Decisive

Decisive

Lin Qi had barely arrived at the inn when General Banner An and his men followed close behind.

Because Cheng Yan, the city lord, had sent them word.

As for what purpose he had in mind, that was unclear.

The True Martial Division knew of the dealings between the City Lord's Manor and the Lin Family and wanted to replace the Brocade Merchant Guild.

It could be said that so long as the True Martial Division wished to investigate, once the Great Ding Dynasty's massive gears began to turn, there was no hidden matter in this world that could not be uncovered.

Unless the matter behind it was too deeply entangled for the True Martial Division to afford investigating.

General Banner An and his men had held their position, intending to first observe the situation. Lin Qi was, after all, an expert of Luoxia City. Dealing with that youth should have been a sure thing.

But wishes ran contrary to reality. The scene unfolding before General Banner An filled his face with astonishment.

Lin Qi had actually lost. He had even been beaten into crawling on the ground, trying to get away from that youth as though fleeing a flood dragon or savage beast.

There was no trace left of the pride he had once possessed as the head of the Lin Family.

Though perhaps, in Lin Qi's eyes, Lu Zhaojin truly was a flood dragon or savage beast.

This youth was simply too formidable, and he had come from Mount Qi. Lin Qi simply could not believe that such a wilderness could produce a heaven-blessed prodigy like this.

Lin Qi was also filled with regret. He should have listened to Cheng Yan and not come looking for trouble with this youth.

He also hated Lin Qicheng to the extreme. He had repeatedly told him not to stir up trouble during this period, to wait until the matter of the Exquisite Treasure Tower had settled like dust. After that, Lin Qicheng could do whatever he wanted in Luoxia City.

Yet before their scheme against Brocade Tower had even begun, Lin Qicheng had brought a god of slaughter down upon him.

Lin Qi wanted to beg for mercy, but when he saw the youth's indifferent gaze, he knew begging would be useless. His eyes frantically searched around for something that could save his life, until the brocade uniforms of the True Martial Guard entered his sight and rekindled his desire to live. "General Banner An, save me!"

General Banner An led six True Martial Guards and stood in front of Lin Qi. He instructed the brothers behind him to seize Lin Qi, then looked solemnly at Lu Zhaojin. "May I ask where this young hero is from? And why have you injured someone in Luoxia City?"

Lu Zhaojin looked at the True Martial Guards. They shielded Lin Qi behind them, their hands all resting on the hilts of the True Martial Sabers at their waists as they watched him warily.

Lu Zhaojin then looked at General Banner An. "I am from Mount Qi."

He answered the second question. "He wanted to kill me, so I killed him. It is a very simple matter."

General Banner An said amiably, "Could there be some misunderstanding here?"

After swallowing a pill, some color returned to Lin Qi's face. With General Banner An present, he felt a little more emboldened when facing Lu Zhaojin. "An Shirong, it was this wilderness beast from Mount Qi who killed my son! Your True Martial Guard should hurry and arrest him!"

General Banner An's expression shifted slightly. When he glanced at Lin Qi, there was a trace of ferocity in his eyes. If the City Lord's Manor had not ordered him to ensure Lin Qi came to no harm, those words alone would have made him want to cut out Lin Qi's tongue.

General Banner An furrowed his brow, considering how to placate Lu Zhaojin, when a chill of Cold Edge swept across his face. His heart tightened, goosebumps rising all over his body. He even thought this summer night had turned a little cold, but then a commotion erupted behind him, and the stench of blood flooded his nostrils.

General Banner An immediately sensed trouble. He whipped around to look at Lin Qi and saw that Lin Qi's mouth had become a bloody mess, as though a sharp blade had sliced it open all the way to his ears. The tongue in his mouth had also been severed by Sword Qi, yet somehow it had not taken Lin Qi's life.

He abruptly looked toward Lu Zhaojin, his heart pounding violently. He had not even seen how the youth drew his sword, yet Lin Qi had already been reduced to such a miserable state. If that Sword Qi had fallen upon him, would he not already have been cut into two?

Damn it!

He should never have accepted this assignment.

Lu Zhaojin looked at the speechless Lin Qi. "Since you cannot speak, then never speak again."

