Mr. Jiang's Righteous Awe

Jiang Wang glanced at Ning Shisi, lost in thought.

If it weren't for Miss Shu stopping him, he might have revealed more.

What a pity.

"Shu Ni... losing to any opponent you face carries a very good meaning."

Was that how the two words "Shu Ni" were interpreted?

Besides, in Hun City, when had she ever won?

If you look at it from another angle, it means losing to anyone you face.

Miss Shu felt that Jiang Wang was probably mocking her.

Seeing that Shu Ni was showing signs of anger again, Jiang Wang quickly said, "As long as you help me find the monster, I'll agree to help you too. You came to me through Old Xu, didn't you want my help initially?"

Shu Ni said, "You said back then that if you helped me intercept that old man, you would do anything for me!"

Jiang Wang didn't pick up on that thread. He turned to Ning Shisi and said, "Brother Ning has a righteous spirit. With a monster lurking in Hun City and the common people under threat, I imagine the simple task of finding it should be no problem for you."

Ning Shisi straightened his back and said righteously, "Mr. Jiang is correct. Moreover, if it's just about finding the monster and luring it here, the actual subduing will be handled by Mr. Jiang. We shouldn't refuse. For the safety of the people of Hun City, I, Ning Shisi, will definitely help, and my junior sister must do the same!"

Shu Ni was shocked.

Although Ning Shisi was a bit long-winded and slow-witted, he shouldn't be this foolish, right?

He was swayed by Jiang Wang's words in just a few sentences?

"Good!" Jiang Wang clapped his hands loudly and said seriously, "Brother Ning truly has a righteous spirit. There's no time to delay. I shall await Brother Ning's good news at the Marquis Mansion!"

Ning Shisi cupped his fists and said, "Farewell!"

He was very excited. He grabbed Shu Ni and climbed over the wall again.

Jiang Wang looked up.

He saw their figures leaping and falling, crossing several walls of the Marquis Mansion before disappearing.

He sighed with emotion, "I only thought there were apricot blossoms on the wall, but it turns out it was Ning Shisi."

He got up from the rattan chair, ready to go back to his room to sleep.

But as he stood at the door, he suddenly felt a sense of alertness.

He turned around abruptly.

The night was silent.

A gentle breeze brushed past.

The leaves of the banyan tree outside the wall swayed, casting monstrous shadows on the ground.

Jiang Wang frowned deeply.

Finding no abnormalities, he pushed open the door and entered his room.

In the dark night, pedestrians gradually thinned on the streets of Hun City.

Leaving Qixia Street, Shu Ni shook off Ning Shisi's hand and said irritably, "Is your head filled with paste? You believe whatever he says? Where does your righteous spirit come from? It's clearly just foolishness!"

Ning Shisi said helplessly, "Junior Sister, no matter how I look at it, Mr. Jiang doesn't seem like a monster. Besides, you haven't sensed any demonic energy from him. Why would you slander him based on your likes and dislikes? In light of this, even without Mr. Jiang, we cannot ignore the fact that monsters are appearing in Hun City."

Shu Ni knew that Ning believed what he saw and not what he didn't, especially when it concerned monsters.

But with Jiang Wang involved, she had to be cautious.

"Even if we're looking for monsters, we need to be clear about things. That fellow named Jiang is full of lies. When I questioned him just now, he deliberately changed the subject. I'm afraid that if we really find a monster, he definitely won't keep his promise."

Ning Shisi frowned and said, "But I see Mr. Jiang as having a righteous spirit and not someone who would engage in petty behavior. Locking up the disciples of Fish Abyss Academy in the woodshed must have had its reasons, and he also opened up convenient channels. Junior Sister, you must have a deep misunderstanding of him."

Shu Ni rolled her eyes. "You two with your righteous spirits are just birds of a feather. I can't be bothered with you."

Ning Shisi appeased his junior sister's emotions and said, "I am a Martial Artist. My cultivation is low, and I cannot detect demonic energy. This matter still relies on you, Junior Sister. If we can truly rid Hun City of this disaster, you will be the first to be credited. At that time, Teacher will also help you request merit, and you can truly be admitted into the Divine Capital's elite military ranks."

Shu Ni could only nod.

And Ning Shisi's so-called low cultivation realm did not mean what it literally said. It was just that unless a Martial Artist reached the Grandmaster realm, it was indeed difficult to detect demonic energy.

However, because Shu Ni was only a cultivator in the Cave Nether Realm, and had only recently forged her Yellow Court, her range of detection was limited. Finding traces of monsters was not an easy task.

Moreover, if the monster was deliberately hiding, cultivators of lower realms would also find it difficult to detect any problems.

The process of searching for monsters was tedious.

They didn't see anything worth noting for the entire night.

The next morning, Ning Shisi, who came to the Xunyang Marquis Manor alone, felt ashamed.

Jiang Wang had expectations.

But sometimes, the greater the expectation, the heavier the disappointment.

He lay on the rattan chair in the courtyard.

Looking up, he saw the branches of the banyan tree outside the wall. The bird was still there.

The bird tilted its head, seemingly staring at Jiang Wang.

After a moment of eye contact, Jiang Wang felt a sense of unease.

He felt like something was off.

He pointed at the banyan tree and asked Ning Shisi, "Do you know what kind of bird that is?"

