Night passed quickly, and as the morning sun rose over the horizon, Jiang WuShang woke from his meditative state.
“Master, the Young Lady is outside,” reported Shadow quietly from the dark corner of the room.
“Got it,” replied Jiang WuShang.
He opened the door and looked at the waiting beauty with a faint, polite smile.
“My day is already off to a good start, seeing such a face first thing in the morning.” “What nonsense are you talking about?!” huffed the Young Lady, a deep blush rushing to her face.
Before Jiang WuShang could tease her further, the young maid, Wang Ru, stepped up and interrupted them.
“Young Miss, Jiang WuShang, the carriage is prepared.
We can depart now.” “Let’s go,” said the Young Lady hastily, boarding the carriage to hide her burning cheeks.
“Right behind you,” Jiang WuShang murmured, stepping inside to join her.
The carriage pulled away, leaving the small town behind as it made its way down the official road toward the Capital City.
Inside, the Young Lady looked across at Jiang WuShang with a solemn expression.
“Jiang WuShang, tell me what you wish to know.
But first…
my name is Bai Lu.
From now on, you are not allowed to call me ‘Young Lady’ or ‘Young Miss.'” “Alright, Bai Lu,” Jiang WuShang nodded, his tone turning cold and serious.
“How do you know about me and my father?” “Your father was an old friend of my father,” explained Bai Lu.
“We have been searching for the two of you for years, but until recently, we couldn’t track down your true whereabouts.” “And what are your plans?” he asked, leaning back against the seat.
“As you know, I came from the Capital City to this remote region to find exceptional talent who could join Azure Academy as an intern,” Bai Lu looked directly into his eyes.
“Since I found you, my search is over.” “So you are choosing me?” “Yes,” Bai Lu murmured, a faint flush returning to her cheeks before she quickly straightened up.
“I am choosing you.” “I assume you need me to do something for you in return?” Jiang WuShang asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.
“Yes.” “Name it.” Bai Lu took a deep breath.
“You have to become the Vice-Dean of Azure Academy and take full charge of the Azure Mortal Academy.” Jiang WuShang remained calm, though a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.
“I am joining as a mere intern.
People spend their entire lives trying to reach the Vice-Dean position, and I currently lack a massive faction backing me.
How do you expect me to take that seat?” Bai Lu smiled mysterious.
“I believe I forgot to mention a detail that might change your mind.” “What detail?” “I am Princess Bai Lu, the daughter of the Mortal Emperor and the sole princess of the Azure Mortal Realm,” she said plainly.
Jiang WuShang’s expression darkened as he processed her words.
“Your father is the Mortal Emperor?
My father was an old friend of the emperor?
That doesn’t add up.
When my father passed away, his total savings barely amounted to fifty copper coins.” “It’s true,” Bai Lu nodded.
“My father has been searching for you everywhere.
As for your father’s death…
there is a deeper secret involved, but you aren’t strong enough to know the truth yet.” She leaned forward slightly.
“For now, you just need to remember this: remove the current Vice-Dean and defeat your upcoming enemies.
If you do that, you will eventually uncover your true origins.” Jiang WuShang rubbed his chin, instantly calculating the strategic value of this revelation.
“Can we meet the Mortal Emperor when we reach the capital?
If he supports us directly, taking down our enemies will be effortless.” Bai Lu shook her head slowly.
“No.
That is impossible.” “Why?” “A few years ago, my stepmother brought forward a young man named Jiang WuHan,” Bai Lu explained, her voice darkening.
“She convinced my father that he was the son of your father, Jiang WuKong.
My father believed her and accepted Jiang WuHan as his godson, granting him the title of Prince of the Azure Mortal Realm.” “Then why don’t you just present the truth?
Prove that his godson is a fake,” suggested Jiang WuShang smoothly.
“It isn’t that simple,” sighed Bai Lu.
“If I bring it up, he will only think I am plotting against his new prince.
Over the past three years, my father hasn’t been acting like his usual self.
It is as if he is under some sort of spell or illusion, forcing him to protect that fake godson at all costs.” “Then confront your stepmother about it.” “You don’t understand how dangerous she is,” Bai Lu warned, her eyes filled with cold hatred.
“Over the last three years, she has tried to assassinate me countless times.
She is entirely responsible for my father’s current state.” Jiang WuShang frowned slightly.
“Then making a move against the Vice-Dean carries risk.
Won’t she intervene from the palace?” “Don’t worry about that part,” said Bai Lu.
“For the past three years, she hasn’t left the Imperial Palace even once.” “Is getting rid of the Vice-Dean directly connected to Jiang WuHan?” “Yes,” Bai Lu confirmed.
“The Vice-Dean is their pawn.
They want total control over Azure Academy for their own hidden motives.
I don’t know the full extent of their plan, but they are plotting something massive and dangerous.” “Alright,” Jiang WuShang agreed, a cold glint in his eyes.
“I’ll handle it.
But give me a list of your allies so I have something to rely on when trouble comes.” “Our strongest ally is the Dean of Azure Academy himself,” replied Bai Lu.
Suddenly, the carriage ground to a halt.
“Young Miss, I sense bandits lurking in the woods up ahead,” Wang Ru’s voice called out from the driver’s seat.
“Should we stop and clear them out?” “Ignore them,” replied Bai Lu from inside.
