With that single roar, heaven and earth suddenly darkened, and the moonlight instantly poured forth.
The Tiger Bone Divine Manifestation solidified from void into reality, surging through the wind and stepping on the moon as it descended from the skies.
It also possessed the combat power of the Soaring Dragon Realm, launching a dual assault against Li Jianqiu!
At this moment, unusual phenomena appeared in the sky here, and the Twin Flood Dragon Society's headquarters finally detected the disturbance from afar. A crimson firework exploded in the night sky.
This firework was like the final drumbeat.
Whether for the Tiger Bone Masked One or for Li Jianqiu, it meant they had to determine the victor in the shortest time possible.
Because once the Twin Flood Dragon Society's headquarters arrived, whether killing White Bone Sect followers or eliminating Li Jianqiu under the Tiger Bone Masked One's name, would be simple and leave no truth to be discovered.
And just at this moment, Li Jianqiu rose into the air without warning, his body merging with his sword.
The night closed in, and the moonlight opened once more.
But the moonlight seemed to turn blood-red.
The omnipresent moonlight became the all-staining blood-red light.
The sword swept through like a crimson tide.
The Tiger Bone Masked One stood frozen on the spot.
There was a wisp of spring breeze, a branch of peach blossoms.
It bloomed upon his heart.
The Tiger Bone Divine Manifestation shattered piece by piece.
This was the Dao Sword Art that Li Jianqiu cultivated.
The Tiger Bone Masked One was furious that Li Jianqiu dared to break through realms right before his eyes, yet he hadn't considered what kind of sword could actually sever the Heaven and Earth Gate ahead of time!
This was the barrier between heaven and earth, where countless cultivators lingered for their entire lives before it.
...
Li Jianqiu completed his strike with a single sword, did nothing else unnecessary, and immediately fled into the distance on his sword.
As long as he was alive, the Twin Flood Dragon Society would naturally obediently return his fellow disciples' corpses to their homeland.
Actually, from the beginning when confronting the Tiger Bone Masked One, even if he was no match, he had the confidence to escape.
But he didn't want to run.
He himself didn't want to run, and he didn't want the Tiger Bone Masked One to run either.
He wanted to kill.
This world was too vast. If missed today, perhaps they would never be found again.
So he pierced the Heaven and Earth Gate himself, paying the price of a more difficult Dao path in the future, breaking through realms ahead of schedule to reveal the sharp edge of the Peach Branch.
The tragedy of an entire city sinking into the netherworld—such a thing had never crossed his mind that it would happen to him.
Wang Changxiang died on the road visiting relatives, and his status as the top disciple of this year's Qinghe County Dao Academy became undisputed. Some people secretly gossiped, "The maple forest's misfortune is Li Jianqiu's fortune." Afterward, that person was hung at the county academy's gate for a full ten days. Only after the academy head spoke personally did Li Jianqiu release that foul-mouthed, near-death individual.
No one could truly put themselves in another's shoes, so those offering comfort or sarcasm could never fully feel the same way.
His parents, relatives, friends, junior disciples, senior disciples, and teachers—all were buried.
The emperor raised the White Bone Sect as a national enemy. For Li Jianqiu personally, it was both national enmity and family vendetta combined.
Only blood could wash the Peach Branch clean.
...
Jiang Wang sat alone in the bedroom for a while, didn't even notify the newly arrived maid Xiaoxiao, and went out on his own. He strolled around the mine.
The Hu Family Mine was never known for tight security, and moreover, Jiang Wang was now the cultivator stationed at the mine, so coming and going was naturally unrestricted.
No one would be so blind as to stop him for questioning.
This azure stone vein's production had declined severely, and whether it was Chongxuan Sheng or Jiang Wang himself, they both felt something was wrong.
Yet when Jiang Wang personally walked through the Hu Family Mine, he didn't sense anything unusual.
The people in the mine went about their business, everything in proper order.
Jiang Wang casually chatted with a few miners and discovered that this azure stone vein's production was indeed nearly exhausted.
At least these miners were all very clear about it.
They had already begun worrying about where to work next.
This mine remotely managed by Chongxuan Sheng still offered better living conditions compared to other mines in the Yang Kingdom.
Combined with the Hu Family Mine's practice of using cultivator positions to draw empty salaries, it seemed like simply a case of the Qingyang Town pavilion head Hu You embezzling public funds.
He had grown bold enough to siphon a large amount of funds from the mine that belonged to Chongxuan Shi over the years.
Thus causing the mine's premature exhaustion.
