319: Chapter 319 Old Grudges Remain Deeply Sinking - The Truth Awaits Unveiling

But now he was too lazy to get to the bottom of things, only thinking of taking the opportunity to grab some real benefits. There were three tasks listed openly in this place, and just looking at them was enough to make one worry.

The first: Pick an Exquisite Immortal Flower. That thing rarely appears once in a hundred years; finding one depends entirely on luck, so cross that off directly.

The second: Expand territory and establish a nation. Currently, the Bada Kingdom is deeply entrenched, with constant factional struggles in the imperial court and unextinguished beacon fires at the borders. Just clearing up the old accounts would cost half a life. Building a kingdom sounds majestic, but in reality, it's stepping on landmines at every turn; one slight slip and it's eternal damnation. Jiang Chen didn't even lift an eyelid as he turned and bypassed it.

The third: Find the Tianxing Guardian!

This one was to his taste—no fighting, no taxes, no reviewing memorials; just find the person and that's it.

Jiang Chen's heart brightened, finally understanding why this place was empty: it turned out the gatekeeper had long since lost contact, and they were waiting for someone like him to fill the gap. Why refuse a job delivered to his doorstep? He immediately set off, with Huang Pipi following closely behind. The two walked down the stone steps—the task scroll clearly stated: the last guardian disappeared right beneath the mountain gate of the Tianxing Sect.

At this time, inside the main hall of the Tianxing Sect, the candlelight flickered, and the Council of Elders sat in a circle. The elder who had just been guarding the tenth floor was now sitting at the head, saying coldly, "Do you all truly not trust this old man?"

There was a moment of silence around; some shook their heads, others sighed: "We don't trust you."

The elder slammed the table and stood up, his beard and hair bristling: "Since you don't believe me, yet you insist on gossiping just to make things difficult for me? Every single thing I promised has been settled! That is all I have to say, farewell!"

Before his voice faded, he had already vanished into a wisp of green smoke. The elders in the hall looked at each other with dry throats—this matter felt eerie; the more they thought about it, the more terrified they became. They didn't say it out loud, but the same thought churned in their hearts: If they really couldn't hold on... would they all be finished here?

After all, the Prophet had already made an ironclad assertion: That person is both the savior of the world and the blade that destroys it. Success or failure all depends on whether he can find the guardian!

If found, the world's life is extended; if not, the mountains and rivers will collapse!

But no one could figure out why Jiang Chen was worthy of bearing such a heavy burden. They only clenched their fists again and again, gritting their teeth and asking in their hearts: Can this path really be traversed?

On the other side, Tianqi City stood majestically, one of the four great powers in the world. The final clue pointed to by the scroll was right here. Jiang Chen decided that if he wanted to find the guardian, this would be the first stop.

Huang Pipi looked up at the towering city gates and suddenly froze, his voice trembling: "I really didn't expect... that I'd be able to step through these city gates again in this lifetime!"

Jiang Chen glanced at him: "Are you familiar with it?"

"More than familiar!" Huang Pipi grinned, but his eyes turned red. "This is where my family's ancestral home is! Back then, we were framed and forced to leave our hometown, wandering everywhere... Who would have thought that after all those twists and turns, the descendants would actually return!"

Jiang Chen saw him suppressing a sob and felt a slight stir in his heart, but only patted his shoulder: "Don't be afraid. Even if the sky falls, I'll be in front to hold it up."

Huang Pipi looked up in surprise. Jiang Chen's gaze was burning as he said word by word: "Remember this—I am your master. Just trust me, and that's enough."

Huang Pipi's eyes grew hot, and he nodded heavily: "I trust you! Of course I trust you! You are my master!"

"Good!" Jiang Chen laughed heartily. "Since master and apprentice are of one mind, let's skip the nonsense—come, let's take back the face the Huang Family lost, piece by piece!"

Huang Pipi was stunned: "Ah?"

