Chapter 96

Wan Yu Lane, north of the city, the Yuan family.

The patriarch of the Yuan family, Yuan Zhenshan, came to Beiyun City a hundred years ago; wielding an Eight Trigrams Staff, he defeated three masters in Beiyun City in a single day, and his fame spread.

Then, relying on his ruthless methods, he quickly gained a foothold in Beiyun City; after decades of development, the Yuan family had already become the local tyrant of Beiyun City.

Later, Yuan Zhenshan's granddaughter married into the White Sand King's manor, and the Yuan family rose even higher.

Government offices? The Yuan family doesn't even bother with them.

A corner of the Yuan manor.

The missing Xu Dashan was hung from the ceiling, tightly bound with fivefold ropes, his face solemn.

"Yuan Second Young Master, if Yuan Tai really is colluding with the Japanese pirates, then it's only Yuan Tai alone, and the Commandant's Office will get to the bottom of it."

"But you tied me up—that's another matter entirely."

"Now release me, let me take Yuan Tai back to the Commandant's Office, and I'll pretend this never happened—how about that?"

Before them stood a refined young man exuding the aura of a scholar, his head bowed as he concentrated on grinding ink—this was the Yuan family's second young master, Yuan Sheng.

"If the Yuan family truly has someone colluding with the Japanese pirates, that's still the Yuan family's internal affair—what does it have to do with you, the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

"Moreover, even if they wanted to take someone, why would it be up to a mere Company Captain like you to demand them?"

"Have Xu Han come himself!"

Xu Dashan immediately understood: even the dead city's inhabitants didn't know Xu Han's death, nor even the news of his defeat; on the day the West City welcomed Shen Qing, the Embroidered Uniform Guard had cleared the area, and only its personnel were at the West City gate, so nobody knew Shen Qing had chopped Xu Han down like a chicken.

Xu Dashan took a deep breath: "What you're saying is outdated nonsense; it's all ancient history now."

"The newly appointed Commandant is no ordinary person—he's Shen Qing, the World-Passing Yama of Yongning Commandery; I don't know if you've heard of him."

"He rose to prominence in just a few months, killing several masters, even several ninth-level masters; moreover, based on existing reports, even peak masters couldn't force him to use his full strength."

"Shen Qing is not someone Xu Han can compare to—Xu Han is already dead, and Shen Qing sent him flying with a single slash."

"Do you think relying on the White Sand King makes you formidable? Let me tell you, Shen Qing doesn't even bat an eye at you—have you heard of the Dongling King? His son was disciplined by Shen Qing and still hides in the mountains, too scared to come out."

"If Shen Qing finds out the Yuan family is secretly harboring Japanese pirates and has bound a Commandant's Office Company Captain, he won't let you off—by then, not only will your people be doomed, even eggs will be scrambled!"

"So let me go; judging by the time, the Commandant's Office should move in these two days—they know I'm investigating the Yuan family, and if I disappear..."

Before Xu Dashan could finish speaking, Yuan Sheng cut him off, stepping forward with a slip of paper in hand.

"I certainly know of Shen Qing; no matter how formidable, he's still just a master."

"Can he surpass my grandfather? Can he surpass the White Sand King? The Dongling King hides in the mountains only because he's cowardly."

"You don't need to waste more words; since I've tied you up, I never intended to let you go."

Saying this, Yuan Sheng stuck the paper from his hand onto Xu Dashan's chest—this was also his habit when killing: he personally writes a line and pastes it on the corpse's chest.

Yuan Sheng drew the long sword at his waist and gave a laugh.

"This piece of calligraphy is quite fitting for you."

"A mayfly shaking a tree—how laughably overconfident!"

Xu Dashan's eyes filled with despair; it seemed there was truly no chance left, and he had done all he could.

Just as Yuan Sheng was about to raise his long sword to thrust...

A huge roar came from the direction of the Yuan family gate.

Immediately after, a cold voice echoed throughout the Yuan manor.

"Xu Dashan, are you still alive? If you are, make a sound."

Xu Dashan recognized it—it was Shen Qing's voice, as he bellowed with all his might.

"Commander Shen! Commander Shen! I'm here!!!"

