Chapter Twenty-Four: Arrival at Echeng!

After Jiang Yuan led his army away, Bai Ze’s figure once again appeared at the same spot. This time, however, he was not alone; Ji Meng and the tailless Snake Fence, who had left Jin Heng Peak earlier, were with him.

Upon arriving, Ji Meng addressed Snake Fence with a nonchalant tone, “Go amuse yourself somewhere, but don’t wander too far.”

“Huh?” Snake Fence looked baffled.

What did he mean by that? Amuse myself? I’m not a child, and besides, I’m an injured party—my tail is still broken. Are you really my father?

Ji Meng recalled Snake Fence’s earlier escapade that nearly ruined him, and irritation rose in his chest. He snapped impatiently, “Just go as I say. Why so many questions?”

Snake Fence walked away sulkily, muttering to himself that he hadn’t even said much.

Bai Ze observed this scene with a faint smile. “It seems Ji Meng the Demon Sage truly has only this one offspring; your parenting skills are quite inexperienced.”

Ji Meng replied with ill humor, “If I had another son, Snake Fence wouldn’t be so comfortable showing up here now.”

The greater the demon, the harder it was to produce offspring. Ji Meng thus cared deeply for Snake Fence.

“If you have any questions, Demon Sage Ji Meng, speak plainly. Whatever Bai can answer, I will do so without reservation,” Bai Ze said calmly, watching Snake Fence depart.

He knew Ji Meng had deliberately sent Snake Fence away for a reason.

Ji Meng smiled helplessly. “You always seem to know what others want to say and do.”

Bai Ze merely smiled, neither affirming nor denying it.

“Why didn’t you let me kill the King of Zhou at Jin Heng Peak?” Ji Meng asked, his expression serious.

Earlier at Jin Heng Peak, Ji Meng had clearly harbored murderous intent toward Jiang Yuan. If Bai Ze hadn’t intervened in secret, Jiang Yuan would already be dead.

“His calamity does not lie here,” Bai Ze replied coolly.

“You always talk to me about fate and heavenly secrets. Damn it, I don’t understand any of that. Can’t you be more straightforward?” Ji Meng frowned.

“Aren’t you afraid of death?” Bai Ze looked at Ji Meng, his gaze calm.

“Even if I kill him, I might not die,” Ji Meng retorted with a cold snort, clearly dismissive of the consequences of slaying Jiang Yuan and incurring heavenly retribution.

“You think that with Sage Nuwa backing you, you can act without restraint? True, you have some connection with Nuwa, but that doesn’t mean she values you highly. It’s like your attitude toward the snake tribe—when necessary, you can abandon them without hesitation,” Bai Ze said slowly.

“Even without Nuwa, do you think I can’t bear it myself?” Ji Meng was still unconvinced.

Bai Ze shook his head calmly. “That remains to be seen. Just now at Jin Heng Peak, you might not have succeeded in killing him.”

“Ridiculous! I, a Demon Sage at the Golden Immortal realm, how can you think I’d fail to kill a Celestial King? Is it because of his son at the True Immortal realm and the fully accomplished Zhang Kui?”

“I would have stopped you,” Bai Ze said, his eyes lifting to meet Ji Meng’s.

Since you won’t listen to reason, I have no obligation to be courteous.

“Or do you think you could easily deal with me? If you’d acted then, it wouldn’t have been the Human Sovereign who died—it would have been you.”

“You would kill me over a human king?” Ji Meng sounded as though he had heard something utterly unbelievable.

“Rather than let you earn the Human Sovereign’s hatred and drag the whole demon race down, it’s better I take matters into my own hands,” Bai Ze replied without denying his words.

Ji Meng broke out in a cold sweat. He knew that although he and Bai Ze were both regarded as the Ten Great Demon Sages, that was ages ago, and so much had changed since. Each had their own opportunities, and their realms and powers were vastly different now. He had improved, but only modestly.

