Heaven envies the brilliant!
Wei Jie had said a great deal, and his emotions seemed somewhat shaken, but Jiang Chen had gotten the gist of it — it all came down to those four words.
"Brother Jiang, among our generation, there are few people Wei truly admires. You are one of them, Brother Jiang — I admire you, though I wouldn't say I'm ready to bow down in complete submission. But Young Master Fan is one of the rare few I would willingly serve with my whole heart."
It seemed Wei Jie was a die-hard loyalist of this Young Master Fan.
Jiang Chen didn't find it strange. The Glazed Royal City's most outstanding genius would naturally have a horde of followers and admirers — that was only to be expected.
But how could such a genius have fallen?
This was not something Jiang Chen would probe into. The only thing he cared about right now was the whereabouts of Gouyu and Mu Gaoqi.
Young Master Fan's death had clearly dealt Wei Jie a heavy blow. Wei Jie obviously didn't want to dwell on the topic.
"Brother Jiang, since you've come to the Glazed Royal City, you'll likely be staying here for quite some time. There are some things about the city you should know. The Glazed Royal City has seven Titled Emperors. Beneath each Titled Emperor are twenty-eight Great Houses. And beneath the Great Houses are the individual noble families. My Wei Family is one of those noble families under a Great House — a Ninth-Rank Family, the highest rank among noble families..."
Wei Jie explained in great detail, especially warning Jiang Chen about what to watch out for in the Glazed Royal City, which forces he must not provoke, and which ones were difficult to deal with.
The Titled Emperors and the Great House families went without saying — absolutely off-limits.
There were also various other forces, big and small, that were equally best left alone.
Of course, Jiang Chen hadn't come to the Glazed Royal City looking for trouble. His principle in life was simple: if others don't cross me, I don't cross them.
It had to be said that Jiang Chen and Wei Jie hit it off remarkably well. The two talked well past midnight before Wei Jie finally took his leave, and they agreed to go together the next day to gather information.
The night passed uneventfully.
Early the next morning, Jiang Chen was up and about. He didn't wait long before Wei Jie arrived. After a quick breakfast, the two headed for the door.
Just as they were about to leave, they spotted a group approaching along the road on the right side of the estate.
At the head of the group were two figures — a middle-aged man and a young man. Accompanying them was an alchemist wearing an alchemist's robe.
Behind the three of them trailed a group of warriors.
Wei Jie spotted the group, paused mid-stride, and came to a halt.
"Jie'er, when did you get back?" The middle-aged man's expression flickered upon seeing Wei Jie, then broke into a broad smile as he walked over.
"Fifth Uncle." Wei Jie smiled. "I returned yesterday evening — didn't get a chance to pay my respects to Uncle Tong yet."
"Cousin, I heard you were injured. I was quite worried. But it looks like you're in the pink of health — no issues at all! That puts my mind at ease." The young man beside the so-called Uncle Tong walked over with a grin, sweeping his gaze up and down Wei Jie's body.
"I'm fine, Brother Xiu. No need for you to worry." Wei Jie's tone was warm and cordial.
After a round of pleasantries, Wei Jie excused himself. "Fifth Uncle, Brother Xiu, I need to head out. Please excuse me."
With that, Wei Jie nodded to Jiang Chen, and the two walked toward the gate. He made no move to introduce Jiang Chen to the group.
The others were left standing there in stunned silence, staring after Wei Jie's retreating back with expressions of shock and bewilderment.
"Father, that kid doesn't seem to be hurt at all?" muttered the young man called Brother Xiu.
"Watch your tongue in the household!" the middle-aged man snapped in a low voice. His gaze also swept past the alchemist with a hint of severity.
The alchemist's face remained impassive, but his brows furrowed slightly. "That doesn't make sense. I dosed it precisely, and the timing was calculated perfectly. He should never have made it back in time. The Nine-Laugh Golden Buddha Powder — that's not something you just shake off. Strange, very strange..."
"Hmph!" The middle-aged man flicked his sleeve, clearly displeased with the outcome. "Pill King Jiang, I have treated you generously. But this time, you've disappointed me."
The alchemist offered a faint, indifferent smile. "Man proposes, Heaven disposes. He got lucky this time — he won't be so fortunate next time. Don't worry. I already have a new plan."
…
Jiang Chen and Wei Jie walked out of the gate and went three or five li before Jiang Chen suddenly spoke up. "Young Master Wei, were those people from your clan?"
"Mm. That was my Fifth Uncle — a paternal cousin of my father, so technically a clan uncle. His standing in the clan is second only to my father's. The young man is Wei Xiu, Fifth Uncle's son. He's my elder cousin."
Jiang Chen smiled with a hint of amusement. "You two don't get along very well, do you?"
Wei Jie blinked. He had just put on a display of nothing but warmth and courtesy — not a trace of displeasure or dissatisfaction had shown on his face.
How had Jiang Chen seen through it?
"Brother Jiang, what did you pick up on?" Wei Jie asked, a touch of surprise in his voice.
Jiang Chen chuckled lightly. "Since there are matters Young Master Wei would rather not discuss, I won't press. It wouldn't be my place — I wouldn't want it to seem like I'm driving a wedge between you."
Wei Jie had indeed been putting on an act with his clansmen. His reluctance to tell Jiang Chen wasn't deliberate concealment so much as a feeling that family dirty laundry shouldn't be aired in public.
Seeing that Jiang Chen had already figured it out, he smiled bitterly. "Brother Jiang truly deserves his reputation as a genius who can stand against the Undying Heavenly Capital — it seems nothing escapes your notice. That Fifth Uncle of mine has been locked in fierce rivalry with my father since childhood. Now, in our generation, his son has picked up right where they left off, competing just as fiercely with me. So what you saw back there — that was all superficial cordiality."
Jiang Chen nodded gently. "A fierce rivalry indeed — one that won't end until one side is destroyed. Young Master Wei, you do realize that the ones who want you dead are that very father-and-son pair, don't you?"
Wei Jie froze, his face filled with shock. "What did you say?"
Seeing Wei Jie's intense reaction, Jiang Chen was momentarily taken aback. He had assumed Wei Jie already knew about the assassination attempt. But from the look on his face, Wei Jie had no idea.