I proved immortality through the imperial examination.

Chapter 172 Confiscating Property and Exterminating the Clan
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the white-bearded old man severed the head of the Ning family, Ning Haitao, and in an instant, the entire place fell silent.

The next instant, a chaotic cacophony crashed down like a tidal wave.

Xue Xiang's other four attendants moved simultaneously, with him as the center.

The forces of the four great families fell in neat rows, like wheat fields swept by a sickle.

Everyone was dumbfounded; when did the Ninth Hall produce such a powerful figure?

Does Lengcui Peak possess such martial prowess?
If that were true, Canaan would have been at peace long ago.

As a storm of shock surged through everyone's hearts, Xue Xiang's five entourage members had already begun their killing spree.

Among them, three had the most incisive methods.

The first to be affected was the middle-aged man in black robes. Silver light danced beneath his sleeves, and electric snakes climbed the beams. With each opening and closing of his palms, hundreds of extremely fine lightning threads descended from the roof, like an inverted rain.

Whenever a shockwave is shot, the laser wire moves, and with a gentle touch, any shockwave is easily shredded like tofu.

The woman in red, back to back with the middle-aged man in black robes, resembled a fire-dancing deity.

She moved with the lightness of a swallow, the sparks from her skirt forming a red thread as she walked close to the ground.

Four elders from the building attacked her simultaneously, but the woman in the red dress danced as if in flames, completely at ease.

The red thread that slipped out from the hem of her skirt went into the cracks in the bluestone and then came out again.

In an instant, it easily broke through the protective defenses of the four elders of the building family, and entered through their feet.

The fire didn't burn their clothes, but it bit into their bones. In an instant, the four of them were engulfed in flames, a terrifying sight that sent chills down everyone's spines.

The most vicious one was the white-bearded old man on Xue Xiang's right, who had previously taken Ning Haitao's head.

He moved like lightning throughout the entire venue; wherever he passed, heads would fly into the air.

“He had been plotting and scheming for a long time, but how dare he…”

Shen Junyuan stared intently at Xue Xiang in the center of the hall.

The entire hall was in complete chaos, but Xue Xiang stood firmly in the center, with no spiritual energy able to penetrate to his side.

At this moment, a strong wind was blowing throughout the room, but it couldn't even lift a corner of his clothes.

Suddenly, a loud tremor shook the left side of the main hall, and lightning struck down. A bolt of electricity crackled from the sleeve of the middle-aged man in black robes, and at the same instant, the shoulders and backs of three Ning family elders collapsed, their bodies charred black.

Without further hesitation, Shen Junyuan crushed an ancient talisman, his body radiating light and shadow as he narrowly avoided the white-bearded old man's attack and rushed out of the hall.

He suddenly pulled out a jade slip and spat blood onto it.

In an instant, the jade slip's azure light surged, transforming into a beam of green light that slowly coalesced into a gate of light.

He roared to the sky, "Respectfully inviting the Ancestor!!!"

This was his last trump card.

That day, when Xue Xiang asked to sign a peace treaty, he realized that he had to make thorough preparations.

Among the four great families, there are only two Nascent Soul cultivators, one of whom is the patriarch of the Shen family.

The ancestor of the Shen family, who is in his nascent stage, is very old and has not attended to affairs for many years.

But as long as the Nascent Soul Ancestor exists, he is a strategic-level weapon.

When Shen Junyuan arrived, he brought with him the family's summoning forbidden token.

He knew very well that the time for the destruction of his family and clan had come, and if he didn't ask his ancestor for help now, when would he ever get another chance?

Seeing the light gate take shape, Shen Junyuan breathed a sigh of relief. At the same time, he took out a piece of armor, put it on, and cast more than ten protective talismans.

In an instant, a burst of light emanated from the talisman, protecting him firmly.

At this moment, he felt a mixture of indignation and pleasure.

He knew very well that as long as he held on until the Ancestor arrived, all dangers would be resolved.

Just then, a streak of light silently landed in front of him.

As fine as a hair, as fast as a thought.

The shimmering light focused on the protective shield formed by the amulet, causing the shield to crack inch by inch.

