Chapter Fifty: The Hidden Quest!

“How far is it from here to the Eastern Barbarians’ border?” Jiang Yuan glanced at Zhang Kui and asked indifferently.

Zhang Kui’s face showed some difficulty as he replied, “This humble subject isn’t certain, but Chentang Pass isn’t too far from the border of the Eastern Barbarians. It shouldn’t be more than half a day’s journey.”

“Then I’ll keep heading east,” Jiang Yuan decided.

“Will Your Majesty use this magical treasure to travel?” Zhang Kui eyed the Lamborghini with some confusion.

Jiang Yuan nodded calmly.

“I’ve already confirmed something: this treasure won’t have any adverse effects on me. And it’s not as if there’s no price to pay—whatever the cost, it’s something I can bear.”

“Yes, then this subject will continue to use the Earthwalking technique,” Zhang Kui said.

Jiang Yuan shook his head and replied casually, “General Zhang, there’s no need for you to use the Earthwalking technique. Earlier, I simply wanted to test the speed of this treasure. This time, let’s proceed at a normal pace.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Zhang Kui said gratefully.

If they’d kept up Nezha’s inhuman speed for half a day, he’d likely have exhausted his magic and collapsed from fatigue.

Zhang Kui once more summoned his one-horned Black Mist Beast and mounted it.

Jiang Yuan, meanwhile, picked Nezha up and said coolly, “Let me drive.”

Nezha widened his eyes, pouted, and tried to act cute. “I promise to drive more slowly this time, can’t you let me play a little longer?”

“No,” Jiang Yuan refused coldly.

“Fine, I won’t drive. It’s not such a big deal!” Nezha huffed, knowing that once Jiang Yuan refused, there was no negotiating. He might as well show some backbone.

Seeing this, Jiang Yuan smiled silently to himself. Does this little one think I can’t handle him?

He once again relegated Nezha to the passenger seat and started the Lamborghini. This time, the car, as if sensing Jiang Yuan’s intention, automatically closed the sunroof, forming a sealed space. On one hand, he did this for Nezha, who was now mortal—a child could easily catch cold in the wind, however slight the chance. On the other hand, Jiang Yuan wanted to speak to Nezha, and the wind would make it hard to hear.

“Nezha, what kind of person do you think your master, the Immortal Taiyi, is?” Jiang Yuan asked, seemingly at random.

“My master? Of course he’s a good person. He taught me so much and gave me so many treasures. Other than my mother, he’s probably the best to me in this world,” Nezha replied after some thought.

Jiang Yuan shook his head and smiled bitterly. Children can only discern the surface; how could they truly tell good from evil?

“So, does that mean you think your father, Li Jing, is a bad person?” Jiang Yuan teased.

“My father… I suppose he’s not really a bad person? Even though he often beats me,” Nezha pouted in mild protest, but his eyes held no resentment.

“Why? Your father never smiles at you, rarely encourages you, and spends more time hitting you than teaching. Why do you think he’s a good person, or at least not a bad one?” Jiang Yuan pressed, a faint smile on his lips.

Nezha pondered seriously at first, then, unable to find an answer, waved his hand impatiently. “Why ask so many questions? He’s my father. What father would be bad to his own son?”

“So you know he means well, yet you still get into trouble and anger him?” Jiang Yuan raised an eyebrow.

“I just can’t control myself. There’s this power inside me with nowhere to go, so I end up causing mischief,” Nezha said aggrievedly.

This startled Jiang Yuan. Nezha had a power within him that he couldn’t control?

“When did this start?” Jiang Yuan asked with a frown.

“After my master sent me down the mountain. Back in the Golden Light Cavern, I behaved just fine!” Nezha answered straightforwardly.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan had a rough idea. It must be that the Immortal Taiyi had meddled, leaving Nezha restless and needing an outlet for his power.

“If I told you the Immortal Taiyi was a bad person who’s been using you all along, would you believe me?” Jiang Yuan’s gaze was complicated as he looked at Nezha.

“How could that be? My master treats me much better than my father. He puts up with everything. How could he be bad?” Nezha replied, incredulous.

“Then do you know why, as soon as you came down the mountain, you started causing so much trouble?”

The more Nezha resisted, the more Jiang Yuan was convinced. The Immortal Taiyi must have been manipulating Nezha, hoping he’d one day cause trouble for him. After all, who would be so good to someone for no reason? Even between master and disciple, there are limits.

“It’s probably just my nature,” Nezha refused to suspect his master.

“Your master, the Immortal Taiyi, is one of the Twelve Golden Immortals under the Sage Yuanshi Tianzun. If he were as simple as you imagine, would he have attained that rank?” Jiang Yuan hinted darkly.

“Enough, enough! You’re only saying this because my master doesn’t like you. There’s no need to sow discord between us,” Nezha said, displeased.

Since Nezha was unwilling, Jiang Yuan let it go, not wanting to provoke resentment—especially as he still had designs to win Nezha over.

“Then what about me? Do you think I’m a good man or a bad man?” Jiang Yuan changed the subject.

