Free Web NovelChapter 1342: Chapter Thirty-Four: Magnanimity
The old man who had just demonstrated his skill was stunned for half a day.
Then he said, "You’ve truly revolutionized my understanding of a genius."
Jiang Wang replied, "No two people in this world are exactly the same. Everyone you see is someone new."
The old man clicked his tongue and said, "You speak with such fluency; you’d make quite a good Prime Minister."
"Are you implying that Prime Ministers rely solely on their eloquence?" Jiang Wang smiled at him. "If articulating fluently qualifies one to be a Prime Minister, I happen to know of two incredible talents. If you can give me a thousand Prime Stones, I’ll introduce them to you as your heirs. I guarantee they’d spread your lineage far and wide!"
"Spare me!" The old man waved his hand in disdain and then looked at Jiang Wang with slight curiosity. "Are you truly unafraid of death?"
Jiang Wang did not answer directly but instead asked, "That young man who just walked by—he died of illness before the age of thirty-seven, leaving behind a widow and orphan. Such a tragic fate. Since you can see the future, why didn’t you help him?"
The old man sighed heavily and said, "Birth, aging, illness, and death, suffering and separation—all of this is predetermined. How could human effort possibly alter it?"
Jiang Wang then asked, "So, is my impending disaster with bloodshed predestined, or is you helping me avert the bloodshed predestined?"
If the former is predestined, then what’s the point of this amulet?
If the latter is predestined, why should I even pay money?
In conclusion, if everything is predetermined, then what’s the purpose of a Prime Minister’s existence?
Faced with such an attack on his trade, the old man surprisingly did not get angry or argue back, and instead laughed heartily: "Knowing me or not knowing me—this is irrelevant. How amusing, how amusing!"
After laughing his fill, he handed over the amulet again, "Young man, just one Knife Coin, and it’s yours."
Jiang Wang no longer refused. He fished out a Knife Coin, placed it on the wrinkled hand resembling old tree bark, and simultaneously received the crudely crafted amulet.
"May I ask the elder for his origins?"
This self-described "fading spirit" only brushed the fiery red mane of Yan Zhao, and then smiled as he walked backward. freēwebnovel.com
Between heaven and earth, a song arose—
"Exceptional brilliance lies beyond the lips of the mundane; seek not the mediocre mass."
"Look north, gaze south—three hundred years. Stars shift, lives rest!"
He retreated into the crowded throng, yet somehow departed from Jiang Wang’s line of sight.
It was a uniquely strange sensation, as if two levels of reality had unfolded simultaneously. But all Jiang Wang could see ahead was the bustling crowd, and the elder was gone without a trace.
Only the amulet in Jiang Wang’s hand remained, a reminder of the authenticity of this encounter.
How vast the present world is, how countless its extraordinary individuals.
Jiang Wang glanced at the amulet in his hand, flipped it over, and stored it away without saying a word.
Gently rubbing Yan Zhao’s neck, the fiery red horse instinctively moved forward, with nimble steps through the noisy streets of Linzi City, heading to the distance.
Its mane danced in the wind, swaying like flames.
...
...
When Jiang Wang rode his horse to the "Righteousness" Gate, Lin Youxie had already been waiting there for quite some time.
"Lord Jiang, you’re late." She looked at Jiang Wang as she spoke.
Her tone and expression were both distant.
Although they had agreed to meet half an hour later, the return trip hadn’t taken much time—mainly, Jiang Wang had been delayed along the way.
Fully aware of his culpability, Jiang Wang retrieved a scroll from his Storage Box and went straight to the point: "Let’s skip the pleasantries, Officer Lin. This is the scene painting after Huang Yixing’s death—you should take a look and see if there are any clues."
"I’ve already seen it," Lin Youxie replied.
Jiang Wang: ...
Well then, am I just here for decoration?
But Lord Jiang, having gained some experience, replied very naturally with a smile: "So, Officer Lin, may I ask if you’ve found any clues to share with me?"
Having studied the painting carefully himself, he’d made some findings and was ready to curb the arrogance brought by Lin Youxie’s Green Badge Aristocracy background.
