The nightfall of winter always arrives faster than in summer.
A carriage stopped in front of the Jiangning residence.
In less than half an hour, the sky had completely darkened.
Inside the carriage,
Lüyi remained silent. Even though they had long arrived at the gate of Jiangning's home, she dared not make any noise to disturb him.
From just now until this moment, as she sat in the carriage, she could continuously hear a series of deep, muffled rumbles emanating from Jiangning's body.
The sound was like waves crashing against cliffs, or like a giant hammer striking an iron ingot.
After another short while,
The commotion within Jiangning's body suddenly ceased.
Noticing this, Lüyi immediately straightened her posture, sitting upright with her back erect.
One breath later,
Jiangning abruptly opened his eyes.
With a wave of his hand, a jade bottle containing Iron Bone Pills appeared in his palm.
At this moment, a total of thirteen bones in his body had completed one cycle of 108 temperings, making it the perfect time to absorb the Iron Bone Pills.
The next moment,
as Jiangning slightly opened his mouth and inhaled,
a silvery-white pill, the size of a silkworm cocoon, flew out of the jade bottle like a streak of light, directly entering his throat.
Jiangning immediately closed his eyes again, turning his focus inward.
Soon, he saw the pill enter his stomach, its outer coating quickly dissolving.
Once the coating dissolved, the originally solid pill began to disperse, releasing fine silver threads.
"This must be the 'iron marrow,'" Jiangning thought to himself.
Without delay,
he channeled his qi and blood energy, guiding those silver threads toward the thirteen bones he had just tempered.
As the silver threads touched the bones, they silently merged into them.
As time passed,
He watched as all the iron marrow was completely absorbed by those thirteen bones.
"Not enough yet!"
Jiangning opened his eyes and waved his hand again.
The jade bottle reappeared in his palm.
Another Iron Bone Pill, the size of a silkworm cocoon, flew into his stomach.
With the pill now inside him and drawing from his earlier experience, Jiangning proceeded with practiced ease.
"Still not enough!!"
Jiangning opened his eyes once more and swallowed another Iron Bone Pill.
"Still not enough!!!"
A trace of shock and astonishment flickered in Jiangning's heart.
Since this was still a critical moment, he temporarily set aside his scattered thoughts.
Next, a fifth Iron Bone Pill entered his stomach.
With the fifth pill absorbed,
he soon sensed that the countless strands of iron marrow could no longer merge into his bones.
This indicated that they were truly saturated. Further tempering on the same bones would have to wait until the current absorption was fully digested.
Now,
Under his inward gaze, he could gradually see those thirteen bones beginning to shimmer with a silvery glow.
"Not bad at all!"
Jiangning nodded in satisfaction.
Then, he opened his eyes.
"Hu" He exhaled a faint breath, his expression slightly pleased.
The first step of bone-forging had been taken.
And the results were remarkable.
Being able to absorb five Iron Bone Pills in one go was naturally a cause for joy.
From what he knew, for ordinary martial artists, let alone five Iron Bone Pills, even fully absorbing a single one was nearly impossible.
This was also why Iron Bone Pills were only the size of silkworm cocoons.
If the pills were any larger, given that most couldn't absorb them completely in one sitting, it would only lead to greater waste.
Absorbing 70-80% of one Iron Bone Pill at a time was the average standard for bone-forging martial artists.
Yet now, he could absorb five Iron Bone Pills in one go.
This meant that, purely in terms of absorption efficiency, his bone-forging speed was at least five times faster than the average.
No more accurately, over six times faster.
At this realization, Jiangning couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction.
"Miss Lüyi, are we home?" Jiangning asked, looking at the quiet and composed Lüyi.
"Yes, Commander Jiang!" Lüyi nodded repeatedly upon hearing his question. "We've been home for almost an hour now. Earlier, I noticed you were cultivating, so I didn't dare disturb you."
Jiangning smiled faintly at her words.
Then he said, "Thank you for escorting me all this way, Miss Lüyi!"
"You are the Pavilion Master's honored guest. It's only right," Lüyi replied, quickly standing up as she saw Jiangning rise.
After stepping out of the carriage,
Jiangning looked up at the sky. Night had already fallen.
Light snow continued to drift down from above.
The surroundings were pitch black, with only the carriage's lantern illuminating a small radius around them,
along with the faint glow of lights from his home on the steps not far away.
Turning his head, Jiangning glanced at Lüyi, who was peeking out from the carriage. He noticed a trace of fear in her eyes as she looked toward the darkness nearby.
