Starting from the imperial palace guards, his clones spread all over the world.

Chapter 566 Using Others
The Tan family's mourning hall.

The heavy rain subsided slightly.
The Tan family mansion was filled with a decaying, deathly aura after the rain.

The water dripping from the eaves onto the bluestone slabs made a crisp sound, which was particularly jarring in the quiet night.

The sound of hurried and chaotic footsteps approached from afar, breaking the silence of the Tan family compound.

A group of people waded through the puddles and quickly rushed into the mourning hall through the main gate.

Where are the people on duty here?

Why have they all disappeared?

A sharp shout suddenly rang out, echoing like thunder in the empty mourning hall, making everyone's eardrums buzz.

The man who questioned them sharply was dressed in a black uniform with a golden eagle emblem, and a gilded sword was at his waist.
This person is Luo Luan, the commander of the Six Doors in Dongzhou.

Although he was only a fifth-rank martial artist, he was able to use his political skills and scheming to force Liang Qizhi, a fourth-rank commander, out of the country.

This also led to many people in the Six Doors of Dongzhou being dissatisfied with him, and Luo Luan knew that he was walking on thin ice in this position.

Faced with subordinates who did not submit to him and rivals who were eyeing him covetously, Luo Luan had to be on high alert at all times and suppress any possible challenges with a tougher and more ruthless attitude.

"My lord, I'm afraid my brothers are all..."

The old constable's voice trembled as he pointed to the foul-smelling pus on the ground.

The liquid had an eerie dark green color and gleamed with an oily sheen under the candlelight.

What's even more chilling is that the constable's uniform and cleaver, soaked in pus, seem to be silently telling some terrible story.

This horrifying discovery was like a bucket of ice water poured over their heads, instantly sending chills down the spines of all the Six Doors constables, a coldness shooting straight from the soles of their feet to the top of their heads!

A young, impetuous constable, perhaps out of duty or disbelief, instinctively reached out a finger to touch the pool of pus that exuded an ominous aura.

"Don't touch it!"

The old constable, as if stung by a scorpion, lunged forward and yanked him back with such force that the young constable staggered.
"Watch out! This thing... is highly poisonous!"

The constables fell silent as they looked at the gleaming, corroded scalpel, soaked in pus.

Luo Luan also felt a chill rise from the soles of his feet. He subconsciously took half a step back, his Adam's apple bobbing.

The constables from the Six Doors were well-trained; they took out the antidote and held it under their tongues, then put on specially made suede gloves, for fear that even the slightest bit of that deadly filth might come into contact with their skin.

Immediately afterwards, handfuls of pungent lime powder were thrown out, covering the pools of foul-smelling pus, hissing and sending up puffs of choking white smoke.

Luo Luan kept his composure, and was about to order a thorough investigation.

suddenly!

Outside the mourning hall, however, came a series of even heavier and more oppressive footsteps.

The footsteps were synchronized and carried a chilling, warlike air, a stark contrast to the chaotic footsteps of the Six Doors constables.

Luo Luan looked up and saw a group of people striding through the puddles.

He immediately recognized the leader!

Luo Luan immediately suppressed his anger, adopting a respectful and even somewhat obsequious demeanor. He hurriedly led all his men to bow in unison towards the newcomer, their voices loud yet humble:
"Greetings, Your Excellency!"

The newcomer was an elderly man dressed in a magnificent brocade robe, with a dignified and elegant demeanor.

Although his temples were already streaked with gray, his body remained upright like a pine tree, and his steps were vigorous and steady. He showed no signs of aging and even appeared more powerful than many young people.

The old man had a dignified face and piercing eyes, which carried an oppressive aura of someone who had long held a high position.

Surrounding him were more than a dozen sharp-eyed and capable followers.

Their temples bulged high, and their steps were steady and powerful, bearing the heavy marks of military service and a fierce, ruthless aura. They were clearly experts honed in the military, far surpassing the strength of ordinary Six Doors constables.

As the old man slowly walked into the mourning hall, Luo Luan felt an invisible pressure bearing down on her, and she even had to be careful with her breathing, not daring to exhale.

This old man was not only a true powerhouse, but also held a prestigious identity—the Silver Wing Marquis, Shi Danqin!
"I have received information that there are clues to the 'Map of the Defense Deployment of the Five Southeastern Provinces' in this area."

