Jiang Tang was once celebrated as a genius, but his remarkable abilities eventually turned him into a resource that powerful organizations wanted to control. After escaping that role, he enters a world filled with cultivators, factions, and larger-than-life figures who all seem determined to define him before he can define himself. Some see a future ruler, others a dangerous rival, and still others simply a useful worker. Jiang, however, insists that he wants an ordinary life. The problem is that every new encounter makes that ordinary future harder to reach—and reveals more about why his abilities matter.
Chapter 31: Little Great-Uncle
Han Yanying not only fixed her gaze on Jiang Tang but also enveloped him with her spiritual sense. Yet she could detect not the slightest abnormality, which left her thoroughly perplexed. So many people present claimed Jiang Tang had struck, yet he insisted he hadn’t—and she herself could see no signs that he had struck. It was utterly contradictory! “With Senior Sister Han’s cultivation level, you’ll surely be able to clear my name,” Jiang Tang said with a faint smile. “Oh? Why are you so certain of that, Junior Brother Jiang?” Han Yanying also smiled faintly, then added, “I wasn’t there at the time, yet the junior brothers present all unanimously believe you were the one who struck.” “You don’t need to know,” Jiang Tang replied with a touch of sarcasm in his smile, his words growing harsher: “Senior Sister, just have them produce the evidence. Whether they actually injured a fellow disciple or are making false accusations, they should be disciplined according to the sect’s rules.” “Junior Brother Jiang, you’re not only good-looking, but you’re also quite the smooth talker!” Han Yanying’s expression had already darkened! “Aren’t I just taking a cue from Junior Sister Lian’er?” Jiang Tang, however, acted as if he hadn’t noticed, continuing, “It’s just a shame I’m a bit darker-skinned!” “How could I not be dark-skinned?” Some disciples who were there to watch the spectacle looked at the group of men with grim expressions. While they were secretly amused, they also felt deeply embarrassed by Jiang Tang’s utterly unrestrained remarks! Han Yanying was, after all, a Golden Core cultivator. Although she had only recently broken through, at the tender age of forty, she was indeed a standout among the younger generation—the senior sister whom all the female disciples of the Immortal Herb Pavilion revered and admired. Jiang Tang, a mere Foundation Establishment novice, actually had the audacity to speak to Han Yanying like that—he must have been completely out of his mind! “Take Junior Brother Cai inside to rest. The rest of you, don’t linger here gawking. Today is the day of the Grand Competition—go about your business.” With that, Han Yanying turned and walked away, her face still cold. “That kid’s done for. Since Senior Sister Han didn’t punish him, she’ll definitely remember this grudge!” “Yeah, it’s true the sect has its rules—Senior Sister Han can’t lay a hand on him—but once he steps outside the mountain gates, that kid probably won’t even know how he died!” Ignoring all this nonsense, Jiang Tang walked straight to the stone stele across the way. Strangely enough, the disciples lined up along the way instinctively made way for him, allowing him to register without a hitch. “He’s crazy! He just insulted a disciple from the Immortal Herb Pavilion, and now he dares to enter the herb identification competition? Isn’t he just asking for humiliation?” “Ah, just youthful recklessness!” “You know what? If he didn’t have some real skill, who’d dare be so arrogant? Who knows, heh heh…” Spectators have always feared not that a matter is too big, but that it’s too small! No matter which side wins, they can gloat over the other’s misfortune—but for the Immortal Herb Pavilion, this is nothing short of a public humiliation! “How outrageous! Uncle Han, that Jiang Tang actually dares to challenge our Pavilion to a herbal identification contest,” exclaimed a female disciple behind Han Yanying angrily. “Do as you see fit.” Han Yanying said, preparing to enter the gates of the Immortal Herb Pavilion’s estate. But just before stepping through, she paused, turned to look at the exquisite doll floating beside the gate, and then followed the doll’s gaze toward Jiang Tang behind it, her brows involuntarily furrowing. “Your junior disciple, Han Yanying, greets you, Junior Uncle,” Han Yanying said, suddenly bowing. As soon as these words left her mouth, the female disciples behind her all shuddered and looked at the doll in astonishment. In Xian Zong, one’s seniority is set in stone from the moment one becomes a disciple. Even if a disciple’s cultivation reaches the same level as their master’s—or even surpasses it—that merely signifies