Free Web NovelChapter 312: Chapter 196: To Arrest Jiang Man
Jiang Man let out a heavy sigh.
He was stunned for a moment.
’Who on earth could know things so clearly?’
No wonder he thought Old Huang had confessed.
Even Meng Qiewei might not have known such precise details.
It was as if someone had watched their every move, only to stab them in the back at this critical moment.
Of course, the problem was that the Old Yellow Ox had the aura of an Evil God on it.
’So why did the Evil God’s aura appear?’
’Did it get into a fight with Meng Qiewei?’
’That’s a possibility.’
But Meng Qiewei probably didn’t want to see him dead.
If she really wanted to kill them, she wouldn’t have waited until now.
Unless she was some kind of psychopath—giving him hope first, then letting Old Huang be exposed just as he was about to leave, and finally waiting for him to face his final judgment outside.
A way to utterly ruin him.
’Based on Meng Qiewei’s reputation, it’s not entirely impossible. After all, people are always worried she’ll kill someone.’
Jiang Man sighed to himself.
Then again, her reputation didn’t mention her being a psychopath.
So the probability was still rather low.
’If it wasn’t Meng Qiewei, who else could it be?’
He couldn’t think of a single suspect.
’How strange.’
But regardless, the fact was that Old Huang had been captured.
And he would be implicated.
Although the report was framed as an inquiry, a formal order would soon be issued.
There was no escape for him.
The situation this time was too complicated.
It wasn’t just about contact; it was the accusation that all his achievements were thanks to an Evil God.
It was impossible to clear his name.
And if he couldn’t, he was done for.
If they investigated thoroughly and found the truth, he’d be even more done for.
He just didn’t know if Ji Hao would bail him out.
The chances were low.
Colluding with an Evil God, bringing an Evil God into the Sect...
A living Evil God, no less.
The crime was too great.
Letting out another heavy sigh, Jiang Man forced himself to stop overthinking.
The Old Yellow Ox hadn’t resisted, likely waiting for him to get out.
If he couldn’t even secure his own exit, then they would truly have to start a life on the run.
’What a pain.’
Without resources in the future, every step would be a struggle.
’Am I supposed to walk the path of an Evil God?’
’The dream-entering Evil God is no good. She’s dead and weak, and her followers are mediocre at best.’
’Looks like I’ll have to find a powerful Evil God.’
Since things had come to this, he decided he should first focus on improving his Cultivation.
This Unparalleled Celestial Pride Fate Chart was not going to be easy to deal with.
With that, Jiang Man began to cultivate.
Instead of taking an Elixir, he directly used the Flawless Chao Yuan Shaoyang Pill.
As he cultivated, the pill was activated by his Golden Core.
He slowly absorbed its medicinal power.
「Five days later.」
Jiang Man felt that he had accumulated another layer of Spiritual Qi.
His progress hadn’t changed.
In another forty days, he would be able to fill the Gourd.
Including the time for a breakthrough, sixty more days at most would be enough.
Besides, the Spiritual Qi here was abundant, so his progress should speed up a bit.
Furthermore, he also had to find a way to get the Twenty-One Introductory Books.
It was best to prepare early.
If he really had to flee later, he wouldn’t be in such a sorry state.
He needed to free up his time as soon as possible.
Just then, Shangguan Lingyue and Hai Lian returned.
The two of them entered the Array looking rather haggard, and immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
Jiang Man stopped his Cultivation and looked at them, asking in surprise, "Fellow Daoists, did you run into danger?"
Shangguan Lingyue nodded. "It’s not safe outside. There are not only Demon Beasts but also some peculiar plants. You wouldn’t normally encounter them in the mist alone.
"The danger appears as soon as an Array is used to expand your field of vision.
"However, they don’t seem to attack the Array."
After a pause, Shangguan Lingyue added, "Or perhaps, they won’t for now."
The changes here were a bit strange; it seemed to be getting easier and easier to run into things.
Jiang Man nodded, gaining a better understanding of the outside.
But he wasn’t sure if they were lying.
’It doesn’t matter.’
’As long as I can cultivate, it’s fine.’
"By the way, did you run into anyone else?" Jiang Man asked.
They both shook their heads.
"That’s a shame," Jiang Man said.
Upon hearing this, they curiously put down some materials. "Is there something you need, Fellow Daoist?"
"I want to continue studying Array Patterns to expand the Array, but I need the Twenty-One Introductory Books," Jiang Man answered frankly.
Improving the Array wasn’t a bad thing, so after a moment’s hesitation, Shangguan Lingyue asked, "Fellow Daoist, do you have access to other Arrays?"
Jiang Man nodded. "I bought two more, but I need to advance further."
The Sixteen Foundation Books, the Twenty-One Introductory Books, the Thirty-Six Books of Ascension, and the Seventy-Two Books of Minor Accomplishment.
There were even more difficult ones after that; this path was an extremely long one.
However, after finishing these, he could try to learn the Mountain and Sea Array Pattern.
"It’s certainly possible to learn a thing or two from them, but won’t that take a lot of time?" Hai Lian asked.
"Actually, I’ve almost finished studying them, I’m just missing a few things. Besides, I’m an array genius—number one in the Array Courtyard," Jiang Man said.
In the Array Courtyard, he was also number one in Cultivation among the Outer Sect disciples.
There was no issue with his claim.
"With a sufficient foundation, it’s indeed worth a try." Shangguan Lingyue didn’t really believe he was an array genius, but after some thought, he said, "In that case, we’ll help you keep an eye out, Junior Brother, and see if we can get those things for you.
"As for the cost, the three of us will split it evenly. After all, this is all for the sake of the opportunity here.
"We can’t expect to gain without contributing."
He brought this up because he was afraid Jiang Man wouldn’t be willing to pay.
If that happened, they would be getting the short end of the stick.
Hearing this, Jiang Man immediately nodded. "Many thanks."
"We’re going to rest for a bit. Junior Brother, see if you can make use of these things," Shangguan Lingyue said, pointing to the items on the ground.
Jiang Man gave the items a quick inspection and found that some of them could indeed be used.
He then set up a Spirit Gathering Array.
This accelerated the gathering of Spiritual Qi within the main Array.
This way, the tree would grow faster.
Seeing this, neither of them said anything.
The faster the tree grew, the more it would benefit them.
But this place would also become more and more dangerous.
They truly needed a larger space and a better Array.
After resting for half a day, they went out again.
As soon as they left, Hai Lian immediately asked, "Aren’t we getting a bad deal by splitting the cost evenly?"
