The Next Day.
Inspection Bureau.
"Sir, Liu Linmen from the Yellow Heaven Sect requests an audience!"
As soon as Jiang Ning returned from Hong Minghu's office, Xie Xiaojiu approached him with the report.
Is Liu Linmen requesting an audience?
Jiang Ning was momentarily surprised.
"Deny him," Jiang Ning said after a brief pause.
"Yes, sir!" Xie Xiaojiu cupped her hands and left, heading toward the courtyard.
Watching Xie Xiaojiu's retreating figure, Jiang Ning couldn't help but ponder.
Liu Linmen had already visited three of the four commanders in the past few days, leaving only one unvisited.
Today, he suddenly requested an audience, clearly intending to see Jiang Ning and use his Heaven's Eye to investigate.
"It seems Liu Linmen suspects me quite a bit," Jiang Ning murmured.
Then he chuckled lightly, glancing toward the entrance of the bureau. "But I won't grant you an audience now."
With his heightened hearing, Jiang Ning could already hear Liu Linmen at the entrance of the Inspection Bureau, accompanied by a middle-aged woman.
Having made up his mind, Jiang Ning decided not to leave the bureau today.
With Wind and Thunder Archery having reached its second limit break, he wasn't in a hurry.
After all, he had more than one way to improve his strength.
If he went out and Liu Linmen discovered the mark on him, confirming that he was the one who had attacked that night, it would be troublesome.
At the Entrance of the Inspection Bureau.
"My lord is currently in seclusion, practicing martial arts. He will not see anyone," Xie Xiaojiu said.
"I understand," Liu Linmen replied, his expression unchanged, showing a hint of respect.
Then.
Only after Xie Xiaojiu re-entered the Inspection Bureau and disappeared from Liu Linmen and the woman beside him did the woman speak.
"That junior, Jiang Ning, is quite arrogant. He dares to refuse an audience with Celestial Master Liu!"
Hearing this, Liu Linmen smiled calmly.
"It's normal for someone who achieved fame at a young age to have some pride."
"Given his previous achievements, it's only a matter of time before he surpasses me. Ignoring me is understandable."
The middle-aged woman spoke again.
"What will Celestial Master Liu do next?"
"I'll visit the others first. If I find nothing, I'll return to see him in two days. Among the four deputy commanders, Jiang Ning is the most likely suspect," Liu Linmen said indifferently.
"What if he still refuses to see you?" the woman asked.
"Then I'll have to break the rules. A late-night visit might be necessary," Liu Linmen's eyes flashed with a sharp light.
Meanwhile.
Jiang Ning was fully immersed in the water, absorbing the flood dragon tendon powder dissolved in it, circulating his vital energy to temper his tendons.
He was just one step away from achieving the flood dragon tendon level.
Soaking in the cold pool, Jiang Ning felt as though he were in a hot spring.
It brought him only comfort and relaxation, with no discomfort at all.
As he circulated his vital energy, Jiang Ning couldn't help but recall the instructions Hong Minghu had given him and the other deputy commanders earlier.
A wandering unit of the Black Mountain Army had entered Luoshui County's territory.
Hong Minghu had ordered them to closely monitor the Black Mountain Army's movements and lead a team to suppress them if discovered.
The Black Mountain Army was originally the Black Lotus Sect's guardian army.
The Black Lotus Sect had once incited a rebellion in the neighboring Daming Province.
The rebellion had swept through three prefectures, resulting in the deaths of over a million people.
The rebellion lasted for half a year before being crushed by the imperial army.
However, the scattered remnants of the Black Mountain Army continued to trouble the Great Xia court.
As the Black Lotus Sect's elite force, the Black Mountain Army was composed entirely of martial artists, moving swiftly and freely.
The Black Mountain Cavalry, in particular, was the most elite, with mounts capable of traversing mountains and valleys as if they were flat ground.
This was why, even after the Black Lotus Sect was destroyed, the Black Mountain Army remained difficult to completely eradicate.
Now, according to Hong Minghu, a wandering unit of the Black Mountain Army had entered Luoshui County's territory.
Suppressing such rebel forces was also part of the Inspection Bureau's duties.
They could earn corresponding contribution points based on the number of rebels eliminated.
Jiang Ning recalled this matter because of the contribution points.
Achieving the dragon tendon level would increase his explosive power fivefold.
This step was extremely difficult. Most martial artists would start tempering their bones and advance to the sixth rank after reaching the flood dragon tendon level.
Because tempering tendons to the dragon level required external resources specifically, the tendons of creatures with dragon blood.
Only the tendons of dragon-blooded creatures could be called dragon tendons.
These tendons, ground into powder or refined into medicinal treasures, could help a seventh-rank martial artist achieve the dragon tendon level.
However, dragon-blooded creatures were nearly extinct in this era.
Thus, dragon tendons were rare, and such resources were priceless.
Even with money, they were hard to obtain.
