Chapter Twenty-Two: A Loyal Heart
them, like a little Scrooge McDuck, amassing what she considered her treasures.Jiang Wang stared at the box of Dao Yuan Stones, dumbfounded. Jiang An'an blinked and said, "These are all I earned runn...In the eyes of many people from the Zhuang Kingdom, serving as an envoy to the Sheng Kingdom was indeed a difficult task.
After the Huang He River meeting in 3919, the relations between the two countries have always been very tense.
Especially this envoy, it's still Lin Zhengren who defeated Jiang Limeng back then. What kind of cold reception he will face, one can almost imagine.
The recruitment of the embassy team was avoided by everyone.
In the end, the Grand Secretary still forcefully allocated a squad of soldiers from the Baiyu Army.
But for Lin Zhengren, the matter of an embassy to Sheng Guo was actually not difficult.
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Dealing with those self-important young masters and ladies is nothing to be bothered about.
It's nothing more than swallowing some sarcastic remarks and putting on a show of genuine remorse.
To put it simply, these naive young things wouldn't even register in his mind.
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Especially that Qi Ya. With his father dead, instead of focusing on cultivating diligently and restoring the family's honor, he was obsessed with Jiang Li Meng, vying for her affection and getting jealous.
With Jiang Li's dreams around him, wouldn't there be people fawning over him like dogs wagging their tails
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But those he truly feared, such as Sheng Xuehuai and Jiang Limeng, would never intentionally make things difficult for him.
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In this situation, representing the Zhuang Kingdom as an envoy and seeing Sheng Xue's cold face, he would directly burn incense for himself and have nothing else to say.
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This diplomatic mission's theme, "Prosperity and Daoist Discourse," is not as ridiculous as Qi Ya and his companions ridicule. The Daoist system of Zhuang Guo originates from Yujing Mountain, while Sheng Guo's Daoist system centers around Penglai Island. There are indeed many points of exchange between the two sides.
Furthermore, the Zhuang nation has won every recent national war. What reason does the Sheng nation have to look down on them
What is truly difficult
is a hidden mission given to the emperor of Zhuang Guo under this diplomatic mission.
The great and wise Emperor Zhuang, would actually send his most loyal minister, Lin Zhengren, to lead the scheme against Jiang Wang!
Is it that you feel the difference between the secular and the sacred realms is too small
Do you still think Jiang Wang wasn't fierce enough on the Qixia battlefield, strong enough in the Demon Realm, or ruthless enough in the Spirit World
Whatever you say will come to pass, and good plans will surely succeed. Even if you were given the position of a viceroy, it would be by divine providence.
The emperor is clearly forcing the loyal and virtuous to die!
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Given such a difficult fate, how could Lin Zhengren possibly accept it
“First of all, I don't hold any resentment towards you. I killed my whole family myself, and I have no feelings for my brother either. I can't find any reason to resent you. Although you thought about killing me, you ultimately didn't succeed.”
Lin Zhengren analyzed very seriously: "You shouldn't blame me either. "
"It was my irresponsible relative, Lin Zhenglun, who betrayed his loyalty and abandoned his duties, bringing chaos and ruin. It was my incompetent younger brother, Lin Zhengli, who was driven by lust and cruelty, oppressing our clan members. I have nothing to do with it!
"
"And they all died at my hands. In that sense, I've avenged you. They deserved their fate, let's call our scores even."
“Although I was also forced by Du Ruhui to ambush you outside the city, I failed after all. Even if it weren't for Prime Minister Du's timely departure, you would have dug three feet into the ground and found me to kill me.”
He spoke eloquently, and Jiang Wang couldn't find a rebuttal for a moment.
At this time, Lin Zhengren had already retracted his Ghost Eye, looking like a kind and gentle person again. He said, "Please allow me to recite the scriptures again. These days, I have been reciting scriptures all night every day. If I suddenly stopped, they would definitely suspect something."
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Originally, reciting scriptures was his warning method! It's a truly simple yet difficult-to-counter tactic. This person is indeed deep in thought.
Jiang Wang couldn't help but recall Chong Xuan Sheng's analysis: "If he were truly intelligent, the moment Zhuang Gao Xian decided to send him to Sheng Guo, he would choose to cooperate with you!"
It actually worked perfectly!
