A Piece Appears in the Sky

Not long after the child took back the booklet of papers from Ji Yuan, lightning began flashing more and more frequently across the sky, and the thunder grew increasingly loud.

The sky soon darkened, yet there was thunder without rain. Ji Yuan remained in the little tavern, helping the three scholars, the innkeeper and his son, and a waiter clean up the tavern's chaotic hall. He showed no intention whatsoever of setting out to pursue that woman.

Throughout the city, the yamen personnel were unusually efficient, posting portraits and notices of the culprit everywhere. Besides those Ji Yuan had provided, which were posted in key locations, the yamen painter copied many more and put them up over a wider area. Local martial artists had also spontaneously mobilized to investigate the "Martial Arts Scum."

"Crack... rumble..."

The lightning seemed to strike directly onto someone's rooftop or courtyard, drawing faint screams from the distance to Ji Yuan's ears. Ji Yuan, who had been drinking tea in the cleaned-up little tavern, rose to his feet at the sound.

"Rumble..."

Ji Yuan looked outside the tavern. Lightning carved bright trails through the sky as it struck down into the city.

At the same time, in a courtyard in the city's southeastern corner, a plainly dressed old man was struck squarely by a bolt of lightning and collapsed face-first onto the ground.

"Ah... Daddy!" "Old man!"

"Dad, are you all right?"

His family rushed over in panic, only to see another bolt of lightning strike down squarely, hitting the old man just as he was about to stand up and scorching his entire body black.

Throughout it all, the old man neither screamed nor cried out. He merely stared blankly up at the dark clouds filling the sky and the darting lightning.

"How could this