Obviously, the Southern Fist King had taken away the ashes of everyone in the Di Family, leaving behind only a pile of empty boxes to blackmail Di Longxuan.
He forcefully suppressed his anger, walked over, and moved the heavy bronze censer. Although the five people inside the pagoda had not witnessed the carnage just moments ago, they had heard the sounds.
Looking at Di Longxuan now, their eyes were filled with awe as if gazing upon a god!
They all felt that this surreal scene must be a dream.
Just a moment ago, Di Longxuan had been trapped in a desperate situation facing death, yet within a mere few minutes, he had turned the tables and wiped out all the enemies inside the temple!
"Little Ancestor, you—you are truly immune to all poisons! Could it be that you possess the Vermilion Bird Divine Blood?!"
Zhang Songhe asked in shock.
"You certainly know a lot. My fourth master is a divine doctor who infused me with Vermilion Bird Divine Blood back then to save my life, which is why I am immune to all poisons."
Di Longxuan produced a pill from his pocket and handed it to Zhang Songhe.
Zhang Songhe swallowed it in his shock, and the limp, numb feeling caused by the tranquilizer dart gradually faded away.
He had only ever read about the legend of the Vermilion Bird Divine Blood granting immunity to all poisons in ancient medical texts; he never expected it to actually exist in reality.
At that moment, his worship of Di Longxuan reached its absolute peak.
"Brother Xuan, I'm so glad you're not dead! But don't ever do something this foolish again next time!"
Liu Jiangxue collapsed to the ground, weeping tears of joy.
Di Longxuan squatted down to examine her gunshot wound, used his internal energy to draw out the bullet, immediately applied herbal healing powder to the wound, and tore off a strip of cloth to bandage it.
"Don't worry, whatever I do, my intelligence is always on point."
Di Longxuan picked her up tenderly and said.
Liu Jiangxue lay in his arms, her cheeks slightly flushed, and said nothing more.
Ning Tianqi also stood up. "Young Master Di, that was too close for comfort earlier, but your divine bravery is truly astonishing."
"I'm sorry for implicating you, the Patriarch of the Ning Family, and Elder Ning. Consider this an IOU from me to the Ning Family; you can cash it in at any time."
Di Longxuan said solemnly.
Upon hearing this, any lingering resentment in Ning Jiuchuan's heart vanished completely. "You are too polite, Young Master Di!"
Ning Haikun also hurriedly offered some polite remarks, but inside he was overjoyed. After all, even a fool could see that the defying-the-heavens abilities Di Longxuan currently possessed were real.
Securing a favor from Di Longxuan was undoubtedly immensely valuable.
Furthermore, he had noticed his granddaughter Ning Tianqi's deep affection for Di Longxuan.
If a match could be successfully arranged between them, why would the Ning Family need to worry about not rising to prominence in the future?
However, until the outcome was decided between Di Longxuan and the Southern Fist King, Ning Haikun dared not force any match. What if Di Longxuan lost? Wouldn't the Ning Family be dragged down to the grave with him?
"Little Ancestor, are these ash boxes actually empty?"
Zhang Songhe walked out and, seeing the empty ash boxes scattered across the floor, his face immediately darkened.
Di Longxuan nodded. "The Southern Fist King is utterly despicable!"
At this point, everyone realized they had been tricked.
The ashes of everyone in the Di Family must have been taken away by the Southern Fist King long ago; this was nothing more than a trap.
"Miss Liu, besides you, does anyone else know that you stored the ashes here?"
Zhang Songhe asked, looking puzzled.
"I really didn't tell anyone, because I was afraid the Di Family's enemies would come to loot and destroy them."
Liu Jiangxue said earnestly.
"That's strange, then. How did the Southern Fist King find out?"
Zhang Songhe frowned and said.
Di Longxuan was equally puzzled. Although he couldn't guess the reason, he was certain the source of the leak must lie within the Liu Family!
"Call your father and tell him to come see me, or he dies!"
"..."
Hearing this, Liu Jiangxue was put in a difficult position. Although her father treated her poorly, he was still her biological father.
Little did she know that Liu Renxing, who had been eavesdropping on the other end of the phone all along, upon hearing Di Longxuan's words, had already...
scared himself shitless!
Chapter 33: I Won't Settle Your Bad Habits
Shortly after, Lin Nan led a group of constables rushing to Ninggu Temple.
