Chapter 640 - Confrontation

Lin Zhengren didn’t look at the well, nor how Lin Zhengli jumped into it; he only stared at Jiang Wang.“Have you seen it clearly this time?” he asked.

Jiang Wang listened for a while with a tilted ear.

He heard how Lin Zhengli, whose Path Origin had been sealed, struggled at the bottom of the well.

How his strength ebbed away, how he sank into the water.

Indeed, he heard everything clearly.

Lin Zhengli was dead, thoroughly dead.

Initially, to seek justice for An’an, Jiang Wang borrowed the Ember Ending Lance and came here, slashing through the door.

The Lin Family presented only Lin Zhenglun, and that explanation was given just to save face for Zhu Weiwo.

But today, he came here masked, casually found a reason, and forced the death of Lin Zhengli.

Everything seemed to have changed, yet nothing had changed at all.

The thorn that he once had to avoid due to insufficient strength had finally been pulled out.

Was it satisfying?

It seemed not.

Standing there, Jiang Wang instead felt a sense of loss.

The thorn was gone, but the wound it left seemed to tell him the true nature of this world.

“There’s no such thing as reason in this world, only stark power and the cold reality,” Jiang Yan said gloomily in Tongtian Palace: “Within the brand of the Bone Respecting God, I have seen too much.

If you weren’t so stubborn and willing to listen to me, I could make you stronger much faster.

Let go of those pointless restraints.

Ritual, morality, goodness, they are but shackles the weak use to bind the strong…”

Jiang Wang was silent.

Lin Zhengren thought Jiang Wang’s silence was to confirm the death of Lin Zhengli.

Filled with resentment and biting anger, he could only maintain calm.

Jiang Yan thought Jiang Wang’s silence indicated he was persuaded.

He composedly encouraged more words, slowly eroding the young man’s heart.

But Jiang Wang was silent.

Silence because of conviction.

Silence that was as steadfast as silence itself.

Is there really no such thing as reason in this world, only stark power?

No.

Why did Zhu Weiwo agree to lend the Ember Ending Lance in the first place?

It was because of reason.

Why did Jiang Wang today force the death of Lin Zhengli?

It was because of reason.

“Jiang Yan, your path only suits yourself.”

“Maybe there’s no such thing as reason in the world.

But there are always people willing to talk about reason.”

“For instance, the Legalists establish standards and outlines to punish people, maintaining the reason between heaven and earth.

Law is a kind of reason.”

Something trembled in the void.

Jiang Wang could feel it.

In the empty space around him, black chains like ink flew like lightning, and at that moment, a second chain branched out.

And in the courtyard, Lin Zhengren was still waiting for Jiang Wang’s response.

Jiang Wang had already harbored the intent to kill.

He never promised to ensure Lin Zhengren’s safety.

He believed that if Lin Zhengren had the chance to kill him, he would not hesitate, and he felt the same towards Lin Zhengren.

Jiang Wang’s fingers moved slightly; he was about to act and kill Lin Zhengren directly.

“There is something I must report to you.

It’s about your experience at the Wangjiang City Dao Institute,” Lin Zhengren suddenly spoke up.

“Oh?” Jiang Wang grew curious.

Could there be some secret to the Decayed Wood Decision?

Lin Zhengren looked around and said respectfully, “Let’s go inside and talk.”

He didn’t seem to trust his own clan members, or perhaps, after the event of forced killing Lin Zhengli, he couldn’t trust his clan members anymore.

Therefore, he wanted to report to Jiang Wang alone.

“Alright,” Jiang Wang nodded slightly, with everything under his control.

He had nothing to worry about as there was nobody in the entire Wangjiang City domain who could match him, and Lin Zhengren’s Cultivation Level of Ascending Dragon Realm could be swept away with one sword stroke.

It wouldn’t hurt to listen first.

“You may all disperse.

Let today’s matter end here.”

Lin Zhengren looked at the clan members standing guard outside the courtyard, speaking only this sentence before turning to enter the room.

