Outside Wuling City, at a simple food stall.
"Young Master, please reconsider!"
When Ning Xuan revealed his plan, the three Death Warriors sharing his table sprang to their feet, their eyes wide with shock.
Ning Xuan calmly took a sip of his congee and glanced at the three men as he set down his bowl.
The trio felt as if they were plummeting into an endless abyss. Their Divine Souls quivered, and the hair on their bodies stood on end. Even when they faced that peerless fiend the previous night, these men, who were accustomed to dealing with ferocious Element Beasts, had never experienced such a feeling.
Number One forced himself to calm down, slowly took his seat, and said with trepidation, "Young Master, slaughtering the Chen Family in broad daylight seems… improper."
"What? Did the Chen Family not lift a finger when my clan was bathed in blood?" Ning Xuan's face was a mask of cold indifference.
"No! All the major families of Wuling City were involved!"
Hatred and murderous intent surged in Number One's eyes, yet he remained clear-headed and continued his plea. "But Young Master, you may not be aware of how rapidly the major families of Wuling City have developed these past six years! Take the Chen Family, for example. The patriarch, Chen Tai, has already reached Profound Mystery in his cultivation!"
"Six years ago, besides my grandfather who was on the verge of Profound Mystery, no one else in Wuling City had even stepped into the Profound Realm. What happened?" Ning Xuan asked, genuinely surprised.
He had expected his enemies' cultivation to have improved over six years, but he had not anticipated such terrifying advancement.
"It was all that bastard Ning Yang! Not only did he have his men find Element Ore for each family, but he also bestowed upon them advanced Cultivation Techniques and Martial Skills! What's more, many disciples from Wuling City's families managed to join Sects because of him! Although most of them are affiliates of affiliates of the Martial God Temple, it's still..." Number One's eyes filled with bitterness and helplessness.
It wasn't that they didn't want to avenge their old master. But as time went on, they saw less and less hope, eventually pinning everything on the regeneration of Ning Xuan's Divine Body. Of course, they were not afraid of death; they simply did not dare to defy their old master's last wish.
"Do you know which members of the Chen Family participated back then?"
"Our hatred is as deep as the ocean; we would never dare to forget!" Number One replied without hesitation. "We would recognize the faces of those who attacked us from the major families, even if they were turned to ash!"
Ning Xuan remained unfazed. "The three of you will strike together. Storm the Chen Residence, leave one of Chen Tai's closest kin alive, and then withdraw safely."
"Young Master, what about you?"
"I'm going to take a look at the Ning Family."
Having returned to Wuling City, he naturally had to pay his respects to the family and clan members who had sacrificed themselves for him.
Before Number One could protest, Ning Xuan had already risen and was walking toward the city gates. A single sentence drifted back through the air.
"If you ever question my decisions again, you will be free to go."
The undeniable authority in his voice sent a shiver of fear through all who heard it.
Seeing Ning Xuan walk further and further away, Number Nine grew anxious. "Number One, the Ning Family now is... You have to think of something, quickly!"
"Boss, bring us everything you have that's edible!"
"Number One, this is no time for eating!"
"We need to eat our fill to have the strength to kill!"
CLANG!
When Ning Xuan stood before the familiar building, his already cold expression grew even more frigid. The former Ning Residence had become the Zhang Residence.
"What are you doing?!"
"Insolent fool! How dare you trespass at the Zhang Residence—"
As Ning Xuan ascended the steps, the servants sweeping the entrance shouted at him, their voices sharp and severe. Their words were cut short.
With eyes full of terror and despair, one of them collapsed backward. The handle of a broom was lodged in his throat, gushing blood.
The other servant, paralyzed with fear, felt his hands go light. Ning Xuan had already walked past him without a backward glance, and the other bamboo broom handle had accurately pierced his throat.
As the body slumped to the ground, Ning Xuan stepped into the estate.
「A quarter of an hour later.」
Ning Xuan emerged in his white robes, completely unstained. Within the entire estate, all the martial artists had been slain, leaving only the commoners and the so-called patriarch of the Zhang Family, Zhang Mo.
「At this moment, in the Ning Family Ancestral Hall.」
Covered in blood, Zhang Mo was dragged in like a dead dog.
Ning Xuan's gaze fell upon the Spirit Tablets before him. They belonged only to the ancestors and close relatives of Ning Yang's lineage; all traces of Ning Xuan's branch of the family had vanished.
