"Nephew Mo, what a surprise. Forgive for the poor welco." Wei Shanhe stepped forward to exchange pleasantries. What's ant to be will be, he sighed inwardly.
"Hmph!" Mo Daosheng's expression was icy as he sneered, "Wei Shanhe, spare your hypocrisy! Our families have been friends for generations, and I have always regarded you as a respected elder and uncle! My son was deeply in love with your granddaughter, yet you conspired with an outsider to cripple him! If you don't give an explanation today, none of you are leaving!"
At his words, the faces of the many guests turned pale. This is so unfair, they all thought. Settle your own grudges. We just ca for a banquet. Why are we being dragged into this?
"We're finished! We can't afford to provoke the Mo family from Jinhu!"
"Why did President Wei cripple the young master of the Mo family?"
"Young Master Mo just ntioned Lin Tang's na. Don't tell he's the culprit?"
Shen Youling had long known that Lin Tang and Mo Zhongyuan were enemies, but Dong Mingfeng and the others were clueless. What is going on? Mo Zhongyuan was crippled and put in a wheelchair… and Lin Tang was the one who did it? He's caused trouble yet again?!
"Sigh, Nephew Mo, how can you say such things? You know the real story…" Wei Shanhe shook his head.
Wei Zichu angrily added, "What do you an, 'deeply in love'? What do you an, 'conspired with an outsider'? I've never considered myself on the sa side as that despicable scoundrel Mo Zhongyuan! He was the one who attacked us without reason, and Brother Lin was only acting in self-defense! He started it, so who else can he bla?"
"What a sharp-tongued little girl!" Mo Daosheng narrowed his eyes, his tone nacing. "Wei Shanhe, is this how the Wei Family raises its children?"
"Zichu, do not be rude!" Wei Shanhe pulled Wei Zichu behind him.
Seeing Wei Zichu's defiance, Mo Zhongyuan vowed to torture her rcilessly after they were married. He said impatiently, "Dad, why are you still wasting your breath on them? Just show them the sword token!"
"Fine!" Mo Daosheng held a sword-shaped token high above his head. "This is the Sword Token of the Master of the Sword Casting Manor! Where the token points, all must obey! Wei Shanhe, kneel and receive your orders!"
Wei Shanhe's face darkened, but he did not move.
"What, you intend to defy the order?" Mo Daosheng barked.
The guests looked at each other in confusion. Soone whispered, "What is this sword token? Why is it so domineering?"
An inford guest explained in a trembling voice, "Yan Renjie of the Sword Casting Manor is a terrifying harbinger of death! Anyone who offends him will have their entire family annihilated! His Sword Token is as absolute as an imperial decree. To defy it is to die!"
The explanation was t with a collective gasp.
"I've heard of this powerhouse, too. Not even the True Martial Association would dare to provoke him!"
"President Wei is in deep trouble now!"
"We're the ones in real trouble, innocently dragged into this. Compared to Yan Renjie, we're just ants he could crush without a second thought…"
The crowd was terrified. No one knew who did it first, but soone knelt and cried out, "Greetings to the Manor Master!"
This triggered a chain reaction as everyone else knelt, chanting in unison, "Greetings to the Manor Master!"
Zhou Rushan and Wang Shouzhen also dropped to their knees with a thud. Lin Tang, you're finally finished! All the humiliation we endured wasn't for nothing… they thought with glee.
Dong Mingfeng and the others were ignorant and had no real concept of who Yan Renjie was. But seeing so many people on their knees, they too knelt with fear and trembling.
A smug look crossed Mo Daosheng's face. He paid no mind to the few who remained standing, like Zhu Yingning and Chen Shanchun. Fixing his eyes on Wei Shanhe, he continued his proclamation.
"Master Yan has decreed!
"First, hand over the murderer, Lin Tang, to be executed by a thousand cuts as a warning to others!
"Second, Wei Shanhe, for your failure in discipline, you will sever one of your own arms as punishnt!
"Third, Wei Zichu will marry Mo Zhongyuan as a concubine, to serve him for life, never to betray him!
"Wei Shanhe, will you not accept the order?! Do you truly not fear having your entire family executed?"
Wei Shanhe trembled all over. Wei Zichu was also shivering with rage. Sever his arm? Marry Mo Zhongyuan? And only as a concubine? This was going too far!
"Executed by a thousand cuts?" Shen Youling's body shook, her face deathly pale. She was terribly worried for Lin Tang.
Shen Jiayue and the others, however, were reveling in his misfortune.
Zhou Rushan and Wang Shouzhen could no longer contain themselves, their lips twisting into sneers. They offered their hypocritical advice to Wei Shanhe, "Perhaps you should just comply? Hand over Lin Tang, then grovel a little and say so nice things. Maybe you can get out of severing your arm…"
"When you're under another's roof, you must bow your head. Why should you stick your neck out for an outsider? Since Lin Tang is a doctor, saving people is what he is supposed to do. You already paid him, so you don't owe him anything."
