54: Thunder from Heaven (Please collect and read)

Chapter 54 Heavenly Thunder Descends Upon the World (Please collect and follow along)

"Metallurgy and Sword Forging Secret Manual? What do we need that stuff for?"

"Is that thing worth a lot of money?"

"Cut the chatter! Whatever the court says, we just do."

"What about killing people?"

Someone else asked, and the white-eyebrowed old man directly said, "Except for one type of person, kill anyone else as you please!"

"Yu Jian Villa is suspected of colluding with the rebels and has long been targeted by the Jinyi Guard."

"Who can't be killed?"

"I know! It must be the women of Yu Jian Villa, hahaha..."

"Get lost!"

The white-eyebrowed old man frowned and said, "Swordsmiths!"

"Strict orders from above: all Swordsmiths must be captured alive. Kill one, and one hundred taels will be deducted!"

"Swordsmiths?"

"This is the headquarters of Yu Jian Villa; the Swordsmiths should be at the other manors."

"Then that's settled! Tonight, we'll wait for the Jinyi Guard to flatten Yu Jian Villa first, then we'll rush in... Hahaha!"

As the group's discussion grew more intense, under the bright moonlight, over a dozen small black dots suddenly flew in from the distance.

The excited crowd hadn't noticed yet, until the black dots drew closer and closer, before someone finally spotted something and pointed at them, shouting.

"Look, quick! What is that?"

"Flying birds? No! Where could there be birds that big?"

"Round spheres?"

"What on earth is that?"

While everyone was astonished, the sentries halfway up the mountain inside Yu Jian Villa also noticed something, pointing at the dozen or so large black spheres and talking animatedly.

"Look, quick! What is that?"

"Quick, go report to the Villa Master!"

"There seem to be people?"

Soon, the Villa Master of Yu Jian Villa, a dignified middle-aged man dressed in fine silk robes, walked out.

Behind him followed several high-ranking members of Yu Jian Villa.

"What is that?"

"People from the court?"

"How could the imperial court's people get here so fast?"

Someone sneered, "The Villa Master has already issued hero invitations. Over a dozen Schools, including the Heavens Mandate Sect, Beimang Mountain, White Lotus Sect, Mount Huanxi, Baihua Sect, Shushan Sword Sect, and Beiliang Sword Tomb, are willing to send people to assist us."

"In three months at most, our Yu Jian Villa will gather more than half the heroes in the world. By then, even the imperial court will hesitate to act against us."

Another person added, "Humph! Our Yu Jian Villa is famous for sword-forging. When guests come seeking precious swords and weapons, what reason do we have to turn them away?"

"Those Jinyi Guard people are utterly rude, actually using this as leverage to demand our Yu Jian Villa's metallurgy formula. This is digging out our roots!"

"So what if they're the Jinyi Guard? Even if people from the Royal City Division or the Hall of Offerings come to our Yu Jian Villa, they must present a visiting card..."

Several people chimed in, their tones turning cold.

"Enough."

Shen Qiyun, the Villa Master of Yu Jian Villa, said, "They are royal envoys after all, so we still need to give them some Face."

"Currently, there is endless turmoil in the court's northern region. War and quelling civil unrest both require money."

"We are still subjects of Great Yu after all. Tomorrow, tell the Jinyi Guard that our Yu Jian Villa is willing to contribute one million taels in military funds for the army."

"Dismiss them, and don't let them delay our upcoming business!"

"One million taels?"

"So much? Villa Master, please reconsider!"

"Humph! Out of that one million taels, whether two or three hundred thousand taels actually reach the northern border troops remains to be seen. But for us, it is enough..."

While they were still talking, those dozen or so large spheres had already drifted directly above Yu Jian Villa.

Seeing this, Shen Qiyun's expression turned even darker.

"What on earth are these things, daring to come over our Yu Jian Villa!"

"Muster the ballistas and shoot these things down!"

"Yes, Villa Master!"

"However, Villa Master, these big black spheres are a bit high. I fear the ballistas..."

"Try first."

"Yes!"

Under Shen Qiyun's orders, the entire Yu Jian Villa sprang into action.

At least a hundred ballistas creaked loudly as they turned toward the dozen or so large black spheres in the sky.

Meanwhile, atop one of the large black spheres in midair, Little Gui Zi was carefully inspecting the villa below.

However, at this moment, his hands were tightly gripping the edge of the rattan basket below the hot air balloon; his legs were trembling violently, and his whole body felt weak.

"Eunuch Gui, we have arrived. Should we begin the operation?"

A soldier of the Shenji Camp beside Little Gui Zi spoke, his eyes filled with disdain.

Scared like this just from riding a hot air balloon?

Thinking back a few months ago, I wasn't even this scared!

But His Majesty is truly amazing, actually able to create something that can carry people into the sky!

