A Wooden House, far from the main buildings of the settlement, is hidden behind a grove of trees, with only a narrow stone path leading to its door.
The room was simply furnished with a bed, a table, and two wooden chairs.
A low cabinet stood against the wall, with several medicine bottles on it, and a copper basin filled with water was placed at the head of the bed.
Deng Qing lay on the bed, covered with a thin blanket. His breathing was deep and labored, as if his injuries were so severe that he had fainted.
With a creak, the door was pushed open, and Jian Ruyu walked in, closing the door behind her. "No need to pretend, get up."
Deng Qing opened his eyes, quickly got out of bed, and bowed to her, saying, "Greetings, Senior."
Jian Ruyu stared straight at him, "I think you're a total drama queen. Not only are you putting on an act yourself, but you're making me act along with you too."
Deng Qing gave an awkward smile, "It's not that I like to act, it's just that there are too many petty people, and I have to be careful."
As Deng Qing spoke, he pulled over a chair and placed it behind Jian Ruyu's backside.
Jian Ruyu sat down. "Tell me, what exactly happened?"
Deng Qing said, "... Regardless of how the Beast Tide broke out, it came directly into my Patrol Zone. If I escape alone, those examinees will suffer, and my position as a Inspector will be over."
Deng Qing shrugged. "There's no other way but to smear some blood on myself and lure them away."
Jian Ruyu's eyes grew cold. "So, someone really does want to harm you. Who do you think it is?"
Deng Qing said, "No matter who it is, it's definitely right to hold Huang Yunfan and Song Wuji accountable."
Jian Ruyu looked at him for a moment, "You're quite straightforward. Tell me, what are your plans?"
Deng Qing turned to look out the window and saw that the moonlight, dim Blood Moon, seemed viscous amidst the shadows of the trees. But the wind smelled exactly the same as it did outside the Desolate Soil, rustling as it blew through the branches.
He paused for a few breaths, then suddenly said, "I wish it would rain."
Jian Ruyu sneered, "Being a coward is being a coward, what does it have to do with the rain?"
Deng Qing spoke cryptically, Jian Ruyu answered directly.
Deng Qing knew that Jian Ruyu understood what he meant.
He said these words simply to test Jian Ruyu's attitude.
After all, Jian Ruyu also held a position in the Deployment Office, and what Deng Qing was about to do was undoubtedly against the Deployment Office.
Jian Ruyu's reply was clear, "A man should act with impunity."
Deng Qing understood the situation, bowed respectfully, and remained silent, waiting for nightfall.
Jian Ruyu waved her hand, "Then you can wait for the rain; maybe your wish will come true."
After saying that, she stood up, and Deng Qing quickly jumped back onto the bed.
Jian Ruyu got up, opened the door, went out, and then closed the door tightly.
After Jian Ruyu left, Deng Qing closed his eyes, but his mind was racing. He took out the Mongqi Hide from his Waist Pouch and gently stroked it.
Time passed slowly, the halo around the Blood Moon grew larger, the light dimmed, and night was about to envelop it.
Suddenly, the outside light outside the window was bright, followed by a thunderous boom that made the windowpanes tremble.
Immediately afterwards, a strong wind blew up, and the treetops outside were all bent to one side.
The raindrops, as big as beans, pounded on the roof, and within moments they became a deafening roar.
Deng Qing sat up in surprise. Could it be such a coincidence?
For a moment, he even thought of Zhuge Liang borrowing the east wind.
He couldn't help but wonder, could Jian Ruyu also possess such abilities?
He immediately shook his head; that was a bit far-fetched.
However, the rain came at just the right time.
The saying goes, "A dark and windy night is a night for murder," but even a night with a torrential downpour must admit defeat.
Deng Qing glanced out the window and said that it would be an exaggeration to say that it was pitch black, but the visibility had dropped to extremely low levels.
He put on his Mongqi Hide, opened the window, and jumped out, then closed the window from the outside.
Suddenly, the rain lashed at his face, making it almost impossible for him to open his eyes.
The Blood Moon in the sky had long been completely obscured, and it was only illuminated for a fleeting moment when lightning flashed.
Deng Qing walked through the wind and rain, relying on his memory to discern the general direction, and soon found Song Wuji's door.
The reason it was so fast was not because Deng Qing was quick-witted, but simply because the individual buildings within the entire complex were spaced far apart.
After all, as Martial Artist, everyone has secrets and needs private space, and this was fully considered from the very beginning of the construction of the entire complex.
Therefore, Deng Qing had determined the general direction of Song Wuji's room, making it difficult for him to go astray.
