Destroying the City is Easy

"This remaining cage... is quite simple."

His words were spoken with unparalleled confidence.

Even though Shen Gui didn't exude any frightening aura, the encirclement still stopped, stopping ten meters away between the two sides.

Few among those present had the insight to determine the true strength of a suspected expert at the Wangyue Realm.

But Wang Yuejing had a reputation for being a powerful figure. If he tried to drag others down with him when he was about to die, those present would certainly not have a good ending. Everyone knew this, so no one dared to push forward.

"Useless." Chief Feng muttered under his breath, then turned to Third Master: "What do you think?...

Master Liu stood up again and shouted, "Kill the one in gray, and I will reward you with ten chests of gold ingots, thirty beauties, and five mansions. I will personally write to the prefectural city and grant you noble status."

This reward would be so great that even the Liu family would have to part with their own flesh and blood to get it. It would be enough to change the lives of these outlaws, and even their children and grandchildren could enjoy the benefits for generations to come.

With such a generous reward, brave men will surely appear; the bolder bandits began pushing the people in front of them.

However... those with courage are ultimately a minority.

Having money is only possible if you're alive to spend it.

The encirclement then began to move strangely, with some trying to rush forward and others trying to retreat, but they were standing so close together that they were unable to move forward or backward for a time.

Master Liu frowned; he hadn't expected things to be so troublesome today.

After a moment's thought, he said to Chief Feng, "Go and light the fire, ignite this stalemate. They'll go berserk once they see blood."

"Me?" Chief Feng pointed to himself.

"If it wasn't you, then who am I?" Third Master Liu's tone became much harsher. "You're supposed to be at the Observation Realm, yet you can't even manage to jump into the crowd, strike once, and run away?"

Chief Feng looked unwilling, but under Master Liu's compelling gaze, he had no choice but to press forward.

He stomped his leg on the ground, crushing the blue bricks, and then leaped high into the air, jumping into the innermost part of the encirclement.

then,

Ripples exploded outwards from the inner circle!

It was as if someone had thrown a stone into the water, and the ripples, along with the rolling wind, spread in all directions.

So, in Master Liu's view, Chief Feng had just jumped in when he bounced up again, even higher than when he jumped, straight up and then crashed down heavily!

Not only Chief Feng, but almost instantly, all the bandits were blown away by the gale, swept into the clouds, and then crashed to the ground like dumplings!

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

"..."

A series of dull thuds followed, then billowing smoke.

"Click."

The teacup in Master Liu's hand fell to the ground and shattered. All the elite troops he had raised over the years were gone just like that.

The local gentry and village leaders behind him stared wide-eyed. One gambling shop owner reacted the fastest, turning around and running towards the backyard.

The others realized what was happening and prepared to run, but then they saw the casino owner backing away, bowing as he did so.

Master Liu realized what was happening instantly, and a look of surprise appeared on his face. The trump card he had been waiting for had finally arrived.

"Sir, you've arrived."

Master Liu bowed deeply towards the backyard.

A very light footstep came from behind the screen, like someone taking a walk in their own backyard. But with each step, the shoulders of the people in the hall slumped down a little, and each step carried the aura of a strong person.

The hand came out first.

A very clean hand with long, slender fingers.

Then there's the person himself, wearing a dark blue long robe, with a knife hanging at his waist. The scabbard is black and has no patterns.

This man was in his forties, with an ordinary face; he would not have been noticed in a crowd.

But as soon as he stepped out, the entire main hall of the Liu residence seemed to shrink in size.

Another powerful expert at the Mountain-Gazing Realm!

The guest advisor invited by Master Liu was not known by his confidants. They only knew that he owed the Liu family a favor, lived in the old house on the west side of the city, and had not left the house for three years.

He came out today.

The black-clad retainer stood in the hall, first glancing at the thick smoke and frowning, before looking at Master Liu.

"The other party is not simple. Helping you once is enough to repay the favor." His voice was very calm.

Master Liu cupped his hands in greeting: "Of course."

The black-clad retainer nodded, his gaze then falling on the gray-clad figure emerging from the thick fog.

He glanced at Shen Gui for a few moments.