But during his last visit to the Inspection Bureau's internal affairs office, Jiang Ning had seen a pill called the Ascending Dragon Pill, which could help him achieve the dragon tendon level.
However, it was expensive and could only be purchased with contribution points.
One pill cost 50,000 contribution points.
If converted to silver, that would be 100,000 taels.
Just thinking about this amount made Jiang Ning take a deep breath.
This vast sum of wealth was something he couldn't even imagine obtaining at the moment.
But he wasn't satisfied with just reaching the flood dragon tendon level.
Since there was a way to achieve the dragon tendon level, he had to try his best to reach it.
"If I get the chance to find the Black Mountain Army, I'll eliminate them all. It'll be a good test of my current archery skills and earn me a hefty sum of contribution points," Jiang Ning thought to himself.
From what he had learned.
Eliminating a ninth-rank martial artist from the Black Mountain Army would earn 50 contribution points.
An eighth-rank martial artist would earn 500 points.
A seventh-rank martial artist would earn 5,000 points.
A sixth-rank martial artist would earn 50,000 points.
As for fifth-rank martial artists, he wasn't sure.
Because martial artists of that level were not common, even in the entire world.
At its peak, the Black Lotus Sect had only a handful of fifth-rank internal strength martial artists.
Let alone now.
A Few Days Later.
On the Deserted Island.
Twang
An arrow shot through the air like a rainbow.
[Wind and Thunder Archery Experience +1]
[Skills]: Wind and Thunder Archery (Second Limit Break: 1501/3000) (Traits: Wind and Thunder Breath, Heart Archery)
"Experience points are halfway there!"
Seeing the changes on his status panel, Jiang Ning felt a surge of excitement.
Over the past few days, aside from spending the first day at the Inspection Bureau tempering his tendons.
On the second day, he returned to the deserted island to practice archery.
The third limit break of Wind and Thunder Archery was still the most important thing in Jiang Ning's eyes.
Then.
Jiang Ning continued to draw his bow and shoot arrows.
Over these days, he had lost count of how many bows he had broken, but each arrow was still drawn to full draw.
These ordinary bows, costing only a few dozen taels each, were mere consumables to him.
Twang
Twang
Twang
Arrows shot through the air, creating shockwaves.
[Wind and Thunder Archery Experience +1]
[Wind and Thunder Archery Experience +1]
[Wind and Thunder Archery Experience +1]
[...]
With each arrow infused with Wind and Thunder energy, his Wind and Thunder Archery experience increased by one.
Two more days passed.
Meanwhile.
At the Yellow Heaven Sect's Base.
"Celestial Master Liu, have you identified the culprit from that night?" the middle-aged woman asked as soon as Liu Linmen appeared.
Liu Linmen shook his head. "I've used my Heaven's Eye on all four commanders and two deputy commanders. I found no traces."
"Could it be that the Earth King you mentioned didn't leave a mark?" the woman asked.
"Impossible," Liu Linmen shook his head. "The Earth King's soul can travel thousands of miles in a single night. It only took him half an hour to reach Luoshui County. Since he agreed to this, he wouldn't lie."
Then, Liu Linmen added, "There are still two people I haven't investigated. One of them is likely the culprit."
"Who are they?" the woman asked.
"Jiang Ning and Tang Miaomiao."
"Jiang Ning? Didn't Celestial Master Liu try to see him last night?" the woman asked, surprised.
She knew that last night, Liu Linmen had gone to secretly observe Jiang Ning to see if he bore the mark left by the Earth King.
Liu Linmen shook his head. "I didn't see him. Jiang Ning wasn't at home last night."
"Then I suspect it's Jiang Ning!" the woman said firmly.
"Hard to say," Liu Linmen shook his head. "Tang Miaomiao took leave a few days ago to return home. Perhaps she's avoiding me."
The woman said, "But as far as I know, Tang Miaomiao isn't skilled in archery. She specializes in swordsmanship."
"I've also never heard that Jiang Ning is skilled in archery," Liu Linmen said slowly.
Deep down, he didn't want the culprit to be Jiang Ning, as that would mean confronting him.
He didn't want to face such a terrifying prodigy.
The more he learned about Jiang Ning's past, the more wary he became.
In just a few months, Jiang Ning had gone from an ordinary person with no martial skills to a top-tier prodigy on the Hidden Dragon Ranking.
The thought alone was frightening.
With his experience, Liu Linmen suspected that Jiang Ning was either a reincarnated individual or someone who had taken over another's body.
Otherwise, Jiang Ning's rapid growth defied all logic.
This was why he instinctively didn't want to confront Jiang Ning or make an enemy of him.
If they became enemies, he hadn't even figured out how to handle the situation.
If they became enemies, how would he deal with it?
If he acted rashly, no matter how cleanly he handled things, he couldn't deceive heaven and earth.
The Inspection Bureau had ways to find the true culprit.
At that point, he would have no escape.
As a Yellow Heaven Sect incense master, he had met many powerful figures and witnessed many miraculous techniques.
