Slaughter Them All, Leave No Loose Ends—Why Is the Blazing Banner Billowing Black Smoke?

"Return, souls~!"

"Return, souls~!"

A great banner gleaming with golden light and emanating an imposing, righteous aura fluttered loudly above Jia Lie Mansion.

With the soul strength of a Seventh-grade Alchemist, Ji Changqing could clearly sense one illusory soul after another continuously pouring into the banner.

"Good, good, good."

Ji Changqing was relieved.

Once these souls were extinguished, there would be no future trouble at all.

About three minutes later, Ji Changqing controlled the Blazing Banner and circled Jia Lie Mansion several times.

Only after confirming there was no trace of any souls left did he call the Blazing Banner back.

Ji Changqing sent his own soul into the Blazing Banner.

He discovered a dark expanse within. Stars scattered across the vault overhead, diffusing golden mist that made his soul feel immensely comfortable.

"Thank you, Senior, for saving me."

Jia Lie Bi's grateful voice drifted into Ji Changqing's ears.

His soul was so faint that it was nearly impossible to make out, wavering unsteadily in place.

This was only possible thanks to the effects of the Blazing Banner. Otherwise, with his Da Dou Shi cultivation, it would have been difficult for his soul to take human form.

Ji Changqing looked the middle-aged man up and down and asked, "You are?"

"Senior, I am Jia Lie Bi, the patriarch of the Jia Lie Family."

Jia Lie Bi's soul rippled violently as he said sorrowfully, "The Jia Lie Family somehow offended a Demonic Cultivator and was tragically exterminated!"

"Thank you, Senior, for using your means to let me barely survive in soul form!"

"I, Jia Lie Bi, beg you to take action and help me kill that Demonic Cultivator!"

"I know that saving my soul was already an immense kindness!"

"But that Demonic Cultivator's methods were unimaginably cruel. Everyone has the right to kill him. He... he didn't even spare the Jia Lie Family's dogs!"

Every word Jia Lie Bi spoke seemed wrung from blood as he begged Ji Changqing to avenge him.

He had a beautiful idea in mind.

This Senior had saved his soul and even nourished it. He must be an exceptionally kind-hearted man.

It was not impossible to ask him to act.

Yet Jia Lie Bi could never have imagined, even in his dreams, that Ji Changqing standing before him was the culprit.

Thinking about it, that made sense...

What kind of vicious Demonic Cultivator would exterminate an entire family, then collect and keep their souls?

That was fucking perverse!

"Such an urgent desire for revenge..."

Ji Changqing's handsome face remained utterly calm.

Yet inwardly, he let out a long sigh of relief.

Fortunately, he had planned ahead and drawn every soul of the Jia Lie Family into the Blazing Banner.

Otherwise, judging from Jia Lie Bi's determination to seek revenge, he might truly have left behind a source of trouble.

"I beg Senior to act..."

Bang—

Before Jia Lie Bi could finish speaking—

Ji Changqing swept his sleeve, and overwhelming soul force surged out, instantly smashing Jia Lie Bi's soul into fragments.

Squeak—

Squeak—

Jia Lie Bi's soul could still barely maintain a human shape.

But the other members of the Jia Lie Family could not.

They were merely hazy clumps of mist.

When they sensed that the "benevolent and righteous Senior" before them had actually destroyed Jia Lie Bi's soul—

The misty clumps scattered through the dark space like panicked rats.

Ji Changqing struck downward with his palm, intending to extinguish every soul and sever all karmic ties completely.

"Wait!"

"You can't kill me!"

"My master is a Third-grade Alchemist!"

"If I die, my master will definitely avenge me!"

At that moment, a thin wisp of mist laboriously formed itself into the shape of a white-clad young man, who shrieked at Ji Changqing in terror.

"Oh? You have a master? One who will avenge you?"

Ji Changqing's brows furrowed slightly.

Then he opened his palm, leaving a gap between his fingers.

With a boom, every misty clump except the white-clad young man was reduced to nothing.

Ji Changqing beckoned, and the white-clad young man flew toward him uncontrollably. Ji Changqing placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled warmly.

"My friend, tell me where your master is."

Liu Xi thought Ji Changqing feared his master.

So he steadied himself and said, both arrogant and trembling with fear, "My master is at..."

A short while later.

Liu Xi stared blankly as a red-robed old man entered the Blazing Banner with a bewildered expression.

"M-Master, y-you... are you here to save me?"

"Liu Xi?!"

The red-robed old man's face turned livid as he shook his head. "Save you my ass!"

"I was refining pills and had no idea what was happening..."

"Master and disciple reunited?"

Ji Changqing walked in with a smile on his face.

Luckily, this Third-grade Alchemist had no other disciples or relatives. Otherwise, tracing vines to pull up melons like this would have been truly troublesome.

The red-robed old man froze briefly.

Then he realized that he had fucking been sold out by his disciple and dragged into a disaster for no reason at all.

Slap—

The red-robed old man delivered a resounding slap that nearly scattered Liu Xi's soul.

With a bang, he dropped to his knees before Ji Changqing and pleaded, "Senior, I never offended you!"

"I... I'm not familiar with this little bastard at all! Please spare my life!"

"Ah..."

Ji Changqing sighed helplessly.

Before the red-robed old man's despairing gaze, a cluster of pale white flames slowly rose from Ji Changqing's palm.

"I'm not actually bloodthirsty. Every time I kill someone, my heart suffers greatly."

"But there's no helping it. Only the dead... only those whose souls return to nothingness can guarantee, one hundred percent, that they won't seek revenge on me."

"If you don't die, you'll leave behind trouble. I won't be able to sleep."

Ji Changqing looked at the Blazing Banner with satisfaction.

What a fine treasure!

With the Blazing Banner from now on, he would have no worries after killing someone.

"No, why would I have such dangerous thoughts about killing people?"

"Going out for one trip has affected my state of mind. When I get back, I'll copy the Scripture of Cautionary Survival a hundred times!"

"Hmm?"

Ji Changqing was just about to put away the Blazing Banner.

But to his surprise, he saw that the Blazing Banner, which had originally shone with golden light, was now constantly billowing black smoke.

The black smoke carried the scent of soul fragments.

There must have been too many souls extinguished inside. The Blazing Banner was detoxifying itself.

Ji Changqing smacked his lips.

Only after the Blazing Banner finished purging the toxins did he store it in the System Inventory.

He spread his Dou Qi Wings and shot toward the Misty Cloud Sect at top speed.

"Junior Sister Yanran should be halfway there by now. I need to return to the sect before she does, or it'll be hard to explain if she finds out I wasn't home."

"W-What?!"

"The... the Jia Lie Family disappeared?!"

A shocking storm swept through Wutan City.

The Jia Lie Family, one of the three great families, had vanished in an instant.

All that remained was a vast plot of land and ashes scattering in the wind.

At this moment—

Before Jia Lie Mansion—

Countless people gathered, discussing the matter heatedly.

"The Jia Lie Family must have angered the gods!"

"That's terrifying. They didn't even leave behind a single dog!"

"With one less rival, the Xiao Family and Ao Ba Family must be grinning from ear to ear!"

Within the crowd—

Xiao Xun'er looked at the open ground still carrying traces of freezing cold and scorching heat, her delicate brows knit together. The Golden Emperor Heavenly Flame within her body flickered slightly.

For some reason, she suddenly thought of that handsome young man whom Jia Lie Bi had provoked earlier...