Mo Daosheng grew even more arrogant, laughing loudly. "Wei Shanhe, even if you don't think about your own family, you have to think about the True Martial Association! If your stubbornness leads to the Association's destruction…"
"Bold words! I'd like to see just how you plan to destroy the True Martial Association!" a cold voice cut in.
"Hm?" Mo Daosheng frowned. "Who is that? Who dares act so presumptuously before the Manor Master's Sword Token? Get out here!"
BOOM!
A gale of force blasted through the n protecting Mo Daosheng, sending him flying with a scream.
CLANG.
The sword token clattered to the floor.
Huangfu Zhan stepped on it, his gaze sweeping over the entire hall. "Huangfu Zhan, President of the True Martial Association, is here! Yan Renjie, have you arrived? Do you dare fight ?!"
As his voice fell, the full might of his peak Innate Realm aura burst forth—a display of absolute, unrestrained dominance!
"Oh?" Zhu Yingning was taken aback and murmured to herself, "Wasn't Huangfu Zhan at the late Innate Realm? When did he break through? No wonder Lin Tang was so calm. What incredible luck! With this breakthrough, Huangfu Zhan is now Yan Renjie's equal, so of course he has the power to protect him."
"This is impossible!" Mo Zhongyuan stared blankly at Huangfu Zhan before letting out a roar.
"Holy shit…" Wang Shouzhen and Zhou Rushan's jaws dropped in shock. They felt both resentful and unnerved. Just a mont ago, they had advised Wei Shanhe to submit and abandon Lin Tang. How could they walk this back now? Damn it! If you had already broken through, Huangfu Zhan, you should have shown up earlier! Appearing now… are you trying to make fools of us?
The guests, who had been on edge, felt a surge of relief at this developnt. "That's great! With President Huangfu taking the lead, they probably won't take their anger out on us."
So of the more cunning ones, seeing that the previously blocked exit was now clear, tried to take the opportunity to flee.
But then… they scrambled back in terror.
There, walking in step by step, was Yan Renjie. Dressed in white robes with a longsword at his waist, he looked like a swordsman from a bygone era. His expression was grim, and his gaze was so sharp that almost no one dared to et his eyes. So even found their eyes watering, feeling a stabbing pain as if they were being pierced by needles.
Finally, Yan Renjie's gaze locked onto Lin Tang. "Was it you who ambushed and killed my first disciple?"
He slowly unsheathed his sword. Its blade was covered in eerie, blood-red patterns that humd with a joyful buzz.
CLANG!
The tip of the sword pointed directly at Lin Tang. Yan Renjie spoke gravely, "In that case, I must ask you to die."
"What? Hou Baoshu is dead?" Wei Shanhe exclaid in shock.
Huangfu Zhan's heart sank. He had assud Hou Baoshu was rely injured, which would not have been a major issue. But he had been killed… This is a blood feud that can only end in death!
It seems I have no choice but to fight to the death today! Huangfu Zhan did not back down. He stated firmly, "Your disciple wanted to use Lin Tang's wife's blood to consecrate his sword. His actions were appalling. Lin Tang was rely acting in self-defense and is not at fault. I will protect his life!"
"What? He wanted to use Lin Tang's wife's blood to consecrate his sword? Don't tell he was talking about you, Youling?" The entire Shen Family was flabbergasted.
Shen Youling nodded bitterly. "Lin Tang saved …"
Faced with Huangfu Zhan's obstruction, Yan Renjie's expression remained unchanged. He said indifferently, "You are no match for . Step aside if you want to live."
Huangfu Zhan took a deep breath, his fighting spirit soaring as his aura intensified. "Enough talk. Co! Fight!"
Wei Shanhe also let out a tragic roar, "Fight!"
The other mbers of the True Martial Association followed suit, chanting, "Fight! Fight! Fight!"
Yan Renjie's eyelids drooped slightly. "A bunch of useless rabble," he said softly.
The battle was about to erupt!
CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!
Zhu Yingning applauded, a smile playing on her lips as she said, "This really is a fantastic show!"
"You're… from the Tang Sect?" A trace of solemnity finally appeared on Yan Renjie's face. "Are you going to try and stop as well?"
But Zhu Yingning shook her head. "Don't misunderstand. I'm just here for the entertainnt. And I wanted to ask a favor of you."
Damn it! Mo Zhongyuan cursed inwardly. He had thought Zhu Yingning was going to protect Lin Tang and found it baffling how that scoundrel attracted such powerful won. Even soone his own master was wary of was stepping in.
Huangfu Zhan and Wei Shanhe, recalling Zhu Yingning's earlier "proposal" to Lin Tang, were filled with hope. If she was willing to help protect Lin Tang, Yan Renjie would surely back down!
"What favor?" Yan Renjie asked after a few seconds of silence.
Zhu Yingning cast a seductive glance at Lin Tang. "Please don't kill him," she said. "Just chop off his limbs, turn him into a human stick, and give him to as a plaything. How about it?"
Shen Youling: "…"
Huangfu Zhan: "…"
Everyone: "…"
Even Yan Renjie was montarily stunned. Then, for the first ti, he smiled.
"Agreed."
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