The Demon-Slaying Grandmaster

Chapter 185 Dragon Palace of Jieshou Lake

Zhen Yingjia also had a temper and pride, and the old man saw that Li Jingxiao was indifferent to him.

Consider Li Jingxiao's attitude towards Zhen family's son-in-law, Prince Bei Jing, Shui Rong, and Prince Dongping, Mu Shi, at their wedding; it was clear he was unwilling to be close to them.

Enraged, Zhen Yingjia simply went home and ignored Jia Zhu's matter.

Li Jingxiao couldn't be happier for this old bastard to get lost. Just because the Dowager Consort in the palace is the foster mother of the Emperor Emeritus, he thinks the Zhen family is so great.

Little did they know that a new emperor brings a new court.

Furthermore, while marrying into a family with a king of a different surname may seem like a way to consolidate connections and power, it is actually extremely short-sighted.

It is still the root of the trouble.

Moreover, the Zhen family's deficits were indeed related to the retired emperor.

But ultimately, that money was only possible because of the Emperor Emeritus's favor; that's how your family amassed so much wealth.

Therefore, for the new emperor, any deficits can be repaid slowly.

But if you try to renege on your promise, that's your mistake.

As darkness gradually fell, Li Jingxiao, who was meditating, suddenly had a thought.

I felt someone calling me from afar.

Li Jingxiao knew his cultivation level was already quite high, so the fact that he had this feeling meant that someone was casting a spell to lure him to meet them.

After thinking for a moment, he took out the 'Wu Yue Sword', got up, and went out.

He leaped more than ten meters, landed on the eaves, and then flew more than twenty meters again.

The many servants and young men of the Jia family watched in disbelief as Li Jingxiao, holding a long sword, suddenly flew out of the mansion, sparking another round of heated discussion.

Li Jingxiao sped along and soon reached the river embankment on the south bank of the Yangtze River.

Then a splash rose from the river, and a huge old turtle emerged from the water.

He swam to the riverbank and transformed into an old man.

He bowed and said, "Greetings, young master. I am the Grand Steward of the Dragon Palace of Jieshou Lake."

By order of the Dragon King, I invite you, young master, to the Dragon Palace for a banquet.

Moreover, in my First Lake Dragon Palace, there is an ancient person who asked me to convey a message to you.

Li Jingxiao nodded, guessing in his heart that this person should be Jia Zhu.

The old tortoise continued, "That young master said that since the physical body has been destroyed, there are very few places in the world where one can find refuge."

Moreover, he is doing well in the Dragon Palace and does not wish to return to the mortal world.

Upon hearing this, Li Jingxiao's heart skipped a beat, and then he sighed.

No wonder we couldn't find Jia Zhu. We never imagined that not only was he really dead, but his body was also destroyed by the fish and shrimp.

He should be in a divine soul state now, staying in that Dragon Palace.

After thinking about it, I finally realized where Jieshou Lake was.

He asked the old tortoise, "The Jieshou Lake that the chief steward mentioned, is it the 'Jin Lake' from the former Song Dynasty and the other four large lakes?"

And many small lakes gradually converged to form the present-day Gaoyou Lake?

The old tortoise nodded in surprise and said with a smile, "Young master, you are indeed a Taoist master and a great general who commands thousands of troops, which is why you are so familiar with and knowledgeable about the terrain."

Ten days ago, my Dragon King went to a banquet at my in-laws' house in Pengze Lake.

After lingering for several days, on my way back the day before yesterday, I unexpectedly encountered a sunken ship at the bottom of the river near Zhenjiang Prefecture.

Upon inspection, it was discovered that the ghost of the Jia family's young master was huddled inside the sunken ship, with a talisman protecting him.

After the Dragon King saved Young Master Jia, he intended to use a secret medicine to bring him back to life.

Unexpectedly, three or four days after the ship sank, Young Master Jia's body had already been eaten away by fish and shrimp, leaving only a skeleton.

