Jia Tianlong

1,267 words

Jia Tianlong, the Golden Wolf, was at the height of his arrogance. His usually pale, sickly face was flushed with a few hints of red from sheer excitement.

It was no wonder he looked this way. The Seven Mysteries Sect, his lifelong nemesis, was about to collapse before his very eyes thanks to his meticulous scheming. As the master of the Wild Wolf Gang, how could he not be elated?

He now stood on the mountainside of Sunset Peak, at one of the Seven Mysteries Sect’s former sentry posts, surrounded by dozens of his Wild Wolf Gang’s Red-Clad Iron Guards. These fifty to sixty guards were the elite troops he had painstakingly cultivated with great effort. Every single one of them possessed excellent martial arts and unwavering loyalty, having no second thoughts about him.

He had always regarded these men as his most precious assets, reluctant to use them in everyday brawls. But now, he had brought them all to his side. Their presence was necessary to fully intimidate the restless ambitions of the smaller and medium-sized gangs. Otherwise, the leaders of the Iron Spear Society, the Water Cutting Sect, and other groups would not be so obediently following his commands.

After all, these gangs had no desire to see the Wild Wolf Gang become the sole dominant power. They preferred a state of perpetual conflict or balance between the two major forces, allowing them to survive in the cracks.

If Jia Tianlong had not taken their families hostage with lightning speed, and added heavy promises of reward, these smaller gangs would have likely turned their spears against him by now.

Thinking of this, he could not help but glance back at the dozen or so leaders of the smaller and medium-sized gangs standing not far behind him.

Every single one of them appeared dejected. When they saw Jia Tianlong looking their way, some glared back in anger, while others averted their gaze, unable to meet his eyes.

Seeing this, Jia Tianlong sneered coldly in his heart. Turning back, his mind began to consider feasible plans for annexing these smaller and medium-sized gangs once the Seven Mysteries Sect was taken.

Before Jia Tianlong, nearly a thousand men dressed in various colors and armed with all kinds of weapons were swarming in a chaotic assault on one of the Seven Mysteries Sect’s sentry posts. These men were in disorganized formations, showing no coordination whatsoever, and their casualties were heavy.

But Jia Tianlong did not care in the slightest. Those currently attacking were not his Wild Wolf Gang men, but the gang members of the Iron Spear Society, the Water Cutting Sect, and other groups. He never expected these people to take this last and most perilous stronghold on Sunset Peak. He merely wanted them to exhaust the defenders’ energy before sending his own elite troops to finish the job with a volley from their repeating crossbows.

The very thought of those military-grade repeating crossbows brought a faint smile to Jia Tianlong’s handsome face.

If one were to say what had allowed the Wild Wolf Gang to gain the upper hand so easily this time, these killing implements from the army were certainly the main contributors.

Otherwise, not only would they have been unable to completely annihilate the enemy’s negotiation team, but even taking the dozen or so sentry posts already captured on Sunset Peak would have cost the Wild Wolf Gang a significant amount of its vitality, greatly hindering his plans to annex the smaller and medium-sized gangs.

This batch of military crossbows had not cost Jia Tianlong a single ounce of effort. They had simply fallen from the sky into his lap while he was at home.

Whenever Jia Tianlong recalled this matter, he felt a surge of exhilaration in his heart.

It had happened three months ago. He was at his headquarters planning this campaign when a man claiming to be a relative, an army officer, requested an audience. Finding it strange, he met with the man, and it turned out to be a cousin of his. It seemed that over a decade ago, when the predecessor of the Wild Wolf Gang was still a group of horse bandits, a batch of them had accepted amnesty and been conscripted into the government army. This cousin of his was among them. After so many years, this cousin had somehow climbed to the high military rank of Vice General. Now, this Vice General cousin happened to be escorting a shipment of supplies to a border fortress in Jingzhou, passing through the area. Upon hearing of his close relative Jia Tianlong’s reputation as the Wild Wolf Gang’s leader, he naturally wanted to visit his younger cousin.

