Six Doors Arrives

In front of the Chun'an County yamen, the atmosphere was as heavy as the coming storm.

Chen Qingzhou, leaning on two young Constables, stood with difficulty, the wound on his chest still throbbing. The old constable's face was ashen, but he still held his back straight, his gaze fixed on the end of the long street. Behind him, over thirty Constables stood in formation, their expressions solemn, hands on their sword hilts. Even Zhang Xianwei, usually the most obsequious, had put away his fawning smile and was nervously rubbing his hands.

Dust billowed in the distance, and the sound of hooves, like muffled thunder, grew closer. Twenty-six riders swept in like a black whirlwind, all mounted on dark bay horses, clad in black martial attire, and carrying standard-issue long sabers at their waists. Most striking was the white-haired elder at the forefront – he wasn't galloping, but walking leisurely ahead of the riders. With each step, the ground trembled slightly, as if he were using his own Gangkqi (Essence Qi) to maintain the entire group's formation!

Such powerful cultivation... Ye Yun's pupils constricted. The pressure this elder exerted was several times greater than Prefect Zhou's, at least a peak sixth-rank expert! Even more terrifying were the twenty-five riders behind him; the weakest was a peak Ninth Rank, and three of them possessed auras as deep as the sea, clearly 8th Rank martial artists.

The riders halted ten zhang from the County yamen gate, their movements perfectly synchronized, demonstrating exceptional training. The gray-haired elder's gaze, sharp as lightning, swept over the arrayed Constables, a sneer of disdain playing on his lips.

Zhang Xianwei quickly plastered on a fawning smile and trotted forward: "Welcome, esteemed sirs, to Chun'an! This humble official has prepared a banquet to welcome you..."

"Get lost!" A middle-aged rider spurred his horse forward, his whip aimed directly at Zhang Xianwei's face. "The Sun Family's Seventh Elder is here, what right do you have to speak!"

The whip's wind grazed Zhang Xianwei's face, leaving a bloody gash. He dared not retaliate, only repeatedly apologizing with a smile: "Yes, yes... this humble official was rude..."

The gray-haired elder, addressed as Seventh Elder, slowly raised his hand, and the middle-aged rider immediately fell silent and retreated. The elder's gaze fell upon Chen Qingzhou: "You are the local constable?"

Chen Qingzhou, enduring the pain, cupped his fists in a salute: "Your subordinate, Chen Qingzhou, greets Seventh Elder."

"I heard my Sun Family disciple, Sun Yu, died in your Chun'an territory a few days ago?" Seventh Elder's voice was calm, yet carried a suffocating pressure. "Tell me, what happened."

Chen Qingzhou took a deep breath and recounted the prepared story: "A few days ago, Young Master Sun Yu was investigating the death of Young Master Sun Gan and searching for items stolen by mountain bandits. So, we led Young Master Sun Yu to the bandit stronghold to search... but we found two bronze boxes. Afterwards, Young Master Sun left with his men first. We took another route and were ambushed by men in black..."

Seventh Elder's eyes flashed. "What kind of boxes?"

"About a foot long, with strange patterns on the surface," Chen Qingzhou replied cautiously. "Young Master Sun valued them greatly and took them himself. As for what was inside, this subordinate does not know."

Seventh Elder stroked his beard, pondering. He knew Sun Yu had been ordered to find those two items; it seemed he had succeeded. But why was he suddenly killed? Could it be a double-cross?

"The men in black who ambushed you, could you discern their fighting style?"

Chen Qingzhou shook his head. "The attackers were masked, their techniques bizarre, unlike ordinary bandits. We fought desperately to escape, losing six brothers." He pulled open his tunic, revealing his bandaged wound. "This subordinate almost lost his life as well."

At this moment, Zhang Xianwei interjected: "Seventh Elder, please be clear! Chun'an is a small county; how could we dare to harm a Sun Family young master? It must have been those men in black..."

"Silence!" Seventh Elder suddenly roared, his voice like thunder. Zhang Xianwei staggered back three steps as if struck, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

The pressure of a fifth-rank martial artist was unleashed without reservation! The Constables present felt as if an invisible mountain was pressing down on them; the weaker ones collapsed to the ground. Chen Qingzhou's wound split open, blood instantly soaking the bandages, but he gritted his teeth and endured.

