The Groom Finally Arrives [Seeking Follow-up]

Lu Jing'an and Chen Xuan returned to the Lin Family estate by car.

Before they even stepped out, the scene of devastation was already visible.

The vermilion gates had long since vanished.

Sections of the courtyard walls had collapsed.

The ground was littered with broken bricks, shattered tiles, and dried mud.

Only the red silk and colorful ribbons hung for the wedding remained.

They dangled miserably between the ruined beams and rafters.

Shuddering as the wind caught them.

The color of that red fabric seemed eerily more intense than when Lu Jing'an had left.

So red it verged on black, with beads of blood slowly coalescing along the edges.

Drip by drip, they seeped into the soil below.

Blooming into dark, spreading flowers.

Seeing Lu Jing'an's vehicle arrive, several subordinates in black rushed forward.

With swift and practiced movements, they used clean wooden planks and stones found from who knows where.

Within the filthy, chaotic courtyard.

They forcibly paved a narrow yet tidy path.

They stood with hands at their sides, solemn and respectful.

Terrified that Young Master Lu's polished, bespoke leather shoes might be stained by even a speck of dust or blood.

Lu Jing'an's expression remained calm.

Following this hastily cleared path, he walked slowly into the center of the courtyard.

At this moment, the vast courtyard was nearly filled with corpses.

Those of the Lin Family and the Li Family.

Lying helter-skelter, frozen in their final moments.

Lin Shouxin lay on his back.

Aside from a few wrinkles, his clothes were relatively neat.

Only the striking blood hole in the center of his forehead served as a decent end.

Lin Qingyi, however, was a different story.

Her bridal attire was riddled with honeycomb-like bullet holes, soaked in dark red.

Lu Jing'an's gaze swept over her, and he understood.

This was likely the work of his subordinates, Who, convinced that this former fiancée had insulted him, Took advantage of the chaos to vent their anger.

He shook his head almost imperceptibly.

He was not a petty man, Or rather, He had never truly held this short-sighted young lady of the Lin Family in his eyes, Let alone harbored a grudge.

It was just that his subordinates always loved to prove their loyalty in such ways.

He did not stop, walking straight past the Lin Family members toward the Li Family camp on the other side.

At the head was Li Jinglin.

This self-proclaimed brilliant strategist of the Li Family, Had not been spared either, his body covered in bullet holes.

He must have felt he held the winning hand at the time.

Positioning himself at the front, he became the most obvious target the moment the gunfire erupted.

Lu Jing'an paused briefly before him.

His gaze remained devoid of ripples.

He then turned toward his true objective: the corpses of the four cultivators.

Three Martial Cultivators and one Smoke Cultivator were laid out separately in a corner, appearing distinctly different from the rest.

The elderly Smoke Cultivator lay slumped on the ground, eyes wide open as if filled with lingering resentment, his jaw still clamped tightly around the brass mouthpiece of an ebony-stemmed long pipe.

The moment Lu Jing'an's gaze fixed upon the pipe, a faint glimmer invisible to ordinary eyes rose in his pupils, and a line of text quietly flashed:

[Refining/Repairable item detected. Please select?]

"Keep that pipe safe."

Lu Jing'an turned his head and whispered the order to a trusted subordinate at his side.

"Yes, Young Master."

The subordinate replied crisply, stepping forward to carefully pry open the Smoke Cultivator's clenched teeth.

He retrieved the pipe, which still held the warmth of the body.

After wiping it clean with a pristine white handkerchief, he wrapped it carefully and tucked it into an inner pocket.

This was spoils of war; there was no reason to return it to the Li Family.

If the Li Family were to ask about it later, a simple "destroyed by the hands of Nine-Fingered Yama" would be the perfect explanation.

As the pipe left the body, a new prompt appeared over the Smoke Cultivator's corpse:

[Refining/Repairable soul detected. Collect?]

"[Collect]."

Lu Jing'an's thoughts stirred.

He then walked toward the other two Martial Cultivators.

Similar prompts appeared, and he chose to collect them as well.