“It appears that you are quite confident about what you’re going to say,” Jiang Wang followed him inside, casually closing the door behind them.

“Are you sure you can persuade me?”

“Your Excellency has just witnessed my sincerity.

I harbor no thoughts of resistance against you.”

Lin Zhengren had grown up without any worry for food or clothing, accustomed to wealth and honor.

Now he deferentially stepped aside to lead the way for Jiang Wang, yet he did it with natural grace.

So went the saying about bending and standing tall—as exemplified by this man.

A dimly lit oil lamp flickered in the room, casting his profile in shifting light and shadow.

“In fact, I’ve long been dissatisfied with the Path Academy.

Within its walls, there are…”

Jiang Wang was captivated by his words and unconsciously took a few steps forward.

Suddenly, light patterns flared!

The room lit up with dense and numerous array patterns.

Splash~

It was as if one had appeared by the seaside, with waves surging.

Nine distinct azure Water Jiaos swiftly materialized and attacked Jiang Wang from all directions.

Lin Zhengren had actually inscribed a formation within his own room!

But for Jiang Wang in his current state, it was barely a challenge.

He was even astonished by Lin Zhengren’s recklessness.

Did he really think that such a low-level formation could stand against him?

Jiang Wang’s sword flashed like lightning—one sword, nine revolutions.

As he sheathed the sword, the nine azure Water Jiaos had been severed from their Path Origin connection, dissipating on the spot.

Only the wet traces on the floor attested that they had indeed appeared.

Jiang Wang strode forward when suddenly the array patterns flowed with light again.

Inside the room, another formation lay—a formation within the formation!

This one, however, was not designed to attack Jiang Wang.

The scattered Water Elements suddenly regathered at this moment, rapidly forming a barrier of flowing water, like a semi-transparent shield, capturing Lin Zhengren on the spot!

Lin Zhengren stood within this watery shield, locking eyes with Jiang Wang.

Jiang Wang extended his right hand, flame igniting in his palm: “Do you think this can stop me?

In at most ten breaths, I can break it.”

“Of course, I even believe that Your Excellency could break this water barrier in five breaths.

Perhaps you said ten breaths to lull me into complacency?”

At this moment, Lin Zhengren’s expression had calmed down, and he even appeared composed.

“But before you make a move, you might want to consider where I get the confidence to do this…” He raised an object resembling a cow’s horn, making sure Jiang Wang could see it clearly.

“This is the Ploughing Horn.

Have you heard of it?”

Jiang Wang was silent, the only response being the increasingly intense flames in his hand.

Lin Zhengren continued, “I do not know who you are.

But since you understand Wangjiang City’s Path Academy, you should surely be familiar with Zhuang Country.

Then you must know who the Prime Minister is and what his Divine Skills are.”

“Now, I’ll tell you that with this Ploughing Horn, I can contact Du Ruhui within three breaths.

As soon as you start attacking the water barrier, I will immediately use the Ploughing Horn.”

Jiang Wang looked at him, attempting to see through his bluster, but evidently failed.

His gaze grew heavier: “I do not believe you can contact Du Ruhui directly.

If you could, you wouldn’t have waited until now.”

“The Prime Minister has said that our Zhuang Country is small, and talent is not easy to come by, so he makes every effort to protect each one.

Every one of the six prodigies of the National Academy has a Ploughing Horn; it just so happens that I am one of them.

This, Your Excellency, shouldn’t be hard for you to discern.”

Without a hint of the pressing sense of life and death, Lin Zhengren finally revealed a trace of bitterness: “As for why I waited until now, isn’t it because you’ve been watching me closely the entire time, not giving me the slightest chance?”

Previously in the courtyard, Jiang Wang’s attention had never strayed from him.

He had countless opportunities to act, but he knew the moment he showed any sign of movement, he would be killed instantly.

Jiang Wang would never give him those three breaths’ time.

All opportunities were death traps.

An opportunity fought for by oneself—that was the real opportunity!

For that, he did not hesitate to whip his own father, to force his own brother to his death!

In this world, anyone could die, but he, Lin Zhengren, could not.