Outside Commandery Prison.
The mountain breeze blowing in at dawn carried a slight chill.
Jiang Ning stepped out of Commandery Prison, his heart briefly dazed.
By his reckoning—
he had spent a full seven days in this prison.
Far longer than he had expected.
He had thought that with Grandmaster Zhao Yulong stepping forward, along with Commandery Governor Wang himself—
and since Xiao Mingyue's death had no direct connection to him, since she had used her own death to frame him—he would be out in two or three days at most.
He had never expected the matter to involve the nobility and keep him imprisoned for several more days.
"Not bad!"
"The prison was quiet enough for me to devote myself fully to training. My strength improved quite a bit."
"And I even gained an unexpected harvest from Long Xingyun!"
At that moment—
the heavy iron gates ahead slowly opened.
Creak—
The turning metal hinges let out a piercing screech.
"Please, my lords," Zhao Dai said.
"Brother Jiang, let's go. Time to get out," Bai Luoyu said.
"Alright." Jiang Ning nodded.
"Brother Jiang, are you curious why Lord Xiao did not come today?" Bai Luoyu suddenly asked.
"Did something happen to Lord Xiao?"
"Something did happen. But how did Brother Jiang know?" Bai Luoyu was even more surprised.
Jiang Ning said, "Three days ago, I saw him enter the fourth level of Commandery Prison. After that, I never saw him again! Since Lord Xiao did not come today, and Brother Bai specifically brought it up, something must have happened!"
"Jiang Ning, impressive!" Bai Luoyu praised. Then he continued, "Commandery Lieutenant Xiao is dead!"
"Dead?" Jiang Ning could not help stopping. He was briefly stunned, putting on a look of surprise.
"He was ambushed by a Grandmaster and killed with three