Finally, he stopped before the corpse of the great Martial Cultivator who had broken through the Blood Barrier.

This man had the fewest wounds on his body.

Aside from a few shallow bruises and torn clothing, there was only a clear, indented fist mark over his heart.

It was clearly a fatal blow that had shattered his heart in one strike.

Lu Jing'an mused to himself that although the battle between this man and his master, Chen Xuan, had appeared intense, the man had actually been thoroughly suppressed from start to finish, which was why he had died so cleanly and swiftly.

[Refining/Repairable soul detected. Collect?]

"[Collect]."

Lu Jing'an confirmed.

He couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation regarding what kind of Affix could be refined from the soul of this great Martial Cultivator.

Having finished inspecting the four cultivators' corpses, Lu Jing'an looked around the blood-soaked courtyard, where there was barely a place to stand, and frowned slightly.

"Master, the courtyard is filthy. Let's wait in the car."

Lu Jing'an said to Chen Xuan, who had been guarding his side in silence.

"Very well." Chen Xuan nodded, having no objections.

The two had just settled into the car when Section Chief Liu of the Public Security Bureau hurried over to the side of the vehicle.

Lowering his voice through the car window, he said:

"Young Master Lu, the Bureau Chief asked me to relay a message to you. As for the Qian Family, it has been resolved—cleanly and efficiently."

Lu Jing'an showed no surprise, merely nodding slightly.

He spoke to another attendant by his side:

"Take Section Chief Liu to the back of the car, bring out the 'tea money' we prepared, and distribute it among the brothers who put in the effort today.

Everyone has worked hard."

"Yes, Young Master."

The attendant acknowledged the order and led Section Chief Liu to the trunk of the sedan.

As the lid was lifted, Section Chief Liu's breath hitched.

A sea of silver, piles of gleaming white ocean dollars filled the space.

The glare was so bright it was almost blinding.

A quick estimate suggested there was no less than forty thousand!

He had guessed the Lu Family would offer a generous reward, but he hadn't expected it to be this substantial.

The entire Yinshan Public Security Bureau had turned out, totaling nearly two hundred men.

This meant that, on average, each person would receive over two hundred silver dollars!

For these security officers, a monthly salary of ten dollars was already top-tier pay in Yinshan County.

These two hundred dollars were nearly two years' worth of salary!

Rubbing his hands together, Section Chief Liu hurried back to Lu Jing'an's car window, his tone filled with excitement and a perfectly measured sense of trepidation:

"Young Master Lu, this... this reward is too heavy; the brothers are unworthy of such generosity!"

Lu Jing'an waved his hand, his tone indifferent yet beyond questioning:

"For the sake of the Lu Family, you brothers risked your lives and took up arms; this is what you deserve.

Just distribute it as I instructed."

"Yes! On behalf of all the brothers, I thank Young Master Lu for this grand reward!"

Section Chief Liu bowed deeply, then asked, "However, regarding the specific distribution of this amount, please instruct me, Young Master Lu."

Lu Jing'an had already thought out the plan and spoke slowly:

"All brothers who participated in the operation, regardless of rank, shall be issued two years' worth of salary.

Those who sustained minor injuries during the operation will receive an additional half-year's salary.

Those with serious injuries will receive an additional year.

Should any brothers have unfortunately fallen in battle, a one-time pension of five years' salary will be provided to their families.

If their families have sons of age, the Yinshan Public Security Bureau shall prioritize their employment."

Section Chief Liu nodded repeatedly as he listened, his heart warming.

This plan was not only generous but also thorough and benevolent.

He feared that many of the brothers who hadn't been injured would secretly regret not sustaining a minor wound, just to collect an extra half-year's reward.

"If this money is not enough, there is more in the car following behind."

Lu Jing'an pointed to the other sedan trailing them.

"You two, go help Section Chief Liu move it," Lu Jing'an instructed two subordinates standing by the car.

"Oh, I wouldn't dare trouble Young Master Lu's men!"

Section Chief Liu quickly intervened, turning to shout toward the distance.

"You two, come over and lend a hand!"

The two summoned security officers trotted over.

