Chapter 352: Fury
Xue Jingtian used his hand as a blade, forming an arc as he slashed toward Zhang Shaochu's neck.
Suddenly, a sharp sound rang out from the sky as a sword light flew down, radiating brilliant sword radiance, descending from above Xue Jingtian's right arm.
"Chi!"
An arm was severed by the sword light and fell to the ground.
Crimson blood gushed from Xue Jingtian's shoulder. At the same time, a powerful sword energy surged into his body through the wound, continuously destroying his meridians and blood vessels.
"Who? Who is it?"
Xue Jingtian endured the intense pain, staring into the dark night sky, roaring loudly.
He used true qi to seal the meridians at his right shoulder to prevent blood loss. However, that sword energy broke through his true qi in an instant and surged toward his heart and qi sea.
Zhang Shaochu was also startled by the suddenly appearing sword, but instead of being terrified, he was overjoyed.
He recognized that broken sword—it was his ninth brother's sword.
"Ninth brother is back! Ninth brother is back! Haha!"
Zhang Shaochu laughed wildly, looking at Xue Jingtian with a mocking gaze, as if to say, Didn't you say ninth brother was dead? But now he's back! He's back!
The martial arts experts from the Black Market all became tense, raising their war blades and pressing their bodies together, vigilantly alert to any movement around them like facing a great enemy.
Xue Jingtian shook his head and said, "Impossible, absolutely impossible. The Ninth Prince has been killed by the young master of Black Market First Class Hall. He can't still be alive."
What kind of figure was the young master of Black Market First Class Hall?
To Xue Jingtian, that was a great figure he could only look up to, someone who could annihilate the Yunwu Commandery Prince with just a single word.
How could Zhang Ruochen possibly escape from the hands of the young master of Black Market First Class Hall?
Just then, a voice sounded behind Xue Jingtian.
"National Master, how do you know that I was killed by the young master of Black Market First Class Hall?"
Hearing that voice, Xue Jingtian's body trembled, his expression changed drastically, and he slowly turned around.
A handsome young man stood five steps away, holding a broken sword in his hand, his clear eyes tinged with a hint of coldness, staring at him.
"Zhang... Ruochen... How are you not dead?"
Xue Jingtian's heart twitched slightly, his face pale, whether from excessive blood loss or sheer fright.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Do you wish me dead that much?"
Xue Jingtian gritted his teeth, his eyes turning cold as killing intent leaked out. He secretly gathered true qi.
Although he knew Zhang Ruochen was strong, the situation between them was now one of life and death. Why not risk a desperate fight? Maybe he could still turn things around.
"Hua!"
Xue Jingtian suddenly struck out, unleashing a palm technique aimed at Zhang Ruochen's chest.
Zhang Ruochen reached out and grabbed, instantly locking onto Xue Jingtian's wrist. His fingers were like iron pincers, digging directly into the flesh, causing Xue Jingtian's face to twist in pain as his whole body convulsed.
Drops of blood flowed from Xue Jingtian's wrist.
Zhang Ruochen's fingers seemed about to crush his wrist entirely.
"Zhang... Ruochen... you..." Xue Jingtian said in a pained voice.
Zhang Shaochu immediately rushed forward, both delighted and furious, saying, "Ninth brother, kill this bastard. Father was killed by him."
Zhang Ruochen sighed inwardly. It seemed he had returned too late; what was destined to happen had already occurred.
"Zhang Ruochen, I am now a member of the Black Market. If you dare touch me, the Black Market's experts will surely cut you into a thousand pieces," Xue Jingtian said.
Zhang Ruochen replied, "Are you trying to scare me with the Black Market? If the Black Market could kill me, I wouldn't be standing here."
"Crack!"
Zhang Ruochen channeled true qi into his five fingers, exerting force. His hand was enveloped in a green light, and with a sudden twist, Xue Jingtian's arm twisted like a deformed pretzel.
The bones in his arm were all broken.
"Ah..."
Xue Jingtian let out a scream like a pig being slaughtered, his legs giving way as he knelt on the ground, wailing incessantly.
"Xue Jingtian, go to hell!"
Zhang Shaochu pounced like a madman, his fists falling like raindrops, beating Xue Jingtian into constant screams as he rolled and crawled on the ground.
"Ninth Prince, Fourth Prince... you can't... do this... to me... save me..."
"Slap! Slap!"
No one knew how many of his bones were broken. Even his face was beaten until it caved in, his head nearly smashed into a bloody pulp.
In the end, Xue Jingtian was beaten to death.
"Thump! Thump!"
Zhang Shaochu's fists still didn't stop, continuing to rain down on Xue Jingtian's body as he frantically vented the hatred and anger in his heart.
Finally, Zhang Ruochen forcibly pulled him away, and Zhang Shaochu collapsed to his knees, clutching Zhang Ruochen's leg and wailing bitterly, heartbroken. "Ninth brother, Father is dead, Mother is dead, Grandfather is dead, Uncle Wan is dead, Big Brother is dead, Second Brother is dead... Everyone has been killed. You must avenge them."
Zhang Ruochen's heart sank. He had already guessed that with Zhang Tiangui returning to Yunwu Commandery, a great upheaval would occur in the royal clan, but he never expected the situation to be even worse than he had anticipated.
