Chapter 81 - 80: Annihilating the Wei Family
Night fell.
After eating and drinking his fill, Wei Jisheng left the Sun Family’s residence with his attendants.
Although the Sun Family’s old patriarch had tried to placate him, he was still filled with resentment.
Wei Jisheng hailed from a prominent family, but he was not of the Direct Lineage; he was from a Side Branch. That was why he had chosen to venture out and make a name for himself in his youth.
Back then, Wei Jisheng had also traveled the Border of Youning, becoming sworn brothers with like-minded Jianghu friends. The reputation he had built was even greater than that of the Dongjiang Five Swords, who had died at Chen Yuan’s hands.
But later, after an accident befell the family heir, Wei Jisheng had been hastily called back to take over as Patriarch.
As a result, his temperament was not as calm and steady as Sun Tiancheng’s. Instead, he was more like one of those Jianghu Rangers—hot-tempered and quick to fight at the slightest disagreement.
Just as he was approaching his home, Wei Jisheng suddenly stopped, his gaze turning grim as he stared ahead.
"Saber!"
An attendant behind him immediately turned, opening a case on his back and presenting it to Wei Jisheng.
Inside the case was a Wolf Head Ring Saber with a wide blade and an extremely long hilt.
Lifting out the Wolf Head Ring Saber, Wei Jisheng pointed it forward and sneered, "Which reckless fool dares to cause trouble at the Wei Family residence? Do you have a death wish?"
The moment he had arrived, Wei Jisheng had sensed a faint killing intent coming from ahead.
Chen Yuan stepped out from around the corner.
Wei Jisheng sneered, just about to say something.
The next moment, hundreds of torches suddenly flared to life. Densely packed White Tiger Guards, holding their Weapons and radiating a thick killing intent, spread out and completely surrounded the Wei Family estate.
After the battle at Qingyang Palace, these White Tiger Guards from Linyuan City were completely won over by Chen Yuan.
Their superior was not only powerful but also generous. Those two qualities alone were enough to make them willing to die for him.
So this time, even though they were about to annihilate the Wei Family of the southern district—one of Linyuan City’s four major powers—they didn’t hesitate. They simply grabbed their Weapons and charged, their morale completely different from before.
"Chen Tian!? What are you doing!?"
A chill shot through Wei Jisheng’s heart.
He had originally thought Chen Tian was just planning some minor, covert moves.
Who would have thought he would mobilize so many White Tiger Guards at once?
With so many White Tiger Guards mobilized, it was clear they weren’t just here for him. They were here for the entire Wei Family!
Half of Chen Yuan’s face was hidden in darkness, while the other half, illuminated by the firelight, looked slightly eerie.
"Didn’t Patriarch Wei say that I, the Guardian Envoy, wouldn’t last a month? I don’t think you’ll live to see that day."
Chen Yuan turned his head and said coolly to Lu Wenxing, "Begin. Annihilate the Wei Family. Leave no one alive!"
"You’re courting death! Even if you’re from the Zhenwu Hall, I’ll still kill you!"
Wei Jisheng roared in fury. He raised his Wolf Head Ring Saber, unleashing a shockingly cold and sinister aura as he brought it down on Chen Yuan’s head.
’The Sun Family’s old patriarch had told us not to go too far. But this man is about to wipe out my entire family—how could that not be ’too far’?’
’I have to kill Chen Yuan today. No one can stop me!’
An explosive blast of True Qi erupted from Chen Yuan’s body. Fish Dragon Transformation compressed his True Qi, and in an instant, he transformed into a streak of light. Though he moved second, he arrived first, appearing before Wei Jisheng in the blink of an eye.
He brought his saber down, and a Demon Wave surged forth. The Sword Momentum completely merged with the night, roaring toward Wei Jisheng in an instant.
With a deafening CLANG, the bone-chilling Cold Ice True Qi surrounding Wei Jisheng was instantly suppressed and devoured by the overwhelming Demonic Qi.
