Chapter 205: The Sword Shakes the Four Families

“A?” Tang Mingyue turned her head abruptly upon hearing a voice both familiar and strange, just in time to witness Meng Qi unleashing that violent, terrifying slash.

His facial features were exactly as she remembered from yesterday, but his aura had changed completely. He no longer exuded the previous impression of indulgence in wine and women, or the decadence of a luxurious lifestyle. Now his expression was cold and resolute, his pride restrained, and all of it transformed into powerful confidence.

“Second Elder Brother…” Instinctively covering her mouth with both hands, her bright eyes misted over as her heart pounded violently.

Master Tang Second and Master Tang Seventh, along with several younger clan members, were shocked beyond measure, completely unprepared for Tang Second’s sudden return at this critical moment!

When Tang Second had left home, he was already in his early twenties, his appearance fully developed. Seeing him again now, he looked much the same, though with a few more marks of hardship and experience. How could they possibly fail to recognize him?

Among the guests, Lords Ling and Wan, along with their companions, wore similarly incredulous expressions.

Including the clan leaders, the experts from the four families all had their gazes locked, pupils constricted, completely captivated by that slash. Even as spectators, they felt the unstoppable, peerless force radiating from it.

To exhibit such imposing momentum in swordsmanship clearly demonstrates mastery of its very essence!

Placed in the same situation, could they block such a slash? And at what cost?

An elder from the Ye family with the Nine Apertures rushed forward, shouting, “Stop!”

The evil calamity descended, devouring all vitality and air currents in its surroundings. In the eyes of the Ye family’s third son, it appeared as though the entire world was engulfed by this slash, completely isolating him.

The sky vast and boundless, the earth endless, nothing existed except this blade!

He felt as if abandoned by nature, by his family, and by his subordinates, left alone and helpless before this terrifying divine punishment, his body and mind crushed under its weight, fear rising naturally.

This slash was like thunder striking from the heavens, executing divine retribution, mighty and domineering, its power evident for all to see!

Faced with this slash, the Ye family’s third son was like a yin spirit confronting thunder, his body and mind trembling, utterly unable to muster any resistance. Suddenly his body went limp, and with a “plop,” he slid from his chair, collapsing to his knees at an angle.

The blade light faded. Meng Qi’s Evil Tribulation hovered above his head, while the Ye family’s Nine Apertures elder remained just one step behind.

“Clang!” Meng Qi sheathed his long sword, gazing straight ahead, his voice hoarse and indifferent as he said, “You’re too weak. I’m disappointed.”

Without looking back, he strode past the kneeling Ye family third son.

A person who had merely advanced to the Six Apertures through elixirs, lacking genuine combat experience and devoid of supreme martial arts, was actually this weak… Meng Qi wondered whether, back when he had just opened his Eye Aperture, he could have taken on two such opponents without resorting to the Ananda’s Breaking Precepts Saber Technique.

Meng Qi wasn’t worried about anyone recognizing the origin of that slash, as it was based on his insights from cultivating the Purple Lightning Sword Technique, combined with the essence of the Heavenly Sword he had comprehended, forming a unique sword move entirely his own. Even if an expert from the Su Nu Sect who practiced the “Purple Lightning Sword Technique” were present, they would merely think this slash captured the essence of thunder, approaching the ferocious and violent core of swordsmanship.

Moreover, the “Cutting Away Purity” and “Falling into the Mortal World” techniques from the Ananda’s Dharma-Destroying Blade had been similarly transformed by Meng Qi into two distinct aspects of his own sword principles.

Originating from the Heavenly Sword, yet not entirely identical to Song Que’s interpretation, this was Meng Qi’s personal version of the “Heavenly Sword”!

“You’re too weak. I’m disappointed.” The hoarse voice pierced the air. The Ye family’s third son’s face flushed crimson, his expression twisted, his eyes nearly broken with despair. He tried to stand, but his legs remained weak. That slash had planted a seed of fear deep within his heart!

The Nine Apertures expert arrived, stood there staring at Meng Qi passing by, then helped the Ye family’s third son back to his seat.

Lords Ling and Wan watched in stunned silence, unable to believe that Ye San, who was usually stronger and more domineering than both of them, had been reduced to kneeling helplessly after just one slash!

Master Tang Second, Master Wan, and others were equally shaken, at a loss for words. When had Tang Er’s swordsmanship become so formidable, so terrifying?

“Tang Jing, what exactly is your intention?” Ye family patriarch Ye Wantian asked coldly.

Meng Qi glanced at him, his voice hoarse as he replied, “Just letting Third Young Master Ye experience what ‘scrap metal’ really means.”

He had heard Tang Er’s voice aboard the boat. With the help of the Eighty-Nine Mysterious Arts, he controlled the muscles and vocal cords in his throat, mimicking Tang Er’s voice about seventy to eighty percent accurately. Combined with his injured throat causing a hoarse tone, no one could detect any discrepancy.

