32: Chapter 32 Horror

The death of the Marquis of Zhennan was merely the beginning.

After a brief silence, there followed an even more intensive and rapid execution.

Without giving the crowd much time to react, over several dozen of Chu Yannian's direct blood relatives were all dragged onto the execution platform at once.

"Execute!"

As the order was given again, dozens of Xiuchun Blades swung down simultaneously!

"Thwack, thwack, thwack, thwack...!!" Like chopping melons and vegetables, dozens of heads fell to the ground almost at the same time.

Blood pooled into small streams, flowing down through the gaps in the execution platform, and the thick, nauseating smell of blood instantly permeated the air.

The faces of the spectators in the front rows near the execution platform turned pale in an instant, and many could not help but retch on the spot.

And this was only the beginning.

Immediately following were the high-ranking officials of the Zhennan Army who had been captured at the mansion, as well as Chu Yannian's core advisors...

They were divided into several batches, each consisting of ten to twenty people, and were roughly dragged onto the execution platform. Before they could even cry out or curse, the blade light had already flashed.

Batch after batch... Heads rolled like gourds, piling up more and more on the execution platform.

Blood had long since soaked the entire execution platform, dripping down from the edges and pooling into a shocking, dark red puddle on the ground below.

The fishy, sweet, metallic scent filling the air was so thick it felt impossible to disperse.

At first, some bold Martial Artists and a few ordinary people were watching intently. However, as the executions continued, the assembly-line-like slaughter, the mountain of piled-up heads, and the river of flowing blood... the visual and psychological impact far exceeded their imagination.

"Ugh—!" Finally, someone couldn't take it anymore, bent over, and began to vomit violently.

"My God... it's... it's too cruel..." "I can't do it, I can't watch anymore..." "Sigh, this scene is indeed quite terrifying; an average person wouldn't be able to handle it!" "Oh my... you wretch! I'm so scared!!" "Quickly, close your eyes, don't look, you'll have nightmares!" ... Many people dared not look any longer.

Even many Martial Artists who were accustomed to life and death had pale faces at this moment, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.

They might have killed people before, but when had they ever seen such a concentrated, efficient, and cold-blooded mass beheading?

This was no longer a battle. This was a ritualistic, bloody performance demonstrating absolute power and cold-blooded will!

By the time the last few batches arrived, people near the execution platform had already begun fainting one after another due to extreme fear and discomfort.

When the last person's head rolled down, the execution platform was already covered in rolling heads and flowing blood, resembling a living hell on earth!

The entire execution process lasted less than half an hour, but for everyone present, it felt as long as a century. This half-hour was undoubtedly an unforgettable memory that would be etched into their lives forever. It was simply too terrifying...

Throughout the entire process, Ji Gang stood expressionless in his original spot, watching everything with cold eyes, as if what was being slaughtered below were not hundreds of human lives, but merely a flock of lambs waiting to be butchered.

It was not until the last Embroidered Uniform Guard officer sheathed his blade and stepped back that he slowly spoke. His voice remained calm, yet it carried an invisible pressure that instantly silenced all the retching, sobbing, and terrified gasps at the scene.

"The will of Your Majesty has been carried out, and the laws of the nation have been upheld." "From this day forth, all affairs in the south shall be under the direct administration of the Imperial Dynasty. Officials in all regions must perform their duties diligently and pacify the common people. All Sects and noble families must strictly abide by their duties and follow the law."

"If there are any who harbor malicious intentions or plot against the state—" His gaze, like a cold blade, slowly swept over everyone below the platform. "The fate of Chu Yannian and the Xuantian Holy Land shall serve as a warning!"

Having said this, he did not linger. His figure flickered slightly, and he vanished from the execution platform as abruptly as he had arrived. What remained was only an execution platform reeking of blood, along with the scattered corpses and heads covering the ground.

Ji Gang and the Embroidered Uniform Guard swept through like a hurricane and departed as quietly as ghosts. However, what they left behind was far more than just a bloody execution platform and a ground full of corpses.

The news that the "Xuantian Holy Land had been destroyed" and the "Marquis of Zhennan had been publicly executed, with his entire clan wiped out" swept like the bitterest gale of winter. Within a single day, it completely engulfed the entire southern region of the Imperial Dynasty and spread wildly toward even more distant places!

Panic. An unprecedented panic spread like a plague throughout the south.

Once upon a time, on this vast land of the south, there were two names that were the absolute Dominators and pillars of support. The Xuantian Holy Land represented the Peak of the Martial Dao and the order of the Jianghu. The Zhennan Marquis Mansion controlled millions of troops and secular authority. Together, the two formed a "small imperial court" in the south, independent of imperial power. Facing the decline of the imperial power, other forces had gradually defected to these two sides, completely abandoning the Imperial Dynasty.

Yet now, these two "great mountains" that had given everyone a sense of security were, in just a single day, ruthlessly crushed by the Imperial Dynasty with a force as unstoppable as a thunderbolt!

The Xuantian Holy Land, a thousand-year-old tradition, left not even a chicken or dog alive! The Zhennan Marquis Mansion, a century-old foundation, left heads rolling!

The absolute and unquestionable destructive power displayed by the Imperial Dynasty left all the remaining forces in the south feeling a bone-chilling cold and a trembling from the depths of their Souls.

Those Jianghu Sects that had been attached to the Xuantian Holy Land bore the brunt of it! In the past, they had brandished the banner of the Xuantian Holy Land to act tyrannically in their respective territories. Now that their backer had collapsed with a roar and the butcher's knife seemed ready to fall upon their own heads at any moment, these once-majestic Jianghu powerhouses instantly became birds startled by the mere twang of a bowstring.

Among them, the two top-tier forces in the southern Jianghu, second only to the Xuantian Holy Land—the Zixiao Dao Sect and the Qingxu Temple—were the most terrified. Within the mountain gates of these two Schools, the vibrant atmosphere of the past was long gone, replaced by a gloom and pervasive anxiety. Many Disciples had even quietly packed their things and fled...

In the main council hall of the School, the Sect Head and Elders were arguing endlessly, their faces uglier than the next.

"Sect Head! We cannot hesitate any longer! Since the Embroidered Uniform Guard could destroy the Xuantian Holy Land, destroying us would be even easier!" "Indeed, it is said that the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Ji Gang, is a terrifying existence who could easily behead the Li Youran! What do we have to resist him?" "But... we did not directly participate in the rebellion! We only... only offered tribute to the Holy Land in the past and obeyed their orders..." "Foolish! In the eyes of the Imperial Dynasty, we are vassals of the Xuantian Holy Land! Accomplices! If we don't declare our stance now, are we waiting for the Embroidered Uniform Guard to come to our door?!?" "Exactly! We must immediately show our loyalty to the Imperial Court and sever ties! Perhaps... there might still be a chance of survival." "There is no time to waste; the longer we drag this out, the more dangerous we become!" "Make the decision, Sect Head..."

Fear overwhelmed all luck and reservations. After receiving the news, just half a day later, the two Schools made the same decision! Submission! Unconditional submission!!!