they have graduated from apprenticeship; the master has nothing left to teach, and the disciple must rely entirely on their own efforts for further cultivation. Han Yanying’s master, however, was not the Head of the Immortal Herb Pavilion, but rather a peak Xuan Zhen-level cultivator from the Jade Spirit Palace—an ancient veteran who had lived for over a thousand years. The reason these disciples addressed her as “senior sister” was solely because her cultivation was insufficient at the time, forcing her to remain a nominal disciple under the Head of the Immortal Herb Pavilion. Now that she had formed her Golden Core, she had formally joined the Jade Spirit Palace half a year ago; yet very few low-level disciples were aware of this. The few female disciples standing behind Han Yanying, however, were all well aware of this fact. Consequently, upon hearing Han Yanying address a doll in such a manner, their minds were thrown into a whirlwind of shock! “The Junior Great-Uncle of the Jade Spirit Palace is a man, right? But this doll—could it be… that Junior Great-Uncle from the Cloud Heaven Palace?” As this thought crossed their minds, the female disciples immediately bowed before the doll with even greater reverence and admiration than they had shown toward Han Yanying. The exquisite doll merely cast a faint glance their way, then raised its small hand slightly, as if signaling that such formalities were unnecessary. Han Yanying, who clearly knew a bit about this Junior Great-Uncle, stood up straight and continued, “Is Junior Great-Uncle waiting for the Pavilion Master’s elixirs?” The doll shook its head, lifted the tiny storage pouch in its hand—which was as exquisite as a silk pouch—and then put it away, still without speaking. Han Yanying fell silent for a moment, then followed the doll’s gaze to Jiang Tang, who had walked up to the ethereal stele. When she looked away, she took a deep breath and asked the doll, “Junior Master, do you know that disciple?” “Mm-hmm.” Seeing that the puppet not only nodded but also uttered a sound left Han Yanying stunned for a while. “Don’t give him a hard time.” After uttering those words, the doll floated toward Jiang Tang. Han Yanying felt as if she were in a dream, murmuring, “Five words! And yet, all told, she actually spoke six!” Back when Han Yanying hadn’t yet interacted with this Junior Master, she’d heard that the Junior Master never spoke more than five words in an entire year! After spending time with her not long ago, Han Yanying had dismissed this rumor, as she felt it was greatly exaggerated; in the half-year they’d been together, she hadn’t once heard her junior master speak! “Who exactly is this Jiang Tang?” Han Yanying watched as her junior master drifted behind Jiang Tang, her astonishment growing. “All we know is that he’s a new disciple at Black Reef Island,” said one of the female disciples. “Sigh, no matter who he is, it’s none of our business. You’d best not get into any trouble with him, and definitely don’t spread the word about what happened earlier.” After Han Yanying spoke, several female disciples hurriedly nodded in agreement. Before the Illusory Stele, Jiang Tang gazed at a plant on the stele that bore a striking resemblance to an orchid. Stroking his chin, he said, “Mind-Capturing Orchid.” As soon as he spoke, the orchid-like plant on the thick, dark-green Illusory Stele instantly dissipated. Like a scene from a painted formation diagram, the dissipating radiance coalesced at the top of the stele, transforming the character for “two” into “three.” With no formation to obscure the herbal identification process, everyone could clearly see and hear all of Jiang Tang’s movements and words. Unlike setting up or breaking formations, herbal identification does not require much mental effort and is not easily disrupted; keen eyesight alone is sufficient. “Dongmi Fungus. Wasteland Reef Dried Herb. Broken Jade Red. Xuanming Three-Leaf. Hundred-Thread Seven-Color Sunflower. Bi Luo Heavenly Melody. Qingyou Orchid. Emerald Clam Lapis Lazuli…” As Jiang Tang continued to answer, the number displayed atop the Illusory Stele soared rapidly; in less than a quarter of an hour, it had already surpassed one hundred. “What’s going on?” Since Jiang Tang’s earlier actions had already ruffled quite a few feathers and drawn even more onlookers, by the time he began the herb identification contest, a crowd of no fewer than a hundred had gathered behind him! Everyone had originally come to watch the spectacle, but they never expected it might actually turn into a major drama! However, this was exactly the kind of spectacle the Immortal Herb Pavilion did not want to see! Although the female disciples by Han Yanying’s side were hesitant to intervene due to the presence of the puppet, the others