Chapter 170: The Three Great Martial Clans of Jiangnan
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“Over a dozen meters long... it should at least be two thousand catties, right?”
Jiang Nan stared at the Blue King Drake’s snake tail and happily returned inside Jiangnan City.
Of course, calling it a snake tail was not exactly correct.
The beast had grown into a drake with horns and calls, and calling it a drake tail was more appropriate.
Still, that left Jiang He wondering...
“If a drake managed to pop up, wouldn’t there be real dragons in this world?”
Others notwithstanding, that probability was really not small.
After all, there was an Era of Qi Refinists thought to exist before the Old Martial Era. And since immortals exist, would it not make sense that a mythological creature like dragons exist as well?
Meanwhile, it was utter chaos in Jiangnan City.
The Martial Arts Department (MAD), public security, and military were working together to restore calm and order.
Most of the gla.s.s on the towers that shattered from the Blue King Drake’s roar—in fact, even the roar itself had inflicted many casualties, and everyone in the city was panicking. There were voices of debate everywhere, and fear toward the Feral Kings were overflowing.
“Eh?”
Suddenly, someone gasped in surprise as they looked at Jiang He, or more specifically, the Blue King Drake’s snake tail, and could not help exclaiming in shock, “I-Isn’t that the Blue King Drake’s tail?”
“For real? I took a photo... what the h.e.l.l, it’s real!”
Jiang He immediately drew a crowd once he entered the city, and that number of bystanders were growing.
MAD personnel arrived immediately to disperse the crowd, afraid that there might be elements that would deliberately escalate the chaos already plaguing the city.
That was when the voice of someone clearing his throat echoed over the skies.
It was like a thunderclap, drawing everyone’s gaze up to the horizon.
Up above was w.a.n.g Hou, standing on thin air and holding the Blue King Drake’s thousand-meter long corpse, circulating his qi like thunder and speaking sonorously, “No worries, everyone. I’ve already slain the Blue King Drake—for any demons that dare to invade any human city shall be killed without mercy!”
Down below, Jiang He seized the moment to flee the crowd surrounding him.
Why did w.a.n.g Hou come back?
Did he pick up the Blue King Drake’s corpse on purpose to motivate the citizens?”
“Well, his speech wasn’t all that impressive. He should be more generous but also energetic, since that would stir the citizens’ pa.s.sion a lot better...” Jiang He complained inwardly.
Meanwhile, w.a.n.g Hou, walking over nothing out at the horizon, left while carrying the corpse of the Blue King Drake with a single hand.
Back in the city, people were shouting and bellowing to vent the emotion inside.
Jiang He glanced at the stirred crowd and could not help complaining again, “At least leave your name, Minister w.a.n.g. Just look at these people’s flushed faces... but not knowing who they should be praising.”
Hence, even as he slipped toward Hotel Caesar with the Blue King Drake’s tail over his shoulder, he cried, “The one who slew the Blue King Drake is the top elite of our Hua Nation, the leader of the MAD—Minister w.a.n.g!”
At his words, everyone around him turned to stare at him.
“...”
Nervous under the stares, Jiang He forgot his line... what was he supposed to say next?
Minister w.a.n.g be praised?
Three cheers for Minister w.a.n.g?
Those felt weird, which was why Jiang He, pushing his qi like thunder cried again, “Minister w.a.n.g is awesome, Minister w.a.n.g attaboy!”
Then, a youth who was particularly emotional shouted until his face was flushed,” Minister w.a.n.g is awesome, Minister w.a.n.g attaboy!”
“Minister w.a.n.g is awesome, Minister w.a.n.g attaboy!”
“Minister w.a.n.g is awesome, Minister w.a.n.g attaboy!”
Humans had always been a creature of blind conformation... after the first person started yelling, others echoed the silly chant, rapidly pa.s.sing it through Jiangnan City.
By the time Jiang He reached the front entrance of Hotel Caesar, he could actually hear more than half of the several hundred thousand citizens all crying out in one voice—
“Minister w.a.n.g is awesome, Minister w.a.n.g attaboy!”
Like a sound of thunder!
“...”
Jiang He was rather confused.
Wow...
Are the people of Jiangnan that simple-minded? I was just yelling simply, and several hundred thousand of you followed... I wonder if Minister w.a.n.g would hear it. Of course, even if Minister w.a.n.g could not hear it, the news and the internet would report it—won’t the whole world be astonished when that happens?
On the other hand...
w.a.n.g Hou did hear the cheers.