In the blink of an eye, Xu Dashan felt a surge of overbearing true qi from outside the house.

In the next instant, not only the door, but even a wall was blown away.

"Well hidden, huh."

Xu Dashan's gaze toward Shen Qing tinged slightly red: "Commander Shen."

He had originally thought Shen Qing's efficiency was too high.

But now it seems, the higher the efficiency, the better.

He had gone missing this afternoon, and not even an hour has passed, yet Shen Qing has already stormed into the Yuan manor.

He went missing this afternoon; it hasn't even been one shichen yet, and Shen Qing has already come to the Yuan residence.

Shen Qing glanced at the slip on Xu Dashan's chest: "What does this mean?"

A mayfly shaking a big tree—how laughable, not knowing its own limits!

Is this saying that his Embroidered Uniform Guard provoking the Yuan family is like a mayfly shaking a tree?

Yuan Shen adjusted his clothes.

"You are the newly arrived commandant Shen Qing?"

"This is one of my habits: when I kill someone, I leave a character."

Shen Qing raised his eyebrows: "Leaving a character when killing? That's a good habit—I'll leave you two as well."

Speaking, Shen Qing's overbearing true qi probed out, directly grabbing the brush and paper; then, with a dragon-soaring, phoenix-dancing flourish, he wrote two characters, and before Yuan Shen could see them clearly, he flicked them hard, and the paper stuck to Yuan Shen's chest.

The hanging Xu Dashan couldn't help but laugh.

Only see that the paper was written in an extraordinarily exaggerated font with the two words 'idiot'.

Yuan Shen looked at the two words on his chest, lifted his head, eyes full of anger.

"Shen Qing! What do you mean?"

Shen Qing snorted with laughter: "Idiot!"

Along with his words came the sound of Shen Qing's overbearing true qi tearing the air,

Bang!

Yuan Sheng's head was fanned by Shen Qing into a blood mist.

With a casual swipe, Shen Qing severed the iron chains on Xu Dashan's body.

"How is it? Are you sure the Yuan family is hiding Japanese pirates?"

Xu Dashan was about to reply when he saw Shen Qing wave his hand.

"Never mind, whether there are Japanese pirates or not no longer matters—daring to kidnap the Embroidered Uniform Guard and still spew insolent words? That's enough for them to die."

Having said that, Shen Qing lifted his foot and strode toward the depths of the Yuan manor.

Xu Dashan ground his teeth; it was so efficient—he hadn't even finished speaking, and the Yuan family had already been condemned to death.

Immediately afterward, he glanced at the note on his chest, raised his hand to tear it up, but in the next moment an overbearing true qi reached out and Shen Qing snatched the note away.

"I still have use for this note."

Deep in the Yuan manor lay a vast square—the Yuan clan's ancestral square, with an ancestral tablet standing there. Hearing the recent huge noise, many Yuan clansmen rushed over.

"What's going on? What was that huge noise just now?"

"I thought I heard someone shout Xu Dashan—Xu Dashan isn't a hundred‑household officer of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, is he? What's it got to do with us?"

"The one who just came shouting was from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, right? How dare they come stir up trouble at my Yuan family—don't they value their lives?"

Just then, a piercing sound rang out, and a note was pinned to the top of the ancestral tablet.

The Yuan clan members all possessed some cultivation, so even in the darkness they could discern the words on the note.

In an instant, the Yuan clan erupted into an uproar.

"What? This is saying the Yuan family are mere ants?"

"Outrageous! When has the Yuan family in a hundred years suffered such insult? Who dares leave a note, let alone show themselves?"

In the next instant, a black shadow plummeted from the sky, slamming into the ground and raising a cloud of dust.

At the same time, overbearing true qi blanketed the entire clan square, and the dragon‑elephant roar sounded like a ferocious beast's howl, echoing in the ears of every Yuan clansman and pressing down so hard that they could barely breathe.

Shen Qing emerged unhurriedly from the smoke and dust, his voice calm and plain, yet filled with the purest killing intent.

"Are all the Yuan family's ants gathered here?"

"The Yuan family is harboring Japanese pirates and has kidnapped a hundred‑household officer of the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

"Now I, Shen Qing, Commandant of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, sentence you all to death!"