should not

at the same time.

The news spread like wildfire throughout every corner of the Marquis's residence.

In the east courtyard of the Marquis's mansion, the head steward, He Juncheng, was meditating in his private quarters.

He was Xie Jiantang's confidant and had served as the steward of the Marquis's mansion for twenty years. He had followed the Marquis of Dingyuan since he was a border general and was now a master of the Innate Realm, with his "Fire Cloud Divine Palm" being extremely powerful.

At this moment, he sat cross-legged on the futon, breathing deeply, his body enveloped in crimson true energy, which illuminated the entire room.

Bang bang bang bang bang—

Suddenly, the sound of a gong broke the silence.

He Juncheng suddenly opened his eyes, grabbed the waist knife hanging on the wall, kicked open the door, and rushed into the courtyard.

Outside, torches blazed brightly, and shadowy figures darted about as guards ran about in a chaotic frenzy.

"Head butler! Head butler! Something terrible has happened!"

A guard stumbled over, his face filled with panic: "The young master has run out of the Marquis's residence!"

He Juncheng was stunned for a moment: "Who?"

"It's the son-in-law! Gu Qingxuan!"

The guard, flustered and speaking rapidly, said, "I don't know what happened, his personality suddenly changed drastically, and his strength is terrifying. None of the brothers can withstand a single punch or kick from him! Boss Qin has already led a team to chase after him!"

He Juncheng's heart sank suddenly.

His temperament changed drastically.

Reborn.

He has incredible strength.

Countless thoughts raced through his mind, then his expression changed drastically: "Oh no! Miss—has Madam found out?"

"We've already sent someone to fetch them!" the guard said urgently. "Steward, things have gotten out of hand! If they fight their way out, the Imperial Guards patrolling the city have probably heard the commotion. It's not safe to openly take action now—"

"quick!"

Before he could finish speaking, He Juncheng dashed towards the backyard, shouting, "Come with me! Let's go to the Buddhist hall first!"

A group of people carrying lanterns and torches swarmed over.

The door to the Buddhist hall was wide open, but the inside was pitch black, without a single ray of light.

He Juncheng stepped across the threshold, raised the lantern and shone it inside, and everyone was instantly frozen in place!

In front of the Buddha statue, four naked figures lay sprawled on the ground.

Two of them had their eyes closed, and their fate was unknown.

Huo Zhengming lay on his back, a broken bone protruding from his shoulder blade, his neck twisted at an eerie angle, his face still showing traces of terror; beside him, Xie Tinghe lay naked on the ground, her head and body also not in a straight line, her delicate face filled with disbelief.

The Bodhisattva is illuminated by moonlight.

The Bodhisattva looks upon the dead.

He Juncheng felt a chill run down his spine. The Marquis's only daughter was dead just like that?!

He died naked in the Buddhist temple along with his three male lovers...

If this gets out...

He Juncheng's heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly tried to close the door, but just then, he heard a series of chaotic footsteps behind him.

Lady Li, the wife of the Marquis, stumbled and rushed into the Buddhist hall, supported by several maids and servants.

"He'er—"

When Li saw Xie Tinghe's dead body, she screamed and almost lost her balance. The maid beside her quickly supported her, but she broke free and fell onto Xie Tinghe's corpse.

Holding her daughter's lifeless body, she wept hysterically, her cries heart-wrenching. Then she screamed, "Gu Qingxuan! That cowardly Gu Qingxuan! How dare he lay such a cruel hand on He'er! Quickly! Inform the Marquis! Ride to Youzhou and summon him back! Gu Qingxuan killed He'er! I want him torn to pieces!!!"

Her shouting and yelling allowed more people to see what was happening inside through the doors and windows.

They were all dumbfounded, unsure whether to advance or retreat, feeling both panicked and embarrassed.

He Juncheng knew something was wrong.

With so many people witnessing it, it will be difficult to keep quiet now!

Just then, as if things weren't going to go wrong, a faint cough suddenly came from the corner of the wall.

The male concubine who was first knocked down by Gu Qingxuan—the lean man—was the least injured. He slowly woke up at this moment, and when he opened his eyes, he saw a group of people carrying lanterns and corpses all over the ground, including Xie Tinghe.

"what!"

