East Courtyard.
Jiang Ning's ears twitched slightly as he heard the voices of the two men who had climbed over the wall into the front courtyard.
His eyes narrowed sharply.
It was him!
Yang Kai!
Recognizing the familiar voice, Jiang Ning knew that one of the two intruders was Yang Kai.
"And the 'Brother Qiu' he mentioned must be Qiu Shilong, the current manager of the forge," Jiang Ning muttered to himself.
"What are they here for?" he wondered.
"Is it because of this?"
His gaze fell on the spirit weapon in his hand.
In the next moment, he drew the blade.
Clang
A clear, resonant hum echoed through the quiet night, carrying far into the distance.
Front Courtyard.
"The sound of a blade! Over there!" Qiu Shilong turned his head, his eyes locking on the direction of the sound in the east courtyard, where Jiang Ning stood.
Without hesitation, Qiu Shilong dashed toward Jiang Ning's location.
Yang Kai quickly followed behind.
"They're here," Jiang Ning thought, feeling slightly relieved.
This house wasn't just his home. Jiang Li, Liu Wanwan, and his nephew and niece also lived here.
To ensure their safety, Jiang Ning had deliberately made noise to draw the intruders to him.
He stood still, holding the blade, waiting for the two men to appear.
At the same time, information about the two men flashed through his mind.
Qiu Shilong, an eighth-grade martial artist, was a formidable figure in the Divine Strength realm, far stronger than the average practitioner.
Yang Kai was no slouch either.
The two were roughly equal in strength.
A few breaths later, a figure appeared in Jiang Ning's line of sight.
The man stood on the wall, his eyes gleaming brightly in the darkness.
His gaze immediately locked onto Jiang Ning.
"It's him!"
"Qiu Shilong!"
Jiang Ning recognized him.
He had seen Qiu Shilong earlier that day at Wang Jin's disciple initiation banquet.
Qiu Shilong was one of the important figures invited by Wang Jin.
As the manager of the forge, Qiu Shilong was indeed a significant figure in Luoshui County.
Over the years, the forge had built an extensive network of connections, linking it to various factions and giving it considerable influence.
Even though the forge had never produced a seventh-grade martial artist, it was still a major force in Luoshui County.
Now, Qiu Shilong stood on the wall, his tall and burly frame resembling a mature brown bear.
He was even larger than Yang Kai.
Moments later, Yang Kai also appeared, standing on the wall.
"Two eighth-grade martial artists," Jiang Ning thought, tightening his grip on the spirit weapon, Longyuan.
Qiu Shilong's gaze lingered on Jiang Ning for a moment.
Then, with a light leap, he landed on the grass below, making almost no sound.
"Such agility!" Jiang Ning's eyes narrowed, his respect for Qiu Shilong growing.
From the way Qiu Shilong had landed, Jiang Ning could tell that his movement skills were exceptional.
After landing, Qiu Shilong bent his knees slightly to absorb the impact.
Then, his gaze shifted from Jiang Ning to the spirit weapon in his hand.
Seeing the blade drawn and Jiang Ning standing ready, Qiu Shilong spoke, "It seems you knew I was coming."
He wasn't surprised.
He hadn't made any effort to conceal his presence tonight.
In the stillness of the night, even the slightest noise would be noticeable.
It was no surprise that Jiang Ning had detected him.
Jiang Ning remained calm, his eyes deep and unreadable.
"May I ask why Manager Qiu has come here tonight?"
Qiu Shilong replied, "It's simple. I've come to take back the spirit weapon in your hand."
"Once a gift is given, it cannot be taken back," Jiang Ning said slowly.
Qiu Shilong sneered, "Don't you know that some things are better left untouched? Out of respect for Wang Jin, I won't make a scene tonight."
As he spoke, Qiu Shilong began walking toward Jiang Ning.
At the same time, Yang Kai jumped down from the wall.
He said to Jiang Ning, "Young brother Jiang Ning, I apologize! Brother Qiu disagrees with my decision to give you this spirit weapon. I can compensate you with another weapon."
Jiang Ning shook his head. "Since Manager Yang chose to give it to me, this spirit weapon is now mine. There's no reason for me to return it."
