Martial Saint with Passives

If that happened, he would be truly finished!

...

Afterward, Jiang Che accompanied his parents to the inn where Jiang Ling was staying.

Jiang Ling had been waiting for a long time in a private room on the second floor. Hearing the familiar footsteps from downstairs, she immediately ran out.

"Brother, is there any news of Fa—"

But as her gaze passed through the railing to the two familiar, yet much older, figures downstairs, she froze as if struck by lightning.

"Dad!"

"Mom!!!"

She let out a choked scream, hiking up her skirts and flying down the stairs like a madwoman. She threw herself into her parents’ arms and began to sob uncontrollably.

"Dad! Mom! I thought... I thought I’d never see you again!"

"My dear Ling’er..." Jiang Dawu looked at the graceful young woman his daughter had become, and tears instantly welled in his eyes.

Mrs. Zhou was crying so hard she couldn’t speak. She held her daughter tightly, terrified of losing her again.

After so many years, the family of four was finally reunited in this very inn.

A few moments later, everyone’s emotions began to settle.

Mrs. Zhou took Jiang Ling’s hand and looked her over carefully from head to toe, as if she could never get her fill.

"Wonderful... just wonderful..." she said, smiling through her tears. With her rough palm, she lovingly stroked her daughter’s smooth, long hair. "My Ling’er... you’ve grown into a fine young woman..."

She looked at her daughter’s fine clothes, her rosy and healthy face, then glanced at the son beside her, who stood tall with a distinguished air. A heartfelt and immensely gratified smile spread across her face.

"Seeing you two like this, you must not have suffered any longer. That’s wonderful."

Watching this heartwarming scene, Jiang Che’s heart was filled with an immense warmth.

He helped his parents into the private room and had them sit down.

"Dad, Mom," Jiang Che began slowly, pouring hot tea for his parents. "These past few years... you’ve suffered."

"It’s all in the past, all in the past..." Jiang Dawu waved his hands dismissively. "Besides, aren’t things fine now? I’m still as strong as an ox!"

"Oh, right," Mrs. Zhou said, grabbing Jiang Che’s arm. "Che’er, hurry and tell me, how have you two... gotten by all these years?"

Jiang Che looked into his parents’ eyes, which were filled with concern and anticipation, and nodded.

He then recounted his experiences over the past several years, starting from his martial arts training at the White Cloud Martial Arts Hall, to joining the Cangyun Sect, and finally his step-by-step rise from an ordinary disciple to his current position.

Of course, he omitted the perilous details involving his secrets and trump cards, attributing his success to a mix of good fortune, hard work, and the guidance of his mentors.

"A True Master... Che’er, you... you’re on your way to becoming an Immortal! No wonder that Zhao Kang was so respectful to you!"

"Incredible, simply incredible! Our family is going to have an Immortal!" Jiang Dawu was dumbstruck, his mind reeling.

The world Jiang Che described was far beyond their comprehension.

If they hadn’t personally witnessed Zhao Kang’s obsequious bowing and scraping, or the miracle of Jiang Che using his True Qi to treat Mrs. Zhou’s illness,

they would have likely thought their son was just making up stories to amuse them.

But now, though still a bit bewildered, they believed most of what he said.

Mrs. Zhou took Jiang Che’s hand, her eyes full of heartache. "These past few years... you must have suffered so much."

Jiang Che’s eyes instantly brimmed with tears again.

All this time, everyone had only been concerned with how high he had flown, what status he had achieved.

Only his mother was the first to ask if he was tired.

"It’s nothing, Mom," he said, fighting back tears and forcing a smile. "As long as you can live a good life, a little exhaustion is nothing to me!"

Mrs. Zhou sighed emotionally. "Che’er has truly grown up. He’s a real man now!"

She then changed the subject, suddenly asking, "By the way, is there a special girl in your life? You’re not getting any younger, it’s time you thought about settling down!"

The smile on Jiang Che’s face stiffened. "Er... Mom, I don’t really have the time for that right now..."

"What do you mean, ’don’t have time’? Start a family, build a career. Don’t you get it?"

"I know, I know... I just haven’t met the right person..."

