The fleeing Zhao Xi and the pursuing Xue Xin leaped from the three-story height onto the street below, one after the other.

The street was bustling with people coming and going.

"Thump!" Zhao Xi tumbled on the ground, stood up, and bolted away.

"Don't even think about running!" Xue Xin exploded with internal force beneath his feet and shot forward with a whoosh.

"Murder!"

"Murder!"

Some pedestrians on the wide street couldn't help but shout loudly. Immediately, many people swiftly moved to the sides of the street, while those farther away quickly converged toward the commotion. Guests from the brothels, shops, and taverns lining the street also peered down one after another.

"Look, isn't that Young Master Zhao?"

"Someone actually dares to chase and kill Young Master Zhao?"

Discussions erupted, but no one intervened to save Zhao Xi.

"Who are you, daring to try and kill me?" Zhao Xi fled in disarray, roaring in anger as he ran.

"Hmph." Xue Xin snorted coldly. "You scum, you should have died long ago!" As he spoke, the Zhanmadao (Horse-Slaying Saber) in Xue Xin's hand continuously hacked towards Zhao Xi... However, Zhao Xi’s ability to dodge in a small area was indeed formidable, preventing even the greatly empowered Xue Xin from killing him immediately.

"Master!"

The two bodyguards were about to rush out to save Zhao Xi, but their bodies trembled once, and they collapsed onto the ground. Teng Qingshan glanced over with a faint smile, juggling two small pieces of gravel in his hand.

"Those two wastes." Zhao Xi caught sight of the two great experts he had hired collapsing, unable to rise, and he couldn't help but grow anxious. "The one pursuing me isn't the only one here. There is a second person. I must finish this quickly to save my life." Zhao Xi was clearly confident in dealing with the Xue Xin before him.

He was only worried about...

The mysterious expert lurking in the shadows who had just dealt with his two bodyguards.

"Thwack!" Zhao Xi actually grabbed the Zhanmadao with his left hand. The terrifying impact contained within the saber shook Zhao Xi’s body, forcing him to retreat two steps.

"Hmm? Gloves?" Xue Xin also noticed the translucent gloves on Zhao Xi's hands.

Zhao Xi's gaze turned icy.

His weapon-wielding right hand was suddenly raised slightly, his cuff aimed at Xue Xin.

Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!

Dozens of tiny poisonous needles simultaneously sprayed from Zhao Xi's sleeve. These needles resembled embroidery needles, and combined with their speed and close range, Xue Xin had no chance to evade. His eyes widened in terror: "No—" He was unwilling to die; he still had a great vengeance to exact!

Whoosh!

A phantom image, Teng Qingshan appeared beside Xue Xin and simultaneously swung his right arm. The dozens of poisonous needles were swept away almost simultaneously by the sleeve on Teng Qingshan’s right arm.

"This—" Seeing Teng Qingshan suddenly appear and effortlessly intercept his hidden weapons, Zhao Xi felt a chill deep in his heart. He was completely certain now. "He is a Xiantian expert, and likely a Xiantian Solid Core, perhaps even Xiantian Golden Core! It’s over, I’m finished..." Having climbed up step by step from being a mere servant.

Zhao Xi's perception and cunning were exceptionally high.

"Am I about to die? No, no..." Zhao Xi instantly became frantic, staring fixedly at Teng Qingshan, shouting mournfully, "No, you cannot kill me!!!"

Teng Qingshan didn't bother looking at Zhao Xi; instead, he glanced at his disciple, 'Xue Xin.'

Cold sweat beaded on Xue Xin’s forehead. He had just walked the edge of death and was truly frightened.

"Master," Xue Xin said with some shame.

"It’s alright, kill him first," Teng Qingshan commanded.

Xue Xin turned to look at Zhao Xi. Zhao Xi’s face was pale, his demeanor bordering on madness. At this moment, knowing the mysterious master 'Teng Qingshan' was present, Zhao Xi knew he had no chance to escape.