He screamed in fright and frantically shrank back, thinking his adultery had been exposed. He blurted out, "It's not my fault! Miss forced me! She made me come to the Buddhist hall! I didn't want to—"

Before he could finish speaking, He Juncheng struck out with a palm strike, the crimson palm energy piercing through the air. With a bang, the male concubine's head was smashed like a watermelon, blood and brain matter splattering all over the wall!

But it was too late.

The words had been spoken, and under the watchful eyes of everyone in the courtyard, every maid and servant girl heard them clearly. For a moment, there was complete silence, and all eyes were fixed on He Juncheng.

His slap was less about silencing him and more about an instinctive reaction born of rage and shame.

But the person is already dead, and the words cannot be taken back.

If we don't kill him, and let this bastard continue spitting out his secrets, the reputation of the young lady and the Marquis's mansion will be ruined; if we kill him, it will just confirm that we're trying to cover up our misdeeds.

He hadn't yet withdrawn his hand, and the entire courtyard was silent; even Madam Li had stopped crying.

The servants' eyes all seemed to say the same thing: Is the head steward... feeling guilty?

He Juncheng's face flushed and paled in turns, then he shouted sternly, "What are you all standing there for! This dog of a servant conspired with Gu Qingxuan to murder the eldest young lady; he deserves to die! You are all elders of the Marquis's mansion. If even a single word of what happened tonight gets out, the reputation of the Marquis of Dingyuan's mansion will be ruined in your hands! If the Marquis's mansion is disgraced, no one will escape responsibility!"

Everyone fell silent, lowering their heads and avoiding his gaze.

He Juncheng waved his sleeve, his killing intent palpable: "In the name of the Marquis's steward, issue my order! All guards of the entire mansion are to be mobilized to capture Gu Qingxuan! A reward of three thousand taels of silver will be given for his capture alive, and a reward of one thousand taels of silver will be given for his head! If the criminal escapes, everyone involved will be punished! Do you all understand?!"

"clear!"

The crowd responded with a resounding roar.

"Hurry up and chase after them!"

Torches surged out of the mansion gate like dragons, and shouts of battle shook the heavens and the earth, chasing after the direction where Gu Qingxuan had disappeared.

After everyone had left, He Juncheng quickly whispered a few words to Li Shi.

Only then did Madam Li realize what had happened. She quickly wiped away her tears and directed several trusted maids and servants to dress the corpse in the Buddhist hall properly, rearrange the scene, remove the large bed, and place several Buddhist scriptures on the ground to create the illusion that the young lady was worshipping Buddha alone.

He Juncheng stood at the entrance of the Buddhist hall, looking at the bloodstains all over the wall, and the evil fire in his heart burned brighter and brighter.

The Marquis entrusted the mansion to him, and for twenty years everything was peaceful. He never expected such a big mess to happen today. Xie Tinghe is the Marquis's only bloodline. How can he explain this?

"Gu Qingxuan! You're asking for death!"

He took a deep breath and said to Madam Li, "Please wait a moment, Madam. I will immediately go and bring this culprit back to await punishment!"

Before he finished speaking, he swayed and had already darted several feet away.

Crimson true energy flowed around him like fire, and with just a light touch of his toes on the roof ridge, he was like a fiery eagle soaring across the courtyards, disappearing into the depths of the night with a few leaps.

The guards of the Marquis of Dingyuan's mansion chased after the enemy out of the mansion gate with torches in hand. The sound of horses' hooves, shouts of battle, and the clanging of gongs turned the whole street upside down.

Amidst the clamor, a crimson figure silently swept over the heads of the crowd, leaving only a trail of afterimages.

……

the other side.

Gu Qingxuan had already arrived in front of the Zhenfu Division's office.

The Daqian Northern Garrison Office was located on Qipanfang Main Street in the East City, facing south, with a three-bay gate.

A pair of stone lions stood fiercely in front of the gate, and two rows of barricades stood below the steps.

Above the main gate hangs a large plaque with gold characters on a black background—"Commander's Office of the Embroidered Uniform Guard".

The large characters, written in bold and powerful strokes, are said to be the work of the Great Qian Emperor. This office was responsible for handling cases involving extraterrestrial treasures, martial arts sects, and supernatural beings, and was directly under the emperor's jurisdiction, not subject to the control of the Three Judicial Offices.

Gu Qingxuan rushed up the steps in three strides and grabbed the door knocker, smashing it repeatedly.

There was no response from inside the door. He pounded on it a dozen more times, but it was still to no avail.

"You son of a bitch!"

