NOVPUB
Chapter 115: Chapter 112 Star King
With the bottleneck broken, Gu Jinlai felt his physique growing every day for some time.
His explosive power, muscle tenacity, bone density, and even his body weight, were all increasing at an extremely rapid pace.
When he displayed the Great Sun True Demon Body, his stature even grew to three meters twenty.
This...
exceeded the standard height of a floor in a commercial building.
Especially since he was not yet fully grown at this stage, he would continue to increase in the future.
"The Red Sun Demon God Body Refining Technique, when cultivated to the extreme, can rival a Demon Demon King, that is, the Devas, and at that time, one can manifest a thirty-meter True Body. Three meters twenty... is still far off,"
Gu Jinlai said.
"Patriarch."
Gu Jinlai was enjoying the sensation of his cultivation climbing daily when Gu Chaoyang came forward, "The infamous ones from Yuanhua City’s county town have all been captured and sent here."
"Good."
Gu Jinlai responded indifferently, picking up his two-meter-long Spiritual Weapon Battle Sword and heading to the outer courtyard.
Gu Chaoyang had no qualms about his ancestor’s preference for personally executing the wicked.
Everyone has some unique hobbies.
What’s wrong with the Patriarch liking the sight of evildoers wailing in front of him?
Despite the significant impact it had on his reputation, and criticism from some who even accused him of wanton slaughter,
But...
No one dared to openly make such accusations.
Moreover, as this news spread, the Gu family’s family values had improved. 𝖓𝔬𝔳𝔭𝖚𝖇.𝔠𝔬𝖒
Knowing the Patriarch detested all evil and would personally execute the utterly wicked, they dared not indulge in misdeeds anymore.
Otherwise, if the Patriarch noticed, given his character, he would undoubtedly cut them down without mercy, leaving them nowhere even to cry.
Gu Jinlai quickly made a round of the execution ground.
This batch included over sixty people, with generally low cultivation levels.
In Yuanhua City, where the Heavenly Gang Sect monopolized power, ordinary martial artists were always cautious, and those with stronger cultivation would have joined the Heavenly Gang Sect early and not been left adrift.
With low cultivation, the extent of their evil deeds was naturally limited.
Gu Jinlai executed two with Red names and identified three with White names, then handed these people over to Nian Buwang, who was responsible for law enforcement.
"Patriarch, these are the last of the people sent from Yuanhua City,"
Gu Chaoyang whispered, "We have acted swiftly this month, catching most of those who should be caught. Some fish that slipped through the net got the news and fled their county towns. The next batch... will probably have to wait for a while."
"No more people?"
Gu Jinlai, upon hearing this, didn’t know whether to feel relieved or regretful.
In fact, he had known half a month earlier that this method of draining the pond to get the fish wouldn’t last long.
So, he occasionally went undercover, in disguise, to see if he could attract some utterly evil criminals with the thirteen layers of Karma BUFF on him...
After all, in recent times, those with infamous reputations in Yuanhua City and Lingxiao City had been mostly executed by him.
The rest were those deeply concealed individuals.
Such people were difficult to force out using conventional methods; only Gu Jinlai personally "seeing" them could lead to a judgment.
Therefore, he naturally took a few turns outside whenever he could or could not find the time.
Unexpectedly, the source of Qingguang was cut off so quickly.
At this moment, Gu Lingsha hurried over, "Patriarch, a team of envoys has arrived from the Meteor Star Guard, bringing a group of people to our Lingxiao City."
At this point, she paused slightly, "This person’s identity... is somewhat special."
"What kind of special?"
"He is a Star King,"
Gu Lingsha said.
Star King.
This title did not immediately ring a bell for Gu Jinlai.
But then, he realized something: "A royal descendant, the one who was granted the Star State by Emperor Daqian!?"
Han Lingsha nodded.
Since ancient times, Daqian had the tradition of assigning members of the Imperial Family to various regions.
This Star King was not from a particularly distinguished royal lineage.
But a hundred years ago, when Emperor Tianji, touted as the number one expert, rebelled, he led men directly into the Imperial City, killed the Emperor Qian, and nearly eradicated the direct lineage of the Imperial Family.
Even though Emperor Tianji was eventually slain with the joint efforts of Daqian, The Three Pure Ones’ Holy Land, and other forces, the dead could not be brought back to life.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, the current Emperor Jiang Tianji rose to power, gathered support from the people, and with the help of the current Imperial Advisor Tai Yuan, ascended the throne.
The few surviving members of the royal descendants were awarded without exception.
The Star King was one of them.
Of course, since Jiang Tianji’s ascension to the throne was irregular, he was wary of royals inciting chaos. Thus, all ennobled members of the Imperial Family were monitored.
This Star King was virtually under house arrest and never ventured outside, rendering him almost non-existent in Star State.
"What is the meaning of Meteor Star Guard sending this man to our Lingxiao City?"
Gu Jinlai didn’t understand.
"Although the Star King is hardly worth mentioning, he is, after all, a member of the Imperial Family. Should he suffer any harm within the territory of Star State, the State Lord Mansion would inevitably face punishment. Now that the Capital, Starlight City, has become a battlefield for the five major forces marshaling their elites to conquer it... I would bet that precisely for this reason, the Meteor Star Guard has sent this hot potato to our Lingxiao City," speculated Gu Chaoyang, then quickly added, "Patriarch, we cannot accept this Star King."
Gu Jinlai nodded, agreeing with his opinion.
