Making a Move

As the news spread, word that Kaishan Martial Arts School's elites had been wiped out quickly reached Laiyang City. A little asking around was all it took to confirm it.

Kaishan Martial Arts School was in complete disarray. Many of the disciples who had stayed behind had already packed their bags and were planning to flee.

There was no helping it. Nearly all of their experts were dead. Were they supposed to stay here and wait for the enemy to come knocking?

Nobody was a fool. Especially after years of martial arts training, no one wanted to risk their life on a moment's hotheadedness.

"Senior Brother Qin, even you're leaving?"

"Of course. If I don't leave now, soon I won't be able to. Xiao Zhang, why is your bundle so big?"

"Heh heh, Senior Brother Qin, you're being too honest. If we're leaving, we ought to take some local specialties home. Otherwise, how would we face our families?"

Xiao Zhang, who had an honest-looking face, grinned, but his words felt like a sudden revelation to Senior Brother Qin.

"Right! I've been at this Martial Hall for so many years. If I'm going home, I ought to bring some 'local specialties' with me!"

Hurrying back, Senior Brother Qin suddenly discovered a whole new world.

Scenes like this could be found all over Kaishan Martial Arts School. Many disciples had begun looting its valuables, and quite a few were even fighting over precious items.

As for stopping them, that was even less likely. At this point, even the few remaining senior figures had fled with large amounts of wealth. What could anyone expect from ordinary disciples?

Overnight, Kaishan Martial Arts School, once at the height of its power, collapsed in an instant. When people passed by the next morning, they even found that its signboard had vanished!

Who knew which disciple had been so diligent as to carry off a wooden sign weighing dozens of catties? Perhaps it was simply because the characters on it had been gilded.

Elsewhere, news of Kaishan Martial Arts School's crushing defeat soon reached Huang Ling, the City Lord. In a rage, he smashed one of his favorite vases.

"Useless! You're all useless! After I spent so much effort on you, even a dog could have bitten a Martial Artist to death!"

Outside the room, the mansion's retainers trembled, every one of them with head bowed. None dared open the door and try to stop the City Lord, who was in a towering rage.

In the end, Steward Qian was the one who stepped forward.

"Lord City Lord, please calm down. It isn't worth damaging your health over a good-for-nothing like Chang Yuchun. As for our plan, should we continue with it?"

"Continue? With what? Without Kaishan Martial Arts School as my blade, how can I justifiably destroy the other Martial Halls?"

"Well... Lord City Lord, that may not be such a difficult problem. It would only require you to set aside your pride."

Steward Qian spoke cautiously, afraid of provoking this fierce lion of Laiyang City.

"You..." Huang Ling knitted his brows, seemingly considering whether it was possible.

It was true. As long as he set aside his pride, the major Martial Halls were no match for him now. They had already been weakened considerably!

Besides, after what had happened, Huang Ling seemed to realize he had underestimated the power of a strong expert.

Hadn't that Shen Fan who appeared out of nowhere intimidated several hundred people just by killing a few Viscera Refiners?

If he made a move himself, surely he would do at least as well?

At that thought, Huang Ling narrowed his eyes.

He was clearly tempted.

As for failure, Huang Ling had never even considered it. He was a dignified Xiantian Expert, with True Qi coursing through his body. Viscera Refiners were no more than a few moves' work for him.

Even if that fellow called Shen Fan was stronger than expected, could he really fight across an entire Great Realm?

That was a joke. Even the heirs of the great powers in the Imperial City could hardly ever fight across realms, let alone someone from a backwater like Laiyang City.

Huang Ling didn't deny that geniuses existed, but he absolutely didn't believe one would appear in a remote corner like Laiyang City!

Once he had made up his mind, Huang Ling began issuing orders:

"Pass on my command. Gather every expert in the City Lord's Mansion and follow me to subdue Pure Yang Martial Arts School, Benlei Martial Arts School, and Ox Demon Martial Arts School. I will purge the Demonic Beasts of Laiyang City and restore peace to Great Xia!"

Everyone understood what the City Lord meant. They exchanged glances, then bowed their heads and agreed.

This time, Huang Ling had no intention of resorting to schemes. He would overwhelm them with sheer force. He, Huang Bin, was the number-one expert in Laiyang City—the Innate Expert!

At Huang Ling's command, the City Lord's Mansion quickly sprang into action, like a giant beast unleashing its terrifying power.

Large numbers of Viscera Refiners gathered—more than thirty of them. There were over a hundred Blood Condensation Martial Artists and more than a thousand Bone Forging Martial Artists. This was clearly a force on a completely different scale from before.

It could only be said that cultivating Martial Artists with nearly half a city's resources was just too easy. In only half a year, the City Lord's Mansion had at least doubled its strength!

But Huang Ling wasn't satisfied. He didn't want only this much. He wanted more.

As the Martial Artists gathered, some disciples also came together to discuss the news.

"Have you heard? It seems the City Lord is going to attack the other major Martial Halls!"

"Yeah, I heard too. But apparently Kaishan Martial Arts School was wiped out yesterday. I wonder if it's true!"

"I know, I know—it's true! My maternal aunt's son studies at Kaishan Martial Arts School. He admitted it himself!"

"What? Even Kaishan Martial Arts School is gone? Then aren't we in trouble this time? The City Lord is a mighty Xiantian, the only one in all of Laiyang City!"

"Why don't you ask how a thriving Martial Hall like Kaishan got wiped out?"

"Hm? Wasn't it Ox Demon Martial Arts School that destroyed them? What's strange about that?"

"What Ox Demon Martial Arts School? Nonsense! I heard a monster with three heads and six arms helped them. Otherwise, Kaishan Martial Arts School could never have been defeated!"

"Hiss... A monster? Could it be one of the Demonic Beasts from deep in the Black Dragon Mountain Range? How could that be?"

"It's no lie. That's what Steward Qian said. Don't believe me? Go ask him!"

As the discussion went on, more and more disciples came to believe that a monster had aided Ox Demon Martial Arts School. Of course, Steward Qian was the one who had deliberately spread the rumor.

The point was to smear Ox Demon Martial Arts School first. Anyone who associated with monsters would naturally be condemned by the common people.

Then the City Lord's Mansion could step in with perfect justification. As the saying went, if you were determined to pin a crime on someone, there was no shortage of excuses. That was all there was to it!

There was no need to distinguish between the other two Martial Halls. After all, the Martial Halls had formed an alliance. If one had a monster, could anyone claim the others were innocent? Of course not. So destroying them all would be the right thing to do!

Steward Qian was worthy of being Huang Ling's longtime aide. He was a truly shrewd and calculating operator.

They even had an explanation ready for afterward. Once these Martial Halls were wiped out, they could simply toss out the corpses of a couple of High-level Beasts. Problem solved.

Those commoners couldn't tell what a Demonic Beast was anyway!

The entire plan was complete. They had Laiyang City's future firmly in their grasp. Once the day was over, there would be only one voice in Laiyang!