Upon meeting, the two exchanged nostalgic greetings and caught up on their experiences over the years. When Jia Tianlong mentioned the recent conflicts and battles with the Seven Mysteries Sect, the man curled his lip and said arrogantly that it was nothing; with just over a hundred repeating hard crossbows, he could exterminate everyone in the Seven Mysteries Sect from top to bottom.

The speaker had no malicious intent, but the listener took note. Jia Tianlong’s heart stirred, and he tentatively asked his cousin if he could procure some hard crossbows for him. The man smiled faintly and frankly told Jia Tianlong that among the supplies he was escorting, there were, in fact, many repeating crossbows. It was not impossible to give him some, but it would require some silver to bribe the receiving officer, and he could not give away too many.

Jia Tianlong was overjoyed. He immediately used over twenty thousand taels of silver to exchange for over three hundred repeating crossbows from his cousin. He entrusted them to his trusted subordinates for careful use, which led to the series of victories in the past few days.

“It’s broken!”

“They’ve broken through!”

…

A thunderous uproar jolted Jia the Great Gang Leader from his thoughts.

Somewhat startled, he quickly raised his head to look up the mountain. He saw that the sentry post, which had previously flown the banner of the Seven Mysteries Sect, was now packed with men from the smaller and medium-sized gangs. It had truly been breached.

Jia Tianlong frowned. He found it strange. Based on the defensive strength of the previous checkpoints, this final one should logically have been even harder to take. How had these ragtag troops managed to capture it so quickly? Could there be some trick?

His expression darkened. Anyone familiar with the Great Gang Leader Jia knew that this was a sign of his displeasure. If someone angered him at this moment, that person would find death a far easier fate than what awaited them.

“Hey, since it’s been taken, why aren’t we moving?” A voice like a cracked gong rang out, containing not a shred of respect for the Great Gang Leader Jia.

By all rights, Jia Tianlong should have been furious. But this time, he turned around and answered with great deference:

“Immortal Master Zhang, I find this breach a little too suspicious. I’m afraid there might be a trap laid inside. It’s better to be cautious.”

“What are you afraid of? With me by your side, do you think these mere mortals can harm you? Hurry up, hurry up! I’ve been cooped up here for almost the entire night, and I’m about to die of sleepiness. Let’s finish off these Seven Mysteries Sect fellows quickly so this old man can get some rest.” The voice was not aged, but it put on a condescending, elder-like tone, grating on the ears.

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Reading Guide Decoding

The Golden Wolf’s Gambit: Crossbow Politics and Immortal Arrogance

Cultural / Xianxia Notes

The Golden Wolf’s Strategic Depth: Jia Tianlong is not a one-dimensional villain. His use of the Red-Clad Iron Guards as a political weapon to intimidate rival gangs is a hallmark of mortal-world military strategy. He understands that victory requires controlling your own allies as much as defeating your enemies.
The Economics of War: The chapter provides a brutally realistic example of the Mortal Stream’s resource-driven logic. The Wild Wolf Gang’s victory doesn’t come from a better martial art or a secret technique; it comes from a business transaction. Twenty thousand taels of silver buys three hundred military crossbows, an exchange that completely overturns the balance of power in a gang war. It’s a stark reminder that in this world, money is a weapon as sharp as any blade.
Mortals vs. Immortals – The Power Differential: Immortal Master Zhang’s appearance is the chapter’s true highlight. His tone is not just arrogant; it is the casual condescension of a being who sees mortals as beneath notice. He scoffs at Jia Tianlong’s tactical concerns with, “With me by your side, do you think these mere mortals can harm you?” This perfectly illustrates the immense, crushing power gap between cultivators and the Jianghu world. The fear Jia Tianlong carefully cultivates in others means nothing in the face of a true cultivator.
The “Self-Born Stranger” Trope (不请自来的贵人): The arrival of Jia Tianlong’s distant cousin, a high-ranking military official from his forgotten past, is a classic narrative device in Chinese fiction. A powerful ally or resource appears not from a grand quest, but from a coincidental reunion. It reinforces the idea that luck and connections in one’s personal network can be as decisive as one’s own abilities.

