My cultivation method shines upon all heavens.

Outside the Lu residence, in a secluded alley.

Liu Shengcai bent over, cautiously peeking out half his face to observe the commotion at the Lu residence.

He was dressed in black, his face veiled with black gauze, revealing only a pair of sharp, restrained eyes.

His face was cold and stern, devoid of the gentle smile he usually showed when facing Lu Ming.

"Lord Lu, I'm sorry... Daring to take money from the master is like provoking the tyrant."

"I respect you as a man, and I will definitely treat your family well."

He spoke softly, but his eyes flashed with cold light.

At that moment, a slight commotion suddenly arose from the dozen or so subordinates behind him.

"What's wrong?"

He turned around and scolded in a low voice.

"Butler Liu, it seems someone is here."

A subordinate hurried forward and reported in a low voice.

Liu Shengcai's expression changed, and he flashed away silently, instantly spotting several figures lurking in the shadows at the end of the alley ahead.

"Hmm? The Prince's shadow guards?"

He narrowed his eyes, then coldly rebuked:

"Shadow One, we're old acquaintances. Since you're here, show yourself. Why hide?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a thin man completely covered in black emerged from the end of the alley.

His pace was neither hurried nor slow, like a wolf pacing back and forth.

More than ten shadow guards filed out from behind him, their faces covered with black scarves, revealing only pairs of cold eyes.

"Liu Shengcai, a man from the Lu family, is wanted by our Prince's Mansion."

Yingyi stopped three feet in front of Liu Shengcai, his voice hoarse.

"Heh, on what grounds?"

Liu Shengcai was not to be outdone and retorted sharply.

"On what grounds? On Third Master's strength, on the fact that Lu Ming is doomed to die."

Ying Yi narrowed his eyes and let out a cold laugh:

"Anyway, our upright official will send the person over eventually, won't he? We can just take over directly, which will save you some trouble."

"You're talking nonsense!"

Liu Shengcai's expression changed slightly, and he shouted angrily.

He naturally guessed his master's plan.

Lu Ming won; the Lu family members are now his leverage.

Lu Ming lost, and these people were just scapegoats sent to Wang An to appease his anger.

Clearly, no one believed Lu Ming could win.

Who was Wang An?

Even though he did not obtain an official position in the Great Zhao Dynasty, he was still deeply feared by Liu Zhiyuan.

Planning something is one thing, but having it said to your face is a blatant mockery and a slap in the face.

As soon as he shouted, the guards from the Liu family rushed forward.

The shadow guards were not to be outdone and charged forward with their swords.

"Clang!"

The sound of weapons clashing rang out as two groups of people faced off, swords drawn, in a cold standoff, sparks flying like stars as their blades clashed.

"This upright official is truly a scholar... indeed treacherous and cunning!"

As Yingyi and Liu Shengcai clashed, their energy surged, their robes billowing like sails, and Yingyi cursed inwardly.

At this moment, the two sides appear to be at loggerheads, but in reality, it's just for show.

Everyone is waiting for a result.

If Lu Ming is defeated, Liu Shengcai will definitely retreat immediately, handing over the Lu family members as a favor.

If Wang Anruo is defeated, even if he is determined to avenge his lord, his morale will inevitably be at a disadvantage.

At that time, the only option is to retreat and carry out the dying wish of the Third Master.

But now he has no other choice.

He knew Liu Shengcai inside and out, and they had secretly fought countless times, so he couldn't easily defeat him.

Most importantly, he trusted his third master.

With Third Master's strength, who in Yinhu County can rival him, apart from that sorcerer from Taiping Dao and that corrupt official Liu Zhiyuan?

The two groups faced off coldly, sparks flying, but neither made any further moves.

Time passed slowly, and the night wind howled, swirling fallen leaves in the alley.

Just then, several cold glints flashed and disappeared with the night wind!

"ah--!"

Several screams rang out in succession.

Among the two groups, several martial artists' expressions changed drastically, and they looked down in disbelief at the hands that held their knives.

