“Something seems off, doesn’t it?” He Wenbin and Old Yuan both heard increasingly loud and close shouts, as well as the pleas for mercy from the house servants.
Before they could react, they saw Old Qi’s eldest disciple rushing over, trampling the precious flower species He Wenbin had painstakingly transplanted in the backyard, turning them into mud.
“Young Master, run! The soldiers have broken in!” the gray-clothed strongman cried out urgently.
Old Yuan had appeared at some point, shielding He Wenbin. Hearing the words, he couldn’t help but fly into a rage, roaring, “Nonsense! I have defenses set up in all three courtyards. Even if the soldiers storm the mansion, can they fly over them?!”
Tears welled in the gray-clothed strongman’s eyes as he wailed, “The main gate was blown apart! The three hundred strongmen in the front courtyard are probably all gone.”
Old Yuan still didn’t believe it. “Even if the front courtyard was breached, are the three hundred archers just for show?”
“They’re all dead, all of them. Only Old Qi is left—” The gray-clothed strongman didn’t finish his sentence.
“Clang!” The Cold Light Blade shot out like a bird from the forest, its cold gleam fully revealed. Before the strongman could finish, it severed his head, and the gushing blood instantly drenched the entire backyard.
Behind the headless corpse, a young man in a green robe stood alone, holding a blade. His green robe was spotless, but the long blade was dripping with blood!
“Young Master He, this Xiaoqi has come here admiring your reputation. This small gift, I hope you’ll accept it!”
As Ning Yue spoke, he flicked his long blade, sending the headless corpse flying towards the two men.
“Bang!” Old Yuan casually struck the corpse with his palm, tearing it into pieces, then turned to He Wenbin and said, “Young Master, you go first. This old servant will cover your retreat.”
He Wenbin’s face had already turned pale. Hearing this, he turned and ran.
Old Yuan, however, frowned, staring at Ning Yue before him, and sneered, “A mere Xiaoqi, barely having achieved Yijin (Tendon Changing), dares to be insolent in my He mansion? You truly don’t know the immensity of heaven and earth—”
“The one who doesn’t know the immensity of heaven and earth—is you, isn’t it?”
“Bang!”
A head crashed down beneath the rockery. The skull was already disfigured, but the white hair and beard were stained red with blood.
Uncle Fu, with his hands clasped behind his back, took a step forward unhurriedly, and was already standing behind Ning Yue.
Old Yuan looked at the grimacing head, and his eyes couldn’t help but turn red. It was Old Qi who had died!
Old Qi, a master of the Blood Exchange Realm, had been beheaded for display!
How had the battle devolved to this point?
Old Yuan felt dizzy, unable to comprehend it no matter how hard he tried.
Uncle Fu no longer held back. He extended his five fingers and, with a gentle grab, the entire space seemed to be squeezed and collapse. Old Yuan was pulled forward by this grab, forced to raise his weapon to resist.
Boom!
The aftermath of a Blood Exchange Realm master’s power, just a probing strike, caused the dozens-of-meter-high rockery to instantly crumble.
Ning Yue awkwardly dodged the flying debris, knowing that this was a critical moment. He surged his blood qi, said nothing, and rushed towards the innermost building of the He mansion!
Uncle Fu looked at He Wenbin heading north and Ning Yue heading south, and couldn’t help but chuckle. But his hands didn’t stop; with just one hand extended, like the Five Finger Mountain, he suppressed Old Yuan like a bird in a cage, unable to fly, only able to make a desperate struggle.
Then, he used his hand as a blade, slashing virtually in mid-air!
Boom!
High above, the clear spring weather suddenly erupted with thunder, dozens of lightning bolts exploded in the sky, followed by a rumbling sound that pierced heaven and earth.
The purplish-blue lightning bolts trembled down, electrocuting the struggling Old Yuan, charring him black and making crackling sounds.
Without Old Qi assisting from the side, Old Yuan, a master of the Blood Exchange Realm, was utterly thrashed by Uncle Fu!
...
A row of connected corridors was adorned with carved beams and painted pillars, and potted plants and landscapes filled the entire length of the trellises.