"No reason?" Qiu Shilong laughed coldly. "Boy, do you not understand the situation? Do you think I came here to reason with you?"
"You'll return it whether you want to or not!"
Jiang Ning tightened his grip on Longyuan.
"You want me to return the blade?"
"Then ask my blade first!"
By now, Qiu Shilong was within a few meters of Jiang Ning.
His eyes were fixed on the blade in Jiang Ning's hand.
From the hilt, he recognized it as the spirit weapon from the underground armory.
"Yang Kai wasn't lying. This kid really can draw the blade."
Qiu Shilong's mind raced.
He wanted the blade, but now he also wanted Jiang Ning.
If Jiang Ning could draw the blade, then taking him captive might help Qiu Shilong unlock the secrets of the spirit weapon.
"Perfect. This place is remote. If I take the kid and kill everyone else in the house, even Wang Jin won't know it was me."
With this decision, Qiu Shilong's killing intent surged, and his eyes filled with malice.
In the next moment, he struck.
His fist shot out, aimed directly at Jiang Ning's right arm, the one holding the blade.
If the blow landed, Jiang Ning's arm would be shattered.
This was Qiu Shilong's plan.
Cripple Jiang Ning and he would be powerless to resist.
"Brother Qiu, no!!"
Yang Kai, seeing Qiu Shilong's ferocious strike, tried to intervene, rushing forward to stop him.
"So ruthless?" Jiang Ning thought, watching Qiu Shilong's attack.
"He wants to kill me?" Sensing the killing intent emanating from Qiu Shilong, a flash of anger crossed Jiang Ning's eyes.
He swung the blade.
A streak of light cut through the night, swift as a shooting star.
Ah
A piercing scream echoed.
At the same time, Qiu Shilong's body seemed to defy inertia as he leaped backward.
Under the bright moonlight, the two severed fingers on his right hand were visible.
The metal knuckles he wore, capable of blocking even the sharpest blades, had been cleanly sliced through.
"Boy, I'll kill you!!"
Qiu Shilong retreated frantically, his eyes bloodshot.
He had never imagined that the knuckles he used to block weapons would be cut through so easily, taking two of his fingers with them.
At that moment, he was filled with regret.
Regret for underestimating Jiang Ning.
Regret for not bringing his weapon of choice, the armor-piercing hammer.
With two fingers gone, he would be permanently disabled.
Qiu Shilong's eyes burned with hatred.
For a martial artist, losing a limb meant their future progress would be severely limited.
"Trying to run?"
Jiang Ning's eyes narrowed.
Since he had already made a move, he had no intention of letting Qiu Shilong escape.
If they were enemies, he would strike while the iron was hot.
With a powerful push from his right leg, Jiang Ning shot forward.
Boom
The ground beneath him erupted as his speed skyrocketed.
In an instant, he closed the distance.
Seeing this, Yang Kai was stunned.
The tables had turned.
Meanwhile, Qiu Shilong, seeing Jiang Ning rapidly approaching, felt his hatred replaced by terror.
"I was wrong! I admit it! Spare me!!"
"You're not admitting you were wrong. You're admitting you're about to die," Jiang Ning said coldly.
His speed was astonishing.
After breaking through the limits of the Five Animals Fist, Jiang Ning discovered that his speed had increased three to four times.
The Five Animals Fist included the explosive Tiger Form and the swift Crane Form.
With the breakthrough, his speed had soared.
Now, he was nearly twice as fast as Qiu Shilong.
The distance between them closed in an instant.
"Yang Kai, help me!!" Qiu Shilong shouted, seeing Jiang Ning almost upon him.
But before Yang Kai could react, Jiang Ning's blade was already descending.
At that moment, Qiu Shilong felt an overwhelming pressure, as if there was no escape.
He had no choice but to face the strike head-on.
"Power!"
"This is blade intent!!"
Qiu Shilong's eyes widened in disbelief.
Under the influence of the blade intent and the sharpness of the spirit weapon, Qiu Shilong felt despair.
This strike was unstoppable.
The spirit weapon's edge was not something flesh and blood could withstand.
Even if his skin was as tough as bronze, what did it matter?
