Evidence Sealed, Collusion with Foreign Powers, Clan Extermination

As Tang Wenbo's voice fell, the two gatekeepers holding wooden clubs could wait no longer. They swung their clubs and swept at Zhang Yuan and Chen Wu's legs from behind.

Chen Wu spun around sharply and, with an angry roar, met the crashing clubs with a downward elbow strike.

Ironclad Fist, Hanging Sky Elbow.

Bang—

The two arm-thick wooden clubs snapped at once.

Breaking clubs with an elbow—one strike carried over five hundred jin of force!

He reached forward, both fists driving out.

Ironclad Fist, Advancing Rush Punch.

Those two gatekeepers only had a crude grasp of martial arts, with perhaps two or three hundred jin of strength. How could they compare to Chen Wu in strength or speed?

Their clubs had been broken by a single blow from Chen Wu, and they had already been frightened senseless. Now that Chen Wu's fists had reached their chests, they did not even know to dodge.

In truth, they could not have dodged anyway.

Chen Wu's fists stopped dead half a chi before their chests, a trace of reluctance showing on his face.

The force of that punch could have shattered their rib bones. Even if they survived, they would have been crippled for life.

With a cold snort, Chen Wu changed his fists into claws, seized the two gatekeepers by their collars, and flung them away with the momentum.

Bang—

The two men smashed into the closed gate a zhang away, blood gushing from their mouths. Their bodies slowly slid down as they wailed in agony.

The Tang Family guards who had been closing in all shuddered, their encirclement coming to a halt.

Two gatekeepers weighing over a hundred jin had been thrown two zhang away. Such strength was absolutely Houtian Mid-stage!

Back then, the Tang Family's strongest clansmen and guards had formed a merchant caravan, with their Second Master, a Houtian Late-stage martial artist, personally leading it. Yet all of them had been lost at the border.

Now, the strongest guards in the clan were only several Houtian Mid-stage martial artists, all accompanying the family head.

Among the guards gathered here, apart from the three to five Early Houtian Realm martial artists leading them, most had not even entered the Houtian Realm. With such strength, how could they fight a Houtian Mid-stage martial artist?

Zhang Yuan's gaze fell on Chen Wu, and he shook his head slightly.

If those two gatekeepers had been Houtian Realm martial artists, Chen Wu's hesitation when striking just now might have cost him dearly.

He still lacked experience.

Once he reached the border army, slaughter on the battlefield would be a fight to the death.

With Chen Wu's temperament, how would he survive in the dangerous border army?

"They've gone mad, they've gone mad! They still dare to commit violence!" From the rear, a Tang Family Disciple shrieked, "Go! All of you, attack together! Even if we beat them to death today, there's nothing to fear!"

The guards closing in exchanged glances, gritted their teeth, and surged toward Zhang Yuan and Chen Wu.

There was strength in numbers. Two fists could not beat four hands. If they all rushed in together, they could crush even a Houtian Mid-stage martial artist to death.

Zhang Yuan rested a hand on his saber hilt, his expression calm as he watched the Tang Family guards charging at him.

Chen Wu turned to rush forward and block them, but Zhang Yuan raised a hand to stop him.

"Today, I'll give you your final lesson."

"From now on, you'll have to rely on yourself."

As Zhang Yuan spoke, the five fingers pressing on the saber hilt slowly tightened.

Shing—

The long saber left its sheath.

One step forward, a horizontal slash.

A true slash!

Chen Wu's eyes widened as he watched that streak of saber light flash past, like lightning splitting the sky.

Three heads flew high into the air. Blood and qi surged up from their chest cavities and sprayed from their necks, shooting two zhang high.

Two guards clutched their necks desperately, yet could not stop the blood splattering from the saber wounds that had severed their windpipes and arteries.

Blood sprayed across Zhang Yuan's body, staining his black robe crimson.

As blood rained down, Chen Wu's head and face were covered in scorching blood. A thread of foul-smelling blood entered his mouth, making the blood and qi throughout his body seem to boil as a bloody haze slowly spread through his eyes.

Zhang Yuan's slash left everyone in the courtyard stunned.

Murder!

Five killed with one slash.

It was not about how many people that slash had killed, but that he had truly drawn his blade and killed.

Third Master Tang stood with his mouth open, his limbs trembling. He wanted to cry out, but no sound came.

The Tang Family Disciples and guards who had gathered around had never seen such a brutal sight. Every one of them was dumbstruck.

They usually brawled, bullied the common people, even broke laws and disregarded human lives. But they had never imagined that someone would dare to kill their people before their very eyes.

Had it not always been them killing others?

Zhang Yuan did not stop. With one step spanning over a zhang, he was already before the Tang Family Disciple who had just shouted for everyone to attack together and now stood staring wide-eyed.

