Since she was a child, in Chu Keke’s eyes, Chu Xuan had been the most responsible man in the world.
No one else could compare to him.
It was only a pity that the bonds of their bloodline as siblings dictated that they could never have a relationship beyond family.
Who would have thought that fate would have such an ingenious design?
Five years ago, that night, her parents told Chu Keke that she and Chu Xuan were not biological siblings.
Without the shackles of blood, that long-hidden feeling in her heart gushed out like a floodgate, impossible to hold back.
Pressed by her studies, Chu Keke could only suppress these emotions, planning to come back and confess to Chu Xuan once she finished her education.
Unfortunately, the upheaval of the Chu Family caused that sentiment to drift further and further away, becoming unreachable.
But fortunately, Chu Xuan was back now!
She could finally stand tall again!
They were both alive, both whole; everything was just right.
"No!"
Chu Xuan shook his head. "Keke, whether we have a blood relationship or not, you are my sister, my own flesh and blood!"
"More than a hundred members of the Chu Family died tragically because of me. I must avenge them. I will not let a single one of those who brought pain to the Chu Family off the hook."
"As long as they were involved in the extermination of the Chu Family, even if it’s just an ant, I will make them pay the price!"
Chu Keke was anxious to the point of desperation: "Brother, you can’t do this alone..."
"Boom!"
Before Chu Keke could finish speaking, a group of excavators rumbled over.
The leader stuck his head out and recognized Chu Keke immediately.
"The remnants of the Chu Family, and you dare to come here to pay respects? You truly don’t know what death looks like!"
"The Zhao Family has ordered that from today on, everything related to the Chu Family is to be cleared away, including these two graves."
"Get lost at once, or I’ll just have to bury you here with them!"
As soon as the words fell, a cold, ghostly wind began to howl.
The ashes of the spirit money swirled into the air, carrying a trail of black smoke that darkened the sky.
"Click, click, click..."
A series of crisp snapping sounds rang out, followed by the excavator drivers collapsing to the ground, dead with their eyes wide open.
The leader shivered, scanning his surroundings. His lips trembled as he shouted, "Who... who is playing these tricks? Come out!"
Chu Xuan wiped his hands, appearing behind the leader as if by magic, and clamped a hand around his throat.
"The Zhao Family suddenly ordered the removal of all traces of the Chu Family. Why?"
The leader felt the chill on his neck and was scared to death.
"The head of the Zhao Family is celebrating his birthday today. A master said that the site of the old Chu residence would affect his fortune. Not only that, but everything related to the Chu Family must be wiped clean."
Chu Xuan smiled.
It was a cold, cruel smile.
A wave of killing intent surged wildly, and the leader felt as if he were trapped in a Shura hell, his head throbbing as if it would burst.
"Bang!"
In less than ten seconds, unable to withstand the crushing pressure, the blood vessels in the leader’s brain burst, and he died on the spot.
Chu Xuan tossed the leader aside like trash, his eyes sharp as electric blades.
"Zhao Tai, you are truly venomous to the core."
"First, you used Zhao Qian to seduce me, leading to the destruction of the Chu Family, then you tried to marry my sister off to a fool from the Qian Family, nearly ruining her purity. And now... you want to erase every sign that the Chu Family ever existed!!!"
"Heh... today, I will turn your birthday banquet into a funeral."
As he finished speaking, a lightning bolt streaked across the previously clear sky—a bolt from the blue.
***
Yipin Residence.
As the most luxurious hotel in Jinling, those who could afford to spend money here were all part of the upper-crust elite.
Today, Yipin Residence had been bought out, bathed in red light and filled with a festive atmosphere.
Both the indoor and outdoor parking lots were packed with luxury cars; any vehicle worth less than a million was forced to park on the street.
High-ranking officials and business magnates from all over Jinling had come to show their support, making the Zhao Family’s birthday banquet exceptionally grand.
"Yao Chuan, CEO of the Jinling Shoe Factory, gifts a 'Spring Tree and Autumn Frost' scroll, wishing the Zhao Family head a long life of a hundred years."
"First Beauty Skincare gifts ten trucks of Miracle Water, wishing the Zhao Family head a youth that lasts forever!"
"The Wright Brothers gift a villa in Beauty Lake Estate, hoping the Zhao Family head long remains in control of the Zhao Family."
The congratulations were endless, and Zhao Tai, dressed in a Tang suit, wore a smile as he accepted the gifts one by one.
"Dad, with the military, political, and business sectors all coming to celebrate your birthday, the arrangements were quite good, weren't they?"
A woman appeared slowly.
Arrogance adorned her eyes, reaching the heavens; it seemed as if everyone around her was nothing but trash.
"Good, very good! This is all thanks to my daughter’s silver tongue!" Zhao Tai was very satisfied, giving Zhao Qian a thumbs-up.
Zhao Qian smiled slightly and pointed to a man in a suit who had arrived later, saying, "Wei Yiqun also deserves credit for this. Without him, this banquet couldn't have reached such heights."
"Father-in-law, happy birthday. After today, you will finally ascend to the rank of a veteran figure in Jinling!"
Facing Wei Yiqun’s flattery, Zhao Tai didn't dare to be conceited.