They found all the monks tied up in the warehouse, cleaned up the scene, and instructed the monks to keep the news strictly confidential.
After this battle, the majority of the wealthy elite families in Zhangtai City had withered away, leaving no possibility of a comeback.
Once the group returned to the city center, Di Longxuan immediately arranged for Liu Jiangxue to be admitted to the hospital. Although the bullet had merely passed through her flesh without damaging any bones, she still needed quiet rest to recover.
He applied the remainder of Xiaoguo's White Jade Bone-Mending Ointment to Liu Jiangxue's wound.
This would not only accelerate healing but also prevent any scarring.
Just as he finished handling this, Di Longxuan heard the ward door being pushed open.
Zhang Songhe and Lin Nan turned their heads to see a middle-aged man entering the room.
Liu Jiangxue, lying on the hospital bed, was startled at the sight. "Dad... why are you here?"
Before she could finish speaking, Liu Renxing dropped heavily to his knees!
And then he began slapping his own face wildly!
Liu Jiangxue was instantly shocked. "Dad, what is wrong with you? Stop hitting yourself!"
Zhang Songhe and Lin Nan were also left gaping in astonishment!
Only Di Longxuan looked at him with a cold and calm expression, having largely guessed that this man was connected to the incident at Ninggu Temple.
"Was it you who told the Chen Family or the Southern Fist King that I was going to Ninggu Temple to retrieve the ashes?"
"I deserve to die a thousand deaths! Please spare me this once, Young Master Di, I'll never dare do it again! It was my wife who installed eavesdropping software on Jiangxue's phone, which is how I found out about this..."
Liu Renxing slapped himself even harder, pleading for mercy in sheer terror.
The truth came to light!
Liu Jiangxue's face turned furious as she violently smashed her phone onto the floor. "Dad! You have gone too far! You almost got me and Brother Xuan killed, and you even let the ashes of Xuan's family go missing!"
"I was forced against my will! If I hadn't cooperated, the Chen Family would have killed me on the spot!"
Liu Renxing cried out hurriedly.
Di Longxuan's eyes were as cold as twin sword blades!
A murderous aura surged continuously around his body!
Yet in the end, he still refrained from striking. After all, the man was Liu Jiangxue's father; if he truly killed him, Liu Jiangxue would be left without a father, and her heart would bear an eternal scar.
"I will spare you this once. If you ever scheme against me again, or bully Jiangxue again, your life will be worse than death!"
With that, Di Longxuan raised his hand and struck a thread of internal energy directly into Liu Renxing's body!
Trembling violently with fear, Liu Renxing cried out in panic: "What trick did you pull on my body, Young Master Di? Didn't you say you'd spare me?!"
"It is merely a thread of internal energy. As long as you don't step out of line, you will be fine for the rest of your life. But if you try any tricks, I can shatter your internal organs at any moment and make your life worse than death."
Di Longxuan said coldly.
Hearing this, Liu Renxing turned pale with fright, but at least he was temporarily safe.
Seeing this, Liu Jiangxue breathed a sigh of relief as well. After pondering for a moment, she said, "Brother Xuan, since my father has already repented, let me go home to recuperate. Staying in the hospital is somewhat inconvenient."
"Very well. I will write you a prescription, and you can brew the medicine to drink every day after you return to build up your foundational health."
Di Longxuan said.
Liu Renxing hurriedly shuffled closer, wearing an expression of utmost concern. "Don't you worry, Young Master Di, I will take good care of Jiangxue! If anything happens to her, you can have my head!"
By now, he could see that even though Di Longxuan no longer had the Di Family backing him, he had become even more formidable!
He could wipe out the Chen Family with a flick of his wrist; if someone with such capability did not meet an untimely end, he was destined to become a heaven-defying figure in the future.
Liu Renxing also saw his daughter's genuine and deep affection for Di Longxuan. Why not use this opportunity to throw in his lot with him? In the future, who would ever dare bully the Liu Family again?
Following that, the group packed up together and escorted Liu Jiangxue back to the Tea Plantation Villa.
As for Ning Tianqi and the others, they had already returned to the Ning Family estate.
Inside the Tea Plantation Villa, no sooner had Liu Jiangxue settled in than a wave of chaotic noise erupted from the outer living room!
Loud shouting, wailing, and a continuous series of smashing sounds caused Liu Renxing to look momentarily bewildered. "What is going on out there?"
