Chapter 5: Unforeseen Circumstances

Chapter 5: Unforeseen Circumstances

Beneath the grapevine in the courtyard, a conversation was unfolding.

"Big brother, is there really no way to recover your arm?"

Jiang Li shook his head slightly, "There's no way. My muscles and bones are shattered, and my right arm is nearly crushed. If it weren't for the high-quality medicinal herbs provided by the County Lord, I might not even be able to stand before you."

As he spoke, a smile appeared on his face, and he shook his head, "Little brother, weren't you saying you wanted to practice martial arts at noon?"

"Yes!" Jiang Ning nodded.

"It's time to practice martial arts!" Jiang Li's expression turned thoughtful, and he continued, "The world is becoming more chaotic, and the Divine Worship Sect is growing more rampant. They are becoming increasingly crazed in their pursuit of creating a man-made deity. If it weren't for the Divine Worship Sect, I wouldn't have encountered such a calamity!"

"The Divine Worship Sect?" Jiang Ning's gaze intensified as he instantly recalled an incident that had occurred two months ago.

Two months ago, after his transmigration, he had suffered severe injuries.

After absorbing the memories of his previous self, he faintly heard the words 'Divine Worship Sect' during the attack, along with a sentence: 'Another Naturally Gifted individual found. After capturing this soul, I will surely receive the reward from the divine messenger!'

Undoubtedly, he was that Naturally Gifted individual.

The attack on his previous self was most likely due to this reason, making him a target of the Divine Worship Sect.

Or perhaps it was because of that accident that he awakened the innate wisdom of his past life, or maybe it was this opportunity that led to his transmigration.

The exact reason remained unknown to him.

Hearing the name 'Divine Worship Sect' again made Jiang Ning feel that it was a matter of great importance.

Even now, he didn't fully understand what a Naturally Gifted individual was, but he knew that if his previous self was targeted by the Divine Worship Sect for being Naturally Gifted, and if he were to be discovered again, he might face a similar fate.

"Little brother, what's wrong?" Jiang Li asked with concern, noticing Jiang Ning's slightly dazed expression.

"Nothing, I just thought of something." Jiang Ning shook his head.

Hearing this, Jiang Li couldn't help but smile, "Don't worry! I've already made arrangements for your martial arts training, and I've found a good teacher for you."

"A good teacher?" Jiang Ning shook his head, "Big brother, it's not necessary to go to such lengths. Becoming a disciple is too expensive, and we can't afford it. It's enough for you to teach me a few martial arts techniques."

"You want me to teach you martial arts?" Jiang Li shook his head repeatedly, "That's not possible! Learning martial arts is not easy; it can't be taught or learned carelessly. If something goes wrong, there will be regrets."

He continued, "Moreover, my right hand is useless now, and I can't teach you with a knife in my left hand. The good teacher I found for you is Wang Jin from the Waveflow Martial Academy. Wang Jin is an official rank martial artist with strength far surpassing mine, and he has rich teaching experience. He is indeed a good teacher."

"Waveflow Martial Academy? Wang Jin?" Jiang Ning was slightly surprised. In recent days, he had been reading various books and asking his big brother about many things, so he had heard of the famous Wang Jin from the Waveflow Martial Academy.

The Waveflow Martial Academy was a place countless martial artists aspired to join. Becoming a true disciple of the academy was like taking a giant leap forward for ordinary people, and this was not just because of the academy's reputation but also because of Wang Jin's identity.

Jiang Ning shook his head, well aware of the cost of becoming a disciple of the Waveflow Martial Academy.

Even though his big brother was a constable with an official status, being affiliated with the government, and having some connection with Wang Jin and the Waveflow Martial Academy, there would be no exceptions.

Jiang Ning spoke up, "Big brother, even if I really want to find a good teacher, it's not necessary to join the Waveflow Martial Academy. The tuition there is too expensive!"

"You don't need to worry about this!" Jiang Li said, "I have served the government and the County Lord loyally, and now that I'm severely injured, there will be a compensation payment from the government."

He then whispered to Jiang Ning, "Little brother, don't tell your sister-in-law about this. The compensation from the government will take some time to be issued. I've temporarily borrowed some money as your tuition, but don't let your sister-in-law know, or she'll nag me again."

As his words fell, Jiang Li chuckled, feigning lightness.

At this moment, Jiang Ning's heart was filled with mixed emotions. Such familial affection was something he had never experienced in his previous life.

Jiang Li patted his shoulder, "It's late; you should go to sleep. I've already paid the tuition, so you don't need to delay any further. This money is non-refundable, so tomorrow, you'll go with me to the Waveflow Martial Academy."

Leaving these words, Jiang Li walked towards Liu Wanyuan, and the two of them returned to the house.

The next day, the sun rose in the east, and the sky brightened.

Suddenly,

Knock knock knock—

"Brother Li, I'm Xu Yunfeng, and I've come to visit!"

Xu Yunfeng?

Hearing these three words, Jiang Ning was slightly surprised, but then he instantly recalled.

Previously, his big brother had taken him to the government archives.

Xu Yunfeng, a man who had been alone and helpless since childhood, had fought with wild dogs for food and would do anything to achieve his goals.

Most importantly, this man worked under Cao Bin, the captain of the Cao family, one of the Luoshui County's Four Great Warriors.

