Chapter 861: Invincible Mysterious Jade Hand

Great Qian, Imperial Palace, Imperial Study.

Emperor Kaiyuan, Li Lin Dao, Mei Qing Sheng, and others sat together; he looked at several highly skilled martial artists, the Grand Masters, and asked: "Is Jia Ying (Jia Baoyu) truly a Grand Master?"

Mei Qing Sheng nodded slowly: "I fought him for fifty rounds, relying on my abundant experience and deep inner strength to win."

Given time, this child will surely surpass me, and by far.

With a somewhat desolate sigh, the Jia Clan first produced Jia Rong, then Jia Ying, and Jia Baoyu suddenly became 'Zhen Baoyu'.

This was a heavy blow to him, the former top expert of Great Qian; he felt as if his past years had been wasted like a dog's life.

Originally, Great Qian producing a Grand Master who could match Mei Qing Sheng was naturally a cause for joy.

But the actual situation is not so good.

Jia Rong lay low for many years, then soared straight out of Great Qian to become a Heavenly Human.

It can be said that, aside from some lingering incense ties with Great Qian, there is no further connection.

Jia Baoyu, however, is different.

He possesses the martial realm of a Grand Master, yet his mind remains unsettled; he is still that 'World‑Chaos Demon King'.

Put bluntly, this 'World‑Chaos Demon King' is just a troublesome child. Originally Jia Baoyu was a good-for-nothing; no matter how troublesome, he could not accomplish anything.

But now, having achieved Grand Master status, his extraordinary power is such that even stamping his feet shakes the Imperial Capital.

The places where he can cause trouble are not limited to a corner of the Jia Clan.

Emperor Kaiyuan and his ilk like dealing with smart people and also with fools, but they detest dealing with Jia Baoyu, this sort of self‑considered smart fool, whether as friend or foe.

After Jia Baoyu's divine skill was perfected, he had no great ambitions, yet what he thought and did gave Emperor Kaiyuan and others more headaches than if he had ambitions.

This fellow, for the sake of those who left the Jia Clan Grand Protectors, intends to fight Jia Rong in a match.

What did Jia Baoyu do after his divine skill was perfected? First he went to Ningguo Manor and released Jia Rong's imprisoned father, Jia Zhen.

After Jia Rong left, Ningguo Manor still had some people, managed by Lai Er.

This person is a fence‑sitter, utterly unable to stop Jia Baoyu.

Once Jia Zhen was free, he began to cause trouble, loudly vilifying Jia Rong 'in the name of the father,' even casting doubt on the relationship between his stepmother You Shi and Jia Rong's son.

Otherwise, how could she bring her two sisters and their families along to leave with Jia Rong?

In various desperate attempts to regain face, they sought to uphold his father's dignity.

Moreover, Jia Baoyu also assumed the airs of an elder, pointing out Jia Rong's every move and accusing him of filial impiety.

Originally Jia Baoyu was a worthless troublemaker, with nobody around him.

Now he has suddenly become formidable, naturally drawing all sorts of demons and monsters to his side.

Jia Baoyu lacks the ability to discern others' intentions, so he becomes conceited.

Thus, a letter to Jia Rong was written.

"What is Grand Matriarch Shi thinking, also joining in the fuss!" Upon thinking that Jia Baoyu's perfected divine skill contributes nothing to Great Qian, but instead indulges in romantic sentiment, Emperor Kaiyuan becomes very angry.

Never mind the romantic sentiment.

You keep indulging in romantic sentiment there; Emperor Kaiyuan's mouth could stretch to his ears.

But you, for the sake of romantic sentiment, go provoke Jia Rong?

Are you not ill?

Do you think that by matching a Grand Master you can shout at a Heavenly Human?

"Grand Matriarch Shi, you really dote too much on Jia Baoyu," Li Lin Dao said.

As for how exactly she dotes, everyone knows what the Jia Clan has been up to lately; no need to elaborate.

"Grand Master Mei, do you think we could give a reminder…?" Emperor Kaiyuan said, weighing his words.

