"How bold! How dare you cause trouble at the Qian Family residence? Do you have a death wish?"
A guard from the Qian Family let out an angry shout and stepped forward to drive Chu Xuan away.
"Crack!"
A crisp sound rang out. Before anyone could react, the guard’s throat had been slit.
Ignoring the stares of the crowd, Chu Xuan swept his gaze across the room, his eyes turning icy cold. A towering rage surged within his chest, almost taking physical form.
The little girl who once clung to his arm every day, calling him "Brother" in her soft, milky voice, was now before him—her face worn with hardship, her clothes in tatters, looking as if she had just been violated.
Dammit! All of these people deserved to die!
"Who are you? Do you know where you are? This is the Qian Family!" Qian Qiwen gnashed his teeth and roared, "Where are the men? Where have they all gone? Why haven't you taken this bastard down yet?"
As he spoke, people began spilling out from the inner courtyard, each looking more menacing than the last. Yet, every single one who approached Chu Xuan had their heart pierced, falling into a pool of blood.
"Rumble!"
The heavens changed color; dark clouds gathered, thunder rolled, and a torrential downpour began. Blood mingled with the rain, carrying a pungent, metallic stench that enveloped the entire Qian estate. A bone-chilling cold radiated from Chu Xuan, seemingly freezing the very rain in the air. The wedding guests felt a frost settle over them from head to toe, their hearts turning to ice.
"Whoever touched her, step forward!"
Chu Xuan pointed at Chu Keke, his voice devoid of any emotion as he surveyed the crowd.
"What? I touched her. What are you going to do, take away my status as the Qian Family’s future—"
"Squelch!"
A stylish young man from the Qian Family had jumped out, acting arrogant and brazen, but before he could finish his sentence, his head was separated from his body.
"Ah!"
The sight shocked many. The more timid guests were so terrified they wet themselves.
"You—tell me, who touched her? If you can't name them, you die!" Chu Xuan grabbed a wealthy heir, his voice sounding like the Grim Reaper claiming a soul.
"Don't... don't kill me! I'll tell you! Everyone who touched Chu Keke was a member of the Qian Family!"
"Thud!"
Chu Xuan dropped the man and declared, "In that case, kill them all!"
With those words, his figure flickered, and afterimages danced before the eyes of the crowd. Each flash of his shadow brought a spray of blood. Crimson mist drifted in the air, and blood rained down, turning the Qian estate into a slaughterhouse.
A minute later, the rain gradually ceased. Everything fell silent. Nothing remained but a floor covered in corpses.
Everyone was too terrified to breathe, watching in stunned silence as Chu Xuan walked toward Chu Keke. Looking at that face—so familiar yet so changed—Chu Keke rubbed her eyes repeatedly, doubting if she was hallucinating.
Until Chu Xuan spoke: "Keke, I’m here..."
Chu Keke’s body trembled. She bit her lip, trying to hold back the bitterness, but the tears poured out like a broken string of pearls.
"Brother... I knew you were still alive. Thank God..."
"I'm sorry, I’m late," Chu Xuan said, his voice choked with emotion.
He couldn't even begin to imagine the inhuman torment Chu Keke had endured over the past five years. It was all his fault for not investigating thoroughly; if he had known she was alive, he would have broken out of prison long ago to save her from this hell.
"What? That’s Chu Xuan? How is that possible?" someone gasped. The others were equally horrified. Five years ago, Chu Xuan had his kidneys gouged out and his spine shattered—that was a death sentence! It was impossible for him to be alive!
"Keke, why are your legs broken?" Chu Xuan examined her briefly, his expression turning dark.
Crying, Chu Keke replied, "It... it was the Zhao Family. They broke my legs so I couldn't run away..."
"The Zhao Family again! Very well!" Chu Xuan suddenly laughed, but it was a cold, enraged sound.
"Brother, don't do anything rash. The Zhao Family isn't what it used to be. They have the support of the Wei Family now; you can't fight them." Chu Keke gripped Chu Xuan’s hand tightly, terrified he would do something foolish. She didn't want to lose the only family she had left! She would rather Chu Xuan stay alive than seek revenge!
"Keke, don't worry. The Zhao Family is no match for me." Chu Xuan spoke softly to comfort her, then took off his coat to cover her.
Qian Duoduo stood nearby, watching his "wife" being cared for, and was instantly consumed by intense jealousy. "Brother, look at him! He... he touched my wife, he made her dirty! And I’m supposed to consummate the marriage later!"
"Bang!"
Before Qian Qiwen could say a word, Chu Xuan kicked Qian Duoduo against the wall. His internal organs were pulverized, leaving him looking like a mass of meat.
"Duoduo!" The sight of his brother’s gruesome death made Qian Qiwen’s eyes nearly burst from their sockets. "Chu Xuan, you base wretch! Instead of hiding like a rat, you have the gall to come back and ruin my brother’s wedding, and now you’ve killed him! You are unforgivable!"
"Qian Da, Qian Er! Stop standing there, for God's sake! Kill him! Kill him now!"
Two hulking figures suddenly emerged. Chu Xuan saw at a glance that these were two martial artists at the Great Accomplishment stage of External Force. In the world of martial arts, External Force was the starting point, Internal Force was the entry-level, and those with great talent could reach the level of a Grandmaster. Each realm was divided into Lesser, Great, and Full Accomplishment, and even the smallest gap between these levels represented an insurmountable chasm in strength.
"Chu Xuan, don't think that because you’ve learned a few tricks, you can do whatever you want." Qian Qiwen’s eyes were bloodshot as he raved arrogantly, "When we wiped out the Chu Family, Qian Da and Qian Er both participated. Your niece was killed by their hands!"
"Keke, close your eyes."
At Chu Xuan’s command, Chu Keke obediently shut her eyes. Two dull thuds followed, and when she opened them again, only two corpses remained on the ground. No—they couldn't even be called corpses! They were nothing more than puddles of blood and shattered remains.
"You... how could you be this strong?!" Qian Qiwen felt as if he had been struck by a club; his mind was reeling. These were Great Accomplishment External Force fighters! They could kill a tiger with a single punch! It should have been a simple matter for the two of them to finish off a weakling like Chu Xuan. Yet, the result? They were slaughtered in seconds before they could even strike? What kind of joke was this!
"Anyone irrelevant, get out. I’m clearing the place."
At Chu Xuan’s cold words, the guests, already terrified, scrambled to flee, fearing that if they were a step behind, they would suffer the same fate. Some of the Qian Family’s relatives tried to blend in and escape with the crowd, but under Chu Xuan’s piercing gaze, every one of them had their heart veins severed, dying on the spot.
Within a few breaths, nothing remained of the Qian estate but a sea of bodies.
"Now it’s your turn!" Chu Xuan shifted his gaze to Qian Qiwen.
"No... don't..." Qian Qiwen’s eyes went vacant, his hair stood on end, and he trembled uncontrollably. "Chu Xuan... Big Brother Chu, I didn't mean to offend you. Please, give me a chance to make amends..."
"Opportunities are for God to give. My task is simply to send you to meet Him."
As he spoke, Chu Xuan stepped over to Qian Qiwen and snapped his neck.
"Little sister, let’s go."
Chu Xuan wiped his hands, picked up Chu Keke, and walked away.
The cold wind blew, and the smell of blood hung heavy in the air. In the span of half an hour, the once festive Qian estate... not a single soul remained alive.
However...
This was only the beginning.