Chapter 54: Jiangnan Province Newcomer Tournament, Emergency Mission (Requesting Monthly Votes)

Mythic Treasures,

are artifacts nurtured by immortals and gods from ancient myths, possessing immense power,

and can also serve as mediums for communication to receive blessings.

Whichever it is, they hold the mighty force to rewrite the world.

The blessing from God that Heavenly King Hong received shattered the last dynasty's fortune of the Great Qing; although it did not annihilate it, it ushered in a brand new era.

Of course, blessings are not omnipotent.

For instance, the wish to become a master of great supernatural arts is hard to realize, after all, this is equivalent to forcibly opening a path of the extraordinary; great existences can do it, but they must pay a price.

Otherwise, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom would not have been destroyed.

But wishing to elevate one or two ranks is a piece of cake.

Of course, the premise is that God will respond.

"The Heavenly King did not discard it but hid it, indicating the blessing has not lost its power, but for some reason, it cannot be used temporarily."

Ba Lie analyzed, "After the Tianxia Alliance was established, the headquarters organized several carpet searches in Jiangnan Province and other areas, but found nothing, finally concluding it was a false rumor.

During this time, the Corpse-Release Wang Ting has also been hunting down plague domains related to the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom; we thought it was venting anger, but now it seems it is likely for the Heavenly King's treasure, and the Gongyang clan was the Heavenly King's confidant back then."

Jiang Yan nodded, also recalling that when General Lu first appeared, he mentioned "the mud-legs of the Taiping Army," which was likely also for this mythic treasure.

"Sounds so interesting."

Yin Yin Yiyi's eyes sparkled as she listened; she hadn't tried using recipes and ingredients from the Corpse-Release Wang Ting and the plague domains belonging to Tianjing yet, and it sounded delicious.

Zhao Zhao Yinman's expression remained calm; the so-called mythic treasures held less than one percent of the attraction of the Coffin Spirit to her.

It was just a pity that Jiang Yan refused to let her sleep with him once.

Niu Tunan yawned, waved his hand, and said, "Mythic treasures are good, but one must have the life to take them; moreover, whether this treasure even exists is still unknown.

Jiang Yan himself said that human forces in the present world are seeking cooperation with Lord Gaoshan; ultimately, it is because they cannot find it in the present world and want to introduce external forces to try their luck."

Ba Lie agreed, "Tunan makes sense too; let me report this news to headquarters first. Whether or not we find the treasure, we will receive a substantial mission reward."

Jiang Yan hurriedly asked, "How much money? When will it be issued?"

"If the news is confirmed true, there are one hundred points, which should be around three million in cash; normal people wouldn't exchange it for money. If clues to the treasure are found later, additional rewards will be added..."

Ba Lie looked at the excited Jiang Yan, felt a stir in his heart, and said with a smile, "Are you short on money recently?"

"Who cultivates without spending money?"

Jiang Yan rolled his eyes; Old Ba was asking a question he already knew the answer to. He played dumb while pretending to understand and said, "Advance me my salary for the next few years!"

Ba Lie complained, "If everyone advanced their salary like you, the Historical Correction Bureau would go bankrupt. The taxes in E City are only collected for one year at most. Don't complain yet, listen to me finish..."

"Although the salary cannot be advanced, in one month it will be the Jiangnan Province's annual newcomer tournament. At that time, all newcomers from the province will compete, and the organization will evaluate your comprehensive level from various aspects.

The highest proportion of the score comes from the martial arts competition to determine the strongest.

The top ten can all receive prize money and historical relics; the top three can enter the plague domain cave heaven controlled by the headquarters to nurture treasures and gain opportunities; the first place gets a ten-million prize."

"Please let me participate; I love exchanging enthusiasm with future colleagues the most."

Jiang Yan's gaze was solemn.

This sum of money is enough for him to burn for a while, so he won't have to live so tightly.

The Coffin Spirit hasn't been fully oiled in a long time.

Ba Lie laughed heartily, "That's the kind of drive we need. No rush; we still have a month to prepare. The goal is to secure tenth place and fight for third; third place also has a three-million prize."

It wasn't that he didn't trust Jiang Yan's strength; actually, at the very beginning, he was just painting a big pie and didn't even expect Jiang Yan to get a ranking.

After all, after the disease in the River of History worsened, the plague domains became increasingly terrifying, raising the quantity and quality of newly emerging geniuses by a level.

