Chapter 98 - 89: Making a Move

Chapter 98: Chapter 89: Making a Move

"Today, my Xu Family will deliver heaven’s judgment!"

Xu San roared, "Kill them! Kill these thugs impersonating Officials, and you’ll get a reward of ten taels!"

CLANG!

The sound of Sword Soldiers being unsheathed came from all directions.

The Hospital Martial Artists and household servants employed by the Xu Family all roared as they charged forward to kill.

The normally low-key Xu Family was showing its teeth for the first time. Their overall strength was shockingly on par with the South City Bureau.

"Attacking Officials... Is your Xu Family trying to rebel? Damn you!"

Wang Lai roared, casually cutting down two household servants before cleaving straight for Xu San.

No matter who else, Xu San had to die.

"You’re courting death!"

Seeing Wang Lai attack, Xu San didn’t dodge or evade. Instead, a ferocious look appeared on his face.

This short, stout man, who usually resembled a Smiling Buddha, suddenly had his upper garments explode, revealing a body packed with knotted, powerful muscles.

His entire demeanor instantly turned savage as he met the attack, a steel saber in hand.

TING!

A crisp sound rang out.

Wang Lai retreated half a step. A new nick had appeared on his long saber.

A look of stunned disbelief crossed his face.

’Xu San’s strength... it’s actually no less than my own?’

For a moment, Wang Lai was completely dumbfounded.

He had thought that with his Cultivation at the Fourth Stage of Body Tempering, he would be able to slaughter everyone in his path in South City.

’How is it that some random person who just pops up is stronger than me?’

’Is this still the Outer City?’

Forcing Wang Lai back with a single strike, Xu San didn’t stop. He showed no mercy, his killing intent laid bare.

He unleashed a savage saber technique, forcing Wang Lai to retreat step by step.

In terms of raw strength, Xu San and Wang Lai were about equal, both slightly weaker than the black-robed figure from before.

But in terms of Martial Dao skill, Xu San was far superior to Wang Lai.

He completely outclassed him.

Xu San had actually mastered saber intent!

His saber intent was as heavy as a mountain; every move was powerful and immense.

After just a few exchanges, Wang Lai was completely on the defensive.

CLANG!

CLANG!

The sharp clang of metal on metal echoed through the courtyard.

The Xu Family’s Hospital Martial Artists and household servants all had vicious glints in their eyes. They surrounded Zheng Wang and his men and swarmed them.

Great rewards make for brave men. The Xu Family’s people fully revealed their savage nature, striking to kill against the group of Officials.

Zheng Wang and the others were too busy defending themselves to help Wang Lai.

Just then, a figure slowly walked in from outside.

The person carried a long saber, its edge gleaming like autumn water.

As he walked, he casually swung the long saber.

With every swing, one of the Xu Family’s Hospital Martial Artists or household servants would fall.

After a few steps, he had reached Xu San and Wang Lai. The path he had walked was now littered with corpses.

"Constable Xiao Su!"

The pressure on Zheng Wang and the others lessened dramatically, and they couldn’t help but cry out in excitement.

"Su Mu!"

Xu San gritted his teeth. "You’ve come at the perfect time. I can’t kill Wang Guan, so I’ll kill you instead!"

He unleashed a strike that sent Wang Lai stumbling back, then changed direction and lunged at Su Mu.

’I, Xu San, might be low-key, but that doesn’t mean I’m weak.’

’With my strength at the initial stage of bone quenching, plus my mastery of saber intent, killing a wet-behind-the-ears junior constable is a sure thing!’

"I was just trying to get along with you all as a normal merchant! Since you’ve pushed me this far, I’m done pretending!"

Xu San’s face was savage. "I’m laying my cards on the table! I, Xu San, am an expert at the Fourth Stage of Body Tempering!"

He executed a mighty downward chop, intending to cleave Su Mu in two.

Seeing Su Mu appear, Wang Lai couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

But when he saw Xu San’s extraordinarily powerful strike, his heart leaped into his throat again.

’If it were me, I definitely wouldn’t be able to block that mountain-cleaving strike.’

’Can Su Mu handle it?’

Just then, Su Mu, holding his Autumn Water Saber, took a calm step forward.

At that exact moment, a light rain began to fall from the sky. The already dim moonlight was obscured by dark fog, and everything was plunged into a pitch-black darkness where you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face.