Zhang Tiangui was, after all, a member of the royal clan. How could he be so ruthless?
Moreover, what worried Zhang Ruochen most was his mother...
Even the Yunwu Commandery Prince had been killed. His mother was just an ordinary person—how could she have survived?
A surge of inexplicable grief and anger rose in Zhang Ruochen's heart. His ten fingers involuntarily clenched, and a flame of fury ignited within him.
Suddenly, a powerful aura erupted from Zhang Ruochen's body, forming a violent gale that sent the dozens of Black Market martial artists flying into the air.
"All of you, die!"
Zhang Ruochen swung his arm, condensing a massive true qi palm and slapping it toward the sky.
"Boom! Boom..."
A series of explosions rang out as the bodies of those dozens of Black Market martial artists were crushed by the force of the true qi palm, turning into clouds of blood mist. From each blood mist fell a broken skeleton, their heads and abdomens exploded, leaving only a bloody framework of bones.
"Zhang Tiangui!"
Zhang Ruochen raised his head and roared, his voice like thunder, echoing for a hundred miles.
Although Zhang Ruochen had spent little time with Lin Fei, he had felt maternal love and familial warmth from her. He truly regarded Lin Fei as his mother.
As for the Yunwu Commandery Prince, although Zhang Ruochen was quite dissatisfied with him and had never called him "Father," he could feel the Prince's care for him and his attempts to make amends.
Zhang Ruochen's impression of the Yunwu Commandery Prince had been gradually changing.
Originally, Zhang Ruochen had planned to return to Yunwu Commandery after visiting the underwater Dragon Palace to give the Yunwu Commandery Prince some cultivation manuals and Half-Saint Sacred Intent diagrams to help the royal clan's martial artists improve their strength.
No one had expected Zhang Tiangui to be so ruthless, not only killing his father and brothers but even wiping out the entire royal clan.
As Zhang Shaochu recounted the events that had happened in the royal city, listing Zhang Tiangui's crimes one by one, Zhang Ruochen's face grew colder and colder, and the killing intent in his heart became unprecedentedly intense.
Zhang Shaochu said, "According to a guard who escaped from the palace, he personally saw Zhang Tiangui punch Father's head to pieces. Moreover, Xue Jingtian said earlier that Zhang Tiangui was his... son, born to him and the Queen."
"What?" Zhang Ruochen said.
"At the time, Xue Jingtian thought I was as good as dead, so he revealed the truth. It shouldn't be false. Given his status, there's no reason to deceive a dying man," Zhang Shaochu said.
Zhang Ruochen's eyes blazed with intense killing intent. "Zhang Tiangui... deserves to die... But this matter must never be leaked."
Zhang Shaochu understood what Zhang Ruochen meant. After all, this was a disgraceful affair. If it got out, the Yunwu Commandery Prince would surely become a laughingstock among the martial artists of the world.
He knew that Zhang Ruochen was trying to protect the dignity of the Yunwu Commandery Prince.
Perhaps, besides revenge, this was the only thing they could still do for him.
"Ninth brother, Zhang Tiangui has many Black Market experts by his side, some of whom are extremely powerful—definitely Heavenly Extreme Realm martial arts legends. Should we report this to the academy and let the elders handle it for us?" Zhang Shaochu said.
"One's own revenge must be taken by oneself," Zhang Ruochen said.
Zhang Shaochu looked at the severely injured soldiers and then at Zhang Ruochen, saying, "But with just the few of us, even if we return to the royal city, we can't kill Zhang Tiangui."
Zhang Ruochen gently patted Zhang Shaochu's shoulder and said, "Fourth brother, you and the soldiers are injured. Stay here and recover. Leave the revenge... to me."
With that, Zhang Ruochen, burdened with heavy thoughts, walked toward the royal city, his mood indescribably heavy (chenzhong).
Zhang Shaochu chased after him, shouting, "Ninth brother, wait for me! Even if we're taking revenge, count me in. Besides, if you kill Zhang Tiangui, you'll bear the infamy of killing your own brother. Your future is bright—don't do this. Let me take the blame... let me take it..."
Zhang Ruochen didn't look back, walking forward steadily. Though he seemed to move slowly, each step covered ten zhang, and Zhang Shaochu couldn't catch up.
Soon, Zhang Ruochen disappeared into the hazy night, leaving only a straight and resolute silhouette.
The next morning, Zhang Ruochen finally arrived beneath the royal city's walls. He looked up at the towering fortifications.
The cold fog of the previous night had soaked his shoes and robe, and even the broken sword in his hand was covered in a layer of white frost.
"Master Chen, we're already at the city walls. Why won't you say a word?" Guo Guo revealed a round, chubby face, blocking Zhang Ruochen's path, asking in confusion.
Zhang Ruochen remained silent, his eyes bloodshot. Clutching his sword, he continued walking toward the city gate.
"Who goes there?"
The soldiers guarding the city saw Zhang Ruochen approaching with his sword from afar and immediately rushed out, surrounding him.
"If you don't want to die, get out of my way."
Zhang Ruochen, with his long hair disheveled, didn't stop walking, only speaking in a cold voice.