Chapter 115

Chapter 115: You Can’t Kill Me! (4000 words, two-in-one)

Xiao Mansion, Master Xiao Xun was practicing in the courtyard.

As the direct disciple of the Ban Shan Sect’s sect master, Xiao Xun entered the initial stage of the Sea Observing Realm at the age of thirty.

Although this achievement couldn’t compare to those of the larger sects, within the Ban Shan Sect and among the majority of sects in the world, Xiao Xun was already considered a genius.

Over these years, Xiao Xun would occasionally return to Baihe County, for there he could be treated like a king.

He could play with any woman he wanted.

Anyone who dared to resist him would simply be killed.

This carefree life was absolutely delightful.

And the Xiao Mansion also took advantage of the influence of the sect behind Xiao Xun to amass wealth in Baihe County.

There was once a saying in Baihe County — one person from Baihe County wasn’t as valuable as a dog from the Xiao Mansion…

This was because a dog from the Xiao Mansion had once been accidentally kicked by someone, and that person was then kicked to death.

“Son, son…” Master Xiao, who was over sixty years old, rushed in, his expression filled with urgency.

“What’s wrong?” Xiao Xun’s tone carried a hint of annoyance.

“Son, it’s a major disaster!” Master Xiao looked extremely anxious.

Xiao Xun frowned. “Father, just tell me what’s going on. Don’t panic unnecessarily.”

“Son, someone just told me that the imperial son-in-law has gone berserk! He’s slaughtering everyone at Sun Mansion! Lords, ladies, butlers, and all his sons are dead!” Master Xiao said anxiously.

Xiao Xun was stunned. “Imperial son-in-law? What imperial son-in-law?”

Master Xiao slapped his hands. “It’s still that imperial son-in-law, Xu Ming, the younger brother of the current magistrate of Baihe County.”

Xiao Xun thought carefully and finally remembered Xu Ming.

Xiao Xun had met Xu Ming once before.

It was during the welcome banquet for the county magistrate.

However, Xiao Xun felt uncomfortable around Xu Ming.

He couldn’t quite put his finger on why, but he just felt they weren’t the same kind of people.

“What did the Sun family do to offend Xu Ming?” Xiao Xun asked.

“Who knows?” Master Xiao paced anxiously.

Seeing his father’s appearance, Xiao Xun laughed. “Why are you so worked up, father? If the people from Sun Mansion are dead, shouldn’t you be happy? You can take over their business.”

“In theory, I should be happy, even celebrating with gongs and drums wouldn’t be excessive,” Master Xiao slapped his hands. “But the problem is, Xu Ming is coming here…”

Xiao Xun: “…”

“Father, don’t panic.” Xiao Xun smiled. “Even though I don’t know what madness has gripped Xu Ming, if he dares to lay a hand on me, I’ll kill him without hesitation. Even the Emperor of Wu wouldn’t dare say anything. Does Xu Ming really think he can act without any regard for the law?”

“But son, he is the imperial son-in-law…” Xiao Xun was worried about Xu Ming’s status.

“Hmph,” Xiao Xun chuckled. “Firstly, Xu Ming isn’t the imperial son-in-law anymore. Even if he were, so what? If he wants to kill me, I’ll kill him!”

“But son, do you have confidence against Xu Ming?” Hearing his son’s words, Master Xiao was still uneasy.

Mainly because if the imperial son-in-law died, his son might not get into trouble since it was the other party who started it. Plus, his son had the protection of the sect, but what about himself? He’d have to move house.

But there was nothing to be done now; he could only see if his son could handle this situation. It would take him half a month to organize his assets and move.

“That Xu Ming is merely a crude martial artist. Sun Zhuang was only at the Cavern Realm level, so it’s normal that he died at Xu Ming’s hands. But if Xu Ming thinks I’m like Sun Zhuang, he’s making a grave mistake.”

“My child, let’s try to negotiate. Let’s explain things properly and try to turn conflict into peace,” Master Xiao said.

“Lord! Young Master! That Xu Ming has rushed in!”

Just as Master Xiao finished speaking with his son, a servant ran in, panting heavily.

“Father, let’s go. Let’s see how this imperial son-in-law plans to die.”

Xiao Xun wished Xu Ming would find a way to die.

Currently, Xu Ming still ranked thirtieth on the Azurecloud List.

However, many people believed that Xu Ming’s ranking on the Azurecloud List was inflated. When Shen Sheng died, he was definitely beaten to death by a group, and rumors in the martial world suggested that the court of the Wu Kingdom also intervened. Xu Ming merely delivered the final blow, claiming someone else’s kill.