Wanting to become a dove of peace, to ease the rivalry between the two Jia branches, we are all one family; at worst we could be like‑minded companions.

What fun is a beauty compared to ruling a realm?

Each step back, several steps back, as long as it does not affect Great Qian, it doesn't matter if we beat each other's brains out.

"I did remind him," Mei Qing Sheng said with a wry smile, "but he is young and reckless, who would listen?"

"Xuan Zun's side cannot compromise," Emperor Kaiyuan said, pressing his temples.

Now is the critical moment to promote the Chess Warrior; the fame of the Number One Jia under Heaven must be as blazing as the sun, allowing no flaw.

Only thus can it spread from top to bottom, letting the Chess Warrior take root in people's hearts and completely replace the former hegemonic ways.

Implementing the New Law, there must be no hesitation whatsoever, or all prior effort will be wasted.

The Chess Warrior can now 'go forth widely'; its foundation is Jia Rong's unfathomable strength and the extremely high personal prestige established.

Once that prestige is affected by Jia Baoyu's various maneuvers,

the authority of the Chess Warrior and the covenant will surely also be affected.

Jia Baoyu thinks he is an elder, disciplining his nephew and retrieving his sisters is a family matter.

But he does not realize that, at their level, any family affair is a matter of the world, just as the Imperial Family's domestic affairs are not merely private.

Jia Baoyu does not understand; does the Jia Matriarch not understand either?

Grand Matriarch Shi, the Jia Matriarch naturally understands, but she has simply chosen to side with Jia Baoyu.

That wretched spawn Jia Rong, no matter how strong, is not her beloved grandson.

Now that Jia Baoyu has opened his apertures, the Jia Matriarch is overjoyed, wishing all the Jia Clan's glory would go to him alone.

Moreover, although the Jia Matriarch is a Grand Master, having dwelt in the Jia Manor for most of her life, her mindset also has issues.

Thinking to bring back a few girls to make Jia Baoyu happy, what could that amount to?

At most they'd be talked about a bit, not going anywhere; those girls, once they return home, what could happen?

"Which side should we take?" Emperor Kaiyuan directly asked.

Choosing sides is a serious matter.

Since ancient times, in imperial power struggles, the cost of choosing the wrong side is basically the lives of one's entire family.

The Jia family's internal power struggle is not any better.

"Naturally, we stand with Xuan Zun," Mei Qingsheng and Lin Lin Dao were the first to declare their stance.

You have never seen how Xuan Zun and his allies tear apart the "Heaven's Eye" and "Heaven's Hand"; they are not on the same level at all.

Jia Rong is an Unsurpassed Grandmaster, since the highest martial arts realm is only the Unsurpassed Grandmaster.

If Jia Rong wishes, he could easily define a whole set of realms above the Unsurpassed Grandmaster and place him and his companions at the highest level.

Have you ever seen someone blast away a raging storm with a single breath, someone bathe in thunder to counterattack thunderclouds, someone press down to suppress an earth dragon with a hand, or someone shatter the Heaven's Eye and Heaven's Hand?

That day, Lin Lin Dao and Mei Qingsheng both witnessed it.

So they unhesitatingly chose to side with Jia Rong.

"Well, then we will support..." the Kaiyuan Emperor was about to decide.

"Your Majesty, do not act rashly!" At that moment, the imperial clan grandmaster Gu Shang said.

"What do you mean?" the Kaiyuan Emperor asked.

Gu Shang, Gu Chao, grandmasters of the Gu clan, skilled in combined attack techniques; when they join forces, they are not inferior to Mei Qingsheng.

However, the Kaiyuan Emperor Gu Ling had only an ordinary relationship with the two imperial clan grandmasters, but was close to Mei Qingsheng.

This involves some internal strife within the imperial clan, which need not be elaborated.

"I was thinking, perhaps this is an opportunity." Gu Shang said, "Your Majesty, and everyone else, do you truly wholeheartedly approve of Xuan Zun's 'Chess Warrior' pact, the agreement to contend for supremacy under heaven through a chess match?"