He looked back and saw that the battle in the hall had ended.

The stream of light that touched him was a combination of lightning and fire.

It was created by the middle-aged man in black robes and the beautiful woman in red dress working together in the hall.

In just three breaths, the protective shield formed by the more than ten protective talismans he had gathered was all destroyed.

The next instant, the light easily pierced through his armor and penetrated his skin.

A strange sensation, a mixture of pain and strange pleasure, arose within Shen Junyuan, who realized that his strength and vitality were rapidly slipping away.

Finally, he saw an old man in a green robe emerge from the portal in front of him.

His face was slender and refined, with an air of otherworldly grace, and every part of his body radiated a harmonious power.

"Ancestor..."

Shen Junyuan was in tears, unable to utter a sound.

With his last ounce of strength, he opened his eyes wide in fury and stared intently in the direction of his ancestor.

A middle-aged man in black robes, a beautiful woman in red dress, and an old man with a white beard—these three reckless scoundrels actually pounced on the patriarch.

Even knowing that he was about to vanish into nothingness, he still felt an overwhelming sense of pleasure.

"No!"

Shen Junyuan roared inwardly. He could hardly believe his eyes. His ancestor, who was about to display his divine power, had his body torn to pieces by the black-robed middle-aged man, the red-skirted beauty, and the white-bearded old man, like a ripped rag.

"Nascent Soul! The three of them are also Nascent Souls! But how is this possible? There isn't a single Nascent Soul on Cold Green Peak, and there can't be more than three Nascent Souls in Canaan Prefecture who are still in charge. What exactly is going on?"

Shen Junyuan's last thought, a deep sense of resentment, was blown away by the wind.

The great war rose and fell in a flash, and from beginning to end, it was always a one-sided massacre.

A fierce wind rushed into the broken palace gates, stirring up ashes and blood mist.

The once prominent gilded plaque bearing the inscription "A Family of Loyal and Valiant Men" is now tilted by the shock, the gold paint peeling off, hanging precariously in mid-air.

The imperial banners that had hung on the two walls of the hall, which had previously shone brightly under the lamplight, were now completely burned by the flames, their tattered embroidery scattered in the air and turned into charred fragments.

The imperial halberd was broken in two, with one half embedded in the bluestone floor tiles. Although the blade still gleamed coldly, no one dared to look at it anymore.

The gold book, jade belt, and tiger tally lay scattered among the blood, like discarded toys on top of the corpses.

In the center of the main hall, Feng Jing and his group of celebrities huddled together, their faces ashen, not daring to even breathe.

Those arrogant critics who were just moments ago are now all bowing their heads, like quails being targeted by eagles.

Some people had already knelt down, blood splattered on their clothes, but they were completely unaware.

Xue Xiang stood with his hands behind his back, turned his gaze to Feng Jing, and asked in a calm voice, "Teacher, are you alright?"

Feng Jing trembled all over, the white jade wine cup in his hand had already shattered, and his voice was barely a whisper: "I...I'm fine, sir, you..."

"I am your student."

Xue Xiang interrupted him, smiling slightly, "How can you call me 'sir'?"

The embers in the hall reflected his unfathomable gaze.

Feng Jing's Adam's apple bobbed, and after a long pause, he replied in a low voice, "Yes, yes... I lost my composure..."

Several prominent figures nearby nodded in agreement and quickly chimed in, "Just now it was clearly a rebellion by scions of noble families who wanted to kill officials. We are all witnesses!"
Lord Xue was merely acting in self-defense!

Despite this, a storm was brewing in their hearts.

They had witnessed countless power struggles among noble families throughout their lives, but they had never seen such carnage.

A mere youth could command such immense power, slaughtering the four great clans like mere weeds.

The shock lingered in their chests for a long time, making it almost impossible for them to breathe.

Suddenly, the white-bearded old man raised his hand to wipe the blood from his fingertips, his laughter hoarse: "Boy, we haven't killed enough yet."

His gaze was sharp as he coldly swept across the entire room, finally settling on the middle-aged man in black robes and the beautiful woman in red dress. "The Ning family still has an old coffin inside. This time, you're not allowed to compete with me for it."

