Chapter 626 - 626: Arriving at the Imperial City

Cao Shan also nodded, filled with emotion. He took a deep breath to calm his excitement.

"Father, I used to have so many misunderstandings and prejudices against Young Master Jiang," he said in a low voice. "Only after seeing things for myself today do I realize how brilliant his medical skills are, and his character is beyond reproach. From now on, I must correct my attitude and sincerely apologize to him."

Cao Qing watched his son's growth with gratification. "Remember," he said earnestly, "a truly strong person possesses not only power, but also virtue and wisdom. Young Master Jiang is just such a person. We should learn from his excellent qualities, not envy or belittle him."

As evening fell, Jiang Xinghai slowly awoke. "Prince of the East, what time is our flight to the Imperial City?"

"Young Master Jiang, it's at 8:30 PM. We still have three and a half hours until takeoff," Cao Qing immediately replied.

He also told Jiang Xinghai the good news about his great-grandson, Cao Can, whose condition had improved, and expressed his family's profound gratitude.

Jiang Xinghai smiled and said there was no need for thanks, then asked about the progress in the search for the missing Sun Zhen.

After learning there were no new leads, Jiang Xinghai said decisively, "Prince of the East, I won't be able to handle this matter personally. I'll have to entrust it to you."

"Young Master Jiang, I desperately want to help you, but... I also wish to follow you to the Imperial City," Cao Qing said urgently. "Of course, we can't give up the investigation. Just leave it to my son, Cao Shan."

"You want to follow me to the Imperial City?"

Jiang Xinghai looked at Cao Qing and shook his head. "I can allow you to follow me, but now is not the time. There are no leads in Sun Zhen's case, so you must stay in Shanghai. This is a matter of great importance. After all, a legendary Teleportation Array has appeared."

"I understand." As a man in his nineties, Cao Qing naturally understood the significance of the words 'Teleportation Array'.

And so, after some discussion, Jiang Xinghai returned directly to the hotel.

「Night fell.」

Jiang Xinghai gazed at the emerging Shanghai nightscape, his mind occupied with the mysterious disappearance of his servant, Sun Zhen.

Only by solving this mystery could he ensure the safety of those he cared about. It would also allow him to further enhance his own strength and cultivation to face the greater challenges ahead.

Soon, he arrived at his parents' room and looked apologetically at his father, Jiang Wendong. "Dad, I promised to deal with your Dantian Seal tonight, but your son has to break his promise."

"What's the big deal? It's fine!"

Not a trace of disappointment showed on Jiang Wendong's face. He smiled, stepping forward to put an arm around Jiang Xinghai's shoulder. "As long as I'm alive and can be with you and your mother, that's more than enough."

"That's right, Xinghai," Ji Qingya added as she walked over to comfort him. "Your father's Dantian being sealed... we've never even heard of such a thing. How could it possibly be cured so quickly? Take your time. Your dad can afford to wait."

In truth, when Jiang Xinghai hadn't shown up all day, the couple had already guessed how tricky the matter must be.

"Actually, treating Father's Dantian Seal isn't difficult," Jiang Xinghai explained. "It's just that of the thirty-six medicinal ingredients required, we're still missing the final two. They aren't in Shanghai. Let's leave for the Imperial City now. The Dragon Country Medical Dao Hall should have them in stock."

"So you're saying my hope lies in the Imperial City? That's great! We were heading to the Imperial City anyway," Jiang Wendong said, raising an eyebrow.

"Exactly. I've already booked the tickets. It's an 8:30 flight. We'll all return to the Imperial City together."

Jiang Xinghai took out three tickets, his eyes filled with boundless hope.

This trip to the Imperial City wasn't just about finding the last two medicinal herbs for his father.

It was also about his maternal grandfather's family, the Ji Family, and his uncle—Black Cloak, Mr. Long, Ji Xiao!

And, it was about finding the mastermind who orchestrated the Jiang Family's downfall all those years ago!

