The Calamity of Extinction

Zhou Yi didn't want to get involved in the power struggles of the Fengyang Kingdom, but he wanted to do something for Li Wu.

He used to watch martial arts dramas and see wandering heroes willingly protecting some upright official, running themselves ragged.

"That's just a pretext to start the plot, just pretend it doesn't exist..."

Zhou Yi originally thought so, but these past few days, chatting idly with Li Wu, he unexpectedly had the urge to be chivalrous for once.

This action was inconsistent with his established detachment from worldly affairs!

"Mr. Zhou's detached nature has actually led him to make such a promise, doesn't that just prove that Li's choice was correct?"

Li Wu clapped his hands and laughed, his face showing a few black lines that had appeared at some point, spreading from his neck to the top of his head.

Innate Grandmasters temper their skin, membranes, tendons, and bones externally, and refine their internal organs and bone marrow internally. Their whole body is in a state of perfect harmony, almost invulnerable to all poisons. However, this poison directly attacks the brain, and after it erupts, it turns one into a living dead.

"I don't think there's anything good about it!"

Zhou Yi lowered his eyes, suddenly recalling the faces of some people, and his heart was inexplicably irritable.

"Li has lived his life without shame before the court, only treating his clansmen harshly. Those petty enemies don't dare to show their faces normally, but after Li dies, they will definitely seek revenge on my clansmen!"

Li Wu pondered for a moment and said, "There are several military experts in the residence, there shouldn't be any mistakes..."

Zhou Yi promised, "Unless an Innate appears, the Li family will be safe."

Beneath the Innate Grandmaster level, Zhou Yi could wipe them all out with a wave of his hand!

"Li thanks you!"

Li Wu tried to get up to salute, but suddenly his vision blurred and he fell back into his seat.

An Innate Grandmaster who was unrivaled in the kingdom, for the sake of some inexplicable insistence, instantly went from being the lofty Duke Who Pacifies the Nation to a state where he couldn't even stand steadily.

"How much karmic merit does the Zhao imperial family have to squander like this?"

Zhou Yi sighed, "Even if there is an unparalleled old monster, I guarantee that Li's family line won't be cut off."

Li Wu said apologetically, "In that case, Mr. Zhou won't be able to live in seclusion in the Heavenly Prison."

Zhou Yi shrugged, "I've been in the Heavenly Prison for decades, it's not bad to change places."

Li Wu asked, "Change to where?"

Zhou Yi pointed to the east, "The Imperial Prison!"

Li Wu was speechless, "..."

"General Li doesn't understand humor. I'll go out to avoid the limelight for a while, then change my identity and return to the Heavenly Prison..."

Zhou Yi's expression froze for a moment, and he reached out to test Li Wu's nose, but there was no breath left.

Hongchang, year 17.

Duke Who Pacifies the Nation, Li Wu, died in the Heavenly Prison.

The Emperor bestowed the posthumous title "Loyal and Martial," meaning "loyal to the Emperor and patriotic, with mighty strength and wise virtue."

The Hongchang Emperor, at the age of seventy-six, disregarded the objections of the officials and insisted on holding a funeral for the Duke Who Pacifies the Nation with the dignity befitting an Emperor.

The historian recorded it in detail, as a model of the relationship between ruler and subject, to be passed down to future generations.

The Lunar New Year's Eve was approaching.

Dark clouds were gathering, the north wind was biting, and goose feather snow had been falling heavily all day without stopping.

At midnight.

The patrolling soldiers, fearing the severe cold, hid in the barracks to drink.

Shenjing was silent, with only the sound of snowflakes falling.

Prince Anhua's Residence.

The gatekeeper on night duty was dozing off when he vaguely saw a black shadow flash before his eyes, and was about to raise his hand to greet it.

A blade flashed across his neck, and hot blood splattered on the ground.

Silence, slaughter!

One by one, the men in black were like cold machines, killing people as easily as cutting grass, without needing a second strike, gradually moving inward from the periphery of the Duke's Residence, leaving no one alive, not even the chickens and dogs.

"There are assassins!"

Suddenly, a scream rang out, followed by a continuous sound of swords clashing.

The experts in the residence woke up from their dreams. Some went to the front yard to meet the enemy, while others rushed to the back yard, their division of labor as clear as if they were deploying troops.

Inner residence.

Li Ye, the successor to the title of Duke Who Pacifies the Nation, was guarded by hundreds of Martial Path experts.

