My Ares Son-in-Law

The moonlight was desolate, casting a cold glow on this extremely impactful scene.

The once-powerful martial arts sect in the provincial capital of the western region is now kneeling at the feet of a mysterious young man in black. The courtyard is silent, with only the night wind howling and stirring up blood droplets and fragments on the ground, as if mourning the destruction of the Qingyang Sword Sect.

"Mr. Xiao...Mr. Xiao...Spare us!" Finally, someone couldn't bear the oppressive silence any longer and cried out in despair. It was an elder with half-white hair and beard, who pounded his forehead against the ground with such force that it left white marks on the bluestone slabs, and blood instantly stained his forehead. "We are willing to serve you as our master! For all eternity, we will never have any other thoughts! Please spare our dog lives!"

"Please, Mr. Xiao, have mercy!" Another elder followed closely behind, kowtowing repeatedly until his forehead swelled up with a dark bruise. His voice was choked with sobs. "The Qingyang Sword Sect is willing to offer all its assets and all the secret manuals in the Scripture Pavilion! We only beg you to show mercy and spare our lives!"

Pleading voices rose and fell. The martial arts masters who were once high above and revered by mortals were now as humble as ants, having abandoned even their last shred of dignity.

Xiao Chen's eyes remained calm and undisturbed, as if he hadn't heard the noisy pleas, or as if he were just looking at a swarm of annoying flying insects.

He raised his left hand and casually traced a line with his fingertips.

"Whoosh...whoosh whoosh..."

Several invisible bursts of energy shot out from the sky, moving so fast that they left only a blur, and precisely pierced the throats of the elders who had shouted the loudest!
The pleading stopped abruptly.

The elders stared wide-eyed, their faces still bearing the humility of pleading for mercy, but their eyes instantly filled with extreme terror. They futilely covered the blood gushing from their throats with their hands... Warm blood spurted out, splashing onto the backs and heads of those kneeling beside them, bringing a chilling sensation.

Their bodies went limp, and they slowly collapsed into pools of blood. They twitched a few times and then stopped moving. A lingering will to live remained in their eyes, but all hope of survival had been extinguished.

The courtyard fell into a deathly silence once again.

All those kneeling buried their heads even lower, their foreheads almost touching the ground, their bodies trembling like leaves, trying their best to breathe softly, afraid of making the slightest sound and attracting the attention of this evil god.

Xiao Chen strode forward.

The black robe swept across the bloodstains and pebbles on the ground, making a slight scraping sound. The footsteps were not loud, but they struck everyone's heart like heavy hammer blows.

He stepped over pools of blood and past the prostrate crowd, each step carrying an invisible pressure that made those around him tremble even more violently, until he finally stopped in front of Zhao Ruixiang's daughter.

The woman could clearly smell the other person's scent... a faint smell of blood, mixed with a strange, cold scent that seemed to come from the summit of a snow-capped mountain. The scent was devoid of any emotion, yet it chilled her to the bone.

She slowly raised her head, her face completely drained of color, her lips trembling, but her eyes burned with the last vestiges of twisted fire—the resentment and madness born of despair.

"Xiao Chen...you win. Kill me now." Her voice was hoarse like a broken gong, yet filled with unmistakable hatred. "But do you really think that killing us will end things? The new martial arts association's president won't let you go! His strength is far beyond your comprehension! You've messed with the wrong person! You'll die too, and soon you'll be joining us! Haha...uh!"

"I will personally grind your corpse to dust!"

Before he could finish his final harsh words, his maniacal laughter was abruptly cut off.

Xiao Chen's right hand had somehow gripped her neck, his five fingers like iron hoops, locking her throat tightly, causing her to stop her harsh words abruptly, only able to let out a series of gasping "uh uh" sounds.

"Little Lord!"

Elder Hai suddenly looked up and cried out in a pitiful voice, his voice filled with desperate pleas.

He crawled forward a few steps, his knees scraping raw and bloody on the rough flagstones, leaving two long, bloody welts. His face, held high, was streaked with tears and dust, his eyes filled with pleading and fear: "Mr. Xiao! Please! Spare the young master's life! She's still young, she was just confused! I'm willing... I'm willing to pay any price to save her life!" Xiao Chen lowered his eyes and glanced at him indifferently.

That look made Elder Hai feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

Without desire, without evaluation, without even any extra fluctuations, it's like looking at an insignificant stone by the roadside or a withered weed, without any emotion, only pure indifference, regarding life as worthless.

"The price?" Xiao Chen asked, his voice still calm and undisturbed, yet every word was piercing. "You heard what she said, didn't you? She's still cursing me to die."

"Click."

The crisp sound of a neck bone breaking was exceptionally clear in the deathly silent courtyard, like a thunderclap.

The woman's head snapped to the side, the last glimmer of light in her eyes vanishing instantly, leaving only an empty, lifeless void. Her arms hung limply at her sides, and her body collapsed softly at Xiao Chen's feet, splattering a tiny drop of blood.

Xiao Chen released his hand and withdrew his right hand. A trace of warmth remained on his fingertips. He frowned slightly, seemingly impatient with the filth.

Elder Hai stared blankly at the woman's corpse, the pleading on his face gradually freezing, finally turning into a hollow ashes.

There was no screaming, no wailing, not even a tear falling; his shoulders simply slumped slightly, as if something that had been taut for so long had finally snapped.

He should have known that any pleading in front of this man would be futile.

Xiao Chen's gaze swept across the entire area once more, passing over the desiccated corpses and the prostrate remnants, finally settling on Elder Hai's empty, lifeless face.

His murderous intent lingered, like a leech clinging to the bone, silently lurking deep within his eyes.

Cut the weeds and eliminate the roots to prevent future troubles... This was the first lesson this dog-eat-dog world of martial arts taught him.

Elder Hai froze, as if an invisible icicle had pierced his spine.

He could clearly feel the cold, calculating gaze in that eyes—no anger, no hatred, only a detached assessment of life. He slowly closed his eyes, his hands hanging limply at his sides, awaiting the final verdict of death, unable even to muster the thought of struggling.

"My lord, Elder Hai, he..."

Lin Zhenghao's hoarse voice broke the silence, tinged with hesitation and fear. He wanted to plead for mercy, but the lingering murderous aura emanating from Xiao Chen made his chest feel tight, and the second half of his sentence stuck in his throat, unable to be uttered.

The night wind blew by, carrying with it a heavy stench of blood in the courtyard, mixed with the smell of burnt dust, making one's throat tighten.

Xiao Chen stood quietly in place, his black robes fluttering in the night wind. Blood droplets on the hem dripped down the fabric and splashed onto the bluestone slab, spreading out in dark red spots.

The brief silence felt like half a century.

Then, he slowly turned around and looked at Lin Zhenghao, who was lying on the ground.

Xiao Chen's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly as his gaze swept over Lin Zhenghao's miserable state. (End of Chapter)