Chapter 60

"Wait, Lord Jiang!"

Jiang Yunhai had just walked out of the courtyard where the three mentors lived, not far when a clear and melodious voice came from behind. The voice was beautiful, but the coldness in it could not be concealed.

Jiang Yunhai's eyes lit up, and he quickly turned around with a smile, saying, "Miss Su, hello. Has Elder Fu changed his mind?"

"Not exactly..."

Su Ruoxue, dressed in a snow-white dress, had skin as white as snow, smooth and delicate. Her face showed no emotion as she walked and spoke, her coldness reaching its peak.

After a moment of silence, she said, "Jiang Yi has already withdrawn from the competition. No matter who comes to talk, he won't re-enter. However, you should have heard of the Spirit Beast Mountain Blood Trial. It will begin in two months in Spirit Beast City!"

"The Spirit Beast Mountain Blood Trial!"

Jiang Yunhai's eyes sparkled, instantly understanding. He bowed deeply, expressing his gratitude, "Thank you, Miss Su, for your guidance. If Jiang Yi is fortunate enough to enter the academy, I hope you will take good care of him."

"There's no need to thank me!"

Su Ruoxue turned and left indifferently, only turning her head at the courtyard gate to say, "I came out to mention this not for you, but for Jiang Yi. Although there are many rumors outside, I think a person who is willing to give up his future and life for a servant must have a good heart. Sigh, there are too few people in this world who value emotions and righteousness..."

Miss Su entered the courtyard, leaving Jiang Yunhai standing there in a daze. Her words gave him a new understanding of this ice-cold beauty. It seemed that her heart was far from as cold as her appearance, and she must have a story to tell.

...

"What? Grandfather, you want me to go to the Spirit Beast Mountain Academy? I won't go, I want to stay with Xiaonu..."

In the courtyard where Jiang Yi lived, he immediately shook his head vigorously upon hearing Jiang Yunhai's words. He had no good feelings about the Spirit Beast Mountain Academy, a place where geniuses and nobles gathered. He was particularly averse to nobles. Although he appeared steady, he would go crazy if his bottom line was touched, and who knew what kind of trouble he might cause in such a place.

"Master, listen to me!"

Jiang Yunhai waved his hand and said seriously, "Just now, I discussed Xiaonu's condition with Ji Tian. We both think there are only two ways to treat her!"

Jiang Yi quickly shut up, sat down, and asked anxiously, "What are the two ways?"

Jiang Yunhai pursed his lips and said, "The first way is to find a person! However, I don't want to seek him out unless it's absolutely necessary, because once I do, your identity will be exposed, which goes against the lady's wishes. If she knew, she wouldn't rest in peace..."

"A person?"

Jiang Yi's face darkened, and he said bitterly, "You mean my father, right?"

"Um."

Jiang Yunhai's face also turned unusually gloomy as he looked out the window and said, "Your father is very powerful, but he abandoned the lady, and she wouldn't have died if it weren't for him. So... unless it's absolutely necessary, I don't want to seek him out, and I don't even want to see him. Otherwise, I might risk my life to assassinate him! Of course... if you want to recognize your father and return to the family, I won't stop you, but we probably won't be able to see each other again."

"No need to say more!"

Jiang Yi waved his hand decisively and said, "There's no need to find him. I can live without a father, but I can't live without you, Grandfather. Don't you understand my heart, Grandfather? Let's drop this matter; I don't want to talk about him anymore..."

"Alright."

Jiang Yunhai nodded in relief, paused, and continued, "So I thought of the second way, which is for you to enter the Spirit Beast Mountain Academy. I told you this morning that to treat Xiaonu, the first option is to buy a Holy Detox Pill, but no one knows when such a pill will appear, and it might not appear for decades. The second option is to ask a Heaven Rank healer to treat her. There are four Heaven Rank healers on the continent, two of whom are royal retainers of the Daxia and Beiliang kingdoms, one has been traveling for over a decade, and the last one is in the Spirit Beast Mountain Academy. So I want you to enter the academy, gain the healer's favor, and then ask him to treat her! Otherwise, even if I offer a sky-high price, he won't act."

"I see."

Jiang Yi suddenly understood. He looked at the pale-faced Jiang Xiaonu lying in bed and nodded, "I'll go, but... how do I enter the academy? I've already withdrawn from the competition, haven't I?"

"You don't need to worry about that."

Jiang Yunhai nodded and explained, "Your task now is to recover and train hard. Don't worry; I'll get you some good things to help you train quickly. In a month, I'll take you and Xiaonu to Spirit Beast City."

"Alright!"

Jiang Yi agreed immediately. Hearing that Jiang Yunhai would take him and Xiaonu away, he felt a faint excitement. Finally, he could leave this city that made him sad and weary.

"By the way!" Jiang Yunhai suddenly asked, "What do you want to do about the Jiang and Ma families? If you feel it's not enough, I can destroy the Ma family, and I can kill all those who have offended you in the Jiang family..."

"Ah?"

Jiang Yi's eyes widened, and after a moment of silence, he shook his head, "Forget it, Grandfather. You are still part of the Jiang family. Enough people have died this time. Ma Heiqi and Jiang Rulong have already been killed by me, so let's not create more bloodshed."

