The Night the Li Family Was Wiped Out

"The Prefecture Office is withdrawing its troops."

"Why? They didn't notify the county town..."

A young man spoke, his voice tinged with dryness.

Li Mu shook his head. "You're asking me, but who can I ask? For now, everyone, you'd better think about how to keep yourselves alive if demons attack the county town one day."

"I called everyone here today"

"for this very reason."

"The Li Family wants to form an alliance with all sides to resist the demonic disaster. Please go back and inform your family elders. Anyone interested can come to the Li Family tomorrow at noon to discuss the details with my father."

"Does anyone have any other news to add?"

As his words fell,

just then,

Qin Jiu looked at the other scions, hoping someone would share news he hadn't heard. But every face before him was filled with fear, unease, and confusion. None of them looked as if they knew anything.

About a quarter of an hour later,

he left the Hundred Flower Pavilion with his people.

Night fell.

The Li Family's secret chamber.

"Father, I followed your instructions and let the news slip. Also, only the Han Family's eldest legitimate daughter came today. I spoke with her and noticed nothing unusual. As for the Qin Family... that Qin Jiu was quite aggressive. He beat the Chai Gang's young master badly."

"I wonder whether the Fisher Gang's troubles have anything to do with the Qin Family..."

"There's no need to rush to a conclusion."

Inside the secret chamber,

a middle-aged man who looked somewhat like Li Mu, with the same refined air, mused, "Qin Jiu has always been an arrogant wastrel. This is in keeping with his nature, and it doesn't prove the Qin Family had anything to do with what happened to the Fisher Gang last night."

"After all, if the Qin Family had really done it,"

"that brat would be keeping a low profile right now."

"Then what should we do?"

"Tomorrow, we'll win over the various factions first, wipe out the Han Family and kill the Qin Family, then... take control of the Inner City."

Meanwhile,

in the west of the Outer City,

inside a building owned by the Chai Gang,

"Crash!"

The sound of a vase hitting the floor and tables and chairs being smashed rang out alongside furious roars.

Outside the room,

two servants knelt on the ground, trembling all over.

A slightly stooped figure approached the door, his face full of worry. He sighed. "Xu'er, calm down. A man must know when to yield..."

"Get lost! Get out!"

"Are you even my father?!"

A furious, twisted roar came from inside the room, laced with venom. "Qin Jiu humiliated me like that, and you just sit there doing nothing! Do you know what those scions are calling me now?"

"Pighead Xuan! Pighead Xuan! Aaaah!"

"Crash!"

As he spoke,

a solid wooden chair suddenly flew out.

It slammed into a servant.

The poor man was sent flying, crashing straight into a pillar. He died on the spot.

"My son's got a fine aim."

The old man smiled at the sight and called into the room, "Don't worry. In two days, I'll personally break that Qin brat's arms and legs and throw him in front of you so you can vent your anger."

"As for everyone else who insulted you,"

"your father will give you an explanation."

"But I must discuss the matter with the Li Family in detail before we act. Try to swallow your anger for the next two days. If you really can't hold back, I'll call in a few more servants for you to take it out on. And that young girl you've been thinking about so much—the Hall Master Hong from the gang has brought her over for you, too."

At the same time,

in the East Wing of the Qin Mansion,

Qin Jiu called Qin Xuanzhou over and got straight to the point. "This morning, I asked you to investigate the strength of the Chai Gang and the Li Family. Have you found out anything?"

"I've mostly gotten a clear picture."

Qin Xuanzhou considered his words. "First, the Chai Gang. Its leader is a Three Refinements martial artist. The rest of its members are about as strong as the Fisher Gang. Ten of its core Second Refining members were drafted into the Demon Suppression Bureau. We don't know their current casualties, but thirteen other Second Refining members remain stationed at the Chai Gang."

"As for the Li Family..."

He frowned slightly. "This family used to be based in the Outer City. By swallowing up the Zhao Family's businesses, it became one of the Inner City's major families in one fell swoop. The Li Family had a hand in the Qian Family's decline."

"There are three Three Refinements martial artists in the family."

"But because of the Demon Suppression Bureau's draft, only the head of the Li Family remains. The other two have both been drafted into the Bureau."

"There's one more thing..."

"They seem to be a branch of the Li Family from Ning'an Prefecture."

Qin Xuanzhou hesitated. "But they shouldn't be a major family in Ning'an Prefecture. They have an Internal Strengthening martial artist keeping watch, but I've never heard of them having anyone above that level."

"I see."

Qin Jiu nodded, then asked another question.

"When will you reach the Internal Strengthening realm?"

"At least three years."

Qin Xuanzhou sighed. "This realm requires using inner force to open the meridians throughout the body. The most time-consuming part is the eight main meridians, each of which takes nearly a year to open. I still have three main meridians left."

"But in terms of strength,"

"I'm a genuine late-stage Three Refinements martial artist."

"Even if I faced the Li Family's three experts at once, I wouldn't have a problem. Of course, if it really came to that, I doubt I could kill any of them."

He spoke frankly.

By now, he had vaguely sensed what Qin Jiu was planning.

Qin Jiu didn't hide it. He nodded. "Go to the guard team and find three more Second Refining martial artists. Then change your clothes and come out with me tonight. Remember to call Huang Jing and Qin Xudong."

"Yes."

Qin Xuanzhou's expression turned solemn.

He immediately hurried out of the East Wing.

Late at night, dark clouds covered the moon.

The Chai Gang in the west of the city.

Meng Xuan emerged from his room looking thoroughly satisfied, still clutching a naked, battered corpse.

"Send me another one."

"This little bitch couldn't take much of a beating."

"Thud."

As he spoke, he casually tossed the corpse outside the door, but soon frowned.

No one answered him.

And the surroundings had somehow grown unnaturally quiet.

A faint smell of blood

drifted on the night breeze and filled Meng Xuan's nostrils. He first glanced at the corpse on the ground, then frowned and headed downstairs. But the smell of blood didn't fade. It grew stronger.

By the time he reached the main hall on the first floor,

a sudden chill seized Meng Xuan, leaving his body stiff.

Even the marrow of his bones seemed to seep cold.

The hall was filled with corpses strewn across the floor. Black-red blood had almost soaked through the wooden boards. In the center of the hall, a figure stood with his back to the stairs, leaning on a saber beside a headless corpse.

In his hand, he held an old man's head.

He seemed to be inspecting it, making sure of something.

"Creak..."

Meng Xuan's legs went weak.

He stumbled forward, the sound of his boots on the floorboards echoing clearly through the hall.

At that instant,

the figure who had been standing with his back to him

slowly turned his head.

"Young Master,"

"we meet again so soon."