38: Chapter 38 Fear

"Anyone who dares to kill the children of my Lian Family must be prepared to die!"

"He's actually already Second Grade?"

The Lian Family Ancestor turned back and shot Lian Qi a stern look. This Lian Qi was far too incompetent as the family head, actually getting the opponent's strength wrong. Fortunately, he could still suppress him now.

He naturally refused to believe that the other party was still a Third-Grade Martial Artist just yesterday.

In any case, a Second-grade Martial Artist who had already formed a grudge with the Lian Family could not be allowed to live.

The Lian Family Ancestor glared furiously, his killing intent locked dead onto Su Jiuchuan.

This was the first time Su Jiuchuan faced the full pressure of a First-grade Martial Artist. Although he had faced City Lord Guan Lin last time, the other party had only done so casually.

The pressure was like mountains and seas, as if it wanted to crush a person flat. Those standing around clearly felt the pressure as well and retreated outside the courtyard gates one after another.

Su Jiuchuan gave Zheng Xinyue behind him a push, sending her far away as well.

He held his saber and concentrated his strength. A faint Saber Qi appeared on the long saber in his hand; this was precisely Blade Qi. The Blade Qi confronted the oppressive pressure from afar.

"Hmph, you've actually mastered Saber Intent. No wonder you could kill Erlang," the Lian Family Ancestor said with a sneer. "In that case, we definitely cannot let you live. Otherwise, who will be able to control you, you little beast, in the future?"

With that, he thrust his sword out violently. It was earth-shattering, as if all the surrounding pressure had merged into this single strike, threatening to pierce through heaven and earth.

A faint white light lit up in the courtyard, charging straight toward the matchless sword light, never to return.

Clang!

With a crisp ring, metal fragments scattered across the sky. The long saber was actually shattered by the longsword, turning into a rain of iron.

"Ah!" Zheng Xinyue cried out in the distance, her face turning deathly pale.

Some of the spectating Lian Family members had already begun to cheer; victory seemed within their grasp.

Yet amidst the sky of fragments, one piece was wrapped in white light and continued forward. Like a general who, despite being struck by several arrows, still charged toward the enemy camp.

The Lian Family Ancestor had originally felt relieved after shattering the other's long saber, but he suddenly sensed something was wrong. Before he could react, he was struck with immense shock.

Pfft!

Suddenly, the two in the courtyard seemed to have been paused, falling completely silent. The onlookers had no idea what had happened, but they did not dare to make a sound.

After a long moment, the Lian Family Ancestor slowly fell backward, a stream of fresh blood seeping from between his eyebrows.

"Ah! Old Ancestor?" The members of the Lian Family were shocked, yet they did not dare to move as they looked at Su Jiuchuan, who was still holding the hilt of his saber in the courtyard.

Su Jiuchuan did not move either. That strike just now was absolutely the Peak strike he had ever unleashed, and he was immersed in that profoundly mysterious sensation.

Only after a long while did he feel his senses return—the fearful gazes around him, the heartbeats of many, and a figure stealthily leaping over the wall. Did that person look like Vice City Lord Cao Xinghe?

"You still want to leave?" Su Jiuchuan barked when he saw Lian Qi, Lian Xiong, and a few others trying to slip away.

Lian Qi said bitterly, "Now that things have come to this, my Lian Family has nothing to say."

What was thought to be a guaranteed victory had turned out like this. Thinking of the Lu Family's fate, he feared he would not be spared either. Even Lian Xiong, standing in the crowd, looked as pale as ash. Had he known it would end like this, why would he have provoked this god of death?

Su Jiuchuan shook his head, however. The Lian Family was no longer a threat; why would he bother killing them?

"One hundred thousand taels of silver. Deliver it here before noon tomorrow, or there will be no need for the Lian Family to exist anymore!"

Lian Qi could hardly believe his ears. Even their Old Ancestor had fallen here, yet the other party only wanted silver. What use were such worldly possessions to a Martial Artist?

"Alright!" Lian Qi nodded hurriedly, and only then did they carry the Lian Family Ancestor's body and leave.

Seeing those people leave, Zheng Xinyue quickly walked over and asked softly, "Brother Su, are... are you hurt?"

Su Jiuchuan felt it was a bit odd. Usually, Zheng Xinyue was quite straightforward and hearty in her interactions with him. Hearing her speak so gently now felt rather strange.

Wait, why was her face red, her eyes shimmering, and her gaze practically overflowing with affection? Su Jiuchuan couldn't help but mutter to himself, 'Could that strike just now really have been so cool that even this tomboyish woman fell for me?'

...

Vice City Lord Cao Xinghe ran into the City Lord's estate at top speed. At this moment, City Lord Guan Lin was still tending to a precious ornamental plant. In the past, no one dared to disturb him while he was tending to his plants, but now Vice City Lord Cao Xinghe couldn't care less.

"My Lord..."

Before he could finish, City Lord Guan Lin let out a cold snort. To Vice City Lord Cao Xinghe's ears, it sounded like a clap of thunder, and he quickly shut his mouth.

City Lord Guan Lin continued to carefully weed the sapling. Only after clearing them all and meticulously sprinkling a thin layer of soil did he finally look up.

"So reckless, and you're supposed to be a Vice City Lord. Speak, what is it?"

"That... Su Jiuchuan has... killed the... Lian Family Ancestor."

Crack!

The sapling in City Lord Guan Lin's hand was actually crushed to pieces by his grip, turning into a pile of debris on the ground.

"Explain clearly!"

Only then did Vice City Lord Cao Xinghe recount exactly what had just happened from beginning to end.

"Second Grade? How is that possible?" City Lord Guan Lin was certain that when Su Jiuchuan came to the City Lord's estate last time, he was only Third Grade.

"He must have been at the Third Grade Peak. Consider him lucky to have found an opportunity for a Breakthrough these past few days."

"But to be able to kill a First-grade Martial Artist right after entering Second Grade—even if it was just a senile First Grade—is still a cross-realm kill."

"Such an extraordinary talent cannot be allowed to exist in Xuzhou City."

"Originally, I thought recruiting a Third Grade expert under twenty years old for my own use was quite good. But such a young Second Grade who can even slay a First Grade absolutely cannot be allowed to live."

"Because someone like this is no longer easy to control."

"Find someone to send an invitation to Su Jiuchuan. Say that I am hosting a banquet for him and several major families to mediate the conflict between him and the local families."

City Lord Guan Lin paced back and forth, then continued, "Go outside the city right now and deploy a troop of Hubiao Battalion soldiers. Have them lie in ambush here. We must not let him escape."

Although he was a First-grade Martial Artist, and a powerful one at that—far from comparable to an old, declining First Grade like the Lian Family Ancestor.

However, a person of noble status does not expose himself to danger. As the chief official of Xuzhou City, he would not put himself in a hazardous position.

"Yes!"

Vice City Lord Cao Xinghe nodded hastily, knowing they were playing for keeps this time. The Hubiao Battalion could be said to be the most elite soldiers of Xuzhou City. With tens of thousands of taels of silver poured into them every year, they not only had the best equipment, but every single soldier was at least an 8th Grade Martial Artist.

Of course, that was not the most terrifying part. The most terrifying thing was that these soldiers had trained together in certain Formations, which were typically used on the battlefield to surround and kill enemy generals.

Now, they were being deployed directly to deal with Su Jiuchuan. This time, he was undoubtedly dead.