Promise!

Chapter 277, the end

"Good guy!"

Cen Chongxuan and Ge Daoqian, who were secretly observing, were both moved and shocked when they saw the jade token that unleashed a strike from the half-step Yin God Realm. They looked at Shangguan Jinfeng in astonishment.

"Fellow Daoist Shangguan, you are truly remarkable! Even with the finest materials, such a jade token would only reach the level of the Corpse Severing Realm at its limit, yet you have managed to elevate it to the Half-Step Yin God Realm!"

"Fellow Daoist Shangguan is very shrewd. With such methods, it's no wonder you weren't in a hurry just now."

"Ahem, this battle is not over yet. Be careful that our Governor Xuanyuan may make a move from the side."

……

Hearing Shangguan Jinfeng's words, Cen Chongxuan and Ge Daoqian temporarily put aside their thoughts, focused their attention, and became fully vigilant, keeping a close watch on the other hidden wood-attribute Yin spirit aura.

……

Here, the Kui Niu Drum struck, creating translucent ripples that enveloped the two puppet figures, Ao Zhiqi and Ge Zhaoqing, or rather, the resurrected Li Shicong. However, the ripples only affected the illusory image of the Spirit Chun, causing it to sway slightly, while the two puppet figures remained unaffected.

—Back when they were besieging Bian Zhihao and challenging the Lanzhou aristocratic families, Zhuang Jin had already revealed the Kui Niu Drum. How could they not be prepared? This is the secret method to deal with it.

"Soul-Breaking Knife!"

Despite being struck by the Kui Niu Drum, Ao Zhiqi remained unaffected and unleashed his ultimate technique, squeezing out his divine soul.

"Otuki Divine Thunder!"

Ge Zhaoqing mirrored the gesture, raising his hand to unleash a bolt of purplish-blue lightning as thick as a carriage canopy, striking directly at Zhuang Jin.

"Ah!"

Faced with the combined attacks of two martial artists of the same realm, in an extremely dangerous situation, Zhuang Jin chuckled and activated the two treasures on his body at the same time.

hum!
The Yin-Yang Soul-Cleansing Jade hanging around his neck, when activated by his spiritual power, transformed into a rotating black and white Yin-Yang fish. The 'Soul-Breaking Blade' that attacked the soul crashed into it like a mud ox entering the sea, without even a ripple.

— Several days ago, because of this operation, Shangguan Yunchang had temporarily lent the 'Yin-Yang Soul Cleansing Jade' to Zhuang Jin. Since they both cultivated the 'Yin-Yang Divine Union Technique', their souls were connected. Even if he didn't refine the 'Yin-Yang Soul Cleansing Jade', he was still half a master and could naturally activate it.

at the same time.

Swish!
The pure ice-attribute energy within the Holy Spirit Orb was drawn out, forming a shield above the head like a canopy, easily blocking the Wood Divine Lightning.

—To reiterate, it's not that Zhuang Jin himself is incapable of handling this, but using external objects can better alleviate the apprehension of the three major family heads in the shadows. At the same time, displaying the Holy Spirit Pearl, this 'nuclear weapon,' can also serve as a deterrent.

"You son of a bitch! You're still going to get your ass kicked?!"

Seeing this, Ao Zhiqi and Ge Zhaoqing on the opposite side had their eyes red. From the jade token that could unleash a strike from a half-step Yin God Realm cultivator to the Kui Niu Drum, and then to the Yin Yang Cleansing Soul Jade and the Holy Spirit Pearl, Zhuang Jin took out one treasure after another.

He felt like he hadn't come to fight, but rather to be shown off with treasure. At that moment, it felt like a million alpacas were stampeding through his mind, ultimately culminating in one thought: 'So what if you have treasure?!'

Having treasure is amazing!

Zhuang Jin looked at the person opposite him: "That jade token from before, if it didn't kill you the first time, it would just mean it would kill you twice more."

Upon hearing this, Ao Zhiqi and Ge Zhaoqing... no, to be precise, their mental defenses had been broken by the continuous attacks from Zhuang Jin, and they immediately wanted to retreat.

