Tap, tap, tap...
In the tranquil Arena Hall of the Shang Family, everyone stared blankly at the tall and thin elder until the sound of hurried footsteps arose. Shortly afterward, about a dozen strangers in black attire sward into the hall from outside, lining up in a single row behind the tall, thin elder.
One of the figures in black swept a glance over everyone in the hall and chuckled, "So all of the Shang Family mbers are hiding out here. That made our search easier, and it saves us the trouble of searching for each one of you!"
It wasn’t until this man in black spoke that Shang Yan and the others finally snapped back to reality. The Family Head of the Shang Family abruptly stood up from his seat and shouted, "Who exactly are you? Why assault us without even asking the reason?"
In his heart, Shang Yan already had a vague feeling that the visitors bore ill will; otherwise, the tall and thin elder would not have killed without saying a word. Attacking and killing a Shang Family guard in the Arena Hall of the Shang Family—surely no one would think they were here for tea, right?
The tall and thin elder obviously did not care about Shang Yan at all but turned his head to ask, "Did you find the item?"
"Reporting to my lord, I’ve searched through all the places of the Shang Family and did not see the artifact you spoke of!" The black-clothed figure, who had just spoken, suddenly beca extrely respectful. Upon hearing these words, Shang Yan and his people all changed their expressions.
It appeared that while all mbers of the Shang Family were enjoying the arena battles, outsiders had already turned the Shang Family upside down. For the Shang Family, this was nothing short of a colossal humiliation.
At this news, the tall and thin elder was not angry. On this Continent, even sowhat influential families had their Waist Storages—important items were of course to be carried on one’s person. The item he was searching for might just be on one of the Shang Family mbers in the Arena Hall.
"Are you the Family Head of this Shang Family? Co here, I have questions for you!"
The tall and thin elder turned his head back without answering Shang Yan’s previous question. This authoritative and condescending attitude angered all the Shang Family mbers.
Although the Shang Family held no significance within the entire Xuanyue Empire, yet within Moon Bow City, the Shang Family was one of the top three families. Normally, no one would dare to provoke the Shang Family lightly.
Despite how easily the old man just snapped that Shang Family guard’s neck, everyone knew that the guard was rely a low-level cultivator in the Late Stage of ridian Qi. Even younger mbers like Shang Huiyu and Shang Huifeng were sowhat superior, so the old man’s strength might not be as formidable as it seed.
"Who is this decrepit old fool, completely courting death!"
While the Family Head Shang Yan had yet to speak, the hot-tempered Second Elder of the Shang Family, Shang Li, couldn’t hold back and burst out. After his loud shout, he lunged forward, his formidable ridian Qi swirling as he charged directly at the tall and thin elder.
Seeing Shang Li’s action, Shang Yan did not stop him. To tell the truth, he also hadn’t sensed clearly what level of cultivation the tall and thin elder possessed; it would be good to let his own son test the waters.
What Shang Yan failed to notice was that when Shang Li dashed forward, a Mortal Rank Advanced ridian Refining Master subtly moved and discreetly took several steps back. In those eyes, there was a thick blend of fear and terror.
It must be said that as a cultivator in the Late Stage of the ridian Gathering Realm, Shang Li was very fast. Under the watchful eyes of all the Shang Family mbers, it only took him a mont to reach the front of the tall and thin elder. His punch seed to suggest that the frail elder could not possibly withstand it.
"Courting death!"
As Shang Li lunged at him, he seed to hear a voice next to the tall and thin elder, and then he suddenly didn’t have the luxury to think anymore because he realized he could not breathe.
Shang Li himself hasn’t grasped what had happened yet, but many of the Shang Family onlookers saw clearly that this respected Second Elder of the Shang Family, who could even be considered the third strongest in the family, was grasped by the throat by the old man just upon approaching.
This scene seed all too familiar. On reflection, wasn’t that ridian Qi guard in the Late Stage likewise grasped by the throat by that tall and thin elder and then killed?
No one from the Shang Family expected that Shang Li, a strong practitioner in the Late Stage of the Qi Gathering Realm, would end up just like the ridian Qi guard after striking, subdued in a single move.
The thought of the fate that had befallen the Shang Family guard made everyone too terrified to even breathe, but Shang Yan, a father anxious for his son, was imnsely panicked and shouted loudly, "Esteed sir, please spare..."
Crack!
Before Shang Yan could finish the word "rcy," everyone in the Arena Hall heard a sowhat familiar snapping sound, and then they suddenly realized that not only the sound was familiar, but also Shang Li’s action mirrored exactly that of the Shang Family guard from before.
