Dragon-Marked War God Chapter 2 – I won’t do it,do it yourself!

After taking the lives of the two guards, Jiang Chen glanced up at the horizon and realized that darkness was descending. Emerging from the compound, he found himself surrounded by a barren, desolate landscape, with the air hanging heavy with a stale, musty odor.

Reflecting on his fragmented memories, he understood this was the most secluded and forsaken corner of Fragrant Sky City. It had been left to rot for over a decade, and under normal circumstances, no living soul would venture here. The Yong brothers had certainly chosen their ground well when they decided to confine him to this prison.

“I stood at the pinnacle in my previous existence, so I refuse to be a mere weakling in this one. My past has vanished; let the dead bury the dead. Since I have claimed this vessel, I am now you, the reborn Jiang Chen. Your lineage is mine to uphold, and your adversaries are now my own. We shall march toward the destiny that awaits us together!”

With a flicker of renewed intensity in his eyes, he strode away from that desolate site.

Chaos had enveloped the mayoral residence during the three days Jiang Chen had been unaccounted for. Though the former master of this name was known for his callous and erratic behavior, he had never before gone missing for such an extended duration.

As the sole heir to the mayor, his safety was paramount. While the mayor constantly berated him, his heart clearly held nothing but profound affection for the boy, evidenced by the endless supply of precious medicines he compelled him to consume.

Every guard within the mansion had been dispatched to scour the city for the young master. They had turned over every stone, yet found no clue. Finally, the mayor issued a decree: if the heir was not recovered by nightfall, the guards need not bother returning at all.

Unexpectedly, a detachment of guards wandered toward the very restricted area where Jiang Chen had been held hostage. Having canvassed every other logical location, they finally stumbled upon this neglected wasteland.

“Ai, this young master will never let us live in peace. He is likely enjoying himself somewhere while we suffer out here. I haven’t had a drop of water or a bite of food all day.”

“Cease your grumbling. He is the mayor's only son. Tomorrow marks the marriage engagement with the Mu Rong family. Should we fail to locate him by then, do not look for any mercy to be shown to us.”

“The young master wouldn't dream of coming to a hollowed-out spot like this; we are burning sunlight for nothing… wait, there is someone moving up ahead!”

While his subordinates griped, the lead guard spotted a figure dressed in white strolling leisurely in their direction.

“Young Master!”

The guard shouted, his eyes widening in complete shock. He wiped his palms over his eyes just to be certain. Who else could that silhouette belong to if not the young master?

“Captain, it is him! We have actually found the young master! Haha!”

The soldier leapt from his position, his composure shattered by raw relief. Tears threatened to spill from his eyes, as if the man before him were not the arrogant heir, but a long-lost father returning from the dead.

“It is truly the young master! By the Heavens, he is safe!”

Several other guards charged toward Jiang Chen. Regardless of why he had wandered into such a godforsaken, desolate place, it mattered not. The only thing of consequence was that he stood before them, alive, whole, and untouched.

“Jiang Cheng, what are you all doing here?”

Jiang Chen surveyed the captain. He recognized the man immediately; his name was Jiang Cheng.

“Young Master, thank the gods we found you! If you hadn’t reappeared, the mayor would have personally executed us all!”

Jiang Cheng exclaimed, a look of unbridled joy crossing his face. He seemed on the verge of weeping from sheer gratitude.

Jiang Chen maintained a facade of confusion. Yet, with his keen intellect, it took only a fleeting moment to piece together the events of the last three days. His father must have been driven to the brink of madness with worry. He could easily visualize these men suffering constant dread in his absence.

Thinking of the father he had yet to witness, a spark of warmth ignited in his chest. Though he had been the greatest Saint in his past age, he had never possessed a companion who truly cared for his well-being. As an orphan, the concept of familial devotion had always remained a foreign mystery to him.

“Do I appear to be in such a wretched state? None of you will be dying today. Come, let us return home.”

Jiang Chen smiled warmly.

