Chapter 44: Who Dares to Search My House!

Xu Junhe remained silent, but inside, he sighed deeply. After such a calamity, if his foolish son managed to escape by luck and hide in Wu Country, he feared that he would be consumed with thoughts of seeking out a hidden martial arts master. Only by locating a reclusive master and learning the mighty martial arts of legends could his son avenge their household. He knew his son all too well. “Elder Pan, you should leave tonight. Chief Chen and his men might do their best against the Heavenly Mother’s Teachings, but when it involves the government, they will not stand with the Xu Family to the bitter end.” Xu Junhe pondered. “Understood!” Pharmacist Pan nodded, turning to leave. “My husband, will the people from the Heavenly Mother’s Teachings come tonight?” Madam Xu asked after a pregnant pause. “Perhaps.” Xu Junhe nodded. His gaze swept towards the window, heavy with concern. Outside the mansion of the Xu Family, seated inside a tavern across the street, a group of over ten people, all dressed in coarse hemp cloth, met silently. Leading them, quill fan in hand, a man gazed out the window at the Xu Family mansion. “Strategist Kou, shall we take action?” A burly man voiced his thoughts with a grave tone. “Rest assured. The Xu Family will perish tonight. The East River Prefecture thought laying a snare would allow them to exterminate us while seizing the Xu Family. What a joke. “I’ve prepared everything in advance. The moment they act, it will be time to change the leadership of East River. The control of the East River starts tonight!” Kou Ruozhi had an air of assurance written all over his face. “The Emperor Qi is ignorant and incompetent. The Qi court is filled with nothing but inept officials who enjoy possession without merit. Our Heavenly Mother's Teachings uphold the will of Heaven. We will start with the East River to show Emperor Qi what real governance truly looks like!” Kou Ruozhi’s gaze was icy. His voice brimmed with rage against Emperor Qi and the Qi court. The burly man nodded repeatedly, expressing his strong disapproval, “Strategist Kou is well known for his martial arts, and his wit and wisdom are unparalleled. Yet the Qi court shunned his talents, dismissing him from examination three times. The Qi court is indeed ignorant and incompetent.” The others also nodded, saying that Kou, the think tank of the Heavenly Mother’s Teachings, was overflowing with unparalleled wit and wisdom, nonetheless, he had been dismissed three times. Emperor Qi and the court officials were indeed ignorant. All the better. Ever since Strategist Kou joined the Heavenly Mother's Teachings, he has been steadily advancing their cause. Today, it is one step away from taking control of East River Prefecture and raising the banner of revolt! With Strategist Kou at our side, this revolt of Heavenly Mothers' Teachings will undoubtedly succeed! Clatter clatter clatter… Horse hooves and footfalls echoed in the silent street. From a distance, a group of people approached the Xu Family mansion. “They’re here!” Kou Ruozhi perked up, “Act according to the plan. During the transportation of Mr. and Mrs. Xu Junhe to the jail, rescue them. “As long as Xu Junhe joins our sect, we have businesses in both the Qi and Wu countries; an immense fortune is not a dream.” “Will Xu Junhe agree to it?” The burly man asked, doubtful. “He will.” Kou Ruozhi confirmed radiating confidence, “Even if he doesn’t consider himself, he will do so for his foolish son.” Boom! The front door to the Xu Family’s mansion burst open. The East River Prefecture's troops stormed in, led by their commander. The Xu Family erupted into chaos. Chief Chen, Master Wang, and the others were taken aback. This wasn’t the doing of the cultists of the Heavenly Mother’s Teachings, but rather the government's soldiers? In an instant, their expressions flickered in surprise, silently retreating to the side, ready to escape if the situation turned sour. “Xu Junhe conspired with the Heavenly Mother's Teachings, committing evil of the highest order. By the order of this Prefecture, the Xu Family will be confiscated, and Xu Junhe, along with his wife, are to be arrested! ” The East River Prefecture’s commander, glaring at the Protectors and Chief Chen among the other experts, commanded sternly: “Present no resistance, surrender your weapons, and establish your identities. Afterwards, you may leave freely.” The group of Protectors laid down their weapons one after another. Chief