From the old man’s account, Xue An finally grasped the general outline of what had happened.
It turned out that this old man really was the former Domain Master of Ling’an Domain, Xu Ling’an, while the current one in the City Lord’s Mansion was his disciple, named Shi Chang.
Back then, after successfully advancing to Great General, Xu Ling’an took charge of Ling’an Domain.
At that time Ling’an Domain was even more desolate than it is now, with its Spirit Veins withered and the literary ethos crude and shabby—a barren land in every sense.
But after Xu Ling’an assumed control, he vigorously revived the Spirit Veins and rectified the literary culture, and soon had Ling’an Domain thriving and prosperous.
Not only that, Xu Ling’an also selected many gifted and qualified children from among the common folk and trained them, ultimately choosing several exceptionally talented youths to take in as his disciples.
Shi Chang was one of them, and he was the most gifted of all.
Xu Ling’an doted on him and cultivated him with great care; under this meticulous guidance, Shi Chang’s Cultivation Level advanced at a staggering pace.
If events had followed this trajectory, it would have been a beautiful tale of master and disciple in harmony, jointly governing a domain.
Yet what Xu Ling’an never imagined, not in a thousand lifetimes, was that this very disciple he’d painstakingly nurtured would strike him a fatal blow from behind.
It happened when Shi Chang had just proven his Dao at the rank of Fifth-Grade Capital Commandant. Xu Ling’an held a grand celebration ceremony for his disciple, and during the ceremony he openly declared that he would hand Ling’an Domain over to Shi Chang in the future.
But no one expected that on the night after the feast ended, Shi Chang would secretly slip into Xu Ling’an’s room, where he lay dead drunk, and strike directly with poison and violence.
Hearing this, Xue An raised his brows slightly. "No. At that time he had only just proven his Dao as a Fifth-Grade Capital Commandant, while you were a dignified Fourth-Grade Great General. Even if he caught you off guard with a sneak attack, he shouldn’t have been able to do anything to you."
The old man gave a bitter smile at these words. "You’re right about a lot of it, but that wolf-hearted bastard somehow got his hands on a Third-Grade Upper Great General Seal and used it to completely suppress my Cultivation Level!"
Xue An’s gaze flickered slightly. "And then?"
"Then I woke up. When I realized the situation I was in, I couldn’t help cursing Shi Chang furiously. But he just listened with a smiling face, and only after I’d worn myself out did he give a cold laugh and say..."
"’Master, it’s too late to say anything else now. This world has always been a winner-takes-all world. I’m very grateful for your cultivation of me, but your way of thinking can no longer keep up with this world!’"
"Those were his exact words?" Xue An asked, frowning.
"His exact words."
"Keep going."
"Afterward, I questioned him in anguish. I’d already decided to hand Ling’an Domain over to him, so why was he in such a rush? He was silent for a moment, then slowly said, ’I have no choice either.’"
"’No choice...’" Xue An softly repeated the phrase.
The old man’s emotions grew increasingly agitated. "At the time I was beside myself with rage, certain it was just a flimsy excuse. I asked him, ’Even if you kill me, then what?’"
"’Ling’an Domain was built up by me alone. If I suddenly die, it will surely cause a great upheaval in all directions. You, who were only a Fifth-Grade Capital Commandant at the time, could never suppress the situation!’"
"But what I absolutely didn’t expect was that Shi Chang just gave a cold snort and said to me, ’That’s not something I need to worry about. Since I’ve chosen this path, I obviously have the means to see it through.’ And as he spoke..."
The old man paused, a hint of fear flashing in his eyes.
"His face and build began to shift rapidly, and in the end he looked exactly like me—down to my speech and temperament, which he mimicked to perfection!"
"Then he asked me smugly, ’Tell me, can I pull the wool over everyone’s eyes like this?’"
At this point, the old man’s tone and expression were filled with desolate sorrow.


VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABEL
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Invincibility Begins with a Super Fairy Manny