Lin Zhengren cast no glance at the well, nor marked how Lin Zhengli plunged within. His gaze remained fixed solely upon Jiang Wang.

“Can Your Excellency perceive clearly now?” he inquired.

Jiang Wang tilted an ear, listening.

He discerned the struggles of the sealed Dao Yuan within Lin Zhengli at the well’s depths, heard the fading of his strength, the final surrender to the water.

He had heard clearly indeed.

Lin Zhengli was dead, truly and completely dead.

Initially, Jiang Wang had sought justice for An An, borrowing a spear and cleaving a path through the Lin family gates. The Lin family had offered up only Lin Zhenglun, a concession granted solely out of respect for Zhu Weiwu.

But now, disguised, he had arrived, fabricated a pretext, and forced the demise of Lin Zhengli.

It seemed everything had changed, yet simultaneously, nothing had.

That thorn which once he was forced to avoid due to insufficient strength had finally been extracted.

Refreshing? Not entirely.

Jiang Wang stood, a strange sense of loss and disappointment settling upon him.

The thorn was gone, but the wound it left behind seemed to whisper the very essence of this world.

“This world inherently lacks what you call ‘reason’, only the stark reality of naked strength and cold, hard truth.” Jiang Meng’s voice, echoing from the Tongtian Palace, was laced with a melancholic wisdom. “I have witnessed too much in the imprint of the White Bone Venerable God. Were you not so stubborn, were you willing to listen to me, I could make you stronger, faster. Shed those meaningless shackles. Etiquette, morality, kindness – they are but chains forged by the weak to bind the strong…”

Jiang Wang remained silent.

Lin Zhengren mistook Jiang Wang’s silence for confirmation of Lin Zhengli’s death. Resentment gnawed at him, his teeth grinding in silent fury, yet he maintained a facade of calm.

Jiang Meng interpreted Jiang Wang’s silence as a sign of persuasion. He calmly added more fuel to the fire, slowly eroding the heart of this young man.

But Jiang Wang was silent.

Silent out of conviction.

Silence born of unwavering resolve.

This world, lacking reason, only naked strength?

Why had Zhu Weiwu lent him the Salary Exhaust Gun in the first place? Out of reason.

Why did Jiang Wang force Lin Zhengli’s death today? Out of reason.

“Jiang Meng, your path is suited only for yourself.”

“This world, perhaps, has no inherent reason. But there are always those willing to seek and uphold reason.”

“For instance, the Legalists regulate heaven and earth, punish mortals, all to maintain reason between heaven and earth. Law is a form of reason.”

Something deep within him trembled.

Jiang Wang felt it – in the void around him, the ink-black prisoner chains that surged like lightning had just branched, a second one emerging.

And Lin Zhengren in the courtyard still awaited Jiang Wang’s response.

Killing intent now bloomed within Jiang Wang.

He had made no promise, given no guarantee of Lin Zhengren’s safety. He believed that were Lin Zhengren presented with an opportunity to kill him, he would not hesitate. And towards Lin Zhengren, he felt the same.

Jiang Wang’s fingers twitched, poised to strike, to end Lin Zhengren’s life then and there.

“I have something to report to Your Excellency. It concerns Your Excellency’s experiences in the Wangjiang City Dao Academy.” Lin Zhengren suddenly spoke.

“Oh?” Jiang Wang felt a flicker of curiosity.

Could the Rotten Wood Decision hold further secrets?

Lin Zhengren glanced left and right, then respectfully said, “Let us speak inside.”

He displayed a lack of trust in his own kinsmen, or perhaps, after witnessing the forced death of Lin Zhengli, he could no longer trust them. Thus, he wished to report to Jiang Wang in private.

“Agreed.” Jiang Wang, in complete control of the situation, gave a slight nod.

Within the entire domain of Wangjiang City, he had no worthy adversary. There was nothing to fear. A Tenglong Realm cultivator like Lin Zhengren could be swept away with a single sword stroke. There was no harm in listening first.

“All of you, disperse. Today’s matter ends here.”