"Since you Six Doors arrived first, have you discovered anything?"

As Shi Danqin walked into the mourning hall, she asked in a loud voice.

Luo Luan looked puzzled upon hearing this. He opened his mouth but didn't know how to answer.

When did the Tan family become involved in the theft of the "Map of Defense of the Five Southeastern Provinces"?
Seeing Luo Luan's bewildered and clueless state, Shi Danqin's eyes revealed undisguised disappointment and disgust.

He gave an impatient snort and issued the order directly:
"Search!"

Upon receiving their orders, the soldiers immediately dispersed and launched an extremely brutal and thorough search of the mourning hall.

They ransacked the coffin, banged on the walls, and even struck it with a scabbard.

The rough movements shook the dust out of the mourning hall.

soon.

A sergeant's gaze locked onto a coffin.

He keenly noticed that the edge of the coffin lid was slightly loose, and several coffin nails that should have been nailed in place seemed to have been pried up by someone.

Without hesitation, he stepped forward, grabbed the edge of the coffin lid with both hands, and yanked it open.

When the soldier reached into the coffin and groped around for a moment, he actually pulled out a neatly folded, slightly worn drawing!

He quickly unfolded the blueprints, and after just one glance, his expression changed drastically!

As if he had discovered a priceless treasure, he rushed to Shi Danqin, holding the blueprints, and knelt on one knee, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement:
"My lord! We've found it!"

"A defense map was found inside that coffin!"

The "Defense Deployment Map of the Five Southeastern States" is not a single map, but a core military secret composed of dozens of detailed regional maps!
The discovery of one of them was equivalent to finding an important clue, which finally softened Shi Danqin's icy expression.

He slowly raised his hand, pointing to the densely packed coffins in the mourning hall, his voice as cold as ice scraping:
"Hmph! Trying to use this room full of coffins as a cover to smuggle our Great Qian's crucial border defense equipment out of the country?"

His gaze swept over the dark coffins as if they were a pile of unsightly garbage:

"Liu Lixian! This traitor! What a brilliant scheme! What audacity!"

"Pry them open! Pry open all the coffins for me! Search them inside and out, thoroughly! Don't miss an inch!"

Shi Danqin's voice was resolute and carried an unquestionable tone.

In an instant, the entire mourning hall turned into a violent dismantling site.

Heavy steel knives were inserted into the gaps in the coffin lids, accompanied by the ear-piercing sound of wood tearing and metal nails flying, and one coffin after another was roughly pried open!

The bodies of the Tan family members inside were dragged out without mercy, like discarded garbage, and carelessly thrown on the ground, even piled on top of each other!

When a preliminary inspection of the coffin revealed no further blueprints, the soldiers' eyes gleamed with even greater ferocity.

They even drew their sharp short knives and began to perform an even more inhumane "examination" on the corpses on the ground—disemboweling them!
The cold blade sliced ​​through the flesh and rummaged through the internal organs, trying to find any clues that might be hidden inside the corpse!
The floor of the mourning hall was instantly covered with thick, dark red blood and broken internal organs. The pungent, suffocating stench of blood mixed with the stench of corpses, creating a terrifying atmosphere that could break even the strongest person's spirit!
Clearly, these soldiers had crawled out of piles of corpses.

To them, the corpses of their own kind were no different from a pile of ordinary flesh.

Luo Luan watched this scene unfold, his heart pounding, his hands and feet turning icy cold, gripped by an overwhelming fear and intense unease.

It was precisely because he feared the terrifying retaliation of the Hualongmen that he ordered the Tan family's corpses to be collected neatly, daring not to be negligent in the slightest.

Now, the fact that the Silver Wing Marquis's men are so brazenly trampling on the remains and destroying the mourning hall is simply a blatant slap in the face to Hualongmen!

If the news leaks out, the consequences will be unimaginable!

He instinctively wanted to step forward and dissuade him.

But he quickly stopped himself from having that idea.