Lin Zhengren had already begun chanting sutras, following the sound of his reading. This did not affect his conversation with Jiang Wang: "Brother Jiang, could you show yourself Zhengren sincerely wishes this. Why don't we sit down and reminisce slowly"
Jiang Wang casually closed the door and shifted her gaze from Lin Zhengren before sitting down opposite him.
The two men, both from Qinghe County of the state of Zhuang, met again in the Outer Court of Sheng.
Wangjiang City and Fenglin City are neighbors, but they are indeed on different paths. Even without the Song Ruyan incident or the White Bone disaster, they would likely have fought each other in the officialdom of Zhuang Kingdom...
It's truly like meeting an enemy abroad, a feeling of misfortune amidst success in life.
“Brother Jiang, your charisma remains as strong as ever!” Lin Zhengren smiled genuinely, his voice tinged with nostalgia.
Jiang Wang was dazed, as if they had once been very close.
"Even with a mask, you can still see my charm." Jiang Wang's gaze lifted slightly.
Lin Zhengren said with a serious expression: “Jade is valued for its essence, not its luster. Although you do not reveal your true appearance, the bearing and grace in your every gesture are unmatched by almost anyone in the world.”
Jiang Wang smiled: “Honesty is your virtue.”
Lin Zhengren was still very serious: "Junior brother, I just can't hide my true feelings. Forgive me, senior brother."
Jiang Wang said meaningfully: “I remember when you hated me to the core and wanted to kill me for revenge, you were also very honest.”
Lin Zhengren's posture was relaxed, perhaps knowing that resistance was futile, or perhaps confident that he would not be killed.
He said, "I swear I never had the intention of seeking revenge against Brother Jiang on my own. Every time it was Du Ruhui who forced me to act. I hate you only because they need me to hate you. I am just a knife; the one who truly wants to harm Brother Jiang is Prince Zhuang and Duke Du. Is it the knife's fault that the thief uses it to hurt people It is the thief's fault, isn't it"
His tone was very serious: "I can also be Senior Brother Jiang's sword."
“This sword of yours hurts both others and yourself.”
The strong hold it themselves.
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Jiang Wang discovered that although Lin Zhengren appeared weak, submissive, and even begging for mercy, there was never any genuine fear in his eyes.
He was just solving the danger, in his own way.
"If you want to save your life, is that all the reasons you can come up with" Jiang Wang said slowly.
Lin Zhengren sat upright, as if stating his ideals rather than facing a life-or-death test: "I live in the Wai Yi Guan of Shengguo, I represent Zhuangguo to pay tribute to Shengguo, I am the first honorable person of Zhuangguo. No matter what reason it is, I cannot die here. If I die here, Shengguo must give an explanation. Jiang Ru Yong, Meng Wu Ya, even Li Yuan She, will all take action."
"I believe in Senior Brother Jiang's abilities. But the moment my chanting stops, the people I brought will immediately sense something is wrong. At most half an hour, my death will be discovered, and Wei Du will begin a city-wide lockdown."
"If Master Jiang could solve this problem, there would be another one - now there is only half an hour before dawn, in half an hour I have to attend the Sheng Guo court meeting. That is to say, you need to escape from Sheng Guo silently within half an hour. And that's impossible."
“If Elder Brother Jiang’s friends in the Sheng Kingdom are truly all-knowing and could manage this for you, then there is another problem—when I left, His Majesty Zhuang planted a binding spirit rope on me under the pretext of protecting his envoy. If I encounter danger, the binding spirit rope will mark the person…”
Lin Zhengren tilted his head, using his finger to draw a circle on the swelling on his neck. He chuckled and said, "Or perhaps Senior Brother Jiang could take a look first Could you perhaps resolve it This binding spirit rope is capable of anything imaginable, even killing me from miles away to prevent me from escaping the Great Saint Heavenly Mansion's control."
Jiang Wang did not rashly try to. He just calmly said: “Aren't you the first proud of Zhuang Guo, a loyal minister of Zhuang Ting How can Zhuang Gaoxian still distrust you so much”
“Over the years, I’ve done a lot of things,” Lin Zhengren smiled. “He doesn’t trust me, he doesn’t trust anyone.”
Jiang Wang looked at the person in front of him.
He seemed to have stated his conditions for survival repeatedly, revealing his vulnerabilities and allowing himself to be struck, appearing to be very sincere.
