Volume 1, Chapter 132: Death Is Not to Be Regretted. (Fourth Installment)

Jiang Chen kicked the man with the handlebar mustache, sending him sprawling, while simultaneously snapping the wooden sword he held in two.

This was not the end. Jiang Chen raised his hand and slapped the man twice across the face. These blows struck not only his physical body but his very soul. Even a seasoned cultivator would struggle to endure such strikes, let alone a mere mortal.

"Argh!" The man with the handlebar mustache shrieked as he collapsed to the ground, foam bubbling from his mouth.

Jiang Chen kicked him aside. "I'll deal with you later!"

He turned his attention to the black python, his expression unreadable.

"You didn't even check where you were trespassing. Do you think the Great Xia is a place for creatures like you?" Jiang Chen extended his hand. While his physical hand could not grasp the massive python, a phantom projection manifested behind him.

A pair of colossal hands clamped around the python's neck. Seeing that help had arrived, the little white snake spirit-fully slithered behind Jiang Chen.

The black python’s entire body was pinned, rendering it powerless.

Jiang Chen spoke, "Tell me, you wretched things—aside from destroying the dragon veins, what else are you planning to do in the Great Xia?"

The python struggled violently, but it remained held as easily as a thin skewer.

"If I tell you... will you spare me?"

Speaking was agonizing for the python, as Jiang Chen’s grip tightened continuously.

Jiang Chen replied, "Remember, you have no leverage to negotiate with me now. Tell me, and if I’m in a good mood, I might let you go."

The python was on the verge of suffocation; its black scales flared as it felt the true, chilling proximity of death. It realized that if it didn't speak, this man would kill it without a shred of mercy.

Realizing it had no other choice, the python surrendered. "I'll talk!"

Only then did the python feel air return to its lungs.

"Besides severing the dragon veins, we were sent here to steal the nation’s fortune. Our kind intends to occupy this land, devouring the spiritual energy of every beast and sanctuary until all places of power belong to us. Once your spiritual energy is weakened, we will launch a full-scale invasion!"

The python finished in one breath. Jiang Chen asked, "Is that all?"

"That is everything I know," the python replied.

Jiang Chen nodded, and the phantom hands began to squeeze again. The python’s breathing was cut off once more.

"I appreciate you telling me, but I am very displeased with your plans. Therefore, you must die first. But don't worry, you won't be lonely for long; others will soon join you."

The phantom hands closed completely. The black python, no longer able to struggle, was tossed aside like a discarded rubber band.

"Jiang Chen, what about these people?" Li Changsheng asked.

Looking around, the fat boss had already fled in terror, and the man with the handlebar mustache had been knocked unconscious—likely to wake up as a fool. The other accomplice had also fainted from fright.

Such people were not worth saving. Jiang Chen drew a karmic-transfer talisman on the unconscious mustache-man. This talisman would redirect all of his personal fortune toward the national luck. Though his meager luck was but a drop in the ocean for the country, it was better than nothing, and it was certainly what he deserved. Furthermore, after taking that slap, he hadn't long to live anyway.

As for the other, he would share the same fate.

"Let's go. I will ensure they pay the price," Jiang Chen said.

The two turned to head toward the tunnel exit.

Suddenly, the black python, which had clearly been lifeless on the ground, lunged up, its maw wide as it snapped at Jiang Chen.

*Swish—*

A cold flash of light passed. The snake’s head was severed from its body; it was dead beyond any doubt.

Li Changsheng sheathed his sword, curious. "Why didn't you finish it off earlier?"

Jiang Chen shook his head. "I had intended to let it lead us to where the Japanese forces are hiding, but this thing was too stupid—it preferred to fight to the death instead."

He had a plan, but the python was too dense to realize it had been offered a way out.

"Now the trail is cold," Li Changsheng noted. "I suppose we’ll have to find them another way."

Nearby, the little white snake, having seen the python perish, slithered up to Jiang Chen and rubbed its head against his palm.

"Oh? You're not leaving? Aren't you afraid of me?" Jiang Chen asked, stroking its smooth head.

The little white snake seemed to understand him; it shook its head and circled him a few times. Jiang Chen sensed it was trying to communicate, but its cultivation was too low for speech.

"By edict, speak!" Jiang Chen tapped the little snake’s head.

The little white snake opened its mouth. "I know where those shameless wretches are! I can take you to them!"

"You know?" Jiang Chen was piqued.

"I do. And I know they plan to blow up the dragon veins to unleash the demon beast suppressed beneath the Lingqin region. That is their ultimate goal!" the little white snake said excitedly.

*A demon beast unleashed...*

Jiang Chen recalled that there was indeed such a creature in the Lingqin area—a powerful entity suppressed by Xu Ping'an after the establishment of Agency 509. If the Japanese managed to release it, the entire Lingqin region would suffer.

Fortunately, he was here.

"Very well. Lead us to the location, then see to it that this tunnel is resealed," Jiang Chen said, patting its head gently.

No wonder the legends said Xu Xian loved the White Lady; this little white snake was truly endearing.

"I can help you," the little snake offered.

Jiang Chen chuckled. "Wait until you can cultivate into human form first. At your current level, a stray cat spirit might turn you into a snack. Helping me is something for a few years down the line."

"Then, when I achieve human form, can I join your ranks? I feel like following you would have a bright future," the little white snake said, looking at him with such earnestness that Jiang Chen was left speechless.

"Ahem, well... if you truly manage to take human form, go to Agency 509 and find Li Changsheng—that guy next to me—and have him assign you a position." Jiang Chen pushed the responsibility onto Li Changsheng, but the little snake didn't seem satisfied.

"But I only want to follow you," the snake insisted. "Please promise me. I will become very powerful; I have a premonition that once I undergo my transformation, I will become a formidable dragon."

Jiang Chen felt a connection with the little creature. "Fine. I will grant you a stroke of destiny. Ten years from today, you will face your tribulation in Shanghai. After you transcend, strive to advance further—perhaps you will earn the inheritance of the Dragon Clan."