Lin Youxie was silent for a while before she said, "Do you know? A painter records the scene—capturing the details—but can only depict what they’ve seen."
"Of course I know." Jiang Wang frowned slightly. "What’s the problem with that?"
"Unless I draw it myself, I can only confirm clues after personally observing the scene. Any judgments made beforehand could be influenced by others, leading to preconceived notions. A competent Qing Badge wouldn’t take that risk." She glanced at Jiang Wang. "That painting can only convey the general situation."
I think the painter captured the details quite well—maybe even better than you. The eyes are vivid too! Jiang Wang mused silently to himself.
Outwardly, he merely smiled: "Then let’s depart, shall we?"
With a soft tap of his leg, Yan Zhao darted forth like an arrow, swiftly tearing down the Official Way like a streak of flowing fire.
Lin Youxie promptly surged into flight, keeping pace beside Yan Zhao.
Yan Zhao was undoubtedly a stallion of unmatched caliber, galloping like the wind down the endless Official Way. Lin Youxie’s flight was fast, but she still had to exert herself to keep up.
The scenery by the roadside quickly blurred and faded.
Soon, they left behind the outskirts of Linzi City and entered the borders of Le’an County.
Flying alongside, Lin Youxie couldn’t help but glance repeatedly at Jiang Wang.
As a Qing Badge arrest officer, she was used to running back and forth on cases and never felt bitter about it.
But here, she was straining herself to fly and expending Path Origin, while he sat leisurely atop his high horse, seemingly relaxed—and even appeared as though he were studying Dao Techniques. This was truly infuriating.
"Lord Jiang," Lin Youxie spoke amid the rushing wind.
Jiang Wang replied with a disinterested "Hmm?" indicating his acknowledgment.
"You are the foremost Inner Mansion, whereas I am but a novice within the Inner Mansion Realm—a mere ant in comparison. Whether in terms of Path Origin reserves or cultivation strength, I am far inferior to you."
That much is true, Jiang Wang thought.
"And then?" he asked.
Lin Youxie remarked, "Great men throughout history have always possessed magnanimity."
Jiang Wang mused along with her, "And this principle isn’t only limited to men. I had the honor of meeting the Heavenly Shepherd at Guanhe Platform—now that was grandeur unmatched, an aura boundless."
This left Lin Youxie speechless, so she changed tactics: "I’ve heard that those who achieve greatness tend to empathize deeply with their subordinates."
Jiang Wang asked, "Why haven’t I heard this before?"
Lin Youxie: ...
"Lord Jiang would benefit from reading more books, surely." This sentence sounded almost gritted as it came out.
"Of course I’ve read books, Officer Lin. I’ve read several Taoist Scriptures." Jiang Wang confidently stated from the galloping horse’s back, "Recently, I even discussed the subject of literature with the Eleventh Prince."
Why, even the Eleventh Prince talks about books with me!
Lin Youxie—do you dare question the scholarly aptitude of a prince?
Naturally, Lin Youxie dared not. "That was my presumption, Lord."
Jiang Wang admonished her mercilessly, "Officer Lin should focus more on the case at hand, and less on idle musings."
Increasingly irritated, Lin Youxie opted to clamp her mouth shut firmly.
Still, although he gave no ground verbally, Jiang Wang privately agreed—he really ought to carve out some time for reading.
Now bearing a third-tier title, he seemed to already be nestled within Qi Country’s higher echelons. Yet he keenly knew his own limitations—his perspective was far from adequate. He couldn’t rely entirely on Zhongxuan Sheng to provide guidance; Zhongxuan Sheng couldn’t stay by his side forever.
Moreover, traveling ten thousand miles and reading ten thousand volumes were both ways of understanding the world—and were part of cultivation as well.
He had traveled far; that much was certain, and would continue to do so. But his literary journey had hardly begun.
Back in the Daoist School days, he hadn’t skimped on reading Taoist Scriptures. But after leaving home, resolved to grow stronger, he truly hadn’t revisited the wisdom of the ancients.
Naturally, he wouldn’t share this reflection with Lin Youxie.
They were not of the same path—merely traveling together for the time being.
