Chapter 122: Killing the Chicken to Scare the Monkey

Seeing that Jiang Pingchuan had no intention of letting them go, the group, feeling completely hopeless, closed their eyes and abandoned any attempt at resistance. They had only themselves to blame for being blinded by greed and foolishly scheming to use Jiang Pingchuan as a stepping stone to wealth and glory.

Now that their scheme had backfired, leaving them on the brink of death, they waited for a long time, only to find that Jiang Pingchuan had yet to make a move. One of them summoned the courage to open his eyes for a peek.

He found that Jiang Pingchuan was already seated, drinking with Master Gong and Kun Jia, showing no interest in them at all. Seeing this, the others also opened their eyes.

Watching the three of them, the group felt a profound sense of awkwardness. They had been terrified for so long, only to realize that the man had no intention of wiping them out at all. They really didn't know what to say.

Should they call themselves lucky to have escaped his blade, or admit that they were so insignificantly pathetic in Jiang Pingchuan's eyes that they posed no threat at all? The man gathered his courage and took a step toward Jiang Pingchuan.

"Many thanks, Young Hero Jiang, for sparing our lives."

As the man spoke, the others behind him followed suit with expressions of gratitude. Jiang Pingchuan simply drank in silence, not even bothering to look up. He sneered inwardly; they had wanted to kill him just moments ago, yet their faces changed faster than turning a page.

"It is not that I won't kill you; there are too many people like you who never learn, and I cannot kill you all. Once you step out of these doors, tell everyone outside that if they wish to use me to climb the ladder, they had better prepare their coffins first."

Jiang Pingchuan spoke coldly with his head bowed. Master Gong looked at him with a hint of surprise; even without his true qi, Jiang Pingchuan seemed even more formidable. This was a naked warning, a classic case of killing the chicken to scare the monkey, and his tone carried an air of great authority.

Kun Jia did not know the Jiang Pingchuan of the past, but he felt certain that the young man before him was destined for great things. He felt fortunate that he had stopped Jiang Pingchuan from drinking that cup of wine at the last moment—though it seemed Jiang Pingchuan had known all along that the wine was tainted.

"We shall certainly pass on your message."

The man cupped his hands toward Jiang Pingchuan, and he and his companions quickly vanished from the City Lord’s mansion. Only when they were gone did Jiang Pingchuan raise his head to look at Kun Jia.

Kun Jia had been chatting happily with Master Gong, but seeing the look on Jiang Pingchuan's face, his expression suddenly turned serious, tinged with a flicker of shame.

"Young Hero Jiang, I was truly forced into this."

Kun Jia looked at Jiang Pingchuan, cupping his hands with a troubled expression. He felt much more at ease now that Ouyang and Mu Yunfeng lay dead on the floor. Had they lived, he feared he and the entire Storm City would have suffered.

"City Lord Kun Jia, how exactly were you 'forced'?"

Jiang Pingchuan picked up a piece of fruit, took a bite, and asked while chewing. Master Gong also watched Kun Jia with curious interest.

"Some time ago, it was rumored that whoever could bring back Young Hero Jiang's head could sit as an equal to the Barbarian King and divide the realm. Ouyang and Mu Yunfeng conspired with others, and I don't know where they heard that you had lost your power. They threatened me, using the safety of the citizens of Storm City as a lever. I was truly left with no choice."

Kun Jia’s face flushed red as he spoke in a voice filled with indignation. Having finished, he lifted his wine cup and drained it in one gulp.

"What ability did Ouyang possess that could threaten the citizens of Storm City?"

Master Gong asked, looking at Ouyang’s corpse, which still stared with wide, unclosed eyes. Kun Jia glanced at the body, his expression suddenly changing. He scrambled up, ran to the corpse, and began frantically searching it, only to sigh in frustration, his eyes filled with disappointment.

"What is City Lord Kun Jia looking for?"

Jiang Pingchuan stood up and asked. Kun Jia looked at him, then lowered his head, let out a heavy sigh, and shook his head.

"Ouyang’s Soul-Gathering Bead is gone. It contained the souls of half the people of Storm City. If Ouyang were to discard it, without the nourishment of the host, the bead would dissipate, and along with it, the souls of the citizens."

***

Kun Jia sighed with regret. Jiang Pingchuan watched him, feeling that something was amiss. Hearing the mention of Ouyang’s bead, he suddenly remembered something.

"If the bead is lost, is there any other way to save the citizens?"

Jiang Pingchuan asked. Kun Jia shook his head, his eyes full of despair; it seemed he really was anxious about that bead.

"Does the owner of the bead have no way either?"

Jiang Pingchuan’s expression shifted slightly, and he watched the restless Kun Jia with interest. Kun Jia looked back in confusion, not understanding what Jiang Pingchuan meant.

Master Gong walked over to Ouyang’s corpse and began searching. As he felt around the body, Kun Jia’s expression grew unnatural, as if he were terrified that Master Gong might find something on Ouyang.

"There is no bead. It must have been lost during the fight."

Master Gong returned to Jiang Pingchuan’s side. When he saw Kun Jia visibly relax, Jiang Pingchuan nodded at Master Gong, signaling him to return to the corpse and hoist Ouyang’s body up. Kun Jia looked on with a grave expression.

"Young Hero Jiang, what is the meaning of this?"

Seeing Master Gong lift the body, Kun Jia asked, failing to understand Jiang Pingchuan’s intention.

"City Lord Kun Jia, when I arrived, I saw the citizens cowering in their homes, clearly terrified by Ouyang and Mu Yunfeng. Since I cannot remain in Storm City for long, I intend to hang their corpses at the city gate before I leave to clear the shadows from the hearts of the people. How does that sound to you, City Lord?"

