Promise!

Chapter 285, Datong

Cangzhou City, First Ring Road, Shangguan Family Residence.

In the backyard, there is a small lake. As spring turns to summer, the lotus leaves on the water spread out to the distance, creating an endless expanse of green. In the very center of the lake, a huge lotus flower, several feet in diameter, reflects the sunlight and appears exceptionally bright red.

Zhuang Jin, dressed in a brocade white robe, was brewing tea in the pavilion in the middle of the lake. He seemed like an ordinary person, but his every move had a strange rhythm, as if the heavens and earth were echoing him. As the tea was about to be brewed, the steam condensed in the rosy light and formed a rainbow.

A young man in blue stood respectfully to the side, waiting. While waiting, he quietly looked around and felt that there was a special fluctuation in the air. Every mountain and stream in the courtyard seemed to be alive. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but look at the eight swords stored in the lotus stamen in the center of the lake. It was like the chessboard and the eyes of a chess game. The whole world seemed to be nurturing this thing.

He couldn't help but glance at them a few more times, but felt that the eight small swords were like black holes, drawing his soul away. He knew something was wrong, bit his tongue, and only then did he recover from the pain. He was horrified and dared not look again, but he became even more respectful. At this moment, seeing that Zhuang Jin had finished making tea, he said, "Junior Xiao Linye greets Senior Zhuang!"

This person was older than Zhuang Jin, but in the world of martial arts, age is not the deciding factor; rather, it is one's level of skill. Therefore, this address of "Senior Zhuang" was well-deserved.

"Xiao Linye? What a nice name!"

Indeed, with Xiao, Lin, and Ye all in its name, how could it not be a good name? Zhuang Jin couldn't help but glance at this person a couple more times: "Sit down."

Xiao Linye was actually in his thirties or forties, but he looked like a young man. He also had a spirited, energetic, and upright demeanor. Seeing him reminded people of the morning sun at ten o'clock. It was not as tender as the early morning sun, but it was not as scorching as the midday sun. This man did not stand on ceremony and sat down to express his gratitude.

“I don’t like listening to people beat around the bush. You have the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.” Zhuang Jin said, pushing a cup of tea towards him. Then, he picked up the cup himself and took a small sip.

"Thank you very much, Senior Zhuang!"

Xiao Linye didn't drink the tea, but quickly asked, "I wonder what Senior Zhuang thinks of the current state of the Great Qian Dynasty? Let me share my opinion first."

“In the present Great Qian Dynasty, the common people are heavily exploited and suffer unspeakably. However, because martial arts are monopolized by powerful families and wealthy clans, they are powerless and useless to resist, and have gradually become numb... Take the prefectures and counties below as an example. As long as they are not so brutal and restrain themselves a little, they can be called ‘Upright and just officials’. How absurd is that?”

Martial artists have it better, but it's still tough. Take the state city as an example: the lower-level martial artists are driven by open schemes to consume the strange beasts in the strange lands. They risk their lives to travel and work hard, but what they get is only enough to barely cultivate. They are exploited and harvested like crop after crop of leeks.
Mid-level martial artists, having no hope for themselves, reap the rewards through their descendants, such as real estate and martial arts education resources;
The so-called "Hidden Dragon List" for the middle and upper echelons may seem glamorous, but it's nothing more than a target set up for others.

Even those with innate martial arts skills will be targeted and harmed if they strive to improve.

Only powerful and aristocratic families remain high and mighty.

As Xiao Linye spoke, he concluded, "The Great Qian Dynasty has long suffered from powerful and aristocratic families!"

Zhuang Jin glanced at the man. He had thought that this innate corpse-slaying martial artist from another state would come to talk about resource trading, but he didn't expect him to talk such empty words. Didn't he know these things?

Upon seeing this person's eyes, one would fall silent for a moment. Having reached the Yin Spirit realm, one possesses the power of the divine soul, capable of discerning the subtle and perceiving the finest details. For instance, when Qin Douzhan suddenly came to test the waters, one's spiritual sense detected a slight discord. But this person... this person was genuinely sincere and truly wanted to change things.

