Chapter Forty-Six: I Want to Draw Too!

Jiang Yuan gazed at Nezha, who wore an adorably eager expression, his face bright with curiosity. For a moment, Jiang Yuan was speechless. Just moments before, Nezha had regarded him with open disdain, yet now his attitude had shifted entirely. Truly, he was the very picture of a mischievous child—capable of holding no real grudges, and able to forget even the sealing of his powers as easily as a passing cloud. This made Jiang Yuan all the more resentful toward those of the Chan Sect. In his previous life, Nezha would still have been a mere elementary school student at this age. He should have been carefree, his days filled with innocent play. Even now, though Nezha’s playfulness remained, the commotion he created was altogether too much.

In the end, Jiang Yuan chose to ignore Nezha, holding his cigarette between his fingers and continuing to exhale smoke into the air. Nezha, watching Jiang Yuan’s nonchalant demeanor, was filled with envy. Seeing that Jiang Yuan would not respond to him, Nezha huffed and grumbled in dissatisfaction, “Hey! I’m talking to you!”

Jiang Yuan, as if only just becoming aware, asked in confusion, “Who’s this ‘young master’ you speak of?”

Nezha pointed proudly at himself with his thumb. Jiang Yuan gave him a brief glance, then returned to ignoring him. Nezha’s earlier words had frightened Li Jing and his wife terribly; their child truly dared say anything, and even Lady Yin was beginning to regret spoiling Nezha so much—perhaps he simply hadn’t been disciplined enough.

But seeing that Jiang Yuan’s face showed no anger, the couple finally breathed a sigh of relief. In the past, Jiang Yuan would never have been so easygoing. After all, if he wished to accumulate his Tyrant Value, he had to act in ways befitting a tyrant—frightening Li Jing and his wife was almost inevitable. Though he still lacked Tyrant Value, now he preferred to earn it through battle, killing, and seizing treasures.

Li Jing, curious, asked, “May I ask where Your Majesty intends to go after leaving Chentang Pass?”

Jiang Yuan cast a cool glance at Li Jing, who instantly realized he may have overstepped. Inquiring so directly about the king’s whereabouts could easily make him seem suspicious!

“General Li, are you worried that I might do something untoward to Nezha?” Jiang Yuan asked casually.

Li Jing hurriedly bowed and replied, “Your Majesty, please do not be angry. I would never dare to question you.”

A cold system prompt rang out: “Intimidated Li Jing—this matches the behavior of a tyrant. Reward: 20 Tyrant Value points. Current Tyrant Value: 57.”

Jiang Yuan swore to himself that he hadn’t done this for the sake of Tyrant Value, but simply as a necessary tactic for an emperor. For generals like Li Jing, whom he rarely dealt with, it was essential to let them know his authority. After so many ups and downs in the lottery, Jiang Yuan now looked down on a mere twenty points.

“It matters not if I tell you, General Li,” Jiang Yuan replied with indifference. “I intend to journey to the eastern frontier to seek out Grand Preceptor Wen, and along the way, see for myself how the Wu and Gui tribes have been harassing our borders.”

“Your Majesty is wise,” Li Jing replied respectfully. “But with Grand Preceptor Wen at the eastern frontier, you may rest assured.”

He thought to himself that even if the Shang dynasty were truly to fall, the eastern frontier would never be the first to break. Wen Zhong’s cultivation was unmatched, his command of troops peerless, and he had served as a minister through several reigns. Before Jiang Yuan’s awakening, the Shang dynasty had been left with only half its strength, and it was Grand Preceptor Wen and his loyal ministers who held up the sky. In truth, it was King Zhou who had nearly torn down the entire dynasty; Wen Zhong had managed to hold back half the calamity.

If Jiang Yuan had not awakened, the ministers wouldn’t have lasted much longer. After all, this was King Zhou’s Shang dynasty.

