The Ripples of Midnight Slaughter

Late at night; a bitter wind howled through the manor of the Shaoyan clan.

The current clan leader of the Shaoyan clan, ‘Yushen Gong’, was sitting in his study. He had long since lost the heart to peruse the books in his hands. There was only one thing on his mind—had the assassination of Ji Ning succeeded?

That night, the Xiyue Small Pavilion had hosted a feast for Ji Ning, and the plan was for Floating Cloud Immortal to take advantage of this opportunity to assassinate Ji Ning. Yushen Gong was, of course, aware of this assassination plot. He was now waiting for the results.

“Smack!”

Yushen Gong’s head whipped around, staring at the life tablet placed at the edge of his desk. That was the life tablet of Floating Cloud Immortal. It was now shattered.

“Floating Cloud is dead. The assassination has clearly been carried out. I just don’t know if it succeeded.” Yushen Gong took a deep breath. Regardless of whether the assassination succeeded or failed, Floating Cloud was going to die. If it was a success, he would die and be reborn. If it was a failure, that meant his soul had been scattered.

Time passed…

Yushen Gong waited silently for word to arrive.

A long time later.

“Clan Leader.” A servant in green rushed in, speaking in a low voice. “News has arrived.”

“Speak,” Yushen Gong said calmly.

“Floating Cloud Immortal attempted to assassinate Ji Ning at the Watercloud Pavilion. He even successfully activated the Blood-Coil Heaven-Sealing Grand Formation. Within the formation, Floating Cloud Immortal and Ji Ning fought one-on-one. However, Ji Ning’s Primaltwin suddenly appeared and killed Floating Cloud Immortal,” the green-clad servant reported.

Yushen Gong’s face was grim. He hesitated briefly, then frowned. “You’re saying Ji Ning’s Primaltwin killed Floating Cloud Immortal? His true body is only at the Wanxiang Adept stage. Could it be that his Primaltwin has already trained to the point of becoming a Loose Immortal?”

“His Primaltwin should be at the Primal Daoist level,” the green-clad servant said. “The intelligence is reliable.”

Yushen Gong sat there in silence, deep in thought. The green-clad servant dared not speak.

After pondering for a long time, Yushen Gong finally said coldly, “Floating Cloud Immortal was a Loose Immortal of my Shaoyan clan, yet he carried out such an outrageous act. Without my Shaoyan clan’s permission, he dared to make a unilateral decision to assassinate Ji Ning! This is a violation of the clan’s rules. Announce it publicly: Floating Cloud Immortal violated the clan’s rules and is hereby expelled from the Shaoyan clan. He is no longer a child of my Shaoyan clan. Also, remove Floating Cloud Immortal’s name from the Shaoyan clan’s genealogical records.”

“Yes,” the green-clad servant replied respectfully.

“You may leave.” Yushen Gong waved his hand.

The green-clad servant departed swiftly.

Yushen Gong, however, sat there in silence for a long time. This news was not what he had wanted. It was, in fact, the worst possible news. Ji Ning had relied on his own power to kill Floating Cloud Immortal. This meant that killing Ji Ning would be genuinely difficult now.

“He has only been training for thirty years, and yet he is this terrifying. He must be killed. However, to kill him within the Grand Xia imperial capital is as difficult as ascending to the heavens. We will likely have to wait for Ji Ning to leave the Grand Xia’s cities. Then the Shaoyan clan can use any means at their disposal to deal with him. But who knows how long it will be before Ji Ning leaves the Grand Xia’s cities.” Yushen Gong pondered silently. “Our only hope is that his true body will be killed by other peerless geniuses during the Immortal Fortunes Assembly! His true body has far more potential than his Primaltwin. As long as his true body dies, Ji Ning’s threat will be greatly reduced.”

Although his Primaltwin was now stronger than Ji Ning’s true body, there was no doubt that the true body had greater potential and a much more solid foundation.

“I’ll go see Ancestor Xuanji.” Yushen Gong was actually feeling quite resentful.

All of this had started because Ancestor Xuanji doted on Shaoyan Nong. Otherwise, none of this trouble would have arisen.

