Chapter 405: Summoning Lightning

It was not the time for the morning court session, and both Wang Maochun and Chen Shanmeng had arrived in casual attire.

As soon as the two saw that both Zhu Cheng and Zhu Peng were here, they knew it must be related to the lightning-strike case of Zhu Shizhong.

Wang Maochun and Chen Shanmeng were both nearing fifty and had spent most of their lives in officialdom; while still at the doorway, they had already guessed that Ge Hengtai was looking to make things difficult for Zhu Cheng and Zhu Peng.

If not for that, why would Ge Hengtai have nothing better to do than to call them both over?

Sure enough, when Ge Hengtai saw them enter, he merely exchanged a few pleasantries before handing them a blackened piece of broken wood, and then recounted the ins and outs of the matter.

"Would the two officials say, is this not reckless accusation and the trampling of human life?" Ge Hengtai asked with a dark face, questioning them sternly.

Seeing Ge Hengtai fly into a rage, Wang Maochun remained calm in expression, simply standing there without saying a word.

Chen Shanmeng pondered for a moment, then turned his eyes to look at Zhu Cheng and asked, "Temple Rectifier Zhu, was it you who said this object could summon heavenly lightning?"

Although Chen Shanmeng's voice was soft, the implication of his questioning was like Mount Tai pressing down on one's head.

Cold sweat broke out on Zhu Cheng instantly; he could not deny it, but he dared not confirm it either.

The hall fell into silence, and everyone's gaze gathered on Zhu Cheng. He felt as if ten thousand arrows were piercing his heart.

Just at this moment, Duan Rong suddenly coughed.

In this silent hall, his cough at this moment was no different from a drumbeat.

Sure enough, the gazes of Ge Hengtai, Wang Maochun, and Chen Shanmeng all turned toward him. Wang Maochun and Chen Shanmeng did not yet know Duan Rong, and their expressions held a hint of doubt.

Duan Rong said, "Excuse me, my throat is a bit uncomfortable. However, that thing can indeed summon heavenly lightning."

Chen Shanmeng looked Duan Rong up and down and asked, "Forgive my lack of discernment, but may I ask, official, which Ya Men are you from?"

Ge Hengtai immediately introduced Duan Rong's identity to Wang Maochun and Chen Shanmeng, and both men looked at Duan Rong again with understanding in their eyes.

Chen Shanmeng said, "Official Duan, are you saying this object can summon heavenly lightning?"

Chen Shanmeng weighed the broken wood in his hand and looked at Duan Rong.

Duan Rong said, "Exactly!"

Chen Shanmeng said, "What evidence is there? Official Duan, I have also handled criminal law for most of my life! This is the first time I have heard of summoning heavenly lightning to commit murder. Furthermore, using such a small thing? Without further evidence, I am afraid it is very hard to convince people!"

Duan Rong truly admired Chen Shanmeng's experience and composure.

Chen Shanmeng clearly believed in his heart that he was spouting nonsense, yet he could still deliver such a long string of high-sounding empty words.

Duan Rong said, "There is no particular evidence, actually."

Once these words were spoken, Chen Shanmeng remained expressionless. But Ge Hengtai and Wang Maochun both smiled faintly.

Then they heard Duan Rong say, "We can only summon the heavenly lightning down one more time."

The smiles on the faces of Ge Hengtai and Wang Maochun immediately froze; they both thought they had misheard.

Chen Shanmeng's eyes flickered; he weighed the broken wood in his hand again and said, "Are you saying you want to use this object to summon the heavenly lightning down one more time?"

Duan Rong said, "Not this one. This one is already broken. I will make another one to summon the heavenly lightning down one more time."

Everyone in the hall looked at Duan Rong with astonishment, including Zhu Cheng and Zhu Peng who were standing at his side.

Duan Rong really wanted to tell them that this was called an experiment. A series of operations or activities designed to test a theory or verify a hypothesis. In the words of Yang Zhenning, ninety percent of science is experimental activity, and the foundation of science is experiment.

Chen Shanmeng looked at Duan Rong, seeing only his calm expression and gentle gaze; at this moment, he even felt a bit of doubt—could the object in his hand really summon heavenly lightning?

Chen Shanmeng shifted his gaze, his tone carrying a sense of admonition as he said, "Official Duan, this matter is of great importance; one must not speak in jest!"