Chen and the others were equally dumbstruck. This was the government, not some heretics from the cult of the Heavenly Mother. Resisting them would be tantamount to committing treason, a grave crime punishable by the slaughter of one's entire family. Xu Junhe supported his wife, Madam Xu, as they stepped forward, calmly looking at the governor of Donghe County. Just a short while ago, they had been sharing drinks and stories. But now, they were treated ruthlessly. Such was the ruthlessness of the struggle for the crown prince’s throne. “Accusations of collusion with the cult of the Heavenly Mother? Why this sudden accusation?” Xu Junhe looked at the county governor, sighing: Charges of collusion with the cult of the Heavenly Mother were extremely serious and grave, enough to annihilate the entire Xu Family and his father-in-law’s family if found guilty. The Donghe County governor remained cold, delivering with indifference, “My office is responsible for examining the Xu Family, and whether there exist ties to the cult of the Heavenly Mother. These matters will naturally be determined through the judicial process.” Xu Junhe remained silent. The lack of a definitive sentence for his supposed collusion with the cult of the Heavenly Mother was perhaps to keep him pondering over whether to commit the act. Once committed, there would be no turning back. This would indeed be a sin that leads to the extermination of his entire family. If convicted on other charges, perhaps they would be exiled and not executed. All of this was beyond the control of a mere merchant. His only hope was that his father-in-law in the capital city wouldinfluencee to adjust the outcome of the case. “Take them away!” At the wave of the Donghe County governor's hand, two soldiers, carrying shackles, moved forward, prepared to arrest Xu Junhe and his wife. A swarm of soldiers stormed in to seize the Xu family’s affairs. As the richest man in Donghe County, with vast wealth, who wouldn’t be envious? Now, with this giant teetering on the brink of collapse, countless hungry wolves were bound to swarm in for a share. Suddenly, a roar of anger resounded like thunder. “Who dares to investigate my family’s affairs!” The face of Madam Xu changed drastically, exclaiming, “Yan’er!” Her face lost all color in an instant. Why had he come back at a time like this?’ Boom! Just then, two fiery red dragons, bringing with them a terrifyingly blazing force, swooped down from mid-air. Like a force of nature, they swept across the amassed officials awaiting to seize the Xu Family’s affairs. In an instant, all the soldiers were knocked flying, landing hard on the floor, unable to climb back up. The soldiers attempting to arrest Xu Junhe and his wife with their shackles were swept into the air by the looming dragons. In mid-air, they exploded into a burst of searing heat, resembling a terrifying flame. The soldiers turned into charred corpses, falling on the heads of the other soldiers. A young man, enveloped in scorching energy, descended from the sky, landing in front of Xu Junhe and his wife, his awe-inspiring valour on full display. Silence! The Donghe County governor’s body was trembling, his eyes filled with shock. The soldiers lay on the ground, shivering in fear. The Xu Family’s protectors were all stupefied, their mouths hanging open, eyes wide, as they stared at young Yan, who had descended from the sky. Chief Chen kept swallowing, beads of sweat trickling down his forehead. His eyes wide open, his mind drew a blank. Xu Yan? The idiot son of Xu Junhe? How can this be possible? Most stunned of all were Xu Junhe and his wife, as they watched Xu Yan descend from the sky, especially the two enormous, terrifying dragons that scattered all of the soldiers. It was beyond the realms of human capability. Their son had always been searching for great martial artists hidden from the world, wanting to learn the mighty martial arts from the legends and stories. Could it be that he had truly succeeded in his training? Xu Yan was furious. He had shown restraint earlier. If he hadn’t, those soldiers would have been annihilated by one strike, their corpses strewn about. This was his family home, with his mother present. If he dirtied this household, it might scare her. Thus, he had held back. Only those two soldiers who held the shackles were carried into mid-air by his Descending Dragon Palm and killed on the spot. The intense heat from their blood immediately charred their corpses into cinders..