Chapter Fourteen: Demon Slave

The Jiang family’s main hall was vast, large enough to seat a hundred guests at once, with side tables set for tea. At this hour, lanterns had just been lit, their glow illuminating a hall already crowded with people.

“Second son, you have summoned us all here so solemnly. What is the matter?” The patriarch, Jiang Wangyuan, sat at the head of the family, his gaze fixed on Jiang Zhengde, the second son.

“Father, there’s no need to rush!” Jiang Zhengde replied, lifting the teacup from the table. “This is Cold Mist Ice Tea, which I acquired not long ago. It is a rare treasure, unmatched throughout the land. Father, esteemed elders, brothers—all of you, please savor it, set your hearts at ease, and let us delay the discussion until later.”

“Cold Mist Ice Tea? Truly a rarity!” Jiang Wangyuan raised his cup and took a sip. After savoring it, he could not help but nod approvingly. “With a single swallow, it is as though a frigid mist fills the lungs and sweeps through the body, as if one is standing amidst snow and ice. Excellent tea, a peerless delicacy.”

The rest of those present also raised their cups, sipping and tasting, voices full of praise.

Jiang Zheng’an, too, lifted his cup, but was stopped by Nangong Yue, who whispered, “Your stomach has been cold lately; it’s better not to drink this. Wait until you’re better, then ask Second Brother for a taste. After all, we’re among family—it won’t be seen as impolite.”

“Very well,” Jiang Zheng’an said, setting his cup down.

“Third Brother, your stomach is cold? I have some Three Yang Herbs in my store. Brew a bowl and you’ll be fine,” said the eldest, Jiang Zhengren, turning to him.

“Big Brother, I’ll go with you to fetch it in a while,” Jiang Zheng’an replied with a smile.

Jiang Zhengde’s brow flickered, but he offered no objection.

Moments later, everyone had finished their tea and set their cups down, turning their attention to him.

Ahem…

Jiang Zhengde rose, clearing his throat, and after looking around, fixed his gaze on the patriarch. “Father, I wish to become the family head.”

His words fell, and silence descended upon the hall. Though the struggle for the position of family head had always run deep, it was rarely spoken of openly.

Jiang Wangyuan frowned. “Second son, I have said before that the position of head of the family will go to whichever of you three proves most capable.”

“In terms of birth, Big Brother is eldest, and I cannot compete. In cultivation, I am no match for Third Brother. In ability, Third Brother has the support of the Nangong family; I cannot compare. No matter how I weigh it, I am not the equal, yet I long for power and cannot bear to relinquish the prospect of greatness. My ambition is vast—I wish to lead our family to truly dominate the county, to become a great house in the prefecture, an illustrious clan in the empire, a family eternal. But what am I to do?”

“Second son, you must not walk a crooked path!” Jiang Wangyuan’s heart lurched with dread.

“Power—I desire it above all, even if I must sacrifice everything!” Jiang Zhengde lifted his head, spread his arms wide as if to embrace the vast heavens themselves.

“I know your nature well—deeply calculating, skilled at patience. Now you reveal your ambition, so you must have something up your sleeve. Tell me, what have you done in secret?” Jiang Wangyuan demanded sharply.

Some of the elders had already risen to their feet.

“If you speak plainly, Second Brother, I will not compete with you,” Jiang Zhengren offered.

“Second Brother, I have never cared for the title of family head,” Jiang Zheng’an agreed.

Jiang Zhengde burst out laughing. “Father, will you relinquish your position? If you yield today, I will lead the family to unprecedented glory. Otherwise… sigh!”

“Wretched son, what have you done?” Jiang Wangyuan asked again.

“Sigh!” Jiang Zhengde sighed. “If I do not speak, I will never be chosen as head; if I do, you will surely despise me. Life is full of helplessness—it seems I am left with no choice but to take another path.

“Father, you already know—yesterday, three villages were massacred. Today, the county governor’s personal guard went to investigate and were all slain.

“And do you know? This afternoon, two of the three patrolling inspectors who defend the county left together to investigate—they, too, will meet the same fate as those villagers.

“It was all a trap.

“Alas, such a pity.”

Jiang Zhengde shook his head in lament.

“You—you—wretched son, have you colluded with demons?” Jiang Wangyuan’s face changed drastically.

At these words, how could he not understand? If not for collusion, how could his knowledge be so precise?

“The governor’s elite guard has been slaughtered, two of the three inspectors are gone—now the entire county seat is but an empty shell. What’s more, Baihe County has been under secret plotting for over a hundred years. Now that the storm has broken, who could resist? After today, the county seat will cease to exist,” Jiang Zhengde declared. “Listen well: if you support me as family head, I will lead you to a brighter future—power, strength, beauty, even immortality may be within reach. Otherwise, well…”

He gave a sinister grin, green light flickering in his eyes.

“Wretched son, I’ll cripple you first!” Jiang Wangyuan roared, gathering his inner energy—only to feel his face change dramatically. “Wh-what did you put in the tea? My dantian’s energy won’t move at all!”

His shock was beyond measure. The others, too, turned pale with fear.

In a flash, Jiang Zheng’an leaped forward to shield Jiang Wangyuan, Nangong Yue close behind. Only the two of them had not drunk the tea.

“I used the Falling God Flower. Once ingested, your inner energy becomes a stagnant pool for a full day—you cannot use it,” Jiang Zhengde explained. “If you acknowledge me as your master, sit down. Otherwise… sigh, I will be forced to erect your tombstones myself.”

“Wretched son!” Jiang Wangyuan’s eyes blazed. “The Jiang family has endured for countless generations! Even in decline, we will not consort with demons. Hear me now: as family head, I expel Jiang Zhengde from the Jiang family!

“Third son, seize him!

“If he dares resist—kill him!”

Jiang Wangyuan gave the trembling order.

“Second Brother, it’s not too late to turn back!” Jiang Zheng’an said bitterly.

“Turn back?” Jiang Zhengde’s face flickered with pain, then he smiled coldly. “If I fail, I am willing to fall into the Nine Hells. Third Brother, listen to me—do not stand against me. I will not harm Father, nor anyone else in the family, as long as you obey my wishes.

“Now, the city is already surrounded by demons.

“Refuse to follow me, and you will die.

“Third Brother, if we unite, nothing can break us.”

He tried to persuade him.

“Demons are inhuman. How could I ever join them? I would rather die than serve them!” Jiang Zheng’an stepped forward, his aura surging so strongly that the air around him warped. “Don’t resist!”

He reached out to seize him.

“Third Brother, with your intelligence, you must realize—I am no longer the same.”

As Jiang Zhengde spoke, black mist billowed from his body. He began to swell, his frame reaching over two and a half meters, hands turning to claws, scales covering his arms, his pupils becoming vertical slits, and in the center of his brow, a third, vertical eye appeared.

“You—you—!” Jiang Zheng’an halted, his face ashen. “You have become a demon slave!”

“No, I am not one of those lowly slaves, but a servant of the Lord of the Evil Gods!” Jiang Zhengde swung his arms, stirring up wild gales, his aura overwhelming and wicked beyond measure. “Now, I possess the highest, most supreme and noble bloodline. You ants—kneel and submit, or else, I will offer you all in sacrifice!”

Transformed into a demon, his very nature had changed utterly.