Upon seeing the trunk full of silver dollars, their eyes went wide.

Section Chief Liu straightened his back, his voice booming to ensure everyone nearby could hear:

"Look clearly!

This is the benevolence of Young Master Lu, who sympathizes with the hard work of the brothers and has specially bestowed this 'hardship money'!

You two, carefully carry it to that open space over there."

"Tell the brothers to come over in turns and collect their rewards according to the rules! Don't any of you forget whose grace this is!"

"Yes! Thank you, Young Master Lu! Thank you, Section Chief Liu!"

The two security officers snapped back to reality, bowing and scraping toward Lu Jing'an.

After profuse thanks, they carefully lifted the crates.

The distribution point was not far from Lu Jing'an's car.

Section Chief Liu was personally overseeing the handouts.

For every person he paid, he would loudly announce their name and the amount due.

Those who received the money were all beaming with joy.

After taking the heavy silver dollars, they would consciously turn around to bow or cup their hands in respectful gratitude toward Lu Jing'an's car.

For a time, cries of "Thank you for the reward, Young Master Lu" rose one after another.

Lu Jing'an sat calmly inside the vehicle, nodding slightly through the glass.

It really is different when someone has the rank of Section Chief, he thought.

Just as the rewards were nearly finished, a security officer hurried over and whispered a few words into Section Chief Liu's ear.

Section Chief Liu's expression turned stern as he waved the man away.

He straightened his uniform and walked quickly to the side of Lu Jing'an's car.

Bowing low, he whispered in a voice kept extremely hushed:

"Young Master Lu, the people from the Li Family have arrived; their motorcade is already at the end of the street."

A nearly imperceptible curve touched the corner of Lu Jing'an's mouth.

After a busy day and so much blood spilled, wasn't this the very moment he had been waiting for?

He recalled the words Li Jinglin had shouted at Lin Shouxin earlier: "Does the Lu Family dare to return only a corpse to me?"

He sneered inwardly.

Today, the Lu Family would certainly not return just one corpse.

With so many bodies, would the Lu Family really find it convenient to store the rest?

"Understood."

Lu Jing'an's tone was flat. "When the negotiations begin, you handle it. I am but a commoner; it is not appropriate for me to participate in official business."

Section Chief Liu understood perfectly and immediately straightened his back. "This subordinate understands. I will handle it properly."

Almost as soon as Section Chief Liu's voice faded, the sound of rapid, chaotic car engines and screeching brakes approached from the distance.

Several sedans, carrying an aura of Sha Qi, screeched to a halt outside the ruined gate of the Lin Family estate.

Young Master Li, dressed in his groom's attire, looked terrifyingly livid.

Flanked by two elderly men in martial arts gear—their temples bulging and their gazes sharp as lightning—he shoved the car door open and stepped out.

His gait was unsteady, and his eye sockets were bruised from excessive indulgence, making him look completely out of place amidst the murderous atmosphere of the courtyard.

Yet, the resentment and malice on his face were thick enough to be suffocating.

Chen Xuan, who had been resting with his eyes closed, sat up slightly and said to Lu Jing'an:

"Young Master, two tough hands have arrived; their skills are not weak. I will go down to keep watch, just in case."

Lu Jing'an nodded. "I'll leave it to you, Master. Be careful."

Chen Xuan pushed the door open and stepped out in silence, standing by the vehicle with the steady, imposing presence of a mountain.

He did not step forward, yet the aura faintly enveloping the entire scene.

Was enough to make the pupils of the two old men beside Young Master Li constrict.

Their footsteps faltered instinctively, and their muscles quietly tensed.

Young Master Li, however, seemed completely unaware, or perhaps he was simply blinded by rage.

After exiting the car, he didn't even glance at the officers blocking his path, lifting his foot to barge into the courtyard.

"Halt!"

Section Chief Liu lunged forward, extending his arm.

He blocked Young Master Li's path, his expression stern and his voice booming with a cold, official rigidity:

"This is a major crime scene currently under investigation!

All unauthorized personnel are strictly prohibited from entering!"