Chapter 5: Another Unexpected Turn

Under the grapevine in the small courtyard. 

"Brother, is there no way for your hand to recover?" 

Jiang Li shook his head slightly. "No way. The tendons are severed, and the bones are shattered. My right arm is almost completely crushed. If it weren't for the high-quality healing and pain-relief medicine provided by the county magistrate, I probably wouldn't even be standing here in front of you." 

As he said this, he smiled and shook his head. "Little brother, you mentioned at noon that you wanted to practice martial arts, right?" 

"Yes," Jiangning nodded. 

"It's good to practice martial arts!" Jiang Li said with a deep sense of emotion. Then he continued, "The world is becoming increasingly chaotic these days! The Worshipers' Cult is growing bolder and more rampant! They're becoming increasingly fanatical in their pursuit of creating artificial deities. If it weren't for the Worshipers' Cult, I wouldn't have suffered such a disaster!" 

"The Worshipers' Cult?" Jiangning's eyes narrowed, and he immediately thought of what had happened two months ago. 

Two months ago, when he had first transmigrated into this world, he had been severely injured. 

After absorbing the memories of his past self, he vaguely recalled hearing the words "Worshipers' Cult" during the attack, as well as a voice saying: "We've found another naturally gifted soul. Extracting this soul will surely earn us the favor of the Divine Envoy!" 

Undoubtedly, he was that naturally gifted soul. 

In his view, his past self had likely been targeted by the Worshipers' Cult because of this. 

Perhaps it was because of that incident that he had awakened memories of his past life, or maybe it was the catalyst for his transmigration. 

The exact reason remained unclear to him. 

Now, hearing the words "Worshipers' Cult" again, Jiangning couldn't help but take the matter seriously. 

He still didn't fully understand what it meant to be a "naturally gifted soul," but he knew that if his past self had been targeted by the Worshipers' Cult for this reason, there was a risk that he might be targeted again if discovered. 

"Little brother, what's wrong?" Jiang Li asked with concern, noticing Jiangning's distracted expression. 

"Nothing, I just suddenly thought of something," Jiangning shook his head. 

Hearing this, Jiang Li smiled knowingly. "Don't worry! I've already made arrangements for you to learn martial arts. I've found you a good master." 

"A good master?" Jiangning immediately shook his head. "Brother, there's no need for that. Hiring a master is too expensive, and we can't afford it. Just teaching me a few martial arts techniques yourself would be enough!" 

"Me teaching you martial arts?" Jiang Li immediately shook his head repeatedly. "That won't do! Learning martial arts isn't simple. It can't be taught haphazardly, nor can it be learned carelessly. If something goes wrong, there's no room for regret." 

He continued, "Besides, my right hand is now useless. How can I teach you with just my left hand? The master I've found for you is Wang Jin from the Canglang Martial Arts School. Master Wang is a ranked martial artist, far stronger than me, and he has extensive teaching experience. He's a good master." 

"Canglang Martial Arts School? Wang Jin?" Jiangning was slightly surprised. Over the past few days, he had read many books and asked his elder brother about various matters, so he had naturally heard of Wang Jin and the Canglang Martial Arts School. 

This was a school that countless martial arts practitioners dreamed of joining. Passing the school's entrance test and becoming a true disciple was akin to reaching the heavens for ordinary people. This wasn't just because of the school's strength but also because of Wang Jin's status. 

Jiangning shook his head again. He knew very well how much money it would cost to enroll in the Canglang Martial Arts School. 

Even though his elder brother was a constable with official status and had some connections with Wang Jin, there would be no exceptions made. 

Jiangning then spoke up, "Brother, even if I were to find a good master, it doesn't have to be the Canglang Martial Arts School. Enrolling there is far too expensive!" 

"Don't worry about that!" Jiang Li said. "I've risked my life for the yamen and the county magistrate. Now that I've been seriously injured, there will naturally be compensation from the yamen." 

He whispered to Jiangning, "Little brother, don't tell your sister-in-law about this. The compensation from the yamen will take some time to arrive. For now, I've borrowed some money to cover your tuition. If your sister-in-law finds out, she'll nag me to no end." 

After saying this, Jiang Li chuckled lightly, trying to appear relaxed. 

At this moment, Jiangning felt a mix of emotions. Such familial love was something he had never experienced in his past life. 

Then, Jiang Li patted his shoulder. "It's late. Go to sleep now! The tuition fee has already been paid, so there's no need to refuse. The money can't be refunded anyway. Tomorrow, you'll come with me to the Canglang Martial Arts School." 

With those words, Jiang Li walked over to Liu Wanwan, and the two of them returned to their room. 

The next morning, the sun rose, and the sky brightened. 

Suddenly. 

Knock knock knock

A series of knocks sounded at the door. 

"Brother Li, it's Xu Yunfeng. I've come to visit!" 

Xu Yunfeng? 

Hearing this name, Jiangning was slightly surprised but quickly recalled who this person was. 

His elder brother had once taken him to the yamen's archives, where he had read through some records. 

Xu Yunfeng this man had been orphaned from a young age, had fought with stray dogs for food, and would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. Rising to his current position was no small feat, and he was certainly not a kind person. 