Duan Rong said, "I know. Summoning the heavenly lightning again is actually quite troublesome. But if we don't, won't Official Ge ask us to answer for the crime of reckless accusation and trampling on human life? So we have no choice but to summon it again."

Hearing this, everyone in the hall gasped; was this a matter of being troublesome or not?

Only summon it again???

Listen to that tone of yours, making it sound like this heavenly lightning belongs to your family?

Do you think you are the God of Thunder?!

Zhu Cheng could no longer care about etiquette at this moment; he pulled Duan Rong to the side.

Zhu Cheng looked at Duan Rong; he was actually quite grateful to Duan Rong for not hiding away at a time like this, but instead taking the matter upon himself. Just a moment ago, he had truly been at a loss.

Zhu Cheng whispered, "Brother Duan, if we admit to a lapse in the investigation now, there is still room for maneuver. At most, Zhu Peng and I will just have some salary docked, and you will at most lose some merit points. With your past record, advancing to Inner Sect Disciple should still be no problem. But if you insist on pushing forward, I fear the matter will only grow larger and become even harder to resolve."

Duan Rong said, "Don't worry! Official Zhu, if something really goes wrong, just tell them that I was the one who ordered you to make the arrests. The matter of summoning the heavenly lightning was also my idea. At most, the two of you will only be charged with negligence."

After finishing, Duan Rong smiled and patted Zhu Cheng on the shoulder.

Zhu Cheng was speechless; he did not know why, but he could see that Duan Rong seemed very confident.

"Could that thing really summon heavenly lightning?" A trace of hesitation suddenly arose in Zhu Cheng's heart.

Duan Rong was, of course, very confident.

Because this thing had been verified countless times in his previous life, and it had long since been widely applied.

As the saying goes, practice is the sole criterion for testing truth.

This object, in its essence, was actually the structure of a lightning rod.

A lightning rod, if speaking of its principle, should be called a lightning-attracting rod. However, it conducts lightning into the ground to protect the safety of buildings and people.

But the person who murdered the Secretariat Director Zhu Shizhong had conducted the lightning into the water flowing around the bed, striking dead Zhu Shizhong and Li Muping who were seeking pleasure on the bed.

The person behind this, though unknown, clearly had already mastered the method of summoning heavenly lightning. They might not necessarily know the principle, but they had clearly discovered this method. It was just that such a discovery was, in all likelihood, merely some sort of accidental event.

Duan Rong walked back to the center of the hall, looked at the three of them—Ge, Wang, and Chen—and said, "The matter is settled then. However, we must wait for thundery weather. I cannot determine the specific date. During this period, I hope Official Ge can ensure the personal safety of those craftsmen."

Ge Hengtai was slightly stunned; even at this point, this Duan Rong was still making demands of him. However, Ge Hengtai had always had a fiery temper, and he said loudly, "You can rest assured about that! If one of them dies, I will offer my own head to pay for their lives!"

"Good!" Duan Rong said, "I still need to make some preparations, so I shall take my leave first."

After finishing, Duan Rong cupped his hands slightly and turned to walk out.

Zhu Cheng felt a tightness in his heart and immediately bowed, saying, "Officials, this subordinate will also take his leave!"

After finishing, Zhu Cheng immediately hurried away.

Zhu Peng also bowed to leave, but Chen Shanmeng immediately called him back, saying, "Take this piece of evidence with you! You are so scatterbrained!"

Only then did Zhu Peng take the blackened piece of broken wood from Chen Shanmeng's hand, bowed hurriedly, and rushed off to follow Duan Rong.

Just as Duan Rong walked out of Ge Hengtai's residence, Zhu Cheng and Zhu Peng chased after him one after the other.

By this time, neither of them called Duan Rong "Lord Duan" anymore, but instead addressed him directly as Brother Duan.

"Can you really summon heavenly thunder down?"

"Tell me the truth. Are you just fooling them, or are you really preparing to summon heavenly thunder?"

Duan Rong suddenly stopped, looked up at the stars in the pitch-black sky, and asked, "It is still summer; we shouldn't have to wait too long for a thunderstorm in Shenyun Prefecture, right?"

Zhu Peng suddenly said, "Wang Maochun and the others will definitely ask that old Daoist priest at the Astronomical Bureau. That old Daoist only needs to look at the stars at night to know if it will rain the next day."

