Chapter 90: Storm and Rain

Deep in the mountains stood an ancient manor. No one would have imagined that the Jia family, true masters of Lingnan, would live in such a place. Far from the grand homes and beautiful attendants of the Four Great Gangs or any notable figure in the martial world, this manor was a stark contrast.

At the heart of the manor, there was a room without a single trace of color—only black. This black was not the room’s true color, but the sensation it imparted upon the eyes. Even when the evening sunlight streamed in from outside, it too was transformed into this ominous, lifeless blackness.

The room was bare, save for a shrine at its center, shrouded in black as well. An elderly man knelt before the shrine, the black drapery hanging low, concealing whatever deity was enshrined within. In the shadows, his face was hidden, only the constant movement of his lips visible—was he murmuring prayers, or curses?

His voice was low and indistinct, yet laden with sorrow.

Slowly, the old man turned, revealing a black-robed figure kneeling behind him, motionless, as if he had merged with the surrounding darkness.

“My eyes are your eyes, my body your body. From this day forward, you are the master of the Jia family…” The old man lifted his shriveled, skeletal hand and pressed his index finger lightly to the black-robed man’s forehead.

The black-robed man looked up at him. A gust of wind swept through, causing the drapery to dance and the shrine to glow with a sinister red light from within the shadows.

…

Yuan Family Village.

At the village entrance, a large pit had appeared. Ning Xiu sat within it, holding a silver-gray crystal stone.

Thunder rumbled overhead as dark clouds gathered, lightning slashing through the night sky. The wind howled, echoing mournful cries, and then, suddenly, rain poured down in torrents, as if venting long-suppressed emotions.

The rain gradually washed away the bloodstains on the ground until they vanished completely. A small boy hiding among the ruins watched all this, destined never to forget it, even if the storm cleansed every trace.

Standing in the rain, Ning Xiu silently placed all the corpses into the pit, letting water and earth bury them. Only one mother and her child remained alive in the village. The young woman had lost an arm to the demon’s bite; had Ning Xiu not stopped the bleeding in time and had the rain not helped, she would not have survived.

Inside a small hut, Ning Xiu stabilized her wounds, channeling pure yang energy into her body. Her pain eased, her furrowed brow relaxed, and finally she drifted peacefully into sleep.

After tending to her, Ning Xiu rose to find the boy staring at him intently. Ning Xiu looked down and said, “Your mother will wake at dawn. When she does, remember to leave this place and settle in the nearby county. Everyone else in the village is dead—take their belongings with you.”

“In your new home, be cautious in everything. Above all, keep your wealth hidden.”

The boy looked up at him, half understanding.

“Live well,” Ning Xiu murmured, turning to disappear into the stormy night.

In times of chaos, life itself was cheap; to live well was the greatest blessing one could hope for.

…

The slaughter in Lingnan County continued.

Demons feasted on humans, while Ning Xiu slew them with his sword. Though the battle between the Shadow Alliance and the Jia family had not yet concluded, and the Shadow Alliance held the upper hand, no one dared underestimate a family reputed to have endured for nearly a thousand years.

Most of the Shadow Alliance’s forces were still tied up on that front. Among those sent to suppress the Four Great Gangs and deal with ordinary people, even those of the “Strange” rank were few. Ning Xiu alone had slain two, and he killed every demon he encountered along the way, quelling their rampant arrogance.

Word spread quickly. Ning Xiu’s actions sent shockwaves throughout Lingnan County; few expected anyone to defy the Shadow Alliance at this moment.

Many mid- and high-ranking members of the Four Great Gangs even believed the Jia family had begun a counterattack. Hope reignited in their hearts, though figures like Wei Junkun and Gongsun Duan knew the truth: if the Jia family truly retaliated, the Four Great Gangs would be their vanguard. Yet so far, the Jia family had contacted none of them.

…

Bamboo Grove Society, atop the Thousand Bamboo Pavilion.

Wei Junkun drank a mouthful of strong liquor, gazing out at the pouring rain, eyes narrowed.

If not the Jia family, then who was behind these actions? In Lingnan, aside from the noble families, who else could contend with the Strangeness?

His eyes brightened as he looked northward. The leaders of Qing Shuang Sect, Iron Sword Gate, and the Great River Gang shared his thoughts, their gazes converging on the same direction.

Through the curtain of rain, at the very northern edge of Lingnan County’s city, an official residence stood tall amid wind and storm. Though it was late at night, the manor blazed with light, its grandeur even more striking.

Lightning struck, illuminating the main gate. The plaque above bore three bold characters in dragon-and-phoenix script: “Six Doors.”

The central hall faced north, doors opening east, south, and west, six doors in total.

Inside, constables hurried to and fro, faces anxious, still working at this late hour.

“Have you found that person yet?”

A lazy voice echoed from the hall.

“Still investigating!” replied a constable kneeling below.

“The Shadow Alliance has already lost two Strangeness, both only barely reaching the threshold of transcendence, yet that alone is beyond what most martial artists could handle.”

“At the very least, those four rusty weapons, ‘Blade, Spear, Sword, and Halberd,’ wouldn’t suffice. Has the martial world, dormant for centuries, produced a genius who reached that legendary realm?”

The speaker paused, pondering, then continued, “The Jia family seems to be stirring again. Even if the Shadow Alliance wins, they’ll pay dearly. And there’s an old immortal hiding in the city. Lingnan is becoming more interesting…”

The voice faded to a whisper.

The constable bowed deeply and retreated. As he stepped out, the six purple sandalwood doors closed instantly.

“I’m giving you seven days. Find that person for me…”