Chapter 415: Return to the Eastern Kingdom
Jiang Chen had long since stopped asking after the share in profits from the Hall of Healing. It was Xue Tong and the others handling it all. This was because money from the secular world had long since stopped being his main source of income.
However, he was still slightly surprised by Xue Tong’s news.
The Hall of Healing had always done things properly, particularly with regards to the sharing of profits. They’d always purposefully fawned on Jiang Chen and were very prompt with delivering the money.
For it to have stopped for six months straight meant that something must’ve happened. The Hall of Healing wouldn’t have done this on purpose.
“Can it be that robbers discovered the courier’s path and intercepted the deliveries, or something has happened in the internal management of the Hall of Healing?”
Jiang Chen’s brow furrowed. He really didn’t care much about the division of profits.
However, he still minded the Hall of Healing a bit. He’d arranged for a position in the Hall of Healing for his steward, making him a senior executive in the Hall of Healing and receiving ten percent of the profits.
Some others may succumb to a heart of greed because of wealth, but Jiang Zheng was loyal to a fault and would never lust after Jiang Chen’s money.
When his thoughts traveled there, Jiang Chen was certain that something must’ve happened to the Hall of Healing.
“Have Gouyu come see me!”
When they heard Jiang Chen’s summons, all the other personal guards made their way over as well.
“Young master.” Gouyu stepped forward.
“Has Xue Tong informed you of the matters with the Hall of Healing?”
Gouyu nodded, having obviously been briefed earlier.
“What do you think?”
Gouyu thought for a moment before saying, “As much courage as they might ever have, the Hall of Healing would never be so bold as to withhold your share. Something must have happened.”
Gouyu’s thoughts were the same as Jiang Chen’s.
“Since this is a case, let’s make a trip back to the Eastern Kingdom.” The more Jiang Chen thought about it, the more out of place he felt all this was. A foreboding feeling surged to the forefront.
When one’s cultivation had reached his level, particularly his strength of heart, one’s intuition was often very strong and accurate.
When everyone saw Jiang Chen thus serious, their hearts sank. Had something really happened to the Hall of Healing?
“You are all dismissed.”
The Jiang Chen of now wasn’t the Jiang Chen they once knew. He’d experienced much in the two years in the legacy territory and had matured greatly.
His strength of mind had risen more than ten times. He wouldn’t feel panicked and disturbed even if the sky caved in.
Jiang Chen summoned all his personal guards early the next day.
He originally had eight guards, but Ke Mu, Shen Yifan, and Bi Yun had gone off to participate in the selection and had thoroughly lost contact with the Jiang manor.
There were only five left now—Xue Tong, Guo Jin, the Qiao brothers, and Wen Ziqi, as well as Gouyu, a personal guard in name, but a steward in truth.
“There must be a reason behind the Hall of Healing’s matter. I plan on going back to take a look, what do all of you think?”
Having left their homes for too long, all of them actually wanted to go back and take a look as well. Joy blossomed on their faces when they heard Jiang Chen’s words.
“Young master, just give us the order when you’d like to set out.” Gouyu was even more direct.
“This matter cannot be delayed, so we will set out now.”
All of the Goldwing Swordbirds gathered with Jiang Chen’s call. All of the Goldwing Swordbirds he’d brought with him had now evolved fully to the spirit rank.
Having these hundreds of Goldwing Swordbirds meant he had a hundred spirit rank experts by his side.
“Younger sister Huang’er, I forgot to tell you that the Eastern Kingdom is our old home. This time…” Gouyu suddenly wondered what Miss Huang’er should do if they all left.
Huang’er naturally knew that the Eastern Kingdom was their old home. After all, she’d lived there for quite a long time as well.
The Hall of Healing was also the place where she’d taken refuge.
So when she heard the name ‘Hall of Healing’, she too was paying a bit of attention. However, she naturally couldn’t speak these words.
“Older sister Gouyu, if all of you are going, then please let Huang’er keep you company along the way.”
Huang’er was open and forthright without putting on any coquettish airs at all.
After spending a day together, Gouyu was becoming ever fonder of Huang’er’s personality. When she heard that Huang’er would come along as well, she was naturally delighted.
“Young master, should we notify palace head Qiao?” Xue Tong suddenly asked.
Jiang Chen thought for a moment, “That’s alright. Qiao Baishi has no more ties with the Hall of Healing, let’s not embroil him into these controversies. Just us is fine, let’s go!”
Jiang Chen whistled lowly and leapt up on the back of the Goldwing Swordbird he’d always ridden.
The Goldwing Swordbird hadn’t seen action for a very long time. It was naturally beyond itself with itself and shrieked shrilly, its sound traveling for ten li.
The others wasted no time in hopping onto their Goldwing Swordbirds to break through the air, following Jiang Chen’s movements and leaving swiftly.
The skies above the capital were magnificent without parallel in that moment.
Golden shadows streaked through the heavens, soaring to the clouds and presenting an impressive sight.
The entire capital broke out in cheers and celebration. Everyone knew that the golden shadows represented Jiang Chen and a legend of the Skylaurel Kingdom!
These jubilatory sounds indicated the citizens’ pride and glory, their hero worship of Jiang Chen, and their happy send off for him.
