My Mingkong Is So Thoughtful, the Siblings of the Hidden Ji Family
My Mingkong Is So Thoughtful, the Siblings of the Hidden Ji Family
Several hours later, inside the palace, Yue Mingkong leaned languidly against the bed, seemingly unwilling to move, looking somewhat exhausted.
“So this is where the Tower of World Domination, one of the Seven Tools of World Domination, is located?”
“The Sky Jade Mountain Range?”
Gu Changge, on the other hand, studied the tattered map in his hand with great interest, his gaze finally landing on the spot Yue Mingkong had specially marked.
“Mm, I went through many ancient texts before finally learning where the Tower of World Domination might emerge.”
Yue Mingkong’s cool, clear voice rang out.
“Of the Seven Tools of World Domination, I currently have the Flask of World Domination and the Jar of World Domination...”
Gu Changge nodded, then waved his hand, and a flask and a jar—ordinary in design and quite archaic—appeared floating in his palm.
Faint glimmers of light flickered across them, especially the Flask of World Domination, within which wisps of dark radiance swirled, as if it could reflect the void at any moment.
As for the Jar of World Domination, it looked no different from an ordinary jar, quite pitch-black, with a strange luster dripping down from it, as if it could devour everything.
Rumor had it that the Jar of World Domination was an imitation of the Grand Flask, but just how terrifying its true power was, no one knew. Gu Changge himself had never truly activated it either.
“So these are the Flask of World Domination and the Jar of World Domination?”
Yue Mingkong leaned over, her expression somewhat curious.
“The legends all say that once the Seven Tools of World Domination are gathered, the Immortal Palace Treasury can be opened. Who knows whether the rumors are true or false.”
Gu Changge smiled, then handed the two artifacts to her.
Yue Mingkong was somewhat taken aback, her gaze puzzled. “Why are you giving these to me?”
She had actually been about to hand the Mirror of World Domination and the Seal of World Domination in her possession over to Gu Changge, but she never expected that he would instead give these two artifacts to her first.
Honestly, this left Yue Mingkong a bit unable to react—this was not Gu Changge’s style at all.
“Aren’t you collecting the Seven Tools of World Domination? I happen to have no use for them, so they might as well go to you,” Gu Changge said with a smile.
“I have no use for them either.” Yue Mingkong shot him a sideways glance. She had never expected Gu Changge to do this, and her heart was still quite moved and happy.
“Then what are you collecting them for?” Gu Changge was slightly surprised. “Don’t tell me you’re collecting them for me?”
“Isn’t that obvious? Of course I’m collecting them for you,” Yue Mingkong huffed, though her eyes remained fixed on him.
Then she raised her jade hand, and waves of fluctuation immediately rippled through the void.
Immediately after, a crystalline ancient mirror and a seal that looked as if cast from violet-gold emerged within, bobbing up and down.
A profound and mysterious aura flowed across them, giving off a divine and wondrous feeling.
“So these are the Seal of World Domination and the Mirror of World Domination?”
Gu Changge raised an eyebrow, asking what he already knew, as he could faintly sense the connection emanating from among these Tools of World Domination.
No one knew who had forged them back then, and the materials and forging techniques used were all different.
Yet they resonated with one another—no wonder there was a rumor that gathering all Seven Tools of World Domination could open the treasury of the ancient Immortal Palace.
“My Mingkong really is so thoughtful.” Gu Changge smiled, then waved his hand and put them away.
When the time came to open the Immortal Palace Treasury, he naturally wouldn’t leave her out of the good stuff.
Over the following days, based on the information he had obtained from Yue Mingkong, Gu Changge began making certain arrangements. He was definitely going to claim the Tower of World Domination—that was beyond question.
Besides that, Gu Changge also had to begin preparations regarding the Demon-Burying Abyss.
Although there had been no news from the Demon-Burying Abyss during this period, Gu Changge felt it was merely the calm before the storm.
Once the demoness in red, Chan Hongyi, emerged into the world, the Beyond was bound to descend into chaos. Although he had long planned to release the demon, the Demon-Burying Abyss was guarded by the Suspended Temple, watched with extreme strictness. For an ordinary person to even approach that place was exceedingly difficult.
Not to mention the various troubles one would encounter along the way.
Furthermore, Yue Mingkong was surely not the only one who knew of the Tower of World Domination’s existence, so Gu Changge had to prepare in advance, lest someone fight him for it when the time came.
On Yue Mingkong’s side, she was also making arrangements, planning to head to the Sky Jade Mountain Range together with Gu Changge when the time came.
That place was actually quite far from the True Immortal Academy, and the journey required passing through several Transportation Arrays.
Moreover, because the terrain was rather remote, it lay close to the wild and uncivilized lands. Great sects and great cults were few and far between, so even if they encountered cultivators of profound cultivation, they wouldn’t be all that powerful.