He paused, then coughed, “A few years ago, thanks to Third Young Master Ye’s ‘kindness,’ this junior suddenly saw the error of his ways, left home to travel, endured many hardships, and finally achieved a basic mastery of swordsmanship. Cough, so just now I returned this ‘kindness’ with that slash, hoping Third Young Master Ye can also reform himself.”

Meng Qi deliberately coughed a couple of times to indicate his throat injury hadn’t healed, avoiding further questions that might expose him.

Turning his head, he looked at Tang Mingyue, his voice softer but still hoarse, “Ninth Young Sister, you’ve suffered.”

He had reviewed the information gathered by the Huanhua Sword Sect, not very detailed, but enough to grasp the basic forms of address and major events.

Gazing at the “Second Young Master” who seemed both vaguely familiar yet strangely distant, tears streamed down Tang Mingyue’s face—her emotions a turbulent mix of joy and grievance, care and anxiety: “Second Brother, it’s so good you’re back. I’m alright. But… your voice… what happened to it?”

“Wounded by an assassin from the Ruthless Tower, I fear I’ve inadvertently involved Master Wan in this matter,” Meng Qi said with a respectful nod toward Master Wan.

“The Tower of Inhumanity?” Master Wan was taken aback, while Master Tang Second, Wang Zai, and the others also looked on in astonishment.

Meng Qi gestured to Tang Mingyue not to worry, then slowly stepped forward and said, “If it weren’t for a Gold-tier assassin from the Heartless Tower, how could I have been forced to flee with severe injuries and seek refuge to recover?”

Given the slash he had just unleashed, if he didn’t emphasize the assassin’s strength, people might easily suspect his identity.

The Buren Building was one of the nine evil sects, specializing in assassination. For the Outer Scene Realm rank, they classified assassins into seven tiers: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Cyan, Blue, and Purple. The most formidable Purple Tier assassins had once slain a martial artist ranked nineteenth on the Earth List. It was rumored that the current leader of the Buren Building was later ranked within the top fifteen of the Earth List by the Six Ministries.

For the Enlightenment Stage ranking, the Benevolence Tower employed Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Iron classifications. The most formidable were the Gold Tier assassins. However, due to the anonymity of assassins, many assassinations went unclaimed, so no one ever made it onto the Human List. Yet anyone who underestimated them for this reason would pay with their life.

“So it was a Gold Tier assassin…” Wang Zai said gravely.

Meng Qi scanned the crowd, his eyes pausing momentarily on Master Tang Second and Master Tang Seventh before turning to Ye San, who had just regained consciousness, his face etched with resentment:

“Second Uncle, Seventh Uncle, Third Young Master Ye, I truly wish to understand—when Grandfather was critically ill and I was hurrying home, why did I face an assassination attempt by a Gold Tier assassin from the Ruthless Tower, even dragging Master Wan into this?”

He firmly controlled the narrative to avoid being questioned about unfamiliar matters.

Murmurs spread among the Tang and Wan family members. Was this directly accusing either Master Tang Second, Master Tang Seventh, or Third Young Master Ye of being the instigator? Or were all three of them conspiring together?

“Who knows what trouble you caused outside?” Third Young Master Ye gritted his teeth.

The expressions of Master Wan and others flickered, but they didn’t react strongly to Ye San’s words. The timing of Tang Er’s assassination attempt was simply too suspicious—right during his return journey, right when the Tang family patriarch was gravely ill.

“Could it really be such a coincidence?” Meng Qi said succinctly, then his expression darkened, “If I ever discover who the instigator was, I’ll cut him in two with one slash!”

Before anyone else could speak, he turned directly to Wang Zai and said, “Prince Wang, according to the rites and laws, if the legitimate eldest son is alive, how should the position of clan leader be handled?”

His voice wasn’t loud, but it fell like thunder on a calm day, instantly causing Master Tang Second, Master Tang Seventh, Ye family patriarch, and Ye San’s faces to change dramatically. Tang Mingyue felt a sense of vindication.

Meng Qi fixed his gaze on Wang Zai, waiting for his answer.

The Wang family of Zhou Commandery founded their lineage on the Confucian martial virtue of “Hao Ran Zhi Qi” (the Great and Mighty Spirit), placing paramount importance on righteousness and ritual propriety. Among these rites, the primogeniture system was a core tenet, vital to the stability and continuity of aristocratic families. If Wang Zai were to support another for clan leadership, openly rejecting this principle, his “Hao Ran Zhi Qi” would inevitably collapse, leaving an irreparable flaw in his spirit forever!

Initially, Meng Qi estimated that without utilizing Thunder Mark or the Sacrificial Body Technique, even with all his other skills, his chances of defeating Wang Zai were merely relatively high, with no absolute certainty of victory. After all, anyone listed on the Human Rankings had either attained a minor mastery of Exterior-level martial arts or achieved a minor realm, meaning they at least possessed an Exterior-level ultimate move—none of them could be underestimated. Moreover, Wang Zai also wielded the “Righteous Qi” and various Aperture-opening techniques from the Zhou Commandery Wang family!

