Settling Old Grudges

A blade was a swordsman's weapon; blade techniques were a swordsman's will.

Wherever the will pointed, nothing was indestructible!

In that instant, a flash of insight streaked through Zhang Yuan's mind.

He drew a deep breath, suddenly darted forward, and swung another slash at Bodyguard Lu, who was retreating step by step.

At that moment, Zhang Yuan had completely emptied his body and mind, feeling so light that he seemed about to take flight.

Not a single stray thought remained in his heart. His eyes held only the blade he wielded!

This strike not only carried the spark of inspiration bestowed by Intermediate Blade Technique Proficiency, but also the infusion of Fourfold Strength and the enhancement of double agility.

Silent and swift as lightning, it swept across his opponent's throat in an instant.

Bodyguard Lu only saw a flash of blade light before his eyes. He instinctively raised his weapon to block, only for a chill to pass over his throat.

His heart immediately sank.

The formidable martial artist shuddered all over, standing frozen with his blade in hand, his eyes filled with utter disbelief.

He wanted to say something, but his throat gave two gurgling sounds, and blood gushed from his mouth.

Then he toppled headfirst to the ground.

Not a breath remained!

Yet after cutting down his powerful enemy in a single strike, Zhang Yuan did not stop fighting.

He turned around and slashed down the three servants clustered around Chen Yuanwai and the others, along with the Weasel-faced Advisor, one by one.

One slash, one kill—every strike was fatal!

Zhang Yuan even gave the Weasel-faced Advisor an extra slash.

Splat! Splat!

Fresh blood sprayed over the faces and bodies of Chen Family's father and four sons again. They stood dumbstruck, their souls scattering in terror.

"Young Hero, spare our lives!"

Chen Deping—Chen, the Great Landowner—abruptly dropped to his knees and repeatedly kowtowed to Zhang Yuan. "As long as you spare us, anything you want is yours! Gold, silver, treasures, houses, shops—I'll give you all of it!"

Seeing that his three sons were still standing there in a daze, he snarled, "What are you staring at? Kneel!"

Chen Yuanwai knew perfectly well that their lives and deaths rested on a single thought from Zhang Yuan.

The more arrogant and domineering he had been before, the more humble and terrified he was now!

At Chen Deping's roar, his three sons all fell to their knees, not daring to show the slightest defiance.

That included the eldest young master who had once regarded Zhang Yuan as mere dirt beneath his feet.

Zhang Yuan held his long blade and coldly watched the four members of the Chen Family kneeling before him.

A drop of crimson blood slid from the tip of his blade.

It fell into the dust.

He suddenly asked, "Why did you come to Chen Family Village to blast mountains and build roads?"

This was the greatest question in Zhang Yuan's heart.

The Chen Family had thrown themselves into such obvious suicidal folly with blazing enthusiasm. Surely their brains had not been kicked by donkeys?

Chen Deping swallowed and carefully replied, "It was an order from the main family."

The main family he spoke of was naturally the Linhe Chen Clan!

According to Chen Deping, it had been the Chen Clan's patriarch himself who ordered him to move his entire household to Chen Family Village and take charge of the mountain-blasting and road-building project—if he failed to complete the task, he could forget about returning for the rest of his life!

As the saying went, an arm could not twist a thigh. As a branch member of the Linhe Chen Clan, Chen Deping had no power whatsoever to resist the clan's arrangements and could only obediently relocate to Chen Family Village.

Only through his efforts had the women of his household been allowed to remain temporarily in the County Town.

Chen Deping even sounded quite aggrieved as he spoke.

Zhang Yuan could not help asking, "Then what is your Chen Clan doing this for?"

But this question brought a look of terror to Chen Deping's face, and he hesitated, not daring to answer.

Not until Zhang Yuan impatiently placed his long blade against his neck.

"A Celestial."

Facing the threat of death, Chen Deping trembled as he gave the answer. "They say it was at the request of a Celestial."

A Celestial?

Zhang Yuan found the term utterly unfamiliar. He had never heard it in his memories. "What is that?"

Yet Chen Deping clamped his mouth shut again.

"Forget it."

Zhang Yuan suddenly lost all interest and did not wish to press him further.

His right hand gripping the blade abruptly exerted force.

The sharp edge mercilessly sliced open the landowner's throat!

"Father!"

Chen Deping's three sons cried out together, all of them staring wide-eyed in shock.

The father they had seen as powerful and capable of anything had died just like that?

Grief, fury, terror, despair...

They coiled around every one of their hearts!

The youngest among them wet his pants on the spot and could not help bursting into loud sobs.

Fortunately, Zhang Yuan was kindhearted and truly could not bear to see blood relatives separated.

So his blade rose and fell, cutting down all three Chen sons.

In truth, whether Chen Deping cooperated or not, Zhang Yuan could never release a tiger back into the mountains and leave himself such a grave hidden danger.

More importantly, if he spared the Chen Family, then who would spare the hundreds of people in Chen Family Village?

How innocent were those villagers!

Therefore, even when he cut down the youngest Chen child, Zhang Yuan's heart did not stir in the slightest.

These people deserved to die.

Glancing at the black mist spreading across the distant hills and wilds, Zhang Yuan swiftly searched the bodies of Chen Family's father and sons, as well as Bodyguard Lu, as quickly as he could.

In the end, he found only a few silver notes and some loose silver coins.

The outbreak of Fierce Spirits in Thousand Peak Mountain had been so sudden and violent that the Chen Family members living in the village had clearly fled in haste. It was only natural that they had not carried great quantities of wealth on them.

Zhang Yuan did not particularly value money. What disappointed him was that he had not found any martial arts manuals for fist techniques, blade arts, or the like.

The Boulder Foundation Skill he had found on Sun Bodyguard last time had clearly been an isolated case.

Ordinary people were unlikely to carry manuals around with them either.

Shaking his head, Zhang Yuan used his remaining time to sacrifice the corpses on the ground one by one.

He had completely settled the grudges between himself and the Chen Family!

Having escaped the pursuit of the black mist earlier and then fought a powerful enemy like Bodyguard Lu, he had consecutively activated the abilities of three hosts. His qi and blood had now fallen close to the warning line.

If he encountered danger again, things would be very bad indeed.

Thus, the moment the sacrifices were complete, Zhang Yuan immediately fled.

He still took secluded back roads, preferring to travel farther rather than take the main-road shortcuts that might bring danger.

Not long after Zhang Yuan left, only the time it took to burn a stick of incense, the black mist spread over.

It swallowed all the clothes and ashes on the ground!

Zhang Yuan naturally knew none of this. He returned to the County Town before the city gates closed.

By then, Linhe County had already become a scene of panicked alarm, as though every rustle of wind and blade of grass concealed enemies.

The shops along the bustling streets had mostly closed for business. Every household had shut its doors and windows tight, and not a pedestrian could be seen in the streets or alleys.

Only squads of fully armed soldiers patrolled the streets with tense expressions.

The strange incident in Thousand Peak Mountain had undoubtedly had an immense impact on the County Town.

Before long, booming drums sounded from the City God Temple, each beat carrying across the entire town as though striking every person's heart.

A heavy shadow fell over everyone's hearts!

"Thank heaven!"

Inside the residence at the very end of Fishmonger Alley, when Zhang's Mother saw Zhang Yuan return safely, the stone hanging over her heart finally dropped.

She touched her son's face, tears welling uncontrollably from the corners of her eyes.

They were tears of joy and relief.