4: Ma's

Xu Sanyan looked around, and it was no different from usual. This wasn't his first time in Dafeng Town. He often came here to wander around, drink, visit brothels, and listen to songs when he had nothing to do.

Dafeng Town has the most alcohol vendors; the people here are addicted to drinking. The Northwest is plagued by sandstorms year-round, and drinking helps keep warm, so most people like to have a couple of drinks.

Next are the lamb restaurants, offering various ways to eat lamb, such as lamb soup, lamb offal, and lamb flatbreads, all of which taste excellent.

Xu Sanyan wasn't in a hurry to go to the Jin family. He first found a tavern to have a couple of drinks, listening to the common folk chat. As usual, he felt a little relieved, then headed straight for the Jin family.

Outside the Jin family mansion, Xu Sanyan knocked on the door. After a short while, an old man opened a crack, asking cautiously, "Who are you looking for?"

Xu Sanyan handed over the golden key, "Give this to your family head."

The old man seemed to understand something, took the key, and turned to leave.

Xu Sanyan also turned and left the city gate, returning to his team.

Soon after, Xu Sanyan saw from a distance that the city gate was in chaos. Wu Jue roared, "Brothers, whatever you snatch in this business is all yours!"

"Oh, ho!"

"Lord is mighty!"

The bandits behind him immediately became restless. Normally, it was a fifty-fifty split, half for the bandit and half for the stronghold.

Geng the Cripple was not to be outdone, waving his big hand. Hundreds of horses galloped, kicking up large clouds of dust.

Xu Sanyan smoothly pulled up the mask around his neck, covering his mouth and nose, and turned his head to look at Tang Huanhuan. She happened to look over as well, and the two nodded slightly.

The city gate was in chaos. By the time Xu Sanyan arrived, the Jin family's swordsmen had already killed most of the city guards.

The leader of the Jin family was a man over seven feet tall, with a fierce face, wielding a gilded nine-ring great saber. Behind him followed fifty to sixty swordsmen.

Xu Sanyan had heard of this person; it was Jin Penglai, the head of the Jin family. The great saber was particularly memorable, and he was known in the Jianghu as "Golden Saber Great Peng."

Jin Penglai cupped his hands and said, "Brother Geng, Brother Wu, please follow me."

Wu Jue narrowed his eyes and waved his hand, "Brothers, let's move."

"Hahahaha..."

"Kill!"

The bandits immediately became excited, rushing into the city and hacking at anyone they saw.

Geng the Cripple said nothing, leading his men into the city.

"Ah! Bandits have entered the city!"

"Father!"

The city immediately descended into chaos. Cries filled the streets. Occasionally, someone would bravely resist, but they couldn't escape the fate of being beheaded with a single saber strike.

Soon after, large numbers of government soldiers rushed out from the surrounding streets, fiercely resisting the bandits. The two sides immediately became entangled.

Xu Sanyan ignored them, closely following Wu Jue, Jin Penglai, and others towards the Ma family, which was the main event.

On the long street outside the Ma family residence, people had already gathered, easily over a hundred at a glance, but half of them were servants brought along to make up the numbers, their hands trembling as they held their sabers.

At the forefront of the crowd stood an old man with white hair fluttering in the wind, holding a Guanshan Saber, as if he had long anticipated their arrival.

Jin Penglai grinned, "Haha, Master Ma, you're not dead yet, are you?"

Master Ma ignored him, instead looking at Wu Jue and Geng the Cripple, "Whatever benefits the Jin family promised, my Ma family will double them. How about you two withdraw your men now?"

Geng the Cripple dismounted, limping forward, "Master Ma, I'm afraid you can't afford that price..."

Master Ma shook his head and sighed, "Did you hear some rumors?"

"Hehe..."

Wu Jue also dismounted, "You know best whether they are rumors. More talk is useless. If you hand over that thing, we will immediately retreat."

Master Ma shook his head, "This is the Jin family deliberately slandering my Ma family. If there really was a Cultivation Technique, would we be forced into such a situation?"

Jin Penglai laughed heartily, a hint of covetousness in his eyes, "Since there's no Cultivation Technique, then why does every male child of your Ma family disappear for a day after birth? Can you tell me where they are sent?"

"I heard... Cultivating Immortality also requires talent testing, right, Master Ma?" Jin Penglai said meaningfully.

Master Ma's eyes narrowed, and he slowly turned to look at the people behind him.

He never expected that there was a traitor within his own family, and this traitor's status was not low. This matter had always been kept secret, and ordinary people simply had no chance to access it.

"Hehe, foolishness. I calculated everything, but didn't account for a thief in my own home."

Master Ma suddenly felt dispirited, because only a few of his direct descendants and their families knew this secret.

Master Ma's second son lowered his head unnaturally. He felt that his wife might have been bribed; he knew her character best.

Jin Penglai pointed his long saber and shouted, "Ma Xulong, you only have two paths now: either hand over the Cultivation Technique, or... take your secret to the underworld!"

Geng the Cripple added, "And your Ma family will henceforth be removed from the Northwest region."

"Hahahaha..."

Master Ma threw his head back and laughed, his snow-white beard fluttering, "Then let's see the truth with our own hands."

He knew in his heart that even if he handed over the Cultivation Technique, they would not spare the Ma family. These bandits understood the principle of cutting weeds at the root best.

"Kill!"

Wu Jue roared and charged out first.

Master Ma shouted, "My sons, our families are behind us! For your wives and children, kill!"

"Kill!"

The two sides immediately clashed, and within moments of engaging, over a dozen people fell, most of them servants and Odd jobs.

Xu Sanyan and Tang Huanhuan constantly paid attention to their positions. In such a chaotic battle, even they had to be cautious.

Jin Penglai met Master Ma. Their Realms were not far apart, but Jin Penglai was in his prime, while Master Ma was old. For a while, they could fight to a standstill, but given enough time, Jin Penglai would surely gain the upper hand.

Wu Jue and the Ma family's eldest son fought each other, while on the other side, Geng the Cripple and the Ma family's second son fought.

The Ma family brothers' Realms were slightly lower, but they fought with their lives on the line. Wu and Geng naturally didn't want to trade lives with them, so they were somewhat constrained.

But fighting like this was like walking on a tightrope; one misstep would lead to eternal damnation.

The Ma family disciples were fighting with their backs against the wall; they had no retreat. Behind them were their wives, children, and elders. Even if they died, they had to die at the front.

With a will to die, they temporarily suppressed the combined forces of the three parties.

Flesh and blood flew on the long street, dismembered limbs were everywhere, and screams even drowned out the clashing of weapons.

Xu Sanyan was not in a hurry to rush in, he just protected himself on the side. He even had the leisure to glance at other battlefields.

A moment later, a loud shout was heard, "Father! Your son goes first!"

No sooner had the Ma family's second son finished shouting than Geng the Cripple chopped off his head with a single saber strike. The large head flew up, and one could vaguely see those faded eyes.

The head fell to the ground, but its eyes were still wide open.

"Second Son!"

Master Ma's heart surged with emotion, and his eyes instantly turned crimson. He never expected his son to leave before him.

"Hahahaha, Master Ma, no need to rush. I will send your whole family to reunite," Jin Penglai shouted loudly.

"My grandson will avenge me! None of you will escape!"

Master Ma's eyes were filled with hatred. His crimson gaze swept around, as if he wanted to memorize everyone's faces to identify them one by one in the underworld.