"Garrison commander, you’ve perished together with the Demon Sect elder?"
Su Tong stood there stunned.
"Madam, it’s time to leave."
"Gu Jinlai, you... you..."
Su Tong felt a wave of dizziness and disorientation.
The hope that had just arisen instantaneously shattered.
Had Gu Jinlai gone mad!?
"What on earth are you trying to do?"
Desperation filled Su Tong’s eyes.
Gu Jinlai strode forward, reaching his hand out to grab her head, which was no larger than his palm: "Haven’t you always wanted me to resist fiercely so you could use me to establish your authority? Now, I’ll give you that chance."
Witnessing Gu Jinlai’s approach, Su Tong completely broke down, crying out: "No, you can’t kill me, my father is the director of the Star Patrol Department of Meteor Star Guards, you can’t kill me..."
"Don’t worry, it will be quick."
"Ah! No, please, I beg you..."
Su Tong collapsed in a frenzy, struggling to escape.
But under the Great Sun Divine Light, her thoughts were delayed, and by the time she came to her senses again, Gu Jinlai’s hand had already seized her entire head.
Gu Jinlai’s burly arm, thicker than an adult’s thigh, twisted hard.
The piercing scream of Su Tong abruptly stopped.
Like on a summer midnight when sleep is heavy but a persistent mosquito keeps buzzing by your ear, ceaseless throughout the night.
The moment it is suddenly squashed...
"Finally... silence."
Gu Jinlai released his fingers, and Su Tong’s body collapsed limply to the ground.
It made no difference whether it was Yang Kan or Su Tong.
They would no longer chatter incessantly in his ear.
This sense of tranquility, of silence...
Was refreshingly unprecedented.
"Gu... Ancient Town Guardian..."
Witnessing Gu Jinlai, who had just killed the Venerable Daoist of Heavenly Gang Sect Yan Xuejian, then Purgatory Sect Elder Yang Kan, and now even Su Tong, the daughter of the Star Patrol Department director of Meteor Star Guards, those remaining from the two parties were utterly bewildered.
They almost wanted to ask the same question that Su Tong and Yang Kan had as they faced death.
What exactly did Gu Jinlai want to do!?
One from Heavenly Gang Sect, one from Purgatory Sect, one from Meteor Star Guards.
Some of the smarter ones had already deduced something from his actions, and their bodies couldn’t help but shudder.
"He... he wants to annihilate us all, leave none alive here!"
"He never intended to side with either Meteor Star Guards or Purgatory Sect... He wants to rise alone!?"
"Correct, but unfortunately, there are no rewards."
Gu Jinlai held the two-meter-long giant sword horizontally, pointing it at the yet unscattered groups from both parties who were tangled in conflict: "Hear my command, leave none alive!"
From outside the courtyard came a chorus of resounding shouts.
Unbeknownst to when, hundreds of figures had appeared around the streets, surrounding the courtyard from all sides.
The most elite among these people wielded compound bows and donned Xuan Steel armors, fearsome and formidable.
The moment they appeared, they bent their bows and released their arrows, a volley laden with spark-bearing rockets shot towards the area, enveloping it.
"Run! Break through!"
"Elder Gu, are you truly betraying our Purgatory Sect?"
Screams of horror and fear immediately arose from the remaining few individuals.
The next moment, the gunpowder packed within the rockets exploded, blasting a deafening roar mixed with billowing flames that swept through the courtyard.
The blast waves from the explosion directly collapsed the buildings, beams, bricks, walls—everything shattered and wood and stone flew in all directions.
Even those who were shielded by Gang Qi spat out blood from the concussion and impact.
After the rockets, from the original group of fifty or so, only about half remained in the courtyard.
"Gu Jinlai has betrayed our Purgatory Sect, after killing Elder Yang, we must spread the news!"
"Gu Jinlai, after killing Miss Su, Minister Su won’t let you off!"
Amidst the flames and dust, several bloodied figures burst forth, their roars filled with rage.
They deliberately raised their voices, clearly intending to get the message out.
Outside, awaiting them, were the Martial Artists from the Gu family who had condensed demon bodies, even those of Middle Level Demons, discharging specially made arrows from their heavy bows.
These arrows perfectly followed aerodynamics and, powered by strong bows, broke through the air at speeds over 150 meters per second. Except for those in the Refining God realm, even Hugging Pill-level warriors could not fully evade; they also needed to depend on their Inner Qi and Treasure Armors to defend.
But considering the kinetic energy carried by the arrows, they could block one, but not two, four, six, or ten.
Under the deluge of arrows, they were shot down one after another.
Even if occasionally few Hugging Pill warriors managed to break through the encirclement by leveraging an explosive burst...
The Gu family Martial Artists, who had condensed their demon bodies, swapped bows for swords.
Clad in heavy armor and wielding heavy swords, they couldn’t necessarily slay the enemy head-on, but blocking them for a moment or two was not an issue.
And all they needed was that brief delay, for Gu Jinlai had already arrived to claim lives.
In less than a few minutes, the remaining tens of Hugging Pill and Gang Condensation martial artists had been thoroughly slaughtered.
The few who lay among the corpses pretending to be dead, or those concealed beneath the dust and rubble holding their breath, were also easily "seen" through by Gu Jinlai, who one by one rooted them out.
From the outbreak of the battle to its end, it lasted barely ten minutes.
The killing efficiency unleashed by Demon Martial Artists, specialists in physical enhancement supplemented with compound heavy crossbows and Mystic Steel Armor, was sharply highlighted.
Outside the courtyard, filled with the stench of blood, Gu Jinlai now sat on the ground, his face showing utter exhaustion.
Yet his gaze continued to scan in all directions.
Not a hint of relaxation could be detected.
