Chapter Twelve: The Holy Son’s “Generous Gift”

Jiang Cheng had already communicated through his sea of consciousness with the six guardians gifted to him by the system, ensuring that the Holy Land’s visitors would pose no unexpected threat to the Jiang family.

The six guardians concealed themselves around the Jiang residence, remaining on constant alert.

The guardian with the highest cultivation, who had reached the peak of the Void Refinement Realm, sent Jiang Cheng a voice transmission, informing him that there was nothing dangerous inside the chest.

Only after hearing this did Jiang Cheng calmly accept it. His gaze darkened slightly, and he sneered inwardly. What exactly are they plotting? One does not strike a smiling face. Let us see what trick the Holy Land intends to play this time.

The chest was carried into the Jiang family’s council hall, and everyone’s eyes involuntarily fixed upon it. An aura of isolation emanated from its surface.

The atmosphere in the hall was so oppressive that it seemed frozen solid, yet the Holy Son wore a calm smile throughout, as though victory were already within his grasp.

“Patriarch Jiang, I have specially prepared this generous gift to express my sincerity. Oh, and be sure to open it personally.” His tone carried a hint of condescension and mockery.

Jiang Cheng glanced at the chest. His expression remained impassive, but his voice held a chill. “One should not accept gifts without having earned them. Since the Holy Son has gone to such lengths, this gift cannot have been offered without reason. What is it that you want?”

The Holy Son’s smile deepened. His voice was airy, yet carried an undeniable force. “The Jiang family’s hereditary treasure!”

His words were like a boulder hurled into a tranquil lake, stirring an uproar among the members of the Jiang family.

Many of them changed expression, their eyes filled with shock and fury.

The Holy Son remained unmoved. Raising his chin, he continued, “I am exchanging my most precious gift for something neither the Jiang family nor its patriarch can control. This is an absolutely fair trade.”

Jiang Cheng could not stop sneering inwardly. The Holy Son clearly believed the rumors circulating outside about the Celestial Balance Pagoda, assuming it to be the Jiang family’s ancestral inheritance.

At that moment, Jiang Zhen­tian, the former patriarch of the Jiang family, stepped forward. His expression was calm, though tinged with helplessness. “Holy Son, do you truly intend to exchange the treasure in this chest for the Jiang family’s inheritance?”

“Of course!” The Holy Son exchanged a glance with the elder from the Law Enforcement Hall beside him. An undisguised smile appeared in both their eyes.

Jiang Zhentian gave a slight nod, then turned to Jiang Cheng. “Cheng, go and open the treasure as the Holy Son requested. Let us see what it contains.”

(Page 1 of 3)

After saying this, he turned back toward the Holy Son. His voice was somewhat solemn, though it remained respectful. “Since the Holy Son has shown such sincerity, would you be willing to swear an oath before the Heavenly Dao? Once you obtain the Jiang family’s inheritance, you will leave, and from this day forward, the Holy Land will no longer trouble the Jiang family.”

At these words, the expressions of the Jiang family members changed one after another, their eyes filled with conflicting emotions.

Many of them were unwilling to openly sever relations with the Holy Land. Besides, the so-called inheritance of the Jiang family was nothing more than an ordinary iron token, utterly useless.

The Holy Son pondered for a moment before sneering. “I shall swear an oath before the Heavenly Dao and conduct a fair exchange with the Jiang family. The Jiang family will trade its inheritance for this Holy Son’s gift. So long as the Jiang family does not provoke me in the future, I will never trouble you because of the inheritance.”

Jiang Cheng cast a surprised glance at his grandfather. The moment he saw the expression on the old man’s face, he understood.

The Jiang family might not possess any inheritance at all. They were trying to trick the Holy Son out of his treasure.

With that thought, Jiang Cheng reached for the chest.

“Wait.” The Holy Son’s lips curled into a sinister smile. “I already said that this gift must be opened personally by the patriarch. No outsiders may be present.”

“Very well. We shall comply with the Holy Son’s request. Cheng, you and Ruoxi may open it. If you find the Holy Son’s gift sincere enough, we will make the exchange.” The old patriarch knew that Jiang Cheng would certainly understand the hidden meaning behind his words.