Having said that, he transformed into a rainbow and rushed straight to the Ning family ancestral hall.

The storage ring left behind by the Shen family patriarch, which he had just killed, was stolen by the middle-aged man in black robes.

That's why the white-bearded old man said that fighting over things was forbidden.

The middle-aged man in black robes and the beautiful woman in red dress exchanged a glance, then transformed into rainbow light and followed the white-bearded old man away.

"Young master, these are all the storage treasures."

The middle-aged man speaking was Wen Shan, and the person collecting storage rings with him was Cheng Bei.

Both of them were controlled by the Life and Death Talisman and were Xue Xiang's close friends.

As for the white-bearded old man, he was no outsider; he was none other than Zhongli Mei, the Nascent Soul Old Monster.

The middle-aged man in black robes and the beautiful woman in red dress are the famous Cloud and Thunder Saints.

At that time, the two saints, Yunlei and Zhongli Mei, were pursuing Zhongli Mei. Zhongli Mei had no choice but to seek help from the master of Mingde Dongxuan.

Xue Xiang used Wen Xuzhu's poem "On the Love of Lotus" to defeat the two saints, Yun Lei and Er Sheng.

The two saints of Yunlei, grateful for the mercy shown to the Lord of Mingde Dongxuan, told him that he could send a message to Leihuo Mountain if needed.

On that day, after Xue Xiang summoned Wen Shan and Cheng Bei back with the newspaper, he sent two letters to Lei Huoshan and Zhongli Mei's Daoist temple, Huoyun Cave.

In his letter, Xue Xiang used the tone of the Master of Natural Bright Virtue and Profound Mystery.

In the letter, the Lord of Mingde Dongxuan acknowledged that Xue Xiang had saved his life and hoped that the others could lend a helping hand.

The three arrived as soon as the letter from the Lord of Mingde Dongxuan was delivered, and followed Xue Xiang's orders in accordance with the instructions in the letter.

This is the strongest force Xue Xiang can currently muster. With three Nascent Soul experts in their prime, the world is turned upside down.

"You guys take it for me first."

Xue Xiang said loudly, "Teacher, everyone, the four great families have committed many evils, and I will eliminate them all today."

However, subsequent confiscation and asset liquidation will require witnesses, and we kindly request your assistance.

"It should."

"We will definitely cooperate without hesitation."

"Brother Feng has such a fine disciple; it's truly enviable."

"........."

The group of wise men remained tongue-tied, not daring to utter a single word of dissent.

Xue Xiang's demeanor was simply too fierce; he was quick to confiscate property and exterminate entire families.

No one knows if he might die here if things don't go his way.

“Young master, there is something I don’t understand. This patriarch of the Shen family should also be a scholar, and must be proficient in both literary and Qi cultivation. Even if he is surrounded by three Nascent Soul experts, he should not be so easily defeated. If he releases his literary Qi, he may not be without a fighting chance.”

Cheng Bei voiced the question that had been lingering in his mind.

Xue Xiangchong and Feng Jing bowed, saying, "Teacher, you must have something to teach me."

Feng Jing shivered and hurriedly said, "Most of the Nascent Soul experts from the major families are nearing the end of their lifespans, so they stay in their ancestral halls and are unwilling to come out of seclusion."

However, if one does not advance in cultivating literary energy, one will regress. Without sufficient nourishment from aspirational energy and talent, the precious tree of literary energy will wither and die.

For young Confucian scholars, talent is easy to acquire, but aspiration is hard to find.

However, for these old monsters nearing the end of their lives, wish energy can still be obtained through wish cakes, but talent energy depends entirely on themselves.

Their talents have declined, their inspiration has been exhausted, their literary spirit has withered, and they have lost the special abilities that literary cultivators should have. They can only rely on their own Qi cultivation to fight.

This type of Nascent Soul level monster still has an overwhelming advantage when fighting against those below the Nascent Soul level.

Given that he was facing three Nascent Soul stage experts at their peak, this outcome is not surprising.

"Thank you for enlightening me, teacher."

Xue Xiang bowed with his hands clasped in greeting.

Feng Jing waved his hands repeatedly.