Unfortunately, Ning Yue was not one for appreciating aesthetics. Following the scent of flowers, he entered every house he came across. Some he merely glanced at before leaving, while others he stayed in for a long time, doing who knows what!
What a pity, what a shame!
Xiaoqi Ning had never been born into a wealthy family in his past or present life, nor did he understand the architectural style and customs of the Great Yuan Dynasty’s south.
He took a full half an incense stick’s time before finally knocking on the door of the most precious study and entering.
“Mansion! Absolutely a mansion!!” Ning Yue felt his senses being refreshed again.
A fragrant, hazy scent of agarwood greeted him, and octagonal palace lanterns illuminated the dark walls.
Gilded dragon and phoenix patterns were carved onto the beams, the dragons vivid and lifelike, the dancing phoenixes visible in every detail.
If not for the urgency of the moment, Ning Yue would have wanted to scrape off all the gold dust and take it with him.
The entire east wall was a multi-treasure shelf made of huanghuali wood, stacked like mountains. A pair of cloisonné gilded enamel vases, which would probably fetch a thousand taels at a calligraphy and painting shop, were relegated to gathering dust at the very bottom.
And on the central shelf, there was a large, multi-faceted purple jade Buddha holding treasures. The Buddha’s face wore a joyful smile, and the bronze, gold-inlaid lotus base shone brightly.
Ning Yue scratched his ears and cheeks in frustration. Nothing else, it was too big to take away!
On the wall behind the desk, there also hung a soft, jade-green sword with a lightning pattern. Its matching purple tassel swayed gently in the cross-breeze. Just looking at the scabbard, one knew it was extraordinary, a top-tier sharp blade.
Unbidden tears of frustration had flowed from Ning Yue’s mouth at some point. Ning Yue drew out the soft sword, not bothering to examine it closely, and coiled it around his waist first.
He then turned his gaze to the shelves on the west wall. The middle three shelves were neatly stacked with large books in blue cloth covers. Ning Yue merely glanced at them and moved on; the pages were pristine, the covers intact, clearly not some divine martial arts manual.
And Ning Yue had read enough books in his previous life, so he had little interest in these.
With a flash of a star-like movement, Ning Yue was already at the desk. He slapped it with his left hand, and a row of zitan wood desk drawers all opened at once.
Ning Yue’s eyes were brighter than the stars.
The first drawer was filled with a dazzling array of rare jewels and jade pendants, sparkling with all sorts of colors, very eye-catching. Ning Yue, without a word, stuffed them into his embrace.
His stomach bulged, like he was pregnant, and his green-robed Xiaoqi officer’s uniform was stretched taut.
The second and third drawers were filled with secret letters. Ning Yue had no time to examine them closely; since the house was being raided anyway, these things would be known sooner or later.
The last drawer contained only a treasure box and a map.
Ning Yue first picked up the map, glanced at it, and then tossed it aside.
It was like a ghost’s scribble, he didn’t understand it, and he wasn’t interested in treasure maps anyway. Who knew how dangerous it might be inside, his life was more important.
Then he picked up the treasure box, opened it, and the four characters “Celestial Mystery Arts” came into view.
His heart began to pound uncontrollably, blood rushed to his head, and his brain also became congested.
A month ago, when he went out of the city to suppress bandits, Ning Yue had personally witnessed the power of this divine ability. The woman in green was like a fairy descending to earth; with just one strike, the entire Bald Mountain shook incessantly, and there were probably more bandits who fell than were killed.
Such a powerful cultivation method, now right before his eyes, how could Ning Yue not be moved?
It wasn’t just being moved; his heart was pounding like a drum!
But now was not the time for a detailed look. The shouts of the armored soldiers and the pleas for mercy from the He family servants were already close at hand.
Ning Yue quickly tightened the jewels in his embrace with the discarded waist rope, his stomach immediately shrinking a size, then he flashed out the door.
Looking at the dazed soldiers outside the door, he shouted, “Divine Abyss forever strong, Gu City forever peaceful! Brothers, follow me, let’s go and wipe out these damned bandits!”
...