Gu Qingxuan cursed inwardly, "That damn Wu Dingbang, he's taken a liking to the show!"

What kind of place is the Zhenfu Division?

Knocking on a door in a place like this will either get you kicked out quickly, or someone will come out to pick you up quickly.

There is absolutely no possibility of no reaction.

This can only mean that Wu Dingbang did it on purpose!

He likely already knew, but deliberately hid from everyone, waiting for his next move.

It seems that a drastic change in temperament, a complete transformation, and a powerful physique are all useless; one still needs to continue demonstrating value!

Behind him, footsteps, hoofbeats, and shouts were coming from all directions.

The first to arrive were the Imperial Guards patrolling the city.

A squad of about twenty armored soldiers carrying halberds were leading a group when they saw someone blocking the entrance to the Zhenfu Division and banging on the door. Just as they were about to shout, they suddenly realized that the person looked familiar: "It's you?!"

Before he finished speaking, torches lit up another street, and the Hou Mansion's guards arrived—the leader was a burly man with a long sword at his waist, none other than Zhao Yi, Xie Jiantang's former personal guard and now the head of the guards.

He brought no fewer than fifty men, armed with swords and spears, who blocked half the street in front of the Zhenfusi Yamen (a government office in Henan Province).

The two sides met in front of the Zhenfusi Gate.

The Imperial Guard's real name was Liu Qiang, and he clearly recognized Zhao Yi. He cupped his hands and asked, "Commander Zhao, what exactly is going on?"

Zhao Yi's face was grim. He returned the salute with clasped hands, pointed his sword at Gu Qingxuan on the steps, and said loudly, "My son-in-law is mentally unstable. He injured some servants in the manor and fled under cover of night! I have been ordered to bring him back to the manor to recuperate. This is a matter for the Marquis of Dingyuan's family, and I hope you will all do me a favor!"

His voice was loud and clear, full of confidence.

The Marquis of Dingyuan, with his prestigious title, was dealing with family matters, and there was a reason for it, so even the Imperial Guards had no say in it.

Liu Qiang glanced at Gu Qingxuan and recognized him—he had often stood up for this good-for-nothing alongside Yu Zhongqian before! After looking Gu Qingxuan up and down and seeing that his clothes were tattered, he guessed that Gu Qingxuan's life after returning to the manor would not be easy, but he still snorted coldly, crossed his arms, and took half a step back.

The Golden Guards behind him put away their halberds.

Zhao Yi drew his sword, and the extraordinary treasure from beyond the heavens, the [Suihan Sword], gleamed with a chilling light under the moonlight.

He stared at Gu Qingxuan, grinned maliciously, and stepped up the stairs: "Young master, I've made myself clear. Are you coming with us yourself, or will you let the brothers do it?"

"..."

Gu Qingxuan glanced at Liu Qiang, thinking that this man was Yu Zhongqian's subordinate and that he might be able to maneuver within his duties. Even if he was locked up and imprisoned for "breaking curfew," it would be better than falling back into the hands of the Marquis's mansion. However, he did not expect Liu Qiang to remain silent.

The house leak happened to rain overnight, and the ship was late and hit the wind again.

Gu Dingyuan is truly useless!

Tu Anquan sent his foolish son to the wolf's den to become a live-in son-in-law, and his former friends and brothers turned their backs on him.

With such a keen eye for talent, how did he manage to defend Youzhou City?

Gu Qingxuan cursed inwardly, glancing back at the tightly closed vermilion gate of the Zhenfu Division. Wu Dingbang must know what was happening outside, but he was deliberately keeping him waiting to see his performance.

Row!

I'll let you see enough! From now on, when you beg me, the price will be double what it is now!

Gu Qingxuan turned around, facing the chillingly sharp Suihan Sword in Zhao Yi's hand, and took a deep breath.

"Bang!"

He stomped his right foot on the step, and the bluestone step shattered with a crash, sending pebbles flying everywhere!

Using the force of the recoil, Gu Qingxuan shot towards Zhao Yi like an arrow released from a bow. He clenched his right fist, drawing power from the ground, and unleashed the "Twelve Styles of Frost Sky," specifically the Mountain-Crushing Style!

A punch was thrown, the wind from the punch whistling.

A short sonic boom exploded in the air.

Before the fist even landed, the wind from the punch had already blown the loose hair at Zhao Yi's temples upside down.

"Die!"