To the Death

A naked threat.

But no matter how Zhao Hong looked at it, he could not accept this threat in the slightest.

Zhao Hong grinned. "Just the four of them can represent the Yang Family, the Chen Family, and the Wang Family?"

Yang Erhe's eyes turned cold.

"That is not something you need to worry about."

"You have not seen Yang Feng and the other four."

"Name your terms."

I name the terms?

Zhao Hong curled his lips. "How about you cripple your own cultivation and get the hell out of the Judge's Office?"

"You don't know what's good for you."

Yang Erhe's face turned ashen as killing intent poured from him.

He had told him to name his terms, not to spout nonsense.

"Being able to kill a Mystic Embryo cultivator alone makes you somebody. But do not overestimate yourself."

"I will give you one martial art, ten Profound Earth Pills, and five thousand taels."

What Yang Erhe offered was indeed quite generous.

The martial art would not be inferior.

Ten Profound Earth Pills were no small sum either.

And there were another five thousand taels of silver.

However, Zhao Hong had never intended to yield from beginning to end.

He shook his head slightly. "Sorry, I do not know what Lord Yang is talking about."

Yang Erhe forcibly suppressed his anger. "Zhao Hong, don't refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit!"

"Lord Yang, I do not drink."

Drink my ass.

The killing intent around Yang Erhe abruptly surged.

Whoosh!

The house shook violently.

The window paper popped repeatedly as dense holes appeared across it.

A palm shadow arrived in an instant.

"A mere Copper Bell Guard, and you refuse kindness when it is offered? Do you really think I do not dare touch you?"

Zhao Hong's entire body tensed as if facing a great enemy.

This bastard had to be at the late Mystic Embryo stage.

At that critical moment.

Zhao Hong twisted his body and viciously swung his hand.

Bang!

Astral qi burst in all directions.

Zhao Hong let out a muffled groan and staggered back, his arm numb and blood dripping from his palm.

Shock filled Yang Erhe's eyes. He had struck in anger, yet Zhao Hong had still managed to block it?

Blood aura, and such combat strength—hiss!

Even the Yang Family could not produce anyone like him.

"Wait, Stele-Splitting Hand?"

His eyes snapped wide as he stared fixedly at Zhao Hong's trembling palm. The stunning throw from moments ago replayed in his mind.

He was certain.

It was absolutely the Stele-Splitting Hand.

He had personally experienced this martial art before.

"What?"

Zhao Hong's pupils contracted, surprise flashing through his eyes before vanishing.

How did this man recognize the Stele-Splitting Hand?

Wait.

The Yang Family came from the prefectural city.

The Eight Desolations Six Directions Hall was also in the prefectural city.

It did not seem strange that he recognized the Stele-Splitting Hand.

"You actually know the Stele-Splitting Hand. This is a direct-line martial art of the Eight Desolations Six Directions Hall."

"Only personal disciples and registered disciples are qualified to cultivate it."

"Yet among the registered and personal disciples of the Eight Desolations Six Directions Hall, there is absolutely no one like you."

Yang Erhe's gaze was sharp, and he found it unbelievable.

Suddenly, something occurred to him.

Sixteen years old!

With such combat strength, his innate talent and physique had to be exceptional.

Could he be a disciple secretly nurtured by that old bastard?

Otherwise, how could he know the Stele-Splitting Hand?

"Mighty Vajra Finger, Cloud-Breaking Flash, Six Harmonies Saber Art."

Yang Erhe coldly named three martial arts, each one exactly right.

Zhao Hong inwardly cursed. This is bad.

To him, Yang Erhe's reaction clearly went far beyond merely recognizing the martial arts of the Eight Desolations Six Directions Hall.

There was a grudge!

"Lord Yang must have mistaken me for someone else."

Zhao Hong's expression did not change, but he was extremely wary inside.

Yang Erhe revealed a savage smile and chuckled darkly. "I may mistake other martial arts, but I could never mistake the martial arts of the Eight Desolations Six Directions Hall."

"Since you are a disciple secretly nurtured by that old bastard, it seems you still do not know what happened between my Yang Family and the Eight Desolations Six Directions Hall. Otherwise, how would you dare come somewhere with members of my Yang Family?"

"Kid, you are dead."

Killing intent surged in his eyes.

A Stele-Splitting Hand at major mastery.

Terrifying combat strength at sixteen.

Among those personal disciples of the Eight Desolations Six Directions Hall, perhaps only the eldest could once have suppressed him. The second and third were both inferior.

