Murderous Intent Descends! Zhao Wuji's Rainy-Night Assassination of Li Zhexian

After the battle ended.

Li Zhexian met with Xue Qinghe, then with Dugu and his granddaughter, who had returned from hunting Spirit Rings.

Xue Qinghe invited him to Lotus Lake the following morning.

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

As for the Ye Family...

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

But Ye Lingling invited him to the same Noodle Shop the following night.

The girl's clear blue eyes looked his way, and in the end, Li Zhexian could not bring himself to voice the refusal on his lips.

The next day.

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

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

After they parted, he had 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!"

"Bunch of useless trash!"

Zhao Wuji cursed viciously at the physicians.

After driving away the sixth batch of helpless doctors.

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

"Ruined..."

"Ruined..."

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

Qin Ming's face was bleak as he said in a low voice:

"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 Jian Jiu?"

Qin Ming's expression stiffened.

"Teacher..."

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

Zhao Wuji cut him off sharply.

"You are Huangdou Academy's youngest Heaven Dou level teacher!"

"With your connections, don't tell me you can't uncover the identity of some Jian Jiu!"

"Qin Ming..."

Zhao Wuji enunciated each word.

"If you still remember the bond between master and disciple..."

"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 powerless sigh.

"I... do know..."

"Looks like it's going to rain."

Dark clouds covered the sun at the horizon, and a storm was on its way.

Holding two umbrellas under one arm, Ye Lingling stood quietly on the Arch Bridge, gazing over the misty, rain-veiled lake.

When she spotted that distant figure in white.

Her lovely face remained as cool as ever.

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

"Let's go."

"Are we still going to that Noodle Shop?"

"Yes. I need to hear how that Storyteller has been making things up about me."

Ye Lingling stole a glance at Li Zhexian.

He claimed the man was making things up, but the curve of his lips would not stay down.

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

"Hm?"

Hearing that.

Li Zhexian raised his eyes toward Ye Lingling.

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

The reason she had come twice that morning.

Was because she had performed poorly when she came with Li Zhexian last time.

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

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

"He and I..."

"Wait."

Li Zhexian 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 Zhexian reached out, moved the oil and vinegar between them aside, and 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 Zhexian got stuck.

He frowned and racked his brains, yet could not find any suitable comforting words.

"Having me comprehend swordsmanship or brew wine is easy."

"Comforting people... is hard."

Resting her cheek on one hand, Ye Lingling watched the troubled Li Zhexian. A faint smile appeared on her lovely face.

How amusing.

Yesterday, with the Soul Fighting match imminent, Li Zhexian had still been talking about how sweet plums were.

Today, merely trying to comfort her had made him so distressed.

Just then.

Outside the stall's oilcloth canopy.

A light rain began to fall in a steady drizzle.

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

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

Watching this scene, Ye Lingling suddenly asked softly:

"Li Zhexian, are you worried about me?"

"Hm?"

Li Zhexian, still wrestling with comforting words, looked puzzled.

Ye Lingling pointed toward the banner pole with a slender finger.

"Like them."

"Forget it. That's seriously gross."

His noodles arrived.

Li Zhexian took a mouthful and mumbled:

"They're Lovebirds."

"You and I... well, we're 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 Zhexian 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."

"Eat whatever you want."

"Oh."

Ye Lingling lowered her head and twisted the hem of her clothes without saying a word.

Li Zhexian paid her no mind.

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

Every so often, he even called out in agreement, "Good!"

Ye Lingling raised her eyes at him several times, as though she wanted to speak but stopped herself.

"Still haven't decided what to eat?"

Li Zhexian looked helplessly at his nearly empty bowl.

"I'm almost done already."

Ye Lingling's voice was soft and weak, carrying a trace of grievance.

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

"You won't let me have them."

While Li Zhexian accompanied Ye Lingling for noodles.

The Storyteller began recounting an interesting episode.

"Dear audience, what do you think happened?"

"This old man believes that 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 slammed his Gavel with a smack.

"Not at all!"

"Last night, the Soul Fighting Arena was packed with people. This old man's Wolf Hair Brush flew swiftly as I wrote with all my might!"

"Then, all of a sudden, a Gold coin came flying through the air, splitting the brush in my hand and shooting straight into my robes!"

"This old man hurriedly looked up—"

"Guess what I saw?"

The listeners grew curious and craned their necks, straining their ears.

"What did you see?"

The Storyteller lowered his voice.

"I saw a white-clad back disappearing into the depths of the corridor. If it wasn't Lord Sword Wine, who had just defeated the Scruffy Fire Turkey, then who else could it have been!!!"

That was far too absurd.

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

"Hey, damn your mother!"

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

"Finished?"

Li Zhexian and Ye Lingling rose to leave.

When they reached the entrance.

Li Zhexian suddenly thought of something.

With a flick of his finger.

Another Gold coin spun through the air and landed on the Storyteller's table.

The rain grew heavier.

The Storyteller wanted to head home early today.

His grandson wanted Crispy Cake from across the next street, and he could not forget it.

The Storyteller muttered to himself.

Then suddenly caught sight of that gleaming golden Gold coin on the table.

His eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

After parting ways with Ye Lingling.

Li Zhexian held up his umbrella and walked home.

The rain fell harder and harder.

A vast white curtain of water filled the heavens 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 Zhexian's gaze passed through the narrowing crack and fell upon the leaden clouds hanging low outside, the sky as dim as night.

"The storm is coming..."

At midnight.

The torrential rain poured down as if it would overturn the entire world.

Outside Li Zhexian's courtyard gate.

A burly figure clad in a straw rain cape arrived uninvited, carrying killing intent colder than the icy rain, standing motionless amid the downpour.

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

There'll be another chapter tonight~

Thank you, dear readers~