From slave trader to the Immortal Lord of Ten Thousand Laws

The room was cramped and dark, and the oil lamp was not lit.

The man sat cross-legged in meditation, his posture as firm as the roots of an old tree.

The woman stared intently at the man's handsome profile, her eyes filled with a mix of panic and uncertainty, her mind wandering.

After fantasizing about engaging in numerous lewd acts with a man in her mind, Xu Qingyue suddenly heard a man's voice:

"Miss."

"Um?"

Why is your face so red? Are you feeling unwell?

"Ah! No...it's alright..."

Xu Qingyue's eyes darted away, and she touched her cheek guiltily. She did feel uncomfortable and a little itchy in one spot.

But she couldn't say it outright, so she just made small talk.

"Jiang She, you..."

"Shh!"

Jiang She suddenly raised his hand and covered Xu Qingyue's fiery red lips with his. Xu Qingyue opened her almond-shaped eyes wide, not understanding his meaning. Just as she was about to argue, she saw Jiang She's expression change drastically and he leaned over the door to listen.

Her heart tightened, and she quickly held her breath and listened along with him.

"Whew, whih, whih!"

A gust of wind came from afar outside the courtyard, initially as light as a mosquito's buzz, then gradually becoming muffled like a long whip cutting through the air, mixed with the sound of robes fluttering, growing louder and louder as it approached.

"It's that old Taoist priest!"

Jiang She frowned, gestured for Xu Qingyue to be quiet, and signaled with his eyes that she should not make any rash moves.

Upon hearing that the old Taoist priest had returned, Xu Qingyue's pretty face turned deathly pale. She nodded and fell silent.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh..."

The wind grew closer, swirling above the courtyard.

Not long after, a soft "thud" was heard, as if someone's feet had landed, and footsteps followed, unhurriedly approaching the dilapidated house.

"Huh? Did she faint from all that?"

The old Taoist priest's voice rang out from under the door.

A lone man and a lone woman, alone in a room.

Even if the old Taoist priest were to pick at his toes, he could guess what the couple had been doing in the house.

After a busy period, he finally managed to gather eighty pairs of boys and girls. After the ceremony, he used the magic power left in Lord Liu's body to ride the wind back without stopping.

Seeing that there was no movement inside, they guessed that the two must have fainted from the strong effects of the drug.

The old Taoist priest was pleased to see it happen.

He reached out and pushed open the door, intending to continue the hot pot.

"Squeak!"

The door slid open a crack inward.

In that instant, a blur appeared, and before the old Taoist could notice, a hand slashed down like a knife.

"Bang!"

The dilapidated wooden door was chopped off with a single stroke.

Immediately afterwards, the courtyard outside the wooden door, the old locust tree outside the courtyard, and the dense forest outside the old locust tree... were all cut in half with a single stroke through the gap between the upper and lower parts of the wooden door!

"puff!"

A head of white hair shot into the sky.

The old Taoist priest still had the smugness and mockery in his eyes when he pushed open the door, completely unaware that his head had been severed from his neck and flown off, blood gushing out like a waterfall, drawing a scarlet arc in the air.

The head spun around in the air, its face blank, but its gaze flew higher and higher, sweeping over the body that was still pushing the door open. Just as it landed, it met Jiang She's cold and ruthless eyes in the shadows inside the door.

"Uh...me?"

pat!

The head finally hit the ground, and Jiang She stomped on it until it was crushed!

The head exploded like a shattered watermelon, leaving only two eyes, facing the ceiling, completely dark.

The courtyard fell silent for a moment.

The process was extremely short, taking only a few breaths. Xu Qingyue, who was sitting lightly on the edge of the couch, only saw the door open for a moment and then saw something flying diagonally from outside. Before she could see what it was, her vision was filled with scarlet, and it landed on Xu Qingyue's cheeks in scattered spots. She wrinkled her nose and instantly smelled a warm, salty smell.

She reached out and touched it, only to find her hand covered in blood...

"ah--!"

Xu Qingyue screamed, her delicate body arched backward, and she collapsed softly onto the bed, instantly fainting from fright.

By the door...

