Killing Intent Arrives! Zhao Wuji Assassinated Li Zhixian on a Rainy Night

After the battle came to an end.

Li Zhixian met with Xue Qinghe, as well as Grandfather and Grandson Dugu, who had returned from hunting spirit rings.

Xue Qinghe invited him to meet at Lotus Lake the following morning.

Dugu Yan had gathered delicious mountain delicacies in Star Dou Forest and invited him to taste them that afternoon.

As for the Ye Family...

He had no fondness for Mother Ye, whose desire for control was far too strong.

But Ye Lingling invited him to return to the noodle shop from last time the following evening.

The girl's clear blue eyes looked at him, and the refusal on Li Zhixian's lips ultimately went unspoken.

The next day.

The sky was dim, with a slight chill in the air.

Li Zhixian arrived at Lotus Lake as promised and stayed with Xue Qinghe until noon.

After they parted, there was an exquisite silk umbrella in his hand.

At the same time.

Inside a courtyard in the imperial city.

"Get out!"

"Get the hell out, all of you!"

"You useless trash!"

Zhao Wuji cursed viciously at the physicians.

After driving away the sixth group of helpless physicians.

He gritted his teeth and trembled as he looked toward Ma Hongjun on the bed, unconscious and mutilated.

"Ruined..."

"Ruined..."

"Ma Hongjun's whole life is ruined..."

Qin Ming stood nearby with a gloomy expression and said softly:

"Teacher Zhao..."

"I've already sent people to Suotuo City."

"The Dean and the others... will be here soon."

Zhao Wuji closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

When he opened them again, terrifying bloodshot veins filled his eyes, yet his voice was unusually calm.

"Qin Ming, who is Sword Wine?"

Qin Ming's expression stiffened.

"Teacher..."

"Don't tell me you don't know!"

Zhao Wuji cut him off sharply.

"You're Imperial Dou Academy's youngest Heaven Dou Grade teacher!"

"With your connections, there's no way you couldn't investigate Sword Wine's identity!"

"Qin Ming..."

Zhao Wuji enunciated every word.

"If you still remember the bond between teacher and student..."

"If you still remember that you graduated from Shrek..."

"Then tell me."

A look of struggle flashed across Qin Ming's face.

In the end, it turned into a helpless sigh.

"I... do know..."

"It looks like it's about to rain."

Dark clouds covered the sun at the horizon, and a storm was brewing.

Ye Lingling stood quietly on the arched bridge with two umbrellas tucked under her arm, gazing out at the misty, rain-veiled lake.

When she spotted the distant figure in white.

Her lovely face remained cold and detached.

But a faint glimmer seemed to flicker in her blue eyes.

"Let's go."

"Are we still going to that noodle shop?"

"Yeah. I need to hear how that storyteller has been embellishing my story."

Ye Lingling secretly glanced at Li Zhixian.

He spoke of embellishment, but the curve of his lips could not be suppressed at all.

"Ah, miss, why are you here again? This is already your third bowl of noodles today."

"Hm?"

Hearing that.

Li Zhixian raised his eyes and looked at Ye Lingling.

The girl appeared cool and composed, but her slender hands hidden in her sleeves were tightly clenched.

The reason she had come twice that morning.

Was because she had not performed well when she came with Li Zhixian last time.

So she had deliberately come to "rehearse" twice in advance today.

"One bowl of hot noodle soup, one small side dish, and two cloves of garlic."

"He and I..."

"Wait."

Li Zhixian withdrew his gaze from the storyteller and looked at Ye Lingling's lovely face.

"Ye Lingling, you don't need to cater to me."

Ye Lingling blinked her blue eyes.

Li Zhixian reached out and moved the oil and vinegar separating them aside, then said seriously:

"I don't know exactly what your mother said to you."

"But you really don't need to work so hard to cater to me."

"You are..."

At that point.

Li Zhixian got stuck.

He frowned and racked his brain, but could not come up with any suitable comforting words.

"Having me comprehend the sword or brew wine is easy."

"Comforting someone... is hard."

Ye Lingling rested her cheek on her hand and watched Li Zhixian's troubled expression. A faint smile appeared on her lovely face.

How amusing.

Yesterday, with the soul fight approaching, Li Zhixian had still been talking about how sweet plums were.

