In the empty courtyard, Zongqi Shi Lei glared at Ning Yue, while a group of Xiaoqi remained silent, trembling.
Wei Xian, covering his badly swollen face, lowered his head, the hatred in his eyes seemingly capable of drilling through the bluestone slab.
But after the two arrows fell, the air became eerily quiet.
Shi Lei had heard of this Xiaoqi officer's achievements; defeating Lin Shanhe in plain sight went without saying.
As for fighting above his rank to kill the second-in-command of the mountain bandits, who was in the Yijin (Tendon Changing) Realm, he didn't know how much exaggeration was involved; perhaps this kid was just good at flattery, and Xue Ren had temporarily given him the credit.
But Ning Yue's arrow's sharpness, he had witnessed today; every arrow aimed for a kill. He secretly mused that with his strength in the Yijin (Tendon Changing) Realm, if he were to fight with his life today, even if he won, it would likely be a pyrrhic victory.
So he drew his long saber and sternly shouted, "Ning Yue, don't tell me you think I'm afraid of you, daring to lay hands on me repeatedly!"
Ning Yue smiled at his words, even setting aside the bow and arrows in his hand. "Sir, what are you saying? How would this subordinate dare to offend a superior?!"
"In the army, this is a capital offense." Ning Yue turned around and asked the group of Xiaoqi, "Did any of you see me commit such an unrighteous act?"
The group of Xiaoqi all shook their heads.
Shi Lei's face instantly flushed red. He pointed at Ning Yue, too angry to speak.
"Actually, the reason for forcibly keeping you, Sir, is because this subordinate wishes to make two win-win transactions with you..."
Shi Lei suppressed his anger and disdainfully said, "Our official ranks are different; I have no transactions to discuss with you."
"Oh?! Sir, today you incited Chief Mo to come and inquire about my superior's injuries. Do you really think none of us could tell?" Ning Yue said with a half-smile.
Shi Lei was secretly alarmed, only able to put on a brave front and say, "I and Xue Zongqi are comrades; it's perfectly normal for me to visit. You stop spouting nonsense."
Ning Yue shook his head and continued, "The truth of the matter, Sir, you naturally know better than I, but I personally received Xue Zhenfu's order, and I can only report truthfully. I'm afraid that in his rage, Xue Zhenfu might not be able to resist taking his anger out on you."
"If you, Sir, are truly careless and fall into the Judicial Inquiry Division, it will be truly difficult to explain."
The name of the Judicial Inquiry Division needed no further explanation. It was rumored that no one who entered ever came out whole. Suffering some physical pain was one thing, but the Judicial Inquiry Division had specialized interrogation methods targeting a martial artist's spirit. Once used, it would, at best, leave one dazed and unconscious, and at worst, directly scatter one's soul.
Shi Lei's fingers even trembled slightly as he shakily pointed at Ning Yue and conceded, "Why go to such lengths? What exactly do you want? Just say it directly."
Ning Yue raised a middle finger in front of him. "One thousand taels. I won't ask who Chief Shi was instructed by; I just want one thousand taels in cash."
"As long as you pay up, I guarantee that today's events will not be spoken of by others."
Damn it, his heart was truly black, and his timing was truly precise. The thousand taels of benefits he had just received, he was going to have to give away for nothing.
Shi Lei's heart was bleeding, but now was clearly not the time to hesitate. He could only force a bitter smile as he fumbled in his pocket, saying, "They all say Ning Xiaoqi values money like his life. Today, I've truly seen it for myself. Fine! I admit defeat!"
Ning Yue deftly took the silver notes, a hint of bitterness also in his smile. "I hope you, Sir, can forgive me. With Chief Xue seriously injured and unable to rise, though my official rank is not high, I must consider myself and my brothers more."
Shi Lei looked behind Ning Yue, where ten Xiaoqi stood neatly in a row, and the Depression in his heart eased slightly. He no longer wished to stay in this troublesome place, so he asked, "If there's nothing else, I will take my leave."
"Wait, Sir," Ning Yue took a step forward and continued, "I wonder if you, Sir, are interested in a Earth-grade martial art?"
Shi Lei's eyes suddenly lit up.
Though he hadn't eaten pork, he had seen pigs run.
The power of such a cultivation method naturally needed no elaboration. In his years of being Chief Mo's dog, he had endured countless hardships and only managed to get two common Profound-grade martial arts. As for Earth-grade, he hadn't even seen its shadow.