Approve? Of course not!

The Chess Warrior pact indeed reduces casualties, but it reduces the casualties of common folk and soldiers.

It increases the casualties of these big shots.

One general's success comes with ten thousand bones withered; now that the ten thousand bones are not withered, the casualty rate of a single general has greatly increased.

Aside from a few martial arts maniacs, like Lü Bu–type characters, who would be happy about that?

"You mean..." the Kaiyuan Emperor's words trailed off halfway.

Everyone in the room exchanged glances, all understanding what the unspoken words meant.

What if Jia Baoyu actually manages to produce some "surprising" battle results?

It's like a crack in a dam; once it appears, the dam's collapse is almost inevitable.

By then, they could again stand above all, rule the world, and "govern the people on behalf of Heaven".

Including Lin Lin Dao and Mei Qingsheng, they also fell silent.

In this era, there is hardly any notion of equality for all.

Being able to return to how things were before is undoubtedly the best outcome.

"Boom!"

Just as a group of people were gradually acquiescing to neutrality, even leaning toward secretly supporting Jia Baoyu, a tremendous roar came.

Next, all the martial arts masters present felt a mighty surge of aura.

A group of people immediately left the imperial study and rushed to the palace city tower at top speed.

Looking toward the direction of the incident, there, lo and behold, was the Jia family!

"What's going on!"

The Kaiyuan Emperor, accompanied by Mei Qingsheng, shouted in inquiry.

Soon, news arrived that Xuan Zun Jia Rong had returned, and he and Jia Ying were clashing fiercely at the Jia household!

"So fast!" the Kaiyuan Emperor and the others were startled.

They figured that it would only be these few days before Jia Baoyu's letter would be delivered to the Number One City under Heaven.

The Jia mansion.

Tang Luo, Ao Yulie, Lin Daiyu, Xue Baochai, Jia Tanchun, and several maidservants returned.

Ao Yulie flew back with them, his speed naturally incredibly swift.

That tremendous roar came from the close contact between the Jia family's Flower-Fruit Mountain and Jia Baoyu.

After Tang Luo and the others returned, they were surely going to test Jia Baoyu's mettle to see what was up.

After a little probing, Jia Baoyu, slapped into the Flower-Fruit Mountain by Tang Luo's palm, suffered no injury.

His true qi protected his body, his aura shot to the heavens, he burst out of the huge crater he had made, and glaring at Tang Luo he shouted: "Jia Rong, how dare you!"

"Hmm, you still look like Jia Baoyu?" Tang Luo said.

"Try again."

Ao Yulie laughed, saying that seeing Jia Baoyu get hit made him very pleased.

As for Grandmother Jia, she was persuaded by the mandarin ducks and others to stay there, anxiously fretting.

The Jia family's passive state seemed to show signs of acting up again.

But this time Tang Luo had no intention of giving her enlightenment to heal wounds; he watched the enraged Jia Baoyu with interest.

He analyzed what was going on with this 'uncle' whose strength had surged.

Just a moment ago.

Seeing his beloved Lin sister and Ba sister return, Jia Baoyu, before he could even greet them, anxiously assumed an elder's posture before Jia Rong, preparing to crush the opponent's prestige to avenge the 'grudge of stealing his wife'.

But as soon as he had just begun to scold with two sentences, Tang Luo slapped him into the Flower-Fruit Mountain—how could Jia Baoyu not be angry?

Before, when he got angry, he would only smash jade.

Now there is no jade to smash, so he smashes people!

Jia Baoyu reached out to grab Tang Luo; true qi coiled around his right palm, making his whole hand look like a piece of jade.

The Jia family's inherited martial art—the Xuan Yu Hand—is impervious to blades and spears, immune to water and fire, possesses boundless strength, and can shatter any hardness!

Crack!

The sound of breaking bones was clearly audible.

Tang Luo shattered Jia Baoyu's "Mysterious Jade Hand" with one punch, looking at the loudly wailing Jia Baoyu he asked: "Tell me, how did you suddenly become stronger?"

This head isn't bald either.