Chapter 85

Xia Daoming cut the ropes binding the short, stout martial artist from the Ding family and handed him Shi Fengyuan’s sword. “Kill your young master, and I’ll spare your life.”

“No, no, I dare not!” The stout martial artist instantly wet himself, his face pale as he shook his head frantically.

“Fine. Since you value your life so much and insist on protecting this beast, then go join him!” Xia Daoming drove his blade straight through.

The martial artist clutched his abdomen, looked down at the blade buried in his gut, then up at Xia Daoming—his face filled with disbelief.

“Slish!”

Xia Daoming yanked the blade free. The martial artist clutched his belly and collapsed, convulsing uncontrollably.

Xia Daoming didn’t look at him. He handed the sword to another martial artist whose ropes had been cut.

“Kill your young master, and I’ll spare your life!”

The martial artist glanced at his companion, twitching in a pool of blood, then took the sword without a word and plunged it into Ding Chuding’s belly.

Ding Chuding clutched his abdomen, staring fixedly at Xia Daoming. “Why are you doing this?”

“A token of allegiance.”

“A token of allegiance?” Ding Chuding frowned.

“He kills you—that’s his token to me. Whether he does it willingly or under duress, once this news spreads, the Ding family will exterminate him and his entire family. Only then can I trust him to go to the Ding family as a witness to this bloody massacre.”

“And our killing of Shi Fengyuan and others here? That’s our token to the Ding family. With this token and your men’s testimony, the Ding family will have no choice but to believe us.” Xia Daoming spoke calmly.

“But I still don’t understand—Xu’s ancestral elder has already regained his peak state. Why are you so determined to join the Ding family? And with your abilities, why go through such trouble?” Ding Chuding remained baffled.

“Your intelligence is too limited to comprehend.” Xia Daoming spoke lightly.

“You…” Ding Chuding’s face twisted, his eyes blazing red as he glared at Xia Daoming.

Killing someone is one thing—but this is killing the soul!

This is murder with intent to destroy the spirit!

Liang Jingtang and the others looked grim.

Because they, too, still didn’t understand Xia Daoming’s intent!

“Slish!” The fifth-rank martial artist yanked his blade free.

Ding Chuding clutched his belly and slowly collapsed to the ground.

“You’re all elite of the Shi family. You should know the Black Ash Palm, right? Then—give my master and senior brother a few blows, and I’ll give you a quick death!” Xia Daoming didn’t look at Ding Chuding. He turned to the six remaining Shi martial artists.

Everyone stared in shock.

The sun had quietly sunk behind Mount Riluoxi.

The inner courtyard of Qianjiao Martial Hall was a mess.

Ding Banghong, the Ding family elder, stared at his nephew’s grandson, lying in a pool of blood, clothes torn and revealing black palm prints on his skin, and tears streamed down his aged face.

“Forgive me, Elder Banghong—the Shi family was too numerous. Qianjiao Martial Hall was too weak to protect Young Master Chuding!” Liang Jingtang, his own body marked with black palm prints, spoke with bitter self-reproach.

“The attack came suddenly—you’ve done well already! Ji Hu said that if your young disciple and Zhuo the Biao head hadn’t arrived in time, you and Yuchi the instructor would have been killed!”

“But your young disciple is truly surprising—so young, already a sixth-rank martial artist. It seems, Liang Jingtang, your Qianjiao Martial Hall has a worthy successor!”

Ding Banghong, as an elder and eighth-rank martial artist, was no ordinary man. He quickly suppressed his grief and comforted Liang Jingtang.

Ding Banghong had not the slightest doubt about Liang Jingtang’s story.

This was not because Ding Banghong was foolish.

In fact, Ding Banghong was infamous in the Ding family for his cunning and deceit.

There was simply no plausible reason for Liang Jingtang to kill Ding Chuding!

But aiding Ding Chuding against the Shi family? That could be explained a hundred ways.

And the Black Ash Palm marks on Liang Jingtang and the others? Impossible to fake.

Besides, Qianjiao Martial Hall had only a handful of men—and yet three sixth-rank martial artists lay dead.

Could Ding Banghong possibly suspect that Qianjiao Martial Hall alone had slaughtered two families and meticulously engineered this horrific massacre?

“Sigh. Speaking of successors, I must beg a favor from Elder Banghong.” Liang Jingtang sighed heavily, then bowed deeply to Ding Banghong with solemn expression.

“Master Liang, speak freely.” Ding Banghong spoke warmly.

“You know my son, the one I placed all my hopes on, died young. Later, I finally found a promising disciple—only for him to be crippled last year, sacrificed as an example because we grew too close to the Ding family.”

“This time, to protect Young Master Chuding, we slaughtered Shi Fengyuan and his entire group. Once this reaches the Xu family’s ears, they will exterminate every last person connected to Qianjiao Martial Hall.”

“So I beg you, Elder, to allow us to evacuate our families from Licheng before the Xu family takes revenge—they’ll be slaughtered otherwise.”

“I, Zhuo Xingji, Yuchi Xiao, and Jiao Yongbao will stay behind. Only my young disciple and the Xingyou Biao head’s men will escort our families out—this way, Qianjiao Martial Hall still has a seed left to grow.” Liang Jingtang spoke, his expression heartbreakingly bleak.

“This…” Ding Banghong stroked his chin, showing a hint of reluctance. “Master Liang’s request is reasonable—but there’s no precedent. I fear if I grant this, others in our three-alliance…”

“Who can say if they’re loyal? Of course, we hold their families as hostages. But do you, Elder Banghong, truly doubt Qianjiao Martial Hall?”

“I only ask for a path to survival for my family, so I can fight without fear. If you refuse even this, Elder Banghong, I… I truly…” Liang Jingtang’s expression turned furious, his eyes reddening.

Watching from the side, Xia Daoming inwardly applauded.

His master was an actor ruined by martial arts!

Ding Banghong looked at Liang Jingtang’s anguished face, at Yuchi Xiao and the others covered in wounds, at the corpses of the Shi family littering the ground—he still had some dignity to preserve.

“Fine, fine. I’ll make an exception this once. But this must not leak. Move quickly—your families leave through the South Gate at the third watch. And don’t stay in Qianjiao Martial Hall anymore. Move to Wutong Lane, near the Ding residence. Stand by for orders.”

“Thank you, Elder!” Liang Jingtang wept with joy, bowing deeply to the ground.

That night, at the third watch, Xia Daoming, along with Xingyou Biao head’s guards and porters, quietly escorted the families of Qianjiao Martial Hall out through the South Gate, guarded by the Ding family.

On the South Gate tower.

A middle-aged sixth-rank martial artist watched the winding caravan disappear into the distance, his eyes filled with greed and resentment.

Beside him stood Ding Banghong, the family elder.

“Grandfather, are we really just letting them go? Isn’t that too wasteful? Shouldn’t I take a few men and quietly…?” The young martial artist made a throat-slitting gesture.

“It’s a pity, yes—but Liang Jingtang has already killed Shi Fengyuan and others, fully committing to our Ding family. If we now slaughter them all, even one survivor escaping would turn Liang Jingtang and his men against us—and crush the morale of all others who might consider joining us.” Ding Banghong waved his hand.

“Then we really must let them go.” The young martial artist sighed with regret.

“Let them go? Chu Yong, you’re still too young!” Ding Banghong’s lips curled into a cold smile.

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