Annihilation of Peerless City

Peerless City is located within Taizhou, a renowned power in the martial arts world. The City Lord, Dugu Yifang, possesses a late-stage Grandmaster Realm cultivation, more than enough to dominate Taizhou. Furthermore, he has the backing of the current Sword Saint, his elder brother, Dugu Jian!

For the past few days, Peerless City has been hosting a continuous feast to celebrate Dugu Yifang's sixtieth birthday. Martial arts factions from Taizhou and neighboring prefectures who were on good terms with him sent representatives to offer their congratulations.

The night was as dark as ink, the moonlight like silver. Occasionally, rustling sounds could be heard from the forest. As a cold wind blew, a chilling and terrifying atmosphere permeated the air.

Peerless City was brightly lit, and guests who had traveled from afar gathered, clinking cups and exchanging toasts, creating a lively scene.

Qin Shuang stood atop a steep cliff, gazing at Peerless City. Behind him stood Ding Ning, Mu Wan Qing, Shen Hu Chan, Wang Dong, Li Sheng Nan – five Section Leaders – and Cheng Lingsu.

"Is it about time?" Qin Shuang asked softly, without turning his head.

"Judging by the time, my Qu Ran Zhou Die Meng should have spread throughout the entire city. We can make our move!" Cheng Lingsu said confidently.

Qin Shuang took a deep breath, his resolve firm. He said coldly, "Pass down my orders: Fang Henshao, Cai Shuize, Tang Qi Wei are to remain at their post, guard the Ni Pusa, and care for the five injured. Li Wenxiu's squad will maintain vigilance outside Peerless City. The rest will immediately attack Peerless City. Tonight, within Peerless City, no one will be spared except the old, the weak, women, and children!"

"Yes!" everyone responded and departed.

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Qin Shuang and Cheng Lingsu calmly entered Peerless City. Along the way, corpses littered the ground, and blood flowed like a river. The air was thick with the stench of blood.

In the main hall of Dugu Manor, Ding Ning held a man's head, with a magnificent appearance, in his left hand.

Qin Shuang asked, "Dugu Yifang?"

"Yes!" Ding Ning nodded. "But I didn't see his son and daughter, Dugu Ming and Dugu Meng."

"It doesn't matter." Qin Shuang turned to Cheng Lingsu and said, "Go and take stock of Peerless City's treasures. According to regulations, seventy percent will be submitted to the public treasury, and thirty percent will be kept. Of that, twenty percent will be distributed among the brothers, and ten percent will be returned to Commander Yang (Military Sima)."

"Okay." Cheng Lingsu agreed and walked towards the inner hall.

"Scum worse than beasts!" A woman's angry curse suddenly came from the direction of the inner chambers. It sounded like Mu Wan Qing's voice.

Qin Shuang and Ding Ning exchanged glances and rushed towards the sound.

In a room within the inner chambers of Dugu Manor, Mu Wan Qing and Qu Xiu glared at each other. On the bed, a delicate and beautiful woman, her clothes disheveled, huddled in a corner, trembling.

Without needing to ask, Qin Shuang knew what had happened.

Several more people arrived one after another. Qin Shuang scanned them and finally set his gaze on Qu Xiu. "How long have you been with the Dragon Guard?"

Although Qu Xiu found Qin Shuang's question odd, he still answered truthfully, "One year and three months."

"That's not a short time." Qin Shuang seemed to be muttering to himself, yet he asked, "I heard you and Xiang Hong, Wu Meng, and five others are fellow disciples?"

"I am their sixth junior brother."

"Oh, so besides myself, Section Leader Li, and Squad Leader Li, those five also bear some responsibility for not reminding you more often about the Dragon Guard's discipline."

Qu Xiu glanced at Li Sheng Nan, who was nearby, and his courage grew. He asked, "What discipline?"

"The Dragon Guard follows military regulations, and naturally, we uphold military law," Qin Shuang's tone became increasingly stern. "Those who rape women will be exiled if strong, and strangled if injured!"