They could only take his soul back to the Dragon Palace of Jieshou Lake.

Unexpectedly, my third young lady fell in love with Young Master Jia at first sight and begged the Dragon King to bestow a divine medicine to stabilize Young Master Jia's soul.

Young Master Jia was deeply grateful for the great kindness shown to my third young lady, and since he had lost his physical body and could not return to the human world, he stayed in the Dragon Palace as her son-in-law.

Today I heard that tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians are searching for Young Master Jia along both banks of the Yangtze River.

To avoid misunderstandings and wasting public resources, my Dragon King and Young Master Jia sent this old man to explain the situation to the Duke.

"Now, Your Excellency, please come to the Dragon Palace for a banquet."

Li Jingxiao only believed half of what he said, but he did believe that Jia Zhu should now truly only have his soul left.

This is too easy to investigate; there's really no need to lie.

As for whether this guy willingly stayed in the Dragon Palace as a son-in-law or was forced to stay at Jieshou Lake, we'll have to see Jia Zhu first to find out.

Li Jingxiao even listed the Dragon King of Jieshou Lake as one of the suspects in Jia Zhu's death.

Nodding to the old tortoise, he flashed into the air.

Once the direction was clear, a loud "whoosh" was followed by a sonic boom that echoed through the air.

It flew straight towards Yangzhou.

The old tortoise's expression changed drastically upon seeing this.

Unexpectedly, this Duke was far more formidable than Young Master Jia had described.

This speed is incredible, even surpassing that of our own Dragon King.

Even the three Dragon Kings of Pengze Lake, Dongting Lake, and Honghu Lake cannot outrun this Duke.

The old turtle quickly transformed back into its true form and swam rapidly eastward.

Unfortunately, no matter how fast this old turtle is, its swimming speed in the water is at most 100 kilometers per hour.

Although it only took two hours to travel from Nanjing to Yangzhou and then back to Jieshou Lake along the Grand Canal.

But Li Jingxiao saw Gaoyou Lake in less than ten minutes.

Before the Sui Dynasty, there were already canals in the Central Plains.

Although Emperor Yang of Sui was a failure as emperor, he was even ranked among the top three incompetent and tyrannical rulers.

But the fact that it connected the major north-south transportation artery is an achievement that no one can deny.

Of course, for the people of the Sui Dynasty, digging the canal was a waste of resources and manpower, and countless people died.

However, the 4000-li Grand Canal played a vital role in the entire history of China.

It brought suffering to the people of this era, but benefited future generations.

As the Grand Canal connected the north and south, water from the Yangtze River, the Huai River and Hongze Lake continuously flowed into Gaoyou Lake. Eventually, the five large lakes and many small lakes merged to form the present-day Gaoyou Lake.

Therefore, Li Jingxiao did not actually believe that the Dragon King in Jieshou Lake was a real dragon.

It might not even be a dragon.

Moreover, during the Song Dynasty, Jieshou Lake was also called Jin Lake.

From the Song Dynasty to the Zhou Dynasty, it was only three or four hundred years.

If we consider the period from the end of the Southern Song Dynasty, it has been less than three hundred years.

It's highly likely that a demon who has achieved mastery of cultivation has taken over Jieshou Lake and is calling himself the Dragon King.

Li Jingxiao was therefore certain that the Dragon King of Jieshou Lake was not very powerful.

Perhaps their lifespan is even shorter than that of Hu Xian'er and Liu Cuitong.

Of course, it cannot be ruled out that this prince had already achieved great success in his cultivation before taking over Jieshou Lake, and was already a powerful figure in the region.

Only in this way can they firmly occupy Jieshou Lake and build a dragon palace at the bottom of the lake.

When Li Jingxiao arrived at Gaoyou Lake, he landed outside a bamboo grove by the lake.

He chanted a spell and stomped his leg on the ground.

A moment later, a little old man with a white beard and a kind smile emerged from the ground, leaning on a cane.

My heart skipped a beat when I saw Li Jingxiao.

