Chapter 22 Annihilation of the Liu Residence. Who Strikes First?
The trio returned to the Gu Residence.
Liu Yexi and a group of secret guards had arrived in Linjiang City.
"In haste, without the Royal Decree, swiftly resolve the matter with the head of the Liu family. We'll seek imperial approval for the confiscation later," ordered Liu Yexi calmly.
"I left in a hurry this time and didn't bring a holy order. You guys quickly settle that Liu family head, and then ask for a decree to confiscate the family later."
Since the Liu family belonged to commerce rather than the government, they might not recognize the secret guards from the Imperial Announcements Bureau.
To prevent unnecessary resistance from the Liu family's subordinates, Liu Yexi chose to appear directly in the Liu residence with her entourage of secret guards, arriving at the door of the family head, Liu Wentian.
"Enter!"
Liu Yexi gestured with a delicate hand, and the secret guards forcefully broke down the door.
Inside the room, Liu Wentian, who was enjoying wine with two concubines, abruptly woke up.
"Who dares to intrude into my Liu residence? Seeking death, are you?"
As a wealthy merchant involved in dubious activities, Liu Wentian was prepared for the possibility of assassination. Quickly pushing aside the two concubines, he seized the precious sword behind him.
However, two ghostly secret guards silently entered, surrounding them. Observing the aura of these dark figures, Liu Wentian's face turned unpleasant.
"Peak Innate Realm! Who are you people!?" Liu Wentian, relying on the concoctions he purchased and his Nurture Realm cultivation, had confidence that ordinary assassins could not harm him.
This was why he could draw his sword in self-defense upon sensing an intrusion.
Yet, as he surveyed the surroundings, Liu Wentian became thoroughly panicked. Any one of these dark figures could easily overpower him!
"Help! Help!"
Sensing the imminent danger, Liu Wentian immediately made the most prudent decision. However, the response he received was not the torchlight raised by his servants but a clear, cold female voice.
"No need to shout, Liu family head. I just set up a barrier; until this time tomorrow, no one will discover this place."
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Liu Yexi walked in with a smile, her fair fingers tapping the unsheathed soft sword, emitting a cold brilliance.
"Nature Realm Peak!"
Seeing his reflection in the soft sword, Liu Wentian's body hair stood on end. In this moment, the once secure and indulgent pseudo-imperial ruler felt the threat of death.
Liu Yexi's arrival chilled the atmosphere in the room. The two concubines cowered in the corner, watching the sword-wielding young woman of their age with fear.
"Who are you people?!" Liu Wentian, wide-eyed and trembling, couldn't comprehend how calamity had befallen his home out of nowhere. Skilled assailants appeared, all of them Innate Realm experts!
As Liu Yexi approached, he still couldn't piece it together. Finally, he dropped to his knees, choosing survival over contemplation.
"Please, spare me! All the gold, silver, and treasures in the Residence are yours. I only wish to live!"
Liu Wentian decided not to dwell on the past; survival came first. The disparity between the Innate Realm Peak and him was insurmountable.
"You people, every time you beg for mercy, it's about money... how uninspiring."
Liu Yexi shook her head and laughed softly, her beautiful eyes looking down at the suffocating goods, her cold sword against his neck, glazed over.
"But for the sake of you losing your sword, let you die with a clearer understanding."
"Some time ago, did your Liu family intercept a batch of military rations?"
Intercepted military grain?
The two concubines both looked puzzled when they heard that, this Liu family itself is a famous grain merchant, how could it intercept military grain?
But.
A moment later, the pupils of Liu Wentian who was thinking back violently shrunk, seemingly remembering such a thing!
"You... How did you know that!?"
"Wait..! Wang Qiang knows... They just went to Langzhou City yesterday, could it be... Are you guys from that Gu's Grain Store?!"
Liu Wen Tianli managed to clear his thoughts.
However, he immediately shook his head, his face full of disbelief!
"It can't be, that Gu's Grain Store is run by a white boy, and the Gu family is just an ordinary family, how could..."
He kept shattering with fear.
Without seeing it, Liu Yexi frowned in disgust at the moment.
