"Dog official, how dare you come and confiscate my family's property? Are you tired of living?"
Xu Yan was furious, glaring at the Prefect of Donghe Commandery. A scarlet dragon coiled around him, and its overwhelming pressure crushed the Prefect of Donghe Commandery onto the ground.
"My father worked himself to the bone just to do a little business and earn some money. Was that easy?
"Just because the emperor's two sons are fighting over the throne, you want to implicate my Xu Family? This is going too far!
"My maternal grandfather thinks highly of his third son. That is the emperor's good fortune."
The moment Xu Yan said this, Xu Junhe and Madam Xu's expressions changed drastically.
Those were words of treason!
They could get the entire family executed!
Kou Ruozhi, who had been lying in ambush outside the Xu residence, was overjoyed when he heard this. Seeing Xu Yan's awe-inspiring appearance, a bold idea surfaced in his mind.
The Prefect of Donghe Commandery pointed at Xu Yan in shock. "You—you're speaking treason! This is tantamount to rebellion! What crime do you think you deserve?"
"Attack! Capture the treasonous Xu father and son who intend to rebel! This is a golden opportunity to achieve glory and establish your careers! Hurry and attack!"
The Prefect of Donghe Commandery shouted.
Although Xu Yan had displayed strength as formidable as divine might, there were always people who could not see the situation clearly and believed they could earn merit when offered great rewards.
"Everyone, attack together! He's only one man. Don't be afraid!"
The leader of the soldiers roared as he held his weapon.
Suppressing a rebellion and capturing the ringleader of a conspiracy against the throne would be an earth-shaking achievement. Glory, riches, high office, and generous salaries were all within reach.
The Prefect of Donghe Commandery looked toward Chen the Escort Head and the others in the distance and said, "Anyone who takes part in capturing these rebellious criminals, I will report to the imperial court and request rewards for them. High office and generous salaries are right before you. You must seize this opportunity!"
Those people were all peerless experts!
Chen the Escort Head and the others exchanged glances. They were tempted, yet hesitant.
"Archers!"
Outside the Xu residence, rows of soldiers drew their bows and nocked their arrows. Their icy arrowheads pointed at the three members of the Xu Family.
Madam Xu's face went pale, and she said in a trembling voice, "Yan'er, run! Don't worry about your father and me!"
"Mother, rest assured. Today, I'll demand justice for our family!"
Xu Yan's eyes gleamed with a chilling light as he shouted angrily, "My father worked himself to the bone doing honest business and keeping to himself. Just because of the emperor's rotten family affairs, he's being implicated? What kind of logic is that?"
He was incandescent with rage.
"If my father hadn't done business and earned money, where would I have gotten money to spend?
"Without the family wealth my father accumulated, where would I have gotten the betrothal gifts to become a disciple?
"Without those gifts, how could I have cultivated the supreme martial path?
"They actually dared to confiscate my family's property and arrest my parents! They're cutting off my martial path! This is outrageous!"
The more Xu Yan thought about it, the angrier he became.
Facing the icy arrowheads, hundreds of soldiers, and first-rate and peerless experts, he felt no fear whatsoever. In his eyes, these people were nothing but clay chickens and earthen dogs.
A single strike of the Dragon Subduing Palm could blast them all to death!
"Hmph. Frogs at the bottom of a well could never know the vastness of heaven and earth. Today, I, Xu Yan, will show you what the martial path truly is!"
Xu Yan snorted coldly.
"Well said, Young Master Xu! That foolish and immoral Qi Emperor is blind to talent. He deserves to have his throne overturned!"
Suddenly, an excited roar rang out.
Thirteen figures leaped into the air, flying over the heads of the soldiers before landing in the middle of the scene.
The leader held a feather fan, his face alight with excitement.
The other twelve held weapons, their expressions cold and grim.
"The Tianmu Cult?"
Xu Yan frowned.
He did not harbor much hostility toward the Tianmu Cult. As long as they did not infringe upon his Xu Family's interests, he could not be bothered to interfere.
He had managed to return in time because he had learned of the situation from the County Magistrate of Yunshan, a follower of the Tianmu Cult.
The Prefect of Donghe Commandery said coldly, "The Xu father and son have colluded with the Tianmu Cult. The evidence is conclusive, and they deserve death!"