Moreover, they had cultivated for more than half a year, even a year, longer than Jiang Yan, and there were participants who specifically exploited bugs.

After all, the requirement is to have joined the Historical Correction Bureau within one year; cultivation time before joining does not count.

Therefore,

just from what he knows, there are over a dozen Dao Foundations, including high-level and peak Dao Foundations.

Some have even started nurturing method seeds.

It can be said that it gathers excellent talents from the entire Jiangnan Province.

Naturally, strong ones emerge in great numbers!

Jiang Yan's talent can also rank among the top, but he suffers from the disadvantage of too short a cultivation time.

Being able to advance to Dao Foundation relied on the foundation accumulated from experiencing two dungeons, but to raise it to peak Dao Foundation in a short time, unless one's comprehension is heaven-defying, there is no hope.

But now,

he thinks Jiang Yan entering the top ten should be no problem; if he can get into the top five, it will absolutely make the Pan'an Branch stand out.

Besides that,

"Zhao Zhao Yinman is also a newcomer who joined this year; she will go with you!"

Zhao Zhao Yinman corrected, "Not a human, but a Jiangshi."

The Human-Machine Jiangshi was as rigorous as ever.

"..."

Jiang Yan's heart was calm as water; no one could stop him from making money!

At worst,

let the Two-Headed Shadow-Eating Snake · Skull-Shatter participate!

Originally, he also wanted to hand over the Spirit Rice planting and cooperate with the authorities to develop an industrial chain,

but the result...

Ba Lie said, "The Spirit Rice Curse of the Rice God Church; when you bought pigs in bulk before, I guessed you had extracted the skill. Handing it over is unnecessary.

Inside the Historical Correction Bureau, from low-level to high-level, everything is available except for the core Practice Method and super-grade curses of the Rice God Church; after all, only by knowing oneself and the enemy can one win a hundred battles."

It is merely easy to learn but hard to master, and the higher the level, the stronger the side effects; it is better to choose superior Transcendent Artifacts than to consume them.

If you like this kind of spell, you can exchange points at the headquarters, but do not learn too many, or you risk being noticed by the Rice God and becoming an anchor.

Jiang Yan: "..."

Two days later,

In Pan'an County, Jiang Family Village, Jiang Yan, wearing a T-shirt, shorts, and slippers, sat carelessly in the courtyard, fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan.

Occasionally, a few roosters strutting proudly walked past him, but they quickened their pace when passing the small table.

Because if they waited any longer, they would see the relatives.

"Jiang Yan, eat more."

Jiang Yan's grandfather, named Jiang Fufu, picked up a large chicken leg for him; he was thin and slightly short, a heavy smoker who habitually lit a cigarette and held it between his fingers.

But while busy piling a small mountain into Jiang Yan's bowl, he burned himself uselessly.

Jiang Yan's parents both bore the surname Jiang; they married after a free love relationship. His father had once told him that their ancestors were also from this village; back then, when resources were scarce, they moved to another village for a livelihood.

After all that winding and turning, they became one family; it was indeed a matter of fate.

And the grandfather liked to call Jiang Yan by his full name because it made him seem very important.

Jiang Yan muttered, "That's enough, Grandfather, you eat some meat too; look how thin you've become."

Last year, Grandfather still had black hair, but this year it had already turned mostly white, and his eyes were somewhat cloudy.

"I don't love eating meat; you and Grandmother should eat more." Jiang Yan's grandfather smiled, picked up some meat and placed it in his bowl, thought for a moment, added some vegetables, and carried it to the room on the first floor.

Jiang Yan ate silently.

Grandmother was taller and bigger than Grandfather; by rights, her constitution should have been better, but because she long ate only meat and no vegetables, her blood pressure ran high, and recently she even suffered a stroke from secretly drinking alcohol.

Although she was finally rescued successfully and could barely walk, her body collapsed at once, and for most of the time she had to lie in bed to rest.

Because she was still alive, Mother and Uncle feared that the younger generation working away from home would worry, so they did not notify them.

If he had not returned, they would have to wait until the New Year to learn the news.

"Jiang Yan, you're back!"

A voice with a local accent came from the road.

Jiang Yan's uncle, wearing a suit and leather shoes and carrying large and small bags of health supplements, hurried up, put down the things, grasped his hand, and said happily:

"Good boy, your physique is much stronger. I heard from your mother; if your body isn't well, don't force it. Come work as an accountant at Uncle's construction site.

