Chapter Ninety-Three: Belief is Human Speech
If Su Xiuxing hadn't been there today, Hu Shaomeng would have probably seized the Azure Cloud Goat and fled thousands of miles.
So even though his words were arrogant and offensive, Jiang Chen didn't plan to do anything about it.
Of course, the fact that he hadn't yet opened the Gate of Heaven and Earth and mastered that A-rank Fire Element escape technique, meaning he might not be able to catch Su Xiuxing who was born an assassin, was also one of the reasons...
Jiang Chen held the Azure Cloud Goat and turned around, seeing Zhu Biqiong's red-rimmed eyes.
"You owe me a favor," Zhu Biqiong said directly.
She was just such a girl who couldn't hide her emotions. Being able to wait until Xi Zichu left before speaking was already rare. Jiang Chen certainly didn't feel uncomfortable, and it was even more impossible for him to deny it.
At that time, without her help, Su Xiuxing alone wouldn't have been able to stop Hu Shaomeng.
"What do you want?" Jiang Chen asked.
"Help me kill Hu Shaomeng!" Zhu Biqiong said through gritted teeth. "My sister was harmed by him."
Jiang Chen casually condensed wood qi, using Green Vine to wrap and secure the Azure Cloud Goat, then placed it in his robe.
"Dugu Xiao!"
He called over the small one: "Didn't you want to follow me and work? The mine is temporarily in your charge. You handle the related aftermath and calm the miners' emotions. Have Manager Hu cooperate with you."
Then he said to Zhang Hai: "Regarding matters involving the extraordinary, you handle them. If you can't, wait until I return."
Having said only these two things, he turned around with his sword.
The great battle had just subsided, and this was exactly the time to sort through the gains and digest the acquisitions. Everything else should be placed afterward.
But whether it was attacking the Pig-Bone Masked One outside the mine or intercepting Hu Shaomeng in front of the mine shaft, Zhu Biqiong had made sacrifices. One could say she had risked her life.
The favor was also something Jiang Chen himself had promised.
Now that she was making a request, there was no room for negotiation—it had to be fulfilled.
"You're leaving right now?" Zhu Biqiong asked urgently. "I'll go with you."
"Killing matters—you following along would only slow me down. Stay here at the mine. The great battle has just ended, and hearts are bound to be unsettled. Zhang Hai might not be able to handle it alone. You staying here is what helps me."
Jiang Chen glanced meaningfully toward Xiang Qian, then took the Mirage Pearl from Zhu Biqiong and continued: "I'll bring back Hu Shaomeng's head for you."
Under the Pig-Bone Masked One's power of gluttony, Zhang Hai had been completely powerless to resist, able only to cling to whatever he could grab, enduring bitterly. Yet it was this dispirited and useless Xiang Qian who had stood firm like rooted earth in that violent tearing force.
He had indeed hidden himself well usually, but in that situation he could no longer conceal it. Of course, it hadn't escaped Jiang Chen's eyes that were constantly monitoring the battlefield.
But Xiang Qian was only hiding his strength; he hadn't shown any other intentions or schemes. Everyone had their own secrets, and Jiang Chen wasn't the kind of person who couldn't tolerate others having secrets.
That glance was both a reminder and a warning.
...
Running along the official road, stirring up dust like a dragon.
Jiang Chen moved swiftly while using Mourning.
Having just fought a battle, Hu Shaomeng had left too many traces.
The Trace-Seeking Grass lowered its head, as if in mourning. If this technique were developed to its utmost, it might be able to directly trace a person or event with an impression in memory, without needing other clues.
Now, limited by the grade of the Dao-Performance Platform, it couldn't be advanced to a higher level.
The direction the Trace-Seeking Grass pointed was Green Goat Town.
This aligned with Jiang Chen's own deduction.
From Hu Shaomeng's perspective, Jiang Chen had already taken the Azure Cloud Goat and secured the final harvest—there was no reason to continue chasing Hu Shaomeng.