“You? Well, before you started saying bad things about my master, I thought you were pretty good,” Nezha grinned.

“Just because I let you drive?”

“That’s part of it. Also, you could have found an excuse to kill me, but you didn’t. You only sealed my powers, and while I’m mortal you haven’t mistreated me. You don’t seem like a tyrant at all,” Nezha analyzed confidently.

“So you see, even your master can make mistakes,” Jiang Yuan continued his subtle campaign against the Immortal Taiyi.

“There you go again!” Nezha frowned, clearly annoyed.

“Alright, I’ll stop,” Jiang Yuan ceded.

“What do you think of General Zhang Kui over there?” Jiang Yuan asked.

“Him? He’s even more honest than my father, definitely a stick in the mud,” Nezha replied with interest.

“Good man or bad man?”

“To me, not a good man—he sealed my powers,” Nezha grumbled, holding a grudge.

“Do you like this magical treasure?” Jiang Yuan shifted the conversation again, finding amusement in teasing Nezha.

“Which one?”

“The one you’re sitting in now,” Jiang Yuan replied lightly.

“What’s the point of liking it? It’s yours, not mine,” Nezha said with some resentment.

“I could give it to you,” Jiang Yuan said with a trace of a smile.

“Really? You really would?” Nezha’s eyes lit up.

“I’ll give it to you in the future,” Jiang Yuan struggled not to laugh.

“Alright! When I grow up, you’ll give me this treasure!” Nezha exclaimed excitedly.

“Fine.”

“Do you promise?”

“I’m the Human Sovereign.”

“So what? Plenty of kings lie.”

“What do you want, then?”

“Pinky swear! When I grow up, this treasure will be mine!”

“Childish.”

“Hurry, hurry!” Nezha insisted.

“But you have to promise me one thing in return,” Jiang Yuan suddenly said.

“What is it?”

“When you’re strong enough, don’t attack my Great Shang.”

“But my master…”

“Then you don’t get the treasure.”

“Fine, fine, I promise,” Nezha nodded quickly.

“Then let’s make the promise,” Jiang Yuan smiled.

“Didn’t you just call that childish?” Nezha protested.

“Who says the Human Sovereign can’t be childish?” Jiang Yuan retorted.

“…So it’s settled—this treasure will be mine in the future?” Nezha asked, still a bit uncertain.

“It’s yours,” Jiang Yuan replied patiently.

“What if you lie to me?”

“Didn’t we make a pinky swear?”

“Heh, true,” Nezha grinned, all innocence.

“What’s this treasure called?” Nezha asked.

“Lamborghini.”

“Lambor-what?”

“Lamborghini.”

“Lambo-what?”

“…,” Jiang Yuan realized the kid was just playing with him and ignored him.

“Hahaha, I was teasing you. Lamborghini, got it!” Nezha laughed.

Jiang Yuan was somewhat helpless, but also warmed. This straightforward child brought him rare joy and helped him momentarily forget the pressure of standing against the Sages.

After a while, Nezha pestered Jiang Yuan again, “If you want me to follow you in the future, what should I call you? I don’t want to call you ‘Your Majesty’ like the others.”

“You could call me King Zhou,” Jiang Yuan replied indifferently.

“No, that sounds disrespectful,” Nezha objected.

“I don’t mind.”

“I do! Pick another,” Nezha insisted.

“Do you want to be my disciple?” Jiang Yuan offered.

“I already have a master. Should I call you Second Master?” Nezha asked.

“I don’t like the number two.”

“Then think of something else,” Nezha pouted, not questioning further.

Jiang Yuan actually fell into thought. He truly felt a fondness for Nezha—perhaps because Nezha had been his idol in a past life, or maybe because, in these troubled times, he genuinely liked and even envied Nezha’s brash, unrestrained nature.

“From now on, you can call me Old Jiang,” Jiang Yuan said with a smile.

“What’s Old Jiang? Old Ginger? Are you trying to say ginger gets spicier with age? That you’re clever and experienced?” Nezha asked, puzzled.

“Just call me that. But only in private, when it’s just the two of us. Can you keep this secret for me?” Jiang Yuan asked.

This was the first time he’d revealed a secret to someone—though not the whole truth. Nezha probably didn’t notice anything amiss, not even realizing it was Jiang Yuan’s surname.

He’d hardly ever referred to himself as “the lonely one” with Nezha—perhaps out of genuine affection.

Jiang Yuan’s intention was, if he ever suddenly disappeared from this world, he’d want to leave some trace behind. Nezha was undoubtedly the perfect choice.

“No problem, I’ll give you face in front of others,” Nezha declared, full of righteous loyalty.

“Good.”

“Old Ginger, I think you’re pretty nice,” Nezha said, looking at him.

“Better than your master?” Jiang Yuan asked, a hint of jealousy in his tone.

“Still not quite,” Nezha wasn’t swayed.

“Ding! Hidden mission activated: Completely win over Nezha. Mission reward: 1000 Tyrant Points! No time limit!”

The system’s voice suddenly rang out.