We'll pay you fifteen thousand a month; don't think it's too little. You won't have to do hard labor; you just need to keep an eye on things. You've been rigorous since childhood; Uncle trusts you and can let you work freely."

Jiang Yan's uncle was named Jiang Jiang Fengyue; he contracted construction projects, not large nor small in scale. Although real estate has been difficult these past two years, he relied on his sense of righteousness, generous conduct, and willingness to share profits, so he never lacked projects.

Of course, the profits were not high either.

He was frugal in his own conduct, but he was very willing to spend money on family members.

"No, Uncle. I recently landed a job and am already working at a state-owned enterprise. The leadership is very good, and the work is leisurely."

Jiang Yan felt warmth in his heart; his family had never done anything sordid and had always supported one another.

After hearing this, the uncle was very happy: "State-owned enterprises are good; that's an iron rice bowl. In the future, if you need to cultivate connections, just find Uncle. Don't look down on the small work I do; I know many people."

"Okay."

Jiang Yan nodded, sat in the courtyard, felt the evening breeze, and quietly listened to his uncle and grandfather chat.

Grandfather suddenly said that once everyone returned, they should take a family portrait.

The uncle, who had been eating a chicken leg, fell silent upon hearing this, forced a smile, and said he would arrange a nanny for Grandfather.

As expected, he was refused, the reason being not to waste money.

The uncle could not argue further and turned the conversation to work.

He said he had recently taken on a project and encountered trouble; after working hard for over half a year, it got stuck, and they were preparing to replace him.

Jiang Jiang Fengyue panicked; he had put up all his assets as advance funding; how could they just replace him?

Wasn't this treating him like a stepping stone?

But the other side's attitude was arrogant and simply ignored him.

Jiang Jiang Fengyue had no choice but to entrust a connection, thinking of having the intermediary treat them to a meal to probe the atmosphere, hoping only that the other party's appetite was small, so he could accompany them in drinking.

In fact, he had been hospitalized several times from drinking, and the doctors had already issued a final ultimatum.

Although big cities are cruel, different social classes are parallel lines that rarely intersect.

But in small places, good and bad are mixed, relationships are tangled and complex, and everything must follow the "rules."

"If they are too excessive, I'll just retire."

Jiang Yan knew his uncle was speaking out of anger.

After all, he had always been rushing about for the livelihoods of the brothers under him, and he had two sons to accumulate a family fortune for.

At the same time,

The connection Jiang Jiang Fengyue had entrusted... the Chief of the Public Security Bureau, Li Yu, also arrived at the courtyard gate.

But he brought bad news.

He checked, and the other side had a formidable background; they directly stated that a mere small contractor was not qualified to treat them to a meal.

They gave him no face at all.

Their conduct style did not seem like someone with connections above, nor did it seem like underworld elements; therefore, it was very likely related to the Inner World.

The reason he knew this was because Li Yu had once dealt with the local Qingshi Technology and helped handle several scenes; although he had not witnessed it with his own eyes, he vaguely knew...

This world hides mysterious powers.

Ordinary people had best not contend with them; they will suffer greatly.

They can only accept their bad luck.

He opened the car door, just about to get out to deliver this news and advise this old friend, but his peripheral vision caught Jiang Yan beside Jiang Jiang Fengyue, and his steps halted.

"This face... why does it feel like I've seen it somewhere?"

Li Yu had also risen from the grassroots, so his memory was naturally not poor; he quickly recalled it.

The day before yesterday, his superiors had asked him to add a new file, classified under Qingshi Technology, with a level of Top Secret.

Because the photo's appearance was heaven-defying, it left a deep impression on him.

He wondered if there were such handsome young men locally?

"I remember the name seemed to be Jiang Yan, surname Jiang... damn!"

How could Li Yu not understand; this was one family!

He did not get out of the car; after pondering for a moment, he called the other side again and explained the situation.

Originally, the young man's voice on the phone was somewhat impatient, but after hearing "Qingshi Technology," he fell silent.

Soon, the voice on the other end changed to that of a steady man.

He indicated that today they had spoken without proper restraint, hoped Li Yu could say a few good words for them, and would personally apologize later.

Within a few minutes, he witnessed the other party's attitude undergo a hundred-and-eighty-degree turn, even becoming somewhat servile.

Li Yu looked at Jiang Yan and the others who were still eating and sighed:

"One person attains the Dao, and chickens and dogs ascend to heaven!"

