Chapter Twenty-One: Mortal Desires Hinder True Aspirations

The last memory of the alpha wolf was a streak of azure light stretching hundreds of feet. He vaguely saw a taoist priest, clad in a green robe and jade crown, riding a fiery dragon. The priest swung a sword of light a hundred feet long, cleaving the magical weapon forged by the eight brothers into two halves.

As the weapon shattered completely, the backlash caused the alpha wolf to lose consciousness entirely.

When Tian Ming’an hurriedly arrived at the front hall of the temple, clutching a small candle flame, all he saw were eight mummified corpses lying scattered on the ground. The once fearsome and dominant evil sect known as the Eastern County Eight Wolves, who once roamed Qingzhou unchecked, had completely become dead wolves.

The battle between Jiang Sheng and the Eastern County Eight Wolves had also destroyed nearly half of the temple. The front hall was utterly ruined, with the walls on both sides reduced to rubble, and even half of the main gate shattered.

Everywhere one looked, flames flickered amid shattered bricks and tiles. The green pines and bamboo groves that had been planted were all broken and trampled into chaos.

Jiang Sheng gazed upon the devastation of his own temple, a rare flicker of anger sparking in his eyes. Anyone would be angry in such a situation.

They had been peacefully secluded in the mountains for cultivation, only to be ambushed by a group of unrelated attackers. Although the enemies were all dead, his temple had been half destroyed.

Who could he complain to now?

“Taoist?” Tian Ming’an looked up at Jiang Sheng with awe, the latter standing astride a fiery dragon, wielding a gleaming azure sword.

Jiang Sheng sighed and withdrew the spiritual energy sustaining the fiery dragon. Even as a foundational cultivator of the Heavenly Dao, with his abundant spiritual power, maintaining the dragon for long was difficult.

In truth, the final battle was simply a contest of whose confidence and power was greater, and the outcome was clear—Jiang Sheng had the last laugh.

As the dragon’s energy dissipated, it uttered one last low roar before dissolving into a sky full of flames that vanished into the air.

Jiang Sheng returned to the ground and waved his hand. “Enough. Go rest for now. We’ll discuss matters tomorrow.”

Tian Ming’an obediently nodded. Yet, after returning to his room, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep. The events of the night had exceeded all his expectations, leaving him too excited to rest.

Jiang Sheng himself did not rest much either. The front hall was completely destroyed, and the middle hall was half ruined by the aftermath of the battle. He had to hang the ancestral master’s portrait in the rear hall and set up the incense altar and candles anew.

Sitting cross-legged before the ancestral portrait, Jiang Sheng took a Vitality Gathering Pill and began to calmly regulate his breath and cultivate.

Even after the fiery dragon vanished, the scorching heat in the air lingered for a full quarter-hour before the falling snow finally extinguished the remaining flames.

The drifting snowflakes fell again, snuffing out the last embers in the temple and covering the grim traces on the ground.

***

At dawn the next day, as the eastern sky blushed faintly, Tian Guofu led the townsfolk of Qingping with various tools, hastily ascending the mountain.

The roar of the dragon from the previous night had awakened the entire town. They only knew the sound came from Mount Qingping but had no idea what had happened.

Due to the heavy snowfall, they had to wait until daylight before venturing into the mountain to investigate.

Worried about his grandson, Tian Guofu and the able-bodied men set out at first light.

After a difficult climb halfway up the mountain, they beheld the ruined temple and the surrounding wreckage, chilling everyone’s hearts: Could it be that Taoist Jiang was devoured by the dragon last night?!

“Mayor… Taoist Jiang wouldn’t have…” One of the men trembled all over as his sharp eyes caught sight of a corpse not yet fully buried by snow. The body was emaciated, frozen to a bluish-gray by the ice and snow.

Tian Guofu, also anxious for his grandson, forced calm. “Nonsense! Taoist Jiang is a high master from Penglai! Don’t let your imagination run wild!”

Though he said so, Tian Guofu quickened his pace. “Come, let’s enter the temple and take a look!”

Seeing the mayor take the lead, the young men hastened after him. Even though much of the evidence was covered by snow, the piles of debris and the fully collapsed front hall made it clear that a fierce battle had taken place the night before.

Especially in the courtyard, scattered bricks and shattered tiles, along with the unmistakable traces of magical combat, revealed just how dangerous the night had been.

Tian Guofu’s heart sank at the sight. “This is bad. Something serious is about to happen!”

“What serious matter?” Jiang Sheng’s voice suddenly echoed beside them.

