Chapter 226: Unfathomable Methods

Chapter 226: Unfathomable Methods

In the pouring rain, a voice cried out, "He's dead!"

Hong Minghu reached out to feel He Jinyun's breath, and his pupils suddenly dilated.

His expression immediately turned grave.

He Jinyun's death here would also implicate him.

"Who did this?"

"Who dared to harm the Young Master?"

"Who has the ability to kill a naturally powerful man, who has already reached the peak of the eighth stage of Divine Strength, in just two breaths?"

Three questions flashed through Hong Minghu's mind.

Reaching the peak of the eighth stage of Divine Strength, only the top-tier experts among the sixth-stage Martial Artists could achieve such a feat.

Hong Minghu's mind briefly flashed through the faces of those in Luoshui County who possessed sixth-stage Martial Artist strength, and then he slowly shook his head.

It couldn't be any of them! The more he thought about it, the more Hong Minghu felt a headache coming on.

"Forget it!" He was about to shake his head and then crouched down.

"Strange!" After examining He Jinyun's injuries, Hong Minghu felt something was amiss.

He Jinyun's injuries were so horrific that they were hard to look at, as if he had been pierced by countless needles. But Hong Minghu couldn't find any traces of the weapon that had inflicted these wounds.

"This method is beyond comprehension!" Hong Minghu furrowed his brows.

Just seeing He Jinyun's injuries, he knew that He Jinyun must have endured pain akin to being pierced by ten thousand arrows and gnawed by ten thousand ants.

At this moment, He Jinyun's body was covered in blood and flesh, and there wasn't a single piece of good flesh left.

The rain washed away the blood, which flowed across the ground and spread in all directions.

Meanwhile, at the Inspection Bureau.

Aunt Sun!

I have avenged you!

Jiang Ning slowly opened his eyes, his heart filled with unspoken words.

Although he had killed He Jinyun, there was not a trace of joy in his heart.

He understood that by taking action to kill He Jinyun, once this matter was exposed, it would bring him a lot of trouble.

He Jinyun, the Young Master, was the son of the Marquis.

Even though the Marquis had fallen from grace, after dozens of generations of enfeoffment, He Jinyun's father was the legitimate heir of the Marquis during the founding of the country, and he was from the lineage of the eldest son.

Although by this generation, they no longer had the fiefdom or the official position, which had initially been a second-rank high official, and had now been reduced to a fourth-rank official.

However, the eldest branch of He Jinyun's family, his grandfather, and his father still enjoyed the title of Marquis.

Even if the position of Marquis had become a mere title without any real power, having already fallen to the rank of a fourth-rank official with only the salary of a fourth-rank official, it was still significant.

But this was not the key point. The critical issue was that this title represented so much.

It represented the past and honor, and this was a terrifying power.

This power was something that Jiang Ning couldn't resist at the moment.

But even knowing all this, Jiang Ning still made this choice.

Compared to this potential threat, He Jinyun's direct threat seemed more troublesome to Jiang Ning.

Yesterday, he had dared to harm Aunt Sun, and there was no guarantee that the next day he wouldn't harm Xiao Dou Bao, his brother and sister-in-law, or those close to him.

He Jinyun's actions clearly showed a disregard for taboos, and Jiang Ning didn't want to take this risk.

Moreover, he didn't want to delay taking revenge for Aunt Sun.

Sitting in the rain, Jiang Ning pondered for a long time.

Suddenly, the commotion outside the courtyard interrupted his thoughts.

"Commander He is dead!" a voice from outside shouted.

Hearing the voice from outside, Jiang Ning decided to take a look.

As he stepped out of the courtyard gate, Xie Xiaojiu saw Jiang Ning and immediately spoke up.

Then, she raised her black sleeve to shield Jiang Ning from the rain.

By this time, Jiang Ning was already soaked by the rain, and as he walked out of the courtyard, the rain continued to fall on his head.

Jiang Ning glanced at Xie Xiaojiu, who was on her tiptoes, and a smile appeared on his lips.

"You see, I'm already soaked through," Xie Xiaojiu said. "It's winter, and this rain is too cold. It could ruin your health!"

Hearing this, Jiang Ning chuckled.

H

"Come with me, something seems to have happened over there!"

"Yes, sir!" Xie Xiaojiu quickly agreed.

She immediately opened the umbrella and held it high above Jiang Ning's head.

Jiang Ning took a step forward and then turned back to look at Xie Xiaojiu.

"Move the umbrella a little closer to you. You're a young lady, and you can't get wet like this! Besides, I'm already soaked, so there's no need for you to hold the umbrella for me. It's yours to use!"

After a moment, they walked past a corner, and Jiang Ning saw the corpses covered in blood and water. He also saw He Jinyun's lifeless body.

"Lord, what happened here?" Jiang Ning furrowed his brows.

Hong Minghu glanced at Jiang Ning and then frowned tightly, "He Jinyun is dead, and this matter is troublesome!"