He hurriedly rushed downstairs.
With a frown, Di Longxuan followed him out.
Although Liu Jiangxue was also curious, Di Longxuan pressed her down onto the bed and forbade her from getting up.
Upon reaching the living room, Liu Renxing panicked, because the group of people making a ruckus and smashing things were none other than his wife Feng Lin's family!
The reason Liu Renxing had always been henpecked was precisely because his wife's family wielded immense influence.
Though the Feng Family could not be considered a top-tier wealthy family in Luodu, they still counted as a third-tier elite family.
Since Luodu was a major economic powerhouse, even a third-tier elite family held a crushing status when placed in Zhangtai City. Consequently, Liu Renxing never dared displease his wife Feng Lin, terrified of offending the Luodu Feng Family.
Now that Feng Lin had been killed by Di Longxuan, the news had already reached the Luodu Feng Family, completely poking a hornet's nest!
"My poor daughter had such a bitter fate, marrying into a backwater small place like Zhangtai only to be brutally murdered, without even a corpse left behind!"
An old woman sat on the sofa, wailing loudly.
Next to her stood an old man wielding a walking cane, violently smashing things around. "Liu Renxing, you better give me an explanation right now! Who killed my daughter? That person must pay for my daughter's life!"
"I heard my sister was murdered because of Liu Jiangxue! Hurry up and drag that little bintong Liu Jiangxue over here! She must have harbored fears that my sister would snatch the family fortune, so she secretly murdered her stepmother!"
A chubby middle-aged man wearing glasses cursed viciously.
With reddened eyes, the group surrounded Liu Renxing, every single one of them wearing a fierce and malevolent expression!
Trembling in terror, Liu Renxing stammered, "To be honest, Feng Lin did some things that weren't right either, and besides, this matter has nothing to do with me."
"You scoundrel! I entrusted my daughter to you, and she was brutally murdered, is that all you have to say in response?!"
Zhang Linxuan flew into a complete rage!
The rest of the family rushed forward aggressively, intent on exacting brutal revenge on Liu Renxing.
Watching all this from behind, Di Longxuan walked over with a cold gaze and promptly kicked the chubby Feng Jun flying to the side!
Then he grabbed the old woman Zhang Linxuan by her hair and hurled her onto the sofa!
Before the old man Feng Kai could even react, he was slapped flat onto the ground by Di Longxuan with a single blow!
As for the ten bodyguards of the Feng Family, Di Longxuan held nothing back. With one punch per man, he sent all of them flying to crash onto the ground outside, howling in agony and unable to stand!
"Jiangxue is resting upstairs. Whoever disturbs her dies! I will not say these words a second time!"
"Feng Lin was spoiled rotten by you lot—despicable and shameless—but I won't humor your bad habits!"
The chill in Di Longxuan's eyes condensed into physical substance!
The murderous aura erupting from his entire body suppressed the scene like a descending dragon or tiger!
Arrogant and tyrannical as the Feng Family members usually were, at this moment they were frightened into reigning in their bravado. One by one, they glared at Di Longxuan with venomous and furious eyes.
Seeing this, Liu Renxing hurriedly hid behind Di Longxuan's back. "He is Jiangxue's boyfriend, I advise you all to behave yourselves! From now on, the Liu Family is not someone you can easily bully!"
"..."
Di Longxuan was momentarily stunned, yet he did not deny the statement.
To him, Liu Jiangxue held deep affection for him; regardless of whether they could walk a path together in the future, he would protect her to the utmost of his ability.
Gritting his teeth, Feng Jun said, "Punk, I heard someone surnamed Di killed my sister. Judging by how vicious you are, it must be you!"
"It is indeed me. If you are unsatisfied, you can seek revenge on me right now."
Di Longxuan didn't bother to deny it in the slightest. His tone was aggressive, cutting straight to the point!
Chapter 34: The Third Princess
"Quite arrogant, but my Feng Family isn't easy to push around either. Do you think that just because you have some tricks up your sleeve, there's nobody in this world who can deal with you? You're wrong! The people my Feng Family knows are numerous!"
Feng Jun said coldly.
"Go ahead and name a few. If I am scared, I lose. But if I'm not scared, since you're threatening me like this, your ending generally won't be very pleasant!"
Di Longxuan's gaze turned sharp and terrifying!
