Reason

Strike force like steel, aiming straight at Li Xian's heavenly spirit.

If this claw hit, his entire skull would likely be shattered!

Yet, facing this thunderous strike descending at the critical moment of ambush, Li Xian-who appeared to have exhausted his old strength and not yet generated new strength-suddenly took a deep breath.

Limitless Myriad Forms!

The sea accepts a hundred rivers, achievements encompass myriad forms, and qi swallows Limitlessness!

The next moment, the Origin Core formed by gathering blood qi through Limitless Myriad Forms erupted with a roar!

That ball of Primordial Unity, the Core Force that originally governed the circulation of blood qi and force throughout the body, was fully released, transforming into a surging, majestic force that filled every corner of Li Xian's limbs and bones!

Under Liu Fu's somewhat shocked and incredulous gaze, he suddenly made his move, clenching his hand into a fist and meeting head-on the talons of the Internal Organs Realm martial master who was swooping down like an eagle diving from the sky.

"Bang!"

Fist and claws intersected!

Clearly Li Xian's tendons and bones were not yet formed, and clearly Li Xian's internal organs were not yet robust!

Yet relying on the eruption of the Core Force, this strike—which seemed to condense his entire body's force and was poised for action—surpassed Liu Fu by a notch!

Especially since fist force inherently held the advantage against the claw force formed by five curved fingers, causing the instant their forces collided, Liu Fu clearly felt the finger bones, palm bones, and wrist bones of his own hand snap simultaneously like fine steel!

The force penetrated, vibrating like needle pricks, further shaking the structure of the ulna and radius, causing the joints within to fracture from the shock.

The ten fingers are linked to the heart.

"Ah!"

The intense pain made Liu Fu's face twitch violently. He had rarely engaged in life-or-death combat with others in the nearly ten years since achieving Viscera Great Accomplishment, and could not help but let out a shrill scream.

Yet before his scream had time to fully spread, Li Xian's figure had already followed closely behind.

Force starts from the feet!

Power surges like a wave!

The left hand draws the saber!

The cold saber light, carrying a dazzling and brilliant radiance, surged upward right behind his body, which had been knocked off-balance by the fist force and lost its center of gravity.

"Not good!"

Liu Fu saw this saber clearly.

But...

Too fast!

This saber was as fast as a startling flash!

Especially the upward-slashing angle of this saber, which precisely seized the critical moment when he was pouncing through the air and had his strongest grab shattered!

At this moment, Liu Fu's thoughts raced like lightning and flint.

I calculate people, and people likewise calculate me.

During the period when Li Xian broke through the interception of more than twenty guards, he never let him find an opportunity to strike; how could he suddenly reveal an opening when he was closest to him?

Only because his true task was to protect the First Madam, to the extent that after Li Xian slaughtered his way through the guards, the situation had already become imminent, and even the slightest opportunity would force him to make a move.

And the moment he made that move, his outcome was already sealed.

In life-or-death combat, I could never fail so easily! Yet my status destined me to fight only for others and die for others, to the extent that when facing such a martial artist with an I-am-invincible, pressing-ever-onward momentum, I forgot that the self is the foundation of all strength...

Liu Fu launched a desperate counterattack, thrusting out his left hand in a vain attempt at a Bare-Handed Blade Catch, trying to seize the upward-slashing edge!

But...

He underestimated the swiftness of the saber light unleashed by the eruption of the Core Force!

And he overestimated the speed of his own hasty counter-strike and grab!

"Swish!"

Blood spurted into the air.

Liu Fu's entire palm, lunging toward the blade, was severed in mid-air!

The edge of the saber was sharp, cutting in from the tiger's mouth of the palm, reaching straight to the radius, and tearing its way out!

Moreover, with momentum unchecked, it cut into Liu Fu's chest, then with the force of a splitting bamboo, cleaved upward from bottom to top, splitting the chin, bridge of the nose, and glabella of this Internal Organs Realm expert, carving out a straight red line and slashing high into the sky.

His eyes held unwillingness as he nevertheless turned his head with difficulty, looking toward Mo Caiying, the First Madam, who was already filled with terror.

Opening his mouth, he seemed to spit out a single word...

"Run..."

Yet Li Xian, who had slashed out this saber, did not pause at all.

He did not even glance at this Fourth Realm martial master again.

His figure lowered, resembling a compressed spring.