“Young Master, please, take my mount.”

Jiang Cheng hurriedly stepped forward, offering the reins of his horse.

“That won't be necessary; I prefer to walk. You have all exerted yourselves. Once we reach the mansion, everyone shall be entitled to collect 10 gold coins from the treasury.”

Jiang Chen announced this as if it were a trivial matter.

What? Ten… gold coins?

Jiang Cheng nearly tripped over his own feet in disbelief. He was not alone; the rest of the guard squad stood petrified. Ten gold coins? Their monthly salary was merely ten silver coins!

Jiang Chen, being a former Saint, cared little for such pittance, but to these men, ten gold coins was a small fortune, a life-changing sum.

What had overcome the young master? This was entirely out of character for him!

Since when did he possess such uncharacteristic generosity? He refused to ride, and since their reunion, he had refrained from the habitual verbal abuse he normally showered upon them.

Having been missing for three days, the young master appeared to have transformed into a completely different individual.

“Move out! Quickly, fall in behind the young master.”

Jiang Cheng shook off his stupor first. Every remaining guard scrambled to catch up, following their master on foot. Nobody dared to mount their horses while the young master himself chose to walk ahead.

…………

Within the main hall of the Mayor’s mansion, a middle-aged man paced back and forth, a mask of profound anxiety etched onto his features. Clad in flowing silk robes, he stood seven feet tall and was built with the sturdy frame of a warrior.

He was the mayor of Fragrant Sky City, Jiang Zhen Hai!

“Do not distress yourself, Father. I am certain they will locate Jiang Chen shortly.”

Beside the mayor stood a well-groomed young man dressed in elegant white. He appeared to be seventeen or eighteen, exuding an air of sophistication that marked him as someone of status. Though he displayed a look of feigned grief, a subtle hint of malice danced behind his eyes.

“That brat never gives me a single moment of peace. If he possessed even half of your aptitude, I could die content,” Jiang Zhen Hai muttered in utter frustration.

“Young master has returned!”

A guard burst into the hall, his face brimming with frantic excitement.

“What?”

Jiang Ru Long nearly vocalized his shock; the facade he had worn for the mayor vanished instantly.

“He is back?”

Jiang Zhen Hai felt a tide of immense relief consume him, and he bellowed, “Bring him to me immediately!”

Sensing the volatile temper of the Mayor, the guard tremulously replied, “Mayor, the young master said he was overcome with fatigue and has retired to his chambers to recuperate. He intends to pay his respects to you tomorrow.”

“What kind of insolence is this? Where are his manners?”

Jiang Zhen Hai glared at the guardsman with bared teeth.

“Father, perhaps Jiang Chen is truly exhausted. Furthermore, tomorrow is the day of his engagement with the Mu Rong family. It would be wise to allow him the rest he requires,” Jiang Ru Long suggested to his adoptive father.

“Ru Long, do not always enable him. This young scoundrel has grown increasingly insubordinate,” the Mayor growled.

“Do not lose your temper, Father. I shall go and speak with him myself,” Jiang Ru Long offered.

“Very well. Ensure someone keeps a watch on him and prevent him from leaving his room. I will not tolerate any mishaps during tomorrow's engagement ceremony.”

Jiang Zhen Hai gestured dismissively and strode away.

The mayoral estate was immense, granting Jiang Chen his own spacious, private quarters. Standing in his courtyard with his hands clasped behind his back, he allowed the moonlight to wash over him, waiting for a visitor he was certain would come.

Outside the gates of his residence, a figure materialized from the shadows—it was Jiang Ru Long. Seeing Jiang Chen standing unscathed in the yard, a look of murderous cruelty flickered across his face.

“Incompetent fools. How could they let this rat return breathing?”

Smoothing his features back into a mask of brotherly concern, Jiang Ru Long stepped into the mansion’s inner courtyard.

“My brother, where have you been these past three days? You have no idea the depths of my concern,” Jiang Ru Long cried out, feigning a blend of worry and relief.

