Chapter 71: Master Jiangyuan!

The Grand Preceptor felt a surge of relief when Jiang Yuan finally spoke. With the king’s words, the most authoritative step had been taken, and he couldn’t help but curse his subordinates inwardly for their lack of subtlety. Especially that brute Erlai! Was there nothing but pig brains beneath that thick skull? Couldn’t he think for himself at all?

He had made it abundantly clear that he intended to pardon his beloved disciple, and yet not a single word in support had come forth! “Since His Majesty has pleaded for this rebellious disciple, and considering there are indeed extenuating circumstances, I shall spare him this once,” Wen Zhong announced with a smile. Then he turned to Yu Qing, whose body was covered in wounds, and scolded, “Let these lashes serve as a lesson. If you ever transgress again, there will be no mercy. Do you understand?”

“I obey, Master,” Yu Qing replied, somewhat resigned. He was far from satisfied with this outcome—now he would have to die slowly, tormented by the curse, watching his body waste away with nothing to be done about it. Execution by military law would have been preferable.

After so many years of teaching Yu Qing, Wen Zhong naturally understood what was on the young man’s mind. Although he had now advanced to the realm of the Golden Immortal, even he could do nothing against such a sinister curse. He could only turn to the king for help. He could not bear to see his favorite disciple perish, especially after having so gravely misjudged him. Guilt lingered in his heart.

Yet, as the commander of the army, he could not show favoritism. The closer someone was to him, the more he had to draw a clear line between public and private affairs—there could be no sheltering of kin.

“Does Your Majesty still have any of those miraculous elixirs you gave me before?” Wen Zhong asked, looking at Jiang Yuan. He showed no hesitation or politeness, not even bothering to propose an exchange.

Jiang Yuan sighed inwardly at the question. It seemed that no matter how much he tried to act aloof, in the end everything still depended on him. “I do, of course,” he replied calmly. He didn’t forget to cough lightly a couple of times to make his frailty apparent—after all, an actor must never break character, no matter the occasion.

“Really?” Wen Zhong asked, delight lighting up his face.

“When have I ever deceived you, Grand Preceptor?” Jiang Yuan raised his eyebrows.

“If my memory serves, when Your Majesty was a boy, you often tricked me to avoid your lessons. At the time, I almost believed you were made of dung, you had to relieve yourself so frequently,” Wen Zhong teased.

“Let’s not dredge up such ancient history for amusement,” Jiang Yuan waved his hand dismissively. Damn, that was close. He nearly slipped up—so even as a child, this King Zhou had been the master of the artful escape. The all-time champion of the “dung dodge”?

Wen Zhong merely chuckled and did not press further into Jiang Yuan’s past. No matter how high a king rises, he was once just a mortal man.

Jiang Yuan hurriedly handed over a Supreme Exorcism Pill to Wen Zhong, his heart aching at the cost. That had been hard-earned Tyrant’s Merit! “Have Yu Qing take this pill; it will dispel the curse. However, I can’t guarantee it will heal his other wounds,” Jiang Yuan reminded him.

As Wen Zhong looked at Jiang Yuan, he realized that the king truly seemed changed. He’d always been generous, but to so readily give away such a precious elixir was unprecedented. Wen Zhong had expected to bargain for it, but Jiang Yuan had handed it over without hesitation—an elixir even he, with all his power, could not produce, capable of countering a Wuzu curse.

“Is Your Majesty truly willing to bestow such a wondrous elixir upon someone with whom you are barely acquainted?” Wen Zhong asked, surprised.

Jiang Yuan glanced at Yu Qing.

Name: Yu Qing
Position: Shang Dynasty General, Disciple of Wen Zhong
Realm: Celestial Adept
Possessions: Falling Leaf Azure Blade, Thirteen-Segment Bone Whip
Cultivation Techniques: Five Elements Escape
Mount: Cloud-stepping Horse
Loyalty: 100
Affection: 100
Tyrant’s Merit Gain: 100

Seeing all those hundreds, Jiang Yuan felt rather satisfied. It seemed the Grand Preceptor had done a fine job instilling the right values. True, a hundred points of Tyrant’s Merit was not much—only because Yu Qing’s rank and status in the Shang Dynasty were low. Otherwise, with those levels of loyalty and affection, the merit would have been much greater.

The use of a Supreme Exorcism Pill was not a loss—he trusted the Grand Preceptor’s judgment, and Yu Qing’s talent should be considerable. After all, the Grand Preceptor was a master of divine sight. Speaking of which, Jiang Yuan’s thoughts drifted to another formidable warrior: Erlang, Lord of True Justice, Yang Jian.

He wondered whether, at this point, Yang Jian had already been discovered. He sincerely hoped West Qi had not yet recruited him, for Yang Jian would become even more troublesome than Nezha in the future—a nephew of the future Jade Emperor himself.

Back before Jiang Yuan’s transmigration, the name of Erlang, Lord of True Justice, was known to every household.

If only he could recruit Yang Jian before West Qi did! This thought filled Jiang Yuan with longing. That would secure the greatest fighting force of the future Heavenly Court. It seemed he truly had reason to make a trip to West Qi—not only to gather intelligence on their true strength but, at the very least, to disrupt their plans for rebellion.

He had no intention of letting them scheme in peace.

“Perhaps in the Grand Preceptor’s eyes, Yu Qing is guilty, but to me, Yu Qing is a meritorious hero—half of the Grand Preceptor’s life was saved by this young man,” Jiang Yuan said with a smile.

Then, gathering his energy, he looked at the assembled generals, ready to speak.

Forgive me, but I must take the stage once more, Jiang Yuan thought with a sly smile.

“Warriors of the realm, I have something to say to you all. You are the pillars of Shang, the heroes of humanity. You guard our borders, defend the peace of our people, and year after year endure the loneliness and despair of endless war. Even I cannot help but admire you!

“Today, it is not only the Grand Preceptor’s disciple who suffers under a curse. If any one of you, even an ordinary soldier, were cursed, I would not hesitate to give you this Supreme Exorcism Pill as well!

“Because you are worthy of any miraculous elixir!”

Jiang Yuan’s voice rang out with impassioned fervor. When he finished, he leaned weakly on Zhang Kui for support—he was, after all, supposed to be in a debilitated state.

Every soldier present was stirred to their core, faces shining with pride. They were the heroes of humankind—even the king admired them! Some were so moved they wept openly.

Jiang Yuan hadn’t expected his own charisma to be so overwhelming. Perhaps he should give such speeches more often—it would both unite the troops and bolster his prestige.

Most importantly, it cost him no Tyrant’s Merit at all! The system could not take advantage of this.

“Long live the King! May Shang endure for ten thousand generations!” the soldiers cried out in unison, their voices thunderous, utterly shaken by Jiang Yuan’s stirring words.

Jiang Yuan feigned a tired wave of his hand, inwardly quite pleased—what a pity he’d never become a motivational speaker in his past life.

“I am weary. Help me back to rest,” Jiang Yuan said, exhausted.

That would be enough grandstanding for today.