Swallowing the Stars: Reboot, The Eternal Serpent!

Chapter 27 Nine Deaths Resurrection Grass!

Reluctantly climbing out of the bathtub, Jiang Zhe quickly rinsed off, changed into a loose-fitting blue Hanfu, and rushed to the front yard.

The front yard and reception room were brightly lit.

Jiang Zhe admired the person who came. He wondered how long the person had been waiting in Lanling Base City, fearing that his grandfather might run away again the next morning, so they came to catch him overnight.

Knock on the door.

After receiving a response, Jiang Zhe pushed open the door and entered, his deep, unfathomable eyes subconsciously scanning the people in the room.

The old man sat in the main seat, and his eldest uncle sat to his left.

To the right of the old man, opposite the table, sat a thin old man with gray hair, and beside him was a lean middle-aged man.

Jiang Zhe recognized the two people.

The small meeting room was packed with three members of parliament and a chief of staff; that's quite a large entourage.

The only person standing in the reception room was a young man in his twenties, who looked haggard and had a face that was both noble and mean.

The eyes are the windows of the soul.

As a mentalist, Jiang Zhe's gaze, when he met the young man's eyes, seemed to automatically replay the young man's past ugliness in his eyes, stirring up the deepest fears within him, causing the young man's body to tremble like a leaf.

"A mid-tier general? Is that all? The Wang family's cowards!"

He chuckled, then looked away and stopped pressuring.

Wang Zhen felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He staggered two steps and only managed to avoid falling by leaning against the vermilion-lacquered pillar behind him. The back of his shirt was already soaked with sweat.

"Haha, gentlemen, my lord, I apologize for my rudeness."

"This kid just came back from the wilderness, where he slaughtered too many lord-level monsters, and his murderous aura is still overwhelming."

"You two are his elders, please forgive him!"

The old man laughed heartily, his mouth moving like a machine gun, his tone filled with pride, showing no trace of apology.

The lean middle-aged man and the old man exchanged a quiet glance, finding it both amusing and relieved.

As expected, their worries were unnecessary.

Upon hearing that a sixteen-year-old War God-level mentalist had reached the War God Palace, their first reaction was that he must have taken drugs.

Fortunately, the Jiang family, with its strict family traditions, would not do something so short-sighted as to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.

Being able to hunt down lord-level monsters means that during the month Jiang Zhe disappeared, he wasn't just mindlessly taking drugs and simply focusing on increasing his cultivation level; he had honed his actual combat skills.

The old man beckoned to Jiang Zhe, who was standing at the door, "Come here, let me introduce you to my two uncles."

"This is Jia Yi, the strongest councilor in Hanxia!"

The lean middle-aged man smiled and nodded to Jiang Zhe, "Haha, seeing my nephew makes me realize that I, the 'Strongest in Hanxia,' will soon be replaced."

"You flatter me, I'm still far from good enough," Jiang Zhe said politely.

To be honest, he's a bit socially awkward. He's confident he can get along well with his brothers, but he can't get along with these people who have the title of elder.

My toes are practically digging a three-bedroom apartment out of the floor.

Master, let's not call you "Uncle," let's call you "Big Brother." I guarantee I'll make sure my good brother Jia Yi is taken care of perfectly.

The old man, of course, couldn't hear Jiang Zhe's thoughts about usurping the generational line, and continued to introduce him: "This is Mr. Zhou, you should know him."

"Uncle Zhou," Jiang Zhe nodded and called out.

We do know each other, but only through a television screen.

They exchanged a few pleasantries, mostly praising him as a young hero, the youngest war god since Earth entered a new era...

Pretty words are nice to hear, but too many of them can get tiresome.

Jiang Zhe patiently said a few words to him, but when he was about to take his leave, Mr. Zhou noticed and brought up the real reason why he had been called over.

"I'll call you Xiao Zhe too."

"Xiao Zhe, the unfair treatment you suffered this time is a result of both our actions and the Wang family's actions; no one can shirk this responsibility."

"We have dealt with all the traitors within our ranks who dared to abuse their positions to leak your communication locations; the people in charge and those who supported the Wang family have also been apprehended and will be executed immediately."

"It's Wang Li, the youngest of the second generation of the Wang family. He was jealous of your talent and used his family's power to act recklessly. He not only tarnished the Wang family's reputation but also almost threatened your life, causing irreparable damage to the Jiang family and even Hanxia."

As Mr. Zhou spoke, Jiang Zhe stared at him, his deep eyes making the former feel somewhat embarrassed.

But being the big shot in charge, he braced himself and continued, "Now that the aftermath has basically subsided, Jia Yi and I have come here to apologize. Our primary purpose is to hope that you can forgive the serious mistake we made due to negligence."

As he spoke, Mr. Zhou pushed the metal box that had been placed on the table to Jiang Zhe.

Jiang Zhe, being decisive, didn't ask the old man's opinion and, without any hesitation, opened the box and examined its contents.

The first layer is a blank sheet of paper.

