Cultivating one’s foundation, strengthening the body.
Expanding the meridians, nourishing the qi.
Opening the channels for external release.
At the Expanded Meridian stage, a cultivator can attach the Yuan Gang aura onto their limbs and weapons, enhancing their lethality.
A strong Expanded Meridian cultivator can wound others even by plucking a falling flower or grabbing a leaf.
A simple reed in their hands can be as deadly as a steel knife or a sharp sword.
Only those at the Open Channel stage can fully release the Yuan Gang externally, purely condensing it into finger power or fist energy to strike enemies at a distance.
Moreover, the Yuan Gang released externally at the Open Channel stage is sharper than ordinary swords, more flexible than longbows and crossbows, delivers greater damage, and follows unpredictable, exquisite attack paths that are hard to defend against.
Just like Bai Lang.
Suddenly, he lifted his hand, and a finger force slashed through the air.
In the cold night, a point of finger power broke through the silence like a falling star — faster than arrows or bolts but without a physical form, so ordinary people couldn’t see where it came from.
Lü Cang’s eyes shimmered with a cyan light.
Though most couldn’t see Bai Lang’s finger force, he could see it clearly.
Bai Lang’s finger force was sharp, agile, and even a bit cryptic.
The trajectory of the finger force flicked and slithered like a spirit serpent, drifting left and right instead of moving in a straight line.
The jagged, pitted long blade in Lü Cang’s hand jumped suddenly to block the finger force.
A crisp “ding” rang out as a massive force slammed against it.
Lü Cang was pushed back a step, and the long blade—already marred by hidden damage—snapped into seven or eight segments.
Lü Cang whistled softly.
The round, plump rabbit macaque heard the whistle and vanished silently into the darkness, stealthily lurking.
Snatching a tiger-head golden spear from a prison guard, Lü Cang wielded the spear shaft and laughed loudly at Bai Lang and the others rushing at him: “Unbelievable, really unbelievable.”
Bai Lang’s face twisted with rage as he led his squad charging toward Lü Cang, stopping about five or six yards away.
He wore only a thin white robe.
The cold wind howled, sleeves flapping wildly, giving him a ghostly aura.
He glared fiercely at Lü Cang and shouted sharply, “Unbelievable what? Huh? Unbelievable what? Lü Cang, you shameless, despicable little dog! Fine, you joined the Eunuch Faction, but the Bai family’s kindness to you—you stomp into the mud and trample on it without a trace of remorse? The Bai family holds no grievances, only pity for Uncle Lu of the Lu family!”
“But you... are you really born with a wolf’s heart and dog’s lungs? Have you no shred of decency?”
“You just joined the Eunuch Faction and immediately brought your gang to break into the Bai family at night to kill and set fires!”
“You, you... where is your conscience?”
“Heaven above, fertile earth below, look closely! The Bai family’s goodwill has all been fed to dogs... How could this monster do such a thing!”
Bai Lang wept bitterly, tears streaming, his face twitching.
Masters at the Open Channel stage let Yuan Gang circulate freely through every inch of their body.
So, Bai Lang naturally spat out a mouthful of old blood.
The blood dripped onto the ground, dyeing the white snow in dots of crimson—a painting of blood plum blossoms on snowy earth, beautiful yet utterly tragic.
From all directions, squads of constables, stationed troops, armed marshals, fire brigades, and helpers sent by neighbors—all rushed to the scene.
Some local gentlemen also arrived outside Lantian Garden, flanked by their guards, driven by various motives.
Hearing Bai Lang’s lament, piercing like a cuckoo’s death cry, several men wrapped in thick furs, their faces like polished jade, exuding scholarly flair, couldn’t help but shout in unison:
“Indeed, the Eunuch Faction has lost all conscience!”
“Ugh, that’s Lü Cang of the Lu family from Jingyang, isn’t it?”
“Truly shameful for the Lu ancestors of Jingyang, bringing such disgrace to the clan!”
“The Eunuch Faction strikes again! Gentlemen, how can we tolerate this?”
“Absolutely not! Uphold righteousness! Strike back at the Eunuch Faction—everyone must do their part!”
All these men were scholars!
Though their exact ranks were unknown, just by living near Yushun Ward, near Bai Changkong’s place, they clearly held official posts.
Their clamoring stirred a gradually rising tide of shouting all around.
The stationed soldiers, however, seeing this as none of their business, stood neatly to the side, smiling and watching the commotion.
Whether Eunuch Faction or civil officials, all the big shots brawling is just entertainment for these common soldiers.
Meanwhile, the constables, armed marshals, and even the fire brigade—led by their superiors—boldly took advantage of the night’s cover to hurl abuses at Lü Cang’s side.
Their superiors were civil officials.
Yushun Ward’s fire brigade was made up of local neighbors, organized in teams under heads—mostly scholars.
Facing the Eunuch Faction, naturally, they united in hatred.
Shouts rose fiercely, and Bai Lang’s side gained momentum.
Bai Lang, Bai Xi, and several other Bai brothers suddenly began to look much better.
A large team of guards stepped out from behind them, slowly forming a semi-encirclement, trapping Lü Cang’s men inside.
Lü Cang had brought three hundred prison guards and twenty little eunuchs—over three hundred people in total.
In the previous fight, several women had killed six and chopped down more than twenty, but nearly three hundred still stood.
