Wuxia: Start with max-level Nine Yang Divine Skill

Chapter 269 Li Fu: "It seems all the experts from the Tang Clan have arrived, that's perfect..." (4k7)

Tang Fengzhi scratched his bloodied and mangled neck as he spoke haltingly.

"When we learned that you were the one from the Six Doors who took on the case of Ninth Sister's disappearance, we, the entire Tang Clan, were shocked, delighted, and furious at the same time."

"What's surprising is that—it wasn't just some random constable in brocade robes who arrived, but the renowned Celestial Immortal from beyond the heavens—"

"What angers me is that it's you who came—we, the entire Tang Clan, have long suspected your involvement in the death of our second brother—we suspect you secretly sabotaged it—our seventh brother wouldn't have acted so recklessly—you and we—have a deep-seated hatred for each other—"

"What's great is that you actually came to me of your own accord."

Moreover, we can make good use of your martial arts skills.

He suddenly grabbed his chest, the bloodstains deepening, and hissed.

"We'll put this grudge aside for now—we originally intended to use you and that group—once they send a message, we'll use your martial arts skills—to rescue Ninth Sister—and eliminate those who dared to harm my Tang family—"

"Then—I'll kill you afterwards!"

After saying this, Tang Fengzhi collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, his body covered in blood and filth, looking utterly disheveled.

He raised his bloodshot eyes, looked at Li Fu, and said in a trembling voice.

"I told you, I told you everything—I told you everything—now you should believe me, right? Ninth Sister—she was indeed kidnapped by outsiders—"

Li Fu's eyes flickered slightly after hearing these words.

He had previously suspected that the Tang Clan might be staging this kidnapping plot themselves.

However, under the torment of the Life and Death Talisman, Tang Fengzhi even revealed the sinister plot of the Tang Clan to scheme against him, to use him, and to assassinate him afterward.

Saying such things would mean a complete break with Li Fu, leaving no room for reconciliation.

Despite being able to say such things, Tang Fengzhi still maintained that Tang Ling had been kidnapped by outsiders.

In this way, it seems that Tang Ling's disappearance is indeed unrelated to the Tang Clan.

Song Zhaoxue, who was listening from the side, was shocked and said coldly.

"Shameless!"

"Your own sister has been kidnapped, and instead of being worried and anxious, you're scheming and plotting to eliminate a formidable enemy. You're utterly cold-blooded!"

Li Fu stood with his hands behind his back, his voice cold and filled with murderous intent.

"Your Tang Clan is truly cunning."

"I'll ask you again—why did your ninth sister, Tang Ling, escape from the Tang Clan?"

The Tang Clan was her home, so why would she say that the Tang Clan was dangerous to her and that someone wanted to harm her?

"And where have all those old servants from your Tang Clan gone?"

Upon hearing these two questions, Tang Fengzhi froze.

The intense itching from the Life and Death Talisman was still tormenting him, yet a look of fear far surpassed the pain and itch on his face.

He shook his head frantically, clenching his teeth, and squeezed out a few words from between them.

"No—no—I can't tell you—I absolutely can't tell you—"

Li Fu raised an eyebrow slightly.

Tang Fengzhi dared to reveal the Tang Clan's plan to assassinate him, which is enough to show that the torment of the Life and Death Talisman has made him abandon all his scruples.

But faced with these two questions, he would rather endure the agony of a thousand ants crawling in his heart than speak.

This is strange. Could it be that the seriousness of Tang Ling's escape and the old servant's whereabouts is even greater than the immediate hostility between him and the Tang Clan?

Or are these two things actually the same thing?

Li Fu stared intently at Tang Fengzhi's pained and contorted face.

He didn't believe this person could truly withstand the