Helian Zheng's eyes were wide with rage. Before he could make his way around the Eight Immortals table, Chen Shi had already acted. With two chopsticks, he took out Third Young Master Zhao and Zhao Xue'e, igniting Helian Zheng's fury.
The Zhao Family's Dark Jade Manor had sent Third Young Master Zhao out to find Second Miss Zhao and solve the case of the missing Manager Zhao Ming and Iron Brush Elder. Helian Zheng was also tasked with leading the Imperial Guards to protect Zhao Yue and others.
Though Zhao Yue was the third son, he was highly regarded in the manor. Intelligent and studious from a young age, he excelled in music and was kind-hearted, earning the affection of many in the manor. Rumors suggested that if the eldest son failed to meet expectations and Second Miss couldn't be found, the master might consider Zhao Yue as the heir.
Zhao Xue'e, Zhao Yue's younger sister, was sixteen and full of youthful vitality. Upon hearing that her brother was going to find their sister and avenge Zhao Ming and Iron Brush Elder, she eagerly joined the journey. She was a kind-hearted girl, so gentle that she wouldn't even harm an ant.
Who would have thought that a country bumpkin would brutally kill Third Young Master Zhao with a chopstick and then do the same to Zhao Xue'e!
With Zhao Yue and Zhao Xue'e dead, Helian Zheng couldn't escape the blame. He would be held accountable for negligence and might even face death alongside the third young master. All of this was thanks to Chen Shi!
"You country brute!"
Helian Zheng charged forward, teeth clenched. Chen Shi, having taken out two people with chopsticks, flipped the dining table with a swift motion, sending it flying and blocking the view of those in front.
As the table flew, Chen Shi swiftly retreated, his left hand like a chopping knife, striking the throat of an Imperial Guard behind Zhao Yue.
"So fast!"
The Imperial Guard was filled with despair. He realized something was wrong but couldn't dodge in time. His neck was snapped.
Right Two, dead.
Chen Shi turned and punched, his fist creating a gust of wind as it smashed into another guard's face, slamming his head into the ancient temple's wall, breaking a large hole with a thud!
Outside, the guards saw the temple wall bulge, bricks flying out, and a cracked skull poking through.
Left One, dead.
"Enemy attack—"
The other guards snapped out of their daze and rushed into the temple.
Inside, chaos erupted. Everyone moved at once—some pushed chairs to stand, others tripped, some tried to advance, and others retreated, trying to avoid the deadly Chen Shi.
It was a mess of people tripping and blocking each other. The guards wanted to act but couldn't use their skills without risking friendly fire.
They were not only physically tangled but mentally too, wanting to throw everyone out but knowing they were allies, they held back.
Chen Shi, however, remained calm. Oddly enough, he hesitated before acting, weighing the pros and cons, but once he acted, he was utterly composed. Each move was swift and precise, as if killing came naturally to him.
His speed was incredible, his small frame slippery and elusive. He sidestepped the charging guards, raised a fist, thumb tucked under his middle finger, and struck a guard's temple, breaking through the skull and driving force into the brain.
The guard's right eye filled with blood, turning the entire eyeball red, obscuring the pupil. Blood vessels burst at his temple, blurring his vision, followed by a brain-rattling shock that stopped his thoughts, blood flooding his brain, leading to an instant, painless death.
Chen Shi moved like a fish, delivering the blow before slipping behind the guard, back to back. He faced Zhao Yan, who swung a chair down hard.
Chen Shi didn't dodge, letting the chair smash over his head, shattering into pieces. Zhao Yan was left holding two chair legs, and Chen Shi seized the opportunity to grab the other two.
Seeing the sharp ends of the chair legs, Zhao Yan's eyes flashed with malice, ready to stab Chen Shi, but Chen Shi acted first, driving a chair leg into his throat!
Chen Shi's physical condition far surpassed Zhao Yan's, who was slower in speed.
Chen Shi ducked low, kicked a charging guard in the groin, turned, and stabbed another chair leg into the twisted face of a guard.
Right One, Left Two, Zhao Yan.
Dead.
The temple was in chaos. Zhao Yue and Zhao Xue'e hadn't taken their last breath yet. The first guard with a broken neck hadn't fallen, and Zhao Yan was still trying to pull the chair leg from his throat. Then, a guard activated the Yellow Turban Warrior Talisman, glowing with golden light, charging like a bull at Chen Shi, swinging a fist.
Chen Shi ignored the chair legs, having learned from the Li Family camp that blood-soaked weapons were slippery and easy to drop. So whether it was chopsticks or chair legs, he used them once and discarded them unless convenient.
