With Master Mo Nan giving up resistance and Yan Qitian's death, the Yan family had completely fallen.
Such a grand estate was, for a time, filled with whispers of wind and cries of cranes. The remaining Yan family members hid in the various side chambers, trembling with fear.
"The Yan family is finished, but that eldest young master is still alive. Seven Kill Squad, heed my command—find Yan Guifu. Dead or alive, I want to see him!" Tian Long said in an icy voice.
Of the thirteen members of the Seven Kill Squad involved in this operation, only ten remained. Two had died at Yan Xu's hands, while another had been killed by Mo Nan.
Every one of the remaining ten bore a blood-deep feud against the Yan family. Uprooting the Yan family entirely was what they desired most.
Li Qing opened his mouth, wanting to ask these people to spare the Yan family's women, but when he saw the bloodshot eyes of the Seven Kill Squad, he ultimately swallowed his words.
Master Mo Nan, however, could not bear it and said, "Spare the women. They are innocent, after all. Just drive them out of Obsidian City."
At these words, Tian Long gave a cold laugh. "Master Mo, which one of my Seven Kill Squad members was not harmed until his family was destroyed by the Yan family? When you served as the Yan family's Guest Elder, did you ever say a single word about the innocence of their families?"
The aged Mo Nan was left speechless. In the end, he merely sighed and said nothing more.
Not long after, terrified and shrill screams rang out from the side chambers in the Yan estate's backyard.
Li Qing merely closed his eyes and softly said, "If you have never endured another's suffering, do not urge another to be kind. If anyone from the Yan family survives and comes to seek revenge on me someday, I will take that as well."
Upon hearing this, Tian Long threw back his head and laughed heartily. "Hahahaha! Li, you really see things clearly. Old Man Mo, at your age, you still understand less than he does!"
"Well said! If anyone from the Yan family is still alive and comes to seek revenge on me in the future, let them come find me first! So long as you have the ability!"
As Tian Long shouted these words, he infused them with Outer Strength. His booming voice echoed far into the distance, carrying throughout the estate and beyond.
"Brothers, take whatever catches your eye and eat whatever you want! Just don't stuff yourselves to death!"
With that order given, every member of the Righteous Gang present had their eyes light up.
It was time to divide the spoils. Everyone was tremendously eager; though they had just gone through a fierce battle, they immediately became full of vigor.
Li Qing had no intention of looting the Yan estate. He walked over to Jing Tai.
This former Yan family Guest Elder had only one last breath left, barely hanging on. He was at death's door, his breath as faint as a thread.
Li Qing supported himself on the Peerless Hammer with one hand and looked down at him.
"I-I never expected... you really managed to make something of it," Jing Tai said weakly, his words broken and intermittent.
Li Qing asked calmly, "Were the three martial arts techniques the Yan family gave me chosen by you?"
"Yes... I thought you would not master even one of them. This truly exceeded my expectations."
In an era when even eating one's fill was difficult and meat was a luxury, Li Qing had stepped into the Outer Strength realm in such a short time. It had completely surpassed Jing Tai's expectations.
He looked at Li Qing as though he were looking at a martial arts prodigy.
His gaze was complicated and profound, carrying envy, regret, and a trace of pity.
At last, his eyes dimmed completely, and the final breath he had been holding onto broke.
Li Qing then walked over to the Yan family head's corpse.
Or rather, it could no longer be called a corpse, because it no longer resembled a human being at all.
Amid the hatred and fury of several Seven Kill Squad members, this ruler of the Yan family had been turned into a puddle of bloody pulp mixed with shredded cloth.
Li Qing crouched down, slightly frowned, and picked up a small piece of Yellow Talisman Paper from the ground.
"Heavenly Dragon Gang Leader, Master Mo Nan, do you know what method produced the golden light enveloping Yan Qitian?"
Tian Long spoke dismissively. "How would I know? It was probably some wandering Daoist fooling him. It looked frightening enough, but unfortunately, it was useless."
Could a wandering Daoist produce something like this? If he possessed such methods, would he specialize in fooling the Yan family head?
Li Qing did not believe it in the slightest. He then looked toward Mo Nan. This Guest Elder had stayed with the Yan family for many years; perhaps he knew something.
"I have stayed with the Yan family for so many years, yet I do not know what method it was, nor do I know where Master Yan obtained it. Perhaps he got it when the sun was still there."
"However..."
Having said this, Mo Nan hesitated again, as if he wanted to speak but stopped himself.
"However what?" Tian Long and Li Qing asked at the same time.
"However, in the past few years, the Yan family often sent people to a place called Heavenly Measure Mountain. They also delivered quite a lot of food there at regular intervals, though they have gone less and less often in recent years," Master Mo Nan said with narrowed eyes.
Heavenly Measure Mountain.
Li Qing silently committed those three words to memory and marked them as unfathomable.
"Master Mo, Heavenly Dragon Gang Leader, how much do you know about Heavenly Measure Mountain?" Li Qing pressed.
Yet both men merely shook their heads, saying they had never heard the name before and did not even know of any nearby mountain called Heavenly Measure Mountain.
Seeing that neither of them knew, Li Qing did not continue questioning them.
"Hahahaha, who cares about some Heavenly Measure Mountain or Earthly Measure Mountain? Today, we'll hold a victory banquet right here in the Yan estate! Bring out all those Blood Jade Mushrooms and White Meat Mushrooms, and let's have a good feast!"
Tian Long was a blunt man and had no desire to pay attention to so much.
Now that the Yan family had fallen, the Righteous Gang was the largest force in the city. All the land and grain outside the city would be taken over by the Righteous Gang.
Under Tian Long's orders, Zhao Kou and Wei Tian immediately tore down the plaque at the Yan estate gate and smashed it to pieces. Then they carried over the Righteous Gang's plaque and hung it in its place.
From then on, the Yan family was truly gone.
That night, a roaring bonfire was lit in the Yan estate's main courtyard. Intense flames illuminated the entire estate.
Table after table of food was laid out. Worth mentioning was that the Yan family's granary actually contained quite a bit of meat, and they had even found fresh meat!
Besides that, there were even some grains and flour, things that could not be seen in this era.
Mo Nan and Tian Long had both lived through the age of sunrise. When they discovered these foods, they were so excited that their entire bodies trembled, and tears even filled their eyes.
Unfortunately, there was very little of this flour and meat, at most enough for three to five people to eat for two or three months. For Martial Artists with large appetites like Tian Long and Li Qing, it would last at most a month.
At a dining table filled with fragrant food, Tian Long, Li Qing, and Mo Nan sat together.
"Li, I am not a man who breaks his word. From today onward, you will be the Righteous Gang's second-in-command. After I die, the Righteous Gang will be handed over to you. What do you say?" Tian Long said as he gnawed on meat in great mouthfuls.
To everyone's surprise, Li Qing merely shook his head and refused the offer. "Thank you for your esteem, Gang Leader, but I still prefer a little peace and quiet. Forget about being second-in-command. Just let me serve as a Guest Elder in the Righteous Gang from now on."
Become the Righteous Gang's second-in-command?
It was not that Li Qing had no interest in it; rather, he avoided it as though it were a snake or scorpion.
Before figuring out the origins of Heavenly Measure Mountain, Li Qing had no intention of sinking too deeply into these murky waters. Being a Guest Elder, able to leave whenever he wished, was best.
"Hahahaha, Brother Li Qing, since you are unwilling, I will not force you. Wei Tian!" Tian Long clapped down on the table and shouted toward the backyard.