Ning Shisi looked over, frowned, and said, "It looks like a crow, but it's darker, its beak is wider, its eyes are a glowing blue, and it has a white feather on its tail. Birds with these characteristics are common, but none seem to fit perfectly. I don't know either."

Jiang Wang asked again, "Did Miss Shu notice anything unusual in the Marquis Manor last night?"

Ning Shisi shook his head. "No, except for the person in the woodshed."

Jiang Wang was silent for a moment, then said, "Thank you both for your hard work. If you find any traces of monsters, feel free to come find me."

Since they hadn't found any monsters, Ning Shisi felt awkward bringing up what Miss Shu had asked him to do, so he took his leave.

Jiang Wang continued to stare intently at the bird.

Suddenly, he grinned.

He picked up a stone and threw it directly at the bird.

The bird shifted to the side, easily dodging the stone.

The smile on Jiang Wang's face widened.

"When Master Tao told me that Hun City might have a great monster appearing, it was the same day you landed on the banyan tree in my yard. Miss Shu and the others searched all night and found no trace. Perhaps the monster wasn't elsewhere in Hun City, but right here on Qixia Street, in my home."

Jiang Wang tapped his right index finger lightly against the rattan chair.

"You saw everything that happened last night. Perhaps Miss Shu's cultivation level was too low to sense your presence, but you knew I was looking for a monster and still lingered in my home. You must have deep cultivation. But since I've discovered you, you can't escape."

The courtyard was extremely quiet.

Jiang Wang looked up at the bird.

The bird looked down at him.

Its glowing blue eyes were beautiful.

Jiang Wang continued, "I'll be direct. All cultivators and martial artists in the world have a duty to slay demons and monsters. I intend to slay you. What will you do?"

The banyan tree swayed slightly, and fallen leaves drifted into the courtyard.

The bird's beak opened slightly, and it spoke in a human voice, "Slay demons and monsters is your duty? Perhaps for cultivators and martial artists everywhere, but do you believe that yourself when you say it?"

Jiang Wang raised an eyebrow. "What, you think my demeanor doesn't match that of a righteous warrior slaying demons? Are you insulting me?"

The bird indeed showed a very human-like look of disdain. "I've observed you for three days. Is your purpose in seeking monsters truly to slay them? You're only fooling ignorant children."

Jiang Wang said indignantly, "I don't like what you're saying. I will dedicate my life to slaying demons and monsters! You, a monster, are slandering me. It seems you haven't experienced my beatings. Today, I'll show you!"

The bird let out a cold laugh. "Come on, I'm standing right here. If you have the ability, hit me."

Jiang Wang had just stood up when he slowly sat back down, extending his hand. "I'm afraid I'll kill you directly. Fine, I'll give you a chance. You make the first move."

The bird turned its head and pecked at its own back. "I don't want to."

Jiang Wang said urgently, "You have to!"

The bird shook its head. "I just don't want to."

"..."

At this moment, Xiaoyu arrived in the courtyard.

She said in surprise, "Young Master, who are you talking to?"

Jiang Wang pointed at the banyan tree and was about to speak when he realized the bird was no longer there.

This must be the strangest monster he had ever seen.

"It's nothing. Is there something you need?"

"Two cultivators from Moonlit West Tower have arrived and are waiting in the main hall."

Jiang Wang was very surprised to hear this. He immediately got up and went to the main hall. "You two returned so quickly. Have you found the culprit?"

The green-robed and white-robed cultivators quickly bowed to Jiang Wang. The former said, "We've only gathered some information, and since it concerns Mr. Jiang, we rushed back immediately."

Jiang Wang sat in the main seat and took the tea Xiaoyu handed him, asking doubtfully, "It concerns me?"

The white-robed cultivator said, "Because of the Du Family, Mr. Jiang was once attacked by a Jianli. Using the power of Moonlit West Tower, we've discovered that the martial artist named Feng Linghuai is likely the teacher of the Jianli who assassinated Mr. Jiang."

The green-robed cultivator added, "That Jianli was killed by Mr. Jiang. We are worried that Feng Linghuai might seek revenge. We've also tracked his movements; that Feng Linghuai has been lurking around Hun City, but he's very good at hiding. If it weren't for the fact that Moonlit West Tower cultivators are spread throughout Kutan, it would have been difficult to get this information so quickly."

Jiang Wang pondered for a moment and then smiled. "Feng Linghuai has already tried to kill me once. I never understood his identity. The information you've brought me now is just perfect."

Connecting Feng Linghuai with the old man in coarse cloth and linen made the logic make sense.

He guessed that Feng Linghuai and his disciple came to Hun City to carry out a mission.

However, Feng Linghuai's target was the purple-robed cultivator of Moonlit West Tower, while his disciple might have coincidentally accepted Du Zicheng's assassination mission.

"If Feng Linghuai is just a Jianli, he must be hired. Have you found out who hired him?"

The green-robed cultivator frowned. "Although there are cultivators among Jianli, they are mostly martial artists. A mission to kill a cultivator is already unusual. We brothers have cultivated for half our lives, and we don't have many enemies."

"Moreover, for a martial artist Jianli to accept a mission to kill a cultivator, the price must be unimaginably high. Cultivators who aren't short of money usually have status and background. We always avoid such people, so how could we have offended them?"

Among all the cultivators, only Moonlit West Tower, relying on mutual support, was financially weaker. Unless they were cultivators with a great background, they would only be from wealthy families. However, the green-robed and white-robed cultivators couldn't figure it out for the moment.