At the same time, Ye Qiu, who had arrived earlier, secretly observed Jiang Ning.

After learning about He Jinyun's situation, he immediately suspected Jiang Ning.

However, when Jiang Ning appeared, he showed no signs of a fight on his body.

Not only were there no signs of a fight, but there wasn't even a trace of mud or sewage on him.

After observing him, Ye Qiu immediately dismissed his suspicions of Jiang Ning.

He was well aware that with He Jinyun's strength, if Jiang Ning had been the killer, there would be no way to leave without a trace.

Moreover, in his opinion, even if Jiang Ning had a certain motive, he did not possess such strength.

From the moment the Lord heard the news and arrived at the scene.

It only took two or three breaths.

In such a short time, the only way to kill He Jinyun would be to do it himself.

Moreover, He Jinyun's death was so peculiar that even if he were to do it, he wouldn't be able to.

At the same time, he also believed that with Jiang Ning's intelligence and ability to gauge the situation, it was impossible for him not to know how terrifying it would be to kill He Jinyun.

As the legitimate heir of the Marquis' family, He Jinyun, although the youngest son, was an extremely favored one.

One can imagine how big a stir this matter would cause in the Marquis' manor and how furious it would make them.

After staying on the spot for a moment.

The four commanders quickly appeared.

Half an hour later.

The group did not reach any conclusion, and in the end, Hong Minghu gave the order to investigate the murderer to Ye Qiu, the one he trusted the most.

The rest of them also dispersed.

After leaving the Inspection Bureau.

"Lord, you're soaked. Why don't you come to my place and take a hot bath?" Xie Xiaojiu looked at Jiang Ning and said timidly.

Hearing Xie Xiaojiu's words, Jiang Ning was slightly startled and then looked at her.

"Aren't you afraid?"

"No!" Xie Xiaojiu shook her head.

Jiang Ning looked at her determined gaze and then slowly shook his head, "No need! It's too late!"

Leaving these words behind, Jiang Ning turned and left.

In this world, even though he had reached his current status, he dared not say that he could rest easy, so how could he bring happiness to others?

Not to mention, today he had provoked a potential giant.

If he were to be exposed in the future and found it difficult to protect himself, the closer people were to him, the more they would suffer.

At the same time.

Xie Xiaojiu, dressed in black, held up an umbrella and watched Jiang Ning's figure quietly walking away.

The rain gradually eased, transforming from the previous torrential downpour into a light drizzle.

Until Jiang Ning's figure completely disappeared, Xie Xiaojiu still stood silently in her original spot.

Returning to his own mansion.

Jiang Ning took a hot bath, and the negative emotions in his heart instantly dissipated.

A faint smile remained on his face.

Regardless, he had gained a lot in the past two days.

He had eliminated Cao Rong, a potential threat.

At the same time, his skills had once again broken through their limits, and the breakthrough in his scholarly skills greatly enhanced his insight.

With the blessing of Superior Insight, most of his future martial arts skills would gain experience at a doubled rate, greatly aiding his strength improvement.

Moreover, his spiritual power also surged, and once his spiritual power field expanded, it could easily cover a range of one li.

The increase in spiritual power also made his abilities even more powerful.

Today, he had used the Cloud Manipulation and Rain Summoning ability to easily cover the entire Luoshui County with heavy rain, and then utilized the Water Control Technique to kill He Jinyun from a distance of one li.

With such mysterious and unpredictable methods, Jiang Ning believed that no one would be able to find evidence and trace the crime back to him, the real culprit.

This was also the reason why he dared to take action against He Jinyun to avenge Aunt Sun.

Sitting in the courtyard.

As the dark clouds dispersed, the bright moon hung high in the night sky.

Jiang Ning looked at his panel once again.

[Name]: Jiang Ning

[Essence Energy]: 237.43

[Skills]:

Scholarly Skills (4 Breakthroughs/5000) (Characteristics: Photographic Memory, Extraordinary Senses, Keen Mind, Superior Insight)



Enhanced Wood Splitting Blade Technique (5 Breakthroughs/6000) (Characteristics: Analogical Comprehension, Blade as Swift Wind, Blade Movement as Divine, Man and Blade as One, Natural Blade Bone)



Water Proficiency (5 Breakthroughs/6000) (Characteristics: Underwater Breathing, Water Control Technique, Water Spirit Affinity, Cloud Manipulation and Rain Summoning, Water Spirit Body)



"There are still 200 Essence Energy points, which can only allow Scholarly Skills to complete the fifth breakthrough, but it is still insufficient for Enhanced Wood Splitting Blade Technique and Water Proficiency to complete the sixth breakthrough."

After reading the panel, Jiang Ning closed it immediately.

Now, there was only one thing on his mind: how to further enhance his strength.

The stronger one's strength, the more confident they would be in facing all sorts of unexpected events.

Just like yesterday.

Knowing that Cao Rong was heading straight for Luoshui County, he was able to leave the county alone and intercept Cao Rong halfway.