"Is that so?" Duan Rong was very curious.

Duan Rong had always felt that Zhu Peng was a bit unreliable, so he looked at Zhu Cheng and asked, "Is that old Daoist really that capable?"

Zhu Cheng said, "That old Daoist does have some skills. He can accurately calculate major floods and droughts. As for normal rainfall, he can still predict it accurately within a day or two."

Hearing this, Duan Rong clicked his tongue slightly.

The world of martial arts is full of extraordinary people! Whether it was the person who discovered the method to summon heavenly thunder, or this old Daoist in the Astronomical Bureau who could predict rain by observing the stars, Duan Rong felt it was all somewhat inconceivable.

In his previous life, although humans lived in an enlightened scientific era, why was it that as technology developed, people lived increasingly tiring lives? Wasn't there something wrong somewhere?

Since crossing over, he had indeed seen quite a few people with extraordinary abilities. Sometimes, Duan Rong also reflected on this.

Shenyun Prefecture, the capital city, was flourishing like a brocade, and the sea of information was also surging with waves.

The Minister of the Secretariat being struck dead by lightning was already an explosive topic to begin with.

And now, it was suddenly rumored that someone had summoned heavenly thunder and struck Zhu Shizhong to death!

This news spread through every street and alley of Shenyun Prefecture in just one day. What people were discussing even more heatedly was a fellow named Duan Rong who was going to summon heavenly thunder to prove that the death of Minister of the Secretariat Zhu Shizhong was not a natural disaster, but a human plot!

That someone had murdered Zhu Shizhong!

With news like this, it was hard for it not to be a hot topic!

Even the storytellers in the teahouses began to recount the matter.

However, in the stories of these storytellers, they were clearly divided into two factions: one faction praised Duan Rong as being god-like, while the other faction claimed Duan Rong was a charlatan.

Among the common people, rumors were flying everywhere, and there was no consensus.

Seeing the rumors spreading throughout the Prefecture City, Wang Maochun was getting a bit anxious, running to the Astronomical Bureau two or three times a day.

It could be considered that the heavens were being cooperative; that night, the old Daoist told Wang Maochun that there would be a great thunderstorm the next afternoon at the Shen hour.

That very night, Wang Maochun sent someone to inform the Dali Temple, asking them to pass the word to Duan Rong to get prepared.

At that time, Duan Rong was fast asleep in the post house when suddenly there was a commotion outside; it was Zhu Cheng rushing in.

In fact, Duan Rong had already finished making that object, just waiting for news of the thunderstorm.

Zhu Cheng grabbed Duan Rong and gave him an earful.

Duan Rong, bleary-eyed, muttered, "It's not until the Shen hour tomorrow? What's the rush? Let me get a good sleep first." Saying this, he covered his head and went back to sleep.

Seeing Duan Rong acting as if nothing was the matter, Zhu Cheng was truly at his wit's end. He had already delivered the message, and seeing Duan Rong had fallen back into a deep sleep, he sighed, thinking he would have to come back tomorrow morning.

In the afternoon, at the fifth quarter of the Wei hour. Beside a Wild Lake ten miles outside the southeast suburbs of Shenyun Prefecture.

This desolate forest was rarely visited and was a habitat for wild birds.

But today, it was bustling with noise, surrounded by a huge crowd of onlookers.

Wang Maochun hadn't expected so many people to come; he had to deploy one squad of soldiers after another to maintain order before they could hold back the dense crowd.

Zhu Cheng and Zhu Peng, looking at the dense crowd, both turned pale.

If Duan Rong messed up this time, it wouldn't just be a simple matter of playing a trick on a First-Rank Official; it would be playing a trick on the entire population of the Prefecture City, and everyone spitting at him would be enough to drown him!

It was already the fifth quarter of the Wei hour, and in another three quarters, it would be the Shen hour. But overhead, the scorching sun was still hanging in the sky, it was abnormally hot, and there wasn't a breath of wind; even the leaves in the wild were scorched and drooping. Not to mention the surrounding crowd, who were already soaked in sweat.

Wang Maochun, Chen Shanmeng, and Ge Hengtai were under the shade of a tree, with servants fanning them, but the wind was also hot, and they were also covered in sweat.

Ge Hengtai glanced at the bright white sun overhead and said, "The old Daoist said it would rain at the Shen hour?"