“Brother!”

Without warning, Jiang Chen lunged toward him, enveloping him in a tight hug. “Brother, I nearly believed I would never see you again!”

Putting on a performance of sorrow, Jiang Chen allowed tears to soak into Jiang Ru Long’s shoulder, though his jaw remained set in a grim line during the embrace.

“What transpired, brother? Who was bold enough to torment you? Tell me, and I shall see that they are made to pay!” Jiang Ru Long replied, stroking Jiang Chen's back.

“It was those two peasants, Yang Yong and Yang Shuang. They sought to end my life,” Jiang Chen spat, pulling back to look his brother in the eye.

Though a jolt of shock registered in Jiang Ru Long’s heart, his face remained carefully indifferent. “What? How dare they lay a hand on you? I will ensure they suffer for this!”

“Brother, they are already dead,” Jiang Chen stated pointedly.

While his voice crackled with fabricated fury, Jiang Chen scrutinized his brother’s expressions for the slightest tremor. Jiang Ru Long was a master of suppression, but as the supreme Saint of his former life, Jiang Chen possessed a vision that nothing could escape.

“They are dead? Both of them had reached the sixth level of the Qi Jing realm. By what means did you slay them?” Jiang Ru Long inquired, his curiosity masking a hidden anxiety.

“Don’t tease me, brother. You know I am a hopeless case at cultivation, barely touching the first level of the Qi Jing realm! I was no match for the Yang brothers, but by some stroke of fortune, a mysterious expert reached the eighth level of the Qi Jing realm and intervened. Sadly, the benefactor refused any payment or recognition. He departed immediately after eliminating them… I don’t even know the man’s name. What a tragedy.”

Jiang Chen sighed with a perfect mixture of relief and regret.

‘The damn fool is lucky,’ Ru Long thought, cursing inwardly. He accepted the explanation—how else could this weakling have survived otherwise?

Simultaneously, a weight lifted from Jiang Ru Long’s mind. With the Yang brothers dead, no witness remained to reveal his treachery. There would be countless other chances to rid himself of Jiang Chen later.

“It is fortunate they have met their end. What matters most is that you have returned unharmed! If you had fallen, I would have spent my entire existence filled with the regret of failing to protect you.”

The synthetic display of concern made Jiang Chen want to retch.

“My brother is truly the finest man in this world!” Jiang Chen said, performing his role with perfection.

“Speak not such things; we are brothers. Tomorrow brings the engagement with the Mu Rong family. You must gird yourself, little brother. This is the opportunity of a lifetime. Should you secure a union with the daughter of the Mu Rong family, you will have performed an invaluable service for our clan!” Jiang Ru Long exclaimed, gripping Jiang Chen’s shoulder firmly. Fragrant Sky City had two titans: the Mayor’s house and the Mu Rong family. The latter controlled the vast majority of local trade, and the two households lived in a tense, competitive stalemate. A strategic marriage of this nature would bridge that divide, bringing immense fiscal benefits to both factions.

“Marry their daughter? Count me out.” Jiang Chen flatly refused, shaking his head with firm resolve.

“Brother, this is not a choice you possess. Father has labored extensively for this alliance; you cannot ruin his efforts now,” Jiang Ru Long pressed, trying to manipulate his decision.

“I am quite serious. I have never even laid eyes upon this girl. It is farcical to expect me to walk down the aisle with a stranger. Furthermore, I am still in my youth. If you all are so desperate for an alliance, I believe you are the most suitable candidate. You are also a son of the Mayor, and you are my elder. It is impossible for me to take a wife before you, my brother. I refuse to do it; if you want this marriage so badly, you go and do it yourself.”

Jiang Chen remained unswerving in his decree.

Listening to his younger brother’s sudden stubbornness, Jiang Ru Long sensed a strange opportunity. Perhaps by pushing Jiang Chen to his death, he could step into this marriage himself—simultaneously seizing the bride and elevating his own status within both prestigious families.