"You're going to kill me?" Qu Xiu stared at Qin Shuang in disbelief. "You're going to kill me for a stranger?"

"There are no torture instruments here, you're getting off easy!"

"Li..." Qu Xiu looked towards Li Sheng Nan, but as soon as he spoke, Qin Shuang slit his throat with a single stroke.

Dream Severing Saber Technique, Tiger Wing Style!

Li Sheng Nan had not expected Qin Shuang to be so decisive, not even giving her a chance to speak. Of course, as a woman, she also detested Qu Xiu's actions. However, if she didn't feign concern and plead for him, it might be difficult to lead this squad in the future.

Wu Meng and Ge Zhong, standing nearby, wanted to say something but were cut off by Qin Shuang's words: "You two should also go back and properly study the Dragon Guard's discipline, so as not to make things difficult for me!"

Difficult for me? I don't believe you! Did you show any hesitation when you killed Qu Xiu? Wu Meng and Ge Zhong cursed inwardly but dared not speak.

Suddenly, a flare shot across the dark night sky, exceptionally conspicuous. It was the Dragon Guard's unique distress signal.

"Damn it!" Qin Shuang looked in the direction the flare had risen. That was precisely where the Ni Pusa was located.

The Dragon Guards within Peerless City also saw the flare. They immediately put down their tasks and rushed to the scene of the incident.

On the way, Qin Shuang encountered Fang Henshao carrying the Ni Pusa and fleeing towards them, with Cai Shuize and Tang Qi Wei fighting a tactical retreat behind him. Their opponents were none other than the Imperial Guards, clad in flying fish robes and wielding embroidered spring sabers!

"Kill!" Qin Shuang ordered without hesitation.

The Dragon Guards behind him drew their weapons and joined the fray, supporting Fang Henshao and the other two.

The Imperial Guards continued to gather, their numbers swelling to nearly a hundred. The five men leading them, judging by their attire, were a Battalion Commander and four Sub-Battalion Commanders!

Although the Imperial Guards outnumbered them, the Dragon Guards were superior in individual combat strength. Ding Ning and Shen Hu Chan, in particular, faced no match and took a life with every saber strike!

"I am Wen Fangda, Battalion Commander of the Taizhou Thousand-Household Office of the Imperial Guards. Who is leading you? We are all serving the court. Let's stop for now and talk properly!" The Battalion Commander who called himself Wen Fangda had a face full of wrinkles, dark yellow skin, and was balding, but he possessed a pair of piercing eyes and high cheekbones, indicating formidable internal energy.

"Hmph, you start fighting when you want and stop when you want? Do you think it's that easy? Kill them!" Qin Shuang learned the full story from Fang Henshao, knowing they had been ambushed by the Imperial Guards, and that Chen Buding, Feng Bubao, and others were still missing or their fate unknown. He would not let this matter go easily.

"Insolent junior!" Wen Fangda was slightly angered. If it weren't for the Dragon Guard uniform they wore, his usual overbearing temper would not have allowed him to utter another word. His expression darkened, and he removed the twin halberds from his back, flying towards Shen Hu Chan, who was the most conspicuous figure in the crowd.

To Wen Fangda's sides were his four younger brothers, known as the "Wen Family Five Elders": Wen Fangyi, Wen Fangshan, Wen Fangshi, and Wen Fangwu. Seeing Wen Fangda attack, they all followed suit, engaging the Dragon Guards.

Wen Fangda, Wen Fangyi, Wen Fangshan, Wen Fangshi, and Wen Fangwu had all broken through the Postnatal Peak and reached the early Innate Realm.

The addition of five Innate Realm experts instantly reversed the tide of battle, and the Dragon Guards fell into a difficult situation.

Shen Hu Chan, Wang Dong, and Li Sheng Nan, three Section Leaders at the early Innate Realm, were the first to meet them. Ding Ning also intercepted Wen Fangshi's flying dagger attack. As for the remaining Wen Fangwu, Qin Shuang faced his cowhide soft whip with the Sorrow Dispeller saber in his right hand and the Hatred Severer saber in his left.