"Son-in-law, you joke. Your father is the true veteran. After all, there are very few families that can be on such good terms with Xiong Langgou!"
Wei Yiqun said smugly, "That's true. My father is now sworn brothers with Xiong Langgou. In the underworld, no one dares to provoke the Wei Family."
"And as for the legitimate forces, we have your Zhao Family in control. As long as we join forces, there isn't a family in all of Jinling that can be our match."
"Hahaha, you’re right," Zhao Tai laughed.
"All of this is thanks to the sacrifice of the Chu Family!"
Wei Yiqun and Zhao Qian exchanged glances, both wearing meaningful smiles.
If it weren't for that annihilation five years ago, which helped them devour the Chu Family, how could they have their current status and standing?
"By the way, what about that slut Chu Keke? According to the plan, she should be in the middle of her wedding night with Qian Xueyi’s son by now, right?" Zhao Tai checked his watch and changed the subject.
Before Zhao Qian could answer, Qian Xueyi, dressed in a long gown, walked over.
"I appreciate the Zhao family head's concern. My son must be very happy right now. This is all thanks to Miss Zhao’s help; otherwise, how could my son have married such a beautiful woman?"
"Chu Keke being able to marry Young Master Qian is her good fortune."
Zhao Qian’s casual remark gave Qian Xueyi plenty of face.
"Master! We have a mysterious gift!"
Suddenly, the butler came to deliver a message.
Zhao Tai looked over and saw four men carrying a large box into the banquet hall.
"It looks heavy. Could it be filled with gold?" someone guessed.
Curious, Zhao Tai ordered them to open the box.
"Pfft..."
The next second, a stream of fresh blood gushed out.
"Ah!!!"
Screams of terror erupted one after another.
Blood-soaked severed heads rolled out of the box, and the stench of raw flesh hit them, making people gag.
Looking at the gruesome, wide-eyed faces of the dead, Zhao Tai was struck as if by lightning.
"Uncle... Aunt... Great Aunt... Why? Why have our Zhao family relatives been beheaded?"
"Bastards! How dare you lay a murderous hand on my Zhao kin! This is unforgivable!!!"
At his own birthday party, all of the Zhao Family's extended relatives had been murdered!
And they had been delivered right to his doorstep in front of a hall full of guests!
This was, without a doubt, a blatant provocation!
A declaration of war against the Zhao Family!
Just at this moment, someone else broke the news.
"Master Zhao, the Zhao family residence has been attacked by a mysterious person; dozens of people are all dead."
"Before this, the Qian Family was also completely wiped out; the wedding venue is covered in corpses!"
Hearing this, Qian Xueyi’s face turned white, and he collapsed onto the floor.
Zhao Tai gritted his teeth, his rage uncontrollable.
"Who? Who did this? I will tear them into a thousand pieces!"
On the most glorious day for the Zhao Family, such a massacre occurred—this was nothing short of an ultimate humiliation.
"It was me!"
A voice devoid of any emotional fluctuation echoed, ringing in everyone's ears.
"Old Dog Zhao, this was a birthday gift I prepared personally for you. Do you like it?"
The crowd followed the sound and saw a thin man slowly stepping into the banquet hall.
His footsteps were light, but they seemed to tread upon everyone’s hearts, causing them to tremble with every step.
An invisible pressure spread out, causing the dazzling lights to flicker.
The indoor temperature plummeted, and the air was thick with the scent of death.
"He looks familiar. Why do I feel like I've seen this person somewhere?"
"It’s him! Chu Xuan! The eldest young master of the Chu Family!"
"Didn't he die? How could he possibly be alive? And judging by what he said, these 'masterpieces' are all his doing? Where did he get such power?"
...
The whispers were like thunder.
Zhao Tai and the others were terrified to the point of death.
A man who was meant to be dead—whose kidneys were dug out, whose spine was broken, and whose body was abandoned in the wilderness five years ago—had miraculously returned to life before them five years later?
What kind of joke was this?
"The Zhao Family, the Wei Family, and all the executioners who participated back then... the lives of over a hundred members of the Chu Family must be repaid..."
Chu Xuan swept his gaze across the room; his piercing eyes seemed to see through everything.
Those who were met with his gaze felt their bodies turn cold, their necks shrinking, and their hair standing on end.
"Clack, clack, clack..."
Chu Xuan stepped forward, his first targets being Zhao Tai and Zhao Qian.
Unexpectedly, Qian Xueyi was the first to send two men to block Chu Xuan’s path.
He had just conducted an investigation and discovered that the annihilation of the Qian Family was, in fact, the work of Chu Xuan.
The overwhelming rage left him unable to let Chu Xuan live for even another half-second.
"Chu Xuan, you dare to kill so many of my Qian family, I will chop you into meat paste!"
Amidst the roar, the two men sent by Qian Xueyi stomped their feet and charged at Chu Xuan.
They were External Force Completion martial artists!
Even better than Qian Da and Qian Er!
The stalwarts of the Qian Family’s martial might!
The top-tier experts on the scene!
"Die!"
However, Chu Xuan merely threw two punches with lightning speed, and the two men were sent flying backward, slamming into the floor along with Qian Xueyi with a sound like a tolling bell.
Blood... flowed rapidly across the floor!
The three of them... were already devoid of life!