“Once news of this battle spreads, the various major clans in the Grand Xia imperial capital will probably all know about Ji Ning. My Shaoyan clan has also suffered a great loss of face.” Yushen Gong shook his head, then took his immortal chariot and left the Grand Xia imperial capital alone to go pay his respects to Ancestor Xuanji.

As Xiamang Hong and his personal imperial guards returned to the barracks, news that Ji Ning’s Primaltwin had slain a Loose Immortal quickly spread throughout the entire camp. The imperial guards were the heavy troops tasked with defending the Grand Xia imperial capital. The sons of various major clans served as soldiers within their ranks, and naturally, the news quickly made its way back to those same clans.

The major clans now truly recognized Ji Ning’s strength. Previously, they had thought this youngster, who had only been training for thirty years, was an arrogant brat who had used some strange treasures to kill Shaoyan Nong and a Primal-level Fiendgod, and who had then used his immense wealth to purchase a peacock feather. They had thought he didn't know his place.

Now they understood. It wasn’t that Ji Ning didn’t know his limits; it was that Ji Ning truly had the confidence to back himself up.

……

Anchan Commandery, the Black-White College.

Among all the factions that cared most about Ji Ning, the first was undoubtedly the Black-White College. Within the College Lord’s main hall at the Black-White College…

“College Lord, Junior Apprentice-Brother, why have you gathered us here?”

“Senior Apprentice-Brother, what is so urgent that we had to come in the middle of the night?”

The first-generation disciples—the Immortals—and the second-generation disciples—the Primal Daoists—who had assembled in the main hall all began to ask questions.

“Don’t rush. Let me finish reading this intelligence report.”

College Lord Bihai Daoist was holding an intelligence report sent from Heavenly Treasures Mountain as he read aloud, “Earlier tonight, at the Watercloud Pavilion in the Grand Xia imperial capital, Xiyue Xiaolou hosted a feast for Ji Ning. Ji Ning led his golden-armored imperial guards to the banquet. In the middle of the banquet, Floating Cloud Immortal suddenly appeared, first ambushing Ji Ning with a White Bone Immortal-Slaying Nail. Ji Ning was heavily wounded but managed to survive. Floating Cloud Immortal immediately activated the ‘Blood-Coil Heaven-Sealing Grand Formation’ to seal off the battlefield. He then engaged Ji Ning in one-on-one combat. Ji Ning’s Primaltwin suddenly appeared. His Primaltwin had reached the Primal Daoist perfection stage. Using a sword formation technique powered by several hundred Heaven-ranked flying swords, he killed Floating Cloud Immortal.”

The hall fell silent.

Everyone was stunned, their eyes wide. Then, an uproar erupted.

“College Lord, Junior Apprentice-Brother, are you reading that correctly?”

“Is what you said true?”

“Ji Ning’s Primaltwin killed a Loose Immortal?”

They could hardly believe it. Many of them had watched Ji Ning enter the college. Back then, he had been just a puny little Zifu Disciple. A little over a decade had passed, and now he was killing Loose Immortals? Was this some kind of joke?

“Would Heavenly Treasures Mountain lie about something like this in their intelligence reports?” Bihai Daoist looked at his fellow disciples.

“Excellent, excellent!” Crazy Immortal Wufeng called out, overjoyed. “This is absolutely exhilarating! Spread this news! Let every disciple of the Black-White College know!”

Some rejoiced, while others worried. News of Ji Ning’s battle spread through the Grand Xia imperial capital and also reached the ears of interested parties in many other commandery cities. Some were delighted, some were amazed, some were jealous, and some were scornful.

Shangshui Commandery, the Dongyan Mountains.

In the dead of night, on one of the peaks of the Dongyan Mountains.

Nine Lotos was sitting alone at the edge of the peak. The cold wind of the deep winter night was like knives of ice, but Nine Lotos sat there motionless, letting the wind blow against her. Ever since she and Ji Ning had truly parted ways back in the Wu Jiang Immortal Estate, Nine Lotos had developed a fondness for the deepest, most silent hours of the night. She would sit quietly in a secluded place, silently watching, until the sun rose.

