Longevity Candle

Chapter 129 Poisonous Insects! Gu Insects!
A new round of struggle has begun.

It is not the path to immortality or the path to following the will of Heaven, but the true dragon.

Jiang Zhu gazed westward, thinking that the true dragon bloodline should be entering the world soon.

"Jiang Zhu, do you really allow the South to go north?" The old snake king poked his head out and asked.

"Why not?" Jiang Zhu said calmly, "Why bother with positions? Ning Kingdom has already laid the foundation. Whether it's the south moving north or this land moving south, it's only a matter of time."

The policies of Ningguo have been abandoned by Emperor Ning, but there will be successors who will pick up the policies of that time.

With the arrival of the true dragon, unification is an inevitable trend.

The Dragon Blood Serpent, the Old Dragon, was merely pushing for unification, and only chose the Rong Kingdom in the south.

Li Qingchen, however, was destined to choose Ningguo.

As for Jiang Zhu himself, he no longer had the choice to make a decision.

The spirits of mountains and seas, the immortal masters and Taoists, had already settled him on the land of Ningguo.

"I don't understand these things, and I don't want to think about the fate of the country. I just want to know how to get revenge."

Jiang Yunmeng looked at Jiang Zhu: "I'll do anything as long as I can get revenge."

"Don't worry, I won't advise you on things like revenge only leads to more revenge, or to lay down your weapons."

Jiang Zhu said calmly, "If you want revenge, I can indeed help you."

"Please teach me." Jiang Yunmeng knelt down without the slightest hesitation.

"Alright, let's not go like this." Jiang Zhu waved his hand, and an invisible force lifted her up: "I have two ways to help you take revenge, and the consequences will be different."

"The first option is for the old snake king, or for me to take action and stop that Qi cultivator. Jiang Wanning is no match for you."

However, this will also involve the forces behind Jiang Wanning, and you will then be facing them.

"The second option is to go to the West to find Li Qingchen and bring the true dragon bloodline into this mortal world."

The true dragon suppressed a trace of dragon energy on his body. You could try to replace Jiang Wanning and stabilize Yigu City…

Although both options involve facing the forces behind Jiang Wanning, the first option inevitably leads to chaos in Yigu City, while the second option involves vying for the throne of Ningguo.

"Which one would you like me to choose?" Jiang Yunmeng asked.

"It's up to you," Jiang Zhu said.

The true dragon bloodline will definitely enter the world. Li Qingchen must be paying attention to Ningguo. Jiang Yunmeng's trip to the West is just bringing forward the entry of the true dragon bloodline into the world.

Jiang Yunmeng was silent for a moment, then said, "I choose the first option."

"Why?" It wasn't Jiang Zhu, but the Old Snake King.

"I have no ambition for power or the country. I am just a woman who only wants to avenge my father," Jiang Yunmeng said frankly.

What does it matter to her whether the country is in chaos or the world is in turmoil?

It wasn't her fault!
On the contrary, she was a victim of the chaos, her father dying in the chaos.

She didn't care about this land or who owned it; she only cared about her family and friends.

The old snake king was silent for a moment, then said, "Very well, then I will go with you tonight."

Jiang Yunmeng opened her mouth, about to say something, but after glancing at the old snake king, she changed her words: "I'll go and take a look inside the city first."

The old snake king agreed, but did not hide, clearly having something to say to Jiang Zhu.

She decided to scout out the location to prepare for the event.

After watching her leave, the old snake king said, "Are you really letting her choose the first option? Isn't the second option better?"

"What, you want her to become an empress, then abandon the country and the nation to kill Gu Qingxu?" Jiang Zhu said calmly.

Jiang Yunmeng is Jiang Chenxi's daughter; this hatred is too great.

She could risk everything to avenge her father, but what about her mother?
If Jiang Yunmeng knew that Gu Qingxu was the murderer who killed Jiang Chenxi, she would definitely go and compete for the throne, control the fate of the country, and kill the spirit!
As she herself said, she didn't have the grand vision of governing the country; she was just her parents' daughter, and it was only natural for her to avenge them.

Jiang Zhu is just an ordinary person; he can't very well persuade Jiang Yunmeng to let go of her parents' grudges, can he?
Back then, when Li Qingping learned that Yaoyao was dead, wasn't he also driven mad?
It can only be said that fate is fickle, and the chaotic world took away her only attachment.

"This……"

The old snake king hesitated for a moment, then sighed, "I don't know what Gu Qingxu is thinking. She insists on teaching him cultivation. Isn't she afraid that her sword will cut her own body?"

“I don’t know either.” Jiang Zhu shook his head: “Tonight I will move that Qi Refiner out. Try to entangle with him with a thought.”

"A thought?" the old snake king asked, puzzled. "Why?"

"Let's see how much ability you have with just one thought, and then I'll figure out what kind of worldly method to give you," Jiang Zhu said.

“Okay,” the old snake king happily agreed.