"So you had this planned all along," Jiang Wendong realized with a start.

Upon hearing this, a look of joy appeared on Ji Qingya's face, but her heart ached with a bitter sorrow.

Returning to the Imperial City meant she would inevitably have to face her father.

But when she married Jiang Wendong, her father had disowned her. The memory had been a constant pain in her heart.

And then there was her "dear" older brother, Ji Xiao!

On this trip to the Imperial City, she needed a final reckoning for why he had fanned the flames behind the scenes, ordering three great successor families to conspire against her and her husband.

"Xinghai, you always manage to surprise us," Ji Qingya said, gently stroking his cheek. Her eyes were filled with pride and relief.

"Then let's go with your plan," Jiang Wendong said, patting Jiang Xinghai's shoulder. His eyes conveyed his trust and hope for his son.

They understood that since their son had made such arrangements, he must have a solid plan and be completely confident.

Under the cover of night, Jiang Xinghai and his parents went to the airport and boarded the 8:30 PM flight to the Imperial City.

Gazing down at the scattered city lights on the ground below, Jiang Xinghai thought he could see the Provincial City of Shanhe.

There, several women were waiting for him.

Especially Shen Lingxue, who was now carrying his child.

'Lingxue, Lingyin, Liping, and Lulu... and others...'

Jiang Xinghai slowly closed his eyes as images of the women he had grown close to recently flashed through his mind.

'The emotional debts I've accrued... I won't be able to repay them anytime soon.'

The plane cut a brilliant arc across the night sky, speeding toward the Imperial City.

In his mind, however, Jiang Xinghai was already playing out the various challenges and decisions he would soon face.

He knew that what awaited him in the Imperial City wasn't just medicinal herbs and help from the Medical Dao Hall, but also a tangled web of family feuds, love, and hatred, as well as enemies lurking in the shadows.

He had to become even stronger to face it all—not just for himself, but to protect everyone around him who cared about him.

He also understood that as his investigation deepened, he would likely uncover more unknown secrets, possibly even involving clandestine forces from the entire world of Martial Arts, and perhaps even the Cultivation Realm.

As the plane broke through the clouds, it was as if it were also breaking through the shackles of time and space, carrying them toward a new beginning.

「Finally, at the stroke of midnight.」

The plane landed smoothly at Imperial City International Airport.

"Five years..."

The last time Jiang Xinghai had seen the Imperial City was five years ago.

Five years ago, afflicted with a grave illness, he had been sent to Kunlun by his parents.

That very same year, his parents had mysteriously disappeared, only to end up imprisoned in Mirror Lake Manor in Shanghai!

In that same year, the Jiang Family had met with disaster!

"Xinghai, let's go straight to the old family home."

Jiang Wendong looked up at the starry night sky, a tear tracing a path from the corner of his eye.

Five years ago, he and his wife had traveled south, where they were abducted. From that moment on, they had suffered endless torture in Mirror Lake Manor.

But he never could have imagined that while he and his wife were imprisoned in Mirror Lake Manor, the very roots of their family were being almost completely annihilated!

「Half an hour later.」

A taxi dropped the three members of the Jiang family off at a residential area outside the Third Ring Road.

The former site of the Jiang Family estate.

The once-magnificent courtyard residence was now completely overgrown with weeds.

Due to years of neglect, the walls of the house were riddled with cracks.

"Dad, let's stay in a nearby hotel for the night. We can come back in the morning." Seeing the home he grew up in reduced to such a dilapidated state, Jiang Xinghai could naturally understand how his father must feel.

"Xinghai, take your mother to a hotel to rest. I'm not the least bit tired. I'm going to try and clear out all these weeds before dawn."

Jiang Wendong gave a faint smile and turned toward the courtyard, beginning to pull up weeds from the ground as he walked.

"Dad, don't touch anything!"

Jiang Xinghai seemed to have realized something. "Don't touch a thing. At least, not until we've found the mastermind who destroyed our family. Nothing here should be disturbed."