It turned out the tall and thin elder did not take into account whether his opponent was a Shang Family guard or an authoritative figure like Shang Li of the Shang Family; his movents were the sa. After grasping the throat, with just a slight effort, he snapped Shang Li’s neck.
With this turn of events, the disbelief and incredulity in Family Head Shang Li’s eyes were not only identical to that of the Shang Family guard from just monts before, but even more intense.
He was, after all, the second in command of the Shang Family, a figure who could command the wind and rain in Moon Bow City; how could he die so pathetically at the hands of an old man, whose na he didn’t even know?
Regrettably, with his neck snapped, Shang Li’s final question would remain forever unanswered. As his consciousness plunged into darkness, he seed to foresee the impending doom of the Shang Family.
"You, co here, I have a question for you!"
The tall and lean elder released Shang Li’s corpse as if he had just perford an inconsequential act, and pointed his finger at Shang Yan, speaking in the sa manner as before.
"Gulp!"
Being pointed at by the tall and lean elder’s right index finger, and despite the elder seeming devoid of any rage, Shang Yan couldn’t help but swallow nervously. The murder of Shang Li, while a cause for imnse grief, instilled in him an inexplicable fear.
Shang Li was a genuine powerhouse in the late stage of the ridian Gathering Realm. Even though Shang Yan had broken through to the ridian Rushing Realm and even activated an Ancestor Vein, he couldn’t effortlessly kill Shang Li like that.
If so, didn’t that an the elder was at least a powerful figure in the middle stage of the ridian Rushing Realm? In Moon Bow City, apart from that person from the City Lord’s Mansion, there probably was no other.
But Shang Yan was certain that this tall and lean elder was not that person from the City Lord’s Mansion. Moreover, he had a vague feeling that even the middle-stage ridian Rushing Realm expert from the City Lord’s Mansion didn’t put as much pressure on him as this person did.
"The noble has called you over, are you deaf?"
Seeing Shang Yan with an ashen face, rooted to the spot with no intention to move, the tall and lean elder had yet to speak when the dark-clothed person beside him impatiently shouted.
At this outburst, Shang Yan shuddered. As the Family Head of the Shang Family, he was capable of both taking up and letting go of responsibilities. Although the newcor had killed two mbers of his family in succession, including his most beloved son, at this mont, he couldn’t muster any defiance.
Witnessing the usually domineering Shang Family Head walking shakily toward the tall and lean elder, all mbers of the Shang Family felt a sense of humiliation.
Of course, this didn’t include Yun Xiao and her two children. They were previously driven into a corner by the Shang Family, and the arrival of the tall and lean elder and his companions was, in fact, a chance for them to escape death.
Thinking back to the humiliation inflicted upon them by the Shang Family just monts ago, Yun Xiao couldn’t help but feel a sense of pleasure, even though the newcors might be ill-intentioned and her own family might not et a good end. At present, watching the Shang Family suffer was enough to make her happy.
"Serves them right!"
Yun Wei, who had managed to walk back despite her injuries, uttered this cold remark. Shang Ying, who was quite near, heard her, but how could he be in the mood to pay attention to these three at such a ti?
Although the Shang Family Head was moving slowly, he soon approached within a zhang of the elder. He stayed silent, afraid of provoking the elder’s wrath once more.
"I ask you, does the Shang Family possess a blood-red, moon-shaped jade ornant?"
The elder, completely ignoring Shang Yan’s fearful and resentful expression, directly asked his question. Upon hearing it, Shang Yan and many mbers of the Shang Family were utterly confused, yet a few shivered violently.
Among these trembling figures were Yun Xiao and her two children. Shang Li seed to realize sothing and reached out her hand, gripping Yun Wei’s trembling palm to signal her not to give anything away.
Yun Xiao, anwhile, pressed firmly on his right hand, where a blood-red crescent mark was imprinted. He knew that the item ntioned by the tall and lean elder was none other than the Blood Moon Jade which, before becoming a mark, had been worn around his neck for over a decade. Unfortunately, the Blood Moon Jade had turned into a Blood Moon Mark and no longer physically existed.
This provided Yun Xiao and his family with an opportunity. If the Blood Moon Jade had remained a tangible object, they would have been exposed on the spot once the tall and lean elder asked; now, as long as they didn’t reveal anything, there was no way for anyone to detect it.
But at this critical mont, both Yun Xiao and Shang Li seed to forget that, besides the three of them, there was another person who had lived with them for more than a decade. That person was all too familiar with the object Yun Xiao had worn for all those years.
In the place where the talented mbers of the Shang Family were gathered, a white figure’s gaze was intently fixed on a roughly-dressed youth not far away, her eyes flickering with an indiscernible light, leaving one to wonder what she was thinking.
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