His sharp hearing notwithstanding, a void-tier elite like him could clearly sense the world within dozens of miles around him, and he naturally knew what happened in Jiangnan City.
w.a.n.g Hou was at once astonished, and there was an exceedingly troubled look on his face.
Putting away the corpse of the Blue King Drake with a wave of his hand, he turned into a flash over the horizon as he flew rapidly toward Jingdu City, and at a quicker speed than the Golden-Crowned Black Eagle.
In just half an hour, he turned to MAD headquarters at Jingdu City.
Once he reached the building, he promptly found Zhou Yu.
“Contact Jiangnan at once, Old Zhou. Keep an eye on every media outlet, and no one is to be allowed to post any news without my agreement... and control the internet too!”
“What happened... Minister w.a.n.g?”
Zhou Yu was completely confused.
He knew that w.a.n.g Hou had headed to Jiangnan City because of the Blue King Drake’s attack... but he knows nothing at all about what happened next, after the battlefield was moved to the wildlands.
Just ten minutes ago, he did contact Qin Fan, chief of Jiangnan’s MAD to ask about the situation. In return, Qin Fan told him that the Feral Kings had retreated after w.a.n.g Hou slew the Blue King Drake...
Of course, Qin Fan did not mention a word about the chant of “Minister w.a.n.g is awesome, Minister w.a.n.g attaboy!” at all.
“Don’t ask, just do.”
w.a.n.g Hou did not explain, and barked, “Quick, hurry up. Go right now!”
He only breathed a sigh of relief after watching Zhou Yu leave, and he picked up his Thermos cup and had a sip of his caterpillar fungus plus wolfberry tea, relaxing.
But after several minutes, laughter could be heard from the next room.
It felt like someone was holding in the laughter at first, but it soon become louder, and eventually it was coupled with the sound of thigh and desk slapping.
The next room beside w.a.n.g Hou’s office was naturally was the office of Zhou Yu, his deputy.
As w.a.n.g Hou’s spirit radiated away, he saw Zhou Yu watching a video clip with his computer.
The clip showed countless Jiangnan citizens were shouting together, chanting thunderously in overwhelming pa.s.sion and excitement.
Still, the chant was just a little too...
Hilarious.
Hence, w.a.n.g Hou rose to his feet and knocked on Zhou Yu’s office.
The laughter stopped immediately in that moment, and Zhou Yu rose to open his door with a serious look, saying, “I’ve contacted Jiangnan, and the major media outlets had likewise submitted their own clips, Minister w.a.n.g. Would you like to take a look?’
At that, Zhou Yu eventually could not hold back a snicker.
Scowling and turning around, w.a.n.g Hou barked through clenched teeth, “d.a.m.n it, which fool started that trend?’
Such a chant was simply ill-fitting for the situation.
w.a.n.g Hou even wondered—could someone be out to prank him?
After w.a.n.g Hou left, Zhou Yu stared at the video clip on his computer and mused to himself.
He picked up his phone after a long silence, found a number and dialed it, saying, “Old Ma, you’re the computer genius. I have a video clip that needs sound and image alteration—let’s see what you could make of it.”
“Of course, this matter must be kept secret!”
“If word gets out, your department budget is going to get a full cut next year!”
***
Jiang He was not aware of what happened at the MAD headquarters.
He had already returned to his hotel room.
The windows of his room were all shattered and would not be replaced anytime soon, and the hotel management was sending wines and gifts to every guest in apology.
“It’s fine. It’s all the Green King Drake’s fault, nothing to do with your hotel.”
With a wave of his hand, Jiang He promptly stuffed the window with a vein of his True Qi.
Still, he did not dislike the buffeting winds—the streets were simply too noisy, and the True Qi sealing the window was a much better insulator against the noise compared to gla.s.s.
The hotel manager was even more respectful toward Jiang He now.
The truth was that he was acquainted with Jiang He over half an hour ago when he carried the Blue King Drake’s tail and sought him out. Leaving the snake tail with him, he asked for the tail to be cut into little pieces and packed.
“Mister Jiang, the kitchen had already started cutting, and the meat will be packed in around two hours.”
Jiang He simply grabbed a Yuanbao and threw it to him, saying, “Many thanks, but I have to say this first: the Blue King Drake is a king-tier Feral and the qi in its flesh is too powerful. Ensure that your kitchen staff did not sneak a bite, or I’m sure that someone might die.”
The manager became fl.u.s.tered, afraid of taking the Yuanbao. “Don’t worry, Mister Jiang—I’ve specially arranged for my nephew to keep an eye at the kitchen. Absolutely no one would dare to touch your meat, Mister Jiang.”