The immense power of this one strike sent Wei Jisheng flying backward.
After stepping into the Qi Refining Realm Late Stage and cultivating a Secret Technique like Fish Dragon Transformation, Chen Yuan’s explosive power had already far surpassed that of most Sea of Reincarnation Realm Martial Artists.
The advantage that Sea of Reincarnation Realm Martial Artists had—greater Inner Strength and explosive power from opening their Reincarnation Sea—was nonexistent before Chen Yuan.
The moment he was sent flying, Wei Jisheng’s heart was filled with utter shock.
In his younger years roaming the Jianghu, he had survived countless bloody battles and had immense combat experience.
’But even with all my experience, I’ve never seen a Martial Artist in the Qi Casting Realm with such terrifying power.’
In the darkness, another blast of True Qi erupted. A Shocking Swan Knife Light bloomed in the night, appearing before Wei Jisheng again in an instant!
Wei Jisheng let out a furious roar as the Qi Blood in his body exploded outward. A boundless, sinister cold aura surged from him along with it.
He looked like a man possessed, his saber dancing wildly. The Sword Momentum formed a nearly impenetrable defense, transforming into a sky full of cold Sword Auras that swept forward.
The Wei Family’s secret technique, the Cold Ice Demon-Breaking Saber!
’I’m a veteran of countless life-or-death battles; a single exchange was all I needed to gauge Chen Yuan’s strength.’
’If I don’t fight with everything I have, not only will I die, but the entire Wei Family will be annihilated.’
’The only strategy now is to stall—to buy enough time for the commotion here to alert the Sun Family and the others, who might then come to our aid.’
Chen Yuan thrust a finger forward. The True Qi around him instantly gathered like a surging, boundless sea. The extreme explosive force slammed against his own Meridians. If he hadn’t practiced the Inner Vision God Observation Method and begun to unlock his body’s potential, this move would have injured him before it ever reached his opponent.
The Finger Strength descended like the Nine Heavens crashing down upon the mortal world!
Profound Celestial Finger!
It was the same Cultivation Technique, but when used by Chen Yuan versus the Cyan Yang Master, it looked completely different. If the Cyan Yang Master were alive, he wouldn’t even recognize his own technique.
Under the power of the Profound Celestial Finger Strength, the cold ice was extinguished and the Sword Auras dissipated.
Wei Jisheng was sent flying, spitting blood. Even the Wolf Head Ring Saber was knocked from his grasp. A huge chunk was forcefully blasted out of the Cold Iron blade.
However, the blow seemed to have awakened a savage ferocity within Wei Jisheng.
Instead of retreating, he advanced. His Qi Blood burned as he condensed the deep blue Cold Ice True Qi. Forming his hands into a blade, he channeled an indomitable, chilling Saber Intent and slashed at Chen Yuan.
Tribulation-Breaking Cold Ice Slash!
Buddha Light and Demonic Qi swirled around Chen Yuan. For a moment, his vast and surging True Qi made it impossible to tell which of them was the Sea of Reincarnation Realm Martial Artist.
As the Demon Blade Slash descended, the collision of True Qi caused the surrounding flagstones to shatter inch by inch.
Just then, a flash of scarlet saber light abruptly shot out from the exploding True Qi and slit across Wei Jisheng’s neck.
In an instant, his head hit the ground, and blood gushed like a spring.
Wei Jisheng’s eyes were wide on his severed head, filled with unwillingness and rage.
It was as if he couldn’t believe that after surviving the brutal life-and-death struggles of the Jianghu, he would end up being killed on his own doorstep.
Flicking the blood from his saber, Chen Yuan walked out from the dust and debris that littered the ground.
After reaching the Qi Refining Realm Late Stage, and with the aid of the powerful explosive force from Fish Dragon Transformation, his combat prowess had risen another level.
