Cheng Lingsu wasn't in the mood to sleep, so she took a stroll alone in the yard, going through the beautiful scenery of Jiang Xiu's house, or to more accurately say, appreciating the beautiful scenery of her house. Jiang Xiu was the master, and she was the mistress. She had heard that these gardens belonged to the Wang family before. It was a marvelous place with an excellent Fengshui and better than any of the tourist attractions.
She approached a stone and sat down on it, resting her chin on her hand as she gazed at the lake ahead of her. The moonlight reflecting on the water surface made it glisten during the night.
Jiang Xiu had spoken of divorce just now. Cheng Lingsu knew that he didn't marry him willingly, but she was unwilling to divorce him.
Didn't I just make a single mistake? Is there a need to reject me so cruelly?
As the Second Young Lady of the Cheng family, she was highly intelligent from her childhood and rarely made such a mistake as she had today. She always believed she was a fortunate girl and possessed beautiful features, that no matter where she went, people would always dote on her, that she could do whatever wanted to. But ever since she ran into Jiang Xiu, misfortune kept visiting her again and again.
She picked up a stone and threw it into the moon reflected in the water, resulting in the moon's reflection rippling along with the waves.
Do you think I'll also ignore you because you ignore me?
I've never acted selfishly ever since I encountered you.
You wicked scoundrel.
She turned her head towards Jiang Xiu's room. Many people had come over tonight. All of them were from Jiang City. She recognized some of them. Jiang City's Tang family and the Zhong family had also arrived. The lights were still on inside the old house. It looked like they were still discussing matters.
She guessed that it was about the duel with that powerful person from the Ji family on the full moon night of the Mid-autumn festival.
He's so powerful. He wouldn't lose, right?
A voice suddenly came through from aside, "Young Lady!"
It was midnight right now, but the lamps were all lit inside the gardens. The light rays were only enough to let people see the road and the other regions were covered in darkness. She was really scared when a voice suddenly appeared.
"My mother!"
Our Second Young Lady Cheng didn't even have the mind to uphold a lady-like image. She cried out and almost fell down into the lake due to the getting scared.
She turned around and saw a 30-year-old woman had arrived beside her. She had a wooden basin with clothes inside them in her hand.
"You want to scare me to my death?"
The woman apologized with a smile, "I'm sorry for scaring you. Mr. Jiang has instructed to tell you to wash these clothes."
"Laundry clothes?"
Cheng Lingsu's eyes grew wide in anger. Jiang Xiu, you're really something. "Why? There are so many people at home. Why should I wash them?"
The woman smiled at her, "Those were mister's instructions."
Are you kidding me?
"Isn't it just putting them in the washing machine?" Cheng Lingsu asked.
The woman replied, "Mister said to tell you to hand wash them. There's a pool over there at the lower reaches. The water is quite pure. After you're done washing them, he told that you have to dry them with a dryer and iron them. Mister will wear the clothes tomorrow."
"What?!"
Cheng Lingsu understood clearly that he wanted to torment her, just like how he had done so in Jiang City. Torment her till she finally can't bear it and honestly divorced him.
She turned back towards the room and scolded ferociously, "You're indeed a scoundrel!"
She revealed a stubborn look on her face then took the wooden basin.
"Okay. I'll do it."
This night was foreordained to be a restless night. A special visitor had come to the Jiang Mansion. He was from a reclusive elite family of Jiangnan, the Nie family.
The person who came called himself Old Nie!
Jiang Xiu accompanied him for a walk in the Jiang Gardens and walked over towards a pavilion situated on a hill. The platform ahead looked just like a mountain peak. The Jiang Gardens had woods as hills and a lake. It was an exceptional land where wind and water gathered. During the Song Dynasty Era, this place was once the Emperor's vacation land.
Standing on the tallest hill in the mansion, a full view of the city ablaze with lights came into view. The impressive mansion stood at a distance from those lights. "Old Nie, please take a seat."
Old Nie gestured back at Jiang Xiu then sat in front of him. He didn't dare to act ostentatiously and sat at the same time as Jiang Xiu. He sighed, "This old man had once come here with my father."
"Oh?"
Old Nie mocked himself, "My father wanted me to pay allegiance to the Wang family so that I can turn from a fish into a dragon, but Wang Jianzhi asserted that I won't achieve much in my life, so he refused to meet me."
"Old Nie, please have some tea!"
Wang Xintong came into the pavilion along with a tray and placed it on the circular stone table inside. She then poured a small cup of tea and set it in front of Old Nie. The night wind carried its delicate fragrance along with it.
"Lady Xintong, I don't dare to accept your tea."