If a genius like this were allowed to grow, it would be no good thing for the Yang Family.

Yet in the end, reason suppressed his killing intent.

Since Zhao Hong had come to the Judge's Office, and was still within the Azure Cloud Mountains, there would be plenty of chances.

Killing Zhao Hong here on the spot would bring consequences that were too severe.

He had completely abandoned any thought of threatening Zhao Hong into changing his statement.

As for Yang Feng and the others, they could resign themselves to their fate.

"Kid, if I were you, I would run as far as I could right now."

"Enjoy your final days."

Yang Erhe slowly withdrew his killing intent, grinned, and turned to leave.

Zhao Hong's expression was extremely ugly.

The Yang Family and the Eight Desolations Six Directions Hall had a grudge.

With such an enormous reaction, it could not possibly be some minor conflict.

"Could it be because of... Uncle Yang?"

Zhao Hong immediately thought of Zhao Yang.

Damn it!

Killing intent rose in Zhao Hong's eyes.

But it soon faded.

He was still too weak.

Yang Erhe was only a Golden Bell Guard.

The Yang Family definitely had more than just Golden Bell Guards within the Judge's Office.

He looked at his right hand.

Drops of blood fell as it trembled without stop.

There was still a bit of a gap between him and a late Mystic Embryo cultivator.

Whoosh!

A figure rushed into the courtyard.

It was none other than Zhou Baishan.

"Are you all right?"

"Brother Zhou, I'm fine."

Zhao Hong shook his head slightly.

Zhou Baishan noticed Zhao Hong's bleeding palm, and his face darkened. "That bastard has no shame at all."

"We can only endure it for now."

He wanted to stand up for Zhao Hong.

But unfortunately, he was not strong enough.

Zhao Hong did not care about that.

"Brother Zhou, do you know what grudge the Yang Family in the prefectural city has with the Eight Desolations Six Directions Martial Hall?"

"The Eight Desolations Six Directions Martial Hall? That is quite an imposing name."

Zhou Baishan smacked his lips and shook his head. "I am not from the prefectural city, so I do not know."

"Is this important to you?"

Seeing Zhao Hong nod, Zhou Baishan thought for a moment. "Wait here. I'll go find Li Tai. That fellow is from the prefectural city, so he should know."

With that, he turned and left.

Zhao Hong returned to the room and took out medicine to bandage his wound.

A quarter of an hour later.

Zhou Baishan and Li Tai arrived together.

Without wasting words.

"The Eight Desolations Six Directions Martial Hall is one of the top martial halls in the prefectural city. Its old hall master, He Zhengyang, is extremely powerful, an Indestructible-level expert. Even the Yang Family has only a few people at that level."

"The martial hall does not have many disciples and its rules are quite strict. It has only a dozen or so registered disciples and four personal disciples."

"As for grudges, there had been none before. But not long ago, Hall Master He's fourth disciple had a treasure stolen by Yang Ling, the Yang Family's third young master, while outside. His Mystic Embryo was shattered and his five organs were damaged. He was basically not long for this world."

Hearing this, Zhao Hong's body shook.

It really was the Yang Family.

The Yang Family's third young master, Yang Ling.

This name was not unfamiliar to him.

When that tiger demon had appeared earlier, the red-robed inspector had cursed Yang Ling by name.

He was actually in the Judge's Office as well.

Yet what filled Zhao Hong's heart even more was killing intent.

He had found Zhao Yang's enemy.

"A disciple was gravely injured, his martial path severed. Hall Master He also has a violent temper."

Li Tai sighed. "He went directly to the Yang Family and fought a great battle, killing dozens of Yang Family members, most of them from the direct line. The incident caused a huge uproar in the prefectural city at the time, and it eventually drew the attention of important figures from the Inspection Bureau and the prefectural government."

"However, Hall Master He was only one man in the end, and he was seriously injured as well."

"I do not know any more specific details. This is the grudge between the Yang Family and the Eight Desolations Six Directions Martial Hall."

"You could say the two sides are restraining themselves openly now. Though the Yang Family is powerful, it does not dare act without restraint. There are not many people in the Eight Desolations Six Directions Martial Hall, but an Indestructible-level expert who goes mad is enough to make the Yang Family's scalp tingle. The Yang Family went too far in this matter. That treasure was found by the disciple; it would have been one thing if the Yang Family had simply seized it, but they even shattered his Mystic Embryo. Anyone would go mad."

"However, if they encounter each other in secret, it will absolutely be to the death."