The longsword shattered, and the overwhelming force crashing like a tsunami struck directly.
Wu Shui screamed out in anguish.
He had never even dreamed that after pouring all his strength and exhausting every bit of his Yuan Gang to deliver a near-suicidal strike, his sword would be casually shattered by Lu Qian with a mere flick of his hand.
The scent of death rushed in like a crushing tide.
At the brink between life and death, Wu Shui bit his tongue hard.
The desperate secret technique of the Hào Sword Palace, ‘Sword Burial Art,’ erupted within him.
Sharp, cutting sword energies surged wildly through his body in an instant.
His twelve main meridians and eight extraordinary vessels shattered simultaneously.
In front of Wu Shui’s right palm holding the sword, a bright sword essence explosion burst forth.
With a crisp sound, Wu Shui’s right arm broke off at the shoulder.
The entire arm transformed into a blood-red sword rainbow, wrapped in radiant sword essence, shooting forward intensely.
It slammed heavily into the fierce wave of Lu Qian’s palm strike.
The sword rainbow blasted out furiously, and Wu Shui’s body was forced backward along the momentum.
Amidst the tremendous roar, the sword rainbow formed from all of Wu Shui’s cultivation was annihilated by Lu Qian’s palm.
The fierce wave rolled on, sweeping past Wu Shui’s body at high speed.
Wu Shui coughed up a mouthful of blood and his body grew light as he was flung dozens of yards along the gust’s path, crashing headfirst onto the thick icy surface of the canal with a heavy smack.
“Senior Brother!”
Inside the tavern, dozens of white-clad sword guards rushed out urgently.
Among them, some dashed straight to Wu Shui on the ice, while others drew swords and charged fiercely toward Lu Qian.
Behind Lu Qian, three thousand personal guards had already reined in their mounts the instant Lu Qian was attacked.
As the sword guards charged, the guards released their powerful bows and set their heavy crossbows, while others formed formations holding long spears and war lances to shield Lu Qian at the center.
The sword guards froze on the spot, completely confused.
Lu Qian silently circulated his cultivation method, drawing the inky black mysterious light inside him gradually into his Dan Zhong point, condensing into a singular Xuan Yuan of Gui Xu.
He looked down coldly at those stalled sword guards and said, “Why did you attempt to kill me?”
A middle-aged sword guard stepped forward, gritting his teeth: “My young master died because of you!”
Lu Qian was stunned for a moment. “Your young master? Who?”
The guard shouted angrily, “My young master is Qi Shen, the ninth son of Duke Dongqi!”
Lu Qian’s eyes widened in fury. “Qi Shen? That’s right, he’s dead, but it was because…”
Wu Yin District was a bustling place, especially the stone bridges over the canal, vital thoroughfares crowded with people going back and forth, bustling and noisy.
Lu Qian was attacked, and all around, countless people pointed fingers and whispered.
If he publicly revealed that Qi Shen’s death was because the Empress Dowager had used him as bait to trap ghosts…
Lu Qian was at a loss for words. “Qi Shen died because…”
Seeing Lu Qian’s hesitation, the middle-aged sword guard sneered bitterly: “So it is clear. Indeed, the death of my young master and you, Lu Qian of Tianyang, are inseparably linked. Fine, fine, fine. We are useless, unable to avenge our young master’s death. But our lord will never simply let this go!”
The group of sword guards howled angrily to the sky in unison.
Just as Lu Qian and his personal guards prepared for a desperate death fight, expecting those sword guards to go all out, they instead lifted their swords, simultaneously grasped the blades, and with a clear tinkling sound, snapped their swords in half.
“Today’s hatred, today’s grievance, this life, this world—I swear to repay it!”
All the sword guards shouted together, slashing their palms to draw blood and smeared their faces with it, then turned and left, taking the utterly broken Wu Shui with them—their bodies riddled with cut meridians, missing an arm, and limp as the dead.
From the top floor of the tavern came Zhu Yu’s mocking cold laughter:
“Oh? That’s all? That was the Broken Sword Blood Oath of the Hao Sword Palace, wasn’t it? Hey, Duke Tianyang, you’ve stirred up trouble. Now you’re a thorn in the eye, a flesh wound to the Hao Sword Palace. Their disciples will stop at nothing to kill you!”
Lu Qian looked up and saw Zhu Yu—as flawless as a flawless jade bi from the city of Liancheng.
Zhu Yu stood at the edge of a large hole punched open by Wu Shui, looking down at Lu Qian near the bridge’s head.
They locked eyes for a moment.
Lu Qian dismounted, parted his surrounding guards, and strode into the tavern.
His personal guards immediately sprang into action.
Some put away their long weapons and followed Lu Qian into the tavern in a grand procession.
Others dispersed the gathering crowd nearby and encircled the whole building.
From the first floor up to the top, Lu Qian ascended the stairs step by step.
Behind him, the guards trained in the elite Yulin Army tightly sealed off every floor along the way, ordering all diners in the tavern to forbid any movement or idle chatter.
As Lu Qian reached the highest floor, the shouts and scolding from his own guards echoed beneath his feet, stirring a strange feeling deep inside his heart.
Back when he was cautious and low-profile at the Laiguo Duke’s clan school, Lu Qian had never tasted a feeling like this.
‘Power’—to a man, it truly was a fatal yet deeply tempting poison.
Finally, Lu Qian arrived at the tavern’s top floor.
At the stairway entrance, a group of guards brought by Zhu and Zhu Yu lined up in a single row, blocking Lu Qian’s path.
Behind Lu Qian, the Shénwǔ General brandishing the imperial baton strode forward, raising high a bronze staff embossed with a soaring Kunpeng pattern amid clouds and waves, adorned with nine clusters of white yak tails.
