Dream of the Red Chamber: Starting from Immortal Martial Arts

The eight major salt merchants panicked immediately after Jia Tang entered the city.

In the study of the Cheng residence, Cheng Zhiying stared in disbelief at the secret letter: "How could this be? How could this be? The Jia family actually has several second-tier martial arts practitioners?!"

"The entire Second-Order Grand Master of the Fragrance Sect, along with several First-Order cultivators and over a thousand elite troops, were wiped out."

After saying that, he leaned back in his chair, slumped down, and muttered, "It's over, it's all over, Father. It's time for me to see you."

At the Jiang residence, Jiang Chun paced anxiously back and forth, glancing outside the door every now and then. Just then, a steward ran in through the ceremonial gate and said, "Master, Lord Lu requests your presence."

Jiang Chun was overjoyed upon hearing this and said anxiously, "Quickly prepare the carriage and go!"

He then picked up a jade box, entirely emerald green and exquisitely carved, from the table and went outside.

Inside the Huang residence, in the study, Huang Zhijun and Bao Zhidao sat facing each other, their faces pale, with teacups shattered on the floor.

After a long pause, Huang Zhijun said, "How could it be so fast? The Fragrance Sect is truly useless; they couldn't even hold out for half an hour."

"I wonder if the Wuwei Sect made a move, as Jia Tang was able to enter the city unharmed."

"Now we have no choice but to abandon our family business and flee for our lives. There is a tunnel in my study that leads to the chaotic alleys of the lowly people in the east of the city. We can hide there and wait for the right time to leave the city."

Upon hearing this, Bao Zhidao perked up and asked, "How many people can I bring?"

"How many more people do you need? Just bring your own sons and guards. How many more do you want to bring?"

"Yes, yes, Brother Huang, your insight is brilliant. I will follow your lead."

Inside the courtyard of the Ma residence.

The brothers Ma Yueguan and Ma Yuelu, their faces grave, clutched the clan's account books in their hands as they stepped out of their residence and headed towards the Lin residence, hoping they would make it in time.

On a dark night with few stars and a bright moon, the two brothers had just reached the street of the Lin family mansion when they were intercepted by a team led by a Yangzhou garrison commander, making it impossible for them to pass. They also saw Wang Yinggeng, whose face was pale, being intercepted at the other end of the street.

Ma Yuelu stepped forward, bowed, and said, "I trouble you, General, to convey to Lord Lin that the Ma brothers have something of great importance to discuss with him."

After saying this, he took out a silver note and handed it forward, but the centurion pushed it away, drew his waist knife, and his comrades around him gathered around.

Ma Yueguan sighed and stepped forward, saying, "General, please inform Lord Jia that we know who poisoned Madam Lin."

Upon hearing this, the centurion's expression changed drastically, and he slapped the man to the ground with his large hand: "How dare you! You're courting death! Men, seize him!"

Soldiers rushed over instantly, and Ma Yueguan, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, shouted, "Now that things have come to this, how dare I speak recklessly? Please inform them."

The centurion thought for a moment, then said sternly, "Keep an eye on them, don't let them run away."

"If you dare to lie to me, I'll slaughter your entire family."

After saying that, he ran towards the Lin residence.

After entering the main gate, we arrived at the study in the side hall on the west side of the main hall, and were led inside by the guards.

Jia Tang was resting with his eyes closed when he heard the noise. He opened his eyes and asked, "What is it?"

After the centurion saluted, he said, "My lord, there are two men outside the mansion who claim to be the Ma brothers. They say they know who is behind Madam Lin's murder."

"What?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Ruhai jumped up, grabbed the centurion, and asked, "Did you hear me correctly?"

"No, even when I ordered my men to hold a knife to the man's neck, he still said the same thing."

"Bring it in," Jia Tang said calmly. We'd know whether it was a mule or a horse once it was here.

"only!"

A moment later, the centurion brought in Ma Yueguan and Ma Yuelu, kicked them hard in the back of their knees and shouted, "Kneel down!"

"This humble subject greets Lord Wu Ying," the Ma brothers said, bowing and handing over the account book.

Jia Tang sat up straight, took the account book, and said, "Speak."

"Yes, this was Cheng Zhiying... and it was our brothers who used the yamen runners to deliver the message to the Earl that there was an ambush."

