The Martial Saint of the Defiled World

Jiang Shaosheng had no intention of hiding any longer, and so he jumped down in a very casual manner.

After all, Qian Youdao had been waiting here for a long time, so it wasn't surprising that he knew he was in the tree.

Moreover, if Qian Youdao really wanted to take action, he wouldn't have let Old Zhao deal with the man in black first.

He wondered what Qian Youdao was really up to.

Qian Youdao raised a hand, gesturing for him to sit down.

"To be honest, I'm quite surprised that you've survived until now."

Qian Youdao spoke, but his voice betrayed no emotion.

Jiang Shaosheng did not sit; he simply stood.

He sized up Qian Youdao. This man seemed easygoing, but in reality, he was shrewd and calculating.

"That's what you just said to that person too."

Jiang Shaosheng replied.

Qian Youdao shook his head slightly.

"That's different. He can't be used by me, but you, to be honest, have a lot of potential."

Jiang Shaosheng sneered inwardly.

Cultivating value?

"Wu Tieshou is more valuable than me, but you sold him outright."

Qian Youdao chuckled softly.

"No, no, no, he has already demonstrated his value. Besides, he has reached his limit and can no longer improve."

Qian Youdao spoke casually, as if Wu Tieshou's death was merely a given fact, not worth mentioning.

Jiang Shaosheng felt a chill in his heart.

This person's ruthlessness far exceeded my expectations.

Wu Tieshou risked his life for him, yet he was ultimately judged in this way.

He suddenly realized that in Qian Youdao's eyes, everyone was a valuable tool to be used and then discarded.

If I were to be mentored by him, my fate would probably not be much better.

"You also have Old Zhao the Boss."

Jiang Shaosheng said.

Upon hearing this, Qian Youdao sighed softly.

"He's old, you can tell, he won't stay with me for much longer."

Qian Youdao did not deny it; he spoke frankly.

"With your broad perspective, you must have met many capable people; there's no need to be fixated on me."

Jiang Shaosheng tried again to create distance.

He didn't want to be easily trapped by Qian Youdao.

He knew that once this person set his sights on him, it would be difficult to escape.

Qian Youdao looked at him without saying a word.

He just watched quietly.

Jiang Shaosheng did not back down.

He knew this was their first confrontation, and he couldn't afford to show weakness.

After a long pause, Qian Youdao finally spoke.

"I have a very good eye for people."

His tone was firm.

"In my years in Zhaodong, I've met a lot of people. Some are capable but brainless, some are smart but cowardly, and some are courageous but deadly. You're different."

"Is that different?"

Jiang Shaosheng asked.

"You've got guts, you've got brains, and you're alive."

Qian Youdao's words carried a hint of admiration.

Jiang Shaosheng remained completely unmoved.

Such praise comes too easily; there must be a deeper calculation behind it.

He doesn't want false flattery, he wants the truth.

"Since you're so eager to recruit me, tell me first what exactly you want to do? What is this tree? And what is that monster?"

Jiang Shaosheng directly stated his conditions.

He wants to take the initiative.

He knew that information was a bargaining chip.

Qian Youdao smiled upon hearing this.

"You know, a person who is overly curious often doesn't live long."

His words carried a hint of warning.

Jiang Shaosheng sneered inwardly.

That old fox is still playing the game of feigning indifference.

He showed disdain.

"It seems I overestimated my worth."

Jiang Shaosheng spoke in a flat tone.

He turned to leave.

As expected, Qian Youdao did not let him leave.

"Never mind, it's not really a big secret."

Qian Youdao said, but there was not a trace of reluctance on his face.

Jiang Shaosheng stopped and turned around.

He did not respond immediately, but waited.

He knew that what Qian Youdao was about to say was something he had probably wanted to reveal for a long time.

Or perhaps it was fabricated all along.

"Alright, go ahead and tell me."

Qian Youdao looked at the withered tree.

"The seeds of this tree were given to me by a wandering Taoist priest many years ago."

He spoke slowly.

Jiang Shaosheng guessed that this story probably dates back a long time.

He didn't interrupt, but just listened quietly.

"That was during the previous dynasty, and I can't say exactly which year. I only heard my great-grandfather say that one year there was a miasma outbreak in the village, and many people and livestock died."

One day, a Taoist priest came to the village. He was dressed in rags and sat by the well at the village entrance for two days.

