# Chapter 182: A Familiar Face—Lu Shuanghe
Almost at the same instant Chongxuan Sheng called out, Jiang Wang had already burst through the door.
His right hand formed a sword with two fingers, stirring purple qi.
The person outside seemed caught off guard and instinctively condensed a heavy-water shield before him.
But the sword qi surged, scattering the heavy-water droplets like stones in all directions.
Jiang Wang's left hand thrust forward, a flame blossom blooming at his fingertip—and blooming before the person's face.
All of this, though it sounds slow, happened in a single exchange.
Shisi and Chongxuan Sheng were only a step behind in exiting the room, but Jiang Wang had already subdued his opponent.
"Chongxuan Xin?" Chongxuan Sheng furrowed his brow.
The one held at flame-point by Jiang Wang, not daring to move a muscle, was none other than Chongxuan Xin.
He had a memorable hawk-hook nose, but now there was no trace of his former arrogance.
Seeing Chongxuan Sheng, he actually dropped to his knees with a thud. "Brother Sheng, I've come to apologize to you!"
Seeing him like this, Jiang Wang closed his fist, extinguishing the flame, and stood in silence.
Regardless of Chongxuan Sheng's attitude, at least on the surface, he was now Chongxuan Sheng's retainer. Some matters were for Chongxuan Sheng alone to decide.
Only after the searing heat dissipated did cold sweat finally drip from Chongxuan Xin's forehead.
Only then did he realize how vast the gap between him and Jiang Wang truly was. Only then did he understand why Chongxuan Sheng had insisted on choosing Jiang Wang to accompany him into the Heavenly Treasury Secret Realm.
"Apologize for what? I'm not quite sure I understand." Chongxuan Sheng squinted.
Chongxuan Xin knelt on the ground, tears appearing on command: "It's all because I was too cowardly, too easily intimidated. Someone threatened me, and I went against you, Brother Sheng. I know I was wrong—punish me as you see fit, Brother Sheng, and I'll accept it all!"
"What's this? Who's so bold as to threaten a member of my Chongxuan clan?" Chongxuan Sheng lowered his voice, instantly assuming an air of authority.
"It's... it's..."
Chongxuan Xin was startled but still dared not speak that name.
"If you don't want to say it, then go home."
"Chongxuan Zun! It's Chongxuan Zun!" Chongxuan Xin gritted his teeth and said viciously. "He's narrow-minded and cruel. He disregards family bonds and harbors resentment toward you, Brother Sheng, doing everything he can to target you!"
"Nonsense! How could my Brother Zun be that kind of person?" Chongxuan Sheng said sternly. "Don't slander him!"
Chongxuan Xin froze, unsure whether he should continue cursing.
"All right." Chongxuan Sheng's expression softened. "Get up. We're clan brothers—what misunderstanding can't be resolved? Have I ever held a grudge against you?"
"Thank you for your magnanimity, Brother Sheng." Chongxuan Xin stood, unable to resist wiping his brow. He silently regretted the foolishness that had led him to entangle himself in the competition between these two scoundrels.
His mission had failed. Chongxuan Zun's faction, with its abundance of talent, didn't spare him a second glance.
He had thoroughly offended Chongxuan Sheng. Now that Chongxuan Sheng was on track for a divine-power Inner Prefecture and had risen like a fish leaping over the dragon gate, his momentum had surged overnight.
After much deliberation, he had decided to come and apologize proactively—rather than wait for Chongxuan Sheng to settle scores later.
He hadn't expected to be subdued by Jiang Wang the moment he entered the courtyard.
Chongxuan Sheng needed only a few words to bring Chongxuan Xin into complete submission. He had no interest in wasting further thought on him and casually ordered, "Go back for now. I'll have someone notify you if anything comes up. If you have any difficulties, you can come to me."
"Brother Sheng, I will follow your lead in all things!"
Chongxuan Xin hastily pledged his loyalty and fled the premises as if escaping a disaster.
Chongxuan Xin's submission was merely a microcosm of the broader competition between Chongxuan Sheng and Chongxuan Zun—not enough to move him.