Today, merely trying to comfort her had him so troubled.

At that moment.

Outside the stall's oilcloth canopy.

A light rain began to fall in a gentle patter.

Two birds nestled together atop the banner pole hanging at the stall entrance to draw customers.

One bird held a leaf in its beak, trying hard to shield the other from the rain.

Watching the scene, Ye Lingling suddenly asked softly:

"Li Zhixian, are you concerned about me?"

"Hm?"

Li Zhixian, who was still wrestling with words of comfort, looked confused.

Ye Lingling pointed at the banner pole with her slender finger.

"Like them."

"Forget it. That's so cringe."

His noodles had arrived.

Li Zhixian took a mouthful and said indistinctly:

"They're Bi Yi Birds."

"You and I, well, count as friends."

"I'm not good at saying comforting things."

"I just want to tell you that you don't need to cater to anyone, including your mother."

Li Zhixian swallowed the noodles in his mouth and looked at Ye Lingling.

"For example..."

"You're not allowed to order the same thing as me today."

"Eat whatever you like."

"Order whatever you want."

"Oh."

Ye Lingling lowered her head and twisted the corner of her clothes without speaking.

Li Zhixian paid her no mind.

He ate his noodles by himself, listening through the fine curtain of rain to the storyteller across the street speaking with great flourish.

Every now and then, he even called out a word of praise in agreement.

Ye Lingling looked up at him several times, wanting to speak but hesitating.

"Still haven't decided what to eat?"

Li Zhixian looked helplessly at his nearly empty bowl.

"I'm almost done."

Ye Lingling's voice was soft and weak, tinged with a little grievance.

"But... but I just want hot noodle soup."

"You won't let me have it."

While Li Zhixian was accompanying Ye Lingling over noodles.

The storyteller began recounting an interesting episode.

"Dear audience, do you know what happened?"

"This old man thinks Lord Sword Wine may know me!"

The crowd immediately burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha, who the hell do you think you are?!"

"Even the Ye Family, Poison Douluo, and His Highness the Crown Prince went to support Lord Sword Wine. Have you gone muddle-headed from telling stories, old man?"

The storyteller slapped his gavel with a bang.

"Not so!"

"Last night, the Soul Fighting Arena was packed with people. This old man's brush flew like the wind as I wrote furiously!"

"Then I suddenly saw a gold coin streak through the air, splitting the brush in my hand before flying straight into my chest!"

"This old man hurriedly looked up—"

"Guess what I saw?"

The listeners grew curious and craned their necks, pricking up their ears.

"What did you see?"

The storyteller lowered his voice.

"I saw the back of a man in white disappearing into the depths of the passageway. If it wasn't Lord Sword Wine, who had just defeated that scruffy-feathered turkey, who else could it have been!!!"

The claim was far too absurd.

The audience cursed and laughed as they dispersed in a rush.

"Hey, fuck your mother!"

"I already took off my pants, and this is what you tell me?!"

"Finished?"

Li Zhixian and Ye Lingling got up and left.

When they reached the entrance.

Li Zhixian suddenly thought of something.

With a flick of his finger.

Another gold coin spun through the air and landed atop the storyteller's table.

The rain grew heavier.

The storyteller wanted to head home early today.

His grandson wanted pastries from the next street over, and he could not forget.

The storyteller muttered to himself.

Then he suddenly caught sight of the gleaming gold coin on the table.

His eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

After parting with Ye Lingling.

Li Zhixian held up his umbrella and walked home.

The rain grew heavier and heavier.

A vast white curtain of water filled the space between heaven and earth, raindrops streaming from the edge of his umbrella.

Upon returning to the small courtyard, he pushed open the door.

Just as the door was about to close.

Li Zhixian's gaze passed through the narrowing gap and fell upon the sky outside, where leaden clouds hung low, dark as night.

"A storm is coming..."

At midnight.

The torrential rain poured down as though it would overturn heaven and earth.

Outside Li Zhixian's courtyard gate.

A burly figure clad in a straw rain cape arrived without warning, carrying killing intent colder than the icy rain as he stood silently amid the downpour.

These two chapters were better posted together, so they came a little late.

There'll be another chapter tonight~

Thank you, dear readers~