This was all thanks to his strength.

His sufficient strength gave him this confidence.

If he were to kill He Jinyun and get caught, only his strength would be his true reliance.

His official position might be useful against powers like the Yellow Heaven Sect.

However, an Eighth Stage official position was insignificant when facing a Marquis of the Fourth Stage.

Although Jiang Ning didn't think this possibility was likely, he couldn't ignore it.

Just like that night, when he secretly made a move on Liu Lintang, it led to Liu Lintang summoning the Earth King to use his Soul Exit technique, easily locking onto Jiang Ning's location.

Jiang Ning was unaware of such mysterious and unpredictable methods.

Afterward, Jiang Ning began to assess his current strength.

He took another look at his panel.

Skills:

- Scholarly Skills (4 Limit Breaks out of 5000) (Characteristics: Photographic Memory, Extraordinary Senses, Keen Mind, Superior Insight)



- Five Beasts Fist (1 Limit Break out of 2000) (Characteristics: Essence Stored in Organs)



- Firewood Cleaving Blade Technique (5 Limit Breaks out of 6000) (Characteristics: Analogical Comprehension, Blade as Swift Wind, Divine Blade Movement)



- Inner Core Nourishing Technique (Minor Accomplishment: 713/5000)



- Unbreakable Body Technique (Minor Accomplishment: 453/5000)



- Water Proficiency (5 Limit Breaks out of 6000) (Characteristics: Underwater Breathing, Water Control Technique, Water Spirit Affinity, Cloud Manipulation and Rain Summoning, Water Spirit Body)



- Gale Thunder Arrow Art (3 Limit Breaks out of 4000) (Characteristics: Wind and Thunder Breath, Heart Arrow Technique, Wind and Thunder Arrow)



- Water and Fire True Essence (Minor Accomplishment: 54/500)



The Scholarly Skills allowed his mental power to cover a radius of 100 meters around him, providing immense assistance.

Although the Five Beasts Fist had only achieved its first Limit Break, the increase in vital energy it brought was immense, and this robust vital energy was the key to his rapid progress.

The Firewood Cleaving Blade Technique's most significant change was that after completing five Limit Breaks, his Sword Intent advanced further.

The peak state of his blade that night was still unforgettable for Jiang Ning.

In his opinion, that blade might be his most powerful combat method.

The fact that it could slay a Sixth Rank Martial Dao practitioner who had transformed into a Blood and Flesh Monster with a single strike demonstrated its terror.

As for the Inner Core Nourishing Technique, after reaching the Minor Accomplishment level, it allowed him to master the Inner Breath that only a Fifth Rank Inner Fortitude Realm practitioner could achieve.

His Internal and External Cultivation was the reason his strength far surpassed others of the same rank.

However, he hadn't devoted much time to the Unbreakable Body Technique for a long time, causing this extraordinary technique to not exhibit any special prowess in his body.

He then looked at Water Proficiency, Gale Thunder Arrow Art, and Water and Fire True Essence—these three skills.

Water Proficiency was his most significant reliance at the moment.

With this skill, once he entered the water, his strength would greatly increase, and the aquatic realm would become his domain.

The Gale Thunder Arrow Art, a Middle-Tiered Martial Art, had become one of Jiang Ning's trump cards after achieving three Limit Breaks.

At the same time, his speed and power had significantly enhanced his conventional abilities.

Compared to the terror of the Gale Thunder Arrow Art, the Water and Fire True Essence, a High-Tiered Martial Art, was slightly inferior, and its offensive capabilities were far less terrifying than the former.

Jiang Ning understood that this was because the Water and Fire True Essence had only reached the Minor Accomplishment level and had yet to achieve Major Accomplishment, let alone Perfection.

As for the Middle-Tiered Gale Thunder Arrow Art, it had already achieved three Limit Breaks, gaining the support of three characteristics. Additionally, with each Limit Break, the Wind and Thunder Force would grow stronger.

The support of three Limit Breaks had already transformed the Gale Thunder Arrow Art.

It was no longer just an ordinary Middle-Tiered Martial Art.

In Jiang Ning's opinion, even a High-Tiered Martial Art at the Perfection level might not be able to compare to his Gale Thunder Arrow Art with three Limit Breaks.

After reviewing the changes in his panel, Jiang Ning closed it and clenched his fist.

In an instant, he felt an immense force coursing through his body, and he was satisfied to feel the incredibly resilient Human Dragon Sinew within him.

He had achieved the Dragon Sinew, the true peak of the Seventh Stage Martial Dao, and at this level, there was no further progress.

To seek further breakthroughs, he needed to focus on both improving his skills and tempering his physical body.

Bone Forging was the final step of External Cultivation.

It was also a crucial step.

After completing this step, he could directly enter the Fifth Rank Inner Fortitude Realm, thanks to his early start in Internal and External Cultivation and the progress of his Inner Core Nourishing Technique.

And it wouldn't be an ordinary Fifth Rank, either.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end