Seeing Chu Xuan actually dare to order his men to draw their blades against him, Lu Tao’s face showed a hint of astonishment.
Over the past three years, Chu Xuan had been a quintessential, spineless sycophant. He was so submissive that he would speak in hushed, trembling tones even to the servants of the Lu Family, terrified that Lu Xueqing might be displeased. Even though Lu Xueqing had already called off their engagement, the nature of a sycophant did not change; surely, he must still be hoping for her to have a change of heart. This was exactly why Lu Youwei and Lu Tao dared to use the begging three-piece set to humiliate him.
But what was happening now? Chu Xuan seemed like a different person. Was he not afraid that Lu Xueqing would be enraged and tear down his Langya Prince's Estate?
However, the astonishment on Lu Tao's face lasted only a moment. Shortly after, he let out a loud laugh and said, "Chu Xuan, I have to admit, you’ve got some brains after all. Realizing that soft tactics won't work, you're trying to use force to keep my sister. It's just a pity that your wishful thinking is misplaced."
Chu Xuan found Lu Tao's words both laughable and infuriating. He truly wondered where this family found the confidence to believe he still insisted on marrying Lu Xueqing. In the past, though he had been foolish, he was a man of sentiment and honor. Since Lu Xueqing had been his fiancée, it was only natural for him to support the Lu Family. One could hardly expect to marry someone's daughter while being stingy; that was not something the Langya Prince's Estate would do.
But things were different now. From the moment Lu Xueqing called off the engagement, he had no further connection to the Lu Family. For those who had nothing to do with him but still dared to humiliate him and his estate, Chu Xuan knew only one way to resolve the matter.
"I hope you still have this level of confidence when your head hits the ground."
Chu Xuan’s voice was frigid, his eyes brimming with killing intent. The guards visible at the Langya Prince's Estate were few, but every single one of them had been trained personally by the Prince, Chu Leiting. Their loyalty was unquestionable, and their cultivation had already reached the Second Grade. To them, Chu Xuan’s mention of "heads hitting the ground" was a command to kill; even if it meant being torn to shreds or having their entire families wiped out, they would fulfill it.
Thus, before Lu Tao could even finish his next words, one of the guards had already struck with his blade. A scream echoed throughout the Langya Prince's Estate.
Lu Tao turned abruptly, only to see that one of the men he had brought was already down, his head severed from his body. Blood surged from the stump, staining a large patch of the ground red. Upon seeing this, the others’ pupils contracted sharply, their faces turning deathly pale. Although they were members of the Lu Family, they were ordinary people without any cultivation. They had never seen such a bloody scene; their legs went weak, and they collapsed to the ground, wetting themselves in terror.
"Chu Xuan, you are bold indeed! How dare you kill my Lu Family’s people—my Grand General's Estate’s people! Even if you are the Heir to the Nation-Guarding Prince of Langya, I will make you pay with your life!"
Once he recovered from the shock, Lu Tao erupted in rage.The Lu Family was at the height of its power, and Lu Xueqing had recently earned military merit and been appointed as the Nation-Toppling Grand General by the Sovereign. To disrespect the Lu Family was to disrespect the Grand General herself. Even for high-ranking court officials, let alone a fallen estate and a trash heir, such an offense was not to be taken lightly.
Yet here, Chu Xuan had dared to order his guards to kill Lu Family members right in front of him. This was no longer just disrespect; he clearly didn't hold the Lu Family in any regard. With such behavior, no one would blame him if he killed Chu Xuan right here.
With that, Lu Tao lunged, punching toward Chu Xuan. Although Lu Tao was known for being a typical playboy, he did have some strength. His cultivation had reached the Third Grade, a realm higher than the guards of the Langya Prince's Estate. Consequently, at the moment Lu Tao struck, the guards couldn't intervene in time and could only shout, "Heir, dodge!"
However, faced with Lu Tao’s punch, Chu Xuan stood with his hands behind his back, motionless. To any observer, this posture looked like Chu Xuan had been paralyzed by fear, stunned by the sheer power of the blow. After all, Chu Xuan’s reputation as a "trash" had spread throughout the Dayuan State, and he was known as the shame of the Langya Prince's Estate. Especially after Chu Leiting died in battle, many had scoffed that such a heroic man had produced such a useless son. If not for the Sovereign’s patronage, such a person wouldn't have survived until now.
At that moment, the guards’ expressions changed to horror, filled with regret. They shouldn't have all charged forward; they should have left one or two to protect Chu Xuan personally. If Chu Xuan died, they would have no face left to live, nor any face to meet Chu Leiting and his wife in the afterlife.
"Chu Xuan, go to hell!"
But it was too late for regrets. Lu Tao’s fist was already inches from Chu Xuan. Just as it seemed this punch would end Chu Xuan’s life, a surge of energy rose from beneath Chu Xuan’s feet, instantly enveloping his entire body. In the next moment, Chu Xuan moved with lightning speed, forming his hand into a blade and slashing at Lu Tao.
"Thorn Slash!"
*Swish!*
The energy formed a golden arc that erupted from Chu Xuan’s right hand. In the blink of an eye, it passed through Lu Tao’s body and slammed into the wall behind him, shattering it into a cloud of dust.
Martial techniques were divided into four grades: Heaven, Earth, Mysterious, and Yellow, each with four sub-levels: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, and Peak. This "Thorn Slash" was an Earth-grade Advanced technique that Chu Xuan had plundered when he killed his first target. Its killing power was peerless, and no one within the same realm could withstand it.
As the slash landed, the courtyard fell into a deathly silence. Everyone stood in stunned disbelief, looking from the collapsed wall to Chu Xuan, who still maintained his hand-blade posture, and finally to Lu Tao, who stood only half a step away.
What had just happened? Where did that golden blade light come from? And why did they feel their souls tremble when it appeared?
Looking at Lu Tao, a trail of blood had appeared between his brows, and it was rapidly extending downward. He looked at Chu Xuan in front of him, his eyes bulging as if they were about to pop out of their sockets.
"This... how is this possible! You, you piece of trash, when did you learn a martial technique?"
Chu Xuan had no need to answer the question of a dead man. He slowly turned around and said, "Leave no one alive. Kill them!"
*Bang!*
The moment Chu Xuan turned, Lu Tao’s body exploded, flesh and blood flying in every direction, leaving nothing intact. Until his final breath, Lu Tao could not believe that Chu Xuan would actually dare to kill him, let alone be capable of it.
At the same time, an invisible ball of energy condensed where Lu Tao had exploded and floated toward Chu Xuan. This was Chu Xuan’s "golden finger"—the ability to plunder martial techniques after killing. As his consciousness resonated with the energy, Chu Xuan didn't even hesitate; he crushed the energy in his hand, looking at it with disdain. "Trash technique. What use is there for this?"
The guards finally snapped out of their shock, moving from regret and amazement to sheer exhilaration. The golden blade light had come from their own Heir! It turned out that their Heir had been hiding his true strength and enduring all these years. Not only was he not a "trash," but based on that soul-shaking blade technique, he was undoubtedly a formidable master of hidden power. Since he had now killed Lu Tao in a fit of rage, it proved that he was no longer hiding or holding back. With that, what more was there to hesitate about?
In an instant, blades flashed. The Lu Family servants were all cut down.
"Heir, everything is ready."
Heiyun appeared at that moment. He was not the least bit surprised or shocked, having expected this turn of events.
"Have the female servants clean up the corpses. All men of this estate, put on your armor, take up your weapons, and follow me to the Lu Family to take back the betrothal gifts."