But Jiang Wang understood that Lin Zhengren must still have some unspoken methods up his sleeve.
"Are you sure I'm coming to kill you tonight" Jiang Wang asked.
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Lin Zhengren said, "I had no idea you were in Sheng Guo, let alone that you would come to see me tonight. I'm certain, if anyone could kill me in this situation and leave me powerless to resist, it would be you."
Jiang Wang did not speak.
Lin Zhengren then added, "You must have informants in the State of Zhuang. With your wisdom, you must also have guessed that my mission this time is a move made by Duke Zhuang against you. Even if you didn't come to the State of Sheng, I would go to the State of Xiang afterwards. I think there will be many opportunities for us, brothers, to meet again. I am just preparing every day."
Jiang Wang's gaze swept calmly over the numerous hidden safeguards set up in the room: "You weren't even sure I would come, so you prepared so many life-saving measures, and yet you act like this every day"
Lin Zhengren simply said, "I'm sorry to disappoint you, Brother Jiang. I'm just afraid of death."
"Why wouldn't it be someone else who killed you" Jiang Wang asked again.
Lin Zhengren said: "Because I never actively make enemies with people, and never put myself in danger. If I accidentally make an enemy, I will quickly resolve it, and if I accidentally enter a dangerous situation, I will leave quickly. This time is the only exception, I know that no matter how many escape methods I prepare, I may not be able to avoid death in the end. Because I am facing Senior Brother Jiang, and the Emperor I am loyal to personally sent me out."
Jiang Wang would naturally not believe that Lin Zhengren was truly loyal to Zhuang Gaoxian, and Zhuang Gaoxian himself wouldn't believe it either. But regarding Lin Zhengren's caution, ruthlessness, and insidiousness, Jiang Wang had certainly experienced them firsthand.
How can one kill him without leaving a trace What are the conditions for survival, both those laid bare and those yet to be revealed, and how can they be peeled away one by one
If I don't kill him, what else can I do with this person Since his divine arrival, he has never imagined that an outer courtyard disciple could be so troublesome!
Lin Zhengren continued, "What I just said... If you can handle all of it, then you can kill me. But even if you can perfectly solve those problems, I wouldn't advise you to do so."
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“Oh” Jiang Wang gazed at him.
“Because I am useful,” Lin Zhengren emphasized. “In your match against Zhuang Gaoxian, I can play a very important role. If you kill me, he will send someone else. I am not that important. If you keep me alive, you will have the opportunity to predict his moves.”
Jiang Wangdao: "Continue."
Compared to Brother Jiang's aloofness, Younger Brother Lin seemed courteous and polite: "This time I represent the State of Zhuang on a diplomatic mission. The State of Sheng is just our first stop, and the State of Xiang is just one of many tributary states I plan to visit."
“The pretext for the visit was ‘Taoist exchange’, but the core mission of the delegation was to cultivate good relations with these Taoist nations I am visiting, seeking a higher standing within them. Duke Guo had done a great deal of preparation beforehand, listing many trade plans. Once these interests are aligned, Zhuang nation’s position in the west will be more secure, and your future revenge against Zhuang will be much more difficult.”
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“As for me, under the mission of the delegation, my core task is to deal with you. You wouldn't want to know how Emperor Zhuang planned against you And... what exactly gave him the confidence that a mere Lin Zhengren from the Outer Court Realm could possibly oppose you”
Jiang Wang was indeed interested: "Tell me more."
Lin Zhengren spread his hands: “I don’t know.”
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"Is that so" Jiang Wang's eyes began to take on a dangerous gleam.
Lin Zhengren hurriedly explained, “With the Emperor Zhuang's suspicions, how could he possibly trust me If I had the means to overthrow him and kill you, how could he possibly let me know the whole picture”
"You make a good point... So where does your role lie"
“At the very least, as the executor of this plan, or perhaps a cog in its machinery, I can help you figure out his layout. At the very least, I can help you avoid some dangers.”
"For example"
“For example, this time I’m on a diplomatic mission to various countries, the real threat to you should start in the Elephant Kingdom. Following Zhuang Gaoxian’s orders, I will do everything I can to lure you away from Xingyueyuan there. However, what will happen afterwards, I don't yet know.”
