Chapter 86: The Stature of a True Master, A Spirit That Swallows the Heavens!

Under immense psychological pressure, Zhao Xiaoqian broke down completely.

Among all of them, she was the one most gripped by fear. If Jiang Yu decided to settle scores afterward, given Wang Yuanshan’s attitude toward him, a single word from Jiang Yu would be enough—Wang Yuanshan could, with a mere gesture, wipe out everything her family now possessed.

Kong Xi looked at Jiang Yu with trepidation and pleaded softly, “Brother Jiang, Xiaoqian isn’t a bad person at heart. She meant you no harm. Could you let her go this time?”

Wang Yuanshan and Huang Shiyi looked away, feigning indifference as if it had nothing to do with them.

Yet no one doubted that, should Jiang Yu give the word, even if their targets were just a group of youngsters, those two would not hesitate for a moment.

Tan Li was drenched in cold sweat. If Jiang Yu really chose to pursue the matter, none of them would escape unscathed.

Jiang Yu cocked his head, gazing at Zhao Xiaoqian, who sat collapsed on the ground, his expression somewhere between a smile and a smirk. “Who ever said I was going to give you trouble?”

Zhao Xiaoqian was momentarily stunned, sitting awkwardly with her legs splayed out, tears still clinging to her lashes. The scene, in its own disjointed way, looked somewhat endearing. Sniffling, she stared blankly and asked, “Huh? So you’re saying you’re not angry with me?”

Jiang Yu neither confirmed nor denied, simply shaking his head with a faint smile.

To him, they were but a handful of children. Having lived for five or six millennia, how could an ancient being like him be the sort to exact petty revenge over a few words from others? That would be pettiness, not true character.

Lighting a cigarette, he exhaled slowly, “Get up. Whatever the case, you’re still Kong Xi’s friends. If I really cared, your so-called family backgrounds would mean nothing to me.”

Wiping away her tears, Zhao Xiaoqian stood up, trembling.

“Mr. Jiang, if there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave,” Wang Yuanshan said, bowing slightly, his tone full of respect.

Everyone’s mind was filled with a large question mark: What exactly did this title, ‘Mr. Jiang,’ signify? Clearly, once they got home, they’d have to ask their elders; perhaps someone would know.

“Kong Xi,” Jiang Yu called softly.

Kong Xi looked at him, puzzled, unsure of what he wanted.

Jiang Yu continued, “I have always kept clear accounts of gratitude and enmity—favors are favors, grudges are grudges. For the sake of your kindness, I promise you, in the name of Mr. Jiang: if your family ever faces ruin or an insurmountable crisis, you can come to me. I will help you, and you will surely weather the storm.”

Kong Xi didn’t quite grasp how weighty this promise was. Her understanding of Jiang Yu only went as far as ‘even Wang Yuanshan and Huang Shiyi treat him with such respect.’ So she merely nodded, offering a sweet smile and agreeing.

As Jiang Yu turned to leave, everyone finally relaxed.

A glimmer of awe sparkled in Zhou Die’s beautiful eyes. “Even Wang Yuanshan and Huang Shiyi pay him such homage, and Elder Yin addresses him as ‘young friend’—that’s what a true man should be.”

In the past, she’d thought Tan Li was impressive: millions to his name, always dressed in designer brands, spending more on a single meal than she did over two months, chauffeured everywhere in luxury cars. Wherever he went, people showed him respect—even the manager of Cloud City’s only Michelin-starred restaurant treated him with obsequious smiles.

How flamboyant, how powerful Tan Li once seemed!

But after meeting Jiang Yu today, she realized what it meant to be a true figure of significance—a man who could make even the wealthy bow.

The person she’d admired most, Tan Li, today didn’t even have the right to speak in Jiang Yu’s presence. The thought made Zhou Die’s eyes shine even brighter, her small hands nervously twisting at her skirt hem.

Zhao Xiaoqian, meanwhile, looked as though she had survived a disaster, silently grateful that Jiang Yu hadn’t taken revenge. Thinking back on how she’d behaved toward him the past two days, she realized that anyone else might have lost patience long ago.

Kong Xi stared steadily in the direction Jiang Yu had gone, pondering, “Brother Jiang, who are you really? That time on the bus back to Cloud City, a single call from you frightened Zhou Feng out of his wits and got us out of trouble. I should have realized something then.”

She took a deep breath and turned to Zhao Xiaoqian with a smile, “Xiaoqian, my grandpa invited you to dinner at our house tonight.”

“Will there be the big lobster I love most?” At the mention of food, Zhao Xiaoqian’s eyes lit up, the very picture of someone who remembers feasts but not beatings. The events just now were already far from her mind.

…

Full of doubts, Kong Xi and Zhao Xiaoqian left the graduation ceremony early, skipping the evening celebration.

As soon as they entered the two-story villa, they were greeted by delicious aromas. Zhao Xiaoqian inhaled deeply, her expression intoxicated, “Wow, it smells amazing! Good thing you’re treating me to dinner. I went all the way to Yuzhou to meet you and spent over a thousand miles on the road—my backside’s still sore!”

