Canglang Martial School
Backyard
Standing in the courtyard, Jiang Ning fell into silence after hearing Wang Jin's words. He knew that Aunt Sun's death was, in part, his fault.
Ever since the previous conflicts, He Jinyun had held a grudge against him. Jiang Ning had always tried to avoid confrontation with the young nobleman, given his high status. However, He Jinyun's decision to target Aunt Sun was undoubtedly a provocation aimed at Jiang Ning.
As he thought about this, Jiang Ning's hands clenched tightly, his nails digging into his palms. He couldn't forget the care Aunt Sun had shown him when he first arrived at the martial school. She had treated him like family, and in this world, there were few people Jiang Ning truly cared about. Aunt Sun was one of them.
After a long silence, Jiang Ning closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again, his gaze firm and resolute.
"Master, this isn't your fault. Aunt Sun's death is ultimately because of me," Jiang Ning said calmly.
Hearing Jiang Ning's unusually composed tone, Wang Jin looked up at him. In the next moment, Wang Jin was taken aback. In Jiang Ning's eyes, he saw the calm before the storm, like the surface of the sea before a tempest.
"You can't do anything reckless!" Wang Jin said gravely.
Wang Jin was well aware of He Jinyun's status. That was why, even though he was far stronger than He Jinyun, he hadn't dared to retaliate when He Jinyun had openly humiliated him the day before.
Young Noble He those three words carried immense weight. In the face of such a title, even the position of Deputy Commander of the Inspection Bureau seemed insignificant.
"I understand," Jiang Ning replied noncommittally.
In his heart, Jiang Ning had already made up his mind. He Jinyun's decision to target Aunt Sun, regardless of whether the accusations were true, was a clear message. He Jinyun had crossed a line by attacking someone close to Jiang Ning. If left unchecked, He Jinyun might escalate his actions, harming others Jiang Ning cared about even more.
Moreover, Jiang Ning couldn't forget how Aunt Sun had always saved food for him, made his bed, and treated him like family. The memories stirred a storm of emotions within him.
In the next moment, Jiang Ning said, "Master, I'll take my leave now."
With that, he turned and walked away.
Wang Jin watched Jiang Ning's retreating figure, his hand raised slightly, his mouth opening as if to say something. But after a long pause, all that came out was a deep sigh.
"Had I known this would happen, I wouldn't have told him," Wang Jin muttered to himself.
Inspection Bureau
Jiang Ning walked step by step toward the Inspection Bureau, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts. Memories of Aunt Sun's kind face and past interactions flashed through his mind, interspersed with thoughts of He Jinyun's status. But as he approached the Inspection Bureau, the chaotic thoughts gradually cleared, leaving only a calm determination.
When Jiang Ning arrived at the entrance of the Inspection Bureau, his eyes were as still as a deep pool.
"Greetings, Commander Jiang!" The two guards at the gate bowed respectfully.
Jiang Ning ignored them and strode through the gates.
In the next moment, his spiritual field silently expanded, covering a radius of a hundred meters.
Soon, he located He Jinyun. The young nobleman was in another courtyard, drinking with a group of people.
"Found you," Jiang Ning thought to himself.
After locating He Jinyun, Jiang Ning turned and headed to his courtyard within the Inspection Bureau. Once there, he sat cross-legged, his eyes closed, as calm as a meditating monk. Yet, his spiritual field remained locked onto He Jinyun.
Time passed, and the warm sun gradually sank toward the west.
During this time, Feng Jiuge came by. But seeing Jiang Ning in such a meditative state, she quietly left.
Later, Xie Xiaojiu also arrived. She stood nearby for a long time, nearly an hour, before silently retreating to the courtyard entrance to stand guard. Though she didn't know what Jiang Ning was doing, she sensed that he shouldn't be disturbed.
As the sunset painted the sky in hues of red, Jiang Ning noticed that He Jinyun's drinking party was coming to an end.
"It's about time," Jiang Ning thought.
In the next moment, the sky above Luoshui County began to change. Dark clouds gathered in the distance, swiftly converging over the county.
In just a few moments, the once-clear sky was covered in a thick, oppressive darkness.
A fierce wind swept across the shores of Luoshui Lake, stirring the waters and crashing waves against the rocks. The trees in the city swayed violently, their trunks bending under the force of the wind.
At this moment, Jiang Ning had fully activated his Cloud and Rain Control Divine Ability. The heavy clouds now easily covered the entire county, unlike before when they could only cover half.
Yellow Heaven Sect Headquarters
Liu Linmen looked up at the sky, his expression grave. "These clouds... they feel unnatural. Almost sinister."
As he gazed at the dark clouds, an image of Jiang Ning flashed in his mind.
"Could it be him again?"
Then, his eyes narrowed as he looked toward the horizon.
"The range of these clouds is even larger than last time," he muttered.
He still remembered that night when he led his men out of the rain-soaked city. He had known then that the sudden downpour was no ordinary rain. It had been artificially created. Otherwise, how could rainfall so precisely over only part of the city?
The world was full of coincidences, but when too many coincidences piled up, they ceased to be coincidences.
"Has he grown stronger?" Liu Linmen thought, a chill running down his spine as he observed the vast expanse of the dark clouds.
If such a rainstorm had occurred a few days ago, he wouldn't have suspected human intervention. He knew all too well how difficult it was to summon rain on such a scale. Even within the Yellow Heaven Sect, only a few of the highest-ranking elders possessed such power.
"My earlier guess was correct. Jiang Ning is undoubtedly the most terrifying presence in Luoshui County."
Seeing the changes in the sky, Liu Linmen became even more convinced of his earlier suspicions. Jiang Ning was either a reincarnated figure like a Daoist or Buddhist saint, or an ancient monster who had taken over someone else's body.
