After leaving Luoshui County.
Jiang Ning quietly waited on a high slope, waiting for the person who might be following him.
Less than a hundred meters away from him, the surging Luo River flowed.
This was the battlefield he had chosen, one with an escape route.
Entering the water would make it his domain.
Time passed second by second.
Jiang Ning waited for a long time, and the sun gradually moved from overhead toward the west.
"Liu Linman didn't come?" A strange look flashed in Jiang Ning's eyes.
"Could it be that the sixth-rank expert who followed me and attacked me that night wasn't acting on Liu Linman's orders?" He stood on the slope, looking in the direction of Luoshui County and muttering to himself.
After that night, being ambushed by a sixth-rank martial artist, and one who had been with Liu Linman during the day.
Jiang Ning had no choice but to be wary of Liu Linman.
For many days, Liu Linman had remained silent, only spreading the teachings of the Yellow Heaven Sect in the outer city.
Jiang Ning still didn't dare to let his guard down.
Being careless about a fifth-rank expert who controlled internal energy and made Hong Minghu wary could be fatal at some point.
So today, after leaving the city, Jiang Ning was extra cautious.
He knew very well that leaving the city was the best time for someone to attack him.
Therefore, after leaving the city, he immediately chose a location favorable to him.
The slope provided a wide field of vision, and with his keen eyesight, he could easily observe his surroundings. Anyone approaching would not escape his notice.
This terrain was also advantageous for him to use his archery skills.
Not far from him was the surging Luo River. If things went wrong, he could immediately jump into the river.
Once in the water, his combat power would multiply.
His ability to survive would be unmatched.
With these advantages, he dared to wait here for the possible arrival of Liu Linman.
If Liu Linman appeared, he could test the strength of a fifth-rank Internal Strength expert.
He wanted to see how big the gap was between himself and Liu Linman and roughly where his strength stood.
Having reached this point, he was no longer sure what his true strength corresponded to in terms of martial arts levels.
With the various special abilities he possessed, his martial arts level could no longer measure his strength.
Another half an hour passed.
Liu Linman still hadn't appeared.
"It seems my previous worries were unnecessary. Liu Linman has no intention of attacking me. The Worship God Sect member who attacked me that night might not have been acting on Liu Linman's orders!"
With this thought in mind, Jiang Ning turned and walked toward the official road.
According to Feng Jiuge, Cao Rong was now leading a hundred cavalry along the official road, heading straight for Luoshui County.
In Jiang Ning's view, there was no doubt that Cao Rong would come to Luoshui County to cause trouble for him.
After all, the fate of the Cao family was well known in Luoshui County, and it was all because of his actions.
Hundreds of members of the Cao family had been imprisoned because of him. How could Cao Rong let this go?
But as for Cao Rong, even if he came with a hundred cavalry, Jiang Ning wasn't afraid.
What he feared was that Cao Rong wouldn't play by the rules and would target his elder brother and sister-in-law instead of him directly.
Normally, one shouldn't involve the family in disputes.
But Jiang Ning didn't think Cao Rong would follow this rule, given the significant role he had played in the Cao family's downfall.
In such a situation, how could he expect Cao Rong to play fair?
The next moment.
Jiang Ning walked along the official road at a steady pace, conserving his energy.
Even an Internal Strength expert couldn't maintain a high-speed run for long without exhausting themselves.
Outside Dongling City.
Military Camp.
"Deputy Jin, how far has Cao Rong, Deputy Cao, gotten by now?"
"Reporting to the Commandant, according to the daily bird messages, Deputy Cao should be less than a day's journey from Luoshui County. If he travels through the night, he should arrive in Luoshui County by tomorrow morning."
At this moment, the weathered man sitting upright in the tent's main seat stroked his chin.
"I hope Cao Rong can give Hong Minghu some trouble when he returns to Luoshui County."
"He should be able to!" The slightly bowing deputy continued, "Cao Rong has been promoted by you, sir, and has now reached the sixth rank. A sixth-rank martial artist is a true powerhouse in a small county like Luoshui. Unless Hong Minghu personally intervenes, few would dare to claim they can defeat Cao Rong."
Hearing this, the man sitting upright nodded slightly in agreement.