The hilt of the knife seemed to be pulled by some unseen force, and it moved on its own!

"kill--!"

The person who was slashed felt the excruciating pain instantly destroy their reason, and with a roar, they charged at the other side with their knife.

Yingyi and Liu Shengcai were stunned when they saw this, then their expressions changed drastically, and they turned their heads sharply.

Two cold glints flashed, instantly piercing the throat of the person behind them.

"Damn it, how dare they plant a spy!"

The thought flashed through their minds simultaneously.

And by extending this idea to others, he quickly became certain of it.

"Let's do it!"

The two men erupted in murderous intent and roared.

The spies who were originally hiding between the two groups made their move at the same time, slashing at their companions with a knife.

"Ah! Li Er, you've become a traitor!"

"I'm sorry, I had no choice!"

"Zhang San, I treated you like a brother for nothing!"

"Whose fault is it that you're stupid?"

The scene instantly descended into chaos. The two sides, disregarding any semblance of understanding, charged forward and engaged in a life-or-death struggle.

"Bang bang bang—!"

The sounds of clashing weapons and shouts of battle filled the air, and the glint of blades crisscrossed in the moonlight.

In a short while, more than ten people fell down, their blood meandering through the cracks in the blue bricks, gleaming darkly in the moonlight.

In the blink of an eye, only a handful of people remained standing on the field.

"boom--!"

Liu Shengcai and Ying Yi clashed fists and claws, creating a shockwave that sent shards of rock flying. Both of them were forced to retreat several steps.

"stop!"

"wrong!"

Both men had blood trickling from the corners of their mouths, their faces were ashen, and they spoke almost simultaneously.

The situation changed too quickly; they didn't have time to think it through.

It now appears that neither side has anyone skilled in using concealed weapons.

So, who was it that suddenly launched that sneak attack?

Is someone trying to be the mantis stalking the cicada?

The same thought immediately crossed their minds.

As the two spoke, the rest of the people broke free from the fight and stared at each other coldly, and the scene suddenly fell silent.

"Hey, why did you stop fighting?"

A crisp sound suddenly rang out.

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately turned around and looked in the direction from which the sound came.

Under the moonlight, at the end of the alley leading to the Lu residence, a beautifully sculpted little girl was walking towards the house with a sword in her hand.

Her white dress fluttered gently in the night breeze, a sweet smile on her face as she tilted her head, looking at them curiously.

"Go ahead and fight, Wanjun loves watching you fight."

Liu Shengcai and Yingyi exchanged a glance, their expressions turning extremely ugly.

They're all seasoned foxes, yet today they've been tricked by a little girl!

"Capture him first, then we'll talk!"

The two men had cold expressions and moved almost at the same time.

Shadow One crouched low like a wolf, its body leaving afterimages as it clenched its fists into claws, tearing through the strong wind with its knuckles crackling like popping beans.

Liu Shengcai leaped into the air, his body leaping and twisting between the alley walls, like an eagle swooping down on a rabbit, striking down with a hammer.

Even when facing a little girl, the two did not relax in the slightest, their faces radiating murderous intent.

The air crackled continuously, and the strong wind blew Xiao Wanjun's skirt backward.

Zhang Wanjun's smile finally vanished, turning icy cold as she muttered to herself:

"You're not going to fight anymore... then you're worthless."

As soon as she finished speaking, the surrounding temperature suddenly dropped, and wisps of water vapor in the air began to gather in her palm, condensing into fine blue threads that wrapped around the sword.

"Oh no...it's a martial arts technique!"

Yingyi and Liu Shengcai had this idea almost simultaneously.

As martial artists at the Blood Condensation Realm, they were already considered key figures in their respective forces.

Although he was unable to learn martial arts due to his background, he had already heard of his illustrious reputation from his master's family.

This little girl is actually a martial artist at the Marrow Refining Realm, and she has even mastered martial arts techniques!

