Chapter 245: Killing

"This is excellent!" Yu Xiaogui exclaimed.

Yu Xiaogui, clearly discerning that Wu Shaobai had an old grudge with the Li family, was overjoyed. He nodded repeatedly, raised his hand, and said, "Please!" With that, the two ascended into the wind and vanished into the distant sky. Yu Mugao remained bowed for a long time before straightening up, his eyes flickering with uncertainty as he hesitated, "Li Chijing has returned... but how did Mu Xian not receive any news? Mu Xian is clever and resourceful; I must ask him."

He then stepped forward to the jade platform at the head of the room, dipped his brush in ink, and began to write meticulously, composing: "To my brother, Father returned today... I have many doubts... Is it true that Li Chijing has returned from the Southern Wilderness? I hope you can investigate Li Chijing's affairs thoroughly: When did he return? When did we first hear from him? ... If there is a technique in this world that can confuse the minds of Foundation Establishment cultivators, what kind of spell is it?" Yu Mugao wrote several hundred words with flourishes, then sealed the letter with wax and placed it on the desk. He stroked his chin, pondering for a moment, then reopened the envelope and added a line: "P.S., it has been rumored that Li Xiao has an old connection. Please also inquire if Li Chijing ever had any fellow disciples who were members of the Xiao family. This matter is extremely important; be sure to ascertain it clearly." Only then did Yu Mugao carefully seal the letter, looking gloomily at the horizon as if sensing an impending storm.

"Hmph!" the lightly armored cultivator roared, his magic surging as he brought his blade down. The black-clad youth before him remained unmoving. A grayish-white sword light flared on his spirit sword. With a single strike, the cultivator felt an overwhelming force, and his long blade flew from his hand, scattering flecks of blood. The black-clad youth stepped forward again, swinging his sword. The cultivator, terrified, quickly retreated, slapping out a talisman to block. He narrowly avoided a fatal blow, but a large gash appeared at his waist. "I—!"

It was too late for the cultivator to regret. He was about to beg for mercy when a sword light emerged from the spirit sword. With a forward thrust, it plunged into his chest and abdomen, causing him to shriek. His limbs twitched, and he slumped weakly to the ground, whimpering as he coughed up several mouthfuls of blood. "Thwack!"

Li Yuanjiao pulled out his blood-stained spirit sword, watching the man slowly collapse. He shook off the blood spatters. Finally, there were no enemies left standing before him. Looking up, he saw crimson everywhere, with figures lying prone across the ground. The battlefield was strewn with either trembling surrendered soldiers or bodies lying haphazardly. Li Yuanjiao had grown accustomed to such scenes during his campaigns against the Shanyue people and found nothing particularly bloody about it. He merely raised an eyebrow and asked, "Where is Qinghong?"

Xu Gongming, who was nearby, quickly stepped forward and whispered, "Young Master, the Young Lady has already fought her way to the top of Mount Huashan and is with the Old Ancestor and the others in the main hall." "Oh," Li Yuanjiao nodded slightly, acknowledging, "Her long spear, with its wide, sweeping movements, certainly thrives in this battle formation. She's much faster than us."

He stepped forward, followed in unison by a line of armored soldiers behind him. As they reached the highest platform, they saw a tall, majestic palace before them, with intricate eaves reaching high, a scene of sheer extravagance. Li Yuanjiao scoffed and looked back, saying, "To build a palace like this would take the efforts of generations! It's clear that the downfall of the Ji and An families stems from long-standing corruption. Don't blame their unworthy descendants; their predecessors set the perfect example!"

Li Yuanjiao gestured, and the armored soldiers behind him filed in, systematically replacing the An family guards. Those guards, knowing their cause was lost, offered no resistance. As he stepped into the palace grounds, he saw Li Qinghong standing gracefully outside the hall, holding her spear. At her feet lay a pile of heads with various expressions, and blood had collected in a pool. Li Yuanjiao sheathed his sword and asked, puzzled, "What happened here?"