Eventually and under Jiang He’s insistence, the hotel manager carefully put away the Yuanbao and left Jiang He’s room respectfully.
“Oh...”
Jiang He sighed a little helplessly.
There was no helping it.
He only had twelve boxes in his System Backpack and nowhere else to put the meat. The dozen meter-long drake tail weighed over two thousand catties, and it won’t be easy carrying it around. On the other hand, cutting it down to pieces and packing it would not be a problem.
Even if his car was small, stuffing two thousand catties worth of something was no problem.
Lying down on his bed after seeing off the hotel manager, Jiang He turned his eyes to the box where his System Backpack kept the Yuanbao.
There was an icon of the Yuanbao on the box, and there was a ‘x9399’ number below it.
“I only have ninety-three hundred and ninety-nine yuanbao?”
Jiang He did a mental calculation...
It seems that the number was correct. There should have been ninety-four hundred Yuanbao, and 9399 was left after he gave the manager that yuanbao.
“Each weighed one catty, and ninety-three hundred and ninety-nine is a little over four tons and less than ten thousand catties.”
Jiang He frowned.
He was a little...
Poor.
It was said that the auction soon did not trade in currency but in gold and other treasures, and he wondered if that bit of gold he could afford him the stuff he liked.
Just as he worried about that, there was a knock on his door.
He opened it to find Long Mountain Lin and three unfamiliar middle-aged men standing outside.
Jiang He trained a confused look at Long Mountain Lin, who smiled and explained, “Brother Jiang He, allow me to introduce. Murong Buyi, Long Qi and Wei Zhishu, the current leaders of their respective clans.”
The three clan leaders were all smiles and extended their hands, saying, “Sorry for bothering you without mentioning beforehand, Mister Jiang. We hope you may accommodate us.”
Jiang He shook their hands and quickly smiled, “You’re too kind, gentlemen. Please, come in.”
Still, he was very curious.
The Wei clan, the Long clan, and the Murong clan?
Why would the three great martial clans of Jiangnan come to him?
Still, he understood soon enough.
Everyone knew that w.a.n.g Hou had slain the Blue King Drake, and many knew that Jiang He himself carried its tail into the city too—and there was naturally no hiding from the three martial clans with their influence.
That was why it made sense that they would visit him.
Clearly, they also know that he had revived Elder Lin since they came alongside him...
And though Jiang He did tell Long Mountain Lin about how he had killed the Black King Drake, the matter was kept secret for now and Long Mountain Lin naturally would not reveal it.
There was only one thing that surprised Jiang He however...
Were the three martial clans not supposed to have an extensive history?
Reasonably speaking, they should be cultured and well-read... so why were their names so random?
“Brother Jiang He, they insisted that I bring them here...”
That was when Long Mountain Lin communicated with secret acoustics, saying, “They might be interested in the Blue King Drake’s tail and the floral spirit you saved me with, and want to make a deal.”
And just as expected...
After a courteous preamble, Murong Buyi said, “To tell the truth, Mister Jiang, we’ve come today with a request. We are aware that you’ve obtained a part of the drake’s tail...”
That was one someone else knocked on the door.
It was the hotel manager, leading in a group of kitchen helpers who brought in the filleted and packaged tail of the Blue King Drake.
“Mister Jiang, the Blue King Drake’s tail was worth twenty-four hundred and eighty-eight catties, sliced into fillets of one catty as you instructed and packaged in food containers that could hold a hundred catties each... please have a look.”
25 food containers were hence piled upon the floor.
Nonetheless, that left Jiang He quite bothered.
What the h.e.l.l.
It was very different from what he imagined—could his sports car really carry so much?
He looked up at Murong Buyi then said, “Please continue, Chief Murong.”
“...”
Meanwhile, Murong Buyi, Wei Zhishu, and Long Qi were all gaping and dumbstruck at the sight of the food containers, only coming to their after half a beat...
What the heck!
It was a vandalism of treasure!
Filleting the Blue King Drake’s tail devalued it significantly.
Smiling, Murong Buyi quickly switched gears, “Actually, Mister Jiang, we are quite interested in the treasure with which you revived Elder Lin...”
Jiang He waved him off and cut to the point, “I know why you’ve come, gentlemen. What else would you want aside from making a deal with me? Even so, my egg—I mean, that floral spirit of mine had been finished, although I have some medicine which I developed myself. The effect is quite fine, so I wonder if you three gentlemen might be interested.”
Jiang He brought out his first-aid kit amidst the three clan leaders’ look of confusion, picking out a Bezoar Detox pill, one Amoxicillin capsule, and a Yunnan Baiyao Band-Aid!