With a single step forward, he grabbed Feng Jun by the hair. He knew very well that showing too much mercy to the Feng Family would be an act of cruelty toward Liu Jiangxue.
If he couldn't beat the Feng Family into submission today, they would undoubtedly scheme and exact revenge on Liu Jiangxue and her father in a hundred different ways in the future.
Seeing his son's hair being grabbed and hearing him scream in pain, Feng Kai snatched a flower vase from the table and swung it toward Di Longxuan's head!
Yet before the vase could strike Di Longxuan's head, Feng Kai himself was kicked flying by a single blow from Di Longxuan, crashing heavily into the courtyard!
"There are some things I don't care to say a second time. Remember! I won't humor your bad habits, and I am certainly not your father!"
Di Longxuan said frostily.
At this, the arrogant momentum of Zhang Linxuan and the other Feng family members was ruthlessly crushed by Di Longxuan!
With his scalp bleeding from being grabbed, Feng Jun shrieked in agonizing pain and roared fiercely, "Punk surnamed Di, my Feng Family knows the Deputy Mayor of Luodu! Are you scared or not?!"
"Have him come and rescue you then. If he can make it, I'll submit to you."
Di Longxuan said coldly.
Hearing this, Feng Jun instantly lost his nerve. He did indeed know the man, but he certainly didn't have the heavy clout required to summon him specifically to come rescue him.
Stimulated by the sharp pain in his scalp, Feng Jun proceeded to rattle off the names of several other prominent figures in Luodu.
Yet Di Longxuan didn't think much of them at all, not even blinking an eyelid!
Furious and terrified, Feng Jun couldn't think of any other figure powerful enough to bring out for intimidation.
Right at that moment, Zhang Linxuan screamed at the top of her lungs: "Di Longxuan, I just received an invitation card from the Third Princess! No matter how arrogant you are, you are no match for the Third Princess. Do you really want me to call the Third Princess over here?!"
"The Third Princess, who is that?"
Di Longxuan asked coldly.
Upon hearing this name, Liu Renxing was also filled with confusion, having never heard of such a person.
However, Feng Jun, still being held by the hair, immediately shouted: "You don't even know the Third Princess? How utterly ignorant! The Third Princess is actually... actually the illegitimate daughter of the Southern Fist King! Are you scared now?! The Southern Fist King can kill you with a single punch!"
The illegitimate daughter of the Southern Fist King?
This time, Di Longxuan's expression finally changed!
Seeing this, Zhang Linxuan grew instantly excited, assuming Di Longxuan was finally terrified, and added: "The Third Princess's birthday party is attended exclusively by Luodu's elite circles. The fact that my Feng Family received an invitation proves our relationship is extraordinary! If you don't release my son right this instant, I'm calling the Third Princess!"
Before she could even finish her sentence, Di Longxuan violently slammed Feng Jun onto the ground!
And planted his foot squarely on the man's arm!
"Now, tell me everything about this Third Princess, and about this birthday banquet as well. Otherwise, you can kiss this arm goodbye."
Di Longxuan demanded sternly.
"Are you asking for a death wish, kid? I already told you the Third Princess has deep ties with my Feng Family, and yet you still pull this stunt!"
Zhang Linxuan raged.
Before her voice had faded, Feng Jun on the ground let out a shrill, piercing scream as his arm was crushed into pulp beneath Di Longxuan's foot!
"I want to hear what I asked for, speak, and spare me the nonsense."
Di Longxuan said icily.
Scared out of her wits, Zhang Linxuan collapsed onto the sofa, no longer daring to act rashly. She hurriedly began answering truthfully, while the other Feng family members frantically chimed in with supplemental details.
After listening, Di Longxuan kicked Feng Jun aside. "Get lost, and never come back to the Liu Family to stir up trouble again, or you won't leave alive!"
Zhang Linxuan had been frightened out of her mind. She hurriedly ordered her clansmen to hoist up the injured father-and-son pair, Feng Jun and Feng Kai, and fled the villa in a panic.
Liu Renxing wore an expression of gloating satisfaction. Having been bullied by the Feng Family for so many years, he had finally held his head high and vented his anger.
Yet, caution still prevailed as he said, "Young Master Di, you must be careful and guard against the Feng Family actually going to find the Third Princess to exact revenge on you."
Unexpectedly, Di Longxuan simply looked at him with a half-smile and asked, "Tell me, if I beat up this Third Princess, do you think the Southern Fist King would drop dead from sheer rage?"