TING-CLANG!

An exceptionally crisp, loud clash of metal rang out in the darkness, followed by dead silence.

When the moonlight shone down again, everyone saw Su Mu unhurriedly flick a trace of blood from his blade before sliding the Autumn Water Saber back into its sheath.

The fine strands of falling rain seemed to be avoiding him; not even the tips of his hair were wet.

Only then did the crowd realize that the light rain was falling only within a ten-foot radius around Su Mu.

And as Su Mu sheathed his saber, the rain stopped as abruptly as it had begun.

Zheng Wang and the others just thought it was strange.

But the more experienced Wang Lai’s pupils contracted violently as an impossible thought flashed through his mind.

’This is impossible!’

’Even Miss Luo the Elder, the strongest of the Inner City’s younger generation, can’t do this. How could Su Mu possibly manage it?’

’It’s not Concept. It absolutely cannot be Concept.’

’It must be a coincidence.’

CLATTER!

Only then did the Willow Leaf Saber fall from Xu San’s hand.

A thin red line slowly appeared on his neck.

The next moment, he raised both hands to clutch desperately at his throat as blood sprayed out from between his fingers.

And just like that, Xu San fell backward.

Even in death, his eyes were filled with disbelief.

No one saw what happened in that brief instant.

But everyone saw Xu San fall.

Xu San was dead!

"The leader is dead. Those who follow will be spared if they lay down their arms."

Su Mu said calmly.

He had a nonchalant expression, as if he had just done something trivial.

It was as if Xu San, at the Fourth Stage of Body Tempering, was no different from those household servants who hadn’t even reached the First Stage of Body Tempering.

Wang Lai was dazed for a moment, but he quickly snapped out of it.

"Die!"

As if trying to regain his confidence from the Hospital Martial Artists, Wang Lai charged into the midst of the Xu Family’s men like a wolf among sheep.

The Xu Family’s men had already lost their will to fight after Xu San was killed. How could they possibly withstand the slaughter of an expert at the Fourth Stage of Body Tempering?

Despite suffering one setback after another, Wang Lai’s strength was actually not weak at all.

Wielding his notched long saber, he faced no opponent who could last more than a single exchange. All one could see was the constant spray of blood.

Since Wang Lai was taking care of things, Su Mu didn’t make a move.

With Xu San dead, a single expert at the Fourth Stage of Body Tempering was more than enough to control the situation.

Although the Xu Family’s Hospital Martial Artists and household servants were numerous, they could not withstand Wang Lai’s frenzied slaughter.

They were soon cut down and utterly routed.

In contrast, the morale of the South City Bureau’s Officials soared.

As one side waned and the other waxed, the outcome of the battle was already clear.

When the last member of the Xu Family fell to Wang Lai’s saber, the remaining Hospital Martial Artists and household servants finally broke.

One by one, they dropped the Sword Soldiers in their hands and knelt to beg for mercy.

The Xu Family was completely finished!

After killing Xu San, Su Mu did not draw his saber again.

But the eyes of every constable were filled with reverence as they looked at Su Mu.

Just seeing Su Mu standing there with his hands behind his back made him seem unfathomable to them.

This youngest constable in the history of the South City Bureau now stood as tall as a mountain in their hearts.

To think that they had actually crushed a power as strong as the Xu Family.

"Seize their assets."

Su Mu said calmly.

Zheng Wang and the others cheered and immediately began to fan out, fervently seizing the family’s assets.

「Outside the Xu Family residence, in the dark streets and alleys.」

Suddenly, the sound of many footsteps rang out as a large group of people, numbering in the hundreds, approached.

It was none other than the various powers of South City.

With such a huge commotion, even the slowest of the factions had reacted by now.

As they neared the Xu Family estate, they all stopped in tacit agreement, not daring to get any closer.

Although the Xu Family kept a low profile in South City, the other factions knew something of their hidden strength.

’They were defeated by the South City Bureau, just like that?’

That new Sima and the recently appointed Constable Xiao Su... one was a profligate young master, the other a lucky vagrant. They both looked incompetent, soft and easy to bully.

The various factions all thought they’d be able to wrap those two around their little fingers.

’But what is happening now?’

’Have the lapdogs suddenly turned into savage wolves?’