It's rare to be unable to discern the depth.

But he did not back down because of this.

Throughout his cultivation journey, he has killed far too many people of the same realm. The reason he stayed in Changluo County for three years was because he was injured while killing an enemy at the Wangyue realm.

"I don't like the Liu family's rules," said the black-clad retainer.

Master Liu did not refute.

The black-clad retainer continued, "But I dislike owing favors even more."

He gripped the hilt of his sword. "You are also a cultivator. Having reached this point, we are no longer ordinary people. These people come and go, whether they cry or die, it's all just a matter of a few decades. Why care so much about ants?"

The village leaders lowered their heads, their faces showing no anger, only a numbness that had been exposed.

Ants are human beings in Master Liu's eyes, but not even human beings in Master Cheng's eyes.

Shen Gui didn't look at that guest, not at all.

He simply turned his head to look at A-Yue behind him.

Shen Gui's voice was very soft: "So many people have died, aren't you scared?"

"I'm not afraid anymore," A-Yue replied decisively.

Shen Gui nodded: "That's right."

"Arrogant." The black-clad retainer hadn't expected to be ignored. He pressed his thumb against the hilt of his sword and pushed it outward.

The moment the sword was drawn, the already shattered blue bricks in the hall turned to dust, and several people nearby had their faces cut and bleeding, but dared not cry out.

The blade did not strike Shen Gui.

First, they slashed at the gate of the Liu residence.

With a loud bang.

The two large doors slammed shut. A figure in black flashed and stood before the door, sword drawn, making it clear that no one was allowed to leave today.

Master Liu's expression remained composed. It didn't matter if the house was damaged; as long as the people couldn't leave, the Liu family would still exist.

As long as the Liu family exists, no matter how fiercely the people in the city gossip, it will disperse tomorrow and become fearful the day after. After a few days, people in teahouses and taverns will naturally say that the madwoman mistook someone else for someone else, and that it was the evil cultivator from outside who broke the rules of Changluo County.

This is how the Liu family has lived all these years.

The black-clad retainer looked at Shen Gui and said, "I'll ask you one last time, do you not intend to let this go peacefully?"

Shen Gui took a step forward.

The black-clad retainer's eyes sharpened, and with a swift turn of his blade, he slashed horizontally.

The next moment, everyone in the hall heard a crisp sound.

It's very clear, like a child breaking off a dry twig.

The knife broke.

Half of the blade flew out and embedded itself in the pillar, while the hilt remained in the hand of the black-clad retainer.

The black-clad guest's pupils contracted; he hadn't even seen how Shen Gui made his move.

Shen Gui took the second step.

The black-clad retainer suddenly retreated, his left hand forming a hand seal, his aura surging, and the floor tiles beneath his feet cracking inch by inch.

But as soon as he raised his hand, his shoulder slumped down, and his entire right arm fell silently to the ground.

The bones are broken.

The black-clad retainer grunted, his face turning deathly pale as the broken sword slipped from his hand and crashed to the ground.

Shen Gui took the third step.

The black-clad retainer tried to retreat, but his feet felt like they were stuck in the ground.

Shen Gui raised his hand and placed a palm on his dantian.

There was no thunder, no light, and no fancy moves.

The black-clad retainer's body suddenly arched, and a short, sharp sound came from his throat, as if a beam supporting him had been pulled out of his body.

His breath dissipated.

The oppressive aura of the Wangyue Realm was shattered completely.

The wind stopped, the dust settled, and the door opened.

The once-powerful Wang Yuejing, who had made everyone else look down on him, was now kneeling before Shen Gui, his forehead pressed to the ground, his whole body trembling.

Three steps, and the sword is broken, the arm is crippled, and the cultivation is gone.

The color drained from Master Liu's face at that moment.

He was able to stay calm before because he had a trump card, but now he doesn't.

For the first time, there was no calculation, no assessment, and none of the composure that had characterized him for decades in control of Changluo County.

He finally understood that he was not facing a martial arts master, nor a foreign evil cultivator as the magistrate described, nor someone who could be bound by favors, silver notes, fame, or rules.

This is someone who doesn't follow the rules.