Jiang Chen's eyes suddenly became sharp: "Need you even ask? The humiliation your clan suffered when you were expelled, I will personally reclaim it today! If I can't even handle such a small matter, would I still be worthy of being your master? I might as well chop off these hands and roll back to the mountain gullies to farm!"

"Don't do that, Master! You must never say that about yourself!" He blurted out in panic, his voice changing pitch. "You will always be my master. What does 'face' matter? If it really comes down to it, my father would never want me to force a show of status in a hellish place like this."

"Oh?" After hearing this, the corners of Jiang Chen's mouth curled into a smile devoid of warmth. "Since you've put it that way—then keep your eyes wide open and see exactly what you will encounter in this Tianqi City."

Huang Pipi actually had no idea what was going to happen next; he just felt that this man's gaze, tone, and even breathing rhythm were all wrong, so strange it made his spine tingle. He didn't bother trying to guess and simply tensed his nerves, staring fixedly at his surroundings.

Tianqi City was a city mixed with dozens of ancient families, deeply entrenched with surging undercurrents. The industries those families were involved in were so varied it was jaw-dropping—for instance, the gold-devouring dens that made outsiders shake their heads, and the dark market transactions that couldn't see the light of day. By common logic, thousand-year-old families like theirs should have drawn a clear line from such filthy dealings. But reality was unreasonable: the city was rotting, the people were falling, and the rules had long been trampled into the mud. Nowadays, even the accountants of brothels took on the work of body collection teams, let alone those assassin shops disguised as merchant houses or poison workshops hanging pharmacy signs... It was no exaggeration to say that as long as it was a business you could think of, it was all here; and even for those you couldn't think of, they could still fleece you three layers deep. Tianqi City was such a living hell that could swallow a conscience and spit out blood!

But as Huang Pipi walked along, the further he went, the more things felt off—Jiang Chen wasn't wandering aimlessly at all; his steps were steady and his direction clear, heading straight for a certain place. He finally couldn't hold back and asked in a low voice: "This... where are we going?"

Jiang Chen turned his head: "What do you mean?"

He gritted his teeth and just spoke plainly: "We're heading for the Golden Armor Sect, aren't we? The path is almost worn down by our footprints!"

Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow slightly: "You recognize the Golden Armor Sect?"

"How could I not!" Huang Pipi's voice suddenly tightened, a fire rising in his eyes. "My ancestors were swept out of the house by them! I once came here secretly, and now stepping onto this territory again—it's still that same stench!"

Jiang Chen only said calmly: "I brought you here, firstly, to let you see for yourself what is churning beneath this city; and secondly... to let you see clearly, your father."

"Your father?!" Huang Pipi's whole body shook, and his brain buzzed. He squinted his eyes, trying desperately to make things out, but Jiang Chen remained silent, simply leading him to stop outside the Golden Armor Sect. He raised his hand and made a gesture, and a pale green barrier spread silently, wrapping the two of them into the night.

It was now near the hour of the rat, and the cold was bone-chilling. Although Huang Pipi was full of suspicion, he didn't dare move recklessly. He stayed honestly at the edge of the barrier, holding his breath and concentrating, waiting for Jiang Chen's next move.

After waiting for a full dozen breaths, the top of the wall suddenly shook, and a figure was violently thrown out, crashing heavily onto the blue brick ground. Huang Pipi's pupils shrank—that person with a round face and fat body was precisely his father, Huang Sihai!

He instinctively took a step forward, but his wrist was grabbed by Jiang Chen. He turned his head sharply: "Why are you stopping me?!"

Jiang Chen's voice was low and cold: "Don't you want to know why he would be kneeling at the threshold of the Golden Armor Sect?"

Huang Pipi had already clenched his fists, his nails sinking into his palms, but these words were like a bucket of ice water poured over his head. He forced himself to stop, his Adam's apple bobbing twice as he said hoarsely: "Fine... I trust you. Our Huang Family and the Golden Armor Sect have had no contact for over a decade. I want to see with my own eyes exactly how my father fell into this mud pit!"