An immortal's treasure!

It seems His Majesty has achieved success in immortal cultivation; otherwise, how could he let ordinary people like them fly into the sky!

And then there are those things...

He stole a glance at the stack of dark, melon-sized objects placed in the rattan basket and subconsciously swallowed his saliva.

This stuff is the true immortal treasure!

Thunderbolt Mines!

By now, Little Gui Zi had finally recovered. Taking a deep breath, he said, "General Chen, we have arrived directly above Yu Jian Villa... begin the operation."

"As you command!"

General Chen Wannian was also an officer specifically promoted from the Imperial Guard by Zheng Yi.

During Yang Xuansu's rebellion, it was he who led a portion of the Imperial Guard to defend the imperial palace instead of joining Yang Xuansu.

He was specially promoted by Zheng Yi to become the commander of the Shenji Camp.

Chen Wannian nodded, and the soldier beside him quickly picked up the flag in his hand and waved it a few times.

Semaphore signals.

Soon, the Shenji Camp soldiers on the other dozen-plus hot air balloons received the order.

One by one, Thunderbolt Mines were lifted, their fuses lit, and dropped straight down.

"Swish!"

"Swish! Swish!"

"There are people underneath the big black spheres!"

"What is that?"

"What are they dropping?"

"Who...?"

Many inside Yu Jian Villa raised their heads in surprise to look at the sky, but only Shen Qiyun, standing in front of the main hall, suddenly had his Face darken drastically.

"Carrying people in flight? This is an immortal technique, how could..."

"BOOM!!!"

Suddenly, a deafening explosion abruptly rang out from the distance.

In the sky above a distant hall, an explosion suddenly erupted; amidst rolling shockwaves, countless bricks, stones, and rubble flew in all directions.

Over a dozen unlucky souls beneath the hall immediately shrieked in agony, tumbling and rolling on the ground.

Several others were blown to pieces on the spot, leaving severed limbs, broken remains, blood, and minced flesh scattered all over the ground.

Before they could even react, another series of relentless explosions resounded across the entire Yu Jian Villa in rapid succession.

"BOOM!"

"BOOM! BOOM!!"

"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!!"

In just over a dozen breaths, at least a hundred Thunderbolt Mines were dropped from the hot air balloons by the soldiers of the Shenji Camp.

The entire Yu Jian Villa was rocked by continuous explosions and rushing shockwaves.

Numerous houses and masonry were blown to bits, and corpse after corpse was blasted into pieces.

In an instant, screams, explosions, and cries for help filled the air continuously.

The main hall of Yu Jian Villa, which received special attention from the Shenji Camp, was already reduced to ruins.

Those standing outside the hall, including Shen Qiyun and several high-ranking members, were also blown to pieces in the very first wave of bombardment!

For a time, explosions echoed endlessly throughout Yu Jian Villa, while many Disciples who happened to survive fled in all directions.

"Run! The Heavenly Thunder has descended!"

"Heavenly punishment! This is heavenly punishment! Waaah... Run for your lives!"

"Junior Sister, Junior Sister, quick... BOOM!"

"Ah...!"

Viewed from afar, almost the entire Yu Jian Villa was engulfed in a massive wall of fire, burning furiously.

From time to time, massive explosions and shockwaves hit, with flames soaring high and even the earth trembling.

"In-Immortal techniques!"

"How did the imperial court manage this? Could an Immortal Master truly have aligned with the court?"

"Too terrifying..."

At the foot of the mountain, the white-eyebrowed old man stared at the roaring flames and the constantly trembling earth, his eyes filled with shock.

If even he was like this, let alone the others; everyone stared up the mountain with wide eyes, completely unable to believe what they were seeing.

"T-The imperial court... Is this the power of the imperial court?"

"F-Fortunately, we count as the court's people too..."

"Yu Jian Villa is finished...!"

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the tremors at the mountain top finally ceased.

The white-eyebrowed old man snapped out of his daze and immediately said, "Friends, next it's our turn!"

"Doing work for the court, we..."

"Kill!"

"Loot!"

"Brothers, charge...!"

Before his voice even faded, figure after figure suddenly rushed out from the surrounding mountain forest—at least several hundred people.

Jinyi Guards, Martial Artists, and people of the same status as them.

"Damn it! Senior Whitebrow, stop talking and start looting!"

"Exactly! If you're slow, there'll be nothing left...!"

The noisy crowd didn't care for the white-eyebrowed old man's preaching anymore and immediately sprinted up toward Yu Jian Villa on the mountain.

Under the bombardment of the heavenly thunder, Yu Jian Villa's outer defensive forces had long been destroyed.

Even the Disciples within the villa suffered heavy casualties, leaving at most twenty to thirty percent of their total strength intact.

Next was the moment for them to do whatever they pleased!