Ye Yun, standing amidst the crowd and feigning difficulty resisting, felt a tempest raging in his heart. This Seventh Elder's cultivation was even more terrifying than he had estimated! If not for his Turtle Breath Stillness having reached perfection, he might have exposed his strength on the spot.

"Escaped after a desperate fight?" Seventh Elder walked forward slowly, his pressure intensifying with each step. "With you lot, you useless wretches, could you escape from the experts who killed Sun Yu?"

The Constables swayed precariously; only Ye Yun and a few Ninth Rank martial artists could still stand. Yan Xiao Liu's mouth bled, and he rasped, "We were saved by a master! A masked hero repelled the men in black..."

"Masked person?" Seventh Elder's eyes sharpened. "What did they look like? What techniques did they use?"

"At that time... it was already dark..." Yan Xiao Liu replied with difficulty. "That person's movements were too fast; I couldn't see clearly..."

Seventh Elder suddenly laughed, his laughter filled with chilling coldness. "Good, very good. Since the murderers cannot be found..." He slowly raised his hand, Gangkqi (Essence Qi) condensing into a blood-red vortex in his palm. "Then you shall all accompany them in death!"

The shadow of death enveloped the entire scene! Chen Qingzhou's eyes widened in fury; he wanted to step forward but was pinned by the pressure, unable to move. Zhang Xianwei had long since collapsed in fear, his trousers soaked.

At this critical moment—

"Which Sun Family is so arrogant, daring to slaughter imperial officials in broad daylight?"

A clear voice echoed from the other end of the long street. It wasn't loud, but it easily pierced through Seventh Elder's pressure. Everyone felt a lightness, and the suffocating oppression vanished like melting ice and snow!

Seventh Elder's expression changed drastically, and he turned his head sharply.

At the end of the long street, six figures walked slowly. All were clad in dark blue official robes, their style distinctly different from ordinary Constables – crossed collars, right lapels, cloud patterns embroidered on the cuffs, and jade belts. Most striking was the lifelike xièzhì divine beast embroidered on each person's chest.

The leader was a middle-aged man around forty, with a face like polished jade and a three-strand beard flowing down to his chest. He appeared scholarly, but his eyes flashed with sharp light as they opened and closed. His left hand rested on the hilt of the bronze sword at his waist, his steps unhurried.

Behind him were five men and women of varying ages. Most eye-catching was a woman in her early twenties, her black hair elaborately styled, her features exquisite, yet she wore a long and a short curved saber at her waist. Beside her was a plump youth who looked harmless, but each step he took left an inch-deep footprint on the ground.

Ye Yun's heart trembled violently. These six individuals gave him a more terrifying feeling than the Sun Family group! The scholar-like middle-aged man's cultivation was unfathomable, at least at the fourth rank! The other five also possessed profound auras; even the weakest, the plump youth, was a sixth-rank cultivator!

"Six Doors!" Seventh Elder exclaimed, his arrogant demeanor vanishing instantly, replaced by deep apprehension. "I was unaware of the esteemed lords' arrival; please forgive my lack of proper welcome..."

The middle-aged man smiled slightly, his gaze sweeping over the Constables collapsed on the ground: "Old Sun, a few years have passed, and you've certainly improved. You even dare to attack imperial officials now?"

Seventh Elder broke out in a cold sweat and quickly clasped his hands: "Lord Zhuge jokes... this old man was merely playing a prank on these officials..."

"A prank?" The middle-aged man, addressed as Lord Zhuge, raised an eyebrow. "Then shall I play a prank on you?" He gently raised his hand, and a purple lightning bolt flashed from his fingertip.

Crack!

The most magnificent dark bay horse beside Seventh Elder suddenly had all four hooves snap, collapsing to the ground with a whimper! Even more terrifying was that no one present saw how he had made his move!

The Sun Family members turned pale; a few young disciples instinctively reached for their sword hilts, only to be fiercely stopped by Seventh Elder's glare.

"Lord Zhuge, please calm your anger..." Seventh Elder bowed with a fawning smile. "It's just that my family's disciple died tragically, and this old man was momentarily agitated..."