The next moment, the bent spring snapped straight.

Accompanied by the floorboards where Li Xian stood shattering with a bang and dust flying everywhere, his figure had already darted out like an arrow from a string. Before the First Madam, Mo Caiying, had time to get up, the blood-stained long saber in his hand, carrying a biting chill, swept toward the Marquis's wife's neck.

"Ah!"

"Husband, don't!"

"No!"

"Protect the madam!"

Cries of panic and terror resounded through the courtyard!

But...

Too late!

Facing over twenty guards, what Li Xian did was to use speed to counter slowness, giving no one a chance to react and encircle him!

As Li Xian arrived, the saber light turned, and already a crimson bloodstain was left on the First Madam Mo Caiying's white, jade-like neck.

"No!"

"Ah! Don't!"

The screams of Fang Xin and Mo Caiying pierced the sky.

Yet in the end, the scene anticipated by everyone—the First Madam being beheaded by a single saber strike—did not occur.

Li Xian's saber circled around Mo Caiying's neck, but aside from leaving a streak of blood, it did not sever her entire head.

Only the First Madam's terrified screams stimulated everyone's nerves.

Until...

"Quiet!"

Li Xian's indifferent voice sounded.

Mo Caiying's terrified, despairing screams came to an abrupt halt.

She suddenly opened her eyes wide, feeling the icy, biting chill on her neck, her whole person struck as if by lightning, her wide-open mouth pressing the sound deep into her throat, sitting blankly in the chair without daring to move a fraction more.

The saber in Li Xian's hand stopped steadily against Mo Caiying's neck, yet his gaze swept over a young girl who was also present.

Zhang Yao.

The reason his saber was reined in owed a great deal of credit to this little girl's words: "Husband, don't."

At this time, two dozen guards hurried forward, surrounding Li Xian.

Fang Xin, who led them, shouted sternly: "Li Xian, what do you want?! Put away your saber immediately. The madam is a court-titled lady; if you dare touch a single hair of the madam's, it is tantamount to killing officials and rebelling! When the time comes, for all the vastness of the world, no one will be able to protect you!"

Li Xian did not reply, merely glancing at the First Madam before reaching out...

And directly plucking out a hair of hers.

The sudden, sharp pain caused Mo Caiying's body to tremble uncontrollably.

Yet with the saber held against her neck, even though terror filled her heart, she still did not dare to move the slightest bit.

Otherwise, if things went wrong and her throat was slit by the blade, she would not even have the chance to regret it.

Li Xian opened his palm, letting the gentle breeze blow past and sweep away this single hair.

Then he turned to Fang Xin: "And then?"

Fang Xin opened his mouth, and his full belly of blustering words was entirely choked back.

Especially when he noticed the First Madam glaring fiercely at him, as if she even had the thought of killing him, he experienced a burst of dry mouth, completely at a loss for what to say at this moment.

The scene suddenly plunged into a dead silence.

Seeing the situation deteriorate to the worst possible case, Tan Zhang, that guard, sighed inwardly and had to step forward: "Young Master Li, let's talk this over reasonably. How could it come to such a state..."

However...

Connecting this to his conversation with Li Xian upon arrival and looking at the chief steward's corpse on the ground...

The corners of his mouth could not help twitching slightly either.

Yet the current situation...

It had to be dealt with.

They and the Marquis's Residence shared glory and ruin; they could not simply allow the situation to remain deadlocked.

Therefore, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and say: "Whatever Young Master Li's demands are, just name them. I believe that as long as it is possible, the madam will surely agree... Besides, Commander Fang is right, you should put down the saber first. The madam has a noble status; should she suffer even the slightest injury, I'm afraid it will be hard for Young Master Li to find a place to stay anywhere in Jiangzhou."

"What does it matter?"

Li Xian tilted his head slightly and glanced at him: "If I cannot stay in Jiangzhou, I can go to other prefectures. If I cannot stay in other prefectures, I can leave the Great Zhou Dynasty. A great man roams the world; where can he not make a home?"

These words...

To say nothing of Tan Zhang, even Fang Xin felt his scalp tingle upon hearing them.

Fearless and unbridled.

They could hear that Li Xian's words were not a deliberate display of bravado; he genuinely did not care.

Because he cared nothing, he was fearless.

Because he was fearless, he was unbridled.

