Volume 9, Chapter 592 – Awakening the Young Lady

Inside the Crown Prince Mausoleum at the Pingshan Mass Burial Ground, Jiang Feng held a history book in hand. His wickedly handsome phoenix eyes were unfocused, clearly he was deep in thought.

“Your Highness!”

Just then, the Silver Zombie, General Li, requested an audience from outside the door.

“Come in.”

Jiang Feng set the history book down.

“This subordinate is incompetent. I have yet to ascertain the situation in the center of the mass burial ground. I beg Your Highness for punishment.”

General Li knelt to confess his fault.

“Rise. This isn’t your fault. I went to investigate a few days ago as well, and even I couldn’t reach the very center.”

Jiang Feng lifted his hand in a gentle, empty gesture.

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

General Li exhaled in relief, then stood and cautiously asked, “What did Your Highness encounter? For even you to be unable to reach the center…”

“I ran into a Golden Corpse whose strength is on par with mine.”

Jiang Feng gave a succinct account.

“What? There’s actually a zombie here in the Pingshan Mass Burial Ground with strength comparable to Yours? Could it be the source of the yin miasma?”

General Li was startled and ventured a guess.

“No. The source of that miasma is still asleep.”

Jiang Feng shook his head.

“Then it must be terrifyingly strong! It has already bred two golden corpses in a row and countless lesser evil spirits.”

Rеaԁ οո KαtRеаԁіոɡCаfе

Shock spread across General Li’s face.

“According to that golden corpse, there are other fiends here that have reached our level. By that logic, the root of the miasma must at least be of the flying corpse, flying skeleton, or mid-to-late Heavenly Tribulation grade entity.”

Jiang Feng offered his deduction.

“That strong? If it awakens, I fear no one in the Western Radiance Dynasty could stop it.”

General Li sucked in a cold breath.

“Of course. The strongest cultivators in this dynasty are just a few old men at the Divine Realm. How could they handle a fiend of that caliber?”

Jiang Feng spoke with disdain.

“Then this is fantastic news for us! With its help, we wouldn’t need to worry about the Crown Princess’s threats. We could walk out of this mass burial ground, seize vast territories, and avenge our hatred!”

General Li suddenly grew excited.

Jiang Feng, however, said nothing. He stood and paced back and forth.

“Your Highness, do you have misgivings? The land beneath our feet is now the Western Radiance Dynasty, not the Great Qi Kingdom. You needn’t harbor pity for those commoners anymore.”

General Li reminded him carefully.

“General Li, do you remember what I said before? Water can carry a boat; it can also capsize it. The founding of Great Qi owed much to the ancestors of those commoners. Its fall, too, they cannot entirely shirk. Merit and fault offset each other. I don’t particularly pity them, it’s just…”

Jiang Feng changed tack: “General Li, I’ve had you tracking the descendants of my Jiang clan all this time. Are you certain they were all killed by the rebel Lin clan?”

“My investigation indicates that is indeed the case.”

General Li reported truthfully.

“Listen: if any Jiang bloodline still survives in the world, and I allow that miasma’s source to erupt unchecked, wouldn’t I be harming my own descendants?”

Jiang Feng drew a deep, steadying breath.

Rеαd οn ΚαtReaԁіոɡСαfе

“If Your Highness remains uneasy, there is one faint possibility to verify the truth.”

General Li pondered briefly, then spoke.

“What possibility?”

Jiang Feng pressed him.

“Do you know the sect called Shuiyu Valley?”

General Li asked tentatively.

“Of course. They’re the largest all-female immortal sect in Great Qi.”

Jiang Feng answered without needing to think.

“Yes. Shuiyu Valley has two very special arts. One is called the Wooden Exquisite Art: mastering it allows communion with all plants. The other is the Water Exquisite Art: mastering it lets one’s blood nourish any plant. The two arts complement each other, and the sect has passed them down to this day.”