Swish!Swish!
The two puppet figures, one on the left and one on the right, broke through the encirclement separately. One swept past like a hurricane, and the other flashed like lightning. Only two afterimages could be seen rapidly moving away.

But... it's too late!

hum!
The Yin-Yang Cleansing Jade and the Holy Spirit Pearl on Zhuang Jin's body resonated, shining brightly. In the blink of an eye, they transformed into an Ice Soul Sword Domain, sealing the heavens and the earth.

If the unique mark of a Yin God martial artist is their domain, then this Ice Soul Sword Domain is already extremely close.

This is only the resonance between the Yin-Yang Soul Cleansing Jade and the Holy Spirit Pearl, mobilizing the ice attribute energy stored in the Holy Spirit Pearl. If Zhuang Jin were to exert his full strength, in conjunction with the Holy Spirit Pearl and the Yin-Yang Soul Cleansing Jade, he would be confident that he could contend with Yin God warriors for a period of time and escape back to Cangzhou City. This is the greatest source of his confidence for this trip.

Swish! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Ao Zhiqi, who had previously unleashed the Soul-Breaking Blade, was already weakened. Now, under the onslaught of the sword energy, he was riddled with holes, his body shattering and annihilating like a piece of paper.

On the other side, Ge Zhaoqing, having exhausted all his innate vital energy and protected himself with countless thunderbolts, could only hold out for a moment before screaming for help, "Uncle, save me!"

But would Zhuang Jin give Xuan Yuan Zhengji, who was hiding in the shadows, a chance? He wanted to kill the snake.

As his attention focused on the only remaining 'Ge Zhaoqing', a thought struck him, and he applied force with the gentle touch of a human finger pressing down on an ant.

boom!
Within this icy sword domain, endless icy sword energy gathered and descended, shattering 'Ge Zhaoqing' inch by inch in a massive explosion, leaving no trace of flesh or blood.

Thus, Li Shizong, the master and puppet ruler, died completely, leaving not a trace.

……

The time was slightly earlier than expected.

After Zhuang Jin used the Kui Niu Drum, he also took out the Yin Yang Cleansing Soul Jade and the Holy Spirit Pearl, which are treasures that even Yin God Grand Venerables rarely possess. Not only did Ao Zhiqi and Ge Zhaoqing break down their defenses, but even Cen Chongxuan and Ge Daoqian, who were hiding in the shadows, fell silent.

To be honest, they originally wanted to find out Zhuang Jin's background, assess the level of threat he posed, and then give Shangguan Jinfeng a "well-intentioned reminder" and say some provocative and malicious things.

The reason is simple: the three great families are rivals but not completely at odds, but it's also instinctive for them to sabotage each other. Moreover, the Shangguan family has been too prominent in recent years, so they naturally want to take advantage of any opportunity to cause trouble.

But after watching the whole thing, it was clear that Zhuang Jin had absolutely no tricks or skills of her own; she was just full of treasures. I was truly amazed by her display of skill.

Furthermore, they sensed an astonishing amount of ice-attribute energy stored within that Holy Spirit Pearl; if it were to self-destruct, they could hardly be sure of surviving.

"I've actually seen the legendary Holy Spirit Pearl and Yin-Yang Soul Cleansing Jade today! It's truly an eye-opener. But, Fellow Daoist Shangguan, aren't you spoiling your son-in-law too much? Did you perhaps use all the treasures hidden in your clan's coffers to give him these?"

"That's right, too much of a good thing can be bad. Being lowly and weak, yet carrying too many valuable treasures, can sometimes lead to disaster." "Hehe, my granddaughter is siding with outsiders, there's nothing this old lady can do."

Shangguan Jinfeng could not possibly reveal the immortal relics of the underground cave and ice lake; she simply chose not to explain, allowing them to mistakenly believe it was part of the clan's wealth.

However, the phrase "granddaughter favors outsiders" was the truth. Shangguan Yunchang gave the "Yin-Yang Cleansing Jade" to Zhuang Jin, something even she didn't know. When she saw it before, her eyes twitched.