After a while, he muttered to himself, "Not coming?"
At least a significant Red name.
But around him, he could not see a single trace of blood-red Karma.
He didn’t believe that Elder Xue’s ability to conceal himself could outclass the prowess of Xuzhen Tower’s Silver Sword Master Chi Ying.
"Either he’s still in Lingxiao and hasn’t reached Wutong yet, or Yang Kan was merely bluffing."
Gu Jinlai understood clearly; the weariness on his face gradually faded away.
At that moment, Gu Chaoyang, who had arranged the defenses, approached briskly from a distance, "Patriarch, the county town has been sealed. Each city gate is manned by three hundred troops, equipped with bows and crossbows, allowing entry but not exit."
Gu Jinlai said, "Next, send messages to Meteor Star Guard and Purgatory Sect, you know what to write?"
"Tell Purgatory Sect that Elder Yang Kan, having disobeyed your arrangements, chose a different residence on his own, which was noticed by Su Tong who traced subtle clues thus revealing his identity, leading to her and Yan Xuejian’s ambush and, tragically, his death along with the complete annihilation of his forces," Gu Chaoyang explained, pausing before continuing, "As for Meteor Star Guard... Su Town Guardian, overly eager to distinguish himself, burst into the Purgatory Sect’s encirclement and despite the valiant fight of Elder Yan Xuejian from the heavy sword, ultimately could not withstand them and perished along with Purgatory Sect Elder Yang Kan and others."
Gu Chaoyang said reluctantly, "It’s just... neither Purgatory Sect nor Meteor Star Guard will believe it."
While speaking, he glanced around, "Especially since the people from both sides shouted the truth in their dire moments, people nearby must have heard something. Unless we exterminate all hundred thousand inhabitants of Wutong County..."
"Not necessary; a lockdown will suffice,"
Gu Jinlai spoke calmly.
"In doing so, we’ll likely have difficulty returning to either Purgatory Sect or Meteor Star Guard,"
Gu Chaoyang remarked.
Gu Jinlai commented, "Born in Purgatory Sect, I turned to the path of Demon Martial Artists; it’s impossible to gain the trust of Meteor Star Guard and ascend their real ranks. Regarding Purgatory Sect... unless Lin Xiao dies, the overt and covert attacks will not cease."
Furthermore, there was a more crucial reason.
The myriad of related secrets he held.
Whether allying with Purgatory Sect or Meteor Star Guard, it would inevitably draw the high-level scrutiny of either side.
"We can only rely on ourselves."
"That means, before long, we’ll face full retaliation from both Purgatory Sect and Meteor Star Guard,"
Gu Chaoyang solemnly stated.
Gu Jinlai spoke indifferently, "Star State’s strategic importance is immense; it affects Purgatory Sect’s future development. But look at Xue Wuqing, despite being a Red Robed Elder of Purgatory Demon Sect, second only to the elders of the Elder Council, he had to plot meticulously just to assemble sufficient force for Baihe City. So even if Purgatory Sect seeks revenge, how much force can they truly muster?"
Gu Chaoyang was taken aback.
"And Star Master Zhang Luu, to this day, can’t control Changjun City, not to mention Star Lord Xin Tianqi, who is considered the best martial artist in Star State. How would he quell the entire turmoil throughout Star State?"
Gu Jinlai waved his hand dismissively, "All enemies are merely paper tigers."
Upon hearing this, Gu Chaoyang’s eyes began to brighten, "The Patriarch is right, Purgatory Sect and Meteor Star Guard seem powerful, but they have their own threats and enemies to guard against. The resources they can mobilize..."
"Divinity Transformation,"
Gu Jinlai interjected, "If you closely observe Red State, Star State, and even Yellow State and Jiangzhou State, you’ll notice that those who command the Divinity Transformation Realm, or power comparable to it, often can easily dominate a city. They only need to avoid open conflict with the local overlords, even if they do whatever they want within the city, it’s typically condoned."
Unwritten rules exist everywhere.
One Divinity Transformation Master per city.
This was the unwritten rule Gu Jinlai observed.
"The letter I wrote to them, they will surely disdain it, or even become enraged,"
Gu Jinlai continued, "But as long as we eliminate all the manpower they can employ in the reprisal from Purgatory Sect and Meteor Star Guard, demonstrating a force they can’t contend with unless they come out full force..."
"Then you will still be the Golden Robed Elder of Purgatory Sect, and also the Lingxiao Town Guardian of Meteor Star Guard?"
Gu Chaoyang realized, "Because the cost of continuing to deal with you will provoke such upheaval that it will far outweigh any gain."
"Exactly, they don’t believe me? They’ll be punished, and if that hurts, they’ll believe. They’ll have to,"
Gu Jinlai sneered, looking towards Lingxiao City, "Then, our Gu family will be truly in control of this city, finally possessing the foundation to thrive and rise."
Gu Chaoyang took a deep breath.
If they truly could seize Lingxiao City, stand firm in Lingxiao City, and turn this city into their own domain, their Gu family...
Would surely ascend to the status of a noble clan!
"Send a message to Gu Junxiu and Gu Junlei to produce bullets at full capacity, including those for the Short Range Defense Cannon,"
Gu Jinlai glanced at the Karma.
The great battle had once again layered his Karma to sixteen levels.
He would use Qingguang to suppress it.
But the level of Karma was only a rough range.
He didn’t know whether Purgatory Sect or Meteor Star Guard might send a Divinity Transformation Great Master personally.
He had to be prepared for the incoming flying swords.
"Let’s see whether the flying swords, able to take a man’s head from ten miles away, have greater lethality, or whether the Short Range Defense Cannon’s 11,000 bullets per minute provides stronger defenses."