Rumble!
Hoofbeats shattered the tranquility of Gu City. At the noisiest time of midday, the hawkers' cries, the children's playful shouts, and people's chatter—all sounds were drowned out by the clashing of armor and weapons from a thousand horses and soldiers.
As soon as the thousand-plus cavalry left the guard station, a continuous stream of troops arrived from all directions. Their numbers swelled, their armor forming an unbroken expanse, a mighty force moving south.
The street, wide enough for four carriages abreast, was now crowded.
The people of Gu City were all astonished and changed color. Women out for a stroll clutched their children tightly.
"Are the demon race attacking the city?!"
"Could it be that foreign enemies have invaded?!"
Panic spread, but no one answered.
The Xue Family, like a hunting spider, silently wove a large web.
Now, suddenly, they unfolded their hunt, but their enemies seemed to still be in the dark.
"Sir, where are we going?!" Ning Yue, riding a green-maned horse, finally caught up to Xue Ren at the very front after a long chase.
Hearing this, Xue Ren turned his head and advised, "You've suffered such a serious injury; you should rest well at the guard station. Why did you follow along?"
Ning Yue smiled shyly and said, "I had nothing to do, so I came to see."
Xue Ren also smiled knowingly, spurred his warhorse, and increased his speed by three points, "Keep up! We're going to—raid the He Family's old home!"
Raid!
Upon hearing these two words, Ning Yue understood and his eyes lit up like two incandescent light bulbs.
A lack of funds had prevented the Three Calamity Dragon-Tiger Mixed Yuan Skill, a Heaven-grade divine skill, from completing even its first calamity.
It was also a lack of funds that kept the top-tier movement skill, Stepping Moon Chasing Stars Skill, only at the great success of Star Traces, and Jie Mai Qinlong (Arresting Dragon Vein) was the same.
Furthermore, his archery and blade techniques were also falling behind his cultivation. In the end, it was all caused by a lack of funds!
Raiding homes is good; I should raid more homes in the future.
Ning Yue spurred his green-maned horse, taking the lead and charging at the very front!
...
"Young Master, the commotion outside seems to be getting louder and louder."
On the rockery in the back garden, Elder Yuan was still nowhere to be seen, only his slightly aged voice echoed.
He Wenbin gently fanned himself, his expression disdainful, "It's just a show of force. The Xue Family won't last much longer."
The sound of armor rubbing outside the courtyard and loud shouts rose and fell, growing increasingly intense.
Moreover, the rockery subtly trembled, and the neighing of warhorses came from a distant place, causing the Young Master of the He Family to feel a pang of panic.
Could it be that the Xue Family intended to make a desperate gamble, like a cornered dog?
Or was that Baihu Duan looking for death and planning a counterattack?!
Although the overall situation was decided, he still had to be on guard.
He Wenbin asked, "Elder Yuan, are the arrangements in the courtyard proper? Our forces also need to be stationed in stages; we can't just throw them all into the front courtyard, can we?"
Although the secretly plundered weapons were excellent, the training of soldiers was not an overnight matter. After just over a month, the thousand strong men could only barely follow orders, and as for military formation drills and tactical coordination training, it was still too early.
"Young Master, rest assured. With Qi Huan and Sun Jian, two martial artists at Lianrou (Body Refinement) Completion, leading three hundred men to guard the main gate, not even a bird can fly into our courtyard."
Elder Yuan stroked his beard and continued, "There's also Wang Shouguang, who is at the initial stage of Yijin (Tendon Changing). I've had him lead another three hundred men with crossbows to guard the central courtyard. Even if the enemy breaks through the front courtyard, they won't be able to reach us for a while."
"In the back courtyard, there are Elder Qi and his two disciples at the Yi Jin Realm, leading the most elite four hundred men to guard. We should be safe here."
Elder Yuan stomped his foot, and all the sounds beneath his feet were extinguished. The rockery immediately stopped shaking.
"Hmm," He Wenbin nodded in satisfaction and said, "Counting the days, today should be the day Duan Tao hands over. This old fellow is really dragging his feet, insisting on waiting until today."