Before long, a soaring aura came from ahead. A hundred breaths later, Zhongli Mei and the two saints Yunlei returned at the same time. Zhongli Mei held an old man's head in his hand, his eyes full of pride, and shouted loudly, "That was great!"

Wenshan and Chengbei also felt extremely happy.

Normally, although they possess formidable cultivation, they are constantly constrained by the imperial court's golden rules and regulations.

Now, being able to openly and justly annihilate a powerful family in a prefecture is incredibly exhilarating.

………………

It was almost dawn, and the night was deep.

Inside a bedroom, the curtains hung low, and the brocade was heavy.

The burning bronze animal-shaped lamp emitted pale golden flames, casting a warm and ambiguous glow on the carved beams and painted rafters of the room.

The sandalwood bed was raised high, embroidered with mandarin ducks entwined. As the brocade quilt was rolled up, a section of her lotus-root arm was revealed, her skin fair and translucent, tightly embracing the chest of the man on the bed.

Huang Yao leaned against a pillow, his long hair disheveled, still fast asleep.

The beauty in his arms smiled, her eyelashes fluttering slightly. Her clothes were already disheveled, her fragrant shoulders half-exposed, her soft breasts rising and falling, her warm, soft body pressing down on him, making him unable to move. Outside the hall, however, there were other noises, first coming in softly, then gradually growing louder, like waves crashing against the door.

The maidservants in the mansion knocked on the door urgently.

The beauty was startled awake, her brows furrowed, her voice both charming and slightly angry: "It's not even dawn yet, and you're already making a fuss? You ungrateful, lowly servant!"

Huang Yao turned over in a daze and reached out to stroke the beauty's smooth back: "Ignore them, the sky won't fall down."

But the maid's voice came through tremblingly: "My lord, it's terrible... They've broken in. The three gates of the outer courtyard have been breached, all the guards have fled, and not a single servant can stop them."

Has he lost his mind?

The beautiful woman's voice was clear yet extremely sharp: "This is the residence of the Prefect, who dares to trespass? If you make another sound, I'll tear your mouth apart!"

As soon as she finished speaking, she heard a flurry of footsteps.

Huang Yao suddenly sat up, put on his clothes, and got out of bed.

Before she could even put on her shoes, the door was pushed open.

The beauty was Huang Yao's beloved concubine. During the years she was married to Huang Yao, she enjoyed unparalleled honor wherever she went.

This was the first time she had ever seen such a scene, and she was so frightened that she wrapped her fair and delicate body in the quilt and trembled.

Eight men strode into the room in unison, all wearing official robes and seals, exuding an imposing aura of authority.

"Are you all crazy? Has the sky fallen? What are you doing? Have you no manners at all?"

Huang Yao glared at everyone, furious.

He never dreamed that one day, the Canaan County Seal Temple meeting would be held in his bedroom.

It turns out that the eight people who arrived at this moment were all the heads of the Temple of the Canaan Commandery.

Including himself, all nine seal holders were now gathered.

"Your Excellency, a major incident has occurred within our borders. Yesterday, the four great families of Shen, Ning, Lou, and Lü were all massacred."

The speaker was Cao Fang, the prefectural magistrate, who was ranked second in the Imperial Seal Temple.

As soon as he finished speaking, Huang Yao was stunned for more than ten breaths. Through the eyes of everyone, he confirmed that Cao Fang was not crazy and that he was not hallucinating.

"Who, who did this... Why is it only being reported now for something that happened yesterday..."

Huang Yao's tongue was tied in knots.

Cao Fang said, "The bandits are very powerful, and their information is tightly controlled. We only just received the news."

Huang Yao was struck by lightning.

With such a major case occurring under his jurisdiction, even a fool would know that he was doomed.

The others were also as if they had lost their parents.

This case is unprecedented in its magnitude. If the higher-ups decide to investigate, they will certainly not only target the Prefect.

"Catch them, catch them..."

Huang Yao shouted sternly.

"Catch who?"

Cao Fang asked.

"We need to report this to the prefecture immediately. How could our prefecture possibly handle someone capable of such a major case?"

Huang Yao stamped his feet and sighed, "What a bad year! What a bad year..."