Even the thousand-fold refined iron knuckles had been sliced in two.
In this situation, bronze and tofu were no different.
In the next moment, the blade fell.
Qiu Shilong's body was split in two, collapsing to the ground.
Boom
The two-meter-tall figure hit the ground with a thunderous crash.
Yang Kai stared in disbelief.
He never expected that Qiu Shilong, who had dominated Luoshui County for so many years, would die so easily.
So unexpectedly.
Killed by Jiang Ning, who had only been training for a few months.
Then, a cold sweat broke out on Yang Kai's forehead.
He felt Jiang Ning's gaze fall on him.
Jiang Ning stood there, holding the blade, silently watching him.
Yang Kai felt the aura of death envelop him.
Qiu Shilong had fallen in just two strikes.
Even if it were him, the outcome would be no different.
The sharpness of the spirit weapon was something ordinary weapons couldn't withstand.
Coupled with the blade intent, there was no way to counter it.
It was an unstoppable killing move.
Jiang Ning watched Yang Kai for a few moments, his mind racing.
After a few breaths, he sheathed the blade.
"I won't kill you. Take Qiu Shilong's body and leave."
"Thank you," Yang Kai stammered, still in shock.
Jiang Ning added, "I hope what happened tonight doesn't get out. I'm sure you understand the consequences."
"Understood! Understood!" Yang Kai nodded repeatedly.
A short while later, as Yang Kai carried Qiu Shilong's body away, Jiang Ning couldn't help but smile.
"I underestimated my strength."
"With a spirit weapon that can cut through iron like mud, facing an eighth-grade martial artist is like a higher-dimensional being crushing a lower one."
"Under the influence of blade intent, their will isn't strong enough to resist. They can only face my strike head-on, but with the spirit weapon's sharpness, ordinary weapons are easily cut."
"Like the blackwood longsword I used before."
"Claimed to be forged from hundred-fold refined iron, it couldn't withstand a single strike."
"But if I were to face someone like Cao Rong, a master archer, my advantage would disappear."
"Against Cao Rong's arrows, I might not even get close before being shot down."
At this thought, Jiang Ning's pride vanished.
The spirit weapon's sharpness was only effective against those wielding ordinary weapons.
He knew that Qiu Shilong's defeat was largely due to his carelessness.
Coming at night without a proper weapon, relying on a few centimeters of metal knuckles, how could he hope to withstand the spirit weapon's edge?
Once at a disadvantage, his death was inevitable.
As for letting Yang Kai go, Jiang Ning had thought it through carefully.
He had no grudge against Yang Kai. In fact, he owed Yang Kai a favor.
Under these circumstances, how could he kill Yang Kai?
Moreover, from the conversation between Yang Kai and Qiu Shilong, it was clear that tonight's visit was Qiu Shilong's idea.
Yang Kai had no ill intentions toward him.
And in Jiang Ning's eyes, the forge no longer posed a threat.
The once-mighty forge now only had two eighth-grade martial artists: Yang Kai and the aging former manager, Gong Mingyuan.
The rest were at most ninth grade.
Meanwhile, outside the house.
After climbing over the wall, Yang Kai let out a long breath and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
"That kid is terrifying! He's mastered blade intent and wields a spirit weapon. Brother Qiu's death wasn't unjust."
As he muttered to himself, Yang Kai glanced at Qiu Shilong's body in his hands.
Jiang Ning's blade had split Qiu Shilong's head and chest, leaving no chance of survival.
Carrying the body, Yang Kai thought for a moment, then headed toward the outskirts of the city.
That was where the former manager of the forge, Gong Mingyuan, now lived in retirement.
"No matter what, Qiu Shilong's sudden death is a major event for the forge. I can't hide this from Elder Gong. He'll have to decide what to do."
"I hope Elder Gong doesn't choose to make an enemy of that kid."
"At his age, having trained for only a few months, he's already mastered blade intent. It's terrifying."
"No one knows how far he'll go!"
"Tonight, he killed Brother Qiu. Even if he relied on the weapon's sharpness, his strength is nothing to scoff at. His speed is insane!"
"Far beyond Brother Qiu's, and far beyond mine."
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