The Turmoil Arrives!

Hu Li did not know how long she had been crying at the entrance of the Martial Academy; she had almost wept herself dry, her voice becoming hoarse from the sobbing.

Finally, she slowly raised her head and wiped the tear stains from her face with her sleeve in a messy blur.

She tried to stand up, intending to lift the stretcher alone and take her brother home.

But how could her frail frame carry the weight of a grown man?

The moment the stretcher left the ground, it sank back down heavily. She stumbled, nearly falling, looking so wretched that it was unbearable to watch.

Just then, a figure stepped forward quickly, silently bending down to help her lift the other end of the stretcher.

"I'll help you."

It was none other than Shi Lei.

"Tha... thank you..."

Hu Li's voice was so hoarse it was barely audible; she could only nod repeatedly, her eyes reddening once more.

Liu Qingshi walked up slowly and handed her a pouch of loose silver.

Hu Li looked at the pouch, feeling too ashamed to show her face.

Her brother had betrayed the Martial Academy, yet in their moment of greatest need, Liu Qingshi was still willing to offer help.

Hu Li refused to accept the silver no matter what.

"Times are hard, just take it."

Liu Qingshi sighed slightly, glanced at the limp, mud-like form of Hu Tian, and said softly, "You will need to buy plenty of medicinal decoctions in the future."

Hearing this, Hu Li was slightly stunned.

She looked down at her unconscious brother on the stretcher, then back up at Liu Qingshi's calm yet weary face.

After a long silence, ignoring Liu Qingshi's attempts to dissuade her, Hu Li knelt down and kowtowed to him several times, promising repeatedly that she would definitely pay the silver back... before finally taking the pouch.

In the end, with Shi Lei's help, she carried Hu Tian home.

In a quiet courtyard in Anxi County.

Magistrate Gao He sat alone on a stone stool, his expression shifting between light and shadow.

His gaze drifted from time to time toward the quiet room with its tightly closed doors and windows deep within the courtyard, his fingers tapping unconsciously against the stone table, producing a faint "tap-tap" sound.

About half an hour later.

BOOM!

A dull roar suddenly erupted from the direction of the quiet room, like a rising gale or muffled thunder rolling beneath the earth.

The surrounding trees and grass shuddered violently, and fallen leaves scattered into the air.

A moment later, everything returned to silence.

The door to the quiet room opened slowly, and a burly figure clad in black armor stepped out.

With every step he took, the ground seemed to tremble slightly, and he radiated an intimidating aura, like a beast waking from a deep slumber.

Seeing the man, Gao He stood up immediately, bowing his head respectfully. "Commander Wang, have you finished your training?"

This middle-aged man in black armor was Wang Ling, the commander who held the military power of Anxi County.

In the Zhou Kingdom, ordinary people always assumed the magistrate was the master of the county.

In reality, that situation had changed long ago.

The Zhou Kingdom consisted of nine provinces, and apart from the capital province, the imperial family had long since lost control over the others.

The current landscape was one where the imperial family and the sects ruled the world together.

Within a county, the magistrate was merely a title; the ones who truly held the blades were these commanders appointed personally by the sects.

And the Azure Sky Sect, which stood behind Wang Ling, was the heaven that governed all eighteen counties of the prefecture.

"Hmm." Wang Ling walked unhurriedly to the stone table, sat down, and looked up at Gao He. "You're in such a rush to come here—what happened?"

Gao He took a deep breath, his expression grave to the extreme. "Commander Wang, I just received a secret report—Lushan County... has fallen."

He paused, his voice dropping involuntarily.

"They say the situation inside is... too horrific to look at..."

"Of the entire county, perhaps less than thirty percent of the people survived..."

"It's too tragic... truly too tragic..."

Hearing this, Wang Ling raised an eyebrow, a sharp, icy glint flashing in his eyes. "The remnants of the Seven Kill Cult are so devoid of humanity; they will surely face divine retribution!"

"Commander Wang, the most pressing issue now is that since Lushan County has fallen, I fear we are the next target... I wonder if you have already..."

Gao He voiced his deepest concern.

"Rest assured, I sent a request for reinforcements to the sect several days ago, and the reply confirmed that reinforcements are already on the way."

Wang Ling said in a deep voice, "Calculating the time, they should arrive within these two days."

Hearing this, Gao He's expression finally eased, and he let out a long sigh of relief. "Good, good, good. Since the Azure Sky Sect has already dispatched reinforcements, I can finally rest easy."

"By the way." Wang Ling shifted the topic, his gaze landing on Gao He's face with a hint of gravity. "There is one more thing you must pay close attention to."

"Please speak, Commander Wang!"

Gao He responded with a solemn expression.

"I have received secret intelligence that the reason those remnants of the Seven Kill Cult were able to breach Lushan County so smoothly was due to the cooperation of an inside man."

Wang Ling spoke indifferently.

"An inside man?!"

A look of astonishment flashed across Gao He's face, followed by a grave tone. "Rest assured, Commander Wang. I will conduct a strict investigation immediately; I will never let Anxi County repeat the same mistake."

"Mm, handle it as you see fit."

Commander Wang nodded slightly and said no more.

The next day, just as the sky began to brighten.

The news of Lushan County's fall swept through all of Anxi County like a plague.

Nine out of ten houses stood empty.

Blood flowed like a river.

The tragedy was beyond human description.

Every word was like a dull blade, carving into the heart of everyone who heard the news.

Panic, like an invisible black mist, seeped out from every street, every alley, and every crack in the doors, permeating every corner of the county town.

Inside the Martial Academy, the usually bustling Martial Practice Field was deathly silent.

The Outer Courtyard disciples had no heart for practicing their punches; they gathered together to whisper in low voices, their faces filled with terror.

The Inner Courtyard disciples had also lost their usual spirit, each one furrowing their brows with flickering eyes, as if a great disaster were imminent at any moment.

An unprecedented sense of oppression hung over everyone's hearts.

In the afternoon, Liu Qingshi gathered all the disciples and spoke only a few words.

"Starting today, the Martial Academy is closed. All disciples are to return to their homes. Be sure to take care."

The disciples dispersed one after another, and the Martial Academy gradually emptied out.

Night fell.

Jiang Ye sat cross-legged in the gatehouse, without lighting a lamp.

Suddenly, a faint fragrance drifted over.

Immediately following, the sound of extremely light footsteps came from outside the door.

"Elder Jiang."

A cold, clear female voice rang out from outside.

It was Liu Yiyi.

"My father asked me to invite you; there is an urgent matter to discuss."

The young girl's crisp voice sounded once more.