"When they left, they left a seed, saying that this tree could absorb miasma, and if you planted it, the miasma would be gone in forty-nine days. But it can only be planted underground, and the tree cannot be exposed to sunlight."

Jiang Shaosheng felt a chill run down his spine.

It cannot be exposed to light.

"No one in the village dared to plant it, fearing it was evil. Only my great-grandfather was brave enough to pick up the seed and take it home, and it actually grew."

Qian Youdao continued.

"The tree came back to life, and the miasma gradually dissipated. A miasma beast also grew under the tree, the very same animal you saw."

Jiang Shaosheng memorized this crucial information.

It turns out that the monster appeared along with the tree.

"That Taoist priest said that trees can attract beasts, but these beasts don't harm people; they only eat the miasma clumps around the tree roots. Don't let their ugly appearance fool you; they're actually quite docile."

Jiang Shaosheng disagreed.

"not necessarily."

He refuted it directly.

He had personally experienced the monster's attack, and it was far from being described as "docile."

Qian Youdao did not argue.

He just smiled faintly.

"You know, even the most good-tempered person has their moments of temper, let alone that beast."

His words seemed to have a hidden meaning.

Jiang Shaosheng pondered to himself that Qian Youdao's words had a hidden meaning.

Could there be another reason for the monster's anger?

Or perhaps someone deliberately provoked it?

"Later, my ancestors discovered that the flowers of this tree, when combined with the blood of that beast, could cure miasma and strengthen muscles and bones."

"If a mountain dweller gets infected with miasma while collecting herbs, drinking a bowl of this stuff will save him."

Jiang Shaosheng was startled.

That's the key point.

The true value of this tree and the monster lies in their medicinal uses.

No wonder Qian Youdao values ​​them so much.

"Back then, my ancestors used this to save people, without charging money, just as a way to accumulate good karma."

Qian Youdao then changed the subject.

Jiang Shaosheng, however, did not believe it.

Would the Qian family do such a virtuous thing?

Looking at Qian Youdao's calculating face, he found the words particularly ironic.

"After the news spread, more and more people came seeking the medicine. Some offered money, some traded goods, and some shameless individuals even tried to steal it by force."

Qian Youdao's voice suddenly turned cold.

He gave a cold laugh. That laugh was filled with disdain and mockery of humanity.

That's just how people are. Giving someone life-saving medicine is a favor, not giving it to them is an enemy.

His words were filled with a chilling intent.

Jiang Shaosheng knew in his heart that Qian Youdao was telling the truth.

The greed inherent in the nature of some people is indeed evident.

"My ancestors were forced into a corner, so they simply sealed off this place for their own use only, and didn't allow it to be used by outsiders. This practice has become the rule in my generation."

Qian Youdao explained why the Qian family guarded this tree.

A picture gradually formed in Jiang Shaosheng's mind.

The Qian family ancestors made their fortune thanks to this tree and the monster, but due to human greed, they had to hide it.

There must have been a lot of untold bloodshed and struggle in this.

"So, Lian Qi's target is you, this tree?"

Jiang Shaosheng steered the conversation back to the present.

Qian Youdao shook his head.

"I only just learned about this name myself, and I can't guarantee whether his target is this tree."

He confessed.

Jiang Shaosheng judged in his mind that Qian Youdao's words were partly true and partly false.

He may have just learned Lian Qi's name, but he must already have a guess about Lian Qi's goal.

"As you saw, I spared that man's life in order to pry Lian Qi's information out of him."

Qian Youdao pointed in the direction Zhao Laokutou had left.

Jiang Shaosheng understood.

The man in black was merely a tool for Qian Youdao to obtain information from beginning to end.

Jiang Shaosheng chuckled softly.

"It's laughable that the golden leopard was used from beginning to end."

He felt a pang of sadness for the leopard.

This person thought he was in control of everything, but he didn't realize that he was just a pawn being pushed to the forefront.

Qian Youdao's opinion remains undecided.

"He's too greedy."

Qian Youdao put it simply.

"Lian Qi somehow got information about this tree, but he wasn't sure who the Qian family was or how many people there were, so he sent Jin Qianbao to step on the landmine."

Jiang Shaosheng recalled the arrogance of the Golden Leopard; that arrogance was nothing more than a smokescreen used by Lian Qi to cover up her true purpose.

He looked at Qian Youdao, and Qian Youdao was looking at him too.

"So, what are you planning to do now?"

Jiang Shaosheng asked.