I thought he was a Taoist master, but I didn't expect him to be so young.

He hurriedly bowed and said, "This old man greets you, young master. May I ask what business you have with me?"

Li Jingxiao returned the greeting, then asked with a smile, "Does the Earth God know the origin of the Dragon King of Jieshou Lake?"

Upon hearing this, the local earth god's expression changed slightly. For these righteous gods of fortune who could only stay within their jurisdiction, the last thing they wanted to offend was the powerful demons within their area of ​​control.

Li Jingxiao can run away if he can't win, but if the local earth god and mountain god run away, their crimes will be serious.

However, since Li Jingxiao was able to summon him, he must be someone the local deity was unwilling to offend.

He could only tentatively ask, "Young Master, are you seeking revenge or visiting a friend by going to see the Dragon King of Jieshou Lake?"

Li Jingxiao immediately understood the old man's concerns.

He said with a smile, "Don't worry, Earth God. My brother-in-law, Jia Zhu, fell into the Yangtze River seven days ago."

I heard that he was rescued by the Dragon King of Jieshou Lake.

However, my brother-in-law has not returned home, so I came to find out what's going on.

We implore the Earth God to enlighten us; a great reward will surely follow.

Since it wasn't about seeking revenge, the old man was somewhat relieved.

He said with a smile, "This old man guesses that the Third Princess of Jieshou Lake is unwilling to let your brother-in-law leave."

Li Jingxiao was taken aback, then realized that the Third Princess must have been looking for a husband long ago.

So much so that the mountain gods, land deities, and other beings surrounding Jieshou Lake all knew about it.

Li Jingxiao hurriedly asked, "Is that Third Princess not very good-looking? Or has a bad temper?"
Or are the expectations too high?

"No, no," the Earth God said with a smile, "On the contrary, this third princess is as beautiful as a flower and gentle and refined."

A hundred years ago, she was disguised as a wealthy young lady and hired a tutor in Yangzhou.

However, this third princess wasn't very good at studying the 'Four Books and Five Classics,' preferring storybooks and lyrics, so she only liked handsome and well-mannered scholars.

After saying that, the Earth God smiled and looked Li Jingxiao up and down again, noticing that he was dressed in fine clothes and had an extraordinary demeanor.

He also exuded a faint aura of majesty, ferocity, and ruthlessness.

He looks like someone in a high position who is decisive and ruthless.

So he smiled and asked, "This old man sees that you have an extraordinary bearing, and must be of noble birth."

Your brother-in-law, is he also from a wealthy and extravagant family?

Li Jingxiao nodded. Jia Zhu came from the Rongguo Mansion, and his family background was indeed among the top tier in the Great Zhou Dynasty.

The Earth God smiled and continued, "Then that's right. Although the Third Princess's requirements aren't high..."

But the Dragon King of Jieshou Lake couldn't bear to let his beloved daughter marry a poor scholar.

Since the Third Princess has taken a liking to the young master's brother-in-law, it seems the Dragon King won't object.

In this way, it will be difficult for that young master Jia to leave.

Moreover, I'm not just bragging about the Third Princess; once you meet her, you'll know what it means for even a hero to be unable to resist the charms of a beautiful woman.

Your brother-in-law is probably already so engrossed in his pleasures that he doesn't want to go home.

Li Jingxiao cursed inwardly, but said aloud, "But my brother-in-law is already married and has children. He is the eldest son in the family, and he recently passed the imperial examination."

He's practically the pillar of his father-in-law's family; how can he stay in the Dragon Palace forever and never return?

"So what?" The local earth god probably doesn't know that Jia Zhu's physical body has been destroyed.

It's just a spirit now.

So he said nonchalantly, "A person's lifespan is only sixty years."

Being a son-in-law in the Dragon Palace for a hundred years or more is a common occurrence.

If you're lucky, talented, and have mastered cultivation, living for three to five hundred years isn't difficult.

Anyone would choose the Third Princess as their wife.

