Chapter 173: 173. Chapter 173: The Power of a Single Palm! Family Traitor!

173. Chapter 173: The Power of a Single Palm! Family Traitor!

The moment Li Ge Xiao drew his Embroidered Spring Blade, the seven members of Black Dog Star felt as if the blade's light had dazzled their eyes.

That feeling was like seeing a lake shimmering with ripples under the setting sun.

Twinkling, twinkling.

The moment they came to their senses, two of the seven had already been slain on the spot by Li Ge Xiao.

The remaining five were shocked to the point of despair!

They had been out in the world for years, yet they had never faced an opponent with such seasoned combat experience; a simple lapse cost them dearly.

Had it not been for their giant war hound suddenly charging out and catching Li Ge Xiao off guard, a few more would have died.

The hound, on the verge of becoming a spirit demon, possessed strength comparable to a lion-tiger; a simple charge sent Li Ge Xiao flying over ten meters away.

Li Ge Xiao stared at the hound with his blade across his body, silently cursing it as a beast in his heart.

The battle opportunity vanished in an instant, ruined by this damned dog!

"It reeks of demonic energy; this dog is about to become a demon, yet these fellows are willing to spend the money!"

Li Ge Xiao grinned, as Zheng Dongliu's right-hand man; these years he's been busy with Embroidered Uniform Guard duties, rarely getting a chance to slay demons, which he regards as a regret.

Slaying this hound before him would at least serve as some consolation.

"Old Li, can you handle it? This dog looks pretty stout; if you can't, give a shout."

Bored, Chu Yang yawned.

"Don't worry, young master, it's just a dog; this blade Old Zuo gave me is specialized for killing beasts like this."

Li Ge Xiao's Embroidered Spring Blade hummed, actually emitting a faint glow.

"Oh? It's even a magical artifact."

Chu Yang glanced at the Embroidered Spring Blade with interest.

Zuo Qianhu, nicknamed the Weapon Master at the Six Gates, earned that title not only because he hides countless weapons on his person, but also because he is highly skilled at forging weapons.

Before joining the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Zuo Qianhu had accidentally obtained a Daoist True Talisman Secret Manual; he studied it diligently for years, knowing its talismans inside out, and each of his weapons bears Daoist talismanic inscriptions, giving them great added power against demons and monsters.

Sensing the presence of the talismans, the giant hound's eyes flashed with a hint of human-like fear as it paced back and forth, restless and uneasy.

Seeing this, the five members of Black Dog Star finally realized that Li Ge Xiao was no ordinary opponent.

"Boss, this is a bit tricky; should we retreat first?"

"Retreat? You don't know Wei Wuya's temperament; if we don't kill these two, whether we live or not is still up in the air!"

"Then what should we do now?"

"The swordsman is tough to deal with, so let's target the young master instead; his outfit is made of costly snow-silkworm silk, likely the son of a high-ranking official."

"As long as we can restrain him, no matter how sharp his swordsmanship, he'll have to submit!"

Having decided, they immediately sent the giant hound to entangle Li Ge Xiao, then their forms vanished from the battlefield, turning into several gusts of wind that surged toward Chu Yang.

Li Ge Xiao startled, turned to give chase, but the hound's claw struck his back, causing blood to gush out instantly.

"Five clever people."

Chu Yang looked at them with a faint smile, lightning crackling at his fingertips; as he flicked a finger, thunder boomed and several black-purple bolts of lightning struck the five.

Four of them failed to dodge in time and were instantly reduced to charcoal by Chu Yang.

The last surviving man let out a mournful howl: "Divine Palm Thunder of the Dao! Brothers, run—this guy is a Daoist True Person!"

Upon hearing the four words 'Daoist True Person,' Wei Wuya, leader of the Twelve Star Phases, shuddered, then snapped his head toward Chu Yang and the four charred corpses at his feet.

Everyone knows that masters of the Buddha and Dao paths are the hardest to deal with; Buddhists excel at defense, not offense—once their golden body manifests, even a great demon is useless against them, and they love to grapple relentlessly; once provoked, they cling like a plaster that won't come off.

Whereas Daoist methods are mysterious and unfathomable; ordinary martial artists can't cope—there are ways to die you'd never imagine, and nothing others can't do.

Wandering the martial world, the greatest taboo is provoking monks and Daoists.

"Boss, we can't handle this lot! Let's leave!"

"We've felt the power of a Daoist True Person before; everyone's martial arts are restrained by this orthodox Daoist school—if we want to win, we must pay a huge price!"

"Black Dog Star is already gone; we can't afford to lose more brothers."

Many among the Twelve Star Phases harbor thoughts of retreat, for years ago they once encountered a Daoist master, leaving an indelible shadow.

Blood-soaked Jiang Feng saw the Twelve Star Phases cease fighting, hope surging in his heart; he gripped his wife tightly with one hand and cradled his infant son in swaddling clothes with the other.

Meanwhile, Hua Yue Nu held the other twin, anxiously watching the bandits; life or death hung on their single thought.

No!

Hua Yue Nu then gazed toward the distant elegant young master; to be precise, all life and death lay in the hands of this 'Daoist exalted one.'