"What news is it?"

"It was a letter that read: 'The chief of the Imperial Guard has personally arrived and ambushed us with iron crossbows outside the city.'"

"How many big heads are there?"

"Cheng Zhiying only mentioned one, but there should be an unkempt old Taoist priest below him, who is the first-level chief of Yangzhou Prefecture."

As Jia Tang flipped through the account books, he said, "Hand over 80% of the family fortune, merge the Ma Family Chamber of Commerce into the Jia Family Chamber of Commerce, all the direct descendants of the family will die, and one of the two illegitimate sons will be removed from the list. Alright, go back to the mansion and wait to die."

The two men trembled as they kowtowed, then rose and left, still shaking.

Meanwhile, news of the battle west of Yangzhou spread like wildfire throughout the land: Jia Tang had broken through to the second level of the Condensed Pattern Realm so quickly, and thunder was still rumbling within his body.

News of the four generals achieving the second-tier condensed runes through their golden bodies and blood, and the seven commanders of the Inner Strength Tiger Guards, began to spread from the banks of the Huai River to all directions, astonishing the entire world.

According to calculations by all parties, and considering the combined forces remaining in the capital, the Jia family alone has revealed six second-tier cultivators, two outer-level cultivators, nine inner-level cultivators, and the rest are not counted.

Although there are no third-tier powerhouses, Jia Tang's strength, combined with the Jia clan's clan-protecting Yuan soldiers and formations, is still unknown.

···

Nine days later, on the twelfth day of Jia Min's deathbed, the Jiangnan Grand Camp's warship fleet suddenly arrived in the Yangzhou Prefecture waterway and blocked the waterways surrounding Yangzhou City and Jiangdu County.

On the fourteenth day after Jia Min's body lay in state, three thousand fierce cavalrymen arrived at the city of Yangzhou. Dark clouds loomed over the city, threatening to crush it, and the chilling atmosphere seemed to freeze the soldiers guarding the city walls.

Two banners stood in front of the cavalry camp. The left banner had a large character "Jia" on it, with "Xianjing Ningguo Prefecture" on the upper left and "Jia" embroidered on the upper right. The words "Da Zhao Wu Ying Bo" were vertically embroidered in the middle. The right banner read "Jiangnan Camp - Guerrilla - Jia".

Upon seeing the general's flag, the officer on duty quickly opened the city gates and lowered the drawbridge, allowing the army to enter the city.

On the fifteenth day after Jia Min's body lay in state, at dusk, under the horrified gazes of the entire city, Xie Jing and Jiang Zining each led a battalion of troops into the city.

At the Lin residence, Jia Tang, dressed in mourning clothes with a hemp rope around his waist and a mourning cap on his head, sat outside the mourning hall, listening to the messenger report that members of the salt merchant's family and servants were frequently seen climbing over the walls and digging holes in the walls in an attempt to escape, only to be killed.

At this moment, a commotion came from outside the mansion, and footsteps gradually rose. It turned out that Jia He had led Xie Jing and Jiang Zining there.

After the two offered incense and paid their respects, Jia Tang led them into the study on the west side. Lin Ruhai bowed repeatedly to the two, but they ignored him. Before they could even have a sip of hot tea, Xie Jing began to press them for answers.

"I heard they killed two Tier 2 fighters and five late-stage Tier 1 fighters? Also, the rebels have a lot of crossbowmen and armor?"

Xie Jing flew into a rage upon seeing Jia Tang nod: "Fine, fine, fine! There are collusions even among the garrison. Now this fake assignment has become a real one. Once it's investigated, we'll wipe them out in blood."

"Good lad, it seems the Nine Refinements of Martial Body are real. Your innate Golden Jade Body is truly remarkable."

Jiang Zining chimed in, "Hey, even if we rushed as fast as we could, we were still a step too late. It's a real shame we didn't get to witness Yu Yin's divine might."

Jia Tang waved his hand and began to clarify the situation: "Now the matter is basically clear. Because the salt administration had a deficit of more than 20 million, the six salt merchant families, together with the Wenxiang and Wuwei sects, were preparing to rebel. Except for the Ma family, the other five families were all exterminated."

"The Ma family? What's the point of keeping them around?"