Forceful Methods

The sudden turn of events left the several drunken onlookers in utter terror.

Even Yang Xu's eyes widened, his heart struck with shock.

Was this nephew of mine a bit too fierce?

Killing someone without even asking?

The drunkards nearby, splattered with blood, let out a wail and scrambled away, hurrying into the courtyard to call for reinforcements.

Inside a spacious room.

Dozens of sect members were gathered for gambling, their boisterous shouts audible from a distance.

Loud bursts of laughter, rough and resounding, echoed intermittently.

Suddenly, the door was kicked open.

Several blood-soaked men rushed into the room, shouting in panic, "Bad news! The new hall master is here! He killed 'Iron Arms' Hou San and told us to gather quickly, or he'd kill our whole families if we were late!"

Everyone gambling turned pale.

One burly man's face turned cold. With a bang, he smashed the dice cup in his hand and said, "What arrogance! Killing people right off the bat! What does he think we are?"

This man was Lu Qinglong, one of the eight confidantes of the Left Protector. He practiced the renowned Iron Sand Palm and had made a name for himself throughout the land.

Last night, as soon as the eight of them returned, they gathered their subordinates, intending to give Jiang Dao a difficult welcome and cause him some trouble.

But they never expected Jiang Dao to be so ferocious.

He had killed "Iron Arms" Hou San immediately.

This was clearly an attempt to intimidate them with a show of force!

"Let's go. We'll go meet the new hall master together. I want to ask him face-to-face which sect rule Hou San broke that warranted him being killed without authorization. Does he still have the sect leader in his eyes?"

A man beside him spoke with a cold tone, grabbing his weapon and heading out.

The others in the room also filed out, their faces burning with anger.

Figures converged, people rushing in from all directions of the courtyard, arriving sparsely.

Some deliberately delayed their arrival, taking their time despite being able to arrive sooner, a cold smirk on their faces and ill intentions in their eyes as they looked towards Jiang Dao.

Jiang Dao's gaze was cold as he calmly swept his eyes towards a stick of incense on a side table.

The incense burned quickly.

Wisps of smoke curled upwards, and soon the entire stick was consumed.

Yet, seven or eight people, still showing cold smiles, lingered in the distance, dawdling and not arriving.

"Hall Master, I would like to ask, what crime or offense did Hou San commit that you would kill him directly? Even if he was still drunk, according to sect rules, he would at most receive a few dozen lashes. Why did you kill him?"

Suddenly, the burly man Lu Qinglong stared at Jiang Dao and asked coldly.

Most of the others also looked at Jiang Dao with sharp eyes.

"You, don't speak yet. I gave you the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn for you to assemble. Now that half an incense stick has burned out, and seven people are still missing, those seven people deserve to die!"

Jiang Dao's tone was cold, and he didn't even glance at the man who had spoken.

Whoosh!

His body suddenly lunged forward, charging towards the lingering figures not far away.

Everyone's expression changed.

He's going to kill again?

As the seven or eight figures saw Jiang Dao charging at them, their faces contorted in panic, their hearts sinking with a sense of foreboding.

"Hall Master, we were ordered by others..."

"Hall Master, spare us..."

Puff puff puff puff!

Ah!

Blood gushed out, a gruesome sight.

All seven or eight figures had their heads severed by Jiang Dao in an instant, their headless bodies flying out violently.

This scene left the remaining people even more horrified, their eyes wide with disbelief.

A demon!

This is simply a demon!

Killing people at the drop of a hat?

"Hall Master, you... why did you kill again?"

The previous man, Lu Qinglong, couldn't help but roar again, his eyes reddening. "According to sect rules, they didn't commit any major offense. By killing them without authorization, you are purging dissent and violating sect rules! We are not convinced, and we will report this to the Sect Leader!"

"Yes! We will report this to the Sect Leader!"

Several others also shouted in unison.

Jiang Dao flicked his ear, his bloodied long saber in hand. His burly frame strode step by step towards the crowd. Approaching the burly man, he said indifferently, "You want to report to the Sect Leader?"

"You... you..."

Lu Qinglong's face contorted in shock. Just a glance from Jiang Dao made him tense up, as if he were being stared at by some terrifying, inhuman creature. He couldn't utter a single word.

Splash!

"Ah!"

Lu Qinglong let out a piercing scream, desperately clutching his right shoulder. Jiang Dao had cleanly severed his entire arm, sending it flying high and crashing somewhere in the distance.

Lu Qinglong was in unbearable pain, blood gushing out wildly, as if it were free.