Now, if he killed Xu Ming, wouldn’t he climb onto the Azurecloud List in his last year at thirty?

Shen Sheng became increasingly excited as he thought about it.

When Shen Sheng arrived at the front yard, he saw Xu Ming standing by the lake. By Xu Ming’s side, several servants lay groaning.

“Imperial son-in-law? We don’t know how we’ve offended you…” Master Xiao said, looking as if he were about to cry.

Xu Ming turned around, took out the Crime Book of the Xiao Mansion from his bosom, and read aloud:

“Xiao Wu, one year ago, raped Lin Ke, a woman from the Lin family in the eastern part of Baihe County, colluded with the Qionglong Gang of Baihe County, forcibly occupied others’ land through violence, and collected protection fees from the three streets in the eastern part of the city…

Xiao Xun, direct disciple of the Ban Shan Sect, once got into a conflict with the son of the Qian family in Baihe County, wiping out the entire Qian family. Once lusted after the wife of the Yue family’s young master, forcibly raping her in front of the Yue family’s young master…”

Xu Ming recounted their crimes.

After finishing, Xu Ming asked, “Do you have anything to defend yourselves with?”

“Hmph.” Xiao Xun gave a cold laugh. “Words alone aren’t enough, imperial son-in-law. You need evidence, right? Or do you think your mere words make it true? Is there no law left in the Wu Kingdom?”

Xu Ming shook his head. “I haven’t found the evidence yet, but…”

Xu Ming took off the jade pendant from his waist, waving it in his hand. “His Majesty granted me this Water Dragon Pendant, giving me the authority to act first and report later.”

Master Xiao’s heart trembled, feeling somewhat frightened and instinctively wanting to kneel down and beg for mercy.

But Xiao Xun stepped forward, looking down on Xu Ming with disdain. “Do you think you can kill me, imperial son-in-law?”

Xu Ming remained calm-faced. “Or shall we try?”

“Hmph!”

With a cold laugh, Xiao Xun chanted a Dharma Decree, causing several spikes to emerge from the ground. Xu Ming leaped into the air while the Xiao family servants lying on the ground were all pierced through.

Xu Ming landed from the air, lightly stepping on the spike. “The Ban Shan Sect excels in using earth attribute spells. Most of the cultivators within the sect possess earth spiritual roots. It’s rumored that when the Earth God Decree of the Ban Shan Sect is cultivated to a certain extent, one can even lift mountains. I wonder to what extent you’ve cultivated, Xiao Xun?”

Xiao Xun scoffed coldly. “Cultivated enough to kill you!”

Xiao Xun chanted another Dharma Decree, causing the earth to shake. A mud dragon made of clay emerged from the surface.

Master Xiao was scared stiff and quickly ran back, fearing that the battle might affect him.

“Roar!”

The mud dragon lunged toward Xu Ming, intending to crush him into mincemeat with its massive body.

Xu Ming calmly watched the coarse mud dragon.

Just as the mud dragon was about to collide with Xu Ming, Xu Ming threw a punch!

The contrast between Xu Ming’s fist and the mud dragon’s head was immense, akin to an egg hitting an elephant’s head.

Yet, the mud dragon stopped in front of Xu Ming.

Cracks began to spread from the dragon’s head.

“Boom!”

With a loud explosion, the mud dragon shattered into countless pieces of gravel, falling to the ground.

“How could this be?”

Xiao Xun stared blankly at the scene.

Xiao Xun didn’t expect to kill Xu Ming with one move, after all, Xu Ming was also a Heroic Soul Realm martial artist, so some respect was necessary.

But Xiao Xun never imagined that Xu Ming could dismantle his spell so easily.

“You’re really weak.”

Xu Ming stood with his hands behind his back, approaching Xiao Xun.

At such close range, being approached by a Heroic Soul Realm martial artist of Xu Ming’s caliber, Xiao Xun was surely doomed. For a moment, Xiao Xun even thought he was finished.

But Xu Ming stood with his hands behind his back and didn’t make a move.

Xiao Xun quickly created distance.

Once Xiao Xun calmed down from his tension, he felt humiliated!

This Xu Ming was playing with him like a cat playing with a mouse!

“Show me your tricks, don’t hold back,” Xu Ming said.

Most of Xu Ming’s previous battles were against monster beasts, and although he fought against sect cultivators occasionally, most of them involved surrounding and attacking with Wu Yanhan and others.

The only time he engaged in a proper fight was against Shen Sheng, which was truly a brush with death.

This time, Xu Ming wanted to see how much pressure he could withstand in a single combat against a cultivator of similar realm.