weren’t so restrained. Upon hearing that Jiang Tang from Black Reef Island—the very same person who had bullied their junior sister Lian’er—was actually trying to outshine them and humiliate them during the herb identification competition, the remaining Immortal Herb Pavilion disciples thought, “How can this be tolerated?” “Go! Everyone, step in! If there aren’t enough Illusory Steles, persuade all the Outer Hall disciples to withdraw and give the Illusory Steles to our Inner Hall disciples.” The Immortal Herb Pavilion disciples could no longer sit idly by. Once they joined the fray, the rankings on the Mystic Light Board above the gates of the Immortal Herb Pavilion estate began to change rapidly. Like a 100-meter dash, the intense back-and-forth competition had the other disciples on the edge of their seats. “Now this is getting interesting. If the Immortal Herb Pavilion can’t even beat a single new disciple from Black Reef Island, well… heh heh!” “Wow, Jiang Tang’s familiarity with plants is simply mind-boggling! At first glance, there’s no visible difference between the Heart-Capturing Orchid and the Azure-Shade Orchid—you can only tell them apart by their scent. But the Illusory Stele doesn’t emit any scent at all. How did he determine which one it was?” “If you don’t know, don’t make a fool of yourself. The Heart-Capturing Orchid’s rhizome grows straight down into the ground, while the Azure-Shade Orchid grows horizontally. Jiang Tang’s true skill lies in his speed—he’s so fast that by the time we’ve even identified the spiritual herbs inside the stele, he’s already given the answer!” Just as this disciple said, Jiang Tang’s identification speed had reached an unimaginable level; he could identify every spiritual herb at a glance. “Damn it!” A disciple from the Immortal Herb Pavilion watched as the “316” at the top of the stone stele dissipated into thin air—he was so frustrated he felt like he was going to spit blood! And he, it seemed, heralded the beginning! At first, the disciples of the Immortal Herb Pavilion didn’t take it seriously—it was just speed, after all. Who among them couldn’t match that? But after the contest, driven by their competitive spirit, they lost their composure. They had only one thought: to surpass Jiang Tang, to get ahead of him, to leave him far behind, and then to humiliate him! But in doing so, one impatient disciple made a single misstep—and in an instant, all their hard work went down the drain! On the Xuan Guang Rankings, the names of the Immortal Herb Pavilion disciples were still climbing rapidly, though their numbers dwindled with each step. Meanwhile, Jiang Tang never faltered and had already broken into the top 100! A result achieved in less than half an hour took others an entire day and night to verify! “Don’t panic. Once we break the 1,000-mark, the herbs that appear will require not only naming but also identifying their properties, age, and even their place of origin. That’s where we’ll defeat him!” “To defeat you—got that?” Jiang Tang sneered inwardly. “I’ve consumed more rare treasures than all their ancestors combined over eighteen generations. Defeating me? How naive!” Qiong Sang sneered repeatedly, but even as he chatted casually, he didn’t forget to provide Jiang Tang with the answers. “Fire-Devouring Grass—highly toxic; must not be ingested directly unless afflicted by fire poison. When combined with Broken Jade Red, it can be used to refine a third-tier Cold-Fire Pill…” After Qiong Sang finished his explanation, just as Jiang Tang was dictating his answers to the Illusory Stele, he suddenly said, “Your wife’s been watching you for a full hour.” Jiang Tang ignored him and asked, “What about this one?” After Qiong Sang quickly explained, he added, “With her talent, given time, she’s bound to become the leader of Xian Zong. If she really does become your wife, tell me—do you think she’d lead the Xian Zong’s elite to Nikuang Mountain to seek justice for you?” “It’s a good idea, but it’s too late. If she can’t break through by the time she’s thirty, she’ll have to marry into Nikuang Mountain. If she does break through, she’ll be the most outstanding genius Nikuang Mountain has ever seen, marrying into our family. No matter how this bet turns out, it has nothing to do with me now. As for the future, although I don’t want her to be a widow, there’s nothing I can do—that’s just fate.” Jiang Tang couldn’t quite put his feelings for Yu Chang into words. The moment he saw her portrait, his heart skipped a beat, and he felt a joy so profound he couldn’t even have imagined it in his wildest dreams. But if it weren’t for her, Jiang Tang would likely still be training relentlessly on Nikuang Mountain, and his family—who had cared for him so devotedly in this life—would all still be alive and well!