Commander Li said, "The enemy came prepared, why doesn't the Duke change his clothes first and leave through the secret passage?"

"We can't leave."

Li Ye's face showed no fear. He had followed his father into battle in the past. He pointed to the mansion to the east, "The thieves are besieging the Duke Who Pacifies the Nation's Residence, and Prince Anhua's Residence remains silent. Where do you think I can escape to?"

Commander Li said in a deep voice, "Duke, that's all the more reason to preserve your life, to plan for the future!"

"Plan for what in the future, rebellion?"

There was a trace of resentment in Li Ye's words, "My father deserves to be enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple and have his name recorded in history. How can his son rebel? Or rather, with my father's talent and wisdom, could he not have foreseen today's disaster of extermination?"

"Old Duke..."

Commander Li was Li Wu's confidant and loyal follower, but faced with Li Ye's questioning, he didn't know how to explain.

The women of the Li family hid in the room, their eyes full of terror, many holding daggers ready to commit suicide at any moment.

Li Wu left in a dashing and happy manner, leaving the rest to live in fear!

At this moment.

There was no more fighting in the outer residence. There were too many enemies, and even the soldiers forming a military formation could not stop them.

The men in black surrounded the inner residence step by step, stepping on the pure white snowflakes, leaving a series of bright red footprints.

"Jie jie jie!"

The signature strange laughter resounded throughout the Duke Who Pacifies the Nation's Residence, "Li Wu killed this seat's disciple, today we will wash it in blood—"

The voice stopped abruptly.

"..."

The leader of the men in black frowned and signaled his subordinates to investigate. The Duke Who Pacifies the Nation's Residence had a few tough nuts to crack, and they had spent a huge price to invite this old monster out of the mountains.

After a moment.

Two subordinates dragged a corpse over, an old man with white hair.

There were seven large fleshy tumors on his face, with words engraved on the tumors: Impermanence, Life-Taker, Evil Star, Debt Collector...

The leader examined the old man's injuries. There was only one wound, directly piercing the heart.

The subordinates knew how powerful the old man was, a rare peerless master in the martial world, so they could guess how terrifying the person who made the move was, but they had no fear in their hearts and quietly waited for the leader's next order.

"Kill!"

With an order, the men in black rushed towards the back residence.

"More assassins. How many enemies does that Li Wu have?"

An old voice rang in the leader's ear. Before the leader could speak, a sword qi pierced his chest.

The remaining men in black were leaderless, and their lethality was greatly reduced.

Several rounds of arrow rain shot out from the inner residence, and with the help of the arranged traps, they stopped the black-clothed men's offensive. Commander Li took the lead and charged into the battle, and after half an hour, he finally killed all the enemies who had invaded.

"Wu Yanwang!"

Commander Li recognized the old man's identity, "The One Cave of Ghosts that the Old Duke completely annihilated were this man's disciples. Legend has it that he died of old age long ago, but he actually lived to this day."

Li Ye had no interest in Wu Yanwang and bowed to the surroundings.

"Thank you, senior, for your repeated life-saving grace!"

"This old man owed that Li Wu a favor back then, and today it's considered paid off. If anyone else comes to kill you, little brat, wish yourself good luck." Zhou Yi hid in the dark and transmitted his voice, then used his lightness technique and disappeared in a few flashes.

Li Ye's expression changed drastically when he heard this, and he whispered the matter to Commander Li.

The Duke Who Pacifies the Nation's Residence had already suffered more than a dozen night raids. In the beginning, there were many experts in the residence, and they easily defeated the invading enemies. However, the continuous stream of enemies continued to consume the strength of the residence, and now it was less than one-tenth of what it used to be.

The enemies who came in the last three times were even more powerful. The fact that they could hold on until today was all thanks to the protection of a senior expert in the dark.

Commander Li suggested, "Duke, why not leave Shenjing and go into hiding under an assumed name?"

"In Shenjing, it's just assassins attacking. If we go out, it will be an encirclement and suppression by an army of bandits!"

Li Ye looked up at the palace. After Hongchang Emperor sent Li Wu away, his health deteriorated day by day. Now, the Crown Prince Regent was in charge of the court.

"After the late Emperor fell ill, how many years did he live in Shangyang Palace?"

Commander Li thought for a while and said, "About seven or eight years!"

Li Ye was silent for a long time, his voice faint.

"Taking a step back means death and extermination... Take my name card to the East Palace and ask the Crown Prince Regent for a meeting."