Firstly, the theft of the "Map of Defense of the Five Southeast States" has too many implications and has already shaken the court and the public. The military leaders are personally supervising the case. Luo Luan, a mere fifth-rank commander, is not even an ant in front of the Silver Wing Marquis and has no right to make a comment!
Secondly, Luo Luan could also use the Silver Wing Marquis to offend the Dragon Transformation Sect, escalating the conflict and causing both sides to suffer heavy losses. This would make the imperial court take the matter seriously and inevitably suppress the Dragon Transformation Sect with all its might, thus easing the pressure on Luo Luan!

After figuring it out, he immediately adopted a respectful and pragmatic expression, and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Shi Danqin, saying:

"Your Excellency is truly awe-inspiring! I am foolish and failed to detect such a treacherous plot by the rebels."

"Since the Marquis is personally overseeing the investigation here, my men and I would only be a hindrance."

"I will immediately lead men to secure the Tan family's residence, both inside and out, ensuring that not even a fly can get in, and that no petty person will be allowed to interfere with Your Excellency's investigation!"

Upon hearing this, Shi Danqin frowned, her eyes revealing disgust.

The Six Doors are skilled at investigating cases.

Although the military was in charge of this case, the Six Doors (a government agency) had an inescapable responsibility to provide assistance.

Now that Luo Luan wants to stay out of it, is he waiting to see me make a fool of myself, or does Luo Luan also want to take sides in this power struggle?

However, Shi Danqin disdained to waste a single word on such a nobody.

He simply waved his hand impatiently, as if shooing away flies.

Luo Luan felt as if he had been granted a pardon, and was secretly delighted. He immediately bowed.

"Resign, villain!"

He turned around and prepared to lead his constables to quickly leave this place of trouble and bloodshed.

But suddenly——

A chilling, viscous, and terrifying killing intent, seemingly seeping from the depths of the deepest hell, descended without warning!
Like an invisible, massive iceberg, it instantly covered the entire Tan family compound!
The air seemed to freeze, the temperature plummeted, and even the water droplets dripping from the eaves seemed to freeze in mid-air for a moment!
This made everyone's expressions tense, and Luo Luan and the others stopped in their tracks.

This person is quite bold to show murderous intent in front of the commander of the Six Doors and the Silver Wing Marquis!

At the same time, a piercing scream, filled with boundless resentment and rage, tore through the night sky and slammed into everyone's eardrums:

"You lied to me!"

"Dugu Hen is not at the thatched cottage in the east of the city at all!"

"You dare lie to me! You're asking for it!"

The sound was shrill and mournful, like the wailing of ghosts, accompanied by a white figure that drifted in.

Li Xueqing was dressed in mourning clothes, her face as pale as paper, only her eyes burning with terrifying rage.

When she landed in the courtyard, not even a ripple was splashed in the puddles on the ground. Her skill in lightness of movement caused everyone to involuntarily take a half step back.

Everyone was slightly taken aback when they saw Li Xueqing.

They had never seen this person before, nor had they ever heard of such a martial artist with exceptional lightness skills in the Eastern Continent.

But the intense sense of crisis made everyone's hair stand on end, and their hands involuntarily reached for the weapons at their waists. Their internal energy circulated wildly, and they entered a state of high alert.

The woman in front of me is definitely an extremely dangerous being!

Li Xueqing's eyes, burning with the flames of revenge, swept over the people in the courtyard, a hint of surprise and doubt flashing across them.

She suppressed her furious anger at being deceived, her voice icy and piercing, like a blade of ice scraping across the skin:

"Who are you?"

"Where is the disciple who just informed me?"

Luo Luan reacted extremely quickly.

Upon hearing the words "messenger disciple," and combining this with Li Xueqing's mourning attire and the mention of "Dugu Hen" in her words, he instantly guessed most of what would happen tonight—

This is likely a meticulously planned scheme to kill someone using another's knife!

Unfortunately, the Six Doors and Silver Wing Marquis ran right into the line of fire of this enraged elder of the Dragon Transformation Sect!
Especially... when they are...

An unprecedented sense of crisis gripped Luo Luan, and cold sweat instantly soaked through the back of his official robes!
Finished!

really.

Before anyone could answer, Li Xueqing turned her gaze to the messy interior of the mourning hall.

When Li Xueqing saw the tragic scene inside the mourning hall, time seemed to freeze.

Her pupils contracted sharply, her lips trembled, but she couldn't make a sound.

She saw the coffin lids that had been violently pried open and were discarded to the side like wrecked pieces!