Jiang Cheng stared coldly at the chest before him. Su Ruoxi opened it from a distance with her spiritual power.

The moment the lid lifted, a faint,幽香 fragrance drifted into the air. Immediately afterward, a figure slowly crawled out from inside.

It was a scantily dressed woman, her body half veiled by gauze. Her face was somewhat pale, yet her eyes held an undisguised longing.

“Cheng郎… It’s me, Ning­shuang…” Su Ning­shuang deliberately braced one hand against the edge of the chest and bent slightly forward, revealing the collarbone and fragrant shoulder she had carefully adorned. Her gaze turned toward Jiang Cheng like flowing water.

Her voice trembled with tenderness. “Cheng郎, I know I was wrong, but… but I truly love you! Please, give me another chance!”

Su Ning­shuang approached Jiang Cheng step by step, her body swaying slightly as she deliberately put on the appearance of someone frail and helpless.

Jiang Cheng exchanged a glance with Su Ruoxi. Clearly, neither of them had expected the Holy Son’s gift to take this form.

Su Ning­shuang paid no attention to Su Ruoxi’s presence. She gently pulled aside the thin gauze covering her shoulder, exposing half of her snow-white shoulder and a glimpse of fragrant skin.

(Page 2 of 3)

Tears glimmered at the corners of her eyes, and her voice grew even softer, almost coquettish. “As long as you are willing to forgive me, I… I can do anything.”

She drew closer, as though she could already smell Jiang Cheng’s presence. Her fingers trembled as they reached toward his chest, seemingly intending to undo his robes.

“Cheng郎, so what if Su Ruoxi is noble? She will never understand you. Only I truly understand you!” Her voice suddenly deepened, filled with an almost fanatical obsession.

Jiang Cheng watched her performance with cold eyes, not the slightest ripple appearing in his gaze.

He did not even move away. He simply stood there, allowing her to continue acting.

Seeing that Jiang Cheng did not stop her, Su Ning­shuang grew even more pleased with herself.

She suddenly wrapped both arms around his waist, pressing her entire body against him as she whispered, “Cheng郎, do you remember? We once watched the moon together beside Soaring Cloud Lake. Back then, you said you would marry no one but me in this lifetime. You even wanted to kiss me, wanted me… You must still remember, don’t you?”

Her hands began to wander restlessly, deliberately brushing against Jiang Cheng’s chest. “Cheng郎, I ask for nothing now. I only want you to look at me once more. I am willing… willing to give you everything…”

By the end, she directly released the gauze, exposing a broad expanse of snow-white skin. Her eyes held a coquettish allure so repulsive that it made Jiang Cheng sick. “Cheng郎, please… I truly cannot lose you!”

Su Ruoxi finally spoke, her voice cold as frost. “Su Ning­shuang, have you truly sold every last shred of your dignity to the Holy Son?”

Su Ning­shuang’s expression stiffened at those words, but she quickly recovered and gave a cold laugh. “Su Ruoxi, what right do you have to lecture me merely because you are the Holy Maiden? Did you not betray the Holy Land for your so-called ‘love’? How are we any different?”

Su Ruoxi’s gaze was icy, her tone utterly devoid of emotion. “The difference is that I could abandon everything for love, while you are nothing more than a joke clinging to power. Anyone without even a sense of shame is unworthy of being called a human being.”

The words drained the color from Su Ning­shuang’s face, yet she stubbornly continued. “Jiang Cheng, do you know that she is the true villain? She only wants your inheritance! As for me, I ask for nothing. I only want you to accept me!”

“Cheng郎, I know I was wrong…” Her voice trembled, tears overflowing from her eyes as her delicate body quivered and drew closer to Jiang Cheng. She spoke miserably. “Do you know how much I have sacrificed by giving myself to you? The Holy Son… the Holy Son imprisoned my parents! He said that if I could move you, if you were willing to accept me, then once the Holy Son obtained the Jiang family’s inheritance, he would spare the entire Su family…”

(Page 3 of 3)