Just as he was about to raise his hand to knock on the door, he suddenly felt a chill on his cheek. It was the edge of the Mongqi Hide that had curled up, and rainwater was seeping in through the crack.
Deng Qing then remembered that this thing shouldn't get wet.
Since things had come to this, he was too lazy to make any more trouble. He simply tore off the Mongqi Hide and stuffed it into his Waist Pouch.
Knock knock knock!
He knocked hard on the door and shouted, "Brother Song, it's me, Huang Yunfan!"
The wind and rain raged, and thunder rumbled.
The shout was barely out of his mouth when it was shattered by the roar. Only a few indistinct words reached the room through the wooden door, the tone of the voice no longer discernible.
Song Wuji had already fallen asleep, was woken up, got out of bed, and went to the door.
He impatiently flung open the door and blurted out, "Hey, Brother Huang, are you ever going to stop...?"
Before the words were even finished, an Iron Arms had already reached into the Initiation.
Song Wuji's pupils contracted sharply, and he instinctively raised his arm to block.
Deng Qing grabbed his wrist, pushed forward, and slipped her other arm under his armpit.
Phoenix Swaps the Nest!
With a twist of his shoulder and hips, Song Wuji's outstretched arm was forcefully flipped over, a crisp sound came from his shoulder, and his entire arm immediately went limp.
He had barely groaned in pain when Deng Qing grabbed his neck and twisted it, snapping his neck with a crack.
Song Wuji's head suddenly turned behind him, and his body immediately went limp.
Deng Qing supported Song Wuji's body, carried it out of the door, and closed the door behind him.
Looking around, the fields were shrouded in rain, and the few Wooden House nearby were reduced to blurry outlines.
He carried Song Wuji and strode swiftly across the water.
Ten or so breaths later, there was a knock on Huang Yunfan's door.
"Brother Huang, it's me! Open the door!"
Deng Qing Song Wuji in front of him, making sure his face was facing the door, while he himself lowered his head slightly and hid behind the corpse.
After waiting for several breaths, footsteps were heard coming from inside the house.
Huang Yunfan arrived at the door, but instead of opening it directly, he only opened it a crack.
He peeked through the crack in the door, recognizing Song Wuji's facial features, before opening the door and complaining, "In this storm, what loophole has Brother Song discovered that he's rushing to offer his advice? I already told you, once we have that guy's..."
At this point in the conversation, he suddenly realized that something was amiss.
Song Wuji lowered his head, remained silent, and stood in a very strange posture.
Huang Yunfan's gaze shifted downwards, his brows suddenly furrowing. Why was Song Wuji pointing towards him?
Just then, a bolt of lightning flashed by.
Huang Yunfan saw clearly that Song Wuji's body was facing away from the door, but his face was facing him. The direction of his head and body was reversed!
Instantly, a chill ran down his spine.
Huang Yunfan felt his scalp tingle, but his feet seemed rooted to the spot, and he couldn't move his legs for a moment.
Just then, a pair of Iron Arms emerged from under Song Wuji's armpits and pressed directly against his chest.
Song Wuji's body slid down, revealing Deng Qing's face.
Huang Yunfan's eyes widened suddenly. The face that had been limp and crouching in the White-Clad Woman's arms during the day was now close at hand, its eyes clear and bright, showing no sign of impending death!
"You dare..."
He shouted, and a tremendous force suddenly pressed down on his chest, choking Huang Yunfan's remaining words. He staggered backward and instinctively swung his arm to throw a punch.
Deng Qing snorted coldly, and his left hand met Huang Yunfan's arm that was coming at him with a sudden twist.
Crack!
Huang Yunfan's arm bent to the side, and half of his body was also pulled to the side.
Deng Qing reached out again with his right hand and precisely gripped his neck.
The next moment, Huang Yunfan turned his gaze and saw his own back.
Deng Qing carried the two corpses outside the door, closed Huang Yunfan's door behind him, and disappeared into the vast rainy night.
Half an hour later, the window of the secluded Wooden House where Deng Qing was recuperating was pushed open.
Deng Qing leaped in through the torrential rain, closed the window, sat cross-legged, and focused all his energy on his internal energy.
Before long, wisps of white steam billowed out from his collar and cuffs.
In less than half an incense stick's time, the soaked clothes had completely dried.
Deng Qing got up, took a cloth, wiped the wet footprints off the floor, and then went back to bed.
After such a fierce battle, most people would still be pounding with fear and unable to calm down.
But his heart was already at peace.
Listening to the rain and thunder outside the window, Deng Qing closed her eyes and soon became sleepy.
Just then, the pattering rain gradually stopped.