Kong Xi smiled absently, saying nothing.

Right now, all she wanted was to figure out what the title ‘Mr. Jiang’ truly meant.

She remembered that on the bus, Jiang Yu had mentioned that people liked to call him Mr. Jiang. At the time, neither she nor Zhao Xiaoqian had thought much of it. But today, at school, Wang Yuanshan and Huang Shiyi had also addressed him that way.

Looking at the ever-carefree Zhao Xiaoqian, Kong Xi pinched her waist, “Stop grinning like an idiot. Tell me, do you remember what Jiang Yu told us on the bus back to Cloud City? He said people liked to call him Mr. Jiang.”

Zhao Xiaoqian thought for a moment and nodded, “That’s right, he did say that. What are you making such a fuss about? Maybe it’s just a nickname.”

Kong Xi gave a wry smile, “Let’s hope I’m just overthinking.”

At dinner, Kong Xi noticed another guest: a man in his sixties, with graying hair and dressed in a traditional Chinese suit. She recognized him as a friend of her grandfather’s, a frequent visitor to their home.

In her memory, he was formidable—at his age, he could drive off several strong young men empty-handed. She’d even seen him, with her own eyes, lift a two- to three-hundred-pound millstone with one hand.

“Kong Xi, what’s wrong? You look preoccupied,” the old gentleman asked kindly, his lips curled in a gentle smile.

The other guest teased, “Once kids hit eighteen or nineteen, they’re grown up. Judging by Kong Xi’s expression, is she thinking about a certain boy?”

Kong Xi blushed, feigning annoyance, “Grandpa Zhang, you’re the one thinking about some boy—so improper!”

Old Zhang laughed heartily, doting as he ruffled her hair.

At that moment, Kong Xi raised her head and asked in a small voice, “Grandpa Zhang, have you ever heard of the title ‘Mr. Jiang’? What does it mean?”

Hearing this, Old Zhang’s hand, mid-ruffle, suddenly froze.

He withdrew his hand, his expression growing serious. “Kong Xi, what happened? Why are you asking this?”

Her grandfather too noticed Old Zhang’s reaction and asked curiously, “Old Zhang, does this title have some special significance?”

Eyes wide, hands trembling, Old Zhang was visibly shaken. In the secular martial world, the title ‘Mr. Jiang’ was known to all.

Such a person was like a celestial dragon—within ten paces, your life was in his hands, not Heaven’s!

Kong Xi had only asked out of curiosity, not expecting Old Zhang to know. Even Zhao Xiaoqian paused, looking up from her meal.

“And what about ‘Jiang the Great’? Have you ever heard that title?” Kong Xi pressed cautiously.

Old Zhang had traveled the breadth of the land and seen much—surely he would know. Just days ago, he’d visited a place called Liusha Town, seeking to broaden his horizons.

With a loud clatter, Old Zhang slid right off his stool, staring at Kong Xi in disbelief. “How do you know about Jiang the Great?”

Kong Xi grew anxious, “Grandpa Zhang, please tell us quickly—what does ‘Jiang the Great’ mean?”

With a bitter smile, Old Zhang staggered to his feet, his expression full of awe. “Kong Xi, do you know how I can lift a two- or three-hundred-pound millstone with my bare hands?”

“It’s because I am a martial artist of the secular world. There are many things in this world you cannot imagine. A martial artist can fight ten men alone, with strength beyond your comprehension. I once saw a late-stage Energy Condensation expert punch through a steel plate. There are several ranks: Energy Condensation expert, Transformation Grandmaster, and, at the pinnacle, the Great Unifier.”

Kong Xi and Zhao Xiaoqian exchanged glances—it sounded like a fairy tale.

Old Zhang went on, “At the level of Transformation Grandmaster, one can kill without a trace, behead the enemy in a sea of soldiers without so much as a drop of blood staining oneself. Such a person can face a hundred alone and is a guest of honor wherever they go.”

Zhao Xiaoqian, amazed, asked, “And what about the Great Unifier?”

Old Zhang smiled bitterly, “A Great Unifier is a being whose presence swallows the heavens—a peerless, unrivaled existence. Such a person can determine life and death with a wave of the hand. Within ten steps, even Grandmasters fall like chickens and dogs. It’s said that at this level, one could catch bullets barehanded, or crush an armored vehicle with a single palm.”

What?

Kong Xi covered her mouth, rising from her chair in shock.

With a clatter, Zhao Xiaoqian’s chopsticks fell onto the table.

Old Zhang continued, “As for the Jiang the Great you mentioned, I have met someone of that title in Liusha Town. He subdued all contenders, slew the half-step Great Unifier Shen Wanan with his sword, and held all of Liusha Town in awe single-handedly. The grandeur he possessed was almost otherworldly. Over a hundred magnates from Jiangbei and Monan provinces bowed their heads to him, honoring him above all.”

He shook his head. “I just don’t know whether the Jiang the Great I speak of is the same person you mean.”

After a moment’s thought, Old Zhang added, “Oh, that man's name was Jiang Yu.”

Zhao Xiaoqian and Kong Xi sat utterly stupefied.