We should have formed a good karmic bond just now……

Hua Yue Nu couldn't help but feel a bit regretful.

She didn't realize that, in Chu Yang and Li Ge Xiao's eyes, in this world, she and Jiang Feng, by not using wealth to oppress others, already deserved the appraisal of a virtuous household.

With a casual strike from Chu Yang, the giant hound grappling with Li Ge Xiao fell to the ground, trembling, devoid of any fighting spirit.

The hound, whose spiritual awareness had awakened, knew that the young man in fine robes before it needed only to move a finger to send it to see the King of Hell.

The last survivor of Black Dog Star was beheaded by Li Ge Xiao with a single blade; such heinous villains, even dying ten thousand times could not quell the hatred in their hearts.

Li Ge Xiao whispered in Chu Yang's ear: "Young master, the Twelve Star Phases are steeped in blood debts and will surely repay grudges; it's best not to let a single one escape."

Chu Yang nodded.

Gazing at chest after chest of treasure, Wei Wuya's eyes flared red as he gritted his teeth: "No matter how strong he is, he's still just one man; a few of us piled together could bury him. Jiang Feng is rich enough to rival a nation, possessing many martial dao secret treasures—getting just one could elevate our brothers to immortality; you may be willing to give up, but I, Wei Wuya, am not."

Among Jiang Feng's treasures lies a jewel called the Flawless Bright Pearl; consuming it can reshape one's body, giving someone as innately ugly as Wei Wuya a chance to remake his appearance.

He could do without anything else, but he must seize that Flawless Bright Pearl! Upon hearing the words 'martial dao secret treasure,' the other Twelve Star Phases felt their greed overwhelm reason once more, just as Wei Wuya said: obtaining any one of them would allow them to look down on the martial world for the rest of their lives.

"Damn it, I'm going all in on this job!"

"Brothers, first take out these two troublemakers, then we'll deal with Jiang Feng!"

"Hahaha, I want the secret treasure, and I also want their lives!"

Wealth moves people's hearts.

More wealth will cause people to lose their reason.

A group of thieves who tuck their heads into their belts, once they become ruthless, can cast anything aside, even their own lives.

This is the most brutal aspect of the Twelve Star Constellations. When Wei Wuya saw his companion's greed stirred by him, a slight smile tugged at his mouth; even after years of sharing life and death, at the crucial moment these people are still expendable pieces in his eyes.

With an unfathomable Prince's formation pressing down, Li Ge Xiao, full of daring, hoisted the Embroidered Spring Blade and prepared to march toward the Twelve Star Constellations.

Chu Yang suddenly said, "That dog that follows them has probably devoured many people; you might as well slaughter it."

The wolf hound's body trembled even more violently.

Li Ge Xiao replied, "Young master, if the Twelve Star Constellations intend to raise this wolf hound into a spirit demon, they will not let it eat people. I see it showing signs of submission, so perhaps we should keep it."

Chu Yang asked curiously, "What does that mean?"

Li Ge Xiao explained, "Living between heaven and earth, consuming grains, vegetables, and various meats, one's body inevitably harbors filth, and there is also the mundane world's vulgarity. These auras affect the success rate of turning plants and animals into spirit demons, especially canine spirit demons; their sense of smell will consequently suffer irreversible damage."

"But if they become spirit demons or great demons, they can, through special means, directly feed on Human Race vital blood, no longer needing to avoid those things."

The wolf hound hurriedly nodded, as if it understood this was its only chance to survive.

Chu Yang nodded, "Then spare its life; you'll have a helper."

Li Ge Xiao, hearing this, lowered his head and kicked the wolf hound, "Here's your chance to atone and earn merit; you beast, aren't you grateful to the young master?"

The wolf hound wagged its tail, mimicking a human bow, looking exceedingly comical.

On the other side, Wei Wuya and his companions temporarily spared Jiang Feng, then surged forward with fierce momentum toward Chu Yang.

Jiang Feng lifted his sword, ready to chase after them to help.

Hua Yue Nu suddenly grabbed him, eyes brimming with tears, and said, "Please, protect yourself above all."

Knowing Jiang Feng's temperament well, Hua Yue Nu did not try to hold back her husband, because she knew it was impossible; Jiang Feng values the words "righteousness" in his heart so highly that otherwise he could not be brothers with Yan Nantian.

"Madam, rest assured!" Jiang Feng patted the back of Hua Yue Nu's hand and resolutely rushed out of the tea stall.

If not for concern for the children, Hua Yue Nu would have followed step by step.

The Twelve Star Constellations, led by Wei Wuya, were locked in a fierce battle with Li Ge Xiao when Jiang Feng suddenly entered the fray, infuriating Wei Wuya.

"I'll give you a break; you really think I'm made of mud?!"

Wei Wuya drew a blowpipe from his waist, each dart coated in poison, and with a gentle blow toward Jiang Feng, the darts shot out, striking Jiang Feng amid the melee.

Struck by the arrow, Jiang Feng fell to the ground, and in an instant a black aura swirled over his face, showing the poison's ferocity.

