In the Green Nether Mountains lay Yu Family Village. The Yu Family was a cultivation clan of Zhao State, and Yu Zitong had come from there. Its patriarch, Yu Minghui, was at early Foundation Establishment.
Yu Zitong had been born into a branch of the Yu Family. His parents had died young, and by the time he left home, only his grandfather remained alive!
This white-haired old man was none other than his grandfather, Yu Changhai, a ninth-level Qi Refining cultivator.
One day four years ago, the Soul Token Yu Zitong had left with the clan suddenly shattered. Yu Changhai's hair turned white overnight. Yu Zitong had been the only member of the younger generation left in his branch!
Yet Yu Changhai was already old and could no longer carry on his bloodline. He was merely an External Affairs Elder in the clan, so all these years, he could only send its outer disciples to help search for the killer!
Three days later, close to noon, five or six hundred guests from afar streamed toward the gates of Mo Mansion.
Duan Tianfeng, master of the Heavenly Tyrant Sect, arrived, followed by people from the Iron Spear Society, the Sworn Brotherhood Society, the Green Robe Gang, the Spring Rain Pavilion, the Golden Sword Sect, the Cang River Boat Gang, the Vajra Sect, the Setting Sun School, and other factions.
Some knew one another, while others had only heard of each other's reputations and had never met. For a time, greetings and introductions filled the hall with a clamor.
Among the day's guests, some certainly enjoyed considerable fame and standing in the martial world, but others were clearly shady characters.
The gang members and disciples of Mo Mansion directed the cooks and servants as they set up some two hundred banquet tables inside and out.
Mo Juren's relatives, retainers, accountants, and others respectfully invited the guests to take their seats.
Suddenly, two gunshots boomed outside the gates, followed by a loud burst of drums and music, along with gongs and shouted orders to clear the way. Some government official had clearly arrived. As the gathered martial artists paused in surprise, they saw Mo Juren hurry out of the inner hall in a brand-new robe of finished silk gauze. They called out their congratulations.
"City Lord, I never expected you to find time to come despite your busy schedule!"
Chen Ming briefly cupped his hands and walked toward the gates. A little later, he returned, respectfully accompanying an official in formal robes. It was none other than Tuo Hai, the city lord of Jiayuan City. Several officials and constables followed him. Everyone recognized one of the constables: Chief Constable Nie Yuan. Their party numbered exactly ten, enough for a table of their own.
The gangs of Jiayuan City, great and small, inevitably had to cultivate ties with the authorities. Today was his joyous occasion, so it was hardly surprising that local officials had come to pay a perfunctory visit.
Did anyone really think these gangs could have survived until now without the authorities' tacit approval? If the authorities wished, they could wipe out these martial sects at any time.
In the mortal world, the imperial court was the true overlord. In its eyes, these so-called martial sects were nothing more than stray cats and dogs incapable of stirring up any real waves. As long as they did not rebel, the court generally ignored them. But the moment they dared revolt, it would send an army to crush them!
After three rounds of wine, the sky gradually darkened, and the guests began leaving one after another. Once the last group had been seen off, the servants were just about to close the gates!
"Kill!"
A low voice rang out, and two young figures charged from the shadows, one on either side. They were the two who had been at the teahouse that day. On the left was a pretty young woman, and on the right was Yu Xiaodong, who had gone back to report the news.
"Ah! Ah! Ah!..."
Chen Ming and the others were discussing the remaining arrangements in the main hall when they suddenly heard screams from outside.
Chen Ming frowned and rose, and everyone headed outside. Four or five gang members were already lying in pools of blood. An old man and two youngsters stood surrounded by dozens of Amazing Flood Dragon Society members wielding broadswords.
"Who dares come to Mo Mansion to cause trouble?"
Seeing Chen Ming approach, the Amazing Flood Dragon Society members made way for him to reach the front. Chen Ming carefully studied the three before him and searched his memory, but he could not recall ever having crossed paths with them.
"Don't bother thinking. It's perfectly normal that you don't know me! One name will clear things up. You know Yu Zitong, don't you?"
