Chapter 359: Floating Life Painting

Chen Ling left the Huadu Troupe and walked straight along the alley.

There was a lot of rain in Jiangnan. In Chen Ling's impression, it seemed to have just rained yesterday, and today it was raining again. The fine rain felt like cotton needles falling on him; it wasn't cold, but there was a pervasive chill.

After breaking the white ash seal, Chen Ling's actions were no longer urgent. He walked unhurriedly, his large red opera robe swaying gently in the rain.

“So... where exactly is the Divine Path wielder of the Mortal Realm?” Chen Ling muttered to himself.

Chen Ling could now use his Formless ability to conceal his presence and vanish completely, but he chose not to. Since he had already caused such a commotion at the troupe, he might as well use this opportunity to test the strength of the Mortal Realm.

According to his observations over the past two days, the Divine Path wielders of the Mortal Realm did not seem to operate openly or be well-known to residents, unlike the Enforcers. Nor did they secretly oppress civilians or engage in underground dealings, as was the case in the Aurora Realm.

Due to its proximity to the Ancient Arsenal of Military Paths, the Aurora Realm regularly sent Enforcers into the Arsenal. Some talented Enforcers would then embark on the Military Divine Path, becoming Enforcers. Thus, the Military Divine Path was considered mainstream in the Aurora Realm. However, Chen Ling had yet to encounter a single Divine Path wielder from the Mortal Realm. This meant that their Divine Paths, their skills, and their unique characteristics were all completely unknown to Chen Ling.

A hidden threat was far more dangerous than one exposed in plain sight.

Willow Town was already a remote location, so even if a Divine Path wielder was stationed there, their strength shouldn't be too formidable. Now that Chen Ling had fully recovered, he had the leverage to test them. At worst, he could just change his face and hide again.

Yet, he had already killed several people in plain sight. Why had there been no reaction? Could it be that all the Divine Path wielders of the Mortal Realm were in the main city, leaving small towns like this unguarded? What if the Gray Realm intersected here?

One question after another flashed through Chen Ling's mind. He shook his head, deciding to stop thinking about it for now.

He passed through a narrow, greyish-green path lined with stone brick walls on both sides. Turning a corner, he arrived at the edge of a small river.

Green willows swayed gently by the river. A white-haired old man sat beneath a tree, tending a small stall.

Chen Ling's gaze scanned the stall. He stopped and asked, "How much is this umbrella?"

Most of the stall was filled with calligraphy and paintings. Only a bucket sat at the edge, containing several folded oiled paper umbrellas. The old man glanced at them and waved his hand casually, "Fifteen."

"Can I pick any one?"

"Yes, just pick the one you like."

Chen Ling paid with one hand and casually took an oiled paper umbrella from the bucket, opening it in the fine rain.

The pale yellow oiled paper diffused the faint sunlight. A few simple strokes outlined small black geese, dotting the edge of the umbrella, resembling a flock of geese departing into the twilight, creating a rather artistic mood.

"What an exquisite umbrella," Chen Ling couldn't help but exclaim.

"It's just a few added strokes. Life can be dull; one must find their own amusements," the old man said modestly, a smile he couldn't suppress appearing on his lips upon hearing Chen Ling's praise. "There are plenty of people who paint better than me."

"I'll take this one."

Chen Ling held up the oiled paper umbrella, shielding himself from the continuous drizzle, and continued along the riverside.

Willow branches swayed in the wind. The old man sat by his stall, watching the fading red figure, his cloudy eyes narrowing slightly...

The next moment, something unexpected happened!

On the oiled paper umbrella, which had been shielding him from the wind and rain, the goose silhouettes seemed to flutter their wings as Chen Ling walked. In a blur, they suddenly pierced the umbrella's surface and flew out!

Whoosh—!!

The umbrella's rim was only dozens of centimeters from Chen Ling, yet the goose silhouettes, drawn with a brush, moved with bullet-like speed. In a mere flash, they were right in front of Chen Ling!

However, Chen Ling seemed to have anticipated the attack. The moment the goose silhouettes moved, he dodged sideways. While the first silhouette whistled past, cutting a half-centimeter deep gash on the side of his neck, the rest missed entirely!

A few soft thuds echoed from the ground. The remaining goose silhouettes had left several thumb-sized, bottomless black holes in the bluestone path!

His large red opera robe spun rapidly in the fine rain, its wide sleeves dancing with the wind. As Chen Ling stopped and steadied himself, the pale yellow oiled paper umbrella drifted lightly to the ground with a soft thud.

Scarlet blood flowed down Chen Ling's neck...

His eyes, cold as ice, fixed on the old man beneath the willow tree.

"Oh?" Seeing Chen Ling evade the attack, surprise flickered across the old man's face. "How... did you find out?"

"The ground beneath your stall is wet, indicating you just arrived recently... And you're selling calligraphy and paintings outdoors," Chen Ling said slowly, pointing to the overcast sky. "It's raining right now."

The moment Chen Ling turned the corner and first saw the stall, he sensed something was off. After all, he had chosen a less-traveled route for his escape, and ordinarily, no one would set up a stall in such a sparsely populated area. After approaching and examining the stall more closely, his suspicions were confirmed. This old man had most likely deliberately chosen this spot, which was along Chen Ling's inevitable escape route, specifically to intercept him.

Chen Ling didn't know the old man's skills or methods, so he remained constantly on guard. However, he never imagined that the killing intent lay within the black geese painted on the oiled paper umbrella. Had Chen Ling not been prepared, anyone else might have been instantly killed.

"Good observational skills," the old man nodded slightly. "If only I hadn't been so pressed for time, I could have made more comprehensive arrangements... A pity..."

"Are you the superior of those police officers?"

"Police officers? I have no connection to them... I am merely an umbrella painter."

Chen Ling's brows furrowed involuntarily. "You're not officially part of the Mortal Realm?"

"I am," the old man replied, studying Chen Ling thoughtfully. "It seems you are not from the Mortal Realm... Where are you from?"

Chen Ling naturally wouldn't answer, but the old man's words did provide him with some information. Although he represented the official side of the Mortal Realm, he had no connection to the police officers who maintained order. It seemed that here, ordinary people and Divine Path wielders operated within two entirely different systems, rather than the superior-subordinate structure of the Enforcers.

"Interesting," Chen Ling chuckled. With blood still oozing from his neck, his smile appeared particularly sinister. "In that case, what should I call you? Mortal Realm dogs?"

A cold glint flickered in the old man's eyes. After a brief pause, he spoke in a deep voice:

"Floating Life Canvas."