"Hahaha, the poison on my arrows comes from a scorpion that has become a demon; not even a great master of martial ways could withstand it, let alone a mere mortal like you."

"Go in peace, Jiang Feng!"

Wei Wuya's raucous laugh was grating, especially when it reached Hua Yue Nu's ears.

Upon hearing the bad news, Hua Yue Nu was filled with grief and anger, yet as a mother she could not set aside the two children in her arms, and in her agitation she nearly fainted.

"Don't panic, don't panic."

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Chu Yang materialized before Jiang Feng; Wei Wuya and the others could not see how Chu Yang appeared, only that he held a ball of rosy light in his hand, which fell onto Jiang Feng.

The black aura on Jiang Feng's face instantly dissolved upon meeting the rosy light, and the lethal poison within his body was expelled one by one.

Pure Garment Spell.

One of the Shu Mountain Sect's techniques, the Pure Garment Spell is specialized for detoxification; as long as it is not the poison of a great demon with profound Daoist cultivation, most other poisons can be dispelled. It is a spell every sect disciple must learn before venturing out.

The so‑called poisonous scorpion in Wei Wuya's mouth is far from the great‑demon realm.

After curing Jiang Feng's poison, Chu Yang projected a strand of spiritual energy onto him, lifted him, and flew him back to the tea stall, landing beside Hua Yue Nu.

Hua Yue Nu wept with joy, placed the two children on the table, bent down, and held Jiang Feng tightly.

Chu Yang turned his gaze back to the fully wicked Twelve Star Constellations, felt a sudden disgust, and coldly said, "Old Li, step down."

Facing Chu Yang's indifferent eyes, Li Ge Xiao said nothing and retreated to the side.

"What does it matter that you possess a Taoist supreme art? We, the Twelve Star Constellations, have encountered such before!"

"If another master appears, a few of us brothers will just turn and walk away, but you and that knife‑wielding fellow cannot scare us!"

"Exactly! Since we brothers set out, even Yan Nantian and the Master of the Moving Flower Palace cannot kill us!"

Unbeknownst to them, the more they spoke, the more they gave an impression of insecurity.

While others blurted out grandiose words, Wei Wuya suddenly felt his heart flutter, cold sweat seeping from the palms of his hands; after years of wandering the jianghu, this sensation had occurred a few times, each time a life‑or‑death crisis.

It seemed like some intuitive warning.

Fully trusting his intuition, Wei Wuya lost the courage to confront Chu Yang, silently reached out to press the mechanism button on his wheelchair, ready to flee at any moment.

The next moment.

Chu Yang's entire body erupted with astonishing sword qi, which he poured in one breath toward the Twelve Star Constellations.

The Twelve Star Constellations, expecting Taoist tactics, did not anticipate such a massive surge of sword qi.

Stunned, everyone scattered in a frantic escape.

"Another Taoist true person, another sword cultivator, how can someone so young possess so much?!"

Wei Wuya, heart and courage shattered, hammered the wheelchair's mechanism button like a madman; this specially made wheelchair was fast enough to keep pace with a sweat‑blood treasure horse.

Even so, Wei Wuya was caught by a sword qi, and his lower body, together with the wheelchair, was sliced in two.

At the same time, the Twelve Star Constellations turned into cold corpses, one after another.

Jiang Feng and Hua Yue Nu watched the scene, a chill rising from the depths of their hearts.

The notoriously infamous Twelve Star Constellations were wiped out in the blink of an eye; who would dare believe such a tale if it spread.

Chu Yang turned and stepped back into the tea stall, retrieved an intact pot of rice wine from the ruins, took a sip, and said with slight regret, "The craft of brewing rice wine is truly fine, but…"

Jiang Feng forced himself to stand upright, and together with Hua Yue Nu slowly approached Chu Yang, clasping fists and saying, "Thank you, young master, for saving my life. Jiang Feng has nothing to repay you with but some worldly possessions; I hope you will graciously accept them."

Chu Yang glanced at the valuables on the wagons, shook his head and laughed, "You flaunt your gold and silver treasures every day; no wonder you ended up like this. In the future, be a bit more careful."

Jiang Feng smiled bitterly, unable to find words.

"But there's a saying that goes well: you can guard against day and night, but thieves inside the house are hard to prevent; even if you intend to stay low-key, you can't stop someone at home from leaking the news."

Hearing the implication in Chu Yang's words, Jiang Feng and his wife's expressions changed; they didn't notice, but a youth in the crowd was sweating coldly.

At that moment, Li Ge came over, laughing while dragging the half-bodied Wei Wuya, who still had a sliver of life, wailing: "Please, True Person, save my life; from now on I will serve you, running your errands."

"Fine, you first tell me how you learned of Jiang Feng and his wife's whereabouts, then I'll consider it," Chu Yang said with a light laugh.

As Wei Wuya's gaze met the youth's, the youth suddenly drew his sword and stabbed at Wei Wuya; the half-bodied Wei Wuya couldn't dodge, was struck in a vital point, glared with angry eyes, and breathed his last. (End of chapter)