He smiled at Jiang Wang. "I only just took over this place yesterday. I cleared out many servants, which left security lax and allowed that fellow to barge in unannounced. A false alarm."
Jiang Wang knew little of politics and the art of managing subordinates, nor had he ever received such education.
So he asked, "Is this person reliable?"
"He is absolutely unreliable."
"Then why use him?"
"Brother Jiang. The gap between Chongxuan Zun and me is across every dimension. This gap will persist for a very long time and cannot be easily bridged. He has the luxury of being choosey. I do not."
Chongxuan Sheng was remarkably candid. "Moreover, in this world, every person, every thing—even a piece of charcoal, a scrap of paper—has its use. Reliable people have their use. Unreliable people have their use."
Jiang Wang nodded thoughtfully.
He had never possessed his own power base, nor had he ever received instruction in such matters. Chongxuan Sheng's words had无疑 opened a door to a new world for him.
"Brother Jiang." Chongxuan Sheng smiled again. "Your sword-drawing form just now reminded me of someone."
Jiang Wang's heart stirred. "Who?"
"Someone with the same frost-white hair, the same piercing sword qi." Chongxuan Sheng said, "Lu Shuanghe, the Seven Kill True Man—one of the hall masters of the Southern Dipper Hall."
He shook his head. "We're still a long way from those great figures."
"Yes," Jiang Wang agreed.
Chongxuan Sheng didn't notice the subtle bitterness in his tone, for it was too faint, too distant.
"From now on, focus on your cultivation. Open the Gate of Heaven and Earth as quickly as possible, then explore the sea of the torso. The sooner you realize your potential, the greater your help to me."
He encouraged, "Lu Shuanghe also rose from our current realm!"
Jiang Wang smiled. "All right."
Only after Chongxuan Sheng and Shisi had left the courtyard did Jiang Wang look up at the brightening sky and let out a wistful sigh.
Only the Truly Perfected could be called True Men of the age. The Seven Kill True Man, Lu Shuanghe...
If only he hadn't been pushed into the river back then. Would he already possess the power to take his revenge?
...
Leaving Jiang Wang's courtyard, Shisi followed silently behind.
Chongxuan Sheng suddenly asked, "Are you wondering why I value Jiang Wang so highly?"
Shisi remained silent.
But Chongxuan Sheng understood anyway, and so rephrased: "Am I a genius?"
Shisi nodded. That was beyond question.
If Chongxuan Sheng were mediocre, no one could have positioned him opposite Chongxuan Zun.
"He's more of a genius than I am." Chongxuan Sheng said. "When I first met him in the Great Void Illusion, even with restricted strength, defeating him was effortless. But not long after, I had to fight at full power. And after that, even at full power I held only a slight advantage."
"I truly don't remember what happened in the Heavenly Treasury Secret Realm. But from the way he handled Chongxuan Xin just now, he may already be no weaker than me."
"I have the Chongxuan clan's resource allocation, access to the finest cultivation knowledge. What does he have? If he had resources and connections, he wouldn't have traveled thousands of miles to take a risk with me. Though we chatted happily in the Great Void Illusion, that alone wouldn't bring him to Qi."
"His rate of progress makes me very confident in his future."
Chongxuan Sheng and Shisi seemed to always interact in this way—Chongxuan Sheng talking while Shisi listened silently, occasionally nodding or shaking his head.
"But that's not the most important thing."
Chongxuan Sheng said, "The most important thing is that this is a very dependable person. Take the matter with Lian Que—his choice seemed foolish. I went out of my way to tell him the true value of that Life Token, yet he simply returned it to Lian Que for a reason that sounded utterly absurd."
"You won't find people like that in the Chongxuan clan."
"If I secured the Life Fruit as a generous investment in his talent, then my desperate efforts to keep him as my retainer were precisely because of that 'absurdity.'"
"This person's word is more reliable than any Heart-Demon Curse."
"The only person in this world I can trust without reservation is you. But if there were a second, I believe Jiang Wang is worth trusting."
"Shisi, watch and see. I will win, step by step."