From what Liu Linmen knew, body-snatching techniques had been recorded in ancient texts.
Yunlai Pavilion
"This weather feels unnatural," the green-robed man with graying temples murmured as he looked up at the sky.
"Unnatural?" Gongsun Yu followed the man's gaze, puzzled. "Why do you say that, Valley Master?"
The green-robed man replied calmly, "Weather changes follow natural patterns. For example, when ants move or snakes cross the road, rain is imminent. Or when morning clouds prevent travel, but evening clouds promise clear skies."
"Do you remember the sunset earlier, painting the sky in red?"
"Yes," Gongsun Yu nodded.
"Exactly," the green-robed man said. "A sunset like that shouldn't be followed by such sudden, oppressive clouds. This change... it's unnatural."
Inspection Bureau
Hong Minghu glanced out the window.
"It's going to rain. How unusual," he remarked, then waved his sleeve, closing the window with a flick of his wrist.
Meanwhile, He Jinyun looked up at the sky.
"Ugh!"
As the rain began to pour, He Jinyun spat out the rainwater that had fallen into his mouth. He quickened his pace, heading toward his carriage at the Inspection Bureau's entrance. Once inside, he could avoid the rain and prevent himself from getting drenched.
At the same time, under the cover of the heavy rain, Jiang Ning's senses expanded rapidly. His perception now covered several miles, and every movement within that range was under his watch.
The entire Inspection Bureau, though not large, was now under Jiang Ning's surveillance including Hong Minghu.
Hong Minghu was Jiang Ning's primary concern. Jiang Ning knew that if anyone could stop him from killing He Jinyun, it would be Hong Minghu, the strongest person in the area.
This was also why Jiang Ning had waited all afternoon to make his move. If he attacked He Jinyun within the Inspection Bureau and failed to kill him instantly, Hong Minghu could arrive within moments. Once Hong Minghu intervened, killing He Jinyun would become nearly impossible, let alone doing so quietly.
So Jiang Ning had waited, biding his time until He Jinyun left the Inspection Bureau and moved out of Hong Minghu's range. The farther He Jinyun was from Hong Minghu, the more time Jiang Ning would have.
"He's finally leaving," Jiang Ning thought as he watched He Jinyun step through the Inspection Bureau's gates.
In the next moment, under Jiang Ning's watchful gaze, He Jinyun boarded his carriage. The carriage then began to move slowly down the road.
Jiang Ning wasn't in a hurry. Attacking at the Inspection Bureau's entrance would still be too close to Hong Minghu.
Soon, the carriage had traveled about a mile from the Inspection Bureau.
"Now's the time."
As Jiang Ning's thought formed, the heavy rain a mile away suddenly froze in midair, transforming into sharp, needle-like projectiles.
Whoosh
The rain needles shot toward the carriage like a storm of arrows.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The carriage, made of expensive wood, was instantly riddled with holes.
"Who dares attack me?!" A bloodied figure burst out of the carriage, leaping into the air.
As He Jinyun soared upward, fragments of wood exploded in all directions. His body was already covered in blood.
At the same time, He Jinyun scanned his surroundings, his expression grim. He couldn't find the enemy he expected to see. Instead, all he saw were dozens of rain needles forming in the air.
"Who are you, demon?!" He Jinyun shouted, his voice piercing the sky despite his injuries.
"Using water manipulation from a mile away isn't enough to kill He Jinyun in one strike," Jiang Ning thought, observing the scene from afar.
In the next moment, he focused his mind again.
As He Jinyun's voice echoed through the air, the newly formed rain needles shot toward him like a torrential downpour.
Faced with the barrage of needles coming from all directions, He Jinyun regretted his earlier decision to leap into the air. Now, suspended and defenseless, he had no way to dodge or block the attack.
He raised his arms to protect his face and head, channeling his vital energy to harden his body against the onslaught.
Aah
He Jinyun's agonized scream followed.
The rain needles were relentless, piercing every vulnerable point on his body. Though his physique was strong, the needles still penetrated his flesh, albeit only a few centimeters deep.
But his ears and other sensitive areas were not so resilient. As the rain needles pierced these weak points, He Jinyun's screams grew even more agonized.
By the time his shout of "Who are you, demon?!" reached Hong Minghu's ears a mile away, half a second had already passed.
"Young Noble He!" Hong Minghu's eyes snapped open as he heard He Jinyun's voice.
Boom
With a single stomp, the wooden floor beneath him shattered. Hong Minghu's figure shot through the solid wall, racing toward He Jinyun's location.
"So fast!" Jiang Ning thought, noticing Hong Minghu's movement.
"I only have two seconds to kill He Jinyun," he realized instantly.
With no further hesitation, Jiang Ning focused all his energy on his water manipulation ability. Countless rain needles formed, piercing He Jinyun's body from every angle.
His eyes, ears, nose, groin every vulnerable spot became a target for Jiang Ning's attack.
Overwhelmed by the pain, He Jinyun could no longer fight back. He curled up on the ground, screaming in agony.
Each rain needle penetrated his body, sinking one to three centimeters into his flesh.
At the same time, Hong Minghu, racing through the heavy rain, caught sight of He Jinyun lying in a pool of blood.
"Young Noble He!" he shouted.
Boom
But the only response was the roar of thunder overhead.
On the other side, Jiang Ning let out a sigh of relief.
Before Hong Minghu could reach He Jinyun, Jiang Ning had already inflicted fatal wounds. A needle had pierced He Jinyun's heart, a wound that would kill him in moments.
Moreover, He Jinyun's entire body was riddled with countless needle wounds.
By the time Hong Minghu arrived, the rain needles had already dissipated, leaving no trace behind.
No one would be able to determine how He Jinyun had died.
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