Wang Jiu Ling

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Wang Chong's grandfather and grand Duke of Great Tang.

The old master always liked to groom inexperienced talents, bringing them up to positions they were worthy of. As such, the old master’s students and old acquaintances were innumerable, and they took various positions all across the empire.

He was a meritorious subject who assisted the current emperor to the throne. After which, he was even promoted to become the Left Premier and his students and old buddies were throughout the entire Tang Dynasty. Even though he had already retired, he still held considerable influence.

Duke Jiu had survived and stood at the apex of the royal court for decades. Even after he had retired, he was invited to the Four Quarters Embassy and the emperor also often consulted him on politics.

He has undergone many tribulations in his life and weathered many storms. He has once fought in the northern borders against the Turkic Khaganate. He has once spoken impassionately during a critical period in the royal court, actively campaigned against enduring corruption, and established a new culture in the royal court.

Back then, when the political struggle grew intense and the empire was on the verge of crumbling, he was the one who spoke up and supported the current Sage Emperor, giving birth to the era of unprecedented prosperity today.

His students and old acquaintances filled the entire world! When he was in his prime, he actively stood at the frontlines. He lived his life upright and incorruptible, making him a highly respected figure by everyone in the empire.

A memory resurfaced in Wang Chong’s mind. Four years later, grandfather would meet his demise. The hidden trauma he sustained in his earlier years, the heavy wound inflicted on him on the battlefield, and the heavy workload he had to shoulder even after his retirement took a toll on his body. Despite already reaching his seventies, he still worked himself to the bones for the emperor, presenting strategies and ploys to him. This caused grandfather to be under great stress at all times. In a few years’ time, the old master would finally cave in and return to the earth.

## Cultivation

Wang Jiuling had not made his name in the world through scholarly pursuits, but his cultivation of that path had received the recognition of literary circles decades ago. If it hadn't been for the fact that Wang Jiuling's desires were not on that path, he might have become the leader of the scholars. Wang Jiuling's increasing age and the injuries he had suffered from his early days on the battlefield had led his cultivation of the martial path to wane day by day. Long gone was the formidable self of his golden age. But his cultivation of the scholarly path was not affected by these things. On the contrary, as he got older, his mental abilities only grew more formidable, and his attainments on the scholarly path far exceeded his attainments on the martial path.

When he was still the wise Prime Minister of the Great Tang who oversaw the court, Wang Jiuling's mental abilities had already reached a terrifying level. Those who walked the scholarly path were skilled in mental attacks that could pierce through Stellar Energy and directly assault the soul. It was completely different from the martial path. Before the leader of the scholarly path, even the strongest martial artist had to tread carefully.

Wang Jiuling's body was still in the Four Quarters Embassy, but even at such a distance, he could still sense what was happening and transmit his thoughts directly into everyone's minds. One could imagine from this how powerful he was.