"This... this isn't going too far, is it? Isn't this too dangerous?"
Liu Renxing was dumbfounded.
The Southern Fist King was the undisputed overlord of the Hengjiang Region, hailed as the foremost among Martial Venerables and a towering pillar of the martial world!
With tens of thousands of disciples alone and over a dozen affiliated forces, who would dare provoke such a figure? Wasn't that courting death?
"Could it be more dangerous than provoking me?"
Di Longxuan smiled coldly, instructed Liu Renxing to take good care of Liu Jiangxue and contact him if anything arose, and strode out briskly.
Once outside, he phoned Lin Nan to arrange for a dozen armed constables to come and protect Liu Jiangxue's safety.
Then, he dialed a number that had always lingered in his phone contacts but had never once been called.
An hour later, at the Riverside Park in Zhangtai City!
Di Longxuan stood tall and straight. Before him appeared a young woman dressed in black, exuding a heroic and spirited aura, with her hair tied in a high ponytail and a tall, alluring figure.
This person was none other than Mu Yanran, the fourth of the Nine Saintesses of Yanyun Mountain!
According to his master's introduction, Mu Yanran had descended the mountain six years ago to establish her foothold and manage affairs in the Hengjiang Region, accumulating immense status and influence.
Di Longxuan originally hadn't intended to disturb her, but for the sake of safety, he decided to contact Mu Yanran after all.
After all, if he wanted to uproot the Southern Fist King, even with his strength, he couldn't face the Southern Fist King's tens of thousands of disciples and various affiliated forces all by himself.
"Saintess Mu Yanran pays her respects to the Yanyun Young Master!"
Mu Yanran sized Di Longxuan up for a few moments; though a trace of skepticism lingered in her eyes, she still offered a respectful bow.
Word had already been passed down from Yanyun Mountain that the Young Master had descended the mountain, and all Nine Saintesses were required to obey the Young Master's commands without question!
Although Mu Yanran held the five great elders of Yanyun Mountain in reverent awe and dared not disobey them in the slightest, she harbored very little genuine respect for this so-called Young Master.
After all, she had cultivated formidable skills on Yanyun Mountain, and following six years of venturing out and accumulating experience after descending, she had already built a massive sphere of influence in the Hengjiang Region.
If Di Longxuan merely possessed a nominal Young Master title without possessing correspondingly terrifying strength, Mu Yanran would not allow herself to be ordered around; she would only hold him in contempt.
She might be a Saintess, true, but she was no bondservant!
"Greetings. Tomorrow evening, I am going to Luodu to kill someone, and I hope you can provide some coordination."
Di Longxuan said calmly.
He had caught that trace of skepticism in Mu Yanran's eyes, and he had seen the cold indifference in her demeanor as well.
Yet he was in no rush to prove himself, for even if one's fists were hard enough, there was no need to swing at every fly that crossed one's path.
"Kill whom? If it's merely some minor figure that the Young Master cannot handle, I can simply dispatch someone to kill them."
Mu Yanran said indifferently.
Her tone carried a provocative edge!
"She is called the Third Princess."
Di Longxuan stated directly.
"Kill her? Does the Young Master know her identity..."
Mu Yanran was instantly struck dumb with astonishment!
"I know. She is the illegitimate daughter of the Southern Fist King. This time, she is merely my bait; the one I truly intend to kill is none other than the Southern Fist King!"
With that single sentence from Di Longxuan, an icy chill pierced straight through everything within a hundred meters!
Even with Mu Yanran's formidable mental fortitude, she couldn't help but shudder involuntarily!
Chapter 35: Your Favoritism and Your Only One
Within Luodu, anyone with even a shred of social standing was well aware of who the Third Princess was!
She appeared to be an ordinary young woman born to a socialite out of wedlock, but in reality, she was the illegitimate daughter of the Southern Fist King. It was simply that no one dared to openly speak of this matter, nor did anyone dare discuss it in public places.
Yet ever since the Third Princess reached adulthood, anyone who happened to offend her had one by one been hunted down and killed by the Southern Fist King's forces or disciples!
Having spent six years carving out her path in the Hengjiang Region, Mu Yanran naturally knew of this as well. Strong as she was, even she did not dare provoke the Southern Fist King.
After all, the Southern Fist King was the undisputed veteran overlord of the Hengjiang Region!