The Cao family, as the local power in the region, had a complicated relationship with the County Lord, an influential figure from outside the county. Jiang Ning could sense this from the various incidents that had occurred.

It wasn't hard to notice this dynamic, as history was filled with conflicts between local powers and those from afar.

If Jiang Ning were to take sides, he would have naturally sided with the County Lord, as his older brother, Wang Jin, and the captain of the sheriff's department, Feng Tou, were all closely aligned with the County Lord.

At this moment, Jiang Ning's instincts kicked in, and he immediately sensed that the visitor was up to no good. With this thought, he quickly got out of bed and headed to the main hall to assess the situation.

Upon reaching the hall, Jiang Ning saw his older brother, Jiang Li, leading a man dressed in a dark robe and a long shirt, with a standard longsword hanging at his waist, into the main hall.

After the two men took their seats, Jiang Ning's sister-in-law, Liu Wanwan, served them both a cup of hot tea.

"Your wife is so beautiful!" Xu Yunfeng exclaimed, his face full of admiration as he looked at Liu Wanwan.

Seeing this, Jiang Li's eyebrows furrowed slightly, and he slowly spoke up, "Brother Xu, what brings you here today? It's quite sudden."

Xu Yunfeng, gazing at Jiang Li, responded slowly, "You and I are colleagues. Last night, I heard that you were in danger and your right arm was injured. That's why I came today to visit and also bring you a bottle of medicine to heal your wounds and relieve the pain. I hope you won't refuse my offer!"

As he spoke, Xu Yunfeng took out a ceramic bottle of medicine from his waist and placed it in front of Jiang Li.

Seeing this, Jiang Li's expression softened slightly.

"Thank you for your kind gesture, Brother Xu!"

Xu Yunfeng smiled faintly at this, "There's one more thing I need to mention."

"What is it?"

Xu Yunfeng said, "Captain Cao heard about your sudden misfortune and feels deeply sorry. He wants to invite you to Bright Moon Pavilion tonight at the first watch."

"Captain Cao?" Jiang Li's expression changed abruptly, and he asked in disbelief, "Are you talking about Cao Bin, the Sheriff?"

"Yes, that's the same Cao Bin!" Xu Yunfeng affirmed.

After receiving this confirmation, Jiang Li's expression turned even more unpleasant.

"Will you do him the honor, Brother Li?" Xu Yunfeng asked slowly.

Jiang Li pondered for a moment and then nodded slowly, "I will keep my word and be there on time."

"Good!" Xu Yun nodded in satisfaction and then glanced at Liu Wanwan, who was standing nearby, "Remember to bring your wife along too!"

At these words, Jiang Li's expression changed drastically again.

He took a deep breath and turned to Liu Wanwan, "Wanwan, go back to your room!"

"Yes, Brother Li!" Liu Wanwan nodded, her brows furrowed with concern as she glanced at Jiang Li and then turned to leave the main hall.

Once Liu Wanwan was out of sight, Jiang Li's eyes burned with anger, and he said, "Xu Yunfeng, what do you mean by this?"

"What do I mean?" Xu Yunfeng smiled faintly, "Brother Li, you should be asking Captain Cao what he means, not me!"

Looking at Jiang Li, who seemed ready to devour him, Xu Yunfeng smiled again, "You should understand what Captain Cao means. I believe you've heard the rumors circulating among the people."

At these words, Jiang Li's expression became even more unpleasant, his face darkening.

At that moment, Jiang Ning also recalled the rumors about Sheriff Cao Bin.

According to the rumors, Sheriff Cao had a particular fondness for beautiful women, especially married ones.

Jiang Li's expression changed, and he looked at Xu Yunfeng with intense seriousness, "In the county government, what does the Cao family amount to? The County Lord is the ruler of the county government and Luoshui County itself!"

"How foolish!" Xu Yunfeng's gaze was filled with disdain as he looked at Jiang Li, as if he didn't want to be associated with him, "One Cao family is nothing compared to the County Lord, but what about the Liu and Xie families?"

At this point, Xu Yunfeng stood up, "Luoshui County is like an iron bucket in the hands of these major families, yet the Divine Worship Sect is becoming more rampant. If you were smart, you wouldn't have suffered such a severe injury. Think about it, during the operation to suppress the Divine Worship Sect, which sheriff or officer suffered casualties? Who were they close to?"

"What does the County Lord amount to? If you know what's good for you, just endure a little humiliation, and you can gain Captain Cao's favor, just like I did!"

"If you don't comply, with your injured arm, you can't continue as a sheriff. If you go against the Cao family, you'll have no choice but to return home and become an ordinary citizen!"

"By then, do you think I'll still be this polite when talking to you?"

"Captain Cao truly can't forget about your wife!"

"If you comply, you'll be under Captain Cao's protection, just like me. The End-of-Year Assessment is only four months away, and by then, you'll surely recover. You'll still have a place in the county government, and your compensation for the injury will be provided as promised!"

As he finished speaking, Xu Yunfeng added, "Brother Li, you're blessed with both a son and a daughter. You're truly fortunate!"

"I've heard that you treat your younger brother exceptionally well. I'm quite envious of that," Xu Yunfeng said, his gaze falling on Jiang Ning, a smile on his face.

As Jiang Ning met Xu Yunfeng's gaze, he felt like he was facing a beast ready to pounce.

The next moment, Xu Yunfeng withdrew his gaze and strode out of the house with a powerful aura, disappearing from sight.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end