The only thing Gu Changge needed to worry about was whether someone would beat him to it.
If that happened, gathering all Seven Tools of World Domination would become ever more difficult for him.
Regarding the Immortal Palace Treasury, Gu Changge had always harbored designs on it—not that he was particularly interested in the things within.
Rather, the re-refinement of the Eight Barren Demon Halberd required certain items from within the Immortal Palace Treasury.
Those were things only the Immortal Palace, which had once ruled over all directions, possessed.
In the blink of an eye, several days passed, and things gradually quieted down at the True Immortal Academy.
The Successor of Demonic Arts, who had once filled all the disciples with unease and terror, seemed to have gradually vanished from sight following the execution of Heavenly Monarch Ziyang.
This matter put many Elders and disciples considerably at ease; they were no longer as jittery as before, jumping at every shadow.
During this time, there were no more reports of disciples being harmed by the Successor of Demonic Arts.
On the contrary, in the outside world, signs of his activity began appearing in certain places, arousing the vigilance of quite a few cultivators and orthodoxies.
“Jiang Chuchu, tell me, are you stupid? Are you stupid?”
At this moment, inside a cave abode bathed in radiant light.
Wang Zijin wore an expression of exasperation at Jiang Chuchu’s failure to meet her expectations, practically pointing at her nose and cursing her out.
“You know perfectly well that Gu Changge is a total player, yet you still expect him to treat you well? A scumbag like him—you need to stay far, far away from him. Don’t even let him touch a single finger of yours.”
As she spoke, it seemed even she herself was getting worked up, her flawless, fair face flushing slightly red.
Normally, in front of Wang Zijin, Jiang Chuchu always maintained an unflappable, calm, and composed demeanor, and would often even butt heads with her.
But today, after being cursed out so thoroughly, she could only pinch the corner of her skirt and hang her head, like someone who had done something wrong, unable to utter a word.
Jiang Chuchu felt that everything Wang Zijin said was right, and she had no way to refute it.
After the trial ended and they returned to the True Immortal Academy, under Wang Zijin’s relentless interrogation, Jiang Chuchu had been forced to admit that her relationship with Gu Changge was indeed out of the ordinary.
Because Wang Zijin was very clever. Over these days, in her observations, Jiang Chuchu had been constantly distracted and absent-minded, leaving the cave abode from time to time to wander around outside.
So she had secretly followed her.
In the end, she saw that after wandering around in a circle, Jiang Chuchu would head toward the palace where Gu Changge resided, then stop by the bluestone outside, waiting for who knows what.
Although each time she left with a somewhat dejected expression, a few days later she would persistently wander back over again.
At this point, anyone with eyes could see that Jiang Chuchu had something she wanted to discuss with Gu Changge.
But she didn’t know how to bring it up, so she kept hesitating.
Wang Zijin almost admired her for it—she clearly cared so much, yet still had to put on an air of breezy indifference.
That said, she did feel quite sorry for Jiang Chuchu.
Although she didn’t know when Jiang Chuchu had gotten entangled with Gu Changge, judging from her current state, she had fallen in deep.
But Gu Changge was no good man. Getting him to give his true heart—who knew how difficult that would be.
Regarding Jiang Chuchu’s situation, Wang Zijin could only say she was destined to be devoured whole and wiped clean.
“Then... what do you think I should do now?”
While Wang Zijin was grumbling inwardly, Jiang Chuchu seemed to come back to her senses and couldn’t help asking softly.
She regarded Wang Zijin as someone she could trust, which was why she had told her these things. After all, the two of them had cultivated together in the Mortal Palace since childhood, and although they bickered daily, their relationship was actually quite good.
“What you need to do now is stay far away from Gu Changge. Best not to pay him any attention at all. You have to know, you’re the lofty Successor of Mortal Palace—countless Young Prodigies couldn’t chase after you fast enough, and you’re revered as a Saintess by endless people... The more you show you want to see Gu Changge, the more you cheapen yourself, understand? So at a time like this, you just need to maintain your usual aloofness. Only then will you carry weight in Gu Changge’s eyes, and he won’t look down on you. Got it?”
Wang Zijin’s persuasion was perfectly reasoned, every bit like a grandmaster well-versed in such matters.
As the saying goes, though she had never eaten pork, she had seen pigs run.
Hearing these words, Jiang Chuchu couldn’t help feeling they made a lot of sense. Perhaps it was because she had appeared too weak in front of Gu Changge that he always bullied her.
“Wait, why do I feel like you’re saying all this to create an opportunity for yourself?” Jiang Chuchu suddenly looked at her with suspicion.
Wang Zijin snorted through her nose. “I’ve already seen through that scumbag’s true nature. Do you think I’d still be as stupid as you?”
Jiang Chuchu nodded thoughtfully, but her gaze still held a look of disbelief.
She remembered very clearly that this was not what Wang Zijin had said back then.