Jiang Yuan gave Li Jing a meaningful look, surprised at just how high Wen Zhong’s prestige was within the realm. If Wen Zhong ever harbored even a hint of disloyalty, the entire Shang dynasty would be doomed, a consequence Jiang Yuan could not bear. This was not a matter of distrusting Wen Zhong, but a necessary consideration for the ruler of the world; every thought and action of his could affect the fate of the realm. Moreover, as the last Human Sovereign, if Jiang Yuan were to be overthrown by some sanctified scheme, the world would lose its Human Sovereign forever.

“My purpose in leaving the capital is to inspect all under heaven,” Jiang Yuan said calmly. “Now that I have come to Chentang Pass, it would be remiss of me not to visit the Grand Preceptor.”

As he finished speaking, he stubbed out his cigarette, rose from his seat, nodded coolly to Zhang Kui, and strode toward the door.

Zhang Kui also rose, glancing coldly at Nezha. “Come along, brat.”

“You’re the brat! I’m no brat!” Nezha retorted, indignant.

Ignoring him, Zhang Kui grabbed Nezha with one hand and followed after Jiang Yuan.

“Allow me to see Your Majesty off,” Li Jing said hurriedly.

Jiang Yuan gave a brief reply, and the party made their way to the gates of Chentang Pass.

“This is far enough, General Li,” Jiang Yuan said, waving a hand behind him. Then, as if remembering something, he took out another pack of cigarettes and handed it to Li Jing. “A small reward for you, General.”

Li Jing was momentarily baffled, but quickly accepted the pack with great respect. “My deepest thanks, Your Majesty!”

Zhang Kui eyed the cigarettes in Li Jing’s hand with envy. He hadn’t expected the king to be so generous—or perhaps, to hold General Li in such high esteem.

It seemed, he thought, that he ought to treat Nezha with more respect in the future. Even if Li Jing did not yet know the true value of the item he’d received, Zhang Kui's reaction made it plain enough: anything bestowed by the king was no ordinary thing.

Emboldened by a sudden surge of confidence, Li Jing opened the pack in front of Jiang Yuan. Inside he found several slender sticks, recalling what the king had smoked earlier and noticing Zhang Kui’s envious gaze. With a sudden flash of resolve, he took one out and offered it to Zhang Kui with a smile. “General Zhang, I’ll be relying on you to look after my young son in the days ahead.”

Zhang Kui, having experienced the benefits of the cigarette, could hardly refuse the offer. What man, after all, could resist its allure? Accepting the cigarette, his impression of Li Jing improved greatly, and he returned the smile. “You worry too much, General Li. We are both loyal subjects of the Shang dynasty; it is only right that I look after your son.”

With that, he no longer carried Nezha in his arms, but took the boy’s hand in his own.

Nezha was left dumbfounded—hadn’t this man treated him very differently just moments ago? Could these cigarettes truly be so powerful? His desire for one grew even stronger.

Jiang Yuan was also taken aback. Was Li Jing truly so naturally gifted? He already understood the art of making friends with cigarettes?

Zhang Kui produced a lighter from his pocket and smiled. “General Li, you probably don’t know how to use this.”

“I would be grateful for your guidance, General Zhang,” Li Jing replied earnestly. Part of him wished to curry favor, but more than anything, he was curious about the mysterious gift from the king.

With a snap, a small flame leapt from the lighter, and Li Jing’s expression mirrored the awe that Zhang Kui had once shown at the sight. Zhang Kui was pleased by the reaction. After lighting his own cigarette, he handed the lighter to Li Jing. “It must be lit with fire and then inhaled. During the process, it’s best not to use any magic, nor should the fire used be conjured by spells. Once you finish, you will understand the true value of the king’s gift.”

Li Jing imitated Zhang Kui, and though dizziness washed over him, he remembered the warning and endured it.

Jiang Yuan, now in no hurry to depart, was curious to see if the cigarette truly had no effect on anyone but himself.

At that moment, Nezha began to clamor again, whining, “I want one too! I want to smoke too!”