Jiang Pingchuan chuckled as he watched Kun Jia. The City Lord’s expression grew tense; he wiped the sweat from his forehead and hurriedly nodded in agreement. As Jiang Pingchuan turned away, however, Kun Jia’s eyes burned with rage, fixed intently on his back.

Before long, Kun Jia followed orders, commanding his guards to transport the bodies of Ouyang and Mu Yunfeng to the city gate and hang them up. Mu Yunfeng’s head was hung to the side.

Just as Jiang Pingchuan emerged from the City Lord’s mansion, a few citizens appeared on the street, though they were few and far between. Some whispered that the masked man in white was Jiang Pingchuan, while others claimed he had come to save them.

Passing through the street, Jiang Pingchuan noticed that whenever people looked toward them, they would quickly avert their eyes, their expressions as if they had seen a plague god. This was highly illogical.

He also noticed that Kun Jia, walking beside him, acted strangely, seemingly terrified of being seen by the citizens. In fact, he realized the people were terrified specifically when they saw Kun Jia.

Master Gong was following Jiang Pingchuan toward the gate when, passing an alleyway, Jiang Pingchuan paused slightly. Master Gong looked puzzled but quietly stepped into the alley. The moment he did, he spotted a dark shadow.

As Master Gong gave chase, he realized the figure’s back looked remarkably like City Lord Kun Jia. He caught up and kicked the person against the wall. The man let out a muffled groan and slid to the ground, looking up at Master Gong, who stared back in disbelief.

Jiang Pingchuan looked at the corpses hanging at the gate, then back at the strangely behaving Kun Jia. Kun Jia had been terrified of Ouyang while he lived, yet now that he was dead, he still appeared deeply fearful.

Jiang Pingchuan had noticed that while the guards were tying the ropes, Kun Jia had searched the bodies thoroughly once more, yet his expression told Jiang Pingchuan he still hadn't found what he wanted.

"Is City Lord Kun Jia still looking for the Soul-Gathering Bead?"

Jiang Pingchuan asked as Kun Jia approached. Kun Jia nodded and looked sadly toward the citizens below the gate, who dodged out of sight the moment they saw him looking.

"For every day the Soul-Gathering Bead remains unfound, more of my citizens perish. As their City Lord, I feel truly ashamed."

Kun Jia said with a flushed face and vacant eyes. Jiang Pingchuan patted him on the shoulder.

***

"City Lord Kun Jia, you have certainly gone to great lengths to kill me."

Jiang Pingchuan placed his hand on Kun Jia’s shoulder and said coldly. Kun Jia jerked his head up, staring at him in shock, his brow furrowed with an expression of deep grievance.

"Young Hero Jiang, what do you mean? I respect your chivalry and righteousness; how could I ever plot against you? I hope you will clarify."

Kun Jia looked at him with guarded eyes, slowly backing away. He had seen Jiang Pingchuan use his own power to kill Ouyang, which had already exceeded his understanding; to stay safe, one had to keep away from the unknown.

"City Lord Kun Jia, for the dead, things become clear very quickly. Because once a person is dead, they have to listen to whatever you say, and they cannot argue back."

Jiang Pingchuan sneered, pulled a crystalline bead from his sleeve, and toyed with it between his fingers, watching Kun Jia with a playful look. Upon seeing the bead, Kun Jia was overjoyed.

A smile even broke out on his face. Meanwhile, the citizens below, seeing the bead in Jiang Pingchuan’s hand, fled the gate in terror, rushing back to their homes, daring not to emerge again. Jiang Pingchuan watched the fleeing crowd, then looked at the grinning Kun Jia.

"So the Soul-Gathering Bead was with you all along, Young Hero Jiang? You certainly enjoy a joke. Quickly, hand it over to me; I must save my citizens."

Kun Jia reached out his hand to demand the bead. Jiang Pingchuan sneered and curled his lip.

"I think you misunderstand me, City Lord. I have grown quite fond of this bead. How about you endure the pain of parting with it and let me keep it?"

Jiang Pingchuan pocketed the bead and leaned against the city wall, half his face curled into a smile. Since the other half was hidden by his mask, no one knew if he was truly smiling or mocking Kun Jia.

"Jiang Pingchuan! What is your intention, ignoring the safety of the people of Storm City?"

Seeing Jiang Pingchuan hide the bead, Kun Jia flew into a rage and roared at him. At that moment, the bead suddenly emerged from Jiang Pingchuan’s clothes on its own, hovering in mid-air as if ready to fly into Kun Jia’s hand.

Kun Jia sneered at Jiang Pingchuan, whispering a mantra to control the bead. Jiang Pingchuan frowned, and just as the bead was about to fly toward Kun Jia, he snatched it firmly between two fingers.

"You are truly troublesome at times. Do you not understand my words? I said, what use does a dead man have for a bead?"

Jiang Pingchuan held the bead between his fingers, his voice cold and sharp. Kun Jia’s face turned ghastly, his eyes glowing blood-red as he glared at Jiang Pingchuan.

"Jiang Pingchuan! Stop your wild talk—prepare to die!"

Kun Jia bellowed, sat cross-legged on the ground, and accelerated his chanting. The bead in Jiang Pingchuan’s hand began to vibrate violently. Kun Jia slowly levitated into the air, looking down at Jiang Pingchuan with disdain.

Jiang Pingchuan shrugged helplessly and performed an action that left Kun Jia utterly stunned.

"No..."