"Attack! Kill them without mercy!"
The Prefect of Donghe Commandery waved his hand.
Kou Ruozhi lightly waved his feather fan and chuckled. "Dog official, guess how many of these soldiers belong to my Tianmu Cult?"
The Prefect of Donghe Commandery's expression changed.
Then he sneered. "Do you think I made no preparations? These soldiers aren't from the Donghe Commandery garrison. They were transferred here from the General's Manor."
"Fire! Kill them without mercy!"
He waved his hand coldly.
Bang, bang...
The arrows instantly shot forward like torrential rain. Yet at the same time, there was not a single arrow coming from one section. The soldiers there turned around and fired at the soldiers who had loosed the arrows.
Cries of agony immediately rang out one after another.
The Prefect of Donghe Commandery's expression changed drastically. The Tianmu Cult had infiltrated the army to such a terrifying extent?
Boom!
Kou Ruozhi and the other Tianmu Cult experts retreated explosively, avoiding the area covered by the rain of arrows. But at that moment, two scarlet dragons roared into the air.
Buzz!
All the arrows stopped in midair ten zhang away from Xu Yan.
"Hmph!"
Xu Yan snorted coldly. The power of his Dragon Subduing Palm trembled, and the arrows shattered into powder one after another.
With a push of his palm, a roaring force from the Dragon Subduing Palm surged forth. A scarlet dragon swept through all the soldiers, sending them vomiting blood and crashing to the ground, where they remained unable to rise for a long time.
Xu Yan now fixed a sharp gaze on the Prefect of Donghe Commandery.
"Rebel? What is the Qi Emperor worth? Today, even if I, Xu Yan, rebel against him, what can he do about it?"
The Prefect of Donghe Commandery's face was pale, and his lips trembled, but he still shouted fiercely, "Brat Xu Yan, although I don't know where you learned such formidable abilities, do you think a single person can stand against a thousand troops?
"Can the Divine Might Army of Qi Kingdom be resisted by one man?
"You are doomed to die! Your Xu Family, and Secretary Guo as well, are all doomed to die!"
At this point, Kou Ruozhi stepped forward.
"Young Master Xu, don't panic. My Tianmu Cult supports you! That foolish Qi Emperor is blind to talent, ignorant and immoral. He deserves to be dragged down from that throne!"
Kou Ruozhi was excited and agitated, with fury burning in his eyes.
"I, Kou Ruozhi, entered the first-rate realm through martial arts and possessed unparalleled literary talent and strategic wisdom, yet I failed the imperial examinations three times. That foolish emperor and those incompetent ministers who fill the court enjoy glory and riches. The heavens truly have no eyes!"
Xu Junhe looked strangely at the indignant Kou Ruozhi. So he was a failed scholar? Was that why he had schemed so painstakingly to rebel?
"Now, the heavens have opened their eyes, and a Young Master Xu who is like a divine being has appeared. This means Heaven intends to destroy Qi Kingdom!"
The more Kou Ruozhi spoke, the more excited he became. He grew increasingly agitated, then dropped to his knees with a thud. His expression was fervent, and his eyes were fanatical as he said, "Young Master Xu, from this day forward, all members of my Tianmu Cult are willing to honor you as the Great Sage Heavenly Duke!
"Great Sage Heavenly Duke, invincible through divine might, you will surely drag that foolish Qi Emperor down from his throne!"
When the twelve Tianmu Cult experts saw their sect's strategist, Military Advisor Kou, kneel, they immediately planted their weapons on the ground, dropped to one knee, and saluted. "The Twelve Peerless Experts of the Tianmu Cult pay their respects to the Great Sage Heavenly Duke!"
They sighed inwardly. Military Advisor Kou truly understood the tide of the times.
If our Tianmu Cult had such an invincible Great Sage Heavenly Duke with divine might presiding over it, how could our great undertaking fail?
Xu Yan stared at the excited, fanatical Kou Ruozhi, utterly bewildered. What the hell?
Great Sage Heavenly Duke?
Even if I wanted to rebel, what does that have to do with you?
"What Great Sage Heavenly Duke? Hold on. You're the Tianmu Cult, right? Don't tell me you're planning to change your name to the Tiangong Cult?"
Xu Yan spoke with a thoroughly bewildered expression.
Before you continue