The elephant kingdom was right next to Starlit Plains, indeed a quite ideal location. Lin Zhengren, representing the Zhuang Kingdom as an envoy to the elephant kingdom, wouldn't be unaware of this while secluded in the Baiyu Capital Tavern.
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"How do you plan to lure me away from Xingyueyuan" Jiang Wang asked.
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Lin Zhengren's expression became very cautious: "I need to state first that these were all Zhuang Tianzi's ideas. I am just an executor."
"It's all right to say it."
“I will convene a literary gathering in the Elephant Kingdom to discuss the literary significance of the inscription on the Spirits' Monument in Maple Forest City, and to enhance the illustrious achievements of Emperor Zhuang in the Maple Forest City disaster. I will also guide and propagate your relationship with the White Bone Dao.”Lin Zhengren said: “If you don’t come find me, I will hold another ritual to remotely venerate the victims of the Maple Forest City realm. Several names I will focus on are those closely related to you...”
Jiang Wang's eyes held no joy or sorrow: "Is that all"
Lin Zhengren lowered his head and eyes, his voice barely audible: "If these don't work, Zhuang Gaoxian came up with another plan—the remains of your aunt have already been unearthed..."
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In the beginning, Jiang Wang wielded his sword horizontally across the gate to seek justice for Song's concubine. In the end, he brought down Lin Zhenglun with a fatal blow from Lin Zhengren. Justice should have been sought from Lin Zhengli, but at that time, he was incapable of doing so.
After Song's death, she was buried in the Lin family cemetery under the name of Lin Zhenglun's wife.
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At that time, Jiang Wang was not disturbed by the deceased. Moreover, Song's concubine had remarried and it was inappropriate to bury her back in Fengxi.
...Unexpectedly.
The wise ruler and virtuous ministers of the State of Zhuang, they truly are skilled.
Although the mask concealed Jiang Wang's expression, this silence made Lin Zhengren especially uneasy. He gritted his teeth and shouted angrily: "Zhuang Gaoxian is a man with a human face but a beastly heart, a hypocritical ruler who is utterly shameless!"
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Jiang Wang's voice was calm: "Leave it to me."
"Well, alright then." Lin Zhengren stood up and carefully brought out a metal box.
Jiang Wang glanced at him, using his eyes to signal for him to put it on the table.
Lin Zhengren, while putting the iron box on the side table, earnestly reminded, "This iron box was given to me by Du Guxiang. There might be some tricks inside, Brother Jiang, please be careful and don't take it directly."
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If Jiang Wang had not been so vigilant, it is unknown whether his warning would have had any effect.
“Open it and see.” Jiang Wang said.
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Lin Zhengren pinched a Taoist seal and slowly opened the iron box.
Indeed, a skeleton was stacked inside the iron box.
Jiang Wang quietly glanced, the golden, red, and white three-colored flames swept past, leaving the bones empty. Song's last trace in this world also returned to the source sea.
"Close it." Jiang Wang's voice held no emotion: "When you get back, find another skeleton to replace this one."
Lin Zhengren honestly closed the iron box without saying a word.
"What will Zhuang Gaoen do after catching me" Jiang Wang said slowly, "Wouldn't he simply find a real person to ambush me beside you As soon as I kill you, I'll be killed in the name of protecting the envoy of Zhuang Guo Jing Guo is a country under the Daozong, and the real people of Jing Guo have such power."
Lin Zhengren earnestly said, "Of course this is also a way, but I think he wouldn't underestimate you so much."
"What other tricks do you think he has up his sleeve" Jiang Wang asked.
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Lin Zhengren's heart almost jumped into his throat: "I need some time to verify."
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Then he heard those words — "Okay, I'll give you time."
I can't see that person in front of me anymore.
That sentence also dissipated.
The room was still the same, empty and as if nothing had ever happened.
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Lin Zhengren slowly, slowly leaned back against the chair.
He knew he had once again leaped out of a fatal trap!
And the chanting was still continuing --
“With one mind born of right resolve, all phenomena naturally manifest. Each direction gives birth to five energies, and the five energies nurture one spirit.”
"One spirit transforms freely, refining its original truth. The true nature is neither with form nor without form..." breath.“But Tian Anping was too strong!” Yan Fu’s words carried a deep sense of dread: “He killed to survive, entering the battlefield with divine presence. Alone, he withstood the siege led by Liu X...