Chapter 4: Could the Human Sovereign Be Practicing Demonic Cultivation?
Jiang Li understood what was going on. The Jiang family wanted to use his reputation as a banner, but they didn’t dare to fabricate a close relationship with him directly. Instead, they chose to imply it subtly.
“You mentioned earlier that the missing children were related to the Human Sovereign. What do you mean by that?”
The middle-aged man’s smile faded as he became serious. He didn’t want to discuss further with Jiang Li and even released his Golden Core Stage pressure to deter him. In his eyes, Jiang Li was just a small-time Qi Refining Stage cultivator.
As a senior in the Golden Core Stage, it was necessary to make this young one back off—this matter was far too dangerous.
“You shouldn’t talk about this. It’s too dangerous for you!”
To his surprise, Jiang Li controlled his power to the Peak Nascent Soul Stage and released his own pressure in return.
“I’d like to see just how dangerous it could be.”
“You… Nascent Soul Stage…?”
This situation was clearly related to Jiang Li, and the middle-aged man had some misunderstandings about him. If Jiang Li revealed his true identity, the man would only become more wary and refuse to speak. Thus, he chose to disguise himself as a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator—not overwhelmingly strong, but enough to intimidate the man.
The middle-aged man immediately bowed in respect. “So you’re actually a Nascent Soul Stage senior… I, Yuan Wuxing, failed to recognize a true expert.”
Cold sweat dripped down Yuan Wuxing’s back. Who would’ve thought that the young man he had randomly tried to dissuade on the roadside was actually a Nascent Soul Stage powerhouse? He looked young, but he could very well be an old monster who had lived for hundreds of years. Although his previous actions hadn’t been disrespectful, if this senior happened to be petty, he’d be doomed.
In Yuan Wuxing’s eyes, Nascent Soul Stage cultivators were already terrifying existences. There were only a handful in Qing City, and even the City Lord himself was only at the Early Nascent Soul Stage.
“Alright, I don’t blame you,” Jiang Li said casually as he withdrew his pressure. “Now, can you tell me about the missing children?”
Yuan Wuxing hesitated, then gritted his teeth and said, “Senior, can you swear an oath to the heavens that this matter will not be spread?”
Cultivation followed the Heavenly Dao, and making an oath to the heavens was no trivial matter. Most cultivators believed that breaking such an oath would lead to the punishment described within it.
Jiang Li didn’t hesitate. He raised two fingers and solemnly declared, “I swear to the heavens that what Yuan Wuxing tells me next will not reach a third person. If I break this oath, let me be punished by the Immortal Ascension Tribulation!”
Yuan Wuxing was deeply moved. This was a serious punishment—if Jiang Li broke his oath, he would be struck by the Immortal Ascension Tribulation, which would mean certain death for a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator.
Of course, what Yuan Wuxing didn’t know was that Jiang Li wished for more opportunities to undergo the Immortal Ascension Tribulation.
“Senior, please, come to my humble home.”
Yuan Wuxing invited Jiang Li back to his residence, skillfully set up multiple formations, and, after some hesitation, even crushed a precious spiritual jade to activate a formation that not even Nascent Soul Stage cultivators could penetrate.
After brewing a pot of his finest tea, he poured a cup for Jiang Li and another for himself.
“This matter begins ten years ago,” Yuan Wuxing started. “Back then, I was already at the Peak Golden Core Stage, only a thin membrane away from breaking through to the Nascent Soul Stage. But after twenty years of effort, I had no clue how to advance. So, I came to Qing City in search of inspiration for my breakthrough.”
“The moment I arrived, I noticed children had gone missing. I like helping people, so I tried to assist in the search. But as I investigated, I realized the situation was far worse than it seemed—it was horrifying. This wasn’t just a recent phenomenon. For over two hundred years, babies under one year old had been disappearing regularly, not just in Qing City, but in surrounding cities as well!”
“And then I discovered that these disappearances coincided with the Jiang family’s ancestral worship ceremonies. The more frequently they performed the rites, the more children went missing. So I investigated further and confirmed it—the Jiang family was behind it!”
“I once eavesdropped on a conversation between the Jiang Family Head and the City Lord. The Jiang family had been colluding with generations of Qing City’s lords to cover up the disappearances. At first, the city authorities pretended to search for the missing children, but in the last two years, they stopped even pretending. They simply claimed they were ‘short on manpower’ and refused to look!”
“Bastards!” Yuan Wuxing’s hands trembled with rage, and he crushed his teacup in his grip.
“The Jiang family has the Human Sovereign behind them. If I exposed this recklessly, it wouldn’t be them who suffered—it would be me!”
“We need solid evidence. If we can reveal undeniable proof to the public, even if the Human Sovereign himself intervenes, he won’t be able to silence the outcry!”
Jiang Li remained silent for a moment before asking, “What does the Jiang family want with these infants?”
“That…” Yuan Wuxing hesitated. “…I don’t know. Maybe they’re using them to forge artifacts.”
Jiang Li fixed his gaze on Yuan Wuxing, his voice turning sharp. “You’re lying. What are you afraid of?”
Yuan Wuxing broke into a cold sweat. “Senior… This matter cannot be spoken of. Anyone who talks about it… dies!”
Jiang Li took out a jade command token from his storage ring. On one side, the characters for “Dao Sect” were engraved, while on the other, a rotating Taiji symbol shimmered faintly. The jade piece was seamless, as if shaped by nature itself rather than carved by human hands.
“What about now?”
Yuan Wuxing’s eyes widened in disbelief. His lips trembled as he stared at the token—half out of fear, half out of excitement.
“The Dao Sect Command Token! You’re a Dao Sect Envoy?!”
The Dao Sect Command Token carried the same authority as the Dao Sect Master himself. Only two types of people possessed it—Tribulation Stage Cultivators or Dao Sect Envoys—and it was said that there were no more than five in existence.
That meant this Nascent Soul Stage senior was not an old monster but rather a young genius who had reached Nascent Soul Stage at only twenty-something!
Jiang Li nodded. “I do not change my name in life or death. I am Zhang Li, Dao Sect’s current Envoy.”
He had made up a name and identity on the spot, but given his relationship with the Dao Sect Master, he wouldn’t be blamed for it.
“You’re a Dao Sect Envoy… and I actually made you swear an oath… This… this…”
Yuan Wuxing was overwhelmed. Dao Sect Envoys were practically confirmed as future Dao Sect Masters, destined to become top-tier cultivators. The Dao Sect was one of the oldest sects, predating even the Human Sovereign Hall, and was one of the few forces unafraid of the Human Sovereign.
Of course, that was only if one didn’t count this Human Sovereign—Jiang Li—the strongest in history.
Now that a Dao Sect Envoy was involved, their chances of taking down the Jiang family had significantly increased!
Yuan Wuxing had to recite a Tranquility Mantra multiple times just to calm himself.
“I didn’t dare say it before because I feared implicating you, Senior Zhang. If the Human Sovereign found out, he’d erase us both. But now… since you are the Dao Sect Envoy, you might not fear him.”
Yuan Wuxing’s voice dropped to a whisper.
“The Human Sovereign… might be practicing Demonic Cultivation!”
After saying this, he anxiously observed Jiang Li’s reaction, expecting shock or horror.
Instead, Jiang Li looked utterly unconcerned—he even seemed slightly amused.