Before long, the Liu family was completely wiped out by the disciples of the Wanxing Martial Academy.
Due to Bai Yujing's threat that "if even a single one escapes, none of you are going back," Yang Ling and the others meticulously inspected the guests who had come to celebrate Old Master Liu's seventieth birthday, dragging out over a dozen more Shengxue Cultists from among them.
Among them, a young master from a minor family who was secretly a Shengxue Cultist saw that he was about to be discovered. Panicking, he came up with a desperate plan. He stood up and shouted, “Isn't your Wanxing Martial Academy being a bit too overbearing?! You slaughtered the entire Liu family without any concrete evidence! Besides, we aren't criminals, nor do we fall under your jurisdiction. Why should we submit to your investigation? Everyone, isn't that right—”
Slash!
The young master, who had barely finished speaking, instantly turned into a fountain as blood gushed from his severed neck.
Xu Jianxing flicked the blood off his sword and said disdainfully, “Hmph. Damned Shengxue Cultist, trying to incite the crowd.”
Having made an example of him, the remaining guests dared not resist. A few people standing next to the headless corpse didn't even dare to move, crouching there in terror as blood rained down on them.
Soon, with everyone's cooperation, the Wanxing Martial Academy completed their inspection. They searched the Liu Manor inside and out, catching a few more who had slipped through the cracks. Under Zhuang Xun's guidance, they also discovered a secret passage. One group pursued the fleeing enemies down the passage while another waited at the exit. Working together, they eliminated the remaining stragglers.
Afterward, Zhuang Xun ordered a few disciples to stay behind and guard the Liu Manor, reminding them to pay close attention to any new beggars appearing in Gaolin County.
Still slightly uneasy even after giving these instructions, Zhuang Xun took direct control of the Debt-Lending Bladesman, who had already been lurking in Gaolin County, to oversee things personally.
Only after finishing all of this did Zhuang Xun lead the Wanxing Martial Academy group to seize the Liu family's various properties throughout Gaolin County.
After seizing three of the Liu family's properties along the way, they encountered a squad of Crimson Robe Attendants on the road to the next location.
The Crimson Robe Attendants blocked the entire road ahead, with absolutely no intention of yielding.
Their leader, clad in crimson robes with hollow cheeks and a cold expression, said icily to Bai Yujing, “The Wanxing Martial Academy is indeed overbearing. Wiping out a faction under our City Lord's Manor's jurisdiction without a single word... Are you trying to start a war with us?”
Zhuang Xun studied the speaker's face as his information came to mind.
Yang Wei, twenty years old, early stage Fourth Rank martial arts. The leading figure of the younger generation among the Crimson Robe Attendants.
With his hands clasped behind his back, Zhuang Xun said indifferently, “Does Shock Robe Yang mean to say that the Shengxue Cult is also a faction under the City Lord's Manor's jurisdiction? If so, then the City Lord's Manor should be wiped out as well.”
“How bold!” Yang Wei sidestepped the accusation and barked angrily, “Do you truly believe the whole world fears you just because you defeated Yang Huan? He is merely a nobody among the Crimson Robe Attendants. We could pick out a hundred or eighty like him from our ranks! To think you dare boast so wildly after defeating a mere nobody!”
Hidden among the ranks of the Crimson Robe Attendants, Yang Huan cursed Yang Wei furiously in his heart.
“That is Yujing's fault,” Zhuang Xun said. “In that case, I wonder if Shock Robe Yang Wei counts as a somebody?”
Is he backing down?
Yang Wei's anger subsided, and he puffed out his chest proudly. “Though I lack talent, I have already reached the Fourth Rank in martial arts at the age of twenty. I do have some say among the Crimson Robe Attendants.”
“I see,” Zhuang Xun nodded. “Then Yujing must first apologize to Shock Robe Yang Wei. I wish to borrow your reputation to make an example.”
Before his voice even faded, Zhuang Xun instantly materialized in front of Yang Wei and delivered a whipping kick.
Yang Wei had no time to react. He was sent flying backward, knocking over a dozen Crimson Robe Attendants without slowing down. Like a streak of light, he crashed directly into the city wall at the end of the street, kicking up a massive cloud of dust.
Zhuang Xun slowly lowered his leg and looked at the stunned Crimson Robe Attendants. “I wonder if any of you have further objections? You are welcome to raise them with Yujing.”
“Senior Brother is mighty!” The disciples behind him roared with excitement. Without waiting for Bai Yujing's command, they charged at the Crimson Robe Attendants on their own initiative.