“We cannot afford to waste time.” “Wait, pull over!” interrupted Jiang WuShang hastily.
“I lack actual combat experience against live targets.
They’re the perfect training dummies to test my current cultivation.” “Very well,” sighed Wang Ru, pulling the horses to a stop.
Jiang WuShang sneered coldly and stepped out of the carriage.
“Wait here.
This won’t take long.” Bai Lu looked out the window and called after him, “Wang Ru, go assist him if he gets into trouble.
I sense more than twenty aura signatures out there.” “Understood, Miss!” Jiang WuShang stepped into the middle of the road, dusting off his sleeves, and called out toward the dense trees ahead.
“Come out.
Stop hiding like rats.” “Hehe…
Arrogant brat!
You walked right into our trap!” sinister laughter echoed from the woods as a group of twenty heavily armed bandits stepped out into the clearing.
Jiang WuShang scanned them, shaking his head in disdain.
“Trash…
all of you range from the 4th to 6th level of Qi Gathering.
This won’t even be enough to test my limit.” The bandit leader, a burly man at the 6th level of Qi Gathering, sneered viciously.
“Brat!
You’re only one level higher than me!
Do you really think you can fight all twenty of us at once?” “Try me,” Jiang WuShang sneered.
Swish!
Jiang WuShang blurred, vanishing from his spot and reappearing directly in front of the bandit leader in the blink of an eye!
Sharp azure aura flared around his fingertips like an invisible sword blade.
With a single, fluid slash, he swept his hand through the leader’s neck.
Thwip!
The leader’s head flew into the air, and his headless body collapsed onto the dirt, blood spurting across the grass.
[Ding!
20 targets (Bandits) reacted to Host!
Emotion Points +5 per person!] [Ding!
Total Emotion Points Earned: +100 Points!] “WHAT?!
He killed the leader in one strike?!” gasped a bandit in utter terror.
“Brothers, avenge the boss!
Charge!” roared another bandit in a frenzy, wielding a massive broadsword as he rushed forward.
“Fools,” Jiang WuShang spat.
He darted straight into the group, his hands moving like lightning.
His finger-swords stabbed repeatedly through the charging bandits’ chests, tearing through flesh and bone effortlessly.
Without stopping, he spun into the remaining group, transforming into a whirlwind of lethal blue strikes.
[Ding!
2 targets (Wang Ru, Bai Lu) reacted to Host!
Emotion Points +5 per person!] [Ding!
Total Emotion Points Earned: +10 Points!] …
A short moment later, retching sounds echoed outside the carriage.
“Wang Ru, what is happening out there?” asked Bai Lu, leaning toward the carriage curtain.
“Young Miss…
you should probably look for yourself,” whispered Wang Ru, her face pale as a sheet.
Bai Lu pulled back the curtain and froze, cold sweat breaking out across her forehead.
The ground outside was painted red, littered with severed limbs and fallen bodies.
“What…
Did he kill them all by himself?” asked Bai Lu in shock.
“Yes, Young Miss,” stammered Wang Ru, her voice trembling.
“He slaughtered all twenty of them in less than ten breaths of time!” “Not even a peak 9th Level Qi Gathering cultivator could accomplish that so quickly…” whispered Bai Lu.
“How did he do that at only the 7th Level?” “Is it because he mastered the 9 Swords of the Azure Dragon?” asked Wang Ru nervously.
“It must be,” Bai Lu murmured.
“His understanding of that sword manual…
it might already exceed my father’s.” [Ding!
2 targets (Wang Ru, Bai Lu) reacted to Host!
Emotion Points +5 per person!] [Ding!
Total Emotion Points Earned: +10 Points!] Just then, Jiang WuShang walked back over, flicking blood off his fingertips with a calm, dark smile.
“What are you two staring at?
I took care of the trash.
We can depart now.” “Y-Yes!
We should definitely depart right away!” squeaked Wang Ru, hurriedly climbing back onto the driver’s seat.
Looking at Jiang WuShang’s casual smile after committing such bloodshed sent a shivering terror straight through her heart.
With the carriage back on the move, night began to creep across the sky.
“Young Miss, night is falling,” called out Wang Ru from the front.
“Lu Town is just ahead—we can secure a room at an inn.” “Why bother?” chimed in Jiang WuShang.
“We can just camp out in the woods.
It will give more bandits a chance to find us.” Bai Lu shook her head worriedly.
“Bandits and rogue cultivators frequent these roads at night.
Camping outside isn’t safe.” “That’s exactly what I’m hoping for,” Jiang WuShang replied smoothly.
“More live targets.” “No!
We are absolutely staying in an inn in town!” shouted Wang Ru frantically from the outside.
Bai Lu chuckled softly, looking at Jiang WuShang.
“Alright, stop scaring poor Wang Ru.
We’ll stay at an inn.” “Fine,” Jiang WuShang said quietly.
He leaned back against the carriage cushion and opened his system interface in his mind.
‘System, bring up the total points accumulated.’ [Ding!
System Calculation Complete!] [Total Emotion Points Earned: 125 Points!] [System condition met: Ready to upgrade to Level 3!] CREATORS’ THOUGHTS Sagar_Bharati_9798 If you fond any problems please leave a comment so i can fix it