"You cannot kill me." Zhao Xi pulled out a dark cyan token from his robe, saying urgently, "I am an outer disciple steward of Qinghu Island in Wu'an Commandery. This is in broad daylight; if you kill me..." Zhao Xi didn't elaborate further, trusting that the two experts before him would understand.

"A steward?" Teng Qingshan chuckled. "Even better!"

"Even better?" Zhao Xi was stunned.

"Thwack!" A flash of the saber appeared.

"No—"

A piercing shriek echoed across the heavens from Zhao Xi’s mouth. A head flew into the air, and even as the head separated, a gruesome scream still issued from Zhao Xi's severed neck, from which brilliant crimson blood erupted like water. Many women among the onlookers cried out in alarm.

"Finally killed one." Xue Xin stared at the head that had fallen to the ground, his heart surging with emotion.

"Let's go," Teng Qingshan said. Xue Xin snapped out of his daze. "Yes, Master."

Teng Qingshan and Xue Xin swiftly melted into the crowd and vanished. A large crowd still encircled the area, staring at the corpse and chattering—Zhao Xi, the notorious figure of Wu'an Commandery, who could command almost everything in the city, had just been publicly executed on the street. * Only moments later. A group numbering in the hundreds rushed over in a frenzy. Leading them was a beautiful woman whose face was ashen and whose hair was severely disheveled.

"Make way!" "Make way!"...

A chorus of shouts arose.

Many surrounding onlookers quickly stepped aside as the hundreds of people rapidly enveloped the area where the chase had occurred.

The beautiful woman looked at the corpse, her face instantly turning deathly pale, and she let out a sharp cry: "A'Xi!!!" She dropped to her knees, trembling as she gathered the severed head into her arms.

"Who! Who killed A'Xi, who!!!"

The beautiful woman threw her head back and shrieked, appearing utterly crazed.

"Madam, Madam." The two maids looked somewhat frightened by their mistress's frenzy.

"Investigate! Investigate quickly who killed A'Xi!" The woman glared at the surroundings. "No matter who it was, I will have them sliced into ten thousand pieces!!!" The hundreds of people nearby dared not utter another word and immediately surged into the crowd, grabbing pedestrians to question them.

……

Wu'an Commandery, General’s Residence.

A bearded man, dressed in furs and comfortably reclining in a chair, was idly fiddling with iron balls, humming a little tune, and occasionally teasing the maid beside him.

"General, General," an urgent voice called from outside.

"What's all the fuss about?" The General opened his eyes with annoyance.

A middle-aged military officer rushed in breathlessly. "General, a major incident has occurred. That Zhao Xi was killed on the street below Nuānfēng Tower."

"What!" The General scrambled upright.

"Brother Zhao is dead?" The General found it impossible to believe. "How, how could this be? Brother Zhao himself was quite capable, a First-Rate Martial Artist, not to mention his bodyguards. How could he be killed in the street?" If he had been poisoned, perhaps, but killed publicly?

It was too bizarre.

"He's dead? Then the business..." The General frowned. He had a stake in the business Zhao Xi managed. Zhao Xi’s death meant huge trouble.

"General, Zhao Xi's wife is currently weeping on the street below Nuānfēng Tower." The middle-aged officer reported urgently.

"Zhao Xi's wife? That Eldest Young Lady of Qinghu Island?" The General was startled and immediately shouted, "Go, we must hurry over..."

"Fourth Brother!" The General roared suddenly.

"General," a shout came from a distance.

"Brothers of the First and Second Battalions, assemble! Move out!" the General yelled. The structure of one battalion in the City Guard was far larger than that of the Black Armored Army of the Guiyuan Sect; one battalion comprised a full two thousand men. Two battalions meant four thousand men.

……

At Zhao Xi’s residence, General Li of the City Guard arrived personally, leading a group of personal guards.