Even more surprisingly, the Yin-Yang Cleansing Jade and the Holy Spirit Pearl combined possessed such terrifying power.

'Oh well, after Zhuang boy passes away, it will be passed down to their children anyway. Sooner or later it will all be in their own pot. We should think long-term!' With this change of mindset, she came to terms with it.

Next, something else surprised the three of them: Xuan Yuan Zhengji, that old tortoise, didn't make a move when Li Shizong's main body was killed, and when the two puppets, Ao Zhiqi and Ge Zhaoqing, were killed one after another and cried out "Uncle, save me," he still didn't make a move.

However, under the repeated stimulation, he finally couldn't control himself and a slight energy fluctuation was released, which led to him being surrounded by Shangguan Jinfeng, Cen Chongxuan, and Ge Daoqian, who had been watching him closely.

"Governor Xuanyuan has been here for a long time, why doesn't he come out to greet us?"

"Fellow Daoist Xuanyuan has great ambitions, using the Chunling Qiu Monster to scheme against our three families. Won't you come out and give us an explanation?"

"No matter what, the governor must give us an explanation today! But before that, let us first have a discussion with the governor."

……

The three-person domain descended, completely forcing Xuan Yuanzhengji to reveal himself. His expression was one of fear mixed with a hint of relief, as if he had just expected it. Without any explanation, he was forced and coerced into the depths of the Funiu Mountains.

……

Over here, Zhuang Jin dealt with the two puppets, 'Ao Zhiqi' and 'Ge Zhaoqing', completely wiping out the remaining members of Li Shicong, thwarting his conspiracy, and avenging Li Shicong's covetousness of his body.

At this moment, he realized that Shangguan Jinfeng and others had gone deep into the Funiu Mountains to fight a great battle, causing the earth to shake.

A wise man does not stand under a crumbling wall, so Zhuang Jin would not go and cause trouble. In fact, the greatest help he could give was not getting involved or causing trouble. He returned to Cangzhou City first.

That evening, Shangguan Yunchang brought the follow-up to the matter: Shangguan Jinfeng, Cen Chongxuan, and Ge Daoqian faced Xuanyuan Zhengji, and naturally won in a three-on-one battle. Xuanyuan Zhengji was seriously injured and had to cede various benefits.

"Then?"

Zhuang Jin thought that even if Xuan Yuan Zhengji was not executed, he would at least be driven out of Cangzhou and lose his position as governor of Cangzhou. But the result seemed to be different. Shangguan Yun Chang stopped there.
He killed Li Shizong, Xuanyuan Zhengji's nephew, and thwarted his conspiracy. If Xuanyuan Zhengji were still in Cangzhou as the governor, wouldn't that mean he would be targeted by a Yin God martial artist?
“After all, Xuanyuan Zhengji is a Yin God martial artist. If he fights back to the death or self-destructs, the three of them will also suffer. Moreover, the Ge family head has less than ten years of lifespan and his combat strength is not at the peak of Yin God martial artists.”

—After severing the three corpses at the Innate Corpse-Slaying Realm, one's breath will no longer smell bad, teeth will not fall out, and skin will be smooth and radiant; the five internal organs will not decline, physical strength will not be depleted; bones will not become porous, and qi and blood will not be deficient... However, all of these are manifested in the physical body. Due to the environment of heaven and earth, the physical body of a Yin Spirit warrior cannot undergo further transformation and needs the Yin Spirit to nourish the physical body. Therefore, when one is nearing the end of his life, the Yin Spirit becomes weak due to the nourishment, and combat power will still be affected to some extent.

"Furthermore, Xuanyuan Zhengji is a member of the royal family, so even if this matter exists, it's not easy to kill him directly."

"Of course, using this incident to our advantage and seize this leverage to drive away Xuanyuan Zhengji is certainly possible, but..."

Shangguan Yunchang didn't finish her sentence, but Zhuang Jin already understood everything.

This result is simply a matter of considering the gains and losses, and weighing the pros and cons.