"Not even a single Spirit Tablet remains for my line! Ning Yang, you unfilial beast!" Ning Xuan's voice shook the very heavens.
"Young... Young Master Ning, I'm sorry, I was wrong," Zhang Mo pleaded. "It was all Ning Yang's idea. I am merely his servant. I would never dare to defy his will. You are a man of great magnanimity; please spare this dog's life."
Ignoring the pain of his shattered bones, Zhang Mo kowtowed frantically, his forehead striking the floor with loud thuds.
"You want to live?"
Like a dog wagging its tail, Zhang Mo nodded furiously. "Yes! Yes! Young Master Ning Xuan, no, no, Master! As long as you let me live, I will do anything you ask!"
"There shouldn't only be these Spirit Tablets here."
"Ah..." Zhang Mo trembled, but meeting Ning Xuan's gaze felt like plunging into the Nine Nether Hell. He scrambled to act.
With a vicious sweep of his sleeve, he unleashed all his Element Force in a desperate, all-or-nothing move. All the Spirit Tablets instantly exploded into dust, so quickly that even Ning Xuan was stunned.
"Master, are you satisfied?" Zhang Mo asked, bowing and scraping. "Is there anything else your servant can do for you? Please, just give the word..."
A large hand expanded before his eyes.
"No!"
Facing the threat of death, Zhang Mo retreated explosively, throwing a punch with an unprecedented burst of energy. In his desperation, his Cultivation Realm shot straight to the Third Layer Heavens of the Spiritual Realm. The Element Force Giant Fist he formed seemed to fill the entire Ancestral Hall. A fierce wind raged, making the doors clatter wildly as the entire hall trembled violently.
But it was useless.
Ning Xuan's hand shot out like a dragon's claw. The moment it touched the Element Force Giant Fist, the massive construct crumbled like fresh tofu. His hand continued forward like flowing mercury, completely unopposed, and closed around Zhang Mo's neck.
CRACK!
With one clean move, Ning Xuan snapped his neck.
"I had just condemned Ning Yang as an unfilial beast for not even allowing my family a single Spirit Tablet, and you immediately destroy all of his. If you don't die, who does?"
Not yet dead, Zhang Mo finally understood his fatal mistake. His eyes bulged in disbelief before his pupils dilated. He died full of regret, his eyes wide open.
Ning Xuan sighed and left the Ancestral Hall. He had intended to make Zhang Mo kneel and repent before his grandfather's Spirit Tablet, but he hadn't expected this outcome. For now, the place held no more meaning for him.
When Ning Xuan appeared outside the main gate, the Zhang Residence had already become the Ning Residence once more. Zhang Mo had obviously not dared to destroy the old signboard, and some clever people had found it and hung it back up. Even the two corpses at the entrance had been cleared away, with only damp patches on the ground where the blood had been.
Thus, when the Eighteen Death Warriors appeared before Ning Xuan, reeking of blood and holding an old man captive, they all wore puzzled expressions. As individuals who kept a close eye on Wuling City, they knew the Ning Residence had changed hands. Zhang Mo had been Ning Yang's most loyal dog and had been deeply involved in the massacre years ago. With Ning Yang's backing, he was on such good terms with the patriarchs of Wuling City's major families that they called each other brothers. How had their Young Master reclaimed ownership of the residence so soon after returning?
Number One suppressed his confusion, knelt on one knee, and cupped his fist. "Young Master, we have not failed our mission. Apart from Chen Tianfu and the Chen Family Patriarch Chen Tai, who was away, all one hundred thirty-five martial artists of the Chen Family have been slain!"
The terrified old man was Chen Tianfu himself, Chen Tai's father. He suddenly roared with fury, "You... You're Ning Xuan! Why did you order the slaughter of my Chen Family?!"
"As if you don't know! Old dog, calm yourself. The Chen Family is only the beginning. As for why I chose your family to start with, it's simply because your home is the closest to the South Gate."
Rage surged through Chen Tianfu.
"Kneel!"
A Death Warrior kicked the back of his knee, forcing Chen Tianfu to the ground. His furious curses turned into a pained scream.
Ning Xuan ignored him, his gaze sweeping over the Eighteen Death Warriors. "I am very dissatisfied with you," he stated indifferently.
After a moment of shock, the Death Warriors all dropped to their knees in unison. Their hearts pounded, and cold sweat drenched their backs.