CHAPTER 55: CHAPTER 55: THE NOBLE FAMILIES

The full moon was concealed, and dark clouds rolled over.

A dense blackness enveloped the world.

Jiang Shi rode on a splendid horse, grasping the reins with his left hand and wielding a Wolf Fang Club with his right. He felt a scorching heat engulfing his entire body, as if a furnace burned within him, with warmth continuously dissipating through his pores. His head was dizzy, and even his nostrils puffed out hot steam.

"What’s wrong with me? Damn it, could it be that the blood ginseng is taking effect?"

He shook his head vigorously, striving to stay awake.

But as time passed, the heat in his body intensified, turning his blood into magma, making it increasingly difficult to breathe.

In desperation, he had to take off his upper garment, holding it in his hand, allowing the night breeze to provide a cooling relief.

Recalling the night’s encounter, he was struck dumb.

Heavens above, he had merely gone out for a deal tonight, yet ended up killing in all directions, leaving corpses everywhere in a ghastly sight, feeling as if he was ablaze himself.

What was the point?

"Parched, I need to find a place to stop."

Jiang Shi felt increasingly uncomfortable as he went on.

However, it was late at night in the wilderness, making it tough to find a place to rest even if he wanted to.

With no options left, he continued to stagger forward.

After some time, when the heat in Jiang Shi’s body grew unbearable, he suddenly noticed a flicker of light ahead on his right, strikingly bright in the darkness of night.

His eyes flickered, and he immediately urged his horse forward quickly.

···

Inside the decrepit Mountain God Temple, the walls had collapsed, thick with spider webs, seemingly abandoned for years.

Even the original mountain god sculpture had toppled to the ground, its head shattered.

At this moment, a bonfire quietly burned on one side of the grand hall.

Zhao Houcai, with his disciples and daughter, had escaped here along the way, finally relaxing, yet thinking back to the earlier scene made him terrified, his face pale.

The Luoxia Sword Sect, a prestigious sect with a lineage of hundreds of years and countless experts, was annihilated just like that.

Even the two experts from the Noble Families weren’t spared.

Countless Jianghu folks also perished miserably in the chaos.

Once tonight’s events spread, they would surely shake the entire Fengzhou Martial Arts.

"Shaking the Jianghu, truly shaking the Jianghu."

Zhao Houcai murmured repeatedly, saying, "When did such a prodigious youth emerge in Fengzhou Land, could it be true to the old saying, that when a nation is about to perish, demons arise?"

"Father, we just left like that, won’t people talk about us in the future?"

Zhao Feiyan was terrified.

This seemed vastly different from the Jianghu chivalry she knew.

Zhao Houcai chuckled bitterly, "Who would speak of us? You saw the situation tonight, so many experts couldn’t subdue that youngster, everyone fled, who would care about us!"

Speaking of this, he pondered slightly and said, "That youngster has caused great trouble, killing members of the Noble Family, his days of peace are over."

"Members of the Noble Family? Father, who were those two white-robed uncles? And why wasn’t that person dead even after losing his head at that time?"

Zhao Feiyan asked in shock.

Nearby, the eldest disciple Shangguan Yun also looked at Zhao Houcai with confusion.

Zhao Houcai’s face was solemn, "Do you know the truth of this world? Whether it’s the Jianghu Sect or the Great Xuan Dynasty, at the end of the day, they are just pawns in the hands of others... who is it?"

Suddenly, his expression changed, he jumped up, looking outside.

The sound of galloping hooves approached swiftly.

The two beside him immediately drew their swords, fully alert, looking outside.

"Thirsty, so thirsty..."

A hoarse voice came from the dense darkness, with a strong scent of blood quickly wafting into the grand hall with the night wind, piercingly loud.

Zhao Houcai instantly clenched his fist, knuckles prominent, eyes narrowing, seemingly ready to act at any moment.

But as a figure gradually came into view from outside, Zhao Houcai and his companions turned pale in shock, retreating in fear, and with a bang, they crashed into the altar behind them.

"You... you..."

Zhao Houcai almost turned to flee in fright.

That emaciated boy?

He came over like this?

"Oh, it’s you guys!"

Jiang Shi’s throat was burning, and his gaze turned towards Zhao Houcai, "Do you have any water on you? Can I borrow some to drink?"

"Water? Yes! Yes!"

Zhao Houcai was so frightened that he trembled, hurriedly taking the water bag from his waist and quickly tossing it to Jiang Shi.