There are ink marks on the paper, written with a brush; the calligraphy is quite good, the strokes are vigorous and flowing, it's not a print.

[The Fundamentals of Spiritual Mastery - Earn rewards upon entering the Divine Palace!]

This is the most exquisite mental cultivation manual mastered by Earthlings. Jia Yi wanted to say a few words about it, but Mr. Zhou stopped him.

Despite his seemingly inexperienced nature, Jiang Zhe actually understands the value of this secret manual better than anyone else.

For Earthlings, it is supreme, and Hong will never allow it to appear in the real world in paper form.

Even Phantom Demon Cattelan, who holds a high position in the HR Alliance and is closest to the invincible god of war, has no chance to come into contact with this secret manual.

It's easy to imagine the enormous price Hanxia paid to obtain this secret manual from Hong and gain a chance to learn it.

But... instead of being a sucker for Hong, it's better to just give me a discount on what I've given him.

Jiang Zhe muttered to himself.

To him, this secret manual was useless, as it contained only the most basic and even nonsensical information.

I'm talking about you, the most essential part of the secret manual—the "Illustrated Record of the Celestials"!

The entire secret technique can be summed up in four words: practice makes perfect!

Jiang Zhe strongly suspects that this secret technique was fabricated by Earth experts based on conjecture and information remaining from ancient ruins.

As for my current mental energy amplitude... I've been using my mental energy frequently these past two days, and it has already exceeded 10 times the amplitude.

"I really want to go to the No. 9 Relic Site to find out what my brain capacity is," Jiang Zhe thought to himself, his gaze sweeping over the paper and landing on the second layer of the box.

It was covered with a layer of simple and unadorned cultivation resources.

From the outer circle inwards, there are ten portions of unknown ointment, four portions of chalcedony, and the most central, most important, and core portion of golden blood.

800 billion, Dragon Blood!

Jiang Zhe felt that given his current physical condition, he needed to prepare at least two doses, and three doses would be the safest option, even though there would definitely be some overdose and waste.

But Jiang Zhe didn't care; having money at home was better than not having enough to eat.

At the very bottom was a neatly folded uniform, imbued with a heavy sense of responsibility, and an ID card tucked into the side of the box.

I glanced at the epaulets next to me; the rank was at the top.

As expected, compared to an invincible war god-level mental master, I am still somewhat inferior.

With a grumbling in his heart, Jiang Zhe closed the lid of the box, lifted it off the table, and made his stance clear.

Mr. Zhou smiled and said, "Xiao Zhe, you also have a personal guard, its organization is..."

"Uncle, let's forget about the personal guard. I don't need that kind of entourage. If we really fight a monster, it's hard to say who will protect whom."

Jia Yi and Mr. Zhou both burst into laughter upon hearing this.

Mr. Zhou pressed on, saying, "As I just mentioned, our primary purpose for coming here is to act as an intermediary for the Wang family."

"The Wang family has sent their apology through their heir, Wang Zhen. Now that the mastermind has been executed, we hope that the two families can turn hostility into friendship and work together to contribute to the economy of Hanxia."

Mr. Zhou turned to look at Jiang Lie and emphasized, "Of course, I'm not putting pressure on you; I'm just here as a mediator. Whether or not your two families reach an agreement in the end, I'm just a witness."

Then, as if unintentionally, he sighed, "It's a pity that the head of the Wang family can't come to talk in person. He was taken to the intensive care unit a few days ago and hasn't come out since. The doctor said his condition is very serious and he probably won't make it through the month."

Jiang Zhe raised an eyebrow slightly. Was this a dignified death?

At Mr. Zhou's prompting, Wang Zhen handed over a sandalwood box about the size of two palms.

Jiang Zhe took it and opened it. Inside was a clump of withered grass, some of which had been cut off, leaving two-thirds of it.

"Xiao Zhe, do you know about 'the spirit of plants'?"

Jiang Zhe nodded.

Mr. Zhou smiled and continued, "The box contains a plant spirit called 'Nine Deaths Resurrection Grass,' which belongs to the oldest group of terrestrial plants."

Jiang Zhe paused for a moment, then suddenly said, "Isn't that Selaginella tamariscina?"

I'm currently reading the error-free version! This is the first time I've published this novel.

When Jiang Zhe exposed the true nature of this bundle of hay, its sophistication plummeted instantly, and the atmosphere that Mr. Zhou wanted to create was extinguished.

"Cough cough..." He coughed twice and continued, "That's right, almost, but this is a mutated Selaginella tamariscina. It's like comparing a domestic pig to a Firescale Three-Horned Boar."

"Don't be fooled by the fact that it's mostly dry now; as long as you let it come into contact with soil and water, it will immediately come back to life."

"Its medicinal effects are just like its nature; it can help the user stay alive until the very last breath and quickly recover from all injuries in a short period of time. In addition, it can increase physical fitness by 4 times after consumption, and even the remaining part can be improved by nearly 3 times, with an upper limit of reaching the peak of the High-level War God."

Jiang Zhe closed the box, tossed it a couple of times in his hand, and said, "It's very good, but..."