The two men's expressions changed drastically, and they could no longer care about anything else; their blood and qi surged like a tide.

The wolf king's claws gleamed coldly, tearing through the air and cleaving the sky.

The hammer blow, powerful and heavy, crashed down like a mountain, accelerating towards Zhang Wanjun.

"The Dragon's Dream!"

Zhang Wanjun murmured softly, slowly raising the long sword in her hand.

Blue water vapor gathered, stretched, and condensed on the sword's edge, transforming into a three-foot-long blue dragon.

The dragon scales are as fine as frost, and the dragon whiskers drift like smoke.

Then her figure vanished abruptly, leaving only a wisp of pale blue smoke in her wake.

"hold head high--!"

A dragon's roar echoed through the narrow alley, filling the air with a chill.

Everyone present froze, their bodies stiff as if frozen in ice.

The blue dragon meandered and swam swiftly, passing by the crowd.

The air was frosty wherever it went, and the blue bricks were covered with ice.

Time seemed to stand still for a moment, and all sounds were swallowed up by the cold air.

At the end of the alley, the blue mist slowly dissipated.

Zhang Wanjun's figure reappeared, standing with her back to the crowd, sword in hand, her white dress falling silent in the night wind.

The remaining few people behind him all had horrified expressions, their faces stiff, and their skin covered with a thin layer of white frost, giving it an eerie bluish-purple hue.

Upon closer inspection, a thin line of blood ran across the throat, but it was frozen solid by the cold air before it could flow out.

"Bang bang bang—!"

One by one, the corpses fell to the ground, hitting the blue bricks with dull thuds.

Yingyi and Liu Shengcai, whose cultivation levels were the highest, still retained a trace of consciousness when their bodies fell to the ground.

On their deathbeds, only deep confusion remained in their minds:

Where did this monster come from?

If Lu Ming is already so terrifying, how could there be such a person hidden in the Lu family mansion?

Was everything... arranged by Lu Ming?

Third Master (the county magistrate) has probably met his match...

As darkness fell, they couldn't understand how what should have been an easy task had led to their deaths.

Zhang Wanjun gently shook the sword blade, brushing off the congealed blood droplets, her face icy cold.

Suddenly her expression changed, and she abruptly looked towards the end of the alley:

"Who?"

She moved swiftly, reaching the end of the alley and looking out.

Moonlight spilled down, and the streets outside were deserted, with only the night wind silently sweeping by, carrying dust with it.

Her nose twitched slightly as she sensed the familiar smell of blood in the air, and her delicate brows furrowed slightly.

"Oh no... Will Wan-jun be disliked?"

……

Wangfu.

"Lord Lu...Lord Lu..."

The group of Yin Tiger Guards, holding Lu Ming's body, gasped in shock and glared angrily at Wang An and his group.

Wang Lie's face showed a smug expression, his eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a cold glint:

"You dog-like creatures, how dare you bare your teeth at us! Now that little bastard Lu Ming is dead, I'll show you what it means to wish you were dead!"

The group of Yin Tiger Guards slowly laid Lu Ming's body down, then suddenly stood up.

"Brothers...we have no other way out now! Lord Lu has been incredibly kind to us. We may die, but let us avenge him...is that alright?"

The sergeant, with his handsome features and upright posture, drew his longsword and shouted loudly.

"Clang... clang..."

Long swords were drawn one after another, the sound like a sudden rainstorm.

"Kill the traitor...aven Lord Lu!"

"Killing one isn't a loss, killing two is enough... Let's go for it!"

"I owe Lord Lu two lives... and today I will repay them!"

The Yin Tiger Guards were filled with righteous indignation, their blades gleaming coldly in the firelight.

Luo Guanshan and Wu Dunru remained calm, glancing disdainfully at their former colleagues.

The four heads of the family also wore cold smiles, their eyes full of mockery.

These lowly people, apart from Lu Ming who can get their attention, are no different from stray dogs on the roadside.

Suddenly, a cry of surprise rang out.

"wrong!"