Moreover, Xi Zichu would soon arrive at the mine, and there would be a battle between the two.
Whether recovering in Green Goat Town or packing up wealth and resources to prepare for a family relocation, during this period he should be safe.
The dilapidated official road was soon traversed. Having come here once before, Jiang Chen knew the way and headed straight for the Hu residence.
Several carriages were parked outside the gate, with many servants busily coming and going, carrying items.
Having offended both the Chongxuan family and the Xi family, unless he kowtowed and begged for forgiveness, there would be no staying in the State of Yang, much less any future in the State of Qi. Judging by the Hu family's appearance, they should already be preparing to relocate the entire family to the Near Sea Islands.
Jiang Chen didn't bother with these people. He walked directly into the courtyard with his sword.
"I'm here for Hu Shaomeng. Life and death will be decided by him. Bystanders, stay away."
The awe ordinary people felt for extraordinary cultivators was already deeply rooted. Seeing Jiang Chen's fierce approach, no one dared to speak back. They all dropped what they were carrying and fled like refugees.
The courtyard emptied.
Only a slightly obese old man remained, slumped on the steps before the main hall. His eyes were vacant, and compared to the last time they met, he had aged incomprehensibly.
Only when everyone had run off did he seem to realize it.
He looked up blankly at Jiang Chen approaching with killing intent, but didn't say a word, as if already stupid with shock.
"Where is Hu Shaomeng?" Jiang Chen asked him.
"Jiang Chen! You've taken the Azure Cloud Goat, and you've severed my finger. Even if I'd offended you a thousand times over, this should settle the debt!" Hu Shaomeng's furious voice came from the room on the right. He stormed out, his severed finger hastily bandaged: "What more do you want?"
This statement seemed reasonable, but was actually laughable.
Grudges and entanglements were never so simply canceled out. There was no principle in this world where you could start trouble and then be the one to define the scope of consequences.
Jiang Chen said nothing more. His long sword unsheathed, and he moved forward.
Cold light flashed like lightning. Hu Shaomeng's entire body was instantly shredded by sword qi.
Jiang Chen raised his sword and looked around. On the ground there was no flesh or blood—this was just an illusion.
Hu Shaomeng had hidden himself!
Where was he?
Jiang Chen suddenly turned.
Ten steps to the right of where Hu Shaomeng had previously stood, Hu Shaomeng appeared there.
His face was flushed, as if seething with anger: "Jiang Chen! Things shouldn't be done to the extreme, and people shouldn't be pushed to the absolute limit. Do you really think my Angling Sea Pavilion is easy to bully?"
Jiang Chen still said nothing. A single sword swept across, shattering another illusion.
This time, Hu Shaomeng appeared on the other side.
This time with a different tone: "You've already taken all the benefits. Why must you be so ruthless? Heaven leaves a path; human affairs cycle around."
Such lifelike illusions, appearing one after another, flickering left and right—this wasn't something a Heaven-Piercing realm cultivator should be capable of. It far exceeded the strength he had shown.
Jiang Chen couldn't sense Hu Shaomeng's true body at all.
Mourning pointing to this courtyard was its limit; it couldn't track a more specific location. Under these circumstances, it was useless.
But no matter what, with such powerful Illusory Art, he could have simply left openly. So why was he still here talking so much?
Was it because he couldn't bear to leave his father and family, or... because he couldn't leave?
Jiang Chen gripped Eternal Longing.
He had come alone to hunt down Hu Shaomeng, rejecting Zhu Biqiong's company—naturally he had his own assurances.
Although his Illusory Art ability was vastly inferior to cultivators from the Angling Sea Pavilion,as vast as the gap between clouds and mud。
But Illusory Art wasn't an all-powerful technique.
It had one core, most direct weakness—the person casting the illusion themselves!
Jiang Chen swung his sword upward.
His body surged like a hurricane, his sword weaving like a silver serpent.
Sword qi roared, sword wind surged.
In three breaths, he slashed through every corner of the room!