He casually tossed the wooden box to Wang Zhen, who caught it in a flustered manner.

"I wasn't injured in the assassination attempt, so I don't need compensation, nor can I afford the Wang family's apology. I'm very touched by the Wang family's sincerity, so let's leave it at that."

"Grandpa, what do you think?"

After making the decision on his own, Jiang Zhe turned to look at the old man.

The old man, of course, wouldn't betray him, and said with satisfaction, "Haha, whatever my grandson says goes. Let's leave it at that."

Jiang Zhe smiled faintly and nodded in acknowledgment, "My two uncles, I'll take my leave now. You two continue your conversation."

He picked up the metal box, turned around, and left.

As he brushed past Wang Zhen, who was in a daze, he glanced at him a couple more times, his eyes conveying a clear message—they've all left, aren't you going to go and enjoy some family time with them?

The spiritual aura unique to spiritual practitioners radiates passively through their eyes.

In Wang Zhen's eyes, those eyes staring at him were like black holes, swallowing his consciousness! Tearing it apart! Crushing it!

Her already fragile mental defenses were completely shattered, and she burst into tears.

"Uncle Zhou, he's trying to kill me! Save me!"

"Uncle Zhou, save me! My grandfather, my grandfather was kind to you, you can't forget that! You have to save me, you said you could save me..."

"I didn't do it, Uncle Zhou, I don't want to die!"

"Uncle Zhou! Help me! Uncle Zhou!"

Wang Zhen staggered away from Jiang Zhe, fell to the ground, and scrambled to grab onto Mr. Zhou's leg.

Jiang Zhe had no intention of staying to watch the show. He picked up the metal box Han Xia had given him and left the reception room indifferently.

……

Nearly forty minutes later, Mr. Zhou, Jia Yi, and the other two left, concluding their visit.

Jiang Zhe carried the metal box back to the reception room.

"Why did you bring this back again?" The old man sat in his armchair, fiddling with a sandalwood box, and glanced at him.

"These things aren't just for me."

Jiang Zhe placed the metal box on the table, opened it, and took out the cultivation resources inside one by one.

"The dragon blood is for you."

"The other ten portions are the highest grade of beast bone ointment, made from the bones of a king-level tiger monster, combined with many aged medicinal herbs. It is a specialty of the Northeast."

"Applying it to the skin can improve physical fitness by 1.3 times. It can only be effective once, with a maximum of the peak of the initial war god level. Four portions should be enough for you."

Jiang Zhe readily agreed, leaving only four portions of animal bone ointment and one portion of dragon blood in the box, and placing the rest on the table for the old man.

Looking at the familiar sandalwood box in the old man's hand, Jiang Zhe asked curiously, "Why did you leave the Nine Deaths Resurrection Grass behind?"

He frowned slightly, looking somewhat annoyed.

"This?" The old man shook his head and smiled, "It has nothing to do with you. It's a congratulatory gift for your uncle and me to break through to the level of councilors."

"Oh, by the way, remember to watch the news tomorrow morning."

Jiang Zhe: "Hmm?"

"It seems that Jia Yi and his convoy got into a car accident on their way back. That unlucky guy Wang Zhen died in the accident. We'll probably hear the news tomorrow night that Wang Zhen's second uncle has succeeded as the head of the Wang family."

Jiang Zhe's expression was quite interesting.

What kind of car accident could kill a mid-level general?

The old man continued, "Speaking of Wang Zhen's second uncle, he had a tough time when he was young. He was an illegitimate child and suffered ostracism. Fortunately, he was clever enough to voluntarily apply to be exiled to the Xixia base city..."

Jiang Zhe listened to the old man's rambling and nodded, thinking it was not bad.

……

When I got back to the courtyard, it was almost dawn.

Jiang Zhe took out the Bone Ointment and began cultivating.

Animal bone paste is a dark white substance resembling solidified lard, with a sweet, fishy smell.

Jiang Zhe endured the greasy discomfort, smeared the animal bone ointment all over his body, and then assumed the posture of facing the sky with his five hearts facing upwards to cultivate his genetic energy.

Five hours later, the sun was high in the sky.

Jiang Zhe woke up from his cultivation and couldn't stand the smell of rotten grease on his body, so he rushed into the bathroom to wash himself. He scrubbed himself until his skin was almost raw before coming out of the bathroom.

Arriving in the backyard, I turned on the punching power testing machine and threw a punch at it.

— "52045kg!"

"52 tons?"

"This is the punching power of a high-level general, but it needs to be cut in half to reach my theoretical level."

"26 tons!"

"Still within the range of mid-level generals..."

"The effects of the Bone Ointment are too weak. We should focus on Dragon Blood and the Spirit of Plants."

Just then, Butler Wu suddenly shouted in the front yard, "Young Master Zhe, people from the Limit Martial Arts Academy have arrived. They want to assess your strength as a War God."

Jiang Zhe: ? ? ?

"A God of War level strength assessment with door-to-door service? Doesn't it just involve hunting two Lord-level monsters?"

(End of this chapter)