"Oh," Li Qinghong said nonchalantly, her delicate brows slightly raised. "Grandfather is killing people, An family members." With a slender hand, she twirled her long spear and pointed to the pile of heads, explaining, "He's weighing those old, fat pigs of the An family. The hall guards know best what these people did; they're inside now, prostrating and wailing, 'according to our family's rules.'"

"Those who seized land are being flogged; those who did nothing are being imprisoned; those who were tyrannical are being stabbed. And those who consumed human flesh with An Zheyuan are being subjected to a thousand cuts, their fluids everywhere. The hall is reeking of blood and decay; I couldn't stand the smell, so I came out for some fresh air." A hint of fear flickered across Li Qinghong's face as she leaned closer to Li Yuanjiao, whispering, "I don't know who provoked Grandfather. He's usually good-tempered, but today his expression is grim and full of murderous intent. You should be careful."

Li Yuanjiao quickly nodded. Li Qinghong smiled faintly and continued, "Uncle Xuanfeng has already persuaded the people on Jade Court Mountain to surrender, bringing Uncle Donghe and others back. They just went inside." "That's excellent," Li Yuanjiao said, slightly pleased to hear that Jade Court Mountain had surrendered so easily. Li Qinghong slyly blinked her eyes and asked, "Do you want to go inside and see?"

Hearing that Li Tongya was enraged, Li Yuanjiao had no desire to enter. He waved his hands repeatedly, which brought a charming smile to Li Qinghong's face. Li Yuanjiao gripped his sword hilt, musing, "I don't know what the Elder thinks, but this incident is an excellent opportunity for deterrence, one that can be put to good use." He then gestured for Xu Gongming to approach and instructed him, "The An family has many cultivators, and ordinary people can't control them. Gather a few cultivators and have them assist inside, so the Elder doesn't have to do everything himself."

Xu Gongming, having just heard Li Qinghong's warning, was feeling uneasy. He grimaced but assented, then retreated, thinking to himself, "I must call upon all the family cultivators, lest I be terrified all by myself."

Li Qinghong watched Xu Gongming retreat, then chuckled and said to Li Yuanjiao, "Brother Jiao, you're quite mischievous, scaring them for no reason." Li Yuanjiao waved his hand dismissively and said casually, "They should be afraid!"

As the two conversed, Mount Huashan suddenly shook violently above them. A vast, cold voice emerged, reverberating across the entire mountain. "The An family is a brother clan to my Yu family. By slaughtering your way up Mount Huashan like this, has the Li family shown any regard for my Yu family?"

Li Yuanjiao's expression immediately turned solemn. He looked up at the figure in the sky, frowning, "It's Yu Xiaogui, a Foundation Establishment cultivator!" Yu Xiaogui, though not striking in appearance, exuded an intimidating presence. He stood arrogantly in the clouds, hands clasped behind his back, his robes flapping, looking down at them.

Everyone on Mount Huashan paused. A golden light ascended, revealing a young man with a golden bow on his back, his expression calm and his tone devoid of respect. He merely stated, "So it's Senior Yu. The An family was ravaged by bandits. We came at the invitation of An Zheyuan, the An family head, to help him overcome this calamity. As for your talk of a 'brother clan,'... we only saw your esteemed clan stand by idly. Now you come to reprimand us... Could it be that these bandits were actually members of the Yu family?"

Li Xuanfeng's words were scathing and sarcastic. Yu Xiaogui had never endured such humiliation, especially not from a mere Qi Condensation cultivator who dared to speak so insolently. He was stunned for a moment, then, after a few breaths, he roared, "Nonsense! How dare you! What right do you have to speak?!"

Li Xuanfeng, however, merely stood with folded arms, looking on disdainfully, which made Yu Xiaogui somewhat hesitant to act. Li Xuanfeng parted his lips and continued, "Senior, are you perhaps worried about a sword intent flying in from the south, capable of instantly ending your life and cultivation? If you had known our family is protected by a Sword Immortal, why would you have bothered to make this trip?" "You insolent child, how dare you?!" Yu Xiaogui was both shocked and enraged. He knew that if he didn't act now, he would become a laughingstock. His voice sharp and severe, he struck out with an empty palm towards Li Xuanfeng, shouting, "How utterly audacious and arrogant!"