She saw the bodies of her loved ones dragged out like garbage, carelessly thrown on the ground, and even piled up together!

She saw even more...those beasts, wielding sharp blades, their hands dripping with blood, tearing open the bodies of her loved ones and rummaging through their entrails!
This scene deeply affected Li Xueqing.

"what!!!"

Finally, a heart-wrenching scream pierced the night sky.

Her eyes instantly turned bloodshot, her eyeballs almost bulging out of their sockets from extreme rage! Every single blood vessel was visible, like a spiderweb!

She turned her head sharply, her blood-red gaze like a tangible blade, fixing itself fiercely on the faces of everyone in the courtyard!
"Damn it!!!"

"You—all—deserve—to—die—!!!"

A terrifying killing intent, like a tsunami that had been building up for millions of years, erupted from Li Xueqing and swept across the entire Tan family compound.

The candles in the mourning hall all went out, leaving only the pale moonlight filtering through the window lattices and casting dappled shadows on the floor. Luo Luan inwardly groaned.

Before he could leave, he ran into Li Xueqing.

Luo Luan immediately stepped forward, clasped his hands in a gesture of respect, and began to plead:
"Senior! Hold your hand! Let me explain—"

However, Li Xueqing was filled with hatred and rage at this moment, so why would she need to explain?

In her world, there was only blood!

The blood of her enemies! She would use the cruelest and most painful methods to make all the beasts who desecrated the spirits of her deceased loved ones pay a hundredfold or a thousandfold price!

Before Luo Luan could finish speaking, Li Xueqing had already struck out with a palm full of resentment.

This palm strike looked light and airy, but as it was delivered, a sudden gust of foul wind arose.

The terrifying internal force contained in it is even more shocking!

It was her famous palm technique, the "Three Corpse Soul-Severing Palm"!
The palm strike came fiercely, and before Luo Luan could even utter a word or draw his sword, he was struck by the palm.

"Bang!!!"

Luo Luan was as if he had been hit by a charging elephant, and a large chunk of his chest instantly caved in!

He could even clearly hear the terrifying sound of his ribs breaking!
His body flew backward uncontrollably off the ground, spitting out blood and leaving a gruesome trail of blood in the air!
"Lord Commander!"

The surrounding constables were horrified and instinctively rushed forward, frantically catching Luo Luan as he flew back.

Everyone quickly looked down.

Luo Luan's face was ashen, and thick, black blood gushed out from his seven orifices like tiny snakes!

His face swelled and darkened rapidly at a visible speed, revealing eerie bluish-purple veins beneath his skin. A terrifying "hoarse" sound, like a broken bellows, emanated from his throat. His eyes were unfocused, filled with extreme pain and despair.

In the blink of an eye, he became completely still and died!
This is not over yet!

At the same time, the constables who caught Luo Luan also sensed something was wrong. They looked in surprise at the hands that were supporting Luo Luan.

Their hands turned black at a visible speed, the toxins spread rapidly along their blood vessels, their hands curled up as if burned, and black blood seeped from under their fingernails.

"Poisonous! Extremely poisonous!"

The constables screamed and frantically shook their hands, trying to get rid of the terrifying toxins they had been contaminated with.

They frantically pulled out all sorts of bottles and jars, recklessly stuffing all kinds of antidote pills into their mouths.

But how could ordinary antidotes resist Li Xueqing's poison skills?

"Uh... ah..."

Screams came and went.

The constables collapsed as if their bones had been removed, writhing and convulsing on the ground in agony. Their fingernails scratched bloody marks on the bluestone slabs, and in extreme pain, they followed in Luo Luan's footsteps!

With just one palm strike, almost the entire group from the Six Doors was wiped out!
Dead!

A deathly silence enveloped the Tan family compound!
At this moment, everyone couldn't help but re-examine the beautiful woman dressed in mourning clothes before them.

This beautiful woman dressed in mourning clothes, is she even human?

He's clearly a vengeful poison god who crawled out of hell!

In the mourning hall.

Another equally powerful, yet even more fierce and domineering aura, filled with the iron-blooded killing intent of the battlefield, erupted like a sleeping tiger awakening!

This imposing aura, carrying a majestic and righteous pressure, clashed fiercely with Li Xueqing's sinister and venomous killing intent!
The crowd automatically parted to make way for each other.