In weather like this, with light rain falling, the phrase "so dark you can't see your hand in front of your face" perfectly describes everything beyond the reach of light.
"Miss Lüyi, it's too late now. It's not safe for a woman to return alone. Let me accompany you back."
"Thank you for your kindness, Commander Jiang, but that won't be necessary," Lüyi replied softly, lowering her head in refusal.
Jiangning turned and retreated into the carriage.
"No need to say more. Let's head back to theWanhua Pavilion. With my strength, walking at night is no trouble at all. But for a young woman like you, it's far too unsafe."
Lüyi, who had been leaning out, also withdrew her head back inside the carriage.
"Thank you, Young Master Jiang," she murmured, bowing slightly.
"No trouble at all," Jiangning replied, settling onto the soft carpet inside. "For me, anywhere can be a place for cultivation. The environment in this carriage is quite suitable for it."
With that,
He closed his eyes once more.
Lüyi stared at him blankly for a few moments before leaning out again to give instructions to the two intelligent horses pulling the carriage.
Snort
Snort
The horses exhaled white mist from their nostrils upon hearing her command, then turned the carriage around with steady movements.
Once her instructions were given, Lüyi withdrew back inside.
She removed the cotton shoes she had just put on, revealing her fair, bare feet as they sank into the plush carpet.
Meanwhile,
at Jiangning's residence...
"Miss Xie, A-Ning hasn't returned yet. It's already late will you keep waiting?" Liu Wanwan, at Jiang Li's behest, approached Xie Xiaojiu and asked gently.
"Yes," Xie Xiaojiu replied firmly. "Tonight, I must wait for Lord Jiang to appear. There's something important I need to tell him."
"Very well," Liu Wanwan nodded softly. "If it gets too late and it's inconvenient for you to return home, I'll prepare a bed for you freshly made with new quilts."
"Thank you, Sister," Xie Xiaojiu said gratefully.
Over an hour later...
"Are we here yet?"
The moment the carriage came to a stop, Jiangning opened his eyes.
"Young Master Jiang, we've arrived," Lüyi said, offering a graceful bow as soon as she saw him awaken.
"No need for formalities," Jiangning stood and smiled. "Now that Miss Lüyi has returned safely, I should head home."
With those words, he lifted the carriage curtain and stepped outside.
At the same time...
"Oh?"
Atop the Wanhua Pavilion,
Lin Qingyi, hearing the sound of her carriage arriving, glanced down just in time to see Jiangning suddenly emerge from inside.
Witnessing this, a flicker of surprise passed through her eyes.
Moments later,
She watched as Jiangning's figure vanished into the thick darkness of the night.
Shortly after,
Lin Qingyi listened to Lüyi's report and finally understood why Jiangning had returned after leaving.
"What kind of person do you think Jiangning is?" Lin Qingyi asked softly.
"In my heart, Young Master Jiang is a good man one rarely seen in this world."
"From your tone, it sounds like you admire him?" Lin Qingyi suddenly questioned.
Lüyi shook her head slightly. "How could someone like me ever be worthy of admiring Young Master Jiang?"
Elsewhere...
After leaving the Wanhua Pavilion, Jiangning swiftly made his way back home.
Having spent the journey digesting his gains, he observed that the thirteen-tempered bones now gleamed with a noticeable silvery sheen.
This indicated that the hardness of those bones had significantly increased, bringing him a step closer to the Iron Bones of the sixth-rank martial realm.
Now, returning home was all about seizing the time to temper the remaining bones in his body.
Those thirteen bones were still in the process of absorbing the iron marrow and couldn't be tempered further yet.
But the human body had a total of 206 bones the remaining 193 were still ready for refinement.
Given his ability to recover his state rapidly while submerged in water whether it was the depletion of qi and blood energy or mental fatigue, he could quickly restore himself.
This meant he could swiftly complete the initial bone-forging process, forge Iron Bones, and step into the sixth rank.
Before long...
"Finally home!"
Seeing the large gate atop the stone steps, with the plaque bearing the character "Jiang Residence" hanging above it,
Jiangning paused and let out a light sigh.
After the intense journey, a fine layer of sweat had formed on his forehead, and steam rose continuously from the top of his head.
Knock knock knock
He stood at the door and rapped on it.
The next moment,
heavy footsteps sounded from behind the gate.
In less than a few breaths,
The sound of the door latch being lifted echoed, and the gate slowly swung open.
Standing there, holding a lantern, was Jiang Li.
"Big brother!" Jiangning's face broke into a faint smile.
"Ah-Ning, you're finally back!" The worry on Jiang Li's rugged face faded.