The demoralized Crimson Robe Attendants put up little resistance and quickly fled in panic. From then on, the Wanxing Martial Academy group encountered no further obstacles, successfully seizing more than a dozen of the Liu family's properties one after another.
When they reached a relatively remote herb garden, Zhuang Xun caught a whiff of a strange fragrance. Following the scent, he discovered a secret chamber beneath a thatched cottage.
The stone walls of the secret chamber were covered in vines and leaves. In the center lay dozens of short, shriveled people. Their bodies were covered in fresh green leaves, and beneath those leaves grew strangely red fruits.
The strange fragrance was coming from these fruits.
Shengxue Fruit.
It was a malicious precious herb that had to be planted using a living human as soil. The host could not die during the process, as the Shengxue Fruit relied on their life force to grow. Once ripe, consuming it could extend one's lifespan.
However, during this period, the host would suffer excruciating pain and rapidly age as their life force was drained. The day the Shengxue Fruits ripened would be the day the host died of old age.
Thus, despite looking like extremely frail elders, these people were likely only eleven or twelve years old.
To maximize the efficacy of the Shengxue Fruits, the Shengxue Cult almost always targeted young children as hosts.
At this moment, the Shengxue Fruits were nearing maturity, and these children were on the verge of dying of old age.
Most of the Wanxing Martial Academy disciples understood this, and unable to bear the sight of their miserable state, they averted their eyes.
However, these children were not beyond saving. Zhuang Xun knew a way to revive them.
He had also been captured by the Shengxue Cult in the past to be used as a host. Later on, because lying there all day was too boring and the Shengxue Fruits on his body smelled so enticingly fragrant, he had painstakingly plucked one of his own fruits and eaten it.
Surprisingly, he discovered... Huh? This actually tastes pretty good. Let's pluck another one.
No, the point was that the life force drained by the Shengxue Fruit had actually returned to his body.
Though it didn't return fully—draining ten years of life force only restored about one year upon consumption.
These children generally had six or seven Shengxue Fruits growing on them. If they consumed them, they should be able to live for another six or seven years.
Zhuang Xun gave the order, telling the disciples to pluck the Shengxue Fruits from the children, squeeze them into juice, and feed it back to them.
As the Shengxue Fruit juice was poured down their throats, the skin of these comatose, elderly-looking children gradually regained its luster, their flesh filled out, and their wrinkles lessened, shifting from looking eighty or ninety to looking seventy or eighty.
“Senior Brother, it actually works!” the disciples cried out in pleasant surprise.
A miraculous cure... A miniature military strategist in Zhuang Xun's mind waved his feather fan.
After a short while, these elderly-looking children woke up and began to wail like the toddlers they truly were.
The disciples were at a loss, instinctively turning their gaze toward Bai Yujing.
Zhuang Xun was also taken aback, wondering how he should arrange for them now that they were saved.
Should I send them to an orphanage or a nursing home?
After thinking for a moment, he said, “Ask them if they have families. If they do, send them back. If their families refuse to take them in, arrange some light work for them within the Martial Academy's properties so they have a place to stay.”
“Senior Brother is truly righteous!” The disciples immediately set out to carry out Bai Yujing's instructions.
In the end, almost none of their families were willing to accept these elderly-looking children. Consequently, they all had to be settled into the various businesses under the Wanxing Martial Academy.
...
Not long after Zhuang Xun led the team back to the Martial Academy, the news of him wiping out the Liu family and the revelation that the Liu family were Shengxue Cultists spread throughout Gaolin County.
Some of the battle details were even artistically embellished by storytellers and recited as exciting tales.
Their consistent claim was that the scripts were provided directly by the Wanxing Martial Academy disciples who had participated in the battle to wipe out the Liu family, guaranteeing absolute authenticity.
“I must record all of Senior Brother Bai's deeds so that future generations will remember this glorious history!” Under the candlelight, a sweating Yu Wuyong scribbled furiously.
The outcome of this battle was undoubtedly shocking.
News that Bai Yujing possessed the strength of the Second Rank spread throughout Mount Dazhou. Previously, he had been famous for his looks, but this time, it was purely due to his strength.
Qushe Ridge and the City Lord's Manor made no public statements regarding the matter, while the Shengxue Cult went into hiding once again.
However, the various minor factions of Mount Dazhou discussed Bai Yujing endlessly, earning him his very own title—the Exiled Immortal, Bai Yujing.
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