Chapter 526 - 526: The Mystery of the Insect King

"Twenty years ago, the Zhao Family withdrew from worldly affairs and moved their entire clan to Piaomiao Mountain Villa, five li north of the Provincial City. The other family... well, it was Qiao Sihai's in-laws, the Sima Family! They moved to Shanghai that same year."

Yu Zhuo recounted the events of those years. As he recalled Qiao Sihai's in-laws, the Sima Family, his gaze sharpened.

"Qiao Sihai's in-laws!"

Jiang Xinghai also realized the clear connection. "What a coincidence. I might have to make a trip to Shanghai soon. I'll take the opportunity to pay the Sima Family a visit."

'He was worried that Qiao Sihai's in-laws were also a clan that practiced Raising Gu!'

'If that was true, he'd really have to go. If the Sima Family's practice of Raising Gu was developing in a righteous direction, he could leave them be.'

'But if they had nefarious intentions like the Qiao Family of Kun City, then there would be no need for them to exist!'

'Evil Cultivators who bring disaster to the world should be dealt with as soon as possible.'

"I suggest we go to Piaomiao Mountain Villa tomorrow to visit the old ancestor of the Zhao Family," Yu Zhuo proposed suddenly, his mind racing.

"Why?" To be honest, Jiang Xinghai wasn't interested.

"To bolster our strength," Yu Zhuo said with a mysterious smile.

"Uncle Yu, are you worried our side isn't a match for the Sun Family, so you want to pull in the long-secluded Zhao Family?" Jiang Xinghai chuckled.

Yu Zhuo didn't deny it. "Back in the day, the Zhao Family was the undisputed leader of the Martial Arts Clans in the Provincial City. If we have their help, our chances of victory will be much greater."

"And what if I said that I alone can wipe out the Sun Family, the Wei Family, and the Zhou Family? That I don't need help from your three families, let alone the Zhao Family?" Jiang Xinghai also smiled mysteriously.

"..."

Everyone stared at Jiang Xinghai, utterly stunned and momentarily speechless.

'Could one man really be a match for an army of a million?'

'Was this the source of Jiang Xinghai's confidence?'

'Or was it his arrogance?'

'Whatever it was, for one person to want to annihilate three major Martial Arts Clans... that was far easier said than done.'

"Divine Doctor Jiang, the Sun Family's ancestor, Sun Zhen, is a huge menace all on his own. No, I still insist we make a trip to Piaomiao Mountain Villa. Even if we can't get them to help, we should at least get on good terms with them. Please, listen to your uncle," Yu Zhuo said with utmost seriousness.

Yu Li, who was beside him, nodded in agreement.

Even Zhu Yan from the War Department chimed in, "Patriarch Yu's proposal is a good one. I recommend it as well."

"Alright."

Since everyone was urging him, Jiang Xinghai had no choice but to agree.

'Of course, he wasn't actually pinning his hopes on the Zhao Family. He just wanted to see for himself what was so special about this clan that everyone held in such high regard.'

"By the way, Uncle Yu," Jiang Xinghai suddenly recalled, "the Zhao Family went into seclusion twenty years ago, and the Sima Family moved to Shanghai that same year. Wasn't that also the year the Yan Family moved from the Central State to the Provincial City?"

"Now that you mention it, it all did happen in the same year," Yu Zhuo said after a moment of recollection.

Jiang Xinghai nodded.

'Looks like a trip to the Yan Family tonight is in order.'

After crippling the limbs of the current family head, Yan Duo, Jiang Xinghai had promised to reattach them for him.

His trip to Yun Province had already delayed this by six days.

「After dinner.」

"Uncle Yu, let's call it a night. I'll be here at eight tomorrow morning, and we'll go to Piaomiao Mountain Villa together," Jiang Xinghai said, getting up to take his leave.

"It's so late, why don't you stay?" Yu Li asked without thinking.

Yu Zhuo nodded in agreement. "Yes, Divine Doctor Jiang, it's already past two in the morning. You shouldn't leave now."

"I have to make a trip to the Yan Family."

Jiang Xinghai didn't elaborate. He suddenly noticed that Yu Li's complexion was much better than before and stopped in his tracks. "Miss Yu, are you feeling much more comfortable? I'm referring to your abdomen."

"Huh? Now that you mention it, I really do feel much better. My abdomen... it's warm..." After hearing Jiang Xinghai's question and checking herself, Yu Li looked shocked. "The only other time I've felt like this was right after you treated me. Why is today so different...?"

"I have a wild guess that it's related to this," Jiang Xinghai said, moving to confirm his bold suspicion. He took out a small wooden box.

When he opened the box, a thumb-sized, milky-white insect was revealed inside!

"That's—!" With a Poisonous Insect in her own body, Yu Li hated the sight of insects more than anything. She stumbled back abruptly.

As a Ninth-Grade Great Venerable, Yu Zhuo was no stranger to them. "That's a Poisonous Insect!"

"It doesn't actually look that disgusting. Is that a Poisonous Insect?" Qin Shuang, who was not a martial artist, took one look before instinctively moving to stand beside Yu Li.

Zhu Yan nodded lightly. "I heard from Lao Deng that after you killed Qiao Zhongkui, you obtained the Huang Die he had spent half his life cultivating. It's an Insect King. That was quite a prize."

"I believe it's precisely because the Huang Die is the Insect King that it can innately suppress other Poisonous Insects," Jiang Xinghai said, walking toward Yu Li with the wooden box.

Yu Li instinctively moved to back away.

"Miss Yu, the reason you're feeling better is thanks to the wondrous power of the Huang Die, the king of ten thousand insects. You don't need to be afraid," Jiang Xinghai said with a gentle smile.

"S-So that's why."

Realizing he had a point, Yu Li took a step closer to examine it carefully. "Is... is it sleeping?"

"It was injured, so it's in a deep sleep to recover."

A silver needle suddenly appeared in Jiang Xinghai's hand. "However, I have a bold idea. Are you willing to give it a try?"