General Banner An was also rather angered by the youth. He had already chosen for both sides to take a step back, yet the other party had actually refused to give the True Martial Division any face. He drew the True Martial Saber from his waist, and the True Martial Guards behind him did the same.

General Banner An shouted sternly, "Could it be that this young hero does not regard the True Martial Division at all? You still dare commit violence in the street?"

Instead of answering, Lu Zhaojin asked, "You should have arrived long ago, shouldn't you?"

General Banner An did not know how to answer. They had indeed arrived long ago, but the situation had not developed as he had imagined. With orders from above as well, he had no choice but to step in and stop it.

Otherwise, he had no desire to wade into this muddy water.

Zhao, the Hundred Household Commander, had already sent word to the Yanling Chen Family. Would it not have been better to let the Chen Family deal with this youth?

When General Banner An remained silent, Lu Zhaojin continued on his own, "When he wanted to kill me, you did not appear. When I wanted to kill him, you came out to stop me instead. What kind of logic is that?"

General Banner An was left speechless, yet inwardly he was anxious and unable to calm himself. He also felt this youth talked too much, airing everything out in the open.

Lu Zhaojin did not waste any more words. He swung his sword at Lin Qi again. This time, General Banner An was alert and did not let Lu Zhaojin succeed. His True Martial Saber knocked aside the Cold Edge Sword, and the clang of metal rang out through the area.

General Banner An discovered that this youth's swordsmanship was not merely profound; his strength was also astonishing. That single clash had left the web between his thumb and forefinger throbbing with pain.

Lu Zhaojin did not know the True Martial Division, nor did he know the True Martial Guard. He had only learned of them moments ago and did not know what duties they held. But now that they had come out to stop him, they were his enemies. There was no need to hold back. He would simply kill them.

Cold Edge swept through the air, and heavy layers of sword shadows flickered among the True Martial Guards. Every flash of cold light claimed another life.

Experience +50 for killing a Ninth-Rank Martial Artist

Experience +500 for killing an Eighth-Rank Martial Artist

...

Experience: 10468

Although General Banner An had evaded the throat-severing sword strike, the brocade uniform on his body had been reduced to tatters.

The hand gripping his True Martial Saber trembled. Looking at the corpses of the True Martial Guards on the ground, he saw that every one of them had been killed by a single sword strike to the throat.

That brocade uniform was especially glaring. He recalled how, after donning it, his life had undergone earth-shaking changes. Yet today, even this uniform, which he had taken such pride in, could not save him.

A horizontal Sword Light severed Lin Qi's head.

Experience +5000 for killing a Seventh-Rank Martial Artist

Experience: 15468

Only General Banner An remained standing steadily.

Lu Zhaojin merely glanced at him and gave him no chance to beg for mercy. Sword Qi seemed to condense into a thread, severing the other man's life force.

Experience +5000 for killing a Seventh-Rank Martial Artist

Experience: 20468

The bloodiness of the scene terrified the onlookers.

Especially the youth standing amid the corpses, who made their hearts tremble with fear.

This youth truly had some nerve. He actually dared kill the True Martial Guard.

The True Martial Guard belonged to the dynasty. Was he trying to become an enemy of the dynasty?

The crowd was afraid, but they also felt some malicious delight toward the youth. Any martial wanderer who provoked the dynasty would never meet a good end.

This youth would surely make it onto the Dragon Ranking established by the True Martial Division and become the target of all arrows. The True Martial Division would not let him go either. From now on, he would likely face the True Martial Guard's relentless pursuit.

Lu Zhaojin had not yet sheathed his sword. Instead, he suddenly raised his head toward the roof of the inn and spotted the figure that had been hiding there all along—the middle-aged man who had wanted to treat him to a drink.

Without another word, he slashed out with his sword.

The Sword Light cut through the bracket sets but did not harm the man in the slightest.

Lu Zhaojin saw with his own eyes as the man shifted position. He seemed to have cultivated a movement technique of considerable rank, and Lu Zhaojin's earlier sword strike had carried no killing intent, because the middle-aged man likewise had no killing intent. That meant he had not come to kill him.

Lu Wenxiu clapped and applauded, seeming to praise Lu Zhaojin's decisiveness in killing the True Martial Guards, and perhaps also praising the courage to attack him.

Lu Wenxiu said, "Would you be willing to come with me to meet someone?"

This time, it was not for a drink, but to meet someone.