Now, when facing an ordinary Sea of Reincarnation Realm Martial Artist, Chen Yuan no longer needed to draw upon his Blood Fiend Power. He could kill them relying solely on his own reserves of Inner Strength.
Just as Chen Yuan finished off Wei Jisheng, Lu Wenxing and his men finished dealing with the rest of the Wei Family.
Under normal circumstances, the strength of the Garrison Mansion far surpassed that of any of the four major powers.
However, the four powers were all connected, and previous Guardian Envoys had never dared to make a move. This led to the White Tiger Guards of Linyuan City becoming somewhat meek, not daring to provoke the members of these four powers in their daily lives.
"My lord, we have taken the Wei Family estate. What are your orders?"
Lu Wenxing and the other Captains had their Light Armor stained with blood—someone else’s blood, of course.
"Annihilate the clan and seize their assets. Do I really need to teach you how to do something like that?"
Chen Yuan gave Lu Wenxing a strange look.
Lu Wenxing gave a wry smile. Of course he had annihilated clans and seized assets before, but that was all back during his time with the Celestial Martial Alliance.
Back then, the Celestial Martial Alliance had just been rising in Ning Province. They were fighting against the Court while also suppressing local Jianghu Forces, so they did this sort of thing quite often.
But after they were recruited by the government, the Zhenwu Hall leaned toward maintaining stability and rarely did such things anymore.
"Gather up all the Wei Family’s wealth. As usual, give twenty percent to the brothers."
As soon as he said this, everyone present became even more motivated.
They knew it—as long as they followed Lord Chen, they would never leave empty-handed.
After quickly dealing with the Wei Family, Lu Wenxing suddenly had his men carry over a dozen or so Jianghu People.
"My lord, these people were found in a secret chamber beneath the Wei Family estate. I checked their belongings; they all seem to be Independent Martial Artists who were passing through Linyuan City.
The Wei Family fed all of them a massive dose of Mind-Confusing Medicine. They’ll probably never wake up. The Wei Family had been keeping them alive by feeding them some Spiritual Medicine.
I interrogated the remaining Wei Family members, but none of them knew anything. These people were all captured by Wei Jisheng and a few members of the Wei Family’s Direct Lineage.
But during the fight, those members of the Direct Lineage fought the fiercest. We couldn’t hold back and ended up killing them all."
Chen Yuan frowned slightly. "Did these people have a grudge against the Wei Family?"
"It doesn’t seem so. They were all captured in batches. It’s impossible that every Martial Artist passing through Linyuan City had a grudge against the Wei Family, right?
Besides, even if they did have a grudge, there are plenty of ways to torture someone. What’s the use of keeping them unconscious?"
Lu Wenxing was also baffled.
This was the first time he had learned that the Wei Family was secretly abducting so many Jianghu People.
Ning Province was chaotic but prosperous. Even in a small place like Linyuan City, countless Jianghu Martial Artists came and went every day.
If a few people went missing now and then, especially outsiders, no one would pay any mind.
"Take them back to the Garrison Mansion for now. Go to the infirmary and have a physician examine them carefully. If there’s really nothing that can be done, then send them on their way. It would be a release for them."
The dose of medicine the Wei Family used was too strong. These people were like the living dead now. Killing them would be a mercy.
After seizing their assets, Chen Yuan waved his hand and left with his men.
Annihilating the Wei Family was both a deterrent and a warning.
He hoped that someone from the other three families would be sensible enough to come to him proactively.
Chen Yuan didn’t plan to wipe out all four of Linyuan City’s major families. He wanted to leave at least one to continue the smuggling business.
Chen Yuan wanted the profits from these businesses, but he didn’t have the time or energy to run them himself. Besides, these four families had been doing it for so many years, they were certainly familiar with the operations.
Therefore, in the end, he only needed to leave the one that knew best how to adapt to the circumstances.
Besides, having four powers splitting a city this small was a real pain. Leaving just one was perfect.
Of course, the prerequisite was that the remaining family had to be obedient and sensible.