The others who had been shouting along with Lu Qinglong suddenly turned pale with terror, their spines chilling. They could no longer make a sound.

Even Yang Xu kept clicking his tongue.

Brutal!

He was just too brutal!

"Who else wants to report to the Sect Leader?"

Jiang Dao's voice was cold as he surveyed the crowd.

Everyone trembled, instantly filled with fear.

Even those who were still drunk woke up immediately, their faces ashen.

"Since no one wants to report, then it's simple, it's my turn to speak."

Jiang Dao's tone remained indifferent. "You were on duty, gambling without authorization, and disrespecting this Hall Master. These are grave offenses. However, considering you are all first-time offenders, this Hall Master, in his great benevolence and righteousness, will not hold you accountable for now. But I heard that some people in our hall got in through connections, is that right? I wonder who these people are, could you step forward so I can recognize you?"

Everyone's scalp tingled, and they all lowered their heads.

Who would dare admit they got in through connections?

Given this new Hall Master's brutal nature, he might just kill them with another swing of his blade.

"No one is saying anything?"

Jiang Dao's gaze swept across them, then suddenly landed on someone nearby. "What's your name? I heard many people here are confidants of Guo Linyu, is that right? Who are they?"

The man's face turned ashen, and he looked up.

Is Jiang Dao... trying to eliminate them all?

"I... I don't know, I really don't know, Hall Master, spare my life."

The man's voice trembled as he quickly spoke.

"Don't be afraid, just say it, and I'll ensure you're safe, and even make you a Helmsman."

Jiang Dao comforted him. "If you don't speak, my precious saber won't be so accommodating."

The man became even more terrified, trembling. He struggled to turn his head and looked at a few people to his side.

Those few people's expressions changed simultaneously. They were both shocked and angry, desperately signaling him with their eyes.

"Don't just look, speak boldly. As long as you speak, you'll be the Helmsman. If you don't, you'll die."

Jiang Dao coaxed them, like a demon.

The man struggled with difficulty, and soon spoke out seven or eight names.

"Very good!"

Jiang Dao nodded slightly, then turned his head and said coldly, "Wang Kai, Zhao Feng, Lu Qinglong, Guo Huai... All those I've named, step forward!"

He named them all in one breath.

Those whose names were called were, without exception, the ones who had conspired with Guo Linyu last night. At this moment, their scalps were numb, and they trembled, not daring to step forward easily.

"What? These people aren't here?"

Jiang Dao frowned, his gaze like lightning, scanning the crowd, a fierce glint in his eyes. "Or do you just not want to step forward? If you don't step forward, don't blame me!"

"Yes, yes, we're here!"

Soon, someone hesitantly raised their hand in fear and stepped out from the crowd.

With one person stepping out, a second and a third quickly followed...

All seven or eight people stood out, each filled with apprehension and panic.

They had originally planned to agree on a plan to give Jiang Dao a taste of his own medicine and create some obstacles for him. They never expected Jiang Dao to be so brutal, killing people on sight.

This completely disrupted all their plans.

"Very well, from today onwards, you will be responsible for the stables. You will cut grass, feed the horses, and clean the manure every day."

Jiang Dao's voice was calm as he looked at the few people. "If there is anything I am not satisfied with, do not blame me for being black-hearted and ruthless!"

"You..."

The few people couldn't believe it.

Make them clean the stables?

"No, Hall Master, you can't treat us like this. We haven't done anything wrong in Flying Eagle Hall. Why are you making us clean the stables for no reason? This isn't what we should be doing. You're clearly purging dissenters. I refuse to accept this..."

One of them quickly said in fear.

Pfft!

Ah!

A flash of saber light, and blood gushed out.

The man, clutching his severed shoulder, let out a piercing scream.

An arm flew high into the air, a gruesome sight.

"From now on, you will do whatever I tell you to do, without any reason or need to ask questions."

Jiang Dao sheathed his saber, his expression cold.

"I... I quit, I want to leave the sect..."

Suddenly, one person shouted in terror, turned, and fled.

A cold glint flashed in Jiang Dao's eyes. He leaped up, his Eagle Claw Art as swift as a gale. He grabbed the back of the man's head, and with a splat, tore off his entire skull cap on the spot, sending red and white matter flying everywhere.

The mangled corpse was flung seven or eight meters away, crashing into the distance, undeniably dead.

"Leave the sect? What kind of place do you think the Blazing Flame Sect is? You think you can come and go as you please?"

Jiang Dao's tone was icy.