These guards from Prime Minister Zhu Chong’s mansion knew clearly the design and deep meaning behind every official ritual weapon in the court.
Seeing the imperial baton, a symbol of the emperor’s authority, the guards silently stepped back one by one.
With every step they retreated, Lu Qian stepped forward.
By his side, the Shénwǔ General with the baton advanced accordingly.
Soon, the guards had retreated all the way behind Zhu and Zhu Yu, nowhere left to fall back to.
They could only helplessly look to their masters.
Zhu Yu and Zhu gritted their teeth, glaring furiously at Lu Qian, who was advancing relentlessly.
In their eyes, Lu Qian was utterly disrespecting the Zhu family—that he was insulting Prime Minister Zhu’s authority, trampling all over the Zhu clan.
“Lu Qian, you are so arrogant!” Zhu Yu growled low with fury.
“The imperial baton is here. Why haven’t you kowtowed yet?” Lu Qian’s left hand rested on the hilt of his sword at his waist.
After leaving the imperial city, Lu Qian had put on the ring that flew out from the transmission stele, wearing it on his middle finger.
Now, lightly pressing the hilt, his fingers moved, engaging the ring with a clear, crisp ‘ding ding’ sound.
Zhu Yu and Zhu shot Lu Qian angry glares.
To be forced to salute before the imperial baton—this was their first lifetime experience.
With their noble bloodlines, descended from sages, who dared force them to kowtow?
With their fame and virtues among scholars and ministers, who dared?
With their extensive network all over Haojing, who dared?
But Lu Qian dared.
Zhu Yu’s face twisted, gripping his folding fan tightly.
Zhu stared for a moment at the baton, then laughed: “Duke Tianyang speaks truly. We should indeed pay our respects.”
Enduring the sharp pain in his fractured ankle, Zhu forced himself to stand, using one leg to support his weight.
Slowly and painfully, he bent down and kowtowed deeply to the baton.
After Zhu finished, Zhu Yu nodded and, teeth clenched, imitated the gesture.
The Shénwǔ General with the baton stepped back two paces.
Lu Qian looked at the volatile expression on Zhu Yu’s face and asked, “The person just now—did you send him to cause trouble for me?”
True to the careful breeding of the Zhu clan, after his initial anger faded, Lu Qian’s short question calmed Zhu Yu.
He showed a perfect smile.
“Duke Tianyang, what words! I, Zhu Yu, descendant of saints and man of letters, how could I stoop to the despicable deeds you’ve accused me of? Duke Tianyang, your words slander the Zhu family’s education and values. Do you seek to provoke the Zhu clan?”
Lu Qian clicked his fingers on the sword hilt, meeting Zhu Yu’s gaze. “Xiong Dingtian was sent by you to kill me, wasn’t he?”
Zhu Yu snapped his folding fan open sharply and said coldly, “That’s an uninteresting question. Duke Tianyang, with just that word, I could go report you to the Lord of Wuyin District for slander!”
“Won’t admit it?” Lu Qian shook his head. “A man must be brave enough to face his actions.”
Zhu Yu smiled slowly and deliberately, “I only know that everything must be backed by personal and physical evidence. Without proof, your accusations are empty slander. According to Taiyin law, slander is a serious offense…”
‘Smack!’
A crisp slap reverberated—Lu Qian suddenly struck Zhu Yu hard across the face.
Without using his Gui Xu Xian Yuan, though he had killed the green sparrow, Qi Fei, and thousands of ghosts last night, his body had been tempered several times, making him several times stronger than a normal martial cultivator.
At the Secret History Bureau, after converting all his Canghai Jin Yuan Gang into Gui Xu Xian Yuan, Lu Qian’s body had begun to enjoy the benefits of Infinite Gui Xu Body tempering, making all his functions stronger.
Pure physical power made Lu Qian’s palm strike so fast it was a blur.
Zhu Yu, Zhu, and their guards couldn’t react in time or even see the move clearly.
Zhu Yu flew back, half his cheek torn to shreds by the palm strike.
More than a dozen teeth shattered, blood mixed with flesh and teeth spattered onto the ground in a gruesome mess.
Just with that one blow, Zhu Yu was knocked unconscious, lying on the ground trembling like a dying fish.
Zhu and the guards shouted furiously.
Zhu roared, “Lu Qian, how dare you hit a descendant of saints?”
Lu Qian shrugged and said coldly, “That means nothing. That gentleman just accused me of slander. I could go report him to the Lord of Wuyin District right now.”
He was simply returning their words in kind.
Zhu trembled with rage, the pain in his broken foot stabbing sharply.
He fell heavily back into his wheelchair.
Pointing at Lu Qian, he gasped, “I have witness testimony!”
Lu Qian glanced at Zhu’s guards, then back to Zhu, smiling.
“That gentleman probably never read the Taiyin law… You and Zhu Yu look somewhat alike—brothers, I suppose? And these people are your guards?”
“According to Taiyin law, relatives and servants’ testimonies cannot be accepted as evidence in court.”
Lu Qian shook his head. “You scholars are all the same—just a bunch of empty-headed bookworms, with no real talent. But you love that romantic fluff nonsense. I advise you to read some practical and useful books: ‘Taiyin Law,’ ‘The Founder’s Edicts’—those are useful.”
Zhu clenched his teeth, expressionless as he stared at Lu Qian.
“No more nonsense. Taiyin law? Ha.”
“You—this is making an enemy of the Zhu family.”
“We’ve been enemies for a long time,” Lu Qian said, reaching out in front of Zhu’s guards to gently pinch Zhu’s cheek flesh.
“We’ve been enemies, didn’t you know?”
(End of chapter)