Bai Ze, however, had always been the most mysterious among the Ten Sages. If it came down to true strength, Ji Meng was no match for him.

Now, Bai Ze before him was like an unfathomable abyss.

His only point of equality was the shared title of Demon Sage.

“What did you see in the King of Zhou?” Ji Meng asked with a furrowed brow.

“What I saw is not for you to know. You need only remember my warning—or, to be precise, my admonition,” Bai Ze replied serenely.

Ji Meng was silent for a long time, then sighed and said helplessly, “Very well. From now on, I’ll stay out of such matters as best I can. I thought by doing this, I might earn some favor from Sage Nuwa, but it seems I was foolishly wishful.”

“You’d best act accordingly. Sages’ schemes are far from simple. What they seek is not merely the fall of the Shang dynasty—they desire a land where no Human Sovereign remains. Only then can they rest easy,” Bai Ze revealed some inside information.

“Can you tell me how far you’ve come now?” Ji Meng looked at Bai Ze earnestly.

Bai Ze smiled, did not answer directly, but raised his gaze to the sky.

Ji Meng instantly understood and, without further hesitation, turned to leave.

He had decided to seclude himself for a time and teach Snake Fence properly. Whatever happened in the world henceforth, he would avoid involvement if he could.

After all this, he had gained nothing, made an enemy of the Human Sovereign, nearly lost his life, and perhaps even Sage Nuwa would be displeased with him.

What a mess—how is it that nothing goes his way?

After Ji Meng departed, Bai Ze once more looked up at the cloud-shrouded northern sky, his eyes resolute as he murmured, “To become a Sage…”

Yes, Bai Ze had seen in Jiang Yuan the opportunity for his own sanctification.

At that moment, Jiang Yuan was utterly unaware of how important he was to Bai Ze. He and his “Heavenly Soldiers and Generals” had already reached the edge of the Southern Sea.

The Southern Sea Water Tribe made their home by the sea. Riding his Violet Jade Qilin, Jiang Yuan appeared outside the city of Echeng, which belonged to the Southern Marquis E Chongyu.

The land outside Echeng was visibly parched; Jiang Yuan could imagine the people’s years of failed harvests. How many Shang subjects had starved because their crops yielded nothing!

Though he aimed to be a tyrant, he understood that these Shang people were the foundation of his rule. The Southern Sea Water Tribe’s refusal to bring rain had crossed Jiang Yuan’s bottom line.

Jiang Yuan waited before Echeng with a grave expression. E Chongyu, upon hearing that Jiang Yuan had arrived, hastily opened the city gates and rushed out to welcome him.

Yin Jiao seemed displeased by this scene and requested, “Father, I wish to survey the Southern Sea.”

“Go ahead,” Jiang Yuan replied offhandedly.

He was confident in Yin Jiao’s abilities; though he couldn’t act freely in the Southern Sea, he could certainly protect himself.

Yin Jiao’s face brightened, and he sped away toward the sea.

“Your Majesty, shall I accompany the Crown Prince?” Zhang Kui asked worriedly.

After all, Yin Jiao was the future of Shang, and vital to its fate.

“No need.” Jiang Yuan answered indifferently.

He thought, If you go to protect Yin Jiao, who will protect me?

E Chongyu led his followers to kneel before Jiang Yuan, anxiously saying, “I am late to receive Your Majesty’s arrival; please punish me!”

According to Marquis Tiger’s letter from the north, the King was nothing like the rumors; even Marquis Tiger had suffered greatly at his hands!

“Rise,” Jiang Yuan said casually, looking at E Chongyu.

Character: E Chongyu

Title: Southern Marquis of Shang (Commander of Two Hundred Southern Lords)

Realm: True Immortal

Possessions: Staff of Life’s Myriad Transformations, Tablet of Tenfold Ocean Reversal

Cultivation Method: Water Canon of Purity

Mount: Verdant Deer

Loyalty: 70

Favor: 60

Tyrant Value Obtainable: 800