If he had already prepared to wander the ends of the earth and slaughter everyone in their Marquis's Residence, including the First Madam, to the last, he would absolutely feel not the slightest psychological burden!

Tan Zhang gritted his teeth and continued: "Young Master Li may be able to be carefree and far away, but the people around you will inevitably suffer retaliation. When the time comes, innocent people will die because of you, and your conscience will not rest easy..."

"If the Marquis's Residence can truly wantonly retaliate against others, then one day when my cultivation achieves success, returning to wipe out the entire Marquis's Residence, including all of you who act as malicious ghosts, will also be entirely justified."

Li Xian said indifferently.

At this, Tan Zhang was also left speechless.

This "Young Master Li" had already severed ties with all teachers, family, and relatives back when he married into the Marquis's Residence.

If the Marquis's Residence really implicated his family, not only might it fail to truly cause him much impact, but in the future, it might genuinely bring down a disaster of total extermination upon the entire Marquis's Residence.

A barefoot person is not afraid of someone wearing shoes.

At this moment, Tan Zhang, Fang Xin, and even the First Madam all realized with a start.

Unless they could invite a top-tier expert to directly beat Li Xian to death with a single stroke, he-unattached and unfettered-was simply unsolvable.

Idiots!

Deep inside, the First Madam cursed Tan Zhang, Fang Xin, and the others to death.

She had been reading expressions all along and knew that Zhang Yao seemed to have a good relationship with Li Xian; crude martial brutes were incapable of accomplishing tasks, so she hurriedly signaled Zhang Yao in secret.

Zhang Yao looked at Li Xian...

Her little head was buzzing.

She completely failed to understand how the husband who was still asking her about the Nine Martial Realms a dozen days ago had suddenly returned to the Marquis's Residence as a Fourth Realm martial master, running amok as if the Marquis's Residence's experts were nothing and holding the First Madam hostage.

Now receiving the First Madam's eye signal...

Hesitating in her heart, she still stepped forward in the end: "Husband, I beg you not to hurt the First Madam... Whatever demands you have, you can make them to the First Madam."

Li Xian glanced at Zhang Yao.

His gaze lingered on her for a moment.

Yet he knew that showing too much closeness might not necessarily be a good thing, so he presently just shifted his gaze away with a calm expression and turned to Tan Zhang: "What my demands are, I imagine Guard Tan is very clear. Had you not sought this out yourselves, my trip to the Marquis's Residence this time would never have happened."

Mo Caiying immediately turned her gaze to Tan Zhang.

"What Young Master Li seeks is for well water not to infringe upon river water."

Tan Zhang described it in a euphemistic manner.

"Very well."

Mo Caiying said hastily: "Li Xian, I can promise you that we will never come looking for trouble with you again."

As she spoke, her well-maintained face even squeezed out a difficult smile: "I admit that the Marquis's Residence has indeed fallen somewhat short where you are concerned during this period. In the future, I will definitely make the people below universally correct themselves, respecting you as the husband of the estate. We are family to begin with, and daily interactions should be harmonious; there is no need to resort to crossing swords and making a spectacle for others to laugh at."

"Very good, you have learned to reason."

Li Xian calmly withdrew the saber held against Mo Caiying's neck.

As soon as the saber left her body, Mo Caiying staggered at the feet, retreating several steps in succession.

Guards like Fang Xin and Tan Zhang also stepped forward swiftly, shielding Mo Caiying behind them and staring at Li Xian with faces full of vigilance.

However...

No one dared to make a move.

When Liu Fu—a Fourth Realm expert who had achieved Viscera Great Accomplishment—was alive, he failed to stop Li Xian from capturing the First Madam alive. Now, with no expert in Internal Organ Refinement to block him, wouldn't angering him further be seeking one's own death?

"And the eighty taels of silver-did you forget?"

Li Xian looked at Tan Zhang.

First Madam Mo Caiying also understood the reason for the "eighty taels" of silver from the guards’ earlier description, and immediately ordered her personal first-class maid: "Fetch eighty taels of silver!"

The maid directly retrieved a one-hundred-tael silver note from her person.

Li Xian took it, yet dug twenty taels of silver out from his own person to make change and returned it.

This behavior left the maid at a complete loss.

Li Xian paid her no heed; he did not even look at Zhang Yao again, forcibly thrusting the silver into the maid's hand...

"Farewell."

(End of chapter)