The result seemed to indicate that Xu Ming didn’t feel much pressure at all.

Xiao Xun, filled with anger and embarrassment, was determined to make this crude martial artist pay the price.

A stone spear appeared in Xiao Xun’s hands.

Then Xiao Xun plunged the spear straight into the ground.

The stone spear melted as if it became one with the earth.

“Hmm?”

Xu Ming sidestepped, and the stone spear shot out from where Xu Ming originally stood!

Xu Ming sidestepped again, and another stone spear shot out.

Xu Ming leaped into the air, and instantly dozens of stone spears shot towards the sky, surrounding him.

“Die!”

Xiao Xun clenched his fists, and dozens of stone spears charged at Xu Ming!

“Boom!”

An explosion echoed through the Xiao Mansion as stone fragments and dust scattered in the air. Xu Ming descended from the sky, delivering a punch aimed at Xiao Xun.

Xiao Xun summoned a stone shield.

“Oh? It’s somewhat sturdy.”

Xu Ming’s punch hit the stone shield, leaving only a small dent.

Xu Ming focused his mind, creating distance again. The stone spears that had been reduced to powder reformed into their original shapes and chased after Xu Ming.

Every time Xu Ming smashed the stone spears, they reformed endlessly.

Seeing Xu Ming’s predicament, Xiao Xun smirked.

These stone spears were something Xiao Xun obtained in a ruin, refining them into his own innate Dharma Instrument. Once locked onto a target, they would relentlessly pursue until the target was completely dead.

In the air, Xu Ming kicked away a stone spear, which spun around and stabbed back at Xu Ming.

Feeling that this spear was getting annoying, Xu Ming decided to end the game.

Xu Ming reached out and grabbed the stone spear.

After grabbing the spear, it trembled violently, trying to break free from Xu Ming’s grip but failing.

“What?!” Xiao Xun thought he was dreaming.

Xiao Xun knew that martial artists had great strength, but to forcefully control his stone spear required at least ten thousand pounds of gripping power!

How did Xu Ming manage to do this?!

Xu Ming held the spear as if embracing Xiao Xun’s wife, slowly walking towards Xiao Xun.

Suddenly, Xu Ming took a step forward, moving so fast he became a blur.

Xiao Xun hastily summoned another stone shield.

Xu Ming clenched his fist, Mountain Splitting Fist – Earthshaker Technique.

A punch was thrown.

Xu Ming’s fist pierced through the stone shield. Martial Artist’s Qi collided with the fractured energy of the Dharma Instrument, throwing Xiao Xun flying backward and landing on the ground.

As Xiao Xun tried to get up, Xu Ming stomped on his chest.

“You…you can’t kill me! I’m the direct disciple of the Ban Shan Sect! If you kill me, the Ban Shan Sect won’t let you…”

Before Xiao Xun could finish his sentence,

Xu Ming grabbed the stone spear and thrust it into Xiao Xun’s heart.

As Xiao Xun breathed his last, the stone spear stopped trembling and lay motionless, pinned to Xiao Xun’s chest.

Watching his son breathe his last from a distance, Master Xiao hurriedly got up and fled to the backyard.

Xu Ming pulled out the stone spear, kicked it, and it pierced through Master Xiao’s heart once more.

Xu Ming didn’t leave the Xiao Mansion. Similar to what happened at the Sun Mansion, he began slaughtering according to the list of names.

Soon after, upon receiving news, the Zhang and Li families had their gates kicked down by Xu Ming, and he massacred everyone inside.

Xu Ming initially intended to spare the life of the Li family patriarch temporarily to interrogate him about Li Hui and his connection with the Black Lotus Sect.

But the Li family patriarch transformed into a pool of blood.

Following the list, Xu Ming killed all the malefactors from the four families in Baihe County. This news spread throughout Baihe County, severing the network of connections centered around the four families.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Xu Pengda used swift and decisive methods to gain control of the county government office. No one dared to defy Xu Pengda’s orders. All the key figures of the four powerful clans were dead. What if that killing star came for them next?

Xu Pengda ordered a thorough investigation into the unresolved cases left by the four powerful clans, and no one dared to waste his time.

Relying on Xu Ming’s infamous reputation, Xu Pengda completely intimidated all subordinates in Baihe County.

Xu Pengda issued another announcement, encouraging the common people to expose the evil deeds of the four powerful clans. Those who confessed or exposed others would receive lighter punishments, and those providing evidence would be heavily rewarded!

As Baihe County was plunged into an unprecedented upheaval, a man immediately wrote a letter and sent it to Wudu.