However, if he violated the rules of propriety, breaking his own righteous spirit and leaving a mental flaw, Meng Qi was confident he could defeat him using only the Evil Tribulation and sword techniques, without even drawing his sword or resorting to any ultimate moves!

At the level of Meng Qi and Wang Zai, the perfection and purity of one’s mind were of utmost importance. It not only influenced future comprehension of the interactions between heaven and earth as well as internal and external realms, but also affected their current cultivation state.

Didn’t that bandit leader on Evil Ridge, who also mastered an external sword technique, still perish quickly?

Therefore, even though impersonating Tang Er carried some risk, Meng Qi still came!

The gazes of Tang Er and the others all shifted to Wang Zai. If he acknowledged the legitimacy of the eldest son, it would be tantamount to using the reputation of the Wang family of Zhou Commandery to endorse Tang Jing’s succession as the head of the clan.

Wang Zai placed his hand on his sword hilt, his demeanor calm: “I am a guest here, and guests follow the host’s lead.”

“Moreover, even the eldest legitimate sons have the Seven Laws that can disqualify them from inheriting the clan leadership.”

The so-called Seven Laws included unfilial piety and treason.

Before Meng Qi could ask again, he smiled: “Brother Tang, may I ask why you are wearing a human skin mask?”

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was startled, their gazes focusing on Meng Qi’s face. They had considered the possibility that Tang Jing was an impostor, but surely not that it would be exposed so quickly?

Tang Mingyue bit her lower lip tightly, looking at Meng Qi with fear and helplessness, while Master Tang Second, Master Tang Seventh, and others showed surprise followed by glimmers of hope on their faces.

Meng Qi placed his hand by his ear, gently tearing downwards, revealing his “true appearance” underneath.

“Ahh! Second Elder Brother, you…” Tang Mingyue took a step back in fright, for the face beneath was crisscrossed with scars, terrifying and grotesque, yet unmistakably her second elder brother’s face underneath!

“You?” The expressions of Master Tang Second and others fluctuated, unable to understand what was happening.

Meng Qi quickly put his mask back on, his voice low and hoarse: “While traveling, I encountered danger, was captured and tortured by enemies, leaving me like this. So I sought out skilled craftsmen to make this mask, to avoid frightening others.”

The scars and appearance were transformed using the Eighty-Nine Mysterious Arts. At a glance, no one could distinguish the real from the fake, especially since it had been many years since Tang Er had left home, and everyone’s memories were somewhat blurred.

Meng Qi had intentionally allowed Wang Zai to see through the mask, using this to display the “true face” underneath. This would increase the credibility of his identity, as everyone would instinctively believe that what lay beneath the disguise was the real face, rather than another layer of “disguise”—if it weren’t for muscle transformation or mastery of such techniques, using two layers of human skin masks or makeup would be too obvious, easily detected at a glance. Only experts skilled in transformations or proficient in such arts could pull this off.

“Second Elder Brother…” Tears streamed down Tang Mingyue’s face.

Wang Zai sighed: “Only after enduring hardships can one see the vast ocean. No wonder Brother Tang has achieved mastery in swordsmanship.”

After this incident, Master Tang Second and Master Tang Seventh wore solemn expressions, neither of them rushing forward to question Meng Qi’s identity, seemingly lost in thought.

Wang Zai chuckled: “Now that Brother Tang has returned after his tribulations, he surely has much to discuss with his family. We won’t disturb you further. We shall meet again another day.”

He deliberately avoided mentioning the clan leadership matter, as the Tang family patriarch was still alive, albeit in a severe coma.

Watching Wang Zai, Ye San, and others leave, observing the silent Master Tang Second and Master Tang Seventh, Meng Qi vaguely felt something was off. If he were Master Tang Second or Master Tang Seventh, having come this far, he would certainly be making a scene, insisting that even if it were real, he would claim it was fake!

Same appearance? Definitely a lookalike they found. In such a vast world, it’s perfectly normal to have someone with a similar face!

Same birthmarks and habits? Surely imitated after capturing the real Tang Er!

All conversations and events matching up? Must have been extracted through interrogation!

In short, I don’t believe it, I don’t believe it, I’d rather die than believe it! Then, during the interval while seeking experts to verify bloodlines, they would collude with internal and external forces to turn the real Tang Er into a fake one.

Meng Qi pondered for a moment before saying, “Second Uncle, now that this junior has returned, please trouble you to return the clan authority to the eldest branch. By the way, where is Grandfather?”

He had already noticed that Tang Shu and the other three Nine Apertures experts who participated in the ambush were absent. Obviously, they were hiding to avoid the Huanhua Sword Sect, the Six Ministries, and himself.