Jiang She withdrew his foot, glanced expressionlessly at the mess on the ground, then turned around, looked at the unconscious woman, his eyes calm and undisturbed:

"Yeah, it's nice to be dizzy, at least it's peaceful."

Jiang She was meticulous and cautious. This time, he deliberately chose the moment when the old Taoist priest was off guard and opened the door, intending to kill him with one blow. He knew the principle that even a lion would use all its strength to hunt a rabbit, so he would not give the old Taoist priest a chance to struggle in his death throes.

"Is this the power of an attack strength of '520'?"

Jiang She loosened his grip, stood by the door, and glanced around. He saw that the force of the palm strike was still strong, like a huge crescent moon, starting from the broken house and sweeping outwards for hundreds of miles. Wherever it passed, the forest was cut in half.

The arc of light, like the moon, traveled further and further away after Jiang She struck it with his palm. It cleared forests and hills, causing mud waves to surge like ink dragons rolling on the ground and mountain rocks to crack like glass shattering.

Looking towards the horizon, a pale crack stretched from north to south for over five hundred miles, scattering birds and beasts in terror, destroying abandoned villages and dilapidated temples, altering the course of mountain streams, and splitting rivers in two...

Jiang She swept his divine sense across the air and heard voices on the wind:

"The sky... the sky is cracked! The sky is cracked!"

It was a woodcutter in the distance who cried out in extreme horror.

"Waaaah... Mother! Mother!"

The village children lay weeping amidst the ruins.

Jiang She swept his divine sense across the area, and within his sight, there were no fewer than ten villages destroyed by his palm strike. And along the stretch of more than five hundred miles, there were only more mountain villages and dilapidated temples destroyed.

"It seems I need to learn to control my strength."

Jiang She frowned, looking at his palm in thought. He was not a kind person and would not feel sorry for being caught in the crossfire. Just like when he was captured by the old Taoist, if he had no ability, he would also be a fish caught in the crossfire.

Killing is killing.

Just live well for them.

Jiang She did not concern himself with these matters.

Immediately, he stopped thinking about it and squatted down to carefully examine the old Taoist's body inside and out.

The old Taoist priest lived frugally, and all his belongings were stored in that bulging cloth bag, the opening of which was tied with a red rope. There was also an animal skin bag, which was not for ordinary storage but was a treasure that could attract people. However, when Jiang She opened it, he found that the animal skin bag had been cut in half with the knife he had just used.

"Perhaps it can be repaired and refined again."

Jiang She had started from scratch, so he couldn't bear to give up this treasure. He carefully put away the animal skin bag, grabbed the bulging cloth bag, and examined it closely.

As soon as the old Taoist priest died, the restriction on the red rope immediately disappeared.

He picked up the red rope at the bag opening with two fingers and looked closely. He saw that it was covered with a dark green color, still wrapped with the old Taoist's remaining magical power, but there was no feeling of divine consciousness rebounding as before.

"As expected, once the master died, most of the restriction dissipated on its own."

Jiang She whispered something, then stretched out his finger and gently stroked the red rope.

"Sizzle!"

With a soft sound, the magical membrane covering the red rope shattered like torn silk.

Then the red rope dimmed and drooped down softly. Jiang She untied the knot, pinched the bag opening, and looked inside.

Inside, about three feet wide, was a large stack of talisman paper in the corner. The paper was yellow like withered leaves and faintly shimmered with spiritual light. Lying beside it was a wolf-hair brush. Without grinding ink, the brush tip could be used to draw cinnabar with magical power, which could be used to draw talismans.

A stack of talisman papers was piled up beside the brush, all of which were already drawn with the talisman of divine speed.

In addition, there are three ancient silk scrolls, yellowish in color, with slight creases at the edges, and the silk surface faintly radiates a spiritual light, like misty clouds, clearly not ordinary objects.

Jiang She picked up a scroll, unfolded it, and saw that it contained three thousand words, all describing the art of talismans.

"Swiftness talisman, array talisman, flying sword talisman, this old Taoist has really good skills. He has the ability to attack, protect the array, and escape. If I were to face him head-on, it would be really difficult to kill him."

