Jiang Li was being carried away swiftly on the horseback by the man in the black robe. The wind whistled past his ears. Although he was filled with anger and helplessness in his heart, he didn't show any sign of fear.
At this moment, the Moyuan Sword on his chest suddenly moved. After a gentle vibration, it spat out a soft ball of light. The light instantly enveloped Jiang Li, blurring the surrounding scenery and blocking out all the sounds.
The ball of light spread rapidly like a bright star. Jiang Li's vision went black, and his consciousness was sucked into the Sea of Consciousness.
The Sea of Consciousness was ethereal. All around was deep darkness, with only fragments of memories that emitted a faint glow floating around.
Jiang Li concentrated his mind and grasped one of the balls of light. As soon as he touched it, a stabbing pain shot through his mind, and chaotic images emerged.
In a dim secret chamber, Wang Qianyuan stood solemnly in front of Lady Wang.
Lady Wang was dressed luxuriously, with a cold glint in her eyes and a slight curl at the corners of her mouth.
Wang Qianyuan lowered his head and said in a heavy voice,"Madam, are we really going to do this? If Luo Lengyan encounters trouble, the Duke's Mansion might be plunged into turmoil."
Lady Wang sneered,"Turmoil? Once she's dead, I can secure my position. Who would dare to oppose me? Do as I say, and everything will be fine. I've already made all the arrangements, and no one will know the truth."
Wang Qianyuan hesitated and said,"But what if I'm discovered... This matter is too dangerous."
Lady Wang's eyes were filled with malice as she said,"What are you afraid of? Even if you die, don't worry about being exposed. The Second Lady has bribed the coroner, who will forge a report stating that it was due to illness. By then, everyone will think that Luo Lengyan died of natural causes, and no one will suspect me."
Wang Qianyuan lowered his head and accepted the order, saying,"I understand, Madam."
Jiang Li was shocked in his heart. His mother's cause of death was directly related to Lady Wang.
He remembered that when his mother passed away, he was only seven years old. A perfectly healthy person had suddenly fallen critically ill and passed away a month later. He hadn't even been able to see her for the last time, and his father, Jiang Zhenting, hadn't allowed him to approach his mother's body.
He had already been suspicious about his mother's cause of death, and now he was even more convinced that her death was no accident.
Jiang Li murmured in a low voice, and anger flashed in his eyes."Mother was actually killed by Lady Wang!"
"Does Jiang Zhenting know about this or not?"
Anger and pain churned in Jiang Li's heart as he thought to himself,"Lady Wang, do you think you can cover up everything? For killing my mother, you will surely pay the price."
His thoughts became extremely clear. All the memory fragments flashed through his mind like lightning, gradually piecing together a complete picture - Lady Wang's conspiracy, the manipulation behind the Second Lady, Luo Lengyan's poisoning, and all of these were intricately linked to his mother's death.
"All of you will pay the price for your crimes." A flame of vengeance burned in Jiang Li's eyes. He swore to find out the truth about his mother's death and expose the conspiracy.
As the memories flooded in, Jiang Li's consciousness gradually returned, and the darkness once again filled his vision.
One of the members of the Xuantian Society said,"Brother, there's something wrong with this kid's aura."
The man in the black robe took a look at the unconscious Jiang Li and said nonchalantly,"Who cares? Can he defeat me? Stop talking nonsense and keep going!"
After an unknown amount of time, the sound of the horse's hooves gradually slowed down. Jiang Li woke up and saw that he was surrounded by mountains on all sides, with clouds and mist lingering around. They had already gone deep into the Canglong Mountain Range.
The man in the black robe pulled on the reins, dismounted, and dragged Jiang Li down, shouting,"Move!" He grabbed Jiang Li by the collar and walked deeper into the mountain range.
As they went deeper, the temperature grew colder and colder. Jiang Li secretly circulated his spiritual power to resist the cold while observing the environment and devising countermeasures.
The man in the black robe stopped in front of a mountain wall. A ray of spiritual power shot towards the mountain wall, which slowly opened, revealing a cave entrance with a faint light inside.