As for his elderly father, loving mother, virtuous wife, and young children, he goes back to visit them three to five times a year.

Leaving behind some items from the Dragon Palace, or even methods of self-cultivation, would greatly benefit the family.

If you were in my shoes, what would you choose?

Li Jingxiao smiled, shook his head, and sighed.

Although the Earth God's words sounded harsh, if he didn't have any special abilities and was just a soul like Jia Zhu, he would probably stay in the Dragon Palace as well.

Even if things don't go well, once I've mastered my cultivation, my strength will be enough to subdue the Third Princess of the Dragon Palace, or even the Dragon King's father-in-law.

Go home if you want, go back to the Dragon Palace if you want.

If he's good with words and can sweet-talk people, the Dragon King and his daughter might not care at all about him going home to visit his parents, wife, and children.

After all, if you really think about it, an ordinary person's lifetime is indeed only a few decades.

Let alone thirty or fifty years, even ten or twenty years later, a formally married wife will already be a haggard old woman.

She is no match for the Third Princess of the Dragon Palace.

Li Jingxiao couldn't help but sigh, and took out a table, chairs, and a daybed from his inventory.

He then took out the Monkey Spirit Wine and said to the Earth God, "If you have nothing else to do, would you like to have a drink with me?"

"Da Bo Gong" is an honorific title for the Earth God.

The old man could already smell the aroma of the Monkey Spirit Wine when it was taken out.

He chuckled, casually set aside his cane, and caught the wine jar that Li Jingxiao threw to him.

After opening it, I took a deep breath.

He immediately smiled with a憨态可掬 (simple and endearing) expression.

He used a spell to conjure a silver wine pot and a silver wine cup, and carefully poured the wine into the pot.

He poured a glass of wine for both Li Jingxiao and himself.

He then casually grabbed something in the air, and soon several plates of fruit and a still-warm roast chicken appeared on the table.

Li Jingxiao could tell at a glance that they were offerings.

It seems this local earth god has quite a few followers in this area, which explains why the incense offerings are decent.

I raised my glass to toast the local deity and downed it in one gulp.

As for fruits and roast chicken, he wouldn't touch them at all.

The way Li Jingxiao drank the cup in one gulp made the local earth god secretly curse Li Jingxiao for not knowing anything about wine.

Li Jingxiao didn't care at all; he could have as much of this kind of wine as he wanted.

After drinking several cups, Li Jingxiao finally smiled and said, "Grand Uncle, I have a favor to ask of you."

I would like to ask you to make a trip to the Dragon Palace at Jieshou Lake and invite my brother-in-law to come and meet me here.

The Earth God was taken aback, and suddenly the wine in the cup didn't taste so good anymore.

You can't be indebted to someone if you eat their food, and you can't be obligated to someone if you take their money.

Upon seeing this, Li Jingxiao couldn't help but laugh. With a wave of his hand, ten jars of Monkey Spirit Wine appeared on the table.

"As long as you invite my brother-in-law over, this spirit wine will be your reward for your hard work, Uncle."

The Earth God was now motivated.

She nodded with a smile, picked up her cane, and bowed to Li Jingxiao.

He jumped to the ground and disappeared using earth magic.

Li Jingxiao was quite envious of the Five Elements Escape Technique, but unfortunately, the level 40 map, Little Drill Wind, only yielded one copy of "Binding Spirits and Commanding Generals".

No second book on supernatural powers has been published during this period.

I lay on the daybed for half an hour and waited, but the local earth god still hadn't returned.

He simply took out his jade flute and played a tune.

The melodious sound of the flute could soon be heard within a radius of several miles.

Before long, the waters of Gaoyou Lake suddenly began to ripple.

Jia Zhu's face was pale, and his body was not like a fleshy body.

Standing on the back of a large turtle, its figure slowly emerges from the water.

Upon seeing Li Jingxiao on the embankment, Jia Zhu felt both excited and guilty, as well as uneasy.

(End of this chapter)