Chapter 26 - 25: Bloody Wedding 2

Chapter 26: Chapter 25: Bloody Wedding 2

Hearing Lu Jing’an’s words, Lin Shouxin stood rooted to the spot as if struck by lightning, the color draining from his face inch by inch. Just as he was at a loss, his breathing growing tight, Li Jinglin finally strolled out from the depths of the hall.

Dawn had not yet arrived; the lanterns under the eaves cast swaying shadows over his face.

Facing the dark, heavy muzzles of the guns, Li Jinglin neither dodged nor hid. He merely lifted his eyelids, his voice revealing a deliberately steady composure. "What arrogance from the Lu family." Pausing, his needle-like gaze pierced toward Lu Jing’an. "Think carefully. If you make a move today, there will be no room for reconciliation between my Li family and yours."

Although Lu Jing’an had never seen Li Jinglin in person, he had encountered this voice and appearance countless times during his surveillance. He was far too familiar with it—the familiar tone, the familiar pauses, even the rhythm of his breathing. This person no longer held any secrets before him.

"Mr. Li must be joking." A very faint smile played at the corners of Lu Jing’an’s lips. "It’s not the Lu family who will make a move." He nodded slightly to the side, his voice as steady as if he were merely stating a fact. "Nine-fingered Yama fled here, and the Public Security Bureau is under orders to apprehend him. If you resist orders and refuse to hand him over, and the bandit suddenly lashes out and kills someone... such a thing can hardly be blamed on the Lu family."

This was the Lu family’s prepared excuse; every word was like a wedge, nailing down the justification for tonight’s actions. Upon hearing this, Li Jinglin actually let out a low chuckle. The laughter rippled through the silent courtyard, carrying a touch of mockery and coldness.

"Is this the script you’ve fabricated?" He shook his head. "But don’t you know that as long as even one of us escapes tonight, this show of yours can no longer go on."

Lu Jing’an didn’t reply. He only raised his hand to summon Director Liu. Leaning in, he whispered a few words into his ear. Director Liu’s expression turned stern as he nodded and quickly strode away.

Watching his unhurried demeanor, Li Jinglin’s heart inexplicably tightened. That stance of having everything completely under control sent a trace of unease shooting up from the bottom of his heart.

"Is Mr. Li worried about this?" Lu Jing’an finally turned his gaze back, his tone as light as the mist before dawn. "What if... not a single one of you can escape?"

Li Jinglin’s laughter came to an abrupt halt. He stared at Lu Jing’an for a few seconds. Then, as if he had just heard some absurd joke, he burst into laughter once more. "Kill us all? Lu Jing’an, do you even know what you’re saying—"

"Are you counting on the Ting Xiu to notify Lawrence?" Lu Jing’an plainly cut him off.

The smile on Li Jinglin’s face instantly froze. His pupils shrank slightly, and his Adam’s apple bobbed. "How... how could you know?"

"I know a lot more," Lu Jing’an said, looking toward the east side of the courtyard wall as if he could see through the layers of bricks and tiles. "For example... did someone just jump over the east wall to get out?"

His words had barely fallen when two crisp gunshots suddenly rang out from the eastern alley, tearing through the pre-dawn silence.

BANG! BANG!

Li Jinglin’s expression drastically changed. That was a backup plan he had arranged at the last minute. Besides himself, absolutely no one else knew about it!

Lu Jing’an, however, no longer looked at him. He simply snapped his fingers lightly.

SNAP!

The moment the sound fell...

THUD! THUD! THUD!

From all directions, moving from far to near, eight heavy and synchronized sounds of bodies hitting the ground echoed out. It sounded like eight sandbags being dropped from a high altitude. The muffled thuds pounded against everyone’s eardrums.

Li Jinglin’s breath hitched. Those eight directions... they were the gunmen he had planted three days ago. Hidden extremely well, they were supposed to be his final killing stroke. Yet, without firing a single shot, they had all been reduced to corpses.

This Lu Jing’an. This playboy who was rumored to only know how to eat, drink, and make merry... how could he possibly have calculated all of this?!

Li Jinglin opened his mouth but couldn’t produce a sound. A chill crept up his spine. For the first time, he felt that the chessboard had completely slipped from his grasp.

Lu Jing’an had already turned around, giving Chen Xuan a slight nod. "Master, I leave this place to you. I’m heading to the city gates to meet this Mr. Lawrence."

Chen Xuan gave a hum of acknowledgment. His calm gaze swept over the people in the courtyard. "Be careful. I’ll finish things up here as quickly as possible and go rendezvous with you."

Lu Jing’an walked outward, his steps steady as his voice drifted back on the wind. "No need to rush, Master. I’ve prepared a grand gift for him; it’ll be enough to keep him occupied for quite a while."

