Decisive

Chapter 32: Decisive Action

Lin Qi had barely arrived at the inn when General Banner An and his men showed up shortly after.

This was because City Lord Cheng Yan had sent them a message.

The reason for this, however, remained unknown.

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

It could be said that if the True Martial Division set its mind to investigate, with the Great Ding Dynasty's vast machinery in motion, there was no secret in this world it couldn't uncover.

Unless the matter involved too significant a power behind it, one the True Martial Division couldn't afford to investigate.

General Banner An and his men decided to wait and see, believing that Lin Qi, as a master of Luoxia City, would surely defeat the young man.

However, things did not go as planned. The scene unfolding before them filled General Banner An's face with astonishment.

Lin Qi had actually lost and was crawling on the ground, desperately trying to get away from the young man as if he were fleeing a flood or a pack of ferocious beasts.

Gone was the arrogant demeanor he once had as the head of the Lin Family.

But in Lin Qi's eyes, Lu Zhaojin was indeed a terrifying monster.

This young man was too powerful, and to think he hailed from Mount Qi. Lin Qi couldn't believe that such a place could produce such a prodigy.

Lin Qi deeply regretted not listening to Cheng Yan's advice and coming to trouble this young man.

He also harbored immense hatred for Lin Qicheng. He had repeatedly warned him not to cause trouble during this period, and that once the matter of the Exquisite Treasure Tower was settled, he could do as he pleased in Luoxia City.

He never expected that before their plans for the Brocade Merchant Guild could even begin, Lin Qicheng would bring him face-to-face with a God of Slaughter.

Lin Qi wanted to beg for mercy, but seeing the young man's indifferent gaze, he knew it was useless. His eyes darted around, searching for anything that could save his life, until the sight of the True Martial Guards' brocade uniforms caught his eye, reigniting his will to live. "General Banner An, save me quickly!"

General Banner An, with six True Martial Guards, stepped in front of Lin Qi. He ordered his men to secure Lin Qi, then turned to Lu Zhaojin, his expression serious. "May I ask where the young hero is from, and why you are injuring people in Luoxia City?"

Lu Zhaojin looked at the True Martial Guards. They were shielding Lin Qi, their hands resting on the hilts of their True Martial Sabers, watching him with caution.

Lu Zhaojin then looked back at General Banner An and replied, "I am from Mount Qi."

He answered the second question, "He wanted to kill me, so I killed him. It's a simple principle."

General Banner An said in a conciliatory tone, "Is there perhaps some misunderstanding in this matter?"

After taking a pill, Lin Qi's complexion regained some color. Feeling that General Banner An was present, he regained a sliver of confidence when facing Lu Zhaojin. "An Shirong, this savage from Mount Qi murdered my son! You True Martial Guards, quickly arrest him!"

General Banner An's expression flickered. He glanced at Lin Qi with a hint of ferocity. If not for the City Lord's mansion's instructions to ensure Lin Qi's safety, he would have ripped Lin Qi's tongue out for that statement alone.

General Banner An frowned, contemplating how to appease Lu Zhaojin, when a gust of cold wind brushed past his face, sending a shiver down his spine. He felt a chill despite the summer night. Behind him, a commotion erupted, and the smell of blood filled his nostrils.

General Banner An felt a sudden sense of dread. He whipped his head around to look at Lin Qi, only to see Lin Qi's mouth grotesquely bloody, as if sliced open from ear to ear. His tongue had been severed by sword energy, yet Lin Qi was still alive.

He abruptly looked at Lu Zhaojin, his heart pounding violently. He hadn't even seen the young man draw his sword, and Lin Qi was already in such a horrific state. If that sword energy had landed on him, he would have been cut in two.

Damn it!

He shouldn't have taken this assignment.

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

General Banner An was also quite angered by the young man. He had chosen to take a step back, yet the other party refused to give the True Martial Division any face. Thus, he drew the True Martial Saber from his waist. The True Martial Guards behind him did the same.