In his view, a sixth-rank martial artist was a formidable figure, even in a prefectural city, let alone a small county.
Such a person going to a small county could at least stir up some trouble and test the Patrol Bureau's attitude.
As part of the Great Xia military, they didn't want an agency overseeing them.
Canglang Martial Arts School.
"Commander He, what are you doing?" Wang Jin looked at He Jinyun, who had suddenly barged into the martial arts school, his face filled with anger.
Facing the furious Wang Jin, He Jinyun smiled faintly.
"School Master Wang, no need to be nervous. I'm not here for you!"
"Then why are you here? Speak plainly!" Wang Jin said.
He Jinyun smiled. "No particular reason. I just respect School Master Wang, so I came to inform you that the cook in your school is a member of the Worship God Sect. She carries the aura of an evil god and is at risk of mutation."
"What did you say!" Wang Jin's expression darkened, and he shouted, "What did you do to her?"
He Jinyun smiled. "Of course, I followed the Patrol Bureau's rules and executed her on the spot."
"You..." Wang Jin's hand landed on the wooden table beside him.
Boom
The entire table shattered into pieces.
He Jinyun, seeing this, remained calm and glanced at the broken table beside Wang Jin.
"What?" he said indifferently. "Is School Master Wang planning to attack me?"
Hearing this, Wang Jin glanced at the people behind He Jinyun and took a deep breath.
"I wouldn't dare!"
"I thought so!" He Jinyun smiled.
Then he said, "Now that I've informed School Master Wang, I'll take my leave."
With that, He Jinyun left.
Watching He Jinyun's retreating figure, Wang Jin clenched his fists.
After so many years, even a dog would feel like family, let alone Aunt Sun, who had taken care of his daily needs for so long.
But now, even though he knew He Jinyun was the murderer of Aunt Sun.
He didn't dare to act.
Because He Jinyun's actions were flawless on the surface.
He didn't doubt that Aunt Sun carried the aura of an evil god.
Even if he doubted, it wouldn't matter.
Whether it was true or not, it was now a fact.
For the Patrol Bureau, fabricating such a thing wasn't difficult.
He Jinyun had done nothing wrong on the surface. If Wang Jin acted, he would be openly challenging the authority of the Patrol Bureau.
Even with his brother, Constable Wang, backing him, he couldn't afford the consequences.
Moreover, He Jinyun had another identity.
He was the famous Young Lord.
As the son of a lord, who would dare to touch him?
Thinking of all this, Wang Jin slowly unclenched his fists.
"I need to inform Jiang Ning and persuade him not to act rashly!" Wang Jin muttered to himself, then sighed.
That night.
The moon was bright, and the stars were sparse.
Clip-clop, clip-clop
The sound of hooves grew louder, echoing through the valley.
The next moment.
Dust rose.
The tall, sturdy warhorses galloped like the wind, arriving at the entrance of the valley.
"Deputy Cao, it's late, and both men and horses are tired. Should we find a good spot to rest?"
Hearing this, Cao Rong looked back at the cavalry behind him and saw the fatigue on their faces.
He immediately understood it was time to rest.
Returning to Luoshui County wasn't so urgent that they couldn't spare a moment to rest.
After all, there was still some time before the Cao family, accused of colluding with the Worship God Sect and becoming a hideout, would be executed. Arriving half a day early in Luoshui County wasn't that important.
Having made up his mind, Cao Rong spoke.
"Pass the order. After crossing this valley, find a spot near the water to set up camp and rest. We'll continue at dawn after everyone has eaten and rested."
"Yes, Deputy Cao!" The man beside him, hearing Cao Rong's words, nodded with enthusiasm.
Then, he immediately relayed Cao Rong's orders to the others.
On the other side.
A figure stood at the top of the valley, the bright moonlight seemingly hanging behind him.
This person was Jiang Ning, who had been waiting here for a long time.
Walking along the official road, Jiang Ning had discovered this valley. Based on the terrain, he knew Cao Rong would have to pass through it.
Because the road through the valley was the official road, wide and flat.
If they didn't take this road, the cavalry would have to take a much longer detour to reach Luoshui County.
Jiang Ning believed Cao Rong wouldn't choose the detour, so he waited here, taking advantage of the terrain.
The next moment.