The group quickly headed for the living room.
The one who escorted Star King Jiang Chongshan was none other than Chen Jiwen, the Red Star Envoy who had several dealings with Gu Jinlai.
Upon seeing Gu Jinlai, he bowed immediately, "Gu Star Master, long time no see."
Gu Jinlai turned his attention to the Star King.
Since Jiang Tianji’s ascension was not legitimate, he guarded against the imperial relatives with extreme caution, allocating the bare minimum in resources to them.
Yet even so, this Star King had achieved the Refining God stage. Although he didn’t exude any sharpness, he still seemed quite steady and appeared dignified and extraordinary.
"This must be His Highness the Star King; it is an honor to meet you."
Gu Jinlai greeted with a bow.
Regardless of how carefully the current Emperor guarded him, his status was unquestionable and transcended rank.
"You’re too modest, Gu Star Master. I will need to trouble you for some time to come."
Jiang Chongshan appeared very humble.
"Why would you say that?"
"Gu Star Master, you are aware of the situation in Starlight City. Star Lord Xin and General Xue are trapped at the border, and the city is teeming with powerful beings. There are over a dozen Divinity Transformation Cultivators alone, and a battle capable of killing several of them could break out at any moment. Therefore, it is exceedingly unsafe for the Star King to stay there," explained Chen Jiwen urgently. "During this period, both Lingxiao City and Yuanhua City have thrived under your governance, a picture of peace and stability. Both the Meteor Star Guard and the State Lord Mansion have discussed temporarily having the Star King stay with you to recuperate for a while, until things settle down in Starlight City, after which his return would not be too late."
"Impossible,"
Gu Jinlai flatly stated, "Lingxiao City is merely a small town with a population of several hundred thousand; how can it accommodate such a distinguished guest as the Star King, let alone ensure his safety?"
"We have considered this factor, which is why we plan to dispatch troops from Changjun City and Sunset City to Lingxiao City. All these forces shall be at the command of Gu Star Master, henceforth looking to your orders as their guiding principle,"
said Chen Jiwen.
"Changjun City, Sunset City..."
Among the two cities, Sunset City was somewhat manageable: smaller than Lingxiao City with a total population barely reaching a million when including its subordinate counties.
But Changjun City...
That was one of the six major cities of Star State.
Clearly, this was the offer from the side of Starlight City.
The Meteor Star Guard probably already considered Changjun City and Sunset City as part of Gu Jinlai’s planned conquests; it’s just that they didn’t know why he hadn’t made a move yet.
Rather than having Gu Jinlai seize the two cities later, they might as well curry favor with him and thereby offload the troublesome issue of the Star King.
"Chen Red Star Envoy, this is not a matter of how many troops can be assembled..."
Gu Jinlai pondered, ready to refuse again.
However, at that moment, Star King Jiang Chongshan stepped forward with a bow, "I understand that my identity could bring significant trouble to Gu Star Master, and there is no need for such concern. All along, I’ve never felt superior to others. In fact, compared to the status of Star King, I would prefer to be an ordinary cultivator. That way, like other Demon Hunters, I could partake in the front lines of demon extermination, contributing to the purging of our world and the revival of Daqian."
He spoke out loud.
And he pointedly identified the greatest problem facing Daqian: the scourge of demons.
If it weren’t for the demon barrier weakening Daqian’s control over the states and hindering unified action, Daqian would not have fallen into such a predicament.
"An ordinary cultivator..."
Gu Jinlai glanced at the Star King.
If he were truly an ordinary cultivator, it would be uncertain whether he could reach the Refining God stage in his lifetime.
"Gu Star Master, I’ve heard of your deeds, how you subdued the Red Blood Sect in Lingxiao City and exterminated hundreds of demons, including three Great Demons. Even now, you are still dispatching disciples to scour the land of demons, offering them no quarter. Additionally, you actively encourage civil prosperity, establishing sound policies that have made Lingxiao City and Yuanhua City havens of peace and happiness. This is exactly why I took the initiative to come to Lingxiao City," continued Jiang Chongshan loudly. "In my mind, Gu Star Master is someone who holds the world in his heart and is willing to shed blood for it, not one who only weighs pros and cons, hesitating to move forward!"
"Your Highness overestimates me,"
said Gu Jinlai. "I rout demons merely to cultivate more Demon Martial Artists from their blood, and those warriors are reviled by all."
Jiang Chongshan shook his head: "Extraordinary times call for extraordinary actions."
He looked at Gu Jinlai, "Besides, in my view, Gu Star Master is not a cruel and heartless person; otherwise, the recent encirclement and suppression of Heavenly Grass Pavilion would not have ended so easily."
Heavenly Grass Pavilion.
It seemed the Star King had been keeping tabs on him for some time.
"The ancestral teachings of Daqian dictate that the Emperor defends the nation’s gates, and that kings die with their country. Thus, when the Heavenly Demon chaos erupted, Emperor Qian fought to the death. Hence, my Jiang Family’s direct lineage was nearly annihilated by Emperor Tianji, but until the last moment, none of my Jiang Family members retreated because this is the duty of our Imperial Family. Those who wish to wreak havoc must step over our corpses,"
Jiang Chongshan took a deep breath. "As a member of the Jiang Family, my abilities are limited; I can neither support nor strengthen the nation. But as a citizen of Daqian, I wish to contribute whatever meager strength I have as an ordinary person in the eradication of demons."