Lin Zhengren addressed the clansmen guarding the courtyard, saying only this, then turned and walked into the room.

“It seems you are quite confident in what you have to say,” Jiang Wang followed, closing the door behind him. “Are you sure you can convince me?”

“Your Excellency has already witnessed my sincerity. I harbor no resistance towards Your Excellency.”

Lin Zhengren, having grown up in comfort and accustomed to wealth, now respectfully stepped aside to lead Jiang Wang, doing so with surprising naturalness.

This was the essence of someone who could bend and adapt.

In the room, an oil lamp burned, casting flickering shadows upon his profile.

“Actually, regarding the Dao Academy, I was dissatisfied early on. Within the Dao Academy, there is…”

Jiang Wang was drawn in by the content of his words, subconsciously taking a few steps forward.

Suddenly, light patterns ignited!

Dense array patterns lit up the room.

*Hua la la!*

It was as if they had been transported to the seaside, the sound of surging waves filling the air.

Nine azure-blue water dragons, of differing forms, swiftly materialized within the room, attacking Jiang Wang from all sides.

Lin Zhengren had actually inscribed an array within his own room!

But for the current Jiang Wang, this was utterly insufficient. He was surprised by Lin Zhengren’s recklessness.

Could he truly believe this level of array could challenge him?

Jiang Wang’s sword flashed like lightning, executing a nine-turn technique.

As he sheathed the sword, the nine azure-blue water dragons, severed from their Dao Yuan connection, dispersed on the spot. Only the trails of water on the ground remained, evidence of their ephemeral existence.

Jiang Wang strode forward, when suddenly, he saw the array patterns flow with light once more.

Within the room, there was still an array! An array within an array!

However, this array did not target Jiang Wang.

The dispersed water elements suddenly converged again, quickly forming a wall of flowing water, like a semi-transparent shield, encasing Lin Zhengren in place!

Lin Zhengren stood within this flowing water barrier, facing Jiang Wang.

Jiang Wang extended his right hand, palm flat, a searing flame igniting within it. “Do you believe this can stop me? At most, ten breaths, and I will shatter it.”

“Of course, I even believe Your Excellency only needs five breaths to break this water wall. You say ten breaths, perhaps to lull me into complacency?”

Lin Zhengren’s expression was now calm, remarkably composed.

“But before you make your move, perhaps you should first consider where I gained the confidence to do this…” He held up an object resembling a bull’s horn, allowing Jiang Wang to see it clearly. “This is the Plowing Horn. Have you heard of it?”

Jiang Wang remained silent, responding only with the increasingly fierce flames in his hand.

Lin Zhengren continued, “I do not know who you are. But since you understand the Wangjiang City Dao Academy, you must surely be familiar with our Zhuang Country. Then you certainly would not be ignorant of who the Prime Minister of Zhuang Country is, and you must be aware of his divine abilities.”

“Then I shall tell you now, the Plowing Horn in my hand can contact Du Ruhui within three breaths. As long as you begin attacking the flowing water wall, I will immediately use the Plowing Horn.”

Jiang Wang stared at him, trying to discern the bluff within his words, but evidently failing. His eyes narrowed. “I do not believe you can directly contact Du Ruhui based on this. If you could, why would you have waited until now?”

“The Prime Minister said that Zhuang Country is small, and cultivating talents is not easy, so he will try to protect every talent. The six outstanding disciples of the national academy each possess a Plowing Horn, and I happen to be one of them. This matter, Your Excellency, is not difficult to verify.”

Lin Zhengren displayed no hint of the urgency of a life-or-death situation, but at this moment, finally revealed a trace of resentment. “As for why I waited until now, is it not because you were constantly watching me, not giving me a single opportunity?”

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

He had countless opportunities to act, but he knew that any movement would result in his immediate demise. Jiang Wang would absolutely not grant him three breaths of time. Every potential opportunity was a death trap.

Only an opportunity seized through his own efforts was a true opportunity!

For this, he had not hesitated to flog his own father, to force the death of his own younger brother!

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