Deng Qing opened her eyes, sat up, and with a creak, the door was pushed open, and Jian Ruyu walked in.
She was completely dry, her white clothes were still clean, and even her shoes were dry.
Looks like you're lucky, your wish came true.
She looked at Deng Qing, "How is it? Is your mind clear?"
Deng Qing nodded. "I'm much better after a nap."
But he couldn't help but think to himself, "This is too much of a coincidence."
Could it be that Jian Ruyu truly possesses the ability to summon wind and rain, and is specifically helping him achieve his goals?
He thought about it for a moment, then realized the idea was utterly absurd.
One thing is certain: Jian Ruyu knew what she had done when she went out.
Given her position as a high-ranking leader in the Deployment Office, the fact that she, knowing this, still stood by his side and covered for him, already showed him immense favoritism.
Deng Qing felt a warmth in her heart.
Jian Ruyu sat down at the table. "You've made up your mind, but I'm in trouble."
"What's wrong?"
"The people I brought over didn't even manage to become Senior Inspector. Zhao Feiyan's mouth is going to keep bothering me for a while."
Deng Qing said, "Don't worry, senior."
How can I not feel at ease?
Jian Ruyu looked at him, "You're a patient now. If I announce to the public that you're severely injured, even with strong or miraculous medicine, how can you recover in just a few days?"
You definitely won't be able to do the work for the next few days. The Deployment Office won't give anyone special treatment just because they're too injured to work.
Deng Qing smiled, got out of bed, walked to the table, and reached into his Waist Pouch.
When he pulled it out again, he had a handful of Qi Petal in his palm. He loosened his grip, and the seven Qi Petal fell onto the table.
Jian Ruyu glanced at them and chuckled, "Is that so impressive? Only seven. You're still far from the top three. The test doesn't end for another two days, and everyone's giving it their all right now."
Deng Qing asked, "What did you just say about this junior?"
What did I say to you?
Jian Ruyu asked, bewildered, "You think you're so great?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Deng Qing grabbed another handful of Qi Petal and placed them next to the previous pile.
Jian Ruyu frowned slightly. "What are you doing? You think you're so great?"
Deng Qing didn't say anything, but grabbed another handful.
Jian Ruyu understood. This guy was extremely bored. Every time he said "amazing," this guy would pull out a handful of Qi Petal.
She became interested too, wanting to see just how far this guy could go, and gave him a thumbs up, saying, "Amazing, you're amazing, okay?"
Deng Qing smiled and continued to pull out more, the fourth time, the fifth time.
Finally, he stopped, separating the individual Qi Petal and arranging them across the entire table.
"A total of thirty-five."
Deng Qing withdrew his hand and said smugly, "Senior, is that enough for you?"
Jian Ruyu's eyes gleamed. "Enough. First place is a possibility, and a top-three finish is definitely in the bag. But can you explain the origins of these Qi Petal?"
Deng Qing nodded, "Those Qi Beast chased me into the Stone Forest. There were many narrow crevices there. They were too big to squeeze in, so I used the terrain to defeat some of them one by one."
Later, they lured them with scraps of meat, causing them to kill off a group of them, which led to these harvests.
As he spoke, he took out the Image Recording Needle from his Waist Pouch and placed it on the table. "There are records in here too. However, the Image Recording Needle has a limited lifespan, so it only recorded some details and couldn't capture the whole thing."
Jian Ruyu said, "As long as there's a record, that's fine. Not bad, you're quite reliable."
She stood up, pointed to the bedside, and said, "Alright, lie down now. No one will be coming over for the next few days, so just rest."
Having said that, Jian Ruyu pushed open the door and left.
As night deepened, a giant Wooden House stood atop a high mountain.
Inside the room, an elderly man in a gray robe sat cross-legged on a futon.
His hair and beard were gray, his face was pale, his cheeks were slightly sunken, and his long eyebrows drooped towards the corners of his eyes.
Two wisps of white vapor descended from the tip of his nose, condensing and not dissipating, forming a slowly rotating ring of energy in front of his chest.
As he breathed, the white aura expanded and contracted, causing the candlelight in the room to flicker.
Suddenly, hurried footsteps sounded outside the door.
"My lord!"
A middle-aged man in blue robes rushed in, his face deathly pale, his hands trembling as he bowed. "Young master's Life Tablet is broken!"
The old man didn't even lift his eyelids. "Understood."
The middle-aged man in blue was stunned, almost thinking that he hadn't explained himself clearly.
He took half a step forward and said urgently, "My lord, it's the young master! Young Master Yunfan's Life Tablet is broken!"