Jiang Shi caught it with one hand and was about to drink when he suddenly paused, showing a smile, "You didn’t poison it secretly, did you?"

"No, no!"

Zhao Houcai quickly defended.

"Let your daughter drink first!"

Jiang Shi tossed the water bag directly towards Zhao Feiyan.

Zhao Feiyan was so scared that her pretty face turned pale, quickly catching the water bag, unscrewing the lid, and pouring it into her mouth, gulping loudly. She drank continuously for seven or eight mouthfuls before finally stopping.

"Alright, give it to me quickly!"

Jiang Shi spoke again.

This girl is really honest, drinking so much right away.

Zhao Feiyan hurriedly stopped, screwed the lid back on, and tossed it back to Jiang Shi again.

Jiang Shi took the water bag, removed the lid, and poured it directly into his mouth. The cool spring water poured into his stomach, indescribably refreshing and comforting.

He drank the entire water bag in one go, finally stopping when he felt the heat in his body greatly relieved, letting out a long breath.

"By the way, what did you just say, noble family? What’s up with noble families? Go on, I’m quite curious too!"

Jiang Shi, wielding the blood-stained Wolf Fang Club, walked towards the grand hall. His thin frame carried a fierce aura as he sat directly in a seat to the side.

"You... you don’t know about the noble families either?"

Zhao Houcai was shocked.

"Right, why did that middle-aged man’s head get smashed into his stomach by me and he didn’t die immediately? Are they Demon Beasts?"

Jiang Shi inquired.

Zhao Houcai’s heart surged as he looked at Jiang Shi again deeply, smiling bitterly, "They are not Demon Beasts, but even more terrifying. The so-called noble families, also known as Gate Valves, refer to those terrifying existences that have been passed down for thousands of years. Their bloodlines are inherently different!

Each noble family has a unique bloodline that grants them abilities beyond ordinary people. This Zhang Family Gate Valve possesses a bizarre healing ability, known for their vigorous life energy, and the purer the bloodline, the more abnormal their healing ability!"

"Oh?"

Jiang Shi’s mind raced, "No wonder their heads got smashed and they could still move. There are such extraordinary people in this world."

He suddenly asked again, "Then you just mentioned the truth of this world, what does that mean?"

Zhao Houcai sighed softly, "People only know of the chaos in the world and the people’s misery, only knowing the myriad Jianghu Sects stand out, but who would think that the true dominators of this world’s changes aren’t the local warlords and sects, but these noble families!"

"There’s a saying, ’The dynasty falls but the noble families remain; the world perishes but the noble families endure.’ These noble families have long transcended beyond.

Whether it’s the dynasty or the Jianghu, they are but pieces on their chessboard. Which sect declines and which sect prospers is merely reshuffling by the noble families behind the scenes.

For thousands of years, this world has seen three dynasties rise and fall: Great Xia, Great Qian, and Great Xuan. Yet, the noble families have remained steadfast!

Any newly established dynasty has to rely on their power. Sometimes, they can even influence the succession of the throne, let alone the various Jianghu Sects.

Many Jianghu Sects are but extensions of the noble families’ power, like the Luoxia Sword Sect, seemingly founded by a disciple of the Zhang Family."

"So powerful?"

Jiang Shi raised an eyebrow, "Could it be that even the most prosperous dynasty has no way to handle them?"

"No way, no matter how powerful the dynasty is, in their eyes it’s just a bumpkin. There was a time during the peak of Great Xuan when the emperor wanted to marry into their families and was directly refused, the reason being they were not an equal match."

Zhao Houcai laughed sarcastically.

At the peak of Great Xuan, the royal family had countless troops and generals, able to level the Jianghu with a single move, yet they were still looked down upon by the noble families, which at the time caused countless Jianghu people to laugh.

Jiang Shi’s brow furrowed, his heart surged.

This sounds more and more like the ancient Gate Valve system of a past life.

During the Wei-Jin period, there was once the phrase ’Wang and Ma rule the world.’ Subsequently, various noble families rose, controlled the government, manipulated the winds and clouds. Dynasties fell but they did not, continuing for nearly a thousand years until the Tang Dynasty, forming the so-called ’Five Families and Seven Clans.’

Even Emperor Li Er of Great Tang was disdainfully looked down upon by these Five Families and Seven Clans, unable to raise his head...

Doesn’t this look the same now?