Wang Xintong smiled sweetly, "Elder Nie, it's an honor for Xintong to pour you tea. Please don't think of me as a clueless, little girl. Others might not know of Gold Dragon's name, but I've heard my elders mention it to me."
Old Nie shook his head, assuming a helpless appearance. "Everyone speaks of me too highly."
Jiang Xiu finally became aware of this old man's identity.
"So, it's Gold Dragon, Nie Yin."
Jiang Xiu noticed him only due to his profound cultivation. It could be considered top-notch in this world. Since he dared to appear at a Demigod's house and set foot into the Jiang Mansion, addressing Jiang Xiu as Mr. Jiang, he naturally wasn't an ordinary person.
Jiang Xiu said, "I wonder why Old Nie has paid a visit so late into the night?"
A solemn expression appeared on Old Nie's face. "Mr. Jiang, you acted too heavily tonight. The Li family isn't anything, so is the Dong family. Even Ji Yicong whom you killed is nothing, but Jiang Ao is different. He's Old Jiang's eldest grandson and the rope tying the Jiang family and the Ji family. Old Jiang and that person from the Ji family care about him very much as he's quite important to both families."
"Hehe!"
Jiang Xiu sneered, "Jiang family and the Ji family joined hands and sent Crown Prince Ao to Jiangnan to seize my foundation at Jiangnan. They even closed down all my industries so openly. If I didn't kill him, anyone would come to take advantage of me. Even you would've looked down on me, right?"
"An insignificant Jiang family's member died. So what? I definitely won't let the Jiang family and the Ji family off."
He played it down with his words to hide his true intentions.
Old Nie said, "If the information gathered by my Nie family is correct. Mr. Jiang has killed three Demigods. Wang Jiangzhi, Jin Mu Sen, and another person."
Jiang Xiu remained calm, but he was amazed inwardly.
"Ji Wudao is different from all of them."
"The Ji family was established around 4-500 years ago. Each family experiences unrest in the wake of the modern era and either drop or rise in position. The Ji family is no exception to it. It has experienced three significant events. The first time was during the reign of the Ming Emperor, the family was in dire straits, but a person called Ji Yong saved the family and brought it to a peak. The second time was after over a hundred years since the first event happened, during the peaceful reign of the Qing Emperor. The family had suffered another huge crisis, and a person called Ji Depei appeared to kill the powerful enemy. The third time was during WW1, Ji Wudao appeared then."
It was inevitable for a family to go through ups and downs of fortune, so Jiang Xiu didn't find anything wrong with it.
Old Nie continued, "However, according to the data gathered by my Nie family, we reached an astonishing conclusion. In fact, Ji Yong, Ji Depei, and Ji Wudao are all the same person."
Bang!
The tray in Wang Xintong's hand fell to the ground.
The matters which Old Nie had revealed were secret information from centuries ago. There weren't many who knew of them. "Wang Jianzhi, Jin Mu Sen, and the other Demigod had only lived for 200 years, but according to the information my Nie family gathered, Ji Wudao has lived for over 400 years and perhaps even longer."
Even Jiang Xiu couldn't remain calm after hearing this.
500 years, an Earth Immortal.
No matter how, if only a human lived for 500 years, a qualitative change would occur in that human. An ordinary human would become an Immortal, an animal would become a Spirit. It was possible that the ancestor of this Ji family had already become an Immortal or perhaps even a God.
"Sixty years ago, when China was invaded by invaders, the entire land was full of flames. A Japanese organization known as the Black Dragon Organization who were well versed in the Yin-Yang Arts had oppressed the martial artists of China, making them lower their heads. Ji Wudao had a bitter fight at the Pinghai shore and defeated the leader of the Black Dragon Organization, making him return home and take an oath that he would never enter China as long as Ji Wudao is alive."
"Do you know any details of the battle?" Jiang Xiu asked.
Old Nie shook his head, "It's unknown, but everyone knows the outcome."
"There were many battles like these during WW2. Huaxia had suffered humiliation back then, and many despots rose up. The entire country was enveloped in the flames of war, and this dazzling battle stood out among the country's resistance against the invaders, being passed on as an ode by many people."
Jiang Xiu muttered to himself. He couldn't help but tone down his pride. From all the information there was a high possibility that Ji Wudao might be a God. This wasn't similar to the immature Golden Guardian of the desert city. If Ji Wudao really lived for over 500 years, that meant he had indeed reached the divine stage. Even if Jiang Xiu had several magical skills, they can't complement the difference in power.
"Therefore, I've made this trip to advise Mr. Jiang. You're just 20 years old and have a long future ahead of you. Use this opportunity to escape."