Wang Maochun said, "Yes, he said the Shen hour. Don't worry, there are still three quarters left."

Duan Rong was not far away; he found a cool spot, sat on the ground, and kept wiping the sweat from his forehead.

This kind of weather could make a person lose their temper from the heat.

Many people clearly underestimated the power of this "heat tiger." Some of those who originally wanted to watch the fun couldn't take it anymore and were already retreating, but the majority were still holding their ground.

After enduring for a while longer, Ge Hengtai suddenly glared at the clerk with the sundial not far away and asked, "What time is it?"

The clerk said, "Reporting to my Lord, the Shen hour has just begun!"

Ge Hengtai jumped up from his chair and said, "The Shen hour has begun, and it's still this bright white sun; that old Daoist..."

Before Ge Hengtai could finish his sentence, the wind suddenly picked up! His words were swallowed back into his throat.

Where the strong wind passed, it felt cool to the bone!

Following the rise of the wind, one could see the dark clouds filling the sky, already rolling in majestically!

Zhu Cheng immediately shouted, "Duan Rong, it's here!"

Duan Rong had already stood up; he turned to smile at Zhu Cheng, then exerted his movement technique and suddenly darted out!

Amidst the gale, Duan Rong's figure was as fast as a ghost!

Everyone present felt their hearts skip a beat!

The dense crowd was blocked by soldiers about ten zhang away from the Wild Lake, but when Duan Rong's figure flashed into the lake, many sharp-eyed people still saw it, and a burst of noisy clamor erupted from the crowd.

Duan Rong flashed to the center of the lake, his True Qi surging, and stood upon the water! Because of the surging True Qi, the lake water around his feet churned as if it were boiling.

Duan Rong flipped his hand, and a brand-new wooden structure was gripped in his palm.

Over the past two or three days, he had already tried it several times to ensure that an electric arc would indeed flash from the needle tip and that no accidents would occur on the spot.

With the object gripped in his hand, the strong wind blew a small wooden windmill beside the object, making it spin rapidly.

The windmill drove the wooden handle, rubbing back and forth against the fur inside the hidden compartment.

Duan Rong suddenly leaned over and untied the thread that was tied to a lotus flower on the lake surface at his feet.

He had already, in advance, sunk a large stone at the bottom of the lake to secure the object in his hand.

Duan Rong tied the end of the line tightly to that object.

That object was already secured at the edge of the lake; although it still bobbed back and forth, the range of movement was no longer large.

After taking it, Duan Rong's figure flashed, and he retreated to two zhang away from the lake shore.

The moment he stood still, his Divine Sense was suddenly released, enveloping the entire surface of the lake.

He needed to monitor the condition of that object at all times.

He had two spares of this thing; if anything happened to the one in the lake, he would immediately have to put the replacement in.

At this time, dark clouds had formed a canopy overhead, the daylight suddenly dimmed, a strong wind blew dense ripples across the lake surface, and the large tree not far from Duan Rong's side as well as his sleeves were all whipped by the wind, making a flapping sound.

Scattered, bean-sized raindrops then smashed down! Pitter-patter, they sounded!

The heavy, fishy scent of rain then rose up!

With almost no transition, the heavy rain poured down!

Next, a bolt of lightning, like a white dragon, tore open the pitch-black sky!

After only two or three breaths, Duan Rong's hair suddenly stood on end!

In that very instant, his figure suddenly rose, and one could see a black shadow, in the curtain of rain, like a leaf-boat on a river, flying backward.

He knew it was coming!

"Crack!"

That sound was indescribable, yet it was completely different from the rumbling of thunder.

One could see a white radiance, like a white dragon, rushing down from the celestial vault; in that instant, its body connected heaven and earth!

The curtain of rain seemed as if it did not exist! Because that light was too bright!

The entire Wild Lake was a sheet of white brightness, like a giant mirror reflecting dazzling light!

It lasted only a brief moment, then flashed and passed!

Heaven and earth were silent! The crowd was hushed! It was as if nothing had happened at all!

The sound of the pouring rain and the whistling wind seemed as if the people had not heard them at all!

That moment just now, although extremely short, had struck their souls; everyone stood there stunned, instantly petrified...

"Heavenly Thunder! It was really drawn down!"

(End of this chapter)