But then he thought, something felt off. They were both dogs, so why did Ning Yue receive such treatment? Could this be a trap?
Ning Yue was sharp. Seeing that the other party was hooked but still had doubts, he raised his hand and slipped the silk scroll containing Jie Mai Qinlong (Arresting Dragon Vein) into the other's hand.
"Sir, you can inspect the goods first. This was personally bestowed by Xue Zhenfu to win me over."
After speaking, Ning Yue took a step back to show his sincerity.
Shi Lei, who was already impatient, couldn't take his eyes off the silk scroll the moment he first touched it.
Each passage of text held profound meaning, inspiring deep thought. Its subtle intricacies could only be grasped intuitively, not explained in words. Shi Lei also felt a trace of true martial intent he had never experienced before, which was key to discerning the authenticity of an Earth-grade cultivation method.
If someone else had copied it, without this trace of true martial intent as a guide, it would be impossible to begin.
Of course, putting himself in Ning Yue's shoes, Shi Lei would never believe that Ning Yue hadn't copied it; that would only be a waste of effort.
Only upon truly seeing the Earth-grade cultivation method did Shi Lei realize that everything he had learned in his life could be summarized in two words: all trash.
But just as he was about to ponder it carefully, the silk scroll was firmly snatched away by a large hand.
Ning Yue rolled up the silk scroll before looking up at Shi Lei's eager eyes and gently explained, "I believe, Sir, you can already judge the authenticity of this item. If you are interested, I can let you have this cultivation method for five thousand taels?"
Shi Lei was secretly delighted. An Earth-grade cultivation method, if put on the black market, would be priced at thirty to fifty thousand taels of silver and still be hard to find. If it went to an auction, that price would likely more than double.
This was an Earth-grade martial art, a trump card that even Forging Bone Realm experts would treasure!
This Ning Yue was clearly ignorant, only concerned with small advantages, unaware that he was dropping the watermelon to pick up sesame seeds. How ridiculous!
They say wealth moves hearts, but little do they know that in the eyes of a martial artist, such a cultivation method is ten, even a hundred times more precious than wealth!
However, five thousand taels—he could barely scrape it together even if he added his coffin money. He had to ask cautiously, "Such a precious cultivation method, why don't you keep it for yourself to cultivate, but instead sell it to me?"
Ning Yue sighed with emotion at his words, saying with a look of regret, "This subordinate's talent is not high, my root bones are limited. I tried for a long time but couldn't get started. Perhaps this cultivation method is not meant for me."
"Furthermore, with Chief Zongqi so severely injured, this subordinate has no choice but to leave a path for himself. With money by my side, no matter where I go in the future, it won't be too difficult."
"That makes sense!" Shi Lei eagerly pulled out a stack of silver notes from his embrace, shoved them into Ning Yue's arms without counting, then snatched the silk scroll back and solemnly said, "The money and goods are settled. With so many people watching, neither of us can go back on our word!"
"It should be so." Ning Yue nodded vigorously.
Shi Lei turned to leave, his steps so fast they created afterimages, fearing someone might regret it. But he was once again called back by the ruthless Ning Yue.
"Chief Shi, wait."
Shi Lei reluctantly turned his head, saw Ning Yue quickly step forward, pull his sleeve, and walk to the courtyard gate, whispering, "Sir, you've overlooked one crucial detail. If you walk out like this, how could the person behind you be willing? And how do you plan to explain things to Chief Mo, whom you incited?"
Shi Lei was stunned, his face instantly fluctuating between light and shadow. But then he remembered that the hush money had already been paid, so he simply asked bluntly, "I wonder what good plan Ning Xiaoqi has?"
"Slap!" Ning Yue extended his arm and swung his palm, fiercely slapping Shi Lei across the face.
Visibly, Shi Lei's sallow face quickly flushed red, and five long finger marks gradually became clear and swollen.
Shi Lei was both shocked and angry, just about to retaliate, when he heard Ning Yue's teasing voice, "Bear with it. This is the good plan this subordinate thought of for you!"
"Slap!" Several broken teeth sprayed from Shi Lei's mouth.
"Slap! Slap! Slap!" Shi Lei's face quickly swelled into a pig's head, soon becoming unrecognizable.
Thus, several Xiaoqi saw an expression on Shi Lei's face they had never witnessed in their lives: anger, surprise, realization, grievance, helplessness, compromise, and more, all at once.
Only Wei Xian, standing in the furthest corner, still kept his head down, occasionally raising his arm to silently wipe away the tears falling from the corner of his eyes.