The man in the black robe pushed Jiang Li into the cave. Jiang Li felt a warm air current, which was in sharp contrast to the cold outside.
Walking along the winding passageway downward, before long, the view suddenly opened up in front of them. It was a large and open area filled with people. They were either chatting or polishing their weapons.
When everyone saw the man in the black robe bringing Jiang Li in, they all cast curious glances at them.
A burly man with a fierce and fleshy face grinned and asked,"Brother Zhang, who is this guy you've brought back?"
Brother Zhang snorted coldly, pushed Jiang Li forward, and said loudly,"This kid is Jiang Zhenting's son. Now that he's fallen into our hands today, we should give him a 'warm welcome' and make that old bastard Jiang Zhenting feel the pain of losing his son!"
Immediately, angry shouts rose from the crowd:
"Jiang Zhenting's son! Kill him!"
"Chop him up into pieces to avenge the hall master!"
Jiang Li's heart skipped a beat, and he understood why these people had captured him. Presumably, they were under Ling Zuo's command. Since Ling Zuo had been killed by Jiang Zhenting, they wanted to vent their anger on him. However, they didn't know that he didn't get along with Jiang Zhenting. They were probably making a wrong calculation.
Thinking of this, Jiang Li coldly swept his eyes over the crowd and burst out laughing towards the sky.
"Hahahahaha!"
Everyone was taken aback by his reaction.
"What are you laughing at, kid? Have you been scared stupid!" Someone looked at Jiang Li with contempt.
After a long while, Jiang Li finally stopped laughing. Then he looked at the crowd and said,"What am I laughing at? I'm laughing at how stupid you all are without even realizing it!"
"You brat! Who are you calling stupid! Do you want to die!" One hot-tempered man drew his saber and pointed it directly at Jiang Li.
"Zhao Jiu, don't be impulsive!" The man in the black robe stopped that person and then turned to look at Jiang Li.
"You say we're stupid, then give us a reason. If you're reasonable, we might just give you a quick death. But if you're not, we'll skin you alive today."
Jiang Li wasn't intimidated at all. He said in a clear voice,"You think that by capturing me, you can threaten Jiang Zhenting? It's a good idea, but there's one thing you've got wrong. I'm the least favored one in his mansion. He can't wait for me to die outside!"
His words were so forceful that they silenced many people. All of a sudden, the hubbub stopped abruptly, and everyone looked at each other in surprise.
Seeing this, the man in the black robe frowned, took a step forward, and said viciously,"Kid, you're talking nonsense! Could Jiang Zhenting just watch you die?"
The corners of Jiang Li's mouth curled up slightly, with a hint of sarcasm."Then you can go ahead and give it a try. See if he'll show up for me, this 'unfilial son'."
The man in the black robe was so angry at Jiang Li's words that his face turned ashen."Hmph, no matter what your relationship with Jiang Zhenting is, now that you're in our hands, don't expect to have an easy time!"
Just then, a skinny man with a sinister look in his eyes walked out of the crowd. He walked around Jiang Li, looking him up and down, clicking his tongue all the while.
"I say, Hall Master, this young master of the Jiang family does have some courage. However, he won't be allowed to be so arrogant here. Why don't we lock him up in that specially made stone chamber first and let him calm down. When he finally realizes fear, it won't be too late to deal with him then." The skinny man said with a sinister smile.
The man in the black robe gave him a glance and nodded slightly."Alright, Skinny. I'll leave this kid to you. But don't kill him. He's still of great use to us."
"Don't worry, Hall Master. I know what I'm doing." Skinny replied and was about to step forward to grab Jiang Li.
Jiang Li's figure flickered and he instantly took a few steps back, avoiding Skinny's grasp. At the same time, he secretly gathered spiritual power in his hands, ready to defend himself.
"Want to catch me? It's not that easy!" Jiang Li shouted.
Skinny didn't expect Jiang Li to be able to dodge so nimbly and couldn't help but be taken aback. Then, feeling both angry and ashamed, he snorted and said,"Hmph, you still dare to dodge? Let's see how I'll teach you a lesson today!"
With that, a long black whip shot towards Jiang Li.