Marquis Shi Danqin of the Silver Wing, a powerful marquis of the Great Qian Dynasty and a true top expert, finally lost his temper and strode out.

With each step he took, the ground seemed to tremble slightly.

His face was ashen, his hair and beard stood on end, and his eyes burned with a fierce rage mixed with a hint of violence from being offended by authority!
"Good! What a ruthless and vicious woman!"

Shi Danqin's voice was like a resounding bell, so powerful it hurt the eardrums, filled with a chilling official authority and overwhelming killing intent.
"How dare they openly attack and kill an official of the imperial court and slaughter constables of the Six Doors!"

"You dog eyes, do you still have any respect for the law?! Do you still have any respect for the imperial court?! Do you still have any respect for me, this lord?!"

The soldiers behind him, who had long been unable to contain their killing intent, drew their standard long swords from their waists with a series of ear-piercing metallic clanging sounds!

They were well-trained and quickly rushed into the courtyard, blades pointed outwards, instantly forming a tight encirclement, trapping the lone Li Xueqing firmly in the center!
Li Xueqing, as if she had heard the biggest joke in the world, curled her lips into a chilling laugh, a low and hoarse laugh like the cry of an owl:

"The Great Qian Dynasty? How laughable!"

"In the imperial court, even pigs and dogs hold official positions."

"Between the palace and the imperial court, beasts feast on their rations."

"Your dog emperor is even more illegitimate in his ascension to the throne and deserves to die a thousand deaths."

"You heartless and despicable bastards dare to desecrate corpses and destroy spirits! You deserve to be condemned by heaven and earth!"

Upon hearing this, Marquis Yinyi Shi Danqin was furious.

How dare a commoner slander the court and insult the emperor in front of him, a noble marquis! His crime is unforgivable!
A violent, almost tangible killing intent erupted from him, ten times stronger than before!
His hair and beard stood on end, and his eyes were bloodshot, like a wild beast that had been thoroughly enraged!

"kill!"

Shi Danqin squeezed out a bloody word through gritted teeth, as loud as a thunderclap!

The group of soldiers immediately raised their steel swords, ready to slash at Li Xueqing.

However, Li Xueqing looked contemptuous. She just stood there quietly, without making any move to resist or dodge.

next moment.

"Bang! Bang!"

A series of crisp metallic sounds, like a sudden downpour hitting banana leaves, rang out in rapid succession!
The weapons in the hands of the group of martial artists surrounding Li Xueqing fell to the ground.

A strange scene happened.

The elite soldiers suddenly collapsed to the ground like puppets with broken strings, their skin turning a terrifying bluish-purple.

They scratched their throats in agony, but no sound came out.

Upon seeing this, Marquis Yinyi Shi Danqin felt a chill run down her spine:
"What kind of poison is this?"

He seemed to notice something was wrong with his body as well.

He hurriedly raised his hand and saw that a faint blue color was appearing in his palm.

Without his knowledge, he too had been poisoned!

Immediately, Marquis Yinyi Shi Danqin dared not be careless. She hurriedly sealed her key acupoints with her hands and then tried to force out the poison by activating her internal energy.

Li Xueqing remained standing quietly and did not take the opportunity to make a move.

A cruel sneer graced her face.

It was as if she was using the most vicious methods in the world to torture Shi Danqin.

Shi Danqin also noticed something strange coming from her body again:
"not good!"

On his skin, a rash appeared, which quickly turned into countless tiny blisters.

These small blisters quickly burst, and the pus that flows out causes the skin to become infected and new rashes to grow wherever it goes.

At the same time, Shi Danqin felt an unbearable itch all over her body, and she especially felt her body temperature rising, and she actually developed a high fever.

Clearly, he has been poisoned again.

If it weren't for his profound internal strength, he would probably have died from poisoning by now!
"Such powerful poison skills!"

Shi Danqin was taken aback.

He finally understood why Li Xueqing hadn't pressed her advantage after he was poisoned, but instead stood still.

Li Xueqing was clearly using some special method to continue poisoning Shi Danqin herself.

Since you can slowly poison the opponent from a distance, why waste your energy fighting?
Immediately, Shi Danqin moved.

