Chapter Fifty-Four: Purging Xuanzhou City! (Please vote for recommendations!)

“Cough, cough...” Qin Feng coughed twice, thin threads of blood seeping from his lips. After slaying Yun Qing and Chen Haicheng, his internal organs had suffered further damage.

“Yan Chonghu, Shi Tie, Liu Qingchang, the rest of you—clean up the battlefield,” Qin Feng commanded, taking a deep breath and heading toward his chambers.

“At your command,” they replied in unison. Yan Chonghu, Shi Tie, Wang Fu, Wang Bao, and Liu Hu spoke respectfully, their eyes filled with concern as they watched his retreating figure.

Exhaling slowly, Qin Feng entered his room and began to practice the Thunder Breathing Technique, absorbing the residual power of the millennium-old spiritual herb within his body. As his cultivation deepened, his body’s ability to heal accelerated, and the injuries to his organs, bones, muscles, and skin rapidly improved.

Meanwhile, Liu Qingchang, Yan Chonghu, Shi Tie, Wang Fu, Wang Bao, and Liu Hu swiftly scoured the battlefield, gathering anything of value. Their faces lit up with joy as they counted their spoils: five martial arts manuals, silver notes totaling one million taels, twenty-seven medicinal herbs aged under five centuries, and nine herbs over five centuries old.

Once their search was complete, Liu Qingchang proposed burning all the corpses. With no objections, the others helped him carry the bodies outside and set them alight. When all was done, they returned to the courtyard, waiting quietly and casting worried glances toward Qin Feng’s room.

At last, the door creaked open. Qin Feng had absorbed all the medicinal energy, consolidating his mid-stage cultivation. He opened his eyes and exhaled a cloud of foul air.

“I have slain Yun Qing and crossed the imperial court. Once word reaches them, they will certainly seek retribution. And before dying, Yun Qing revealed his master is the Patriarch Qinghe, a late-stage Guardian whose strength far surpasses my own. I cannot sit and wait for death—I must strengthen myself as quickly as possible. I need time, but there is little left. I hope the spoils outside will satisfy me, so I can make another breakthrough to the late-stage Guardian.”

After a moment’s reflection, Qin Feng stepped outside.

“Lord Qin?”

“Young Master?”

Yan Chonghu, Shi Tie, Wang Fu, Wang Bao, and Liu Qingchang rose quickly as he emerged, surrounding him with anxious faces.

“I am fine,” Qin Feng said, waving away their concern.

“Master, we have burned all the corpses. Here are the spoils we gathered: five martial arts manuals, silver notes totaling one million taels, twenty-seven herbs under five hundred years old, and nine herbs between five hundred and one thousand years.”

Yan Chonghu handed over the loot and reported in detail.

“Excellent,” Qin Feng said, a hint of delight in his eyes. The spoils were substantial; with a million taels of silver, he could purchase another millennium herb.

“Blood Refinement Art, Bronze Corpse Body, Moonlight Technique, Seven-Slash Saber, Dragon Claw Hand...”

Qin Feng quickly skimmed the five manuals. They were all capable of training someone up to the Grandmaster level at best.

“Yan Chonghu, make several copies of Bronze Corpse Body, Seven-Slash Saber, and Dragon Claw Hand for everyone to study. As for Blood Refinement Art and Moonlight Technique, find a way to sell them. Also, go to Treasure Herb Pavilion and see if you can buy a millennium herb with our silver.”

He handed the five manuals and the silver notes to Yan Chonghu, his tone grave.

“Divide the herbs under five hundred years among yourselves. Don’t be stingy—use them for medicinal baths. Strengthening yourselves is the priority now. As for the herbs over five hundred years old, Yan Chonghu, Shi Tie, and Liu Qingchang—each of you take one and see if you can break through.”

Qin Feng distributed the lower-grade herbs, keeping six of the oldest for himself.

“Lord Qin, your advancement is most important. These herbs are your rightful spoils; you should use them,” Yan Chonghu said, pushing the herbs back.

“Master Qin, Yan is right—your cultivation must come first!” Liu Qingchang also refused the herbs.

“Herbs under five hundred years are of little benefit to me,” Qin Feng replied, pushing the herbs back. “Besides, your ranks are too low and your strength too weak. If danger comes, you won’t even be able to protect yourselves. How could you help me?”

Grateful, Yan Chonghu, Liu Qingchang, Liu Qing, Zhao Hu, and Shi Tie accepted the herbs.

Afterward, Yan Chonghu, Liu Qingchang, Liu Qing, Zhao Hu, and Shi Tie took their leave and headed down the mountain.

“Chief Liu, I have an unworthy request—would you help me destroy the Chen family?” Yan Chonghu said as they descended Greencloud Mountain, his eyes cold as he glanced toward Chen family territory, hands clasped in a formal salute.

“The Chen family dared oppose Master Qin. Even if you hadn’t asked, I would see them destroyed,” Liu Qingchang replied, a glint of icy resolve in his eyes.

“Brother Liu, come with me to Wei Yuan Escort Agency for tea, so I can summon my men. Then we’ll head to the Chen family together.”

Yan Chonghu hurried to the escort agency, sending signals along the way to gather his followers. Liu Qingchang, Yan Chonghu, Shi Tie, Liu Qing, and Zhao Hu then led three hundred men in a charge toward the Chen family estate.

When the Chen family’s guards saw them advancing with murderous intent, their faces went pale and they fled inside.

“Fire!”

“Shoot them! Don’t let a single Chen escape!” Yan Chonghu ordered. Three hundred archers nocked arrows and fired into the compound. Screams, curses, and shouts rose from within.

“Kill!”

“Kill them!”

“How dare you kill members of the Chen family! Destroy them all!” The Chen family’s skilled fighters, leading household guards and young disciples, charged out and attacked Yan Chonghu, Shi Tie, Zhao Hu, and Liu Qing.

“Brother Liu, I’ll trouble you to handle this,” Yan Chonghu said as five Chen family martial artists advanced.

“Don’t worry,” Liu Qingchang replied, drawing his twin sabers in a flash of cold steel as he charged at the five attackers.

Though not Qin Feng’s equal, Liu Qingchang was still far superior to those of the same rank, and killing these martial artists was effortless for him.

With a crash, Liu Qingchang cut down two of the Chen fighters and pressed forward toward the remaining three.