"Indeed, they should be disciplined."

Jiang Yan nodded in agreement, accompanying his uncle at the dinner table as they discussed state affairs.

"It's just talk; implementing it isn't that simple. Human hearts are insatiable; you must be careful in your unit as well..."

As his uncle spoke, the phone suddenly rang; after picking it up and listening for a few sentences, his expression turned shocked:

"What? The procedures over there are all completed, and I'm just waiting for my signature? Are they joking?

What! They also want to apologize to me? That's unnecessary; harmony brings wealth. Fine, I'm coming now!"

His uncle's expression turned delighted; although he didn't know why the other party had suddenly changed their nature, he had to seize the opportunity to prevent them from reneging midway.

"Jiang Yan, you are truly uncle's lucky star; you've brought wealth the moment you returned!"

His uncle shoveled a few mouthfuls of rice and left in a hurry, not forgetting to praise his nephew a few times before departing.

Jiang Yan smiled without speaking; his peripheral vision glanced toward the car parked in the distance, and in the darkness, the Shadow Wing Snake quietly retreated.

"Really, you've been so impulsive from childhood to now; you haven't changed a bit." Grandfather shook his head and continued chatting with Jiang Yan about daily life.

After grandmother finished eating, she blew in the evening breeze and immediately felt sleepy.

Mother had previously told Jiang Yan that grandmother already had Alzheimer's, yet she still remembered to instruct grandfather to go to the small shop to buy some snacks Jiang Yan loved; before she could finish speaking...

She fell asleep.

Jiang Yan and grandfather put grandmother onto the bed.

Grandfather covered her with a quilt and sighed: "If she passed before me, I could still take care of her; that would be enjoying blessings. I fear I will go first, and then she will suffer alone."

"Don't think nonsense; you will both live to be a hundred." Jiang Yan said softly.

Before he could finish speaking, grandfather's hand tightly grasped his; the skin was old and rough, yet unusually warm, burning like a furnace.

Even hotter than when he cultivated the Fire Dwelling Art.

Grandfather's cloudy eyes looked at Jiang Yan, his eyes reddening, as he said softly: "Jiang Yan, grandfather doesn't want to lie to you; I don't know if I can still see the day you establish a family and career."

"You must live happily."

Jiang Yan fell silent and nodded seriously.

It was not until evening that he bid farewell to grandfather.

Before leaving, he secretly infused a strand of Longevity Green Lotus into grandfather and grandmother; although it had no rank, its healing effect was not bad for ordinary people.

The two elders' complexions improved considerably; they didn't think much of it, assuming it was just because their grandson had returned and was in a good mood.

"The Buddha said sentient beings have eight sufferings: birth, aging, sickness, death, parting from loved ones, not getting what one seeks, meeting with the detested, and the five aggregates burning fiercely..."

He walked alone along the familiar streets, his gaze profound.

Grandfather's life lamp had already dimmed, with only a few months of lifespan remaining.

Birth, aging, sickness, and death are the decree of Heaven.

But he did not accept fate; he did not want to experience the pain of losing loved ones. He was not a Buddha who saw through the red dust; he was merely a greedy and selfish person.

He wanted one person to attain the Dao, and those around him to receive blessings as well.

A method to extend life was urgent.

"Hiss! Hiss!"

The two-headed great snake beneath him sensed the master's emotions; its shadow gradually twisted, and its scarlet snake eyes gleamed with malice that devoured all life.

"Ding! Ding! Ding!"

The phone rang; after answering, Ba Lie's voice came from the other end:

"I told you kid not to be so desireless; you can act recklessly, but not to start with a life-extension item quest immediately. That's too difficult for people.

Even if extending life for ordinary people is slightly simpler than for extraordinary ones, wealthy people without talent will spend huge sums to buy such items; once they appear on the market, they will be snatched up instantly, with severe price inflation.

The Historical Correction Bureau does have them internally, but they also require astronomical merit points..."

"Director Ba, thank you for your hard work."

After listening, Jiang Yan thanked him and prepared to search for it himself in the Plague Domain, but Old Ba grew anxious:

"Don't be so impulsive, you brat. Though it's no small feat, it won't stump me, Old Ba, the helpful soul. I've found a mission for you; the difficulty is... a bit high."

Two pages, six thousand six hundred characters, equivalent to three updates. I won't split them; please vote for monthly tickets, recommendation tickets, and follow the reading!

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(End of this chapter)