"After I'm done with this, take the lamp from the tavern to Old Wang's house. I'll live with him." Jiang Zhu said, then got up and left.

The old snake king scratched his head with his tail. Is this old king the kind of person who sits with his eyes lowered by the lamp?

Jiang Zhu returned to Yigu City and learned to make noodles from Old Wang.

Old Wang grinned and said, "I'll pass it on to you; the skill hasn't been lost."

"Ha." Jiang Zhu smiled. "Your son has inherited it very well too."

"Don't mention that ingrate." Old Wang's face darkened, still harboring resentment, but this resentment wasn't enough to make him cruel enough to harm Gou Sheng.

As night fell, Jiang Zhu helped pack up the stall, and then they returned together to Old Wang's residence.

It's a fairly nice house, though it wasn't bought.

Yigu City had been looted too many times before, and many houses had become ownerless.

After adopting his son, Old Wang occupied this courtyard so he would have a place to live.

Since all the original owners are dead, no one comes to collect debts, so people can live here with peace of mind.

"Gou Sheng didn't kick you out, so he still has some conscience," Jiang Zhu said in surprise.

Old Wang snorted coldly: "The property deed is in my name. He wants it, but he can't find it. He's just too impatient."

“You should wait until you’re too old to move,” Jiang Zhu said.

"Hey, I took you in to share a room, and you're arguing with me, huh?" Old Wang glared at him with displeasure. "I was going to give you the main room, but you'll have to live in the side room now."

“I just like living in the side room,” Jiang Zhu chuckled.

"You, it's because your mouth is so unpleasant that you're in such a sorry state. If I had your looks, wouldn't young girls be smitten with you?"

Old Wang muttered to himself as he laid out the bedding for him and even sat down on it to make sure the wooden bed was sturdy.

"Hey, how do you know no young girls are infatuated with me?" Jiang Zhu said with a smile.

"With your mouth, even the best young girl wouldn't want to be with you."

Old Wang said disdainfully, "If I were you, I would have had a bunch of sons by now."

“You want a son so badly? How about I find you a wife and you can have one yourself?” Jiang Zhu said.

"Forget it," Old Wang shook his head and said, "I'm just an old man, what energy do I have left? My tools are no longer useful."

“I have a family secret recipe that can really help you have a son,” Jiang Zhu said earnestly.

Old Wang scoffed, "Have your own child before you start bragging to me. Alright, there's a well in the yard, wash your feet yourself. Set up your stall tomorrow morning, go to bed early."

After saying that, he left the side room and returned to another side room, where he lay down to sleep. The main room was where Gousheng used to sleep; he had always raised him like his own son, but sadly, it was now empty.

Jiang Zhu sat on the bed, sensing that Jiang Yunmeng had already taken action.

He sneaked into the general's mansion, like a spirit in the night, silently.

The study was brightly lit.

Jiang Wanning was discussing the plan with Wang Shi and the deputy general.

Suddenly, the king's gaze sharpened: "Who goes there...?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he felt the surrounding space change, and the next moment, he was in the void.

Surrounded by white clouds, it hardly resembles a study.

"Who is this master who would play such a joke on me?" Master Wang's heart sank, his expression turned solemn, and he shouted loudly.

Ripples spread through the void, and golden light approached from afar, arriving in a moment to reveal a ten-meter-long golden snake.

"An elf? A celestial master?" Wang Shi's expression was grave. "I have always lived in the mortal realm and have never offended you. Why are you making things difficult for me?"

The golden snake flicked its tongue, its eyes indifferent: "The former Qi cultivators of the Way of Peace, have they even forgotten the Way of Peace?"

"You're from the Way of Great Peace?" Master Wang frowned. "When did the Way of Great Peace have snake-type Qi cultivators?"

He was once a Qi cultivator of the Taiping Dao, and could be considered a core member. I have never seen a Qi cultivator who is a snake.

“Naturally, there isn’t one in Ningguo; I come from the south.”

The golden snake said calmly, "You will stay here with me tonight. If you are confident that you can leave, then that is your skill."

Wang Shi's gaze sharpened: "Then I must offend you."

As soon as he finished speaking, he activated his magic power and swiftly guided a golden light down from the sky.

bang
A thunderous roar erupted as a bolt of golden lightning, as thick as a thumb, struck down.

The golden serpent raised its head, still calm. Suddenly, a phantom appeared on its body, with sharp horns and enormous size. It opened its huge mouth and swallowed the golden lightning.

The king's face showed horror. The Taiping Dao Thunder Technique was always effective, and the golden snake in front of him was swallowed whole.

He knew that there was a huge gap between Qi Refiners, Immortal Masters, and Elves, but the golden snake in front of him claimed to be a Qi Refiner.

He has no further methods, and although he is a core Qi cultivator, he is still stuck at the level of refining essence into Qi.

The Old Serpent King was tempered and transformed from an ordinary being by the blood of an old dragon and a serpent, thus entering the path of immortality.

It was also bestowed by the Immortal Master Yuhua, a legitimate method of immortal cultivation.