The entire residence was already draped in white mourning cloth, and the sounds of weeping could be heard from afar.

"General Li." The young woman, clad in white mourning attire, emerged from the main hall.

"Sister-in-law, what, what exactly happened?" General Li asked anxiously.

"What happened?" The young woman’s eyes were red as she stared at General Li through gritted teeth. "How should I know what happened? My A'Xi was working with you people, and now A'Xi is dead... and you still don't know who did it? I don't care about anything else, but the murderer must be caught, and they must be sliced into ten thousand pieces!!!"

General Li's face darkened slightly, but he restrained himself, considering her status.

"Don't be too sad, Sister-in-law," General Li consoled her. "Rest assured, there is no one in Wu'an Commandery I cannot find! Since they dared to kill my brother... I will make them regret ever being born into this world!"

General Li was furious!

Not only for avenging Zhao Xi, but more importantly, Zhao Xi’s death represented a tremendous loss for General Li.

"Yes, make them regret ever being born into this world!" the woman cried out in anger.

It must be acknowledged that General Li and the people at Zhao Xi’s residence were indeed well-informed in Wu'an Commandery. Within half an hour, they received news: the two murderers had entered a manor—the Jing Manor! * "Quick!" "Quick!"

The armored troops, like a flood of darkness, swiftly covered the entire street in front of the Jing Manor.

"Surround this Jing Manor, surround it completely," General Li shouted furiously.

"Yes, General."

The clanging of armor against metal was continuous as two thousand soldiers tightly encircled the entire Jing Manor, leaving no gap. Another two thousand soldiers, along with several hundred men from the Zhao family, blocked the main gate of the Jing Manor. General Li and Mrs. Zhao stood among the crowd, glaring fixedly at the manor entrance.

"Close the gate?" Madam Zhao sneered, shouting, "Ram the main gate open!"

Just then—

"Click!" The sound of a wooden bolt being drawn back rang out.

"Clang, clang, clang~~" The two massive iron gates slowly opened. Many of the Jing Manor's own guards had already retreated far away, but a seemingly dashing youth in white robes carrying a sword, followed closely by a youth whose face bore a savage saber scar, walked out of the main gate and stood at the threshold.

Silence descended.

Xue Xin looked at the endless masses of black-armored soldiers outside. Even standing beside his Master, he felt nervous.

"It's him, he's the one who killed Lord Zhao Xi," a man with triangular eyes standing beside Madam Zhao pointed furiously at Xue Xin.

"It's you!"

Madam Zhao glared, her eyes fixed on Xue Xin. "You dare kill my husband! I will have your entire lineage exterminated!!!"

General Li beside her also had a grim expression, glaring at Xue Xin. "You dare kill an outer disciple steward of Qinghu Island in the street? This is a crime punishable by the annihilation of your clan! Men... escort everyone in the Jing Manor into custody!"

With the order given!

Immediately, the soldiers filling the entire street behind General Li surged forward like a tide toward the Jing Manor gate. The guards and maids inside the Jing Manor were all terrified and started crying. Many shouted, "My Lord, it has nothing to do with us." "My Lord, spare us."

Chaos erupted.

Teng Qingshan looked at the soldiers charging toward the Jing Manor entrance. His face suddenly darkened, and he roared, "Scram!"

"Scram!" "Scram!" "Scram!"...

The soldiers at the very front seemed to be struck by an invisible shockwave. One by one, they fell to the ground, clutching their ears in pain. Fully a hundred people collapsed, while the other thousand or so soldiers, though they didn't fall, all had pale faces. Madam Zhao’s face also turned pale, only General Li remained quite composed.

"Who are you?" General Li’s face sank, and he roared, "Are you deliberately opposing Qinghu Island? Hand over the criminals immediately, and I will grant you impunity. If you resist... you are an accomplice! Death penalty!"

Even a Xiantian expert must bow his head when facing a Commandery General who commands nearly a hundred thousand troops.