieved to know that his cousin agreed to let him stay at Duobao Tower to Cultivate with Fellow Daoist Chen.

Chen Xuanfeng had known the outcome all along.

That Zhong Ziqi was such a schemer; he would go to great lengths to build connections even when there was no relation. The fact that he didn't rush over now that there was an opportunity was actually quite surprising!

In fact, if not for his suspicions about Zhong Jiang's identity, Zhong Ziqi would certainly have tried to climb up and associate himself with them.

But now, with this shadow hanging over him, Zhong Ziqi worried that his youth and lack of experience would prevent him from covering things up well enough, potentially letting Chen Xuanfeng and his family discover the truth, which would spell the end for the Zhong Family.

That was why Zhong Ziqi held back.

Furthermore, he had loftier goals, so he wasn't as concerned about befriending Cultivators from the Southern Wilderness Continent.

At the foot of the mountain of the Yun Shang Sect, there was a city formed by the gathering of people, named Yun Shang City.

The City Lord of Yun Shang City was Zhong Ziqi's grandfather, and his father was the Young City Lord of Yun Shang City, who was currently gradually consolidating the City Lord's power in preparation for taking over.

One day, the communication talisman in Father Zhong's space ring, which was linked to his proudest son, lit up. Thinking something had happened, he immediately put down his work and went to his study alone.

He had many guesses in his heart: perhaps Zhong Jiang had failed, died, and they needed to find another way to secure a spot for the Soul Stone Secret Realm; perhaps Zhong Jiang didn't intend to follow orders and hand over the spot; or perhaps Zhong Jiang was getting cold feet and didn't want to go on stage...

With all these thoughts, after listening to the message and learning what his son was worried about, Father Zhong finally set his mind at ease.

Thinking about his son's worries, Father Zhong shook his head, his eyes full of coldness.

He wanted to immediately send a message to his son to reassure him that Zhong Jiang's father could absolutely not be that upstart, Luo Yunkai!

However, his movements paused just as his spiritual power touched the communication talisman and was about to engrave his words into it, and his spiritual power dissipated.

A faint sigh echoed in the study.

"How should I tell Ziqi? Should I say that his aunt was defiled by a villain, became pregnant, which caused his uncle to die of anger, and in the end, she couldn't take the blow and lost her mind—that all of this was actually a lie I made up to cover up the truth?"

"The truth is that his aunt, my sister-in-law, was schemed against by me, her brother-in-law, back then. I made her have an affair with a Mortal beggar who had accidentally wandered into the Secret Realm."

"I lured his uncle there to happen upon the scene of his Dao Companion being defiled. He appeared to have died from anger and heart failure, but in reality, he was poisoned. His aunt, seeing her husband dead, killed the beggar who defiled her in a rage, and then she went mad herself."

"I cannot tell Ziqi this. I cannot let him know that his father is a ruthless person who would scheme against his own brother and sister-in-law."

Father Zhong shook his head. He still wanted to maintain a glorious and great image in his son's heart.

But how was he going to tell his son?

Stroking his chin, Father Zhong smiled and patted his forehead.

"I must have lost my mind. Isn't Zhong Jiang's background the greatest piece of evidence?"

"Back then, my sister-in-law couldn't handle the shock and went mad, falling into the cold pool in the Secret Realm. Although she was fine, the fetus in her womb was frozen there and then."

"It wasn't until twenty-eight years ago, when her spiritual power began to circulate on its own, that the years of ice were thawed, and Zhong Jiang was born."

"In reality, my sister-in-law had conceived this child over fifty years ago."

"As for the child's father, he was killed by my sister-in-law with her own hands back then."

"At that time, Luo Yunkai hadn't even reached the Cultivation World yet; he was still wandering in the Mortal realm. It was impossible for him to have appeared in the Secret Realm, so how could he possibly be Zhong Jiang's father!"

"That's right, I'll just tell Ziqi that. It won't affect the image I have in his heart, and it will allow him to use Zhong Jiang without worry."

Father Zhong organized his thoughts, then narrated everything clearly, finally telling Zhong Ziqi that he could use Zhong Jiang with peace of mind and didn't need to worry about his identity.

Zhong Ziqi didn't expect to receive a message from his father within a single day.

Had Father investigated and found the results so quickly?

After listening, Zhong Ziqi's eyes flickered, and his fingers tapped his thigh unconsciously.

"I fear that Father had a hand in the matter of my aunt and uncle; otherwise, he wouldn't know the details so clearly."

"Since Zhong Jiang has no relation to Luo Yunkai, it's not impossible to keep him around. Once I leave, the Zhong Family will need someone to hold down the fort. Zhong Jiang feels he owes the Zhong Family, so I doubt he will refuse. He will be a suitable tool."

Zhong Jiang had absolutely no idea that in such a short time, his life had already been on the line.

At this moment, he was immersed in the insights brought to him by Chen Xuanfeng's Sword Qi.

"Sword Qi is Qi, and it is also Momentum. If the heart has a sword, the sword has momentum, and thus, when the sword is drawn, there is Sword Qi!"

"Sword Qi is formless, but the heart has form!"

"With no sword in hand, even grass and trees can serve as a sword!"

Zhong Jiang slowly put down the spear in his hand.

This was the first time in over twenty years, since he chose the spear as his weapon, that he had put it down while Cultivating.

Putting it down did not mean giving it up!

In his heart, Zhong Jiang sculpted the image of the spear.

Carving it into shape, bit by bit.

He was as familiar with his spear as he was with his own hands and feet.

Every pattern on the spear shaft, every sharp edge...

On Zhong Jiang's body, a domineering and chilling spear momentum was slowly gathering.

At this moment, he was the spear, and the spear was him!

The person and the spear had become one!

Chen Xuanfeng watched Zhong Jiang, his eyes full of admiration, as well as confidence in himself.

"It seems I have a knack for teaching others how to Cultivate!"