Chapter 2155: The Music Ends, the People Perish

Lu Xiaoyun immediately stepped forward and shouted angrily at Lu Zhensheng: "Murdering to seize the throne! Well done, the Lu family actually produced a scum like you!"

Lu Zhensheng's eyes flickered uncertainly, but he still argued forcefully against the Great Emperor of Nine Abysses: "This is all an illusion, something he fabricated!"

The gazes of the Lu family members all snapped to the Great Emperor of Nine Abysses at once, only to see him naturally point a finger at Lu Zhensheng, his calm voice laced with killing intent: "Seize him, execute him on the spot!"

Inside and out, the Lu family members had all knelt on the ground—who else would dare deny that he is the head of the Lu family?

With no one in charge of the main household, Lu Zhensheng had been acting as interim manager of clan affairs; now that the Son of Fortune, the king, has returned, what right does Lu Zhensheng have to continue holding power?

Of course, the reason everyone's attitude could shift so quickly, aside from He Lingchuan being in the right, is primarily due to the overwhelming might of the Great Emperor of Nine Abysses!

Now that he has just obtained the authority to govern the clan, he immediately wants to settle accounts with Lu Zhensheng!

Besides murdering the former clan head and plotting to seize Lu Xiaoyun's estate, Lu Zhensheng today has an additional charge: scheming against the Son of Fortune.

Three crimes combined—he deserves to die.

The Black Armored Army clenched their fists and rubbed their palms, having waited long for this order; upon hearing it, they surged forward without hesitation.

Lu Zhensheng stepped back behind Mou Bing and shouted loudly: "Commander Wu, save me!"

Commander Wu also felt that the current situation was extremely perilous.

If He Lingchuan, in his capacity as the ruler of Cangyan State, had forcibly abducted and killed the head of the Bailie family, Commander Wu's intervention would be justified, for Bailie is a vassal of Mou State, and Mou State cannot idly watch Bailie be annexed by Cangyan.

But now, the Lu family members from top to bottom all acknowledge He Lingchuan's position as clan head, so this struggle has become an internal feud within the Lu family!

The Lu family fighting among themselves—what standing does Commander Wu have to interfere?

But Commander Wu clearly knows it's not that simple!

Yet he bears the king's command, so he still steps forward two paces, draws his blade, and roars: "Halt!"

The Mou troops behind him also followed suit, spreading out, assuming martial stances, while more than ten others drew their bows and took aim at the Great Emperor of Nine Abysses.

This is the third time the Mou army has moved to block. Commander Wu straightened his expression, about to speak, when the Great Emperor of Nine Abysses said calmly:

"The Lu family purges its ranks—those who block me die."

The meaning of these words renders the Mou people's identity ineffective.

Today in the Lu mansion, the required procedures have finally all been completed, the spectators have seen what they needed to see, and He Lingchuan is too lazy to keep up the act.

Let's lay our cards on the table.

He swept his gaze over the Mou troops ahead; one archer made eye contact with him, and for some unknown reason, his heart lurched, his arm went numb, and his hand loosened—the arrow whooshed loose, flying straight at the Great Emperor of Nine Abysses.

Luo Xie reached out, and his bow-spring knife flicked the arrow away:

"Good, you dare to lay hands on the Great Emperor!"

Everyone saw it clearly, and Commander Wu silently cursed: "Oh no."

Before he could speak, He Lingchuan pointed forward: "Leave ten who can speak. The rest—kill."

Besides the Black Armored Army, everyone present who heard those so-murderous words jumped in fright.

"Yes!"

The Black Armored Army surged like a tide from his side, engaging the Mou army in melee.

The Great Emperor of Nine Abysses stood with hands behind his back, instead retreating a few steps.

The numbers were vastly unequal; the Mou army's greatest reliance was merely their identity. Even if they were brave, this battle was a standard case of the many overwhelming the few, with no suspense.

The Black Armored Army fell upon them like wolves and tigers; after a few rounds, Commander Wu and the others were already surrounded in heavy encirclement. He strained to resist while shouting loudly: "Ruler of Cangyan, you dare to show great disrespect to the Great Mou—my sovereign will surely..."