'An idealist? Having reached this level, a cultivator at the Innate Corpse-Slaying Realm, would there be such a fool?'

Zhuang Jin's heart stirred slightly, and she asked, "What are your plans?"

"I only hope that one day, ordinary people can have three meals a day, occasionally eat their fill, have surplus grain at home, and have some relaxation and rest throughout the year, instead of toiling all year round like a donkey, dying at thirty, and forty being considered a long life."
I hope that the value created by martial artists who risk their lives to fight against strange beasts will not be so harshly harvested and exploited, but will be able to rise to the top through hard work and talent, without being suppressed.

I hope that high-ranking martial artists will no longer focus solely on their own interests and their own small sphere of influence, monopolizing techniques and resources, hoarding their own knowledge, and stifling and suppressing talent. Instead, they should dedicate their efforts to the path of martial arts, unite, pool their collective wisdom, innovate generation after generation, and drive the path of martial arts forward, so that everyone can become a dragon among men.

Xiao Linye's voice rose to a crescendo as he spoke: "I hope that one day, from Cangzhou in the Northwest to Qiongzhou in the Southeast, from Maple Leaf Marshland in Zezhou to Eastern Forest Sea in Hanzhou, and then to Songling in Luozhou, across the nine provinces of the Great Qian, there will be no more strong bullying the weak, no more exploitation and oppression. Everyone will be of one mind and one purpose, the people will be able to stand tall and say, 'We are human beings,' and every martial artist will be able to say with a clear conscience, 'Every bit of my strength came from clean hands.' Across these two hundred million miles of land, the same voice will resound: 'How magnificent is the Great Qian! How majestic is the Great Qian!'"

It must be said that this person's vision is beautiful, and his words are eloquent and inspiring. A young person, or even a middle-aged or elderly person with passion in their heart, would be moved by this great cause.

Zhuang Jin's expression remained unchanged; he simply sipped his tea and said, "You should be saying these things to powerful families, the Great Qian Dynasty, or the royal family."

“When I have the level and strength, I will go there. But for now, I must focus on the present. How can I sweep the world if I can’t even sweep my own room? I am willing to start from Cangzhou.”

Xiao Linye said, "Senior Zhuang is also a rogue martial artist. He should be very familiar with the system and its cruelty in Cangzhou City. Don't you want to change it? Don't you want to do anything?"

"Ah!"

Zhuang Jin chuckled lightly, but seemed to be saying something unrelated: "When the rules are against you, you have three choices: adapt to the rules; change the rules; or create a new set of rules."

"Creating a new set of rules requires overthrowing the original system, defeating vested interests, and changing the world. This is the most difficult choice. Changing the rules also requires the power to compete with them. This is the next most difficult choice. Adapting to the rules is the first choice for ordinary people."

He looked at the other person and said, "When you can't change the rules, don't complain or blame. Study the rules carefully and try your best to become a beneficiary."

"And once you become a beneficiary, you're unlikely to try to change the rules, because if the rules are in your favor, why cut off your own interests?"

Xiao Linye was not stupid; in a moment, he understood Zhuang Jin's meaning.

Zhuang Jin was saying that he was indeed a rogue martial artist before, but after breaking through to the Yin God realm, his position had changed, and he had become a beneficiary. Why would he want to overthrow himself? Was he crazy?
"Others might be able to accept this with a clear conscience, but Senior Zhuang is different."

"Oh, what's different?"

“I can sense the things on Senior Zhuang’s body. Senior Zhuang has entered the Immortal’s Ruins, right? Having received the Immortal’s favor, you should repay the karma. The Immortal’s various arrangements are dedicated to preventing the solidification and monopoly of powerful families. My wish is also what the Immortal wants.”

Xiao Linye gritted his teeth and said, "I don't need Senior Zhuang to do anything. I'll take care of the fighting and all that. I just need Senior Zhuang to be my background and support me from behind."

"Um?!"

Zhuang Jin sensed a subtle resonance in the Holy Spirit Pearl when the other person mentioned "the items on their person," and couldn't help but give them a deep look: 'This person has probably also entered the Immortal Ruins, and not even the lowest level one.'