His eyes narrowed, instantly locking onto Cao Rong, who was leading the group into the valley.
"He's here!" he thought to himself.
Then.
A longbow appeared in his hand, followed by an arrow.
He drew the bowstring, pulling it to full draw.
Jiang Ning's sharp gaze fixed on Cao Rong below, and he murmured, "You gave me three arrows back then. Now I'll return the favor. If you can withstand three arrows, I'll spare your life tonight!"
Twang
As he released his fingers, the arrow left the bow, breaking the sound barrier.
Below.
Danger!!
At the same moment, Cao Rong, who was passing through the valley, felt his left eyelid twitch and a sudden sense of crisis washed over him.
He immediately looked up and saw a silent arrow cutting through the air, heading straight for him.
At this moment.
Cao Rong's pupils contracted sharply.
As a skilled archer in the camp, how could he not recognize that this arrow had surpassed the speed of sound?
An arrow at such speed carried terrifying power.
Especially when shot from ambush, it was almost impossible to defend against.
He immediately pushed off with his legs, leaping into the air to avoid the arrow.
But the next moment.
Thud
The arrow pierced through his body.
Under the powerful impact, his body, which had just leaped into the air, was thrown off course by the arrow's momentum.
"Sir!"
"Sir!"
"Deputy Cao!"
"..."
Cao Rong's ears were filled with shouts of alarm.
At this moment, Cao Rong had no time to care about anything else. His body was still in the air, but his eyes were fixed on Jiang Ning at the top of the valley.
Because Jiang Ning was backlit by the bright moonlight, his face was shrouded in shadow. Even with his eyes wide open, Cao Rong could only see a blurry outline.
Who is it?
Who has such extraordinary archery skills?
Why is he attacking me?
Thoughts raced through Cao Rong's mind.
At the same time.
At the top of the valley, Jiang Ning shook his head slightly.
So weak!
Then.
He drew another arrow and pulled the bowstring to full draw.
Twang
The arrow shot through the air.
In an instant, it pierced through layers of space.
This arrow was aimed straight at Cao Rong's head.
In the valley, Cao Rong, seeing the arrow coming for him, was filled with despair.
He hadn't been able to dodge the first arrow, let alone this more powerful second one.
A moment later.
The arrow pierced through Cao Rong's head, shattering his skull into pieces.
Jiang Ning glanced down.
Killing Cao Rong was enough!!
Then he turned and leaped, his figure disappearing into the bright moonlight like a shadow.
"Sir!"
"Sir!!"
"Deputy Cao!!!"
"..."
The sudden turn of events left the cavalry below in complete disarray.
Especially the warhorses, which had been galloping at full speed. The sudden stop caused chaos, with some soldiers even falling off their horses.
The entire valley was in turmoil.
As for Jiang Ning's departure, few noticed.
On the other side.
Jiang Ning quickly left the top of the valley, changing his position.
As he moved, he couldn't help but feel a sense of melancholy.
A few months ago, facing Cao Rong's sudden attack, he could only hide behind Wang Jin, relying on his protection, his life hanging by a thread, like a leaf in the wind.
That day, if it hadn't been for Shen Congyun's sudden intervention, even with Wang Jin's protection, he might not have survived.
At that time, Cao Rong had given Jiang Ning an overwhelming sense of pressure and suffocation.
But now, Jiang Ning found that killing Cao Rong was effortless.
Cao Rong couldn't even withstand his first probing arrow, let alone the next two.
The second arrow, which was just a regular shot, had ended Cao Rong's life.
Now, as he left, Jiang Ning felt a sense of emptiness.
It had been too easy!
It felt unreal!
The next moment.
He opened his status panel again.
[Name]: Jiang Ning
[Source Energy]: 337.43
[Skills]:
Literacy (Third Breakthrough 3918/4000) (Traits: Photographic Memory, Enhanced Senses, Quick Thinking)
The Literacy skill was only a few dozen experience points away from meeting the breakthrough requirement.
These few dozen points weren't difficult for Jiang Ning to achieve.
As for the source energy points, thanks to the Dragon Ascension Pill, he had already met the requirement for the fourth breakthrough of the Literacy skill.
After glancing at his status panel, Jiang Ning closed it.
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