General Banner An said sternly, "Does the young hero not put the True Martial Division in his eyes? How dare you commit violence in the street!"

Lu Zhaojin retorted with a question, "You should have arrived much earlier, shouldn't you?"

General Banner An didn't know how to answer. They had indeed arrived earlier, but seeing how events were unfolding differently than he expected, and with orders from above, he had no choice but to intervene.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have wanted to get involved in this mess.

Wouldn't it have been better to have Centurion Zhao send word to the Yanling Chen Family and have them deal with this young man?

Seeing General Banner An's silence, Lu Zhaojin continued on his own, "He wanted to kill me, and you didn't show up. I wanted to kill him, and now you appear to stop me. What kind of logic is that?"

General Banner An was speechless, feeling anxious and unsettled. He found the young man too talkative, blurting everything out.

Lu Zhaojin wasted no more words and drew his sword to strike at Lin Qi again. This time, General Banner An was alert and prevented Lu Zhaojin from succeeding, deflecting the Cold Edge sword with his True Martial Saber. The clang of metal against metal echoed through the air.

General Banner An realized that this young man not only possessed exceptional swordsmanship but also astonishing strength. The collision had left his hand aching.

Lu Zhaojin was unaware of the True Martial Division or the True Martial Guards. He had only just learned of them, but he didn't understand their duties. However, since they were now obstructing him, they were his enemies, and he had no reason to hold back. He would kill them.

Wielding the Cold Edge, heavy sword shadows flashed among the True Martial Guards. With each flash of cold light, a life was extinguished.

[Killed Ninth-Rank Martial Artist, EXP +50]

[Killed Eighth-Rank Martial Artist, EXP +500]

[...]

[EXP: 10468]

Although General Banner An had dodged the fatal blow to his throat, his brocade uniform was now tattered.

His hand, gripping the True Martial Saber, trembled. He looked at the corpses of the True Martial Guards on the ground, all killed with a single strike to the throat.

At the same time, his brocade uniform felt particularly glaring. He recalled how his life had changed dramatically after donning it. But today, this uniform, which he was so proud of, couldn't save him.

A horizontal sword slash severed Lin Qi's head.

[Killed Seventh-Rank Martial Artist, EXP +5000]

[EXP: 15468]

Only General Banner An remained standing steadily.

Lu Zhaojin merely glanced at him, giving him no chance to beg for mercy. His sword energy seemed to condense into a thread, extinguishing the opponent's life force.

[Killed Seventh-Rank Martial Artist, EXP +5000]

[EXP: 20468]

The scene was bloody, terrifying the onlookers.

Especially the youth standing among the corpses, which made them tremble with fear.

This youth was also audacious, daring to kill a True Martial Guard.

True Martial Guards were people of the Dynasty. Did he want to make an enemy of the Dynasty?

The crowd was fearful, but they also felt a sense of schadenfreude towards the youth. All martial artists who provoked the Dynasty met terrible ends.

This youth would surely be able to ascend the Dragon Subduing Ranking set up by the True Martial Division, making him a target of public criticism. The True Martial Division would not let him go either. He would likely face relentless pursuit from the True Martial Guards from now on.

Lu Zhaojin had not yet sheathed his sword. He suddenly looked up at the roof of the inn, spotting the figure who had been hiding there all along – the middle-aged man who had invited him for a drink.

Without a word, he slashed his sword.

The sword light severed the bracket, but did not harm the man in the slightest.

Lu Zhaojin watched him shift his position with his own eyes. It seemed he had mastered a decent movement technique. Moreover, his previous sword strike had no killing intent, just as the middle-aged man had no killing intent. This indicated he was not there to kill him.

Lu Wenxiu was clapping, as if commending Lu Zhaojin's decisiveness in killing the True Martial Guard, or perhaps praising his courage for attacking him.

Lu Wenxiu spoke, "Are you willing to come with me to meet someone?"

This time, it wasn't for a drink, but to meet a person.