Huang’er sat on the back of a Goldwing Swordbird and heard the great rises and falls of the celebratory sounds below. Her heart was slightly touched by them.
“Sir Jiang never purposefully seeks the limelight or displays his might, but naturally becomes the center of attention no matter where he goes and is admired and respected. This isn’t just a matter of unparalleled potential and great strength. Perhaps it has much to do with his personality and charisma?”
Huang’er also smiled warmly when her thoughts traveled here. As she traveled with the wind, she only felt that the entire world had suddenly brightened and opened up to her. She had the feeling of a fish being able to leap as it could through expansive seas, and a bird soaring at will through the boundless skies.
It was as if those beside Jiang Chen all had a unique charisma that could sweep away the shadows of her heart like the sunlight of spring. They could dispel the worries of her life and expel the negative emotions wreathed about her heart.
Huang’er could admit now that the only ray of light in her heart hadn’t departed along with Elder Shun.
Jiang Chen and those beside him had used their sincerity and friendliness to scatter down even more radiant beams on her. This sunlight was something that she’d never been able to find in her previous life and environment.
She rather liked this kind of simple, carefree, and lighthearted feeling. Therefore, she delighted in the current situation and wished dearly that she could erase the twenty some past years of her life, excising the scheming and pettiness that had filled her life from her memories.
She liked this kind of simple and leisurely life that was filled with sunlight.
Jiang Chen and the others returned to the Eastern Kingdom borders within a day.
Even after multiple years, every single blade of grass and tree within the Eastern Kingdom was still as if before.
It didn’t matter much to Jiang Chen, but Gouyu was quite an emotional person and actually felt a bit apprehensive now that she was close to home.
“Sister Gouyu, are you feeling a bit hesitant now that you are home?” Huang’er was a very empathetic being and asked with a slight smile.
Gouyu didn’t deny it as she sighed lightly, “I’m embarrassing myself in front of my younger sister. I only remembered that my surname is ‘Eastern’ upon setting foot on this land.”
To one of the Eastern clan, her love and hate of this land had already settled into her blood and bones. That kind of sentiment was something that couldn’t just be thrown away.
“Young master, where should we go?” Xue Tong asked.
“Let’s reserve an inn.” Jiang Chen had cut off all ties with the Jiang family in the Eastern Kingdom and thus naturally wouldn’t go to the Jiang Han manor.
Only if his ole dad Jiang Feng was present would the Jiang Han manor be the true seat of the dukedom’s power.
“Gouyu, do you want to make a trip back to the palace?”
Gouyu thought for a moment, “I’d like to go visit Zhiruo.”
Jiang Chen nodded. “If we can, let’s take the little girl with us when we leave this time. She’ll be happier living beneath your protection.”
When Jiang Chen thought of Eastern Zhiruo and her yin constitution, a sort of shared commiseration grew in his heart.
“Xue Tong, make a trip to the Hall of Healing first and find out what’s going on. If you can, tell Jiang Zheng to come see me.”
Jiang Chen didn’t want to charge in immediately to the Hall of Healing and denounce them for their crimes.
His status and identity were now different. There was no need to make the situation so awkward in the very beginning. He had come only to understand what had happened in the Hall of Healing, not to call them out publicly.
Xue Tong accepted his orders and was about to set out on his way.
Jiang Chen however, said, “A moment. Xue Tong, I no longer have much use for this Da Yu bow. You should take it. It would be greatly useful to you in terms of defense and utility.”
Xue Tong was delighted. The Da Yu bow was a four times refined spirit weapon and an absolute treasure to him!
After many years, the Hall of Healing was still the foremost power amongst the Eastern Kingdom. The Heavenly Karma Pill and two other pills were selling like hotcakes throughout the sixteen kingdom alliance. The speed at which the Hall of Healing was accumulating wealth was exceedingly fast. It quickly became one of the strongest pill powers within the sixteen kingdom alliance.
Xue Tong quickly arrived at the Hall of Healing and saw that all present were unfamiliar faces as soon as he set foot inside. There wasn’t a single person that he recognized.
It seemed as if the entire Hall of Healing had changed its appearance.
“Sir guest, what do you need?” An associate approached to ask when he saw that Xue Tong’s bearing was uncommon.
“I’m looking for someone.” Xue Tong said faintly.
“Oh? Sir, you seem to look unfamiliar, who might you be looking for?”
“Is senior executive Jiang Zheng in?”
When the associate heard the name “Jiang Zheng”, his expression flickered slightly before immediately forming an apologetic expression, “Senior executive Jiang Zheng? He hadn’t been in lately. Sir guest has made the trip for nothing.”
“Not in? Where’s he gone?”
“This is a difficult question for me. My position is lowly and humble. I do not interact with the senior executives.” The associate’s tone rang of obvious perfunctoriness.
Xue Tong frowned. “Then who else is here amongst the executives? Is lord hallmaster Song Tianxing present?”
“No.” The associate shook his head.
“Ying Wuyou?”
“He’s not here either.” The associate’s tone became more and more unfriendly.
Xue Tong’s face sank as he looked around. Roughly a hundred armored cultivators bristling with weaponry charged out from all directions, surrounding Xue Tong with vicious expressions.
