The silence was broken by a panicked shout.
"Dao'er! My son, are you alright?"
The color drained from Jiang Dalong's face as he watched his son casually toss the grotesque young man's head aside. Shaking, he rushed forward, with his lieutenants, Pang Lin and Fang Biao, right behind him, their faces a mask of shock and awe.
Jiang Dao staggered, his unnaturally swollen muscles shrinking back to their normal size, the network of pulsing veins receding beneath his skin. His face was pale, his chest a raw, bloody mess where poisoned blood still oozed from the wound. His Life-Nourishing Formula had forced out the worst of the toxin, but he could feel the venom still burning deep inside, a persistent fire that wouldn't be easy to extinguish.
"I'm fine, Father. It's not as bad as it looks," he said, shaking his head.
"Quickly! Get the healers, bandage his wounds!" Jiang Dalong yelled, his voice cracking with urgency.
"No," Jiang Dao commanded, waving away the men who hurried toward him. "The wound is toxic. Stay back."
He turned to Pang Lin and held out a hand. "Your saber."
Pang Lin handed it over without a word. Gritting his teeth against a wave of agony, Jiang Dao gripped a handful of blackened, corrupted flesh on his chest. With a single, decisive motion, he sliced it away.
A spray of toxic, black blood hissed as it hit the dirt, the stench of rot and decay filling the air. A guttural groan escaped his lips, a sound he couldn't suppress. But a moment later, the power of his internal arts took over. The bleeding slowed, then stopped. Incredibly, the edges of the gaping wound began to tremble and slowly crawl back together.
"Bandages," he grunted.
Pang Lin was there in an instant, pressing a roll of clean linen into his hand. Jiang Dao wrapped the bandage tightly around his torso himself, the fabric doing little to dull the searing, fiery pain. If it hadn't been for his Eagle Claw Iron Cloth Shirt technique, that creature's claws would have torn him open from ribs to navel.
Vicious monsters. Evil spirits. They weren't human. This world was far more dangerous than he had ever allowed himself to believe.
"Father," he said through clenched teeth. "We need to move. Now."
"Right, right!" Jiang Dalong agreed, immediately ordering his men to help Jiang Dao into a carriage. The camp dissolved into a flurry of motion as servants scrambled to pack and get the caravan moving again.
There were no more attacks. As the carriage rumbled on, guarded by the watchful eyes of Pang Lin and the others, Jiang Dao sank back against the cushions, his focus turning inward.
He called up the five martial arts in his mind, his gaze settling on two: the Life-Nourishing Formula and the Eagle Claw Iron Cloth Shirt. The fight had been a brutal lesson in their value. His Life-Nourishing Formula, at only 120 years of mastery, had saved him from a deadly poison. What could it do in 200 years? Or 300? It had also been the source of the explosive internal power that had crippled the creature when it had him in its grip. It was more than just a healing art; it was a weapon.
With a thought, he poured his newfound power into them.
The world faded, replaced by the stark text he knew so well:
Name: Jiang Dao
Strength: 3.5
Speed: 2.8
Spirit: 1.3
Martial Arts:
Life-Nourishing Formula (180-Year Mastery) [MAX]
Eagle Claw Iron Cloth Shirt (180-Year Mastery) [MAX]
Mad Demon Cudgel Technique (120-Year Mastery) [MAX]
Blood Shadow Soul-Chasing Saber (120-Year Mastery) [MAX]
Poisonous Sand Palm (120-Year Mastery) [MAX]
A surge of energy, twice as thick as before, flooded his system. What was once a thin trickle like an earphone wire was now a powerful current, as thick as a charging cable. A pleasant, tingling numbness spread from his wound, and the exhaustion weighing on him began to lift, replaced by a sharp, clear-eyed vitality.
Still only two at a time? He thought, a frown creasing his brow. That creature was far stronger than any evil spirit he'd faced, yet it only gave him enough power for two upgrades—a 60-year boost to each. Was that the panel's limit?
Two is better than none, he conceded. He'd take what he could get.
His eyes scanned the list again. I wonder... could I merge the Mad Demon Cudgel and the Blood Shadow Saber? The idea was tantalizing. If he could combine their strengths, creating a single, seamless style, the result would be devastating. But one was a cudgel art, the other a blade art. Fusing them would be a monumental task.
He closed his eyes, his mind turning into a training ground where he began the arduous process of deconstructing and re-imagining the two distinct forms.
Two days blurred into a long, tense journey. They spent one night in a small, fortified town, and for once, the darkness remained quiet. By noon on the third day, the imposing walls of Fengzhou City rose before them.
This was another hub of the Jiang family's commercial empire, a place where their name and influence ran deep. Even without the millions in silver notes Jiang Dao carried, their properties and businesses here were enough to sustain them. Their network spanned four prefectures and thirteen counties; Hengzhou had been their largest base, but it was never their only one.
"We're here, Dao'er," Jiang Dalong said, his face breaking into a genuine smile for the first time in days. He dismounted and walked to his son's carriage.
When the curtain was pulled back, the man who emerged seemed larger than the one who had entered. Jiang Dao stood a little taller, his shoulders broader, his thick black hair catching the midday sun. Dressed in a clean white robe, he gazed at the grand estate before them. Carved in gold above the gate were the words: Jiang Residence Courtyard.
Waiting for them were his five younger brothers, looking as useless as ever, and his little sister, Jiang Ruyan.
The moment she saw them, her eyes welled up. "Father! Big Brother!" she cried, running and throwing herself into Jiang Dalong's arms.
"It's alright, Ruyan. We're safe now," he said, patting her back gently. "Go find your mother."
She nodded, tears streaming down her face, and turned to her older brother. "Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine," Jiang Dao said, his voice softer than usual. He shot a hard look at his other brothers. "Did anyone give you trouble while you were waiting?"
"No," she sniffled.
"Good. Go on, go help your mother."
As she scurried off, Jiang Dalong clapped him on the shoulder. "I've been building this place for over a decade, son. This will be our fortress. We're finally safe."
A wave of relief washed over the servants, who began to unload the wagons with renewed energy. Some rushed inside to air the place out and sweep away the dust of disuse.
But Jiang Dao felt no such relief. A cold dread settled in his gut. He knew it wasn't over.
He had killed a Spirit Child of the Spirit Child Palace. This wasn't some rival merchant family; they were a cult of inhuman creatures. Retaliation wasn't a question of if, but when. And when they came, would he be strong enough to stop them?
"Quickly!" Jiang Dalong was already shouting orders, his spirits high. "Go buy firecrackers, the biggest you can find! And draft invitations to all the prominent families in the city. Tell them I'm hosting a banquet at the Sunny Pavilion the day after tomorrow!" This brush with death had made him want to celebrate life with the whole world.
"Father," Jiang Dao interrupted, his voice low and serious, cutting through the celebratory mood. "I need to get stronger. Do you have any other connections for martial arts training?"
Jiang Dalong stared at him, bewildered. "More training? But you're already…"
"It's not enough," Jiang Dao insisted. "A single one of those things nearly wiped out Hengzhou. Do you really think we were skilled enough to survive? We were lucky. What happens when our luck runs out?"
The question hung in the air, extinguishing Jiang Dalong's cheerful mood. The reality of their narrow escape settled back over him, heavy and cold. His son was right. They had survived on a razor's edge.
His expression hardened. "You're right, son. I'll write to my old contacts immediately. I'll ask everyone I know. I'll have an answer for you within three days. I swear it."
Jiang Dao gave a slight, determined nod. "Good."