But the issue was, why hadn't the Chongxuan family's people who came to hand over the ore each time before discovered this matter? Had they all been bribed by Hu You?
Was the Chongxuan family's deterrent power too weak, or was Hu You's capital too substantial?
No...
Jiang Wang thought silently, returning to his residence without showing any change in expression.
It was perfectly normal to be curious about life in the mine when first arriving. But if he kept staring at and chatting with miners, it would inevitably arouse suspicion.
Jiang Wang decided to stay put first, observe the situation, and then decide.
After all, Chongxuan Sheng hadn't set a time requirement, and the fact that the mine was about to be exhausted was already established. Urgency would be useless.
He could take this time to digest his recent gains and prepare for his assault on the Heaven and Earth Gate.
When he returned to the courtyard gate, he once again encountered that uncle surnamed Xiang walking by.
Jiang Wang smiled and nodded at him out of courtesy.
This time, the man didn't ignore him.
He just drooped his eyelids and glanced at Jiang Wang, his face showing complete hopelessness: "New here, huh... sigh."
Jiang Wang really didn't know how to respond to this, so he only said: "Hello, senior."
"Senior..." He shook his head: "Sigh."
Jiang Wang was puzzled: "Do you... have something to talk about?"
"Not really." The man waved his hand, which served as a farewell.
He then wandered off into the distance.
Another long sigh was heard from him.
Was there anyone normal among the cultivators in this mine?
Jiang Wang was bewildered.
Entering the courtyard, Xiaoxiao immediately came up to greet him, bowing respectfully: "Master."
She had clearly fixed herself up at this moment, her long hair carefully pinned up, and the bruise on her left eye concealed. Though her clothes hadn't changed, her entire appearance was completely different.
Revealing her original good looks.
She couldn't be called a stunning beauty, but she was above average in appearance.
Perhaps once she grew a bit older and more developed, she might become even more beautiful.
Jiang Wang casually said: "Just work properly here, and no one will mistreat you."
"Yes." Xiaoxiao replied softly, then added: "Manager Hu sent over a jar of tiger bone wine, it's in the main hall."
"Oh. Did he say anything?"
"No."
"Alright." Jiang Wang nodded, and seeing Xiaoxiao still showed no intention of leaving, he couldn't help asking: "Is there anything else?"
"This servant has prepared hot water. Would you like to bathe and change clothes, Master?" Xiaoxiao bit her lower lip, continuing: "Your change of clothes has also been prepared, and they should fit you."
Am I so dirty that even the maid can't stand it?
On this journey, he really hadn't considered these aspects.
Jiang Wang felt somewhat ashamed inwardly, and changed the subject: "How do you know what size clothes I wear?"
"When I was young, my family were tailors..."
She didn't continue.
Jiang Wang certainly wasn't foolish enough to ask further.
"Where did the clothes come from?"
"This servant asked Manager Hu for them. They're all unworn, slightly more youthful clothes. This servant thought... you should be able to wear them." As she spoke, she secretly glanced at Jiang Wang from the corner of her eye.
"I was only gone for this little while, and you've already done quite a lot."
Jiang Wang had originally intended to say this, but then stopped himself.
Though there was no ill intent, saying this might make her overthink.
She had clearly suffered a lot at that old man surnamed Ge's hands.
Perhaps she was just trying very hard to stay.
"Alright, I'll go bathe and change then."
Xiaoxiao immediately closed the courtyard gate and led Jiang Wang toward the bathroom.
The bathtub was already filled with hot water, and she had thoughtfully scattered flower petals, probably picked from the flower bed behind the house. Steam curled up from the bathtub, and beside it stood a rather large wooden bucket.
She must have carried this bucket back and forth to fetch water.
Thinking of her petite frame carrying a full bucket of hot water with difficulty, Jiang Wang couldn't help feeling apologetic.
The last time someone had prepared bath water for him was when he was a child...
He turned around and couldn't help being startled: "What are you doing?"
There before him.
Xiaoxiao had already disrobed halfway, her spring scenery half-revealed.
Hearing his voice, she just lowered her head without speaking. Though silent, her shyness was hard to conceal.
Jiang Wang immediately understood what was happening and sighed inwardly.
He reached over and helped her close her clothes.
Looking at this girl who was perhaps only fourteen or fifteen years old, he said earnestly: "Here with me, you don't need to do other things. Any things at all. You only need to tidy the room normally and serve tea when guests come. Do you understand?"
Xiaoxiao bit her lower lip without speaking.
After a long while, she nodded once.
...