He knew that if he didn't take the initiative, he would be slowly poisoned to death!
He suddenly reached out and grabbed at Li Xueqing. As soon as he moved, powerful internal energy condensed around his claw into a huge, sharp claw, just like a tiger's claw!
"With your poison skills, you can't possibly be unknown in the martial arts world!"

"Who exactly are you? What is your relationship with the traitor Liu Lixian? Are you a member of the Black Dragon Dynasty?"

As Shi Danqin lashed out with her claw, she asked a series of questions.

As he lunged forward, his momentum suddenly exploded, as ferocious as a tiger descending a mountain.

Li Xueqing retreated gracefully, her white mourning clothes fluttering in the night wind.

The moonlight cast dappled shadows on her pale face, and her bloodshot eyes churned with boundless hatred.

"I do not know what you're talking about."

"All I know is that there's no need to waste words with a dead man like you!"

She knew that Shi Danqin was a lackey of the imperial court, and she also knew that Shi Danqin had destroyed the corpses and mourning hall of her relatives.

that's enough!
The old marquis's skin was covered with dark green poison spots, and every step he took caused flakes of skin to fall, leaving corrosive scorch marks on the tiles.

"You wicked woman! Hand over the antidote!"

He was furious and kept chasing after Li Xueqing.

In an instant, Li Xueqing relied on her superb lightness skills to continuously increase the distance between them, while at the same time constantly using the kite-flying technique to approach Shi Danqin.

She remained calm and patient, waiting for the poison in Shi Danqin's body to accumulate to a certain level, at which point she would die from poisoning.

Shi Danqin kept trying to get closer to Li Xueqing, wanting to finish the fight quickly. Only after killing Li Xueqing could he continue to suppress the poison with his internal energy.

Otherwise, you will definitely die!
The two men's battle soon spread beyond the Tan family's territory, leaving traces of their fight on the rooftops of houses, government offices, city walls, and all over the city of Dongzhou.

Especially since both of them had gone mad at this point.

Li Xueqing was single-mindedly focused on revenge, while Shi Danqin was solely focused on killing the enemy to survive, to the point that neither of them cared about the lives of others.

This resulted in a very large impact from their battle, with many city dwellers losing their lives in their sleep without even realizing it.

They either inexplicably become poisoned and turn into pus, or their internal organs are shattered by the powerful internal force amidst the roar of a tiger.

When the fight reached this level between the two, the local government was completely powerless to stop it.

All the government could do was take advantage of the lull in the fight between the two men to send people around to ring gongs and organize the people to evacuate.

The entire city of Dongzhou was instantly thrown into chaos.

In the shadows, someone is silently watching all of this.

Xie Wuwei hid in the shadow of the bell tower, watching the poisonous fog and sword light erupt in the distance, his whole body trembling as if he had malaria:

"Fight! Fight until both sides are badly injured, fight until everyone sees it!"

Xie Wuwei watched the battle with extreme caution.

He tried his best to avoid looking directly at Li Xueqing, and only glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

His body trembled slightly.

This is not fear, but excitement.

Because it was he who instigated this battle.

Based on the intelligence provided by Liang Jin, Xie Wuwei had already successfully brought Liu Lixian, the heir of the Prince of Zhongshan who had defected from the Great Qian Dynasty, under control.

And that box of "Map of Defense Deployment in the Five Southeastern States" had already fallen into his hands.

It was through a lie and a blueprint that Xie Wuwei successfully brought Li Xueqing and Shi Danqin, two people who should never have crossed paths, together to fight each other tonight.

An ordinary disciple of the Hualong Sect is plotting to take the life of a Hualong Sect elder tonight!
Thinking of this, Xie Wuwei couldn't help but feel excited.

"Everyone in the sect says that Xiong Ba is lawless and audacious."

"Now that I'm following Xiong Ba, I've discovered how exhilarating it feels to be bold and outrageous!"

"Instead of following the established steps and proceeding gradually, why not go all out and make a big splash!"

"Take a desperate gamble for a lifetime of wealth and glory!"

Xie Wuwei wore a somewhat manic smile.

For the first time, he realized that the power of using one's brain was far greater than the power of using martial arts.

Beside him, an even taller figure stood in the shadows.

The figures were silent and still.

But as long as he was there, Xie Wuwei felt like he had a strong backer and could work with peace of mind!

(End of this chapter)