The group was in an uproar, and the discussion was incessant. Half a cup of tea had passed, and Huang Yao was still not dressed.

It wasn't until the beauty, who was buried under the covers, couldn't help but cough violently that everyone snapped out of their daze, their faces showing embarrassment.

Huang Yao grunted, hastily put on his clothes, and before he could even fasten his jade belt, he heard footsteps outside again.

The heavy lattice door was pushed open, and a middle-aged man with high cheekbones and a thin, iron-like build strode in, holding a scroll of vermilion-lacquered official documents in his hand.

Upon seeing who it was, Huang Yao immediately exploded, "Long Gu, have you lost your mind too? You're here to join in the fun? Get out, get out of here!"

The visitor was none other than Zunlong Gu, the head of the first academy of the fourth hall, who was in charge of political affairs and also served as Huang Yao's personal secretary.

Huang Yao was already furious with nowhere to vent his anger, and these people in front of him were only half a rank below him, so they were his colleagues and he couldn't afford to lose his temper.

When Longgu came over, he finally found an outlet for his pent-up anger.

Long Gu kept his head down, enduring Huang Yao's scathing insults, but refused to retreat.

Cao Fang noticed something was wrong and whispered, "My lord, it seems Long Gu has something important to report. Let him report first, and then we can reprimand him."

Huang Yao snorted coldly, "Go ahead and report it. I want to see what other bad news there is."

Long Gu cupped his hands and said, "Your Excellency, all of you who hold the seals, this official document in my hand was just delivered."

The clerk on duty read it and immediately notified me. After reading it, I felt that the matter was of great importance and could only rush to report to the Prefect.

This official document originated from Xue Xiang, the acting head of the Third Court of the Ninth Hall.

Upon hearing the name, a commotion arose in the hall.

This name has been utterly jarring lately.

"What's wrong with him now? Is he going to blow up Lengcui Peak and stop the sun's rotation?"

Huang Yao said sarcastically.

As the prefect of a prefecture, his greatest wish was for peace and stability in the area he governed.

Only when there is stability can we dare to hope for development.

Huang Yao naturally dislikes Xue Xiang, who is prone to making headlines.

Long Gu said, "To avoid missing information when relaying it, I will read aloud the key points of the official document."

At that moment, he was heard reciting, "...The lower official reports: The four families of Shen, Ning, Lou, and Lü have committed numerous evils, repeatedly violated the laws of the court, seized sacred property, committed murder, gathered a crowd to kill officials, and are tantamount to treason."

The lower-ranking official led his men to the scene, enforced the law on the spot, verified the irrefutable evidence, and confiscated the property from each household. Now, all the bandits in each household have been executed…

Before Longgu could finish reciting, the entire audience erupted into chaos.

"sky"

"what?!"

Several officials slammed their fists on the table and stood up almost simultaneously.

The room erupted in chaos.

"Absurd! How could a mere Acting Dean destroy the four great families? This is clearly utter nonsense!"

"This young man has long harbored grudges against powerful families. He is clearly using official business as a pretext to settle personal scores!"

"Settling personal scores? Slaughtering out entire families? He'd need to have the ability to do that!"

"This scoundrel should be arrested immediately and taken to the prefecture to appease the emperor!"

The crowd was furious, and the hall was filled with shouts and curses.

Only Wei Yang remained silent throughout.

Huang Yao suddenly turned his head, staring at Wei Yang, his voice carrying a hint of coldness: "Master Wei, you are both Xue Xiang's former superior and his mentor."

What's your opinion on this?

Everyone immediately turned to look at Wei Yang.

Wei Yang pursed his lips tightly, his expression cold and stern.

After a moment, he uttered a casual remark: "Let's handle this as official business."

These four simple words are as cold as ice.

Huang Yao felt relieved and immediately slammed his hand on the table, saying, "Good! Let's handle this officially! Xue Xiang is audacious and reckless, disregarding the law and exterminating a noble family. His crime is unforgivable."

My intention is to apprehend Xue Xiang immediately and escort him to the prefecture to avert today's disaster!

The palm prints echoed in unison, eager not to be outdone.