Upon hearing Jiang Sheng’s voice, Tian Guofu’s worries instantly eased. If Taoist Jiang was unharmed, then his grandson must be safe as well.

Relieved, he bowed toward the rear hall. “Taoist Jiang, last night we heard sounds coming from the mountain. But with the heavy snow and the late hour, we dared not enter. We only came at dawn to assist you.”

Tian Guofu’s explanation amused Jiang Sheng. “If you were worried about your grandson, just say so outright instead of dragging me into it.”

“Mayor Tian, rest assured, your grandson is sound asleep right now. If you want to see him, come to the guest room in the rear courtyard.”

Tian Guofu rushed toward the guest room, but stopped after a few steps and looked back at the young men in the town. “What are you all waiting for? Why aren’t you helping Taoist Jiang clear away this mess?”

Suddenly understanding, the men grabbed their tools and began to clear the snow and debris.

When Tian Guofu reached the rear courtyard and saw his grandson truly resting peacefully, he was furious. He grabbed Tian Ming’an by the arm. “You irresponsible boy! Don’t you know your family is worried sick? You didn’t even return home at dawn to let us know you’re safe!”

Tian Ming’an, just awakened and still confused, suddenly realized it was his grandfather and asked, “Grandpa, why did you come up the mountain?”

“How else could I confirm your safety if I didn’t come?” Tian Guofu scolded. “Such a commotion in the mountain last night—your whole family was worried sick!”

***

As he spoke, Tian Guofu bowed respectfully to Jiang Sheng in the rear hall.

“I’ve seen the traces in the front courtyard. Such a fierce battle, and yet you still protected this boy. I don’t know how to thank you, Taoist.”

Jiang Sheng smiled. “It’s no trouble. I allowed him to stay overnight last night. Had I not kept him here, he might have faced danger.”

“Since I allowed him to stay, I naturally ensured his safety.”

Rising slowly, Jiang Sheng looked at Tian Guofu and then at Tian Ming’an. “Mayor Tian, do you regret bringing this boy up the mountain?”

Tian Guofu hesitated, unsure how to answer.

In truth, he did regret it.

His original intention was for his grandson to learn from Jiang Sheng for a time, to gain some polish and refinement. If Jiang Sheng was willing to teach even a little, the boy might become a Taoist official someday, bringing honor and prosperity to the Tian family.

But Tian Guofu had greatly underestimated how perilous the world of cultivators truly was.

The dragon’s roar that echoed through the mountains last night, the signs of fierce fighting in the courtyard, the burn marks and scars from blades and axes, the crisscrossing cracks in the jade bricks and stone slabs, and even the monstrous remains—some still visible despite the snow—all testified to how terrifying the cultivator’s world could be.

Jiang Sheng understood Tian Guofu’s thoughts and said, “Mayor Tian, rest assured, I will not force your grandson to stay.”

“In truth, it was I who caused him to face danger yesterday. If you only wish him a life of wealth and honor, then take him back. I will speak to Magistrate Zhang and ensure he lives a prosperous and worry-free life.”

“Following me, however, there is no promise of wealth or glory. I am but a recluse, unwilling to be entangled in the mundane world. The political intrigues of Qiguo’s court and the affairs of the martial world are things I prefer to avoid.”

“Even so, danger will always be close at hand. Just like last night, who knows when such a trial will come again.”

Hearing Jiang Sheng, Tian Guofu was truly moved. But before he could reply, Tian Ming’an spoke.

Having witnessed the wondrous, if perilous, world of cultivators for the first time last night, even at the risk to his own life, Tian Ming’an’s yearning for cultivation only deepened.

He longed to become a cultivator like Jiang Sheng, not a mere wealthy heir.

So, upon hearing Jiang Sheng and his grandfather’s words, Tian Ming’an suddenly broke free from Tian Guofu’s grasp and knelt before Jiang Sheng.

“Taoist, I want to stay!”

Tian Guofu looked at his grandson in surprise, but Tian Ming’an did not even glance at him. He bowed his head and said, “Taoist, last night was my first time witnessing a cultivator’s duel. I am not afraid of danger. I fear only a life of mediocrity.”

“Before, I was like a frog at the bottom of a well, ignorant of the vastness of heaven and earth. But last night, Taoist, you showed me the greatness of the world and the wonders of the heavens and earth. I truly do not want to return to my old, dull life.”

“My only wish is to follow you, to serve you faithfully. Please, Taoist, allow me to stay!”