General Li gave a concise introduction, then added, “I once reported this to you: although the Lin clan publicly claimed they slew all royals when they breached our Great Qi’s palace, in reality, some Jiang scions did escape the palace and even left heirs outside. Only a little over thirty years ago were they finally purged to the last.”

General Li paused

then continued, “I’ve already confirmed the residence and the place of death of the final royal they killed. There will certainly be plants in that area that are decades old. With the help of the Wooden Exquisite Art, we might glean some useful information.”

“That is a good plan!”

Jiang Feng was overjoyed, then immediately rebuked him: “Since you knew of this method, why didn’t you tell me earlier!”

“Pray, calm your anger, Your Highness. I said the hope was slim. The Wooden Exquisite Art has limits. To see events from decades past, the caster must at least reach the Divine Realm. But the only person in Shuiyu Valley currently capable of using it, their Holy Maiden, is merely at the early Incarnation Realm. With her talent, even with luck, she would need several hundred years to reach the Divine Realm. Without luck, she may never reach it in this lifetime.”

General Li hastened to explain.

“Hundreds of years? Far too long. I can wait, but the source of that miasma will not.”

Rеаd оո ΚаtRеаԁіոgСafe

Jiang Feng frowned, then said, “All right. Let’s find a way to meet the Holy Maiden of Shuiyu Valley and see if she has any shortcuts.”

“Good. She is presently at the Honghua Sect and has a close relationship with the Crown Princess. There’s just one problem, why would they help us?”

General Li hesitated.

Hearing this, Jiang Feng fell silent as well. The so-called “Crown Princess” was merely how he insisted on addressing her; in reality, they were enemies, not allies.

“Your Highness, a zombie outside requests an audience.”

“A zombie? What zombie?”

“He says you beat his ‘dog’ a few days ago.”

“I beat his dog? Could it be…?”

Jiang Feng started, then ordered, “Let him in.”

The ghostly underling acknowledged and soon ushered the zombie inside.

Jiang Feng looked closely and sure enough, it was the burly golden corpse he had crossed blows with a few days earlier.

General Li bristled as if facing a great enemy, his right hand gripping his sword hilt, ready at any moment.

“Quite the airs you put on, Your Highness. Even securing an audience is such a hassle.”

The burly golden corpse sneered.

Jiang Feng merely smiled, neither conceding nor denying. “Please, sit.”

The golden corpse was not polite; he sprawled into a chair with swagger.

“To what do we owe your visit? As I recall, we were trading blows only a few days ago.”

“Since Your Highness is so forthright, I’ll be blunt. My name is Wang Jun, a servant to my lady. I’ve come to ask Your Highness to help awaken her.”

Reаd οn КαtReαdiոgCαfе

“My lady? And who might your lady be?”

“She is the very source of the yin miasma in the Pingshan Mass Burial Ground. In fact, you have her to thank for becoming a zombie at all.”

Wang Jun explained.

“Is that so?”

A jolt ran through Jiang Feng’s heart, yet he kept his expression neutral and asked, “I don’t understand. A few days ago you were so guarded against me, yet now you want my help?”

“Please forgive me, Your Highness. I misjudged the situation the other day and offended you.”

“It’s nothing. But why should I help you?”

“Your Highness is a clever man. You must realize that if you want to walk out of this mass burial ground and reclaim vast lands, you can only rely on my lady. That’s the first reason.”

“The second: don’t you want to know who the traitor was back then? Don’t you want revenge?”

At those words, Jiang Feng’s expression shifted. “Your terms are tempting, Brother Wang. When will you need me to act?”

“Patience, Your Highness. When everyone has gathered in a few days, I will naturally come to inform you.”

Wang Jun cupped his fists and strode out of the study in a rush.

“Everyone… gathered?”

Jiang Feng and General Li exchanged a glance, both faces full of doubt.

“Your Highness, what should we do now?”

“Heh. This is good news. Let’s go find the Crown Princess. We finally have a bargaining chip.”

Jiang Feng smiled with devilish charm, then rose and was the first to stride out of the study.