Seeing Lu Jing’an’s figure about to vanish into the darkness outside the door, Lin Shouxin finally woke as if from a dream. He scrambled forward a few steps, his voice hoarse and trembling. "Nephew Lu! Nephew Lu, please wait! It’s a misunderstanding! This is all a misunderstanding! We can talk..."

Lin Shouxin wasn’t a fool. He could see the current situation with absolute clarity. From the very beginning, whether it was in terms of aura or strategy, Li Jinglin had been completely suppressed by Lu Jing’an. If he didn’t beg for mercy right this moment, the Lin family would be exterminated.

Lu Jing’an did not look back.

Lin Qingyi stood by the corridor pillar. Gazing at that receding figure, her fingertips unconsciously gripped her sleeves tightly. Somewhere deep in her heart, it felt as though something had gently nudged her.

The long street was desolate and quiet; the only sound was the wheels rolling over the bluestone path. Thanks to the Lin family’s wedding banquet today, the journey was entirely unimpeded. In less than fifteen minutes, the carriage approached the city gates. Lu Jing’an alighted in front of a teahouse. He had barely steadied his footing when Chen Heqing and Situ Yiyun emerged from the shadows to greet him.

"Young Master Lu," Situ Yiyun cupped his hands and said in a low voice. "We have already taken care of everything at Martial Arts Hall Street and the Martial Arts Arena. No one will come out to cause trouble today."

Lu Jing’an nodded slightly and walked into the teahouse. "Thank you for your hard work. After this matter is settled, Martial Arts Hall Street and the Martial Arts Arena will be placed under the jurisdiction of you two seniors. The martial arts atmosphere of Yin Mountain County will still need the two of you to reorganize and revitalize it."

Situ Yiyun and Chen Heqing exchanged a glance, both seeing the joy in each other’s eyes. They said in unison, "We will definitely not disappoint Young Master Lu’s trust."

The group ascended to the second floor of the teahouse. Lu Jing’an took a seat by the window, and someone immediately stepped forward to report, "Young Master Lu, the gunmen are all in position, occupying the various vantage points as you instructed. The banners on the city wall have also been properly hung."

Lu Jing’an gazed out the window. Although he couldn’t see the Lin family courtyard from this angle, he could spot the faint glow of fire in that direction, as well as the intermittent sounds of gunfire and explosions drifting in on the wind.

The flames were quickly extinguished. Lu Jing’an knew that the Smoke Cultivator was dead. What followed was a rumble that remained clearly discernible even from such a distance. It sounded like muffled thunder rolling across the ground, interspersed with the shattering noise of collapsing walls.

Chen Xuan and that Martial Cultivator had engaged in combat.

Lu Jing’an’s expression remained unchanged. He had previously used his entry up close to investigate that Martial Cultivator, but the man hadn’t instantly detected it like Chen Xuan had. From that single instance alone, the difference in their strength was immediately apparent.

Such a commotion from the Lu family naturally couldn’t be kept from the people in the city. The first to lose their composure was the Qian family. Patriarch Qian paced back and forth in his hall, sweat seeping from his temples. He had originally thought the Lu family would swallow this grievance, never expecting the other party to strike with such decisive ruthlessness.

"Send someone! Hurry up and send someone to investigate the situation!"

Before he could finish speaking, the panicked shouts of the servants and a dense volley of gunfire could already be heard from outside. The people he had sent out had all been blocked and forced back! The Qian family was being personally monitored by Lu Huaichuan. Having fought for so many years, Lu Huaichuan knew better than anyone exactly what they were capable of.

As the darkness began to fade, a commotion gradually rose in the city. Many households quietly pushed their doors open a crack, peering out with a mix of curiosity and fear. And at this moment, the thousands of Cao Bang disciples under Lu Huaisan’s command were put to good use.

They were scattered across every street, sternly warning anyone they encountered, "A serious felon is on the loose, and the Public Security Bureau is conducting a city-wide manhunt! If you don’t want to get into trouble, hurry back inside!"

If anyone still craned their necks to look, intending to join in the excitement, they would inevitably receive some "friendly persuasion."

Up in the teahouse, Situ Yiyun gazed down at the long street that remained empty. Unable to hold back any longer, he asked in a low voice, "Young Master Lu, how can you be so certain that Lawrence will definitely exit the city through this gate?"

He hesitated for a moment before adding, "According to what you said earlier, if this person really is at the Void World’s Fighting Master realm, he would be comparable to our Copper Skin Martial Cultivators. He could have many ways to leave if he wanted to."

Lu Jing’an picked up his teacup and blew away the floating leaves. Amidst the swirling steam, he looked toward the city wall, the gradually brightening sky reflected in his eyes. He slowly said, "Because I understand him."

As his voice fell, the first ray of morning light pierced through the clouds, illuminating the massive foreign-language banners that had been hung up overnight on the city walls, their ink still wet.

The wind swept past.

FLAP! FLAP!

The massive fabric banners fluttered loudly in the air. These were the gifts Lu Jing’an had prepared for Lawrence.