“Xiaoyun.” A voice suddenly rang out.

Nine Lotos turned her head.

A beautiful woman was walking over. This was Nine Lotos’s mother.

Madame Lian looked at her daughter and felt a pang of heartache. Nine Lotos and her mother had a very close relationship. After returning from the Wu Jiang Immortal Estate, Nine Lotos had been very sad, and she had nowhere to pour out her heart. Madame Lian had comforted her daughter. Nine Lotos had then told her mother all her troubles, and only then did Madame Lian learn that her daughter had almost completely gotten together with this ‘Ji Ning’.

“Xiaoyun, you still can’t let go?” Madame Lian sat down beside her, looking at her daughter.

“I let go a long time ago,” Nine Lotos said, gently shaking her head. “I just feel guilty.”

“You feel guilty, yet you still say you’ve let go.” Madame Lian shook her head. “You don’t need to feel guilty. This Ji Ning isn’t worthy of your guilt. He’s just a little native from a tribe. What kind of upbringing could he have had? He and you are from two completely different worlds. You could never walk the same path together or connect.”

“Enough,” Nine Lotos said softly.

“You are going to take charge of the entire Dongyan clan. The Dongyan Ancestor trusts you more than anyone. You should pull yourself together. You can’t forget this Ji Ning now, but in a few hundred or a few thousand years, you’ll find that he was just an ordinary passerby in your life, a little native. Forget it.” Madame Lian urged.

Before Nine Lotos was born, Madame Lian and her husband had led a decent life within the Dongyan clan, but it could only be considered average.

However, after Nine Lotos was born, she gained the trust and affection of the Dongyan Ancestor, who groomed her for leadership and directly designated her as the next leader. Consequently, Madame Lian and her husband’s status rose, and they now held a very high position of power within the Dongyan clan.

“He is not a little native,” Nine Lotos said, looking at her mother. “He is my former Dao-companion. He is a true genius!”

“What use is a genius? Any day now, the Shaoyan clan might kill him,” Madame Lian said angrily.

“Enough,” Nine Lotos said, also becoming angry.

Madame Lian suppressed her anger. After all, Nine Lotos was the next leader, so she and her husband usually obeyed their daughter’s wishes. But when it came to this ‘Ji Ning’, Madame Lian was furious. How could her own daughter, so noble and exalted, be together with someone from such a lowly background? It was beneath her station!

“Mistress, Mistress.” Suddenly, a maidservant came flying over on a flying sword, landing on the mountaintop.

“Oh?” Nine Lotos looked at the maidservant.

“Heavenly Treasures Mountain has sent an intelligence report regarding Young Master Ji Ning,” the maidservant said hurriedly.

Nine Lotos waved her hand, and the intelligence scroll flew into her grasp.

Madame Lian, standing nearby, said discontentedly, “You said you’ve let go, but why are you always paying attention to news about him?”

“Why can’t I pay attention to news about him just because I’ve let go?” Nine Lotos glanced at her mother, then unrolled the scroll and began to read. A look of shock spread across her face.

“Let me see. What could it be? Was he killed by the Shaoyan clan or something?” Madame Lian snatched the scroll and looked at it.

When she saw it, Madame Lian jumped to her feet in shock.

“He… he killed the Shaoyan clan’s Floating Cloud Immortal?” Madame Lian was stunned. “He’s only been training for thirty years. How could he… how could he…”

“I told you, he is a genius,” Nine Lotos said softly. “Mother, please go back. Let me have some peace.”

Madame Lian was also dumbfounded by the news. She couldn’t understand how a little native from a tribe, even younger than her own daughter, could have already killed a top-tier Loose Immortal.

In her shock, Madame Lian obediently left. The maidservant also left.

Nine Lotos sat there silently.

“Since you’re doing well, I can rest easy. Ji Ning… live well.” Nine Lotos could only offer this silent blessing from the bottom of her heart. She had chosen the path of becoming the leader of the Dongyan clan, and she would continue down this path. As for Ji Ning, she could only send her silent blessings from her heart.

Because ever since their parting at the Wu Jiang Immortal Estate…

You were you, and I was I.