A huge, dark mass of people gathered in Lantian Garden, surrounded almost evenly by Bai family guards.
Moreover, these Bai guards moved with steady steps and solid breath.
Looking at their exposed joints and tendons, all were thick and powerful—clearly masters of the Horizontal Conditioning technique, with deep cultivation.
Nearly three hundred Horizontal Conditioning experts, including several dozen high-level Expanded Meridian masters.
Such strength far surpassed Lü Cang’s team of former Yulin troops-turned-prison guards.
Add Bai Lang at the Open Channel stage, and the unknown strength of other Bai brothers.
Besides, although Lantian Garden was on fire, the Bai family’s front courtyard was still pitch-black and silent—surely still guarded.
Add to that the few women who had leapt out from the secret mountain tunnel…
Lü Cang’s scalp tingled.
The night before, he had sneaked into the Bai family’s backyard to peek at Bai Lu’s chamber… Luckily, he hadn’t gone too far or he might never have escaped alive.
This fire had actually revealed part of Bai family’s hidden truths!
Luckily, this fire was started by the Great Macaw spraying fire seeds from the sky—an unpredictable and impossible-to-guard-against method.
If Lü Cang had called others to break in and set the fire, wouldn’t that be walking right into a trap, dying without even knowing how?
“Everyone, don’t rush to attack just yet,” Lü Cang stepped forward abruptly, treading on a woman who writhed on the ground—her neck torn to shreds by the rabbit macaque.
He smiled coldly: “Heaven knows, I saw your house on fire and brought people to help put it out. If you want to sue me, fine. I have all the proof—people, objects—this fire has nothing to do with me.”
Bai Lang sneered, “Your Eunuch Faction witnesses… who would believe that?”
Lü Cang laughed: “I have three hundred men under me—all Emperor’s personal Yulin guards and loyal close protectors. If you don’t believe me, are you planning to rebel?”
Bai Lang’s smile vanished instantly, his face twisting into an odd expression, as if smeared with cow dung—utterly humiliated and furious, a feeling hard to put into words.
No matter how absurd the emperor might be, he was still officially the supreme ruler of Dayin.
You can call the Eunuch Faction scoundrels who harm the country, but no one would curse the emperor.
Even if the emperor is a fool, he is merely blinded by the Eunuch Faction.
The emperor himself is blameless, while the blame lies with Yu Changle and his eunuch lackeys—even less of a man.
So these Yulin soldiers made excellent witnesses.
Their testimony carried the emperor’s credibility as guarantee.
Whether the Bai family believed it or not, the common people in the world would be convinced.
Bai Lang glared angrily at Lü Cang and changed tactics: “You wandered around my Bai family compound at midnight—surely you had sinister plans!”
Lü Cang’s laughter only grew louder: “Hahaha! The emperor personally appointed me as the first chief of the Yushun Ward Inspection Office. My base is just north of Lantian Garden, across the street, directly opposite. At midnight, if I’m not standing guard at my own base, then where else would I be?”
“Boom!”
The gathered crowd helping with the fire gasped in unison.
What nonsense was this?
The emperor had literally set up camp near their homes?
The name “Inspection Office” itself sounded shady.
Bai Lang and his brothers took a simultaneous step back, twisting their faces as they looked at Lü Cang—such expressions were truly spectacular.
Lü Cang lightly pressed his foot on the woman beneath him and sneered, “On the contrary, I came with good intentions to help put out the fire, but your Bai family’s ‘secret chamber’ actually had a few madwomen jumping out to kill people!”
Bai Lang shut his mouth.
“Secret chamber” was a deadly insult.
The honorable Bai family, a bastion of upright gentlemen—they could hardly admit to having a secret chamber!
Only schemers, villains, criminals, and shady people would construct such places.
The Bai family, a renowned scholarly household, shouldn’t have—couldn’t have—a secret chamber.
But the little tower just collapsed, and those women had indeed jumped out from a small mountain tunnel, in broad daylight—there was no way to deny it.
A cold silence fell, broken only by Bai Xi softly coughing.
Suddenly, the woman beneath Lü Cang let out a terrifying, piercing scream: “Kill!”
Several women holding long knives nearby moved like phantoms.
They sprang up as a group, charging fiercely at Bai Lang, Bai Xi, and the others.
Several serious middle-aged men near Bai Lang and Bai Xi leapt out, throwing three punches and two kicks.
They knocked the women to the ground, vomiting blood, their bodies trembling, and black blood dripping from the corners of their mouths.
Even the woman beneath Lü Cang spat out black blood.
Poisoned suicide—the women didn’t even shudder.
They were death warriors.
The Bai family was raising death warriors!
Lü Cang cursed bitterly inside his heart.
He had merely been in the mood to set off some fireworks to celebrate “a happy housewarming” and expose the Bai family’s hypocrisy.
Never had he thought the Bai family was hiding so many secrets.
“These women are assassins,” Bai Lang said, hands behind his back, eyes as sharp as knives piercing Lü Cang.
“Everyone has seen with your own eyes—they intruded into Lantian Garden to harm my Bai family’s sons. They are assassins.”
“Lü Cang, thanks to you, their conspiracy was uncovered. For that, the Bai family owes you a favor.”
“Now, in this bitter cold, can you release my family’s sons?”
He pointed to several handsome young men tightly bound, shivering cold on the icy ground.
(End of Chapter)