Chapter 57

Da Liang City.

The heart of Liang, a key northern Jin stronghold, and one of the few great cities in the realm.

Flourishing like blooming flowers, blazing like oil on fire.

Countless aristocratic families, sects, and martial heroes had gathered here.

Silver strands of hair slowly tied back with a wooden clip, the man pulled on a deep blue robe, rubbed his temples, and pushed open the door.

Sunlight streamed through the doorway, dispelling the darkness and revealing the snow-white, rounded thigh on the bed; the blanket had slipped down, covering the exposed area.

The silver-haired man noticed this, unconcerned: “You’re already selling yourself—what’s the point of pretending?”

“You really think I don’t know what you’re after.”

“You want to cause trouble.”

“Then again, the crying child gets fed.”

“Look at the north—after all that chaos, their treatment improved straightaway: taxes lowered, the imperial court pouring in silver. It’s enough to make a man envious.”

A deep voice rang out: “That’s ours—Liang’s.”

A middle-aged man strode in, hands clasped behind his back.

Gold embroidery adorned his sleeve cuffs—cloud patterns; the jade pendant at his waist flowed like drifting clouds, glowing intermittently, its hues shifting like living mist, radiating an ethereal aura—clearly no ordinary artifact.

“Jin Wuming!”

“It’s time you honored your promise.”

Jin Wuming sneered: “Impossible.”

“A mere whore? You expect me to risk my life for that?”

“My brother’s a fool—I’m not.”

The middle-aged man’s expression darkened, coldly stating: “That is my Du family’s legitimate daughter.”

“My only daughter.”

Jin Wuming laughed, slapping his belly: “The Du family of Da Liang—famous throughout the realm.”

“You’re a Pure Yang Grandmaster, head of your clan—how can you be so naive?”

“If I wanted women, what kind couldn’t I have?”

“Slept with a piece of trash and now you want me to fight for you? Such childish nonsense coming from you—no wonder the Du family of Da Liang has declined, failing to produce even a single Earth Rank Grandmaster for generations.”

“The Wang family of Xiangzhou, the Lin family of the capital—both have never lacked Earth Rank warriors. The Wang Twin Kings both rank among the Earth Rank.”

“Even though the Great King is dead, the Young King has surpassed him—he’s now ranked ninth on the Human List. He entered the north alone and crushed every ghost and demon into silence.”

“Who isn’t afraid of such power?”

“Give me ten years—I’ll kill you like a dog.”

“Even now, if I chose to leave, you couldn’t stop me.”

Du Zhangwang’s eyes turned dark, fixed unblinkingly on Jin Wuming before him.

Jin Wuming laughed loudly and walked away—what did he care for the Du family of Da Liang? Did they think Du the Dowager was still alive?

Du the Dowager protected the Du family for sixty years, yet they remained worthless—no one worthy among them.

If Du Zhangwang dared to strike, he couldn’t defeat him head-on now—but with ambush or assassination, he’d wipe out the entire Du family of Da Liang.

Du Zhangwang watched Jin Wuming depart, his hand rising several times, ready to strike—but he never moved.

Jin Wuming ranked nineteenth on the Human List—top twenty, each one destined to transcend, to become a Grandmaster.

Many could have broken through already, but for the benefits of Jixia Academy or other Human List perks, they held back.

If Jin Wuming broke through, he couldn’t possibly win.

The top twenty on the Human List are heaven-favored prodigies—they’ve already matured.

Du Zhangwang drew a deep breath, exhaled heavily, ignored the room’s interior, turned, and walked to a side hall, where he found a man pacing anxiously.

Before the man could speak, Du Zhangwang said: “Jin Wuming refuses.”

The man sighed: “That’s expected.”

“Jin Wuming still has years before his thirty-year limit. If he breaks through before others, or grows stronger with age, his chance of entering the top ten of the Human List is very high.”

“A man like him is proud and arrogant—he won’t risk himself for a woman in Liang’s squabbles.”

Du Zhangwang snapped: “Don’t give me hindsight.”

“Since the Empress ascended, she’s oppressed Liang.”

“She dismantled our border fortresses, leaving Liang wide open to the north.”

“Still not satisfied, she’s used Liang’s wealth to pacify the northern barbarians.”

“Liang suffers.”

Du Zhangwang’s voice rose, fury mounting: “Our Du ancestors braved danger, crossed mountains and rivers, to carve out these trade routes—and now they’re useless.”

“No more detours around checkpoints, free passage, no taxes.”

“Now our Du family’s business has collapsed—those northern barbarians won’t even trade with us.”

“Our Du family’s decline is all because of that Empress.”

“Now everyone’s angry, restless—wanting to copy the north and riot.”

Du Zhangwang’s anger vanished suddenly; he sighed deeply, anxious: “I know why—they’ve torn down the fortresses, leaving Liang flat and defenseless. If the north erupts, Liang can’t hold. That’s why no one wants to act.”

“They want to resist the Empress—but our Du family is also a great Liang clan.”

“We have no choice but to stand by—we can’t aid the Empress either, or how would we survive?”

“If we’re shunned by our own people, we sever our roots—no future left.”

“We’re forced to walk the same path—but the north dares to riot because they have two hundred thousand border troops and five Earth Rank Grandmasters today, not counting the elders.”

“Hu Ren culture dominates—the people are fierce, martial artists bold and combative, each like wolf cubs.”

“Where does Liang have such resources?”

“The Empress pacifies the north because the north has swords—what do we have? A handful of dust?”

“But those fools are blinded by profit—don’t they see how little they have?”

“The Du family of Da Liang, a lineage of a thousand years—will be destroyed in my hands.”

“Brother, take my daughter away—hide her well. Jin Wuming is young—he doesn’t know our Du family’s secret arts. When his child is born, he won’t abandon it.”

“As long as my daughter lives, the Du family hasn’t perished.”

“In the future, adopt a son, rebuild the Du family, find some distant branches—even if we never regain our former glory, we’ll survive this existential crisis.”

The man praised: “If Jin Wuming’s son rebuilds the Du family, Jin Wuming won’t stand idle.”

“The world underestimates you, Elder Brother.”

Du Zhangwang sighed: “I’d rather be foolish—just join them as a fool.”

“I keep lying to myself—but I can’t do it.”

“I can’t bring myself to think like them—driven by greed for that little profit.”

“I’ve betrayed the Dowager.”

“I’ve disappointed her.”

PS: Came home and found it freezing—couldn’t get out of bed during the day, woke up at night and it was even colder, hands were numb. Bought an electric heater—tomorrow it’ll save me. The heater arrives the 20th. Every year I tough it out, but this year I’ve gotten soft. Easy to go from frugal to luxurious, hard to go back.