The old man then opened his eyes. "I understand. What are you yelling about? Get out of here."
The middle-aged man in blue hesitated for a moment, then quickly bowed and retreated, carefully closing the door behind him.
Even after walking a distance, he was still somewhat dazed.
Yunfan was the Lord's own son, and now his Life Tablet is shattered, yet the Lord hasn't even uttered a single question. Is this a case of utter despair?
It turned out that the old man in the room was Huang Changhe, the elder of the Tongling Hall True Yang Martial Sect.
Once the footsteps had completely faded away, Huang Changhe slowly finished his practice, the aura around his chest dissipating and returning to his nostrils.
Huang Changhe looked towards the sky and chuckled, "I heard you're also in the Desolate Soil. It seems it really is fate."
Suddenly, he stood up, pushed open the door, went outside, and looked up at the sky.
The night wind ruffled his grey robe as he stood atop the cliff, gazing at the heavens, his lips moving silently as he offered a prayer.
Almost simultaneously, in an unnamed cave in the Desolate Soil, Li Dashan suddenly awoke with a start, a sharp pain shooting through his back without warning!
He groaned, his body stiffened, and his shirt was suddenly pushed up at the back, bulging out high.
He felt as if his shoulder blades had exploded, and excruciating pain instantly spread throughout his body.
Li Dashan braced himself with one hand on the ground, trying to get up, but his arm trembled and he fell to the ground.
He writhed in pain inside the cave, his legs kicking repeatedly.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The hard rock wall was kicked so hard that stone chips flew everywhere, and the ground kept cracking, with grooves appearing one after another.
Li Dashan gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his neck, sweat pouring down his forehead.
The excruciating pain in his back refused to subside, forcing him to curl up and tense up again and again.
After a long while, the excruciating pain gradually subsided.
Li Dashan lay panting heavily amidst the rubble. After a long while, he managed to push himself up from the ground.
He slowly walked out of the cave, looked up at the sky, and the night wind howled but could not tug at his already soaked clothes.
Li Dashan relaxed, a smile playing on his lips. "Can't wait any longer?"
The next day, in a large Wooden House within the camp.
Old Han sat in the center, while several mid- to high-ranking Deployment Office Division sat on either side of the long table, including Jian Ruyu.
A young man put down the Booklet in his hand and said, "We now have confirmed information that Inspector Huang Yunfan and Song Wuji have been murdered."
This man was named Xia Daoyu, about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with a thin face. He was Deployment Office and had considerable experience in solving cases.
Zheng Bei put down his teacup. "Why are you so sure? Is it possible that he was just kidnapped?"
He was the head of the Deployment Office, responsible for maintaining the daily operations of the garrison. When two Inspector disappeared overnight, he couldn't sit still any longer.
Xia Daoyu shook his head, "We have already verified the bloodstains left by Huang Yunfan and Song Wuji, and confirmed that their bloodlines have been severed, proving that they are indeed dead."
Jian Ruyu asked, "Who is the murderer? Do you have any clues?"
Xia Daoyu said, "I think the most likely scenario is that the murderer was on Inspector, and it's highly probable that he was someone these two knew."
"What's the reason?"
Jian Ruyu twirled the black hair beside her ears.
"The perimeter of the base is heavily guarded; the people from the Donghuang Cult can't get through."
Xia Daoyu opened a Booklet filled with dense writing. "Most importantly, both of their doors and windows were intact. It looks like they were tricked into opening the door by an acquaintance and then suddenly killed."
Jian Ruyu nodded, "Then quickly identify the suspect and start investigating."
Xia Daoyu looked troubled. "We've already conducted one round of investigation, but we still can't pinpoint the location."
The timing of the incident was too coincidental; it happened on the very day the top ten were announced as Feather Guard Merit. And Song Wuji and Huang Yunfan happened to be ranked ninth and tenth, respectively.
I checked the difference in merit points, and those ranked sixteenth and below can't catch up to the top ten. Therefore, those ranked sixteenth to eleventh are the most suspicious. They are closest to the top ten, and if two of them die, they will benefit the most.
Old Han snorted, "Get to the point, finish quickly."
Xia Daoyu continued, "But after careful investigation, we couldn't pinpoint anything. It was pouring rain that night, and everyone said they stayed in their rooms and didn't go out. There were no witnesses either."
The only one who can be ruled out is the sixteenth person, Deng Qing. He was seriously injured, so it couldn't be him.
Zheng Bei suddenly looked at Jian Ruyu, " Elder Jian, how is Deng Qing's injury? It would be a real pity if he didn't recover in the next couple of days."