"Your Excellency, please reconsider."

A discordant shout rang out, and everyone looked in the direction of the sound to see that it was Long Gu who was speaking.

He had somehow ended up outside the door.

Then Long Gu said loudly, "Xue Xiang not only submitted the official document, but also the evidence."

"Evidence, what evidence?"

"I forgot, this kid has a voice lock."

These words caused the atmosphere in the room to freeze once again.

Everyone recalled how Xue Xiang had used the Shadow Sound Trick to turn the tide of the battle.

Long Gu hurriedly said, "It was the Shadow Sound Knob. He used the Shadow Sound Knob to record yesterday's scene and used the Returning Light Array Flag to reproduce the scene in the Shadow Sound Knob."

He handed over the Rejuvenation Array Flag, which I brought with me.

"Quickly activate the array flags and display the generated images."

Cao Fang shouted loudly.

Only then did everyone leave Huang Yao's bedroom.

The group arrived at the backyard and hurriedly urged Long Gu to start operating quickly.

Before long, the array flags soared into the air, flashing with spiritual light, and light and shadow appeared.

From Xue Xiang's entry and signing of the agreement, to Xue Xiang's accusation that Ning Haitao had encroached on the Lingsha mine, to the final revelation of their true intentions, the two sides turned against each other, and a one-sided massacre ensued.

Everything is recorded completely and clearly.

At first, everyone was just amazed, but as they watched, no one uttered a sound.

Even after Long Gu put away the battle flags, no one in the arena spoke.

After a long silence, Huang Yao sighed and said, "Everyone, please speak up."

Still no one answered.

Huang Yao pointed at Cao Fang and said, "Prefect, what do you say?"

Cao Fang looked embarrassed, and after a moment of contemplation, she said, "Fine, we're all family here, so I'll just say whatever comes to mind."

Whether Xue Xiang was scheming or deliberately setting a trap, the evidence that the four major families gathered in public with the intention of killing the official is irrefutable.

With this, even if the case goes all the way to the third court, Xue Xiang will not lose.

Furthermore, even if we were to take Xue Xiang, I think it's hopeless to expect our county to send troops.

Look at the helpers Xue Xiang has invited—three Nascent Soul cultivators. At least I, Cao, couldn't have gotten them.

In my opinion, this case should be reported to the prefecture immediately. We cannot afford to remain inactive.

As soon as Cao Fang spoke, she was met with a chorus of agreement.

Huang Yao remained silent, then pointed at Long Gu and asked, "What do you think?"

Long Gu swallowed hard. "My opinion is not important. What is important is that Dean Xue still has a case to report."

The person he sent to deliver the official document also relayed his message, saying that we should pay special attention to today's "Cloud News."

"Cloud News?!"

In an instant, a new topic of conversation arose.

"Damn it! The court's decision to allow private newspapers was the root of all evil! How dare such a small newspaper stir up trouble!"

"The imperial court should enact new laws to ban such private publications!"

"Ban? Hmph, is it too late? How many companies own shares in 'Cloud News'? Its influence is so great that it has already spread beyond Canglan Prefecture. Who can ban it?"

They were all talking at once, arguing so loudly that the roof beams were shaking.

Huang Yao's forehead veins throbbed, feeling that this night was more agonizing than half a lifetime in officialdom.

Inside the bustling and chaotic courtyard, time continued to relentlessly pass.

Before long, the east began to lighten.

Breakfast was delivered from outside.

The earthenware bowls were filled with steaming white porridge; the steamer baskets were piled high with freshly steamed buns, their aroma filling the air.

The nine leaders in the hall all looked exhausted, but none of them dared to leave first. They could only hold their bowls, drink porridge, and chew on hot buns.

Cao Fang whispered, "My lord, it's so early in the morning, and we look like... prisoners awaiting their fate."

Huang Yao remained silent with a dark expression.

Finally, an announcement came from outside the door: "The first issue of 'Cloud News' has arrived!"

Everyone in the room stopped eating and drinking, and their breaths almost simultaneously caught in their throats.

The moment the paper was slowly unfolded, everyone's eyes were drawn to it.

(End of this chapter)