Translator: CinderTL
Xu Sanyan looked around; it was no different from before. This wasn't his first time in Dafeng Town. He had often come here in the past to wander around, drink, visit brothels, and listen to songs.
Dafeng Town had the most wine merchants, as the people here were heavily addicted to alcohol. With the constant sandstorms in the northwest, drinking helped keep warm, so most people enjoyed a few drinks.
Next were the lamb restaurants, offering lamb soup, lamb offal, lamb buns, and various other dishes, all of which were delicious.
Xu Sanyan wasn't in a hurry to go to the Jin family. He first found a tavern to have a couple of drinks, listening to the townsfolk chat as usual, and only then did he feel slightly at ease. Afterward, he headed straight to the Jin family.
Outside the Jin family mansion, Xu Sanyan knocked on the door. After a short while, an old man opened it slightly, cautiously asking, "Who are you looking for?"
Xu Sanyan handed over the golden key. "Give this to your master."
The old man seemed to understand something. He took the key and turned away.
Xu Sanyan also turned and left the city gate, returning to his group.
Not long after, Xu Sanyan saw chaos erupting at the city gate from a distance. Wu Jue shouted, "Brothers, this time, whatever we seize is ours to keep!"
"Woo-hoo!"
"Boss is mighty!"
The bandits behind him immediately became restless. Usually, the spoils were split fifty-fifty between the bandits and the stronghold.
Geng the Cripple wasn't one to fall behind either. With a wave of his hand, hundreds of horses galloped forward, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Xu Sanyan casually pulled up the scarf around his neck, covering his nose and mouth. He glanced at Tang Huanhuan, who happened to look back at him. The two nodded slightly.
Chaos erupted at the city gate. By the time Xu Sanyan arrived, the Jin family's swordsmen had already killed most of the defending soldiers.
The leader of the Jin family was a burly man over seven feet tall, with a fierce appearance and a gilded nine-ringed broadsword in hand. Behind him were fifty or sixty swordsmen.
Xu Sanyan had heard of this man. He was Jin Penglai, the head of the Jin family. His most striking feature was that broadsword, which had earned him the nickname "Golden Blade Penglai" in the martial world.
Jin Penglai clasped his hands and said, "Brothers Geng and Wu, please follow me."
Wu Jue narrowed his eyes and waved his hand. "Brothers, let's get to work."
"Hahaha…"
"Kill!"
The bandits immediately became excited, charging into the city and cutting down anyone in their path.
Geng the Cripple remained silent, leading his men into the city.
"Ah! The bandits are in the city!"
"Father!"
The city instantly descended into chaos. Cries and wails filled the streets, and those who mustered the courage to resist were quickly beheaded.
Before long, large numbers of soldiers emerged from the surrounding streets, desperately trying to hold off the bandits. The two sides were soon locked in combat.
Xu Sanyan ignored them, closely following Wu Jue, Jin Penglai, and the others as they charged toward the Ma family's residence, where the real battle would take place.
On the long street outside the Ma family's mansion, a crowd of at least a hundred people had already gathered. However, half of them were servants dragged in to make up the numbers, their hands trembling as they held their swords.
At the front of the crowd stood an elderly man with white hair fluttering in the wind, holding a Guan Shan Saber. It seemed he had anticipated their arrival.
Jin Penglai grinned. "Haha, Old Master Ma, you're still alive?"
Old Master Ma ignored him, instead looking at Wu Jue and Geng the Cripple. "Whatever the Jin family has promised you, I'll double it. How about you two take your men and leave?"
Geng the Cripple dismounted and limped forward. "Old Master Ma, I'm afraid you can't afford that price…"
Old Master Ma shook his head and sighed. "Have you heard some rumors?"
"Hehe…"
Wu Jue also dismounted. "You know best whether they're rumors or not. There's no need for more words. Hand over that thing, and we'll leave immediately."
Old Master Ma shook his head. "This is just the Jin family slandering us. If we really had that cultivation technique, would we be in such dire straits?"
Jin Penglai laughed, a hint of greed in his eyes. "If there's no technique, then why does every male child in your family disappear for a day after birth? Can you tell me where they're sent?"
"I've heard… that cultivating immortality requires testing one's talent, right, Old Master Ma?" Jin Penglai said with a cryptic tone.
Old Master Ma's eyes hardened as he slowly turned to look at the people behind him.
He never expected that a traitor had emerged within his own family, and a high-ranking one at that. This matter had always been a closely guarded secret, and only a select few had access to it.
"Hehe, what a fool I've been. I've calculated everything, but I never expected a thief in my own house."
Old Master Ma suddenly felt disheartened, as only a few of his direct descendants and their immediate family members knew this secret.
Old Master Ma's second son lowered his head, his expression uneasy. He suspected that his wife had been bribed. He knew her nature all too well.
Jin Penglai pointed his blade and shouted, "Ma Xulong, you only have two options now. Either hand over the technique, or… take your secret to the underworld!"
Geng the Cripple added, "And your Ma family will be wiped off the map in the northwest."
"Hahaha…"
Old Master Ma threw his head back and laughed, his white beard fluttering. "Then let's settle this with our blades."
He knew full well that even if he handed over the technique, they wouldn't spare the Ma family. To eradicate a problem, one must pull it out by the roots. These bandits understood that all too well.
"Kill!"
Wu Jue roared, charging forward first.
Old Master Ma shouted, "Sons, behind us are our families. For the sake of your wives and children, kill!"
"Kill!"
The two sides immediately clashed. In the first exchange, more than a dozen people fell, most of them servants and laborers.
Xu Sanyan and Tang Huanhuan kept a close eye on their positions. In such chaotic combat, even they had to be cautious.
Jin Penglai faced Old Master Ma. Their cultivation levels were similar, but Jin Penglai was in his prime, while Old Master Ma was old. For the time being, they were evenly matched, but as time went on, Jin Penglai would inevitably gain the upper hand.
Wu Jue clashed with the eldest son of the Ma family, while Geng the Cripple fought with the second son.
The Ma brothers were slightly weaker in cultivation, but they fought with their lives on the line. Wu and Geng naturally didn't want to trade their lives, so they were somewhat restrained.
But this kind of fighting was like walking on a tightrope. One misstep, and it would be the end.
The Ma family's disciples were fighting with their backs against the wall. They had no retreat; behind them were their wives, children, and elders. Even if they died, they would die at the front.
With such determination, they momentarily overpowered the combined forces of the three factions.
The long street was soon littered with blood and severed limbs. The screams of the dying even drowned out the clashing of weapons.
Xu Sanyan wasn't in a hurry to charge forward. He stayed on the edge, protecting himself. He even had the leisure to glance at the other battlefields.
After a while, a shout rang out. "Father! I'll go first!"
As soon as the second son of the Ma family finished shouting, Geng the Cripple's blade lopped off his head. The large head flew into the air, the lifeless eyes still visible.
The head fell to the ground, the eyes still wide open.
"Second son!"
Old Master Ma's heart surged with emotion, and his eyes instantly turned blood-red. He hadn't expected his son to leave before him.
"Hahaha, Old Master Ma, no need to rush. I'll send your whole family to reunite," Jin Penglai shouted.
"My grandson will avenge me. None of you will escape!"
Old Master Ma's eyes were filled with hatred, his blood-red gaze sweeping over everyone as if he wanted to memorize their faces so he could recognize them in the underworld.
(End of the Chapter)
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