Yu Changhai stepped forward, first signaling Yu Xiaoqing and Yu Xiaodong to stop fighting. He stared straight at Chen Ming, unable to conceal the murderous intent in his eyes.
"Oh! You're from the Yu Family!"
Chen Ming scrutinized them, releasing his spiritual sense to examine their cultivation carefully. The young man surnamed Yu was only at the fifth level of Qi Refining, and the young woman was at the fourth. Yet he could not discern the white-haired old man's cultivation.
"Stop probing. I'm at the ninth level of Qi Refining. With your mere seventh-level cultivation, you can't see through me!"
Sensing the probing spiritual sense, Yu Changhai looked at Chen Ming with contempt. Seeing that he was only at the seventh level of Qi Refining, Yu Changhai was in no hurry to attack. As far as he knew, a seventh-level cultivator could not possibly escape from a ninth-level cultivator like him!
Had he known that Yu Zitong, despite being at the seventh level of Qi Refining, had failed to defeat Mo Juren before the latter even began cultivating, he would not have been so relaxed!
"From your tone, it sounds like you think you've got me in the palm of your hand!"
Had his opponent been at the twelfth level of Qi Refining, Chen Ming would have turned and fled without another word. But against someone at the ninth level, he felt no fear at all.
Upon hearing this, the Amazing Flood Dragon Society members and Mo Juren's wives and daughters hurriedly backed away. It was not as though they had never seen cultivators before; cultivators often appeared in Jiayuan City. A large part of the reason Mo Juren had fallen for Yu Zitong's temptations was that he knew of their magical battles and had even witnessed them, which had stirred his longing.
Once everyone around him had retreated into the hall, Chen Ming struck instantly. As the saying went, the first to strike gained the upper hand. In a flash, he rushed in front of Yu Xiaoqing and unleashed a palm strike, using his signature technique, Demon Silver Hand. Silver light shone from his right hand as he drove it toward her chest.
Faced with his sudden appearance, Yu Xiaoqing hastily retreated. Realizing she was too late, she raised her sword to block. The gap in their strength was too great, and his blow snapped her sword. Although that softened the force, the palm still struck her chest hard. She spat out a mouthful of blood, staggered back several steps, and collapsed, clutching her chest. Her injuries looked severe.
"Xiao Qing, how are you? Are you all right?"
Seeing Yu Xiaoqing fall, Yu Xiaodong hurried over to help her up and asked anxiously!
Chen Ming had struck so suddenly that even Yu Changhai failed to react in time. By the time he moved to attack, Yu Xiaoqing had already been knocked to the ground.
Yu Changhai instantly flew into a rage. Facing this man who had no martial honor, he hurriedly unleashed the Yu Family's Seven Star Fist. His fists darted like shadows, sending seven fist images toward seven major acupoints on the front of Chen Ming's body. Six were false and one was real-that was the subtle brilliance of this fist technique.
Chen Ming dodged left and right, refusing to meet him head-on. Using his movement skills, he circled behind Yu Changhai and occasionally threw a palm strike. Whenever the old man moved to clash directly, he switched from attack to defense.
The two traded blows, neither able to get the better of the other for the moment. As they fought, Chen Ming secretly took a packet of medicinal powder from inside his robes.
"Sneak attack!"
Chen Ming gave a low shout, and a cloud of white powder flew out. He quickly put distance between them, then charged toward Yu Xiaodong and Yu Xiaoqing outside the gates.
A Fireball Technique struck Yu Xiaodong. Caught off guard, he could only muster his spiritual power to resist, and he too was gravely wounded. Just as Chen Ming was about to finish them both off, he heard the rush of wind behind him and hurriedly dodged aside.
Mo Juren's greatest expertise lay in medicine and poison. The name Doctor Mo was not for nothing. During this prolonged back-and-forth battle, Yu Changhai had unknowingly been struck by a deadly poison. Suddenly, he spat out a mouthful of black blood, and his head began to swim.
"You..."
Yu Changhai abruptly stopped attacking and pointed at Chen Ming in disbelief. Before he could finish speaking, Chen Ming punched him in the neck, sending him crumpling to the ground.
"Someone, tie them up!"
Looking at the three barely clinging to life, Chen Ming shouted into the mansion!