The next instant.
Liu Wentian's voice came to a screeching halt, and his two eyes bulged outwards abruptly!
Liu Yexi's jade hand in front of him gently exerted force, and the blood-drinking groove of that soft sword instantly filled up with two red lines.
"Denigrating His Excellency and stealing and intercepting military rations, this is the crime of executing nine clans... It's cheap to die like this."
Liu Yexi sneered and sharply withdrew his sword.
The human head rolled down in a bone jar, and the two concubines next to him couldn't help but burst into fearful cries.
Liu Yexi signaled, and a secret guard walked over, directly knocking out the two women.
"Take Liu Wentian's body, go directly to the Ministry of Punishments for documentation. Spare the innocent members of the Liu family; take them away in a few days. Let the Ministry of Punishments handle their judgment." Liu Yexi, experienced and decisive, gave immediate orders.
"Yes, madam!" The secret guards respectfully responded. Liu Yexi then walked out of the room, rechecking the deployed barrier before soaring towards the direction of Jizhou with her sword.
Duke Mu Yun someone obsessed with the emperor and persistently pestering him. Due to hereditary nobility, the female Emperor couldn't easily depose him. However, with the country in turmoil, he dared to shelter a rebellious grain merchant and even provoked the young master?
Isn't this handing the weapon directly to the emperor? "Just break his legs and let him recuperate in Jizhou for a few years," Liu Yexi recalled the female Emperor's casually given instructions.
Two hours later.
The secret guards had already tidied up the place and departed for the capital. Linjiang City once again fell into the quiet embrace of the night.
At this moment, a tall figure suddenly appeared above Linjiang City. Cloaked in dark attire with a face veiled, revealing only a pair of bright and penetrating starry eyes, it was Gu Lan, who had slipped out while his wife was asleep.
As for why he ventured out so late...
Well, his wife had been anxious and frightened during the day, and he had spent quite some time soothing her. Gu Lan surveyed the area and finally found the Liu residence. However, with just a glance, he noticed a blurry scene.
"A barrier?" Gu Lan murmured in confusion. With a wave of his hand, the barrier laid by Liu Yexi instantly dissipated, revealing the true scene inside. Two girls lay unconscious in a corner, and the furniture, though neatly arranged by the secret guards, still retained a faint scent of blood in the air.
"They've already been killed?"
"Darn it, this guy is truly wicked... It seems he had more than one target in mind."
Gu Lan was slightly stunned, silently lamenting that he wanted to give Old Yang a good lesson. However, the Liu guy couldn't even hold on until he arrived!
Nevertheless, coming all the way at this late hour and leaving his wife's tender embrace, he couldn't return empty-handed. Gu Lan successively arrived at the place where the Liu family stored their gold, silver, herbs, and spiritual treasures, his eyes gleaming.
The previous group that came to kill Liu Wentian only resorted to murder; they didn't confiscate anything! Was it a vendetta? What a waste... Gu Lan's lips curled up, then he spoke slowly:
"All the treasures here are in my system space."
"All the spiritual herbs here are in my system space."
"Here..."
...
While Gu Lan was looting the Liu residence, near a towering locust tree on his way, two streaks of light descended. After landing, the radiance dissipated, revealing an old and a young Daoist wearing shabby Daoist robes.
The young Daoist rubbed his eyes, looking groggy. "Master, why did you wake your apprentice up so late and make us rush to such a distant place?"
The young Daoist complained.
Ignoring him, the old Daoist stood with hands behind his back, gazing slowly in the direction of Linjiang City, a joyful expression on his face. "Ren, do you remember what your master said before about someone capable of altering your destiny?"
"In a while, he will pass through here!"
"We must seize this opportunity!"
"Um, master, wasn't the person you previously divined at the shore of the East Sea?" The young Daoist scratched his head in confusion.
"They are not the same person."
The old Daoist shook his head and added, "I haven't completely understood this person, but my divination technique is never wrong. Let's just go along with the will of heaven!"
"Alright."
The obedient young Daoist nodded.
At that moment, Gu Lan, done with his looting, was flying towards their location from Linjiang City.