Chapter Overview

Forget the action set-pieces for a moment—Chapter 81 is a throne room chapter, but the throne is a rocky outpost on Sunset Peak, and the king is Jia Tianlong, the Golden Wolf. After chapters of running, fighting, and scheming from Han Li’s perspective, we finally get a full, uninterrupted look at the man pulling the strings on the other side of this invasion. And what we find is a surprisingly meticulous, cautious, and pragmatic warlord who feels far more like a seasoned general than a cartoon villain. The chapter is a masterclass in Mortal Stream political strategy: the careful balancing of hostages, promises, military assets, and—most chillingly—the exploitation of a higher power. That higher power is revealed at the chapter’s end: a mysterious “Immortal Master Zhang,” a cultivator whose casual arrogance spells a terrifying new dimension to this conflict. This chapter is the calm before an even darker storm, reminding us that this world’s true apex predators have barely begun to move.

Key Plot Points

Jia Tianlong’s POV: The chapter opens by firmly establishing the Wild Wolf Gang leader’s psychological state and his position on the battlefield. He is flushed with success but remains a calculating strategist, not a reckless brute.
The Iron Guard Deployment: Jia Tianlong has brought his most trusted fifty-to-sixty Red-Clad Iron Guards, his most precious and loyal troops. Their function is not solely for assault but to intimidate and police the allied smaller gangs, preventing betrayal.
The Hostage & Bribe Gambit: The narration reveals that the smaller and medium-sized gangs (Iron Spear Society, Water Cutting Sect, etc.) are only cooperating because Jia Tianlong swiftly took their families hostage and offered heavy material rewards. Their loyalty is a fiction maintained by pure coercion and greed.
The Repeating Crossbow Origin Story: A key flashback explains the Wild Wolf Gang’s sudden military advantage. Three months ago, a cousin of Jia Tianlong’s, now a Vice General in the army, passed through. For twenty-thousand taels of silver, he funneled over three hundred military-grade repeating crossbows from the army’s supplies to the gang. This single transaction has been the deciding factor in their campaign.
The Suspicious Breakthrough: The final and most dangerous sentry post on Sunset Peak falls far too easily. Jia Tianlong, ever the pragmatist, immediately suspects a trap. His cautious nature asserts itself over his greed for victory.
Immortal Master Zhang Appears: Jia Tianlong’s caution is overridden by the appearance of a figure identified only as “Immortal Master Zhang.” This cultivator, speaking with a lazy, condescending, and elder-like tone, commands Jia Tianlong to press the attack, dismissing any mortal plotting as irrelevant. His very presence reveals that the Wild Wolf Gang’s invasion is backed by a cultivator, fundamentally changing the stakes of the conflict.

Reading Guide

This chapter is a vital palette cleanser and a tension builder. After the intense, personal horror of Han Li’s escape from Doctor Mo, we zoom out for a top-down view of the war Han Li is about to walk into. This is your reminder that A Record of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality is not just about one man’s survival; it is about an entire world of politics, economics, and power structures.

Pay close attention to how Jia Tianlong is portrayed. He is a competent, intelligent antagonist, not a buffoon. This makes his eventual defeat (and it will come) all the more significant. His biggest mistake was likely becoming a pawn for forces he didn’t fully understand.

The final revelation of Immortal Master Zhang is the chapter’s hook. It confirms the reader’s suspicion: cultivators are pulling the strings behind this gang war. Consider how this changes the nature of the conflict. The “battle for the Seven Mysteries Sect” is no longer just a mortal Jianghu struggle; it is a conflict between a sect with a fading legacy and a force backed by a real cultivator. The odds for Han Li’s allies just got much, much longer.