Jiang She opened another scroll, which contained a spell called "Leaping Object Spell".

This method is complicated to cultivate and consumes a lot of mana when used. It is a thankless and laborious technique for rogue cultivators who already find it difficult to condense mana.

But the effectiveness of this method made Jiang She's eyes light up.

"This 'Leaping Object Technique' can actually nourish and enhance spiritual herbs and magical artifacts, raising their grade by a whole level?!"

Elixirs, magical artifacts, and cultivation techniques all have grades. The closer they are to the first grade, the more wondrous their power and uses become. For example, the pouch that Jiang She had refined himself could hold things, but it did not reach the grade level. It was not even a basic storage bag, let alone a Qiankun bag that could hold a vast universe within a mustard seed.

However, the severed animal skin bag, capable of holding living creatures, could be considered the lowest grade of a ninth-rank storage bag.

"This must be the secret method the old Taoist priest was talking about."

Jiang She had always been preoccupied with the secret method of refining the furnace to a higher grade. Now, upon opening the scroll, he saw a few words on the silk scroll that he had already memorized.

—The Qi-Inducing Classic of the Last Month!

"Another different 'Last Month's Qi-Inducing Classic'!"

Jiang She raised an eyebrow, looked at it for a while, and thought to himself, "This 'Qi-Inducing Scripture of the Last Month' must be a cultivation method of the Hehuan Sect. It is a three-volume Daoist book, and every volume is about absorbing and cultivating qi."

He carefully considered the matter and found that this Taoist book could also be integrated with the previous two to form a new "Shangyue Yinqi Jing".

only...

This technique... has become only suitable for women to practice.

"Moreover, after a woman cultivates, she will become a furnace, using her cultivation to feed others without realizing it."

What an insidious technique!

I love ૮₍˃̶ꇴ˂̶₎ა

"call--"

With a flick of his sleeve, Jiang She gathered all the items from the cloth bag.

He sat back on the corner of the bed and just then saw Xu Qingyue slowly waking up.

She forced open her heavy eyelids, not knowing how many times she had fainted that day. Following only her memory of the moments before she collapsed, she focused her gaze on the doorway. What met her eyes was first a blur, then gradually clearer… a corpse…

"ah--!"

Xu Qingyue's delicate body trembled, and she couldn't help but scream. She covered her red lips with both hands, her pretty face turning pale instantly. She only glanced at the headless corpse before daring not to look again.

"Jiang...Young Master Jiang...?"

She thought Jiang She was dead, and her voice trembled violently, but unexpectedly, Jiang She's voice rang out again:

"Miss, I'm here."

Um...

Ok? !

Xu Qingyue's shoulders trembled, and she turned her head shakily, only to see Jiang She sitting cross-legged on the ground, his expression unchanged.

Alas!

Jiang She did not die.

Who died?!

Xu Qingyue was slightly taken aback, raised her hand to cover her eyes, and peered out through her fingers.

But outside the gate, the forest looked as if it had been plowed by cattle, and as far as the eye could see, it was flat. In the pool of blood lay a headless corpse, dressed in a Taoist robe, with wrinkled and curled fingers.

Who else could it be but the old Taoist priest?

Xu Qingyue was stunned for a moment, her almond-shaped eyes widened, and the fear and horror in her eyes gradually turned into surprise:

"The old Taoist priest is dead? How did he die?!"

She hurriedly went to ask Jiang She.

"I don't know."

Jiang She shook his head and gave a casual, perfunctory answer.

He was busy probing the old Taoist's corpse with his divine sense to investigate his life experiences, and had no time to attend to Xu Qingyue's many questions.

Xu Qingyue's words came out like a barrage of cannon fire, disturbing his peace. Jiang She rubbed his temples, but his head still throbbed with pain. So he simply went with his previous plan and mumbled:

"Although I do not know what happened, I saw a person dart by like a startled swan and kill the old Taoist priest. By the time I saw clearly, the old Taoist priest's body had already been separated from his head."

"The man was dressed in a plain robe, with golden light flowing around him. He had an extraordinary bearing and was clearly a divine and handsome man."