Although not as skilled as a true immortal master, he is far superior to a mere Qi cultivator.

"You can try again," the golden snake said indifferently.

Wang Shi's expression hardened, and he once again formed a hand seal: "Taiyin Wind!"

Suddenly, a mournful wail echoed through the void, accompanied by a chilling wind that eroded flesh and bones and annihilated souls.

But when that cold wind blew, the golden snake neither dodged nor avoided it, and the cold wind could not do anything to it.

"You are a Celestial Master!" Wang Shi shouted in a deep voice, "A Qi Refiner would never have such abilities."

As a former Qi cultivator of the Taiping Dao, even a Dao Master like Zhang Youwei could not possibly swallow golden lightning and be unafraid of the Yin wind.

"It seems you've run out of tricks." The golden snake glanced at him coldly, then opened its mouth and a stream of golden mist shot out.

Just as Wang Shi was about to unleash his magic to resist, an invisible pressure arrived, forcefully suppressing his magic.

His eyes were dull and lifeless as he murmured, "The Way of Peace has split. Li Qingchen took some people with him, and Zhang Youwei actually abandoned Ningguo, disbanded the Way of Peace, and is content to be an old farmer in the fields..."

With Zhang Youwei no longer in control and Li Qingchen gone, some people's hearts became wild.

They already have families behind them, and there are too many entanglements.

They were unwilling to continue researching food seeds in the fields as they had done before.

A celestial master found him and granted him a longer lifespan, instructing him to help his family and compete for the throne.

As a cultivator of Qi, I am all too aware of the importance of imperial power and the fate of the nation.

One can borrow the nation's fortune to accelerate cultivation, one can borrow the nation's fortune to suppress supernatural beings, and even—pursue the path to immortality!

If the Li family can sit on this empire, why can't the Wang family?

He wasn't the only one; many families shared the same idea.

The two raids on Yigu City were actually carried out by the Wang family. Jiang Wanning's real surname is Wang, but he changed it to avoid being directly implicated in his family.

They not only looted Yigu City, but also many other cities, accumulating a vast amount of wealth.

It wasn't just the Wang family; other families were doing the same thing.

Since they've decided to compete for power, they naturally need to accumulate enough wealth to prepare for the coming chaos.

As for why Yigu City was chosen?
This city is just one of the many they occupy.

The golden snake's gaze was cold and sharp as it looked towards Yigu City.

Inside the general's mansion, a cold, long sword had already pierced Jiang Wanning's chest. He was filled with astonishment and confusion: "Why, why?"

With such a good reputation and a low profile, he hadn't attracted the attention of other families, so why would they want to assassinate him?
"Because you're all in cahoots!" Jiang Yunmeng casually flicked her sword, severing the deputy general's legs.

Without the Qi cultivators, she sealed her magical power and reversed her path back to martial arts; the dragon energy could not suppress her.

The piercing screams echoed throughout, but surprisingly, they did not escape the study.

The lieutenant's face turned deathly pale. Seeing Jiang Yunmeng remove her human skin mask, he finally remembered: "It's you, Jiang Yunmeng, who escaped from Yunmeng Tavern back then..."

He might not remember anyone else, but the Yunmeng Tavern was a vivid memory.

Jiang De was highly skilled in martial arts, and Jiang Yunmeng could defend herself against poisonous insects and possessed stunning beauty. How could they possibly forget her?
He had also searched for Jiang Yunmeng, but after she left, she seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving no trace.

"It's good that you remember." Jiang Yunmeng's expression was cold and stern as she smoothed her hair.

Under the horrified gazes of the two men, countless tiny poisonous insects crawled out from her long hair.

The poisonous insects quickly crawled onto the lieutenant's body, burrowing into his body through his wounds, mouth, nose, and ears.

The piercing screams echoed continuously. The lieutenant rolled on the ground in pain, scratching desperately with both hands until his skin was torn and his bare bones were exposed, but he could not find a single insect.

"I wasn't involved in what happened back then." Seeing this, Jiang Wanning was horrified and said urgently, "It has nothing to do with me, I know nothing about it..."

"You really don't know?" Jiang Yunmeng asked indifferently. "Your royal army has told you everything."

"what?"

Jiang Wanning's body trembled, and blood gushed from his wounds again due to his excitement.

The Qi Refiner in the Wang family suddenly disappeared. He thought he had left on some business, but now it seems that he was obviously captured by a stronger immortal being.

"Don't worry, as long as you behave, I won't kill you."

Jiang Yunmeng smiled slightly, like a bright young girl, showing no trace of her previous coldness: "I can distinguish between gratitude and resentment. The culprit has been brought to justice, but to prevent any unforeseen circumstances, I still need to ask my friend to help me find a place to stay."

A silver worm appeared on her fingertip: "Come on, don't be afraid. Its name is 'Careful.' It's not scary. It will only build a nest in your heart. If you don't behave, it will slowly eat away at your heart..."

(End of this chapter)