He Wenbin said with hatred, "If anything goes wrong, Elder Yuan, you can kill him to silence him. He should know that my things are not that easy to take!"
"Yes! Young Master, do not worry. The Xue Family is a thing of the past. This matter will be foolproof."
...
"Boom!"
A sudden explosion came from not far away!
The He Manor's main gate was blasted into fragments by a single blade strike, and the courtyard wall also shattered into pieces, sending wood splinters flying and dust swirling!
Qi Huan and Sun Jian were stunned by this sudden sight, but a flash of blade light streaked through the endless dust. With a gentle turn in the air, the heads of the two martial artists at Lianrou (Body Refinement) Completion rolled onto the ground.
Ning Yue's footsteps did not pause. With a flicker of Star Traces, he had already darted into the central courtyard.
Butler Fu, behind him, praised, "Xiaoqi Ning's bravery, among the three thousand Xiaoqis in the army, it would be hard to find an equal."
Hearing this, Xue Ren smiled without speaking. Others might not know Ning Yue's character, but he knew it perfectly well.
However, at this moment, it was necessary to quickly control the battle and secure a strategic position, so it wouldn't hurt to use him.
So he said, "Butler Fu, you follow him and protect him for a while. Don't let him be injured by stray arrows or hidden attacks."
"Alright." Butler Fu shifted his feet, and he was gone.
The three hundred crossbowmen in the central courtyard had just heard the sound of the gate breaking when they saw a young man in a green robe, stepping on starlight, lightning-fast, streaking through the central hall.
The long blade in his hand was like a bright, clear moon, rising into the sky, vying for glory with the sun.
The Cold Light Blade, with a powerful strike, split Mount Hua, fiercely striking the unprepared commander Wang Shouguang, sending him flying backward, bleeding from all seven orifices, and instantly falling to the ground severely wounded.
And that figure in green robes didn't even glance back, taking a single step, he had already drifted away like a flying swan. Then, the deafening sound of clashing armor rang out!
Terrified, they were all too scared to move. The three hundred crossbows clattered to the ground, and not a single person dared to resist.
Butler Fu, as a top master at Inner Heaven and Earth Completion, just one step away from breaking through to Xiantian, now felt he couldn't keep up with Xiaoqi Ning's pace.
He chased Ning Yue all the way to the back courtyard. As soon as he stepped through the courtyard gate, he saw Ning Yue turn and run back, smoke rising from his feet, Star Traces flashing wildly, and he anxiously shouted, "Butler Fu, save me! There's a shameless old scoundrel bullying the young!"
Butler Fu looked up and saw a person with broken eyebrows, triangular eyes, and white hair and beard. Although he had never met him before, he recognized him at a glance: one of the assassins who ambushed Xue Ren that night!
New and old grudges surged in his heart. Butler Fu stomped his foot, causing the entire back courtyard to shake violently. His aged body was exceptionally agile at this moment, twisting his back and swinging his body, he unleashed a palm strike in mid-air, like an overwhelming force, towards the opponent.
Seeing this, Ning Yue turned back again. Facing the two martial artists at the initial stage of Yijin (Tendon Changing) who were chasing him, a cold light flashed in his eyes. The Cold Light Blade was like a long rainbow piercing the sun, several dazzling flashes falling simultaneously, catching the two off guard and filling their hearts with both shock and fear!
A gray-clothed strong man pulled away and shouted, "Hold on, Old Yu, I'll go inform the Young Master."
But he received no answer. Ning Yue's Cold Light Blade simply slashed and pulled, and a head, still wide-eyed in death, flew past him.
Those eyes glared furiously, still staring fiercely at the opponent even in death, as if there were a thousand words they wanted to say.
But the gray-clothed strong man didn't want to hear anything.
"Escape!" Only this thought remained in his mind.
The person behind him was like a monster. A martial artist of the same realm was instantly killed by a single blade strike?!
Is this even a martial artist?!
Everyone else practices martial arts, but you cultivate immortality?!