Like the Earth King who had communicated with him that night, his soul could travel thousands of miles in a single night, consult ghosts and gods, and learn everything that had happened in a place.
No matter how secretive the method, heaven and earth would know.
The Earth King had such abilities, and the experts within the Inspection Bureau likely also possessed ancient immortal techniques.
They might even have methods comparable to a Heavenly King of the sect.
From thousands of miles away, they could cast deadly curses.
This was why Liu Linmen was extremely reluctant to make an enemy of the Inspection Bureau.
Moreover, in his eyes, Jiang Ning was far from simple.
If Jiang Ning were truly the reincarnation of a legendary figure who had awakened his memories, then with Liu Linmen's strength, killing him would be nearly impossible.
Like the rumored Buddhist and Daoist prodigies one was said to be the reincarnation of the Buddha, the other of the Daoist Patriarch.
Among them, the Buddhist prodigy had once summoned a hundred-zhang-tall Buddha statue from his forehead when on the brink of death.
The Great Sun Tathagata Buddha.
With a single palm strike, the Buddha flattened a mountain and annihilated a notorious demonic sect master.
Some said this was a life-saving measure left by the Buddha for his reincarnation.
This explanation was the most widely accepted.
Therefore, no matter what, Liu Linmen instinctively didn't want to make an enemy of Jiang Ning.
Having reached this level in just a few months, Liu Linmen had seen much and understood far more than most.
Talent alone couldn't explain such rapid progress.
Two Days Later.
Afternoon.
The sky was overcast.
Since the last weather change, clear skies have become rare.
Most days were gloomy, with occasional autumn rains.
These autumn rains couldn't alleviate the drought in the fields.
But the people of Luoshui County, relying on Luoshui Lake, hadn't suffered severely from the drought this year.
And now, according to the season, it was early winter.
The crops in the fields had long been harvested, so the autumn rains no longer mattered.
Twang
Standing on the cliff, Jiang Ning shot an arrow, which streaked through the air, creating waves.
[Wind and Thunder Archery Experience +1]
Suddenly, Jiang Ning's eyes narrowed.
In the distance, he saw a small boat approaching him on the lake.
In the next moment.
His expression relaxed.
Because he recognized the person on the boat it was Xie Xiaojiu.
Over the past few days, he had been staying at Xie Xiaojiu's home every night, sharing a room with her.
His trust in Xie Xiaojiu had grown significantly.
Watching Xie Xiaojiu swiftly row the boat toward him, Jiang Ning smiled and glanced at his status panel before continuing to draw his bow.
[Skills]: Wind and Thunder Archery (Second Limit Break: 2993/3000) (Traits: Wind and Thunder Breath, Heart Archery)
He was now just a few steps away from reaching 3,000 experience points in Wind and Thunder Archery.
After shooting seventeen more arrows, he would reach 3,000 experience points and could achieve the third limit break of Wind and Thunder Archery.
Twang
Jiang Ning released the bowstring, and the arrow shot forward.
In an instant.
The arrow broke the sound barrier, creating a shockwave.
The powerful shockwave swept across the lake, causing waves to surge and spray in all directions.
In the distance.
Xie Xiaojiu watched this scene in shock.
"Supersonic arrow!" Xie Xiaojiu murmured.
She saw the arrow flying in her direction.
The sound of the arrow breaking the sound barrier reached her ears only after the arrow had passed.
This undoubtedly showed that Jiang Ning's arrow had broken the sound barrier.
"Sir's archery skills are this terrifying?!" Xie Xiaojiu muttered, her eyes filled with disbelief.
As a native of Luoshui County, she had long known about Jiang Ning's achievements.
But the more she knew, the more unreal this scene felt to her.
In Luoshui County, only one person was publicly known to be capable of shooting supersonic arrows Cao Rong.
And what level was Cao Rong at?
He was a peak seventh-rank martial artist, said to have reached the dragon tendon level, the pinnacle of what was possible.
Only such a martial artist could shoot an arrow that maintained supersonic speed for less than a breath.
But the arrow she saw now, at a glance, she knew Jiang Ning's arrow had maintained supersonic speed for over a breath.
The power of these two arrows was incomparable.
Jiang Ning's arrow far surpassed Cao Rong's archery skills.
"Sir's talent is simply too terrifying!!" Xie Xiaojiu murmured, feeling utterly astonished.
In just a few months, Jiang Ning had reached the seventh rank of martial arts, which was already incredible in her eyes.
And now, his archery skills far exceeded Cao Rong's.
She couldn't comprehend how Jiang Ning had achieved this level in such a short time.
His archery skills had reached such a terrifying level.
In Xie Xiaojiu's view, even a sixth-rank martial artist would find this archery deadly.
With such strength, Jiang Ning was now the undisputed number one in Luoshui County.
Xie Xiaojiu's gaze became somewhat distant.
After a long while.
Hoo
She exhaled deeply.
"I may never be able to catch up to his shadow in martial arts."
Thinking this, Xie Xiaojiu's eyes dimmed slightly.
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