The chaos began—though it couldn’t really be called chaos; it was merely a massacre, a one-man slaughter of hundreds!
“Shua!” The soft sword slid into his left hand from his waistband, while the dagger, usually worn as decoration behind his ear, appeared in his right. Swinging sword and blade like the wind, Qiao San’s martial prowess was more than enough to let him move freely through the crowd!
Wherever his sword flashed, blood spurted into the sky; wherever his knife danced, corpses flew in all directions. Qiao San was a god of slaughter, a killing deity burning with fury, desperate to unleash his rage!
The blades paused momentarily, and the relentless Qiao San suddenly realized there were no enemies left ahead. It turned out he had pierced straight through the entire crowd like an arrow, yet the violent rage in his heart had still not eased!
Kill, kill—
With a swift turn, his left sword and right knife once again radiated brilliant light, launching into a second round of outnumbering odds. Blood, screams, death, and terror gradually became the night’s dominant theme at the Left Chancellor’s mansion.
The second circle, the third circle… Finally, Qiao San grew tired of killing. With a flick of his sword and a flash of his blade, both weapons slid back into their sheaths simultaneously. Standing with hands behind his back, the rogue slowly lifted one foot, then suddenly slammed it down with lightning speed!
“Boom!”
The earth trembled beneath his foot, and invisible force surged across the ground like a tsunami. Wherever the “wave” passed, the bluestone pavement cracked into undulating, jagged spiderwebs.
In an instant, within a hundred-meter radius around Qiao San, not a single opponent remained standing!
The ground was littered with writhing figures. The soldiers’ eyes had completely lost their fighting spirit, gazing at the blood-soaked god of death, their hearts sank to the depths of despair. Fear spread like a plague.
Qiao San moved slowly. Though his steps were ordinary, everyone was like a frightened bird, sensing it was the prelude to an impending cataclysm, the herald of hell’s gates opening wide.
“Huff…” After the violent outburst, the blood mark on Qiao San’s forehead finally began to fade. Step by step, he passed by the wounded, refraining from finishing them off. Finally, standing before the steward and the head guard, the terrifying god of death turned deadly once again.
“Speak! Where is that old dog, the Left Chancellor?”
“I… I don’t know! Ah—”
The head guard’s trembling “loyalty” received its reward. He had intended to feign dignity before confessing, but the god of slaughter gave him no such chance. With a loud “Bang!” Qiao San, impatient, smashed the head guard’s skull against the stone slab.
“You—speak!” With a sweep of his massive hand, the rogue grabbed his second target. Before the icy words had even fully left his lips, he raised the steward high with one hand, threatening to send him straight to the underworld.
“Ahh… Mercy! I’ll talk… I’ll talk…” The steward’s will had long been shattered. Instinctively covering his head in despair, he quickly betrayed his master, fearing the slightest hesitation would earn him the same fate—his brains splattered.
“Hero, our Chancellor—no, that Left Chancellor old dog has already gone to the early court session. He left just half an hour ago!”
“Hmph!” Annoyed, Qiao San carelessly tossed the steward aside. Noticing the remaining soldiers attempting a quiet escape, the rogue once again stomped his foot, turning the courtyard of the Chancellor’s mansion into a massive crater.
“You want to live—fine! Each of you light a torch and burn this Chancellor’s mansion to the ground! Otherwise, you all shall—die!”
When dealing with enemies, sweep them away like autumn wind; when they fall, pile on the stones—this was one of the great principles of the rogue philosophy!
Under the cold gaze of Qiao San, rows of torches flew rapidly into every corner of the mansion. The soldiers rushed to comply, not only setting fires but also pouring oil, not even sparing the latrines.
The sparks gradually became an unstoppable wildfire. Seeing the flames now impossible to contain, Qiao San finally nodded, sparing the group of former henchmen, who now trembled with terror.
The entire Left Chancellor’s mansion scattered like birds and beasts, and the once-mighty Left Chancellor’s mansion was reduced to ruins by a mere rogue!
Satisfied but not content, Qiao San didn’t move a muscle. A ghostly cloud lifted him into the dawn sky.
Left Chancellor, you idiot old dog, prepare to meet your doom!
※※※※※※
“Those with matters may speak; those without may be dismissed!” The shrill voice of the eunuch habitually echoed through the Golden Hall. All the civil and military officials bowed respectfully, preparing to send off the old emperor.
“Ah?!” A chorus of surprised murmurs flowed like a stream. The whiteness that had just appeared on the horizon vanished mysteriously, replaced by a mass of clouds rushing toward the palace as if alive.
“Your Majesty, a demon approaches!”
Master Lei Huo, the reigning Taoist priest and national preceptor, promptly stepped forward. With a wave of his whisk, his white beard fluttering, the air of a true cultivator finally calmed the officials.
“Your Majesty may rest assured. the entire palace has been set with the Thunder and Flame Formation, which will surely reduce the demon to ashes!”
“Boom!”
In the sky, clouds churned and black mist rose. Thunder rumbled and lightning danced. Qiao San had not yet arrived, but his overwhelming aura already shook the heavens like the earth itself was collapsing!
Master Lei Huo was surprised to see the “familiar” Thunder and Flame techniques. Reciting an incantation, the earthly cultivator soared into the air, bowing respectfully from afar. “This humble cultivator is the seventy-first Grandmaster of the Lei Huo Sect. May I inquire the esteemed cultivator’s name and whether you have any connection to our sect?”
“Haha… We have no relation. You cultivate your path, I seek my revenge!”
The clouds parted, revealing Qiao San. His wild hair flew in the wind, blood-red mist swirling around him. The blood mark on his brow glowed more vividly than ever. To the eyes of the world, he had become a demon. “Master Taoist, please step aside. I seek only that old dog, the Left Chancellor!”
Since he was clearly not of their kind, Master Lei Huo’s friendly demeanor vanished instantly. His face turned stern. “The mortal world has its own laws. How can you, a demon, run rampant here?!”
“Haha… What a beautifully spoken line!”
Unrestrained and wild, Qiao San threw his head back in a loud, mocking laugh. The suppressed rage he had carried for so long finally erupted like a flood. “Damn it, aren’t you just clinging to worldly glory and power, willingly becoming a lapdog for the powerful? What right do you have to criticize this young master?! Hmph! Come on then—winner takes the throne, loser becomes the bandit. Stop pretending to be the voice of justice!”
“Demon! How dare you spread such slander and deceive the masses? Behold my magical treasure!”
His secret exposed, yet Master Lei Huo showed no hint of shame. Instead, he unleashed his fury through two treasures flying from his sleeves!
Radiant and translucent, the two talismans were clearly no ordinary artifacts. As soon as the first Thunder Talisman ascended, four beams of light rose from the four corners of the palace. When the second Fire Talisman flew above Qiao San’s head, the entire space from heaven to earth became an enclosed realm—the “Nine Heavens Thunder and Flame Formation.”
“Demon! Today, this humble Taoist shall grant you a final passage into enlightenment!”
The arrogant old Taoist had reason to be proud. Though it was also a Thunder and Flame Formation, compared to the one in the imperial dungeon, it was like comparing a dwarf to a giant.
Before Master Lei Huo’s words had even faded, a bolt of lightning descended from the heavens, striking the Thunder Talisman directly!
“Katsu!” With a mighty shout, the spell activated at his command. Waving his finger, the talisman ignited with mysterious flames. In an instant, it transformed into a fire dragon, its body crackling with lightning, roaring toward Qiao San with bared fangs and claws!
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