'This person dares to expose this to me, isn't he afraid I'll take action and steal the treasure? Or does he have some confidence that he can escape from me?'

He really wanted to try it, but he held back. Stealing someone's treasure without any grudge would go against his conscience and bottom line, not to mention there were other considerations as well.

"You said the cause and effect of the immortal ruins will be repaid and changed when I become the world's number one."

If others heard this, they would most likely not believe it, thinking that Zhuang Jin was shirking responsibility and deceiving himself. For example, Xiao Linye thought so. But why should Zhuang Jin need others to believe him?
"As for you, I will neither support nor interfere. I will pretend I never heard what you said before. Go!" Zhuang Jin gave this person one last deep look, then raised his hand and swept it away with his sleeve.

hum!
The next instant, a wave swept by, catching Xiao Linye completely off guard. He felt dizzy and disoriented, and when he looked again, he was already outside the courtyard. He was greatly alarmed, thinking to himself, "I underestimated Yin God martial artists. No, it should be that this Senior Zhuang is different. He broke through through his own hard power, which is very different from those Yin God martial artists who rely on tricks."

'Well, the outcome of this trip wasn't the best, but it wasn't the worst either.'

He thought to himself, bowed again in thanks to those in front of him, and turned to leave.

……

After Xiao Linye left, Zhuang Jin took out the Dragon Token and used his privileges to directly access the person's information.

"Born in Yunzhou, before the fifth generation, my ancestors separated from a prominent family and remained connected to the Yunzhou aristocratic families, similar to Ge Zhaoqing, but perhaps a bit more distant?"

It is precisely because of this background that one can possess a naive, honest, and imaginative side, and thus produce such eccentric individuals who betray their class. This tendency is even stronger after returning from their travels.

This person's records show many years of travel history. It is likely that during this time, he stumbled upon the ruins of immortals and entered them. It is also very likely that what he saw and heard during his travels further strengthened his ambition for "universal harmony".

Yes, the later records were just as Zhuang Jin had expected. It was only because of his background that he was not killed by the powerful families of Yunzhou. Such troublesome, stubborn, and difficult-to-deal-with individuals were simply sent to Cangzhou.

'Fine, I'll pretend I know nothing about this. I'll just create some trouble for the three great families!'

Cangzhou seems peaceful lately, but that's only on the surface. Perhaps Zhuang Jin is too honest and well-behaved, and the three major families suspect that he's plotting something big. Every now and then, they try to probe him indirectly. At first, it was quite subtle, like the time with Qin Douzhan, but later they stopped pretending and it was more like a reminder, which is extremely annoying.

His assessment of this was: Sick—a late-stage case of paranoia!
'Xuanyuan Zhengji, after this governor broke with the three great families, shared some of the burden for me. Although Xiao Linye is only at the Innate Corpse-Slaying Realm, he can still attract some attention.'

To give an analogy, the three great families are like nuclear superpowers. The Innate Corpse-Slaying Realm means that one's foundation has reached a certain level, and there is a certain possibility of possessing nuclear weapons. But having this possibility is the original sin. If they don't punish you, who will they punish?

Zhuang Jin had previously avoided suppression by feigning weakness and joining them as a subordinate. However, in the final stage, even if he had joined them as a subordinate, he would still be dealt with. The three major families were preparing to accuse Zhuang Jin of having 'nuclear possession' and were ready to destroy him completely.

However, at this moment, Zhuang Jin seized the opportunity to break through to the Yin God realm and truly 'possess a core', which caused the three major families to stop and forcibly calm down.

Well, it's roughly like this: when the three great families suspect you of having broken through to the 'Yin Shen' realm, you'd better actually be a Yin Shen martial artist.

'Xiao Linye is at the second level of the Innate Corpse-Slaying Realm and has entered the Immortal Ruins. If I'm not mistaken, he's also a restless person. He should be able to cause some trouble, diverting the attention of the three great families and making things easier for me.'

'At least, those tiresome tests will be reduced a bit.'

Zhuang Jin thought to himself.