"Alright, then. You rest and heal. I'll be out for a while."

Jiang Yunhai patted Jiang Yi's shoulder and left. Jiang Yi glanced at Jiang Xiaonu and immediately focused on healing and training.

For him, nothing was more important than Xiaonu's condition. No matter how much he disliked the Spirit Beast Mountain Academy or dealing with those nobles, he had to endure it for Xiaonu. He wasn't going there to play or study, but to beg for help to save her life.

...

At noon, the heavy rain stopped, but the weather was still cold. The streets were filled with water, and the entire city was empty, with few people around.

However, there were many people outside the Ma family's courtyard. Jiang Yunhai left the city lord's residence for the first time, bringing Jiang Huai to the Ma family's courtyard. The spies of various families in the city immediately sprang into action, and many people gathered nearby, wondering if Jiang Yunhai had gone mad again and was preparing to exterminate the Ma family, one of the five major families.

"Welcome, Lord Yunhai! General Jiang Huai!"

Inside the Ma family's courtyard, Ma Kui led all the Purple Mansion Realm experts to welcome Jiang Yunhai and Jiang Huai. Jiang Yunhai didn't say a word throughout the journey, and although Ma Kui and the others smiled all the way, they were terrified inside.

Entering the main hall of the Ma family, Jiang Yunhai sat in the main seat without any courtesy. After Jiang Huai sat down, he scanned the room with a sharp gaze and said, "No need for pleasantries. Two choices: either all of the Ma family dies, or you compensate for the losses! Ma Kui, you choose!"

Ma Kui and the Ma family members were all startled, and even Jiang Huai's deputy general looked uncomfortable. Although the Tianxing Continent respected strength, and the kingdom's laws were considered worthless, they still had to maintain some semblance of propriety. Jiang Yunhai, however, didn't even bother to find an excuse, openly stating his intention to exterminate the entire Ma family.

Choice? What choice is there...

Ma Kui glanced at Jiang Huai, who remained silent, and could only grit his teeth and say, "I choose compensation. Lord Yunhai, please name your price."

Jiang Yi and the Ma family's feud was still unclear to Ma Kui, as most of the parties involved were dead, and the Ma family had been under lockdown. Even if the Ma family's descendants were at fault, Jiang Yi had killed so many of them, and Jiang Yunhai had cut down several Purple Mansion Realm experts from the Ma family. How could the Ma family not be at a loss? Now, Jiang Yunhai was clearly demanding compensation without giving any reason.

"Ha ha!"

Jiang Yunhai was here to openly rob. He laughed coldly and said, "Five thousand Earth Essence Pills and fifty million purple gold. This matter will be settled, and I promise not to bother you again. What do you think?"

"What?"

Ma Kui and the Ma family elders all changed their expressions. Was Jiang Yunhai too ruthless? Earth Essence Pills were mid-grade Earth Rank pills, each worth a hundred gold. Five thousand pills were worth fifty million purple gold, and with the additional compensation, the Ma family would need to pay a hundred million purple gold!

Does the Ma family have a hundred million purple gold?

Yes!

But they would need to sell most of their assets to raise the money. Jiang Yunhai was trying to drain the Ma family. This compensation would severely damage the Ma family, and they would struggle to recover within ten years. They might even be suppressed by other families and fall to a second-rate status...

"You have five days. Deliver the pills and purple gold to the city lord's residence in five days, or... hmm!"

Jiang Yunhai ignored the hate-filled gazes of the Ma family members and nodded to Jiang Huai, walking out of the Ma family's courtyard.

At the gate, he suddenly stopped, waved for all the Western Army to retreat, and lowered his voice to Jiang Huai, "General Jiang Huai, I don't care what you guess or if you're right. I don't want to explain, and you'd better not ask. Treat the matter in Tianyu City as if it never happened. It won't do you any good if it gets out... The fifty million purple gold from the Ma family is for the troops to drink tea. Don't refuse! I, Jiang Yunhai, remember your kindness. Take everyone back, and I'll handle the rest."

"Alright! If Lord Yunhai needs anything, just let me know!"

Jiang Huai nodded, bowed, and showed a respectful face, but inside, he was overjoyed.

Jiang Yunhai's generosity was immense, offering fifty million purple gold and earning his favor. A Divine Touring Realm expert! In the army, that was a true general. More importantly, Jiang Yunhai's status in the Western Army's mansion was significant. He had asked via pigeon post and learned that Jiang Yunhai was once the head of the inner court of the Western Army's mansion. Although he had left the mansion for many years, many of the old people in the mansion still remembered him vividly...

"Have everyone return to their posts and wait at the city lord's residence!"

Watching Jiang Yunhai leave, Jiang Huai waved his hand and gave the order, then frowned and gazed into the distance, deep in thought.

He had asked his cousin who worked in the mansion, and the king had only one prince, with no mention of a bastard son. If Jiang Yi wasn't the bastard son of the Western Army's king, then who was his father? If Jiang Yunhai's master wasn't the Western Army's king, who was it?