He surged his blood and energy, his right arm swelling, his hand heavy like a bear's paw, meeting the incoming punch.
The guard, empowered by the Warrior Talisman, had a fist glowing with golden light, his whole body shining like he wore golden armor, resembling a deity!
The Warrior Talisman granted a near-invincible body and immense strength in close combat.
"Crack!"
Their fists collided, the guard's fingers shattered, his arm broke. He gritted his teeth, raising his left hand to strike, but Chen Shi grabbed his broken right arm, thrusting it forward, driving the broken bone into his chest.
The guard's left hand hammered Chen Shi's face—once, twice, thrice!
Chen Shi, enduring the blows, pushed forward, slamming the guard against the wall, impaling him with his own broken bone.
Chen Shi pulled out the bone, blood gushing, and the guard finally died.
Left Three, dead.
A Zhao Family member saw Chen Shi charging and instinctively summoned the Midnight Demon Slaying Sword from the altar. The sword's energy whistled, aiming to cut Chen Shi, who suddenly ducked.
The sword energy grazed his scalp, slicing through the neck of another pursuing Zhao Family member, whose head rolled to the ground.
The sword energy continued forward, carving a deep mark in the temple wall with a loud crash!
Chen Shi hadn't expected someone to use magic in this small temple. As he ducked, he grabbed a broken plate.
The temple floor was slick, possibly with oil or blood. Chen Shi slid past the Zhao Family member, grabbing his leg and pulling him down, while raising and lowering the plate shard rapidly.
In a blink, Chen Shi stabbed from the leg to the chest over ten times, but when he reached the chest, the shard slipped, cutting his palm.
Chen Shi rolled, leaping to avoid a falling Three-Eyed Fire Gun, thinking, "There were twelve people in the temple, now only two remain. I just need to deal with the last two..."
The Three-Eyed Fire Gun bounced off the ground, striking his chest with a thud!
This was a gun technique, not a simple thrust but a stab, meant to pierce through, with immense power!
Helian Zheng couldn't adjust the gun's angle, using the blunt end instead of the sharp one, which could have skewered Chen Shi.
Even so, the heavy gun, combined with Helian Zheng's brute force, struck his chest hard, like a sledgehammer. Chen Shi grunted, flying backward, seeing Helian Zheng raise the gun, the muzzle flashing!
He crashed into the wall, ignoring the chest pain, clawing into the wall to propel himself upwards like a snake.
The next moment, the spot he hit exploded, debris flying, half the wall collapsing!
The Three-Eyed Fire Gun's gunpowder, invented by the Tang Dynasty's Daoist Medicine Saint Sun Simiao, used three materials to create explosive power, capable of damaging even high-level cultivators' bodies and spirits.
Helian Zheng's gun, using one and a half ounces of black powder and a thunderbolt pellet, with Five Suns Heavenly Thunder Talismans inscribed, wielded such power. More powder would increase its might!
Missing with one shot, Helian Zheng raised the gun again, but Chen Shi had already climbed to the temple roof, which lacked large beams, only hexagonal frames laid down from six small beams.
Chen Shi climbed swiftly, Helian Zheng leaping up, the altar behind him glowing. Hearing the sound of swords cutting through the air, Chen Shi let go, dropping down.
Two sword energies sliced through the roof, sunlight streaming in.
Chen Shi landed, dashing towards the hole made by the gunshot.
Helian Zheng, still airborne, activated the Armored Horse Talisman on his legs, the altar's Divine Fetus gathering True Qi, transforming into Midnight Demon Slaying Sword Qi. The gun fired downwards, exploding with a thunderous roar, like lightning in the temple!
The explosion of the thunderbolt pellet near Chen Shi left blood trails on his back.
Helian Zheng, propelled upwards by the blast, grabbed a roof beam, flipping through the hole his sword energy made, landing atop the temple, eyes cold, scanning below.
But he didn't see Chen Shi.
Logically, Chen Shi should have exited the temple, visible to him, allowing a clear shot with the gun!
"This kid's escape was a feint; he's back inside the temple!"
Helian Zheng's mind reeled, "Young Master Zhao Rui is still in there!"
He dropped through the temple hole, seeing Chen Shi slam Young Master Zhao Rui's head against the wall, blood splattering.
All six Zhao family members were gone, not one left.
Chen Shi exhaled, feeling a sense of relief.
A gentleman must be firm and imposing.
If he couldn't decisively eliminate them all, how could he establish authority and intimidate the Zhao family in the provincial capital?
"If Scholar Zhu were here, he would be pleased. I haven't let down Master Confucius's teachings!"