Jiang Chen was not a man who enjoyed killing.
Though he did not avoid it when necessary, he would not choose to kill unless absolutely required.
Having grown up in an apothecary since childhood, he had witnessed too many partings of life and death, too many lingering illnesses.
This did not make him view death lightly. Quite the opposite, having witnessed too many struggles on the line between life and death, it made him understand even more the preciousness of life.
But now, killing intent surged in his heart, murderous thoughts filled his mind!
No one's existence in this world was without reason.
No one's growth could be isolated.
All transcendent cultivators were built upon resources. Fundamentally, the reason transcendent cultivators could exist was because of the support of countless ordinary people.
Transcendent cultivators enjoyed transcendent resources, and should also bear transcendent responsibilities.
This was what Jiang Chen understood as transcendent. It was also what the instructors at the Dao Academy had repeatedly emphasized.
Though in his view, Dean Dong had not done so.
A city lord was the master of a domain, governing tens of thousands of people at will, controlling their food, clothing, shelter, and even their life, aging, and death.
This was not an honor; it was a heavy responsibility.
Taking good care of the people under one's rule, ensuring their lives were stable and prosperous—that was true honor!
City Lord Sun Heng had fought to the death at Upright Brush Peak for Three Mountain City, skinning himself to wrap his youngest son in his own skin, allowing him to continue the unfinished mission.
City Lord Dou Yuemei, for Three Mountain City, had ended her own Dao path despite possessing a divine skill at the Inner Palace realm.
Even the ruthless and criticized Wei Lin had fought and died for Maple City.
And what had the Xi family done when disaster loomed over Jiacheng, after ruling it for so many years?
...
When Jiang Chen arrived below the city walls of Jiacheng, what he saw was a desolate Jiacheng, a dying Jiacheng.
The situation in Qingyang Town was already so critical; Jiacheng, as the source of the plague, was naturally even more dire.
Despite the full efforts of Xi Zichu from Dongwang Valley, lacking decisive administrative measures to accompany the treatment, the speed of healing could not keep up with the spread of the plague.
The transcendent power in Jiacheng far exceeded that of Qingyang Town, but the disparity in population was even greater than the gap in their transcendent powers.
It could no longer be concealed.
The common people were not fools.
When one person died of illness, their family, friends, neighbors, and nearby streets would all know.
Even those who trusted the city lord's mansion the most, the most naive and optimistic, would inevitably feel panic when they discovered more and more dead bodies around them.
At this time, people remembered the initial "rumormongers," those "rumors" and "evil words."
"Jicheng may have broken out with a plague!"
"The people of Jiacheng are in danger; immediate measures must be taken!"
"Please, everyone, do not go to crowded places; it's best to stay at home..."
Those "evil words" that had "confused the masses" were finally remembered.
But those young physicians represented by Sun Ping, their bones were already cold.
The heads that had been severed had once carried the anger and contempt of public opinion.
Their reputations had been trampled, their corpses spat upon, and nothing could ever be undone.
...
"Whoever comes, please return! Jiacheng is closed today!" A guard shouted from afar.
Jiang Chen ignored him.
He approached silently.
The guards drew their swords.
But before they could even see Jiang Chen make a move, the swords in their hands were all broken.
Jiang Chen passed through the city gates, past the guards who looked at each other in dismay, and continued walking forward.
At this critical moment, all the transcendent powers of Jiacheng were gathered together.
This was the most vulnerable time for Jiacheng, but also the time when Jiacheng could react most quickly.
This street was long.
When Jiang Chen was only halfway, a figure appeared at the far end of the long street, blocking his path.
The man wore scholar's robes, had three long whiskers, and an elegant demeanor.
Xi Zichu was busy preparing medicine and had not closed his eyes for a long time. Xi Munan, as city lord, had to coordinate the entire domain on one hand, while dealing with interrogations from the Yang court on the other, concealing the situation, unable to split himself.
Among the Soaring Dragon realm transcendent cultivators, only Master Liu could spare himself.
So he came.
And he was confident, bringing no other helpers.
"A disciple of the Confucian school?" Jiang Chen asked.
"My heart indeed yearns for the Book Mountain," Master Liu replied.
"What position do you hold?"
"I am honored to serve as a mere advisor in the city lord's mansion, with no official position."
"So you are Xi Munan's confidant." Jiang Chen nodded, then asked: "Sun Ping's charges, and the public notices posted everywhere, were all written by you, I presume?"
Master Liu did not deny it: "My writing is crude; I have made the envoy laugh."
"I know a disciple of the Confucian school, from one of the Four Great Academies, but his poetry is extremely poor, and his literary talent is far inferior to yours."
"My talent is shallow and my knowledge limited; the envoy truly flatters me."
Jiang Chen said: "But he is a true scholar. You are merely a beast who reads books."
Master Liu's cultivation of temperament seemed exceptionally good; even with Jiang Chen speaking this way, he showed no anger.
Instead, he smiled: "As the saying goes, education is for all. Even flying birds and running beasts, if they are willing to read books, are fellow scholars of ours. What the envoy says is precisely the merit of education."
"I am not speaking to you as an envoy of the Chongxuan family, but as the lord of Qingyang Town, to hold you accountable."
"Qingyang Town was only allocated to the Chongxuan family for thirty years. To be precise, you are only the lord of Qingyang Town for thirty years." Master Liu calmly added qualifications for Jiang Chen, as if everything was under control, and smiled: "You may ask. Liu will answer everything he knows."
This man's debating skills were truly remarkable; more like a disciple of the Logicians than a Confucian scholar.
But Jiang Chen's voice was cold as ice: "I have finished asking. Now it is time for punishment!"
He took a step forward and drew his sword.
Master Liu produced a folding fan from somewhere, unfolding it before him.
Swoosh!
With only a soft sound, Changxiangsi pierced through this extraordinary magical fan like a hot knife through butter.
The cold light was already before his eyes.
Master Liu retreated gracefully, chanting: "I am good at cultivating my righteous qi!"
Before him, a vast expanse of white surged like a soaring dragon.
The most representative killing technique of the Confucian school lay in the use of qi.
Master Liu's cultivation was undeniably strong.
But the current Jiang Chen was a Jiang Chen whose killing intent had been suppressed for a full ten days.
Sometimes killing was a means; sometimes it was an end.
When it was a means, it did not matter the circumstances.
When it was an end, there were no excuses.
"I never knew, a black heart could produce righteous qi!"
The sword rose with a long gleam.
The sun and moon shone brightly.
Jiang Chen's sword swept across horizontally, and thus the dragon died, the white qi vanished.
"You walked the wrong path!"
His steps shifted, the sword behind him, his body already face-to-face with Master Liu.
The killing intent in his heart expanded infinitely, expanding.
The Four-Spirit Body Refining Art, White Tiger chapter, activated automatically.
Jiang Chen's eyes turned red, and he charged directly with his head!
The righteous qi was broken, Master Liu reached into his breast, took out a wolf-hair brush, and was about to dodge when suddenly the wood qi within his body surged violently, binding him from the inside out.
Binding Tiger!
Binding Tiger only trapped Master Liu of the Soaring Dragon realm for an instant.
But Jiang Chen's head had already crashed directly into him.
Bang!
Heads collided, both staggering backward.
Master Liu felt his vision go black.
Swoosh!
Jiang Chen caught the sword with his left hand, pulling it from right to left behind him, and a head flew up into the air!