Most importantly, this man worked under Constable Cao Bin, who was a direct descendant of the Cao family, one of the major powers in Linjiang County. 

The Cao family, as a local power, had always been at odds with the county magistrate, an outsider. Jiangning had noticed this from various past incidents. 

This wasn't hard to deduce. Throughout history, conflicts between outsiders and local powers were common, often marked by intense rivalry. 

If his elder brother were to align himself with a faction, he had always been loyal to the county magistrate. The constable above Jiang Li, Feng, was also part of the county magistrate's faction. 

At this moment, Jiangning immediately judged that this visitor was not here with good intentions. 

Thinking this, he quickly got out of bed and headed to the main hall to observe the situation. 

When he arrived, he saw his elder brother Jiang Li leading a man dressed in a black official robe, with a longsword hanging at his waist, into the main hall. 

After the two men sat down, Liu Wanwan poured them each a cup of hot tea. 

"Your wife is very beautiful!" Xu Yunfeng said with admiration as he looked at Liu Wanwan. 

Jiang Li frowned at this but then spoke slowly, "Brother Xu, what brings you here so suddenly today?" 

Xu Yunfeng smiled at Jiang Li. "We're colleagues. Last night, I heard that you had been injured and lost the use of your right hand. So, I came today to visit and brought you a bottle of healing and pain relief medicine. I hope you won't refuse it." 

As he spoke, Xu Yunfeng took out a ceramic bottle from his waist and placed it in front of Jiang Li. 

Seeing this, Jiang Li's expression softened slightly. 

"Thank you for your kindness, Brother Xu." 

Xu Yunfeng smiled and said, "There's one more thing." 

"What is it?" 

Xu Yunfeng said, "Constable Cao heard about your sudden misfortune and was deeply saddened. He would like to invite you to a gathering at the Moonlight Pavilion tonight at 7:15 PM." 

"Constable Cao?" Jiang Li's expression changed drastically, and he asked in disbelief, "You mean Constable Cao Bin?" 

"That's right, Constable Cao himself," Xu Yunfeng confirmed. 

After receiving this confirmation, Jiang Li's expression grew even darker. 

"Will Brother Li honor us with your presence?" Xu Yunfeng asked slowly. 

Jiang Li pondered for a moment before nodding slowly. "I will be there on time." 

"Good!" Xu Yunfeng nodded in satisfaction, then glanced at Liu Wanwan. "Make sure to bring your wife along." 

At these words, Jiang Li's expression changed again. 

He took a deep breath and turned to Liu Wanwan. "Wanwan, go back to the room." 

"Yes, Brother Li," Liu Wanwan nodded, her brow furrowed with worry as she glanced at Jiang Li before leaving the main hall. 

Once Liu Wanwan was gone, Jiang Li's eyes burned with anger as he growled in a low voice, "Xu Yunfeng, what do you mean by this?" 

"What do I mean?" Xu Yunfeng smiled. "Brother Li, you shouldn't be asking me what I mean. You should be asking Constable Cao what he means!" 

Seeing Jiang Li's furious expression, Xu Yunfeng smiled again. "You should understand Constable Cao's intentions. I'm sure you've heard the rumors." 

At these words, Jiang Li's face grew even darker. 

Meanwhile, Jiangning, hearing this, immediately recalled the rumors about Constable Cao Bin. 

According to the rumors, Constable Cao had a fondness for beautiful women, especially married ones. 

Jiang Li's expression shifted repeatedly, and he looked at Xu Yunfeng with a serious gaze. "In the yamen, what does the Cao family amount to? The county magistrate is the true authority, not just in the yamen but in all of Luoshui County!" 

"How foolish!" Xu Yunfeng looked at Jiang Li with disdain, as if he were unworthy of his company. "The Cao family alone may not compare to the county magistrate, but what about the Cao family plus the Liu family and the Xie family?" 

At this, Xu Yunfeng stood up. "Luoshui County is like an iron fortress under the control of these major families, yet the Worshipers' Cult is growing bolder and bolder. If you were smarter, you wouldn't have suffered such a severe injury! Think about it during the recent operation against the Worshipers' Cult, which constables and yamen runners were injured or killed? Who were they close to?" 

"What does the county magistrate amount to? If you're smart, you'll endure a little humiliation and earn Constable Cao's favor, just like I did." 

"If you refuse, with your injured arm, you won't be able to continue as a constable. If you oppose the Cao family, you'll have to return home and live as a commoner." 

"By then, do you think I'd still be speaking to you so politely?" 

"Constable Cao has truly taken a liking to your wife." 

"If you comply, you'll be one of Constable Cao's men, just like me. With his protection, the year-end evaluation in four months will go smoothly for you, and you'll still have a place in the yamen. Your compensation for the injury will also be paid as promised." 

After saying this, Xu Yunfeng added two more sentences: "Brother Li, you have both a son and a daughter. You're very fortunate." 

"I've heard that Brother Li treats his younger brother extremely well. Such brotherly love is truly admirable." As he said this, Xu Yunfeng's gaze fell on Jiangning, and he smiled. 

Looking into Xu Yunfeng's eyes, Jiangning felt as if he were staring into the eyes of a beast ready to devour him. 

The next moment, Xu Yunfeng turned and strode out of the house, his steps powerful and confident. In an instant, he disappeared.