Jiang She spoke fluently and vividly.

Xu Qingyue listened intently, nervously clutching her skirt, blinking her almond-shaped eyes, and demanding, "Who...who is that person?"

"I don't know either."

Jiang She shook his head regretfully and said, "I only remember that after that person killed the evil Taoist, he did not linger. He left a message before leaving."

"What do you mean?" Xu Qingyue asked urgently.

Jiang She gazed into the distance, looking out of the courtyard, as if repeating a solemn statement:

He said: "I am a messenger under the mountain god of the old temple of Jade Mountain. I saw injustice on the road and came to punish this evil spirit. Now that you have escaped danger, you must take good care of yourselves."

"A mountain, a messenger of the mountain god?!"

Xu Qingyue was stunned, frozen in place. Her almond-shaped eyes widened, her red lips parted slightly, and she glanced at the courtyard outside with a mixture of fear and respect, as if that person was still nearby.

After a long while, he murmured:

"So... there really is a mountain god on Jade Mountain..."

"That must be it."

"Then what about my poison...?"

"The messenger was also dispatched."

Jiang She followed her words and said, "Miss is kind-hearted, and Second Master is compassionate. It must be that the mountain god could not bear to see Miss suffer such a great crime, so he specially sent a messenger to kill the villain."

"This is truly a stroke of luck, and a testament to Miss's great fortune!"

It must be said that Jiang She, as a modern man, was very good at coaxing people. After much foreplay, Xu Qingyue was moved by his words. In an instant, the relief of surviving the disaster, the awe of the gods, and the lingering fear of the terrible scene before her eyes intertwined. She took a deep breath and said seriously:

"Whether this matter is true or not, my family will contribute money and effort to properly repair the old Yushan Temple."

Ok?

Jiang She frowned.

He wouldn't agree to that.

There's a room full of gold bricks hidden in the old temple. Wouldn't it be a waste to send people to repair it?

But he couldn't openly refute it, so he only said:

"Miss, a mountain is not valued for its height, but for the presence of a deity. Although the old temple on Jade Mountain is humble, it is deeply revered for its sincerity. If it is renovated haphazardly, it may backfire and displease the mountain god..."

Xu Qingyue was stunned for a long time after hearing this.

As Jiang She's words lingered in my mind, I felt that his insights were unique and made a lot of sense.

Even without martial arts training, this man might still be a good candidate to manage the family business...

Thinking of this, Xu Qingyue squeezed her legs even tighter.

"What Young Master Jiang says is very true."

After hesitating for a while, she finally spoke, "Mountain God, you are no ordinary mortal. Since you wish to reside in the old temple, you must dislike extravagance. If my family were to undertake large-scale construction without permission, it would go against your original intention of quiet cultivation and backfire."

"In your opinion, young master, how should my family repay this life-saving grace?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang She's face showed a thoughtful expression:

"In my humble opinion, it would be better to send someone to Yushan every day to clean the dust from the old temple and add some clean water, fresh fruit, and incense to show our sincere worship. This would not disturb the mountain god's peace and would also express our family's gratitude. It would be quite appropriate."

That's true.

Xu Qingyue's eyes lit up, and she said softly, "My lord is indeed very thoughtful. He has not offended the gods, and he has fulfilled my family's duty of repaying kindness. After we return to the manor, I will instruct the servants to do so."

As she spoke, she couldn't help but glance at the horrific scene outside the door, her pretty face paled, and her voice lowered slightly:

"But...the current scene is truly terrifying, Young Master Jiang, we...should leave this place as soon as possible."

Ok?

leave?

Jiang She glanced at the headless corpse outside the door, feeling somewhat reluctant to leave.

He probed the old Taoist with his divine sense, about to penetrate to the very end, and was about to figure out the method of "inviting the gods." You told me to leave?

That won't do!

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

P.S.: Although it's a serious novel, the power levels won't be inconsistent. An attack power of 500 means a strike range of over 500 miles, and so on. But there won't be any numbers like 999999999, because I'll write it as 999,999,999 (just kidding ❛˓◞˂̵✧).