Before he could finish, Luo Xie's bow-spring knife shot out from seven feet away, arcing unexpectedly in a rotary slash, cutting off half his head.

"Disrespectful words—better left unsaid."

The Great Emperor of Nine Abysses simply stood outside the circle, watching, his gaze deep, silent.

The Blood Demon said to him: "The soldiers of Mou State still have some backbone."

"A foreign-stationed general of a great state—where would there be cowards?"

Commander Wu was the first to lose his head; his troops knew they could not escape today, yet they did not collapse on the spot, but instead everyone roared in fury, charging forward, disregarding life and death.

That scene was especially tragic and heroic, alas, they were ultimately too few to prevail.

Not long after, this brief but fierce battle ended.

Over three hundred Mou troops died—more than two hundred ninety of them.

All of Lu Zhensheng's guards who dared to raise their blades were slaughtered.

Only ten Mou survivors remained, including the yellow-faced Commander Huang, all bound and tossed aside.

Wan Qifeng is very capable at handling affairs; even without special instructions from He Lingchuan, he left behind a spokesperson.

Commander Huang gazed at He Lingchuan's eyes, filled not only with hatred and anger, but also disbelief.

He and Commander Wu had originally thought the worst outcome would be capture by the enemy, after which Cangyan would have to negotiate with Mou State.

Who would have thought the other side would actually raise the butcher's knife!

Reclaiming the Bailie clan head's position is one matter, but slaughtering the Mou army on a whim is another—even the Beijia army usually wouldn't dare such a thing.

What kind of madman would rush to offend Great Mou?

He Lingchuan couldn't be bothered to look at him, lifting his chin toward Lu Zhensheng: "Take him to the ancestral shrine, make him kneel."

Amid the flashing blades and swords around him, even the Mou commanders were slain, the Lu father and son collapsed on the ground, barely able to stand.

Luo Xie seized Lu Zhensheng, dragged him before the Lu family spirit altar, and kicked him in the thigh with a flying kick:

"Kneel!"

That kick carried great force.

With a crack, accompanied by Lu Zhensheng's anguished cry, his leg broke.

Luo Xie deliberately pressed him into a kneeling position on the ground, making him tremble all over from pain.

Lu Zhensheng could endure no longer, wailing: "Kill me, just kill me!"

From the moment the Great Emperor of Nine Abysses revealed his identity as the Son of Fortune, he knew that if his scheming failed, he could not escape death.

Lu Qing'an knelt to one side, drenched in cold sweat, not daring to move a muscle.

Lu Lian jabbed Lu Zhensheng's forehead with his finger, fuming: "The Xuanyuan family was ruined because of you! Bailie has suffered endless humiliation because of you! You deserve to die a thousand times over!"

This time, he got ahead of Lu Lianqing.

The clansmen looked at the bodies strewn across the ground, then pointed at Lu Zhensheng and cursed him bitterly, and some even hurled stones at him and his father.

If Lu Zhensheng weren't devoid of virtue and ability, how could Bailie have long suffered foreign insults, and how could the clansmen face today's calamity?

Lu Lianqing also cried out in anguish: "My Lu lineage flows deep and long—how could it produce a descendant like you, who forgets his roots and betrays his ancestors! Hurry up and apologize to the Liezulie Sect!"

Lu Zhensheng's tears streamed down his face, but his eyes burned red as he said: "The Lu clan's decline did not begin with me! Xuanyuan, the family head, failed to adapt, and after repeated blows from the Great Mou, the Lu household was already tottering! Had I not exhausted my mind and energy after taking power, the Lu clan would have collapsed long ago, and you lot—who do nothing but complain and stretch out your hands for money—would have been reduced to gathering palm leaves and tilling fields among the common folk, with no leisure to stand here flapping your gums!"

His voice echoed through the ancestral hall.

"You wolf-hearted, dog-lunged wretch!" he spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground, "You know no gratitude!"

Anyway, he was going to die.

Seeing his cheek puff up, Wanqifeng suddenly lunged forward and wrenched off his jaw: "He's got poison hidden in his mouth."

The Soul-Capturing Mirror clicked twice: "I didn't expect this scoundrel to still have a bit of backbone."

He Lingchuan shook his head slightly.

Is that backbone? No, that's fear!