Then he added, "Come in quickly! A guest is waiting for you at home!"
"Waiting for me?" Jiangning looked surprised. "It's so late who could it be?"
"Miss Xie, the ninth daughter of the Xie family!" Jiang Li grabbed Jiangning's wrist and pulled him over the threshold, continuing, "Go see her right away! That young lady has been waiting for you all evening she hasn't eaten or gone home just to see you!"
"She's in the main hall waiting for you now!"
Hearing this, Jiangning nodded. "Then I'll head over first."
"Go on, go on!" Jiang Li urged while securing the door latch. Then, lowering his voice, he added, "That girl looks quite pretty, seems like she'd be good at raising children, and I think she might have taken a liking to you. You're not getting any younger it's about time to marry and start a family. If you're interested, why not see if there's a chance?"
Jiangning felt a headache coming on at these words.
First getting pressured about marriage in my past life, and now again in this one.
Suppressing his exasperation, he quickened his pace.
In the blink of an eye,
he crossed the front courtyard and pushed open the slightly ajar door to the main hall, where Xie Xiaojiu sat rigidly upright.
"My lord!" The moment Xie Xiaojiu heard the noise at the door and turned, she saw Jiangning's figure. Her face instantly brightened with joy.
"Ah-Ning is back!" Liu Wanwan rose from beside Xie Xiaojiu, her tone gentle.
"Sister-in-law!" Jiangning greeted her.
Then he nodded. "Just got back."
"Ah-Ning, have you eaten outside yet?" Liu Wanwan asked.
"No," Jiangning shook his head.
"Then I'll bring over the warmed-up dishes. Miss Xie hasn't eaten either, so the two of you can dine together!" Liu Wanwan said.
"Thank you for the trouble, sister-in-law," Jiangning clasped his hands politely.
"You two chat first I'll go fetch the food!" Liu Wanwan shot Jiangning a meaningful glance toward Xie Xiaojiu as if urging him to seize the opportunity.
Jiangning: "..."
He understood perfectly well what that look meant.
Big brother and sister-in-law are clearly in cahoots.
Without delay,
He took a seat beside Xie Xiaojiu.
"Is there something urgent from the Inspection Bureau?"
"Yes!" Xie Xiaojiu nodded. "My lord, have some tea first."
She placed a cup of freshly poured hot tea in front of Jiangning.
"Go ahead," Jiangning said, picking up the warm tea and downing it in one gulp.
Xie Xiaojiu's expression turned solemn. "My lord, this morning, He Jinsheng arrived in Luoshui County!"
"He Jinsheng?" Jiangning's expression also grew serious. "What's his relationship with He Jinyun?"
Xie Xiaojiu explained, "He Jinsheng is He Jinyun's second elder brother a Martial Imperial Examinee of Great Xia. According to previous records, he's already at the peak of the sixth rank!"
"Martial Imperial Examinee?"
"Peak sixth rank?"
Jiangning muttered under his breath, lowering his head.
Then he looked up at Xie Xiaojiu. "So he's here because of He Jinyun's death, right?"
"Exactly, my lord!" Xie Xiaojiu nodded repeatedly. "He Jinsheng traveled day and night to reach Luoshui County all to investigate who exactly killed He Jinyun!"
"He entered the city early this morning but only took a quick bath and rested briefly. By midday, he was already at the Inspection Bureau to see Chief Hong."
Hearing this, Jiangning murmured, "Only going to the Inspection Bureau by noon… doesn't sound like he's in much of a hurry."
After a brief moment of contemplation, he looked back at Xie Xiaojiu. "You came specifically to warn me do you also think I was the one who killed He Jinyun?"
Xie Xiaojiu met his gaze. "The manner of that young lord's death was extremely peculiar. But in Luoshui County, there aren't many who would have both the motive and the ability to kill He Jinyun."
"And in my eyes, even fewer would have the audacity to kill a young noble like him."
"On the surface, my lord doesn't seem capable of such a feat. But to me, you've always been shrouded in mystery. I can't tell if you possess some unfathomable method to eliminate He Jinyun without a trace."
Jiangning understood her meaning perfectly.
"So even though you weren't certain, you still chose to come and warn me?"
"Mm-hmm!!" Xie Xiaojiu nodded emphatically.
Just then
"Food's here!" Liu Wanwan's voice rang out before she even appeared.
The next moment,
She stood before them, holding a tray.
Beside her, Jiang Li carried a wooden bucket filled with steaming, fragrant rice.
"Let's eat first," Jiangning said.
"Of course, my lord." Xie Xiaojiu nodded obediently.
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