"Liar! I think Sister Yingying from the Yin Family is perfect! It’s a shame my brother is a block of wood and won’t make a move!" Jiang Ling suddenly chimed in.

"Ling’er! How could you—"

Mrs. Zhou’s eyes lit up instantly. She grabbed Jiang Ling’s hand. "Who’s Yingying? Quick, tell me all about her!"

Jiang Che watched as his mother and sister immediately huddled together, starting to whisper and giggle. He couldn’t help but shake his head in resignation.

’Figures... All parents are the same, no matter where you go...’

...

That night, after dinner, the family settled in to sleep at the inn.

Jiang Che wasn’t worried about their safety.

After all, with a True Master Realm expert like him standing guard, not to mention the Shadow Iron Eagle, Xiaohei, circling watchfully high above,

the seemingly ordinary inn had become the safest place in all of Lin Yuan City.

Jiang Che returned to his room, sat cross-legged on the bed, and slowly entered a state of Cultivation.

Suddenly, the crow he had sent to spy on Gu Song sent an urgent message!

With a flicker of his thoughts, Jiang Che sent out a wisp of his Divine Thought and took direct control of the crow.

Through the crow’s eyes, he saw that two unfamiliar figures had appeared in Gu Song’s Tingzhu Courtyard.

The three were gathered around a stone table, speaking in hushed, secretive tones under the faint moonlight.

The two newcomers, a man and a woman, appeared to be a middle-aged couple in their forties or fifties.

Jiang Che activated his [True: All-Seeing Eye] to get a closer look, and his heart went cold.

The auras they emanated, though faint, were unmistakably that of... the True Master Realm!

He heard Gu Song whisper to the pair, "Fellow Daoists, you’ve finally arrived!"

"We ran into some trouble on the road and were delayed," the middle-aged man replied in a raspy voice. "The item... let’s see it."

"Of course." Gu Song took a yellowed map from his robes and slowly unfolded it on the stone table. "This is the map to True Master Xuan Yang’s dwelling that I spent years of painstaking effort to find! The location of the entrance Restriction, as well as the layout of the traps on the first few levels, are all clearly marked!"

’So, the ancient Great Power that old fox was talking about was actually True Master Xuan Yang, a Great Cultivator of the True Mastery Realm who was renowned in this region hundreds of years ago!’

Gu Song pointed to the map and continued his explanation. "The core Restrictions require three True Master Realm experts to strike simultaneously from the Qian, Kun, and Li positions. Only then do we have a chance to break through. This is why I invited you two."

"I see." The couple exchanged a glance and nodded.

Just then, Gu Song seemed to recall something else, and a sinister glint flashed in his eyes.

"By the way, I met an interesting brat today."

"A young man who came out of nowhere. He’s also at the True Master Realm in his Cultivation, and his strength... doesn’t seem to be weak!"

"Oh?" The couple was taken aback. "In this godforsaken hellhole, there’s another True Master Realm expert?"

The middle-aged man asked warily, "Are you certain he won’t get in our way?"

"Hah... him?" Gu Song scoffed. "Don’t worry. I had originally planned to trick him into scouting ahead for us, using him as cannon fodder to break the Restrictions. But the brat was more cautious than I expected and refused outright."

"But so what if he shows up?" A murderous glint flashed in Gu Song’s eyes. "It’s three against one. You think we’d be afraid of him?"

"Besides..." His tone shifted, growing even more sinister. "After we retrieve the treasures from the dwelling, why don’t we... stop by and take care of that brat!"

"For someone so young to have such a high Cultivation, I suspect... he must be hiding some incredible secret, or a priceless treasure!"

Upon hearing this, a greedy light flared in the couple’s eyes as well.

"Excellent!" The middle-aged woman licked her lips, her voice full of excitement. "To think that on top of exploring the dwelling, a fat sheep would deliver itself right to our door! This is a pleasant surprise!"

The trio schemed for a while longer, already treating Jiang Che as a prize within their grasp.

Then, Gu Song stood up and said in a low, serious voice, "It’s about time. We shouldn’t delay any longer. Let’s go."

"Agreed."

The other two also rose. With a flicker, their figures vanished silently into the deep night.

But they were completely unaware that a single crow was quietly tailing them.

...