The Three Great Families of Xia Country

Xu Jie had returned, but Zhao Du had not. What did that mean?

It meant Xu Jie had killed Zhao Du, a senior commander of the Jincheng City Guard Army!

And it had not been some covert assassination. Xu Jie had practically announced to everyone that he had killed Zhao Du in the wilderness; there simply was no evidence.

Xu Bin, beside himself with rage, grew even more furious when he saw Xu Jie's utterly unresponsive attitude.

"Xu Jie, several of Zhao Du's old comrades-in-arms became commanders bound to him by life-and-death friendship. One of them is even a marshal! Let's see how you clean this up in the end!"

"..."

Xu Jie continued down the stairs without saying a word, as if he had not heard Xu Bin's furious roar from the city wall at all.

Only Chu Mingyue, following behind him, had a flicker of worry pass across her lovely face.

A marshal?

That was a position only a martial artist above the sixth rank could hold!

Seeing Xu Jie treat him like air, Xu Bin, who already bore the blood feud of a slain son against Xu Jie, finally flew into a complete rage.

"Xu Jie, you won't be arrogant for much longer! Young Master Jiang will arrive in Jincheng City soon. Then I'll see how trash like you dies! Cherish these final days!"

"Old dog!"

Xu Jie abruptly stopped. Before leaving the foot of the city wall, he raised his head to stare at Xu Bin and grinned as he made a throat-slitting gesture.

"Sooner or later, I'll butcher you, you old dog, avenge my father, and send you to join your useless son and daughter!"

The hatred between the two had long reached the point of irreconcilability. Either Xu Jie would die, or Xu Bin would perish!

Previously, Xu Jie had kept enduring in silence because his strength had not been enough. He disdained speaking to the dead.

Yet Xu Bin still thought he was a soft persimmon to be kneaded at will, rambling on endlessly until he successfully provoked Xu Jie's fury.

Thinking of how his father's murder had yet to be avenged, Xu Jie gritted his teeth and shouted coldly.

"And your masters, the Jiang Family members—don't let me run into them. If I meet one, I'll slaughter one!"

"Good, good, good! Xu Jie, you've got guts!"

On the way back into the city, Chu Mingyue followed behind Xu Jie absentmindedly.

She had thought Xu Jie was heading back to school, but after they had moved away from the city wall—

Chu Mingyue discovered in surprise that Xu Jie had actually changed direction and headed toward the southern part of the city.

"Xu Jie, aren't we going back to school?"

"No! I'm leaving the city to fight demons!"

After killing Zhao Du, Xu Jie had wandered alone through the wilderness for most of the day. He had found only a few scattered, lone First-Rank Demons, gaining less than three hundred years of usable lifespan.

Such meager gains completely fell short of his expectations!

He had to know that this trip outside the city to hunt demons was an exceptionally important opportunity for him!

He needed to use this Beast Tide outbreak to accumulate enough usable lifespan.

Otherwise, if his gains remained mediocre, how was he supposed to deal with the upcoming Martial Department assessment and personally settle his grudges with the three great families?

Setting that Half-step God aside for the moment, Jiang Yan alone, who would soon arrive in Jincheng City, was already a huge problem!

A prodigy at the peak of the third rank was not someone Xu Jie could contend with at his current strength.

Therefore, he had to plunder usable lifespan at any cost!

So Xu Jie simply decided to head directly toward the direction of the Beast Tide's advance and clash head-on with it!

"Oh..."

At that moment, Xu Jie glanced at the distracted Chu Mingyue and asked with a slight frown.

"Chu Mingyue, what's wrong?"

Ever since leaving the city wall, Chu Mingyue had worn this troubled, preoccupied look. Naturally, Xu Jie could see it.

When Xu Jie asked her that, Chu Mingyue suddenly raised her head, lightly pursing her lips with a hesitant expression that suggested she wanted to speak but stopped herself.

"If you have something to say, say it!"

"Ah, Xu Jie, Jiang Yan of the Jiang Family is coming to Jincheng City..."

"So what?"

What was so remarkable about Jiang Family members coming to Jincheng City?

Xu Jie had known about this long ago!

Even if the Jiang Family did not come looking for him, he had planned to seek trouble with them in the future anyway!

His father's death and the destruction of his mother's Lineage were, when all was said and done, the work of the three great families!

The hatred of murdering one's father and mother was irreconcilable beneath the same sky!

Seeing Xu Jie's indifferent expression, Chu Mingyue could only ask helplessly.

"Xu Jie, do you know how much power the Jiang Family holds in Xia Country?"

"I don't. What, are all the gods of Xia Country members of the Jiang Family?"

Chu Mingyue froze for a moment, not expecting Xu Jie to ask that. She immediately shook her head and explained.

"Not that. The Jiang Family has never produced an Eternal. But the Jiang Family's influence in Xia Country is immense. They directly control the nationwide sales channels for pills and potions. Together with the Lu Family and the Sun Family, they monopolize the production, transportation, and distribution of martial artist resources. They are known as the three great families. If we truly speak of influence, even some Eternal families cannot compare to the Jiang Family!"

They monopolized the sales channels for pills?

That truly was astonishing power!

Not every martial artist was a cheat-enabled freak like Xu Jie!

Even Eternal gods required cultivation resources.

And the Jiang Family controlled the sale of cultivation resources across the entire country. No wonder they strutted around like they owned the world.

"And besides..."

A hesitant, conflicted expression appeared on Chu Mingyue's lovely face as she sighed softly.

"Besides, the Chu Family currently needs something from the Jiang Family... Xu Jie, do you really intend to oppose the Jiang Family?"

"Heh."

Xu Jie chuckled. He did not answer directly, but his attitude could not have been clearer.

What Jiang Family? They acted as though they were so noble that anyone unaware of the truth might think they were Xia Country's imperial family!

They were merely a merchant family!

In his previous life, Xu Jie had killed no fewer than eighty or a hundred tycoons. So what if they controlled more power?

Would no one in Xia Country sell pills anymore after the Jiang Family was wiped out?

Besides!

The Jiang Family was clearly coming for Xu Jie's life.

Was he supposed to surrender without resistance?

The original owner of this body might have bowed his head and compromised before the overwhelmingly powerful Jiang Family out of cowardice and weakness, but Xu Jie would not!

All he would do was look forward to seeing how much usable lifespan he could gain after killing that Jiang Family prodigy!

"Chu Mingyue, aren't you going to tell me about your own affairs?"

"Me?"

Chu Mingyue gave a self-mocking smile and muttered to herself in an incomparably complicated tone.

"I'm merely an abandoned child who brought disgrace and shame upon my Lineage. There's nothing worth saying..."

Xu Jie nodded and did not press her further.

Some things did not need to be asked. When the time came, or when Chu Mingyue wished to speak, she would naturally tell him herself.

Right now, Xu Jie only wanted to rapidly increase his strength by slaughtering demons.

No matter how powerful his enemies were, Xu Jie believed he could cut them down with the battle blade in his hand.

As long as he still had one breath left, he would never bow his head or compromise before any force!

After passing through the southern city gate and leaving Jincheng City, Xu Jie followed the guidance of the Guard Army's sentry posts toward the outer defensive line, his gaze resolute.

The atmosphere here was completely different from that of the western defensive line.

From time to time, Xu Jie could see military vehicles carrying wounded soldiers who wailed without end as they retreated to the rear.

An oppressive, terrifying atmosphere rushed at them head-on, and the air was thick with the stench of blood.