The long saber swept horizontally, passed his elbow, then rose. Zhang Yuan gripped it in reverse with his right hand, pressed the hilt with his left, and brought it down from above with the force of his waist.

The blade pressed down from the Tang Family Disciple's jade-colored hair crown.

His loose strands of hair were severed cleanly before the blade.

The Tang Family Disciple's eyes bulged. He opened his mouth to scream, but could not.

The blade pressed down, splitting his jade-colored hair crown and scattering his bound hair.

The blade pressed lower, cutting open his scalp as blood seeped out.

The blade broke through his skull. It was too fast, pulling straight down from the bridge of his nose, along his neck and into his chest cavity, before following through.

One chop, two halves.

Blood streamed everywhere.

Chen Wu, standing behind, saw that strike fall with perfect clarity.

He had killed people.

He had also seen Zhang Yuan kill.

But he had never seen Zhang Yuan kill like this.

That strike reminded him of words Zhang Yuan had spoken several times before.

With a horizontal saber in hand, men and horses alike would shatter.

This strike was the very pinnacle of battlefield slaughter!

In the courtyard, the guards and Tang Family Disciples seemed like roosters with their necks clutched, their faces flushed red and their legs trembling.

Holding his saber level, Zhang Yuan stared intently at the dumbfounded Third Master Tang ahead.

"The Tang Family framed the Martial Guard Bureau as the court's hawks and hounds, harbored resentment toward Great Qin's imperial court, and further attempted to surround and kill Black Robe Guards. This is tantamount to treason."

"They should be executed."

As his words fell, he flicked his left hand and tossed a signal flare into the sky.

Bang—

The signal flare exploded ten zhang overhead, scattering a shower of golden fire.

A Black Robe Guard distress signal.

In Luyang Prefecture City, this firework had not risen for at least ten years.

Today, Zhang Yuan would give Chen Wu his final lesson.

That was: be ruthless, and pull up the weeds by the roots!

After throwing the signal flare, Zhang Yuan seized Chen Wu by the collar and dragged him back toward the wall.

The moment they reached the wall, a thunderous crash sounded as the tightly shut gates of the Tang Family were smashed open.

A squad of Black Robe Guards clad in heavy armor and wielding Great Shields in both hands rushed into the residence.

Behind the shield soldiers was a squad of troops holding long spears, likewise covered in heavy armor.

One squad of these Martial Guards split off to protect Zhang Yuan and Chen Wu behind them, while the other formed a steel-armored battle formation.

Tap—

Several dozen figures raced onto the roof ridge, their bows and crossbows pointed down. Arrows instantly poured forth, blanketing the courtyard.

Repeating crossbows fell like rain.

Some Tang Family guards and disciples in the courtyard had their bodies pierced by the sudden arrowstorm. Others wailed as they collapsed to the ground, only for arrows to pierce their skulls.

Hum—

On the wall to the other side, a squad of archers stepped up. From above, they fired long arrows in rapid succession.

The few Early Houtian Realm Tang Family guards were shot into hedgehogs and collapsed onto the ground.

A squad of Martial Guards clad in Leather Armor and carrying curved sabers on their backs leaped down from the eastern wall. They drew their curved sabers and sent them sweeping out in arcs.

The bodies of those Tang Family Disciples hiding beside the corridor pillars were cut open by the blades, blood splattering everywhere.

Boom—

The southern wall was smashed open by a heavy battering ram. A heavy crossbow was pushed in through the breach, then a Half a zhang-long, arm-thick crossbow bolt thundered out.

Bang—

Bang—

Bang—

One crossbow bolt pierced Third Master Tang's body, carrying him flying into the Tang Family hall and smashing the tables inside to pieces.

The second crossbow bolt nailed into the wall of the hall, pierced through the Walls, and brought down the Tang Family's ancestral portrait along with the collapsing wall.

The third bolt angled downward and missed, striking the stone steps before the Tang Family hall.

The bluestone steps exploded. The crossbow bolt rebounded, whistling as it smashed into the chests of two Tang Family Disciples and shattered their rib bones.

The bolt rebounded again, twisting off the leg bones of two Tang Family guards before finally whistling into a heavy shield with a resounding boom.

Chen Wu lowered his head and looked at his feet.

Blood flowing through the courtyard ran along the cracks between the bricks, gathering into streams—bright red and bewitching—as it soaked the shoes on his feet.

"The front courtyard has been cleared."

"Seal off the rear courtyard. Leave a few alive to record their testimony."

"Search out all movable wealth. Find the deeds for the fields and shops."

"The Black Ice Platform has already sent people to Jiulin County. The Tang Family head must be taken."

"Once the evidence is sealed, collusion with foreign powers means clan extermination."

Ahead, several familiar voices reached Chen Wu's ears.

Brother Yuan, Commander Hu Yang, Commander Qi Junliang, Sergeant Qian Mu...