What he didn't say was that, in addition to weighing the pros and cons, there was also a bit of emotional factor: he didn't need others to uphold justice for him, and he wouldn't and couldn't become that kind of person, but it was still more interesting for the world to have people like that.

……

Just as Zhuang Jin had predicted, Xiao Linye was indeed not one to stay quiet, and he subsequently caused quite a stir.

First, he entered the prefectural government and obtained the title of Assistant Prefect.

This is the support of Governor Xuanyuan Zhengji. He was tricked by the three great families in the Zhuang Jin matter before and was not able to be controlled, but he still holds a grudge. This is to disgust the three great families and put this pawn out to fight against them.

Then, Xiao Linye gathered many independent martial artists and founded the 'Azure Dragon Society,' calling himself the 'Dragon King.'

The word 'dragon' is still very sensitive in the Great Qian Dynasty. The Yin God Warrior corresponds to the Dragon Token, and the Azure Dragon Society and the Dragon King reveal their obvious ambitions.

Perhaps it was the innate good fortune associated with the name Xiao Linye, or perhaps it was his persuasive and eloquent abilities, but in any case, the Azure Dragon Society flourished, not only attracting rogue martial artists below the Innate Realm, but also some cultivators at the Corpse Slaying Realm, Gang Qi Realm, and True Qi Realm, making it a powerful force for a time.

With the positions of Assistant Magistrate of the Prefecture and Dragon King of the Azure Dragon Society, Xiao Linye managed to establish himself in two positions and for a time, he achieved considerable success.

What is the reaction of the three major families? No reaction yet.

For the past ten years, the Shangguan family has been in charge of the Xuantian Division, while the Cen and Ge families have mostly cooperated and have not overstepped their bounds.

Meanwhile, Ge Daoqian, the head of the Ge family, was cultivating his own core seed while ignoring the outside world. This was also due to his confidence in Shangguan Jinfeng's past achievements (such as the roundtable meeting), and he regarded Xiao Linye as a clown and a grasshopper in autumn.

Cen Chongxuan, the head of the Cen family, was both powerful and had plenty of free time. He felt that he would be doing himself a disservice if he didn't give this thorn in his side a good beating. Xiao Linye was not like Zhuang Jin, who was beyond control and could strike hard. He was quite eager to make a move, but in the end he restrained himself. His old habit of scheming kicked in, and he wanted the Shangguan family to step in and weaken him.

Shangguan Jinfeng, the main character, became somewhat lax after Zhuang Jin broke through to the Yin God realm. Perhaps she wanted to emulate the Round Table Meeting, attract a wave of attention, and then wipe them all out in the end. For the time being, she is still letting things develop as they are.

Well, Zhuang Jin was certain of one thing: recently, the old lady Shangguan Jinfeng had been hanging around him every few days, probably going out to watch a live monkey show, or perhaps the old lady naturally had great patience for this kind of amusement.

Xiao Linye did indeed make things a little easier for Zhuang Jin. He would occasionally pay attention to him, observing from the sidelines, but otherwise he would still focus on his cultivation. His Yin God realm had been accumulating for a long time, but with the resources provided by the Shangguan family, he made progress little by little.

Time flew by and it was already the end of the year. Before the primordial tide, thanks to his own talent, the acceleration of the Holy Spirit Pearl, and the upgrading pills of the Treasure Basin, he had completed nearly 30% of the accumulation of the first level of Yin Spirit Meditation Realm.

—This speed is extremely fast. The heads of the three great families didn't have this speed back then. Moreover, Zhuang Jin's soul is powerful, so his accumulation needs are relatively more.

At the same time, Zhuang Jin's consciousness also descended a certain distance into the sea of ​​souls, thus, the Yin God Body Technique "Ice Spirit Flash" was the first among several martial arts techniques to break through to the minor completion stage.

But at this very moment, the Azure Dragon Society and the rogue martial artists clashed several times, and the situation in Cangzhou City suddenly became tense, with a storm brewing—of course, this storm did not fall on Zhuang Jin, but was directed at Xiao Linye.

……

(End of this chapter)