“Anyway, that Gu Changge is no good thing. Chuchu, stop being so silly and naive all the time...” Wang Zijin said with an eye roll.
·····Seeking flowers··········
Jiang Chuchu nodded. “I know he’s no good thing.”
There were words she didn’t say out loud.
Not only that—she also knew that Gu Changge was the true Successor of Demonic Arts, and that even the Mortal One had fallen victim to his vicious schemes.
Wang Zijin’s understanding of Gu Changge was far shallower than hers.
However, over the following days, Jiang Chuchu still did as Wang Zijin had said.
But before long, she discovered that Gu Changge had already left the True Immortal Academy, and accompanying him was his fiancée, Yue Mingkong.
This discovery left Jiang Chuchu stunned for quite a while, and then sad for a long time. After returning to the True Immortal Academy, Gu Changge truly hadn’t even intended to see her once.
This made her begin to doubt Wang Zijin’s method.
......
Heavenly Ruin Gate, before a low hill.
Here stood a few thatched huts, two or three groves of bamboo, a medicinal field beside the huts, and a few old trees for company—quite the leisurely charm of “plucking chrysanthemums by the eastern fence, leisurely gazing at the southern mountains.”
Although it was only a residence for menial disciples, Jiang Chen felt it suited him very well.
There were no jade towers or jasper palaces, but everything looked simple and unpretentious. Cultivating here made him feel his progress was rapid.
“According to the Black-Robed Senior, with my current realm, I’m not far from opening up my Spiritual Sea.”
Jiang Chen looked inward at his Dantian, where a fist-sized vortex of spiritual energy swirled, slowly absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth nearby.
...........0
At this rate, in at most three days, he could become a true Cultivator.
Of course, he owed this cultivation speed to the various spirit herbs that the girl named Chuyue had sent to him over these past few days.
Though the meals were light, the ingredients were anything but simple—all were aged medicinal herbs, such as Solomon’s seal, poria, and gastrodia, which were very helpful for sensing spiritual energy.
And through his indirect probing during this period, Jiang Chen had also learned quite a bit of information.
That girl named Chuyue had a frightening background—she was not a disciple of the Heavenly Ruin Gate at all.
Rather, she came from an ancient power called the Hidden Ji Family, with a heritage so long-standing that it even surpassed that of the Purple Mansion, which Gu Changge had recently destroyed.
Ji Chuyue had come here seemingly in search of something, and these days she had been sending cultivators to search through the various mountain ranges.
Only, they had found nothing.
Thinking of this, Jiang Chen couldn’t help but hatch some ideas. After all, the Artifact Spirit of the Celestial Boat of Creation’s only current use was detecting the shifts in the terrain of heaven and earth, the flow of Fortuity, and so on.
Wasn’t finding things exactly its specialty?
As long as he could help Ji Chuyue find what she was looking for, he would earn a favor from her. Even if it didn’t mean entering the Hidden Ji Family, just having this connection would make dealing with any future troubles much easier.
Only, Jiang Chen hadn’t yet thought of a suitable excuse, and the other party might not believe him either—after all, he couldn’t even be considered a Cultivator right now.
“Little Chenzi, you could actually tell that Ji girl that you’re a Divine Source Master, that your ancestors passed down a trick or two of source-seeking and earth-probing. That girl will definitely believe you.”
At this moment, the Artifact Spirit of the Celestial Boat of Creation suddenly spoke up.
“Divine Source Master? What’s that?” Jiang Chen was slightly taken aback, looking quite puzzled.
“It’s a long-lost inheritance. It can seek sources, probe the earth, and determine the universe; use the grand momentum of mountains and rivers to lock down Dragon Veins and alter geography... practically omnipotent.”
“It just so happens that some of the tricks I currently know can be passed off under this identity.”
The Artifact Spirit of the Celestial Boat of Creation was offering Jiang Chen an idea.
Hearing this, Jiang Chen’s eyes couldn’t help but light up. Then he quickly left the place, intending to find Ji Chuyue and have a talk with her.
“These past few days, quite a few cultivators seem to have arrived around here. For such a remote place, why would people suddenly show up? Could someone have leaked the news?”
Meanwhile, inside a pavilion, Ji Chuyue’s brows were slightly furrowed as she pondered certain matters, feeling somewhat puzzled.
The news that the Tower of World Domination, one of the Seven Tools of World Domination, was about to emerge had cost the family behind her considerable effort to divine.
Although the Hidden Ji Family had a long heritage, over these years the younger generation had failed to live up to the old, and the family had begun showing signs of decline.
If they didn’t do something, before long the Hidden Ji Family would inevitably fall to the ranks of a second-rate family, losing its former glory.
It was precisely for this reason that she and her brother had discussed it and decided to secretly search for the Seven Tools of World Domination, hoping to find the legendary Immortal Palace Ruins and thereby restore their family to prosperity.