The midday sun shone warmly, and a gentle breeze brought a touch of coolness, rippling the surface of the river.
As the most outstanding member of his generation in the entire Liu family, he still had a poor relationship with the main branch.
But on such a joyous occasion, only Liu Zhengde was qualified to slowly push his now-speechless father onto the stage. And only Liu Zhengde was qualified to have Liu Yun, a family member who had been missing for many years, help push him.
He slowed his pace, ready to respond to an attack at any moment. But unexpectedly, there was no attack, not even when Liu Zhengde and Liu Yun had pushed their father up to the stage.
This was not beyond Liu Zhengde's expectations. After all, not everyone would knowingly jump into a trap—even if the person in question was a madman, the odds of this obvious trap succeeding were only fifty-fifty.
Perhaps they'd failed?
Quite a few people finally breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed.
These people hadn't wanted to get involved in this affair. But first, the City Lord's death had become the biggest case in nearly a decade, and regulations required them to provide men and support when Pei Commandery requested help from nearby families. So they had to bring a group of people. Second, there was evidence suggesting that the people who had broken into their families' homes to steal were closely connected to the instigator of this incident. And with the international situation growing tense, Liu Zhengde's position as a military officer had also risen in value, making him a promising investment.
All three factors combined, along with the common-sense assumption that no one would casually walk into an obvious trap, had made the event so grand.
It could be said that every family in the surrounding commanderies had sent representatives. Even quite a few people from the Capital City military, who knew Liu Zhengde well, had come.
Looks like he isn't coming.
Thinking this, Liu Zhengde slowly began, "Thank you all for coming to my father's hundredth birthday celebration!"
As if he'd been waiting for Liu Zhengde to say those exact words, the front gate was suddenly kicked open. The tremendous force turned the hardwood doors into enormous projectiles in an instant, tearing through the air straight toward the stage.
A hoarse male voice came from behind the gate. "You should also thank them for coming to your funeral!"
Before the doors could reach their destination, two people sprang up from the crowd, stopped them, and hurled them back. Then, as if they had rehearsed it long ago, everyone else quickly and orderly retreated.
"Just as I thought, it's you!" Though he hadn't seen the man yet, Liu Zhengde recognized him by his familiar voice. He turned to signal Liu Yun to take their father somewhere safe, then said, "I always thought you were dead—War Hound, Edward Dell."
"I crawled back from hell, darling." The doors that had been hurled back were smashed to pieces in an instant. When the dust settled, the man at the front was revealed.
He was a sturdy man with pale hair and a huge scar stretching from the left side of his face down to his chin. Besides that, countless smaller scars marked his body, and there was a very noticeable dent between his brows.
"I told you I wouldn't die that easily. Come on, hunter. Let's start our rematch." The man called Edward grinned, his sharp steel teeth gleaming coldly in the sunlight. "If you lose this time, everyone here today dies—just like all my comrades did when you killed them."
"Outrageous! How dare you speak so arrogantly!" Before Liu Zhengde could respond, two men who had been waiting impatiently rushed forward. They were both clearly practitioners of leg techniques, with powerful lower bodies and streamlined builds. Though they shouted as if enraged, they were obviously holding back, ready to change their moves at any moment.
The man on the left was around forty, with a battle mark on his forehead resembling a leaf. The man on the right looked younger, and his battle mark was made up of three wavy lines.
"They're Mizong Leg Chenlang and Yang An of Linzhongniao." The two were evidently somewhat famous in the area; the remaining martial artists recognized them at once. "With them taking action, they should be able to test the newcomer's abilities."
For martial artists who specialized in leg techniques, their speed had long surpassed the limits of the human body. They could cross dozens of meters in less than two seconds. While the onlookers were still talking, the two men had already reached Edward from either side and launched their attacks.
Mizong Leg: Ten Thousand Shadows!
Tan Tui: Wind-Swaying Leaf!
Though this was their first time working together, the two moved with perfect coordination. One attacked high, the other low, and in an instant, their moves engulfed Edward, sealing off every direction.
Bang!
Before their attacks could land, a gunshot suddenly rang out. Though there had been only one shot, both men's thighs were wounded, blood spurting out. Before they could react, a snake-like shadow suddenly appeared behind Edward—
Wild Bite!
With no restraint and all his strength behind it, Wild Bite twisted and shattered every bone in the two men's bodies in an instant.
The newcomer had barely made his entrance, yet he had already killed two.
"Beyond seven steps, a gun is fast; within seven steps, a gun is both fast and accurate." Edward toyed with the modified revolver that had appeared in his hand at some point, loading it bullet by bullet. "The main course hasn't even started. What are you two clowns jumping out and making a scene for?"
"Ladies and gentlemen!" Seeing the newcomer move faster, Edward made no attempt to stop him. He merely spread his arms and said, "How can there be a battle without an audience? So I won't hurt you for now. You have five minutes to leave—though, of course, you can't go too far."
"After all, I'll be using you as sacrifices soon enough."
"Where's that kid Liu Tian?" Snake stuck out his tongue and lightly caught a drop of red blood falling from the air. He grinned cruelly. "Did he run off with his tail between his legs? This time, I'll turn you into a collectible and keep you safe—just like my master and senior brothers!"
"Snake, you're as sick as ever." A deep voice rang out, and the shadow falling over Snake was large enough to cover him entirely. The man's powerful muscles looked as solid as stone. With the Prince Battle Mark on his forehead, the man called Tiger had arrived on the battlefield without anyone noticing. "I thought those few days in bed would teach you to change your ways."
"How could Snake ever change? I say we kill him after this is over. Keeping him around just keeps ruining our image." The man called Bull strode forward, his powerful build every bit as imposing as Tiger's. His fists were like iron pillars, and his bare upper body formed a perfect inverted triangle with his waist in the sunlight. His battle mark resembled a pair of bull horns. "We could use some fresh blood anyway."
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