Shangguan Jinfeng, Cen Chongxuan, and Ge Daoqian are the pillars of the three great families. Although the three families are said to be fighting but not breaking each other, they inevitably have certain concerns about each other. Because they are each careful to protect themselves, Xuanyuan Zhengji is unable to kill them.

If killing is not an option, then the question becomes: should the other party be driven away?

If Xuanyuan Zhengji is driven out and a new governor is appointed, who knows who the new governor will be? The three major families of Cangzhou will have to get to know each other again, work together, and engage in intrigue and power struggles. But if Xuanyuan Zhengji is kept, things will be different.

Now that Li Shizong is dead, his conspiracy has failed, and he is no longer a threat. On the contrary, having leverage over him is more beneficial to the three great families.

This is similar to the principle that "it's better to have experience than to work hard."

However, the interests of the three great families do not represent Zhuang Jin's interests. This time, he ruined Xuan Yuan Zhengji's plan and killed his own nephew. Now that person is still alive and is still the governor of Cangzhou, he has been targeted and kept by a Yin God martial artist, leaving such a huge hidden danger. Isn't this setting people up for trouble?
Shangguan Yunchang didn't want to see this outcome either, but she wasn't in charge of the Shangguan family yet, so it was impossible to change.

Having known each other for a long time and been married, she knew Zhuang Jin's 'overly cautious' personality and understood his thoughts. She could only comfort him by saying, "Xuan Yuan Zhengji is seriously injured. Yin Shen martial artists rely on their soul. With such an injury, it will probably be difficult for him to recover for a year or two."

"Furthermore, Xuanyuan Zhengji is in the wrong, so he should behave himself and not dare to attack her husband; and since her husband possesses the Holy Spirit Pearl, Yin God warriors all cherish their lives, so why would they risk mutual destruction to attack her husband?"

That being said, human nature is unpredictable. Who knows what Xuanyuan Zhengji is thinking? You can only be a thief for a thousand days, how can you guard against a thief for a thousand days?
Even if the Holy Spirit Orb self-destructs, there may still be ways to counter it.

The best course of action for Zhuang Jin is to stay within the third ring road of the city from now on. This also means that she will become more dependent on the Shangguan family, which is probably what the old lady Shangguan Jinfeng would like to see.

"After this incident, Xuanyuan Zhengji and the state government relinquished various benefits and divided them among themselves as rewards. My husband made a great contribution in this matter, and with my grandmother's efforts, each of the three families gave up a share."

"Yes, thank you, Yun Chang, and also our grandmother."

Zhuang Jin nodded slightly, knowing that this was a form of compensation.

This benefit is indeed considerable, but given his current situation, he doesn't need high-end resources. He won't need them before breaking through to the Yin God realm. Or rather, if he gets stuck at the Innate Corpse-Slaying Realm, where he has severed three corpses, he won't be able to use them much except for some enjoyment. He can only leave them to his descendants, and they will still belong to the Shangguan family, rotting away in their own pot.

It can only be said that Old Madam Shangguan Jinfeng was indeed shrewd, using his name to give the Shangguan family an extra share of the food.

All of this is also a calculated scheme.

Now, Zhuang Jin said he felt wronged, but he has been compensated, which is fair in terms of both reason and emotion. Since things have come to this point, he can only accept it, what else can he do?

Zhuang Jin sighed inwardly, "This is politics. No matter what the Shangguan family is like, their interests aren't entirely aligned with mine. So, relying on others is unreliable; ultimately, one must rely on oneself!"

'Enough. I'll lie low for another two or three months, until my Golden Body undergoes nine transformations and I break through to the Yin God realm. By then, neither Xuanyuan Zhengji nor the Shangguan family's dirty tricks will matter; they'll all be nothing.'

"And then there's that share of the profits. The old lady's entire scheme was based on the premise that I was stuck at the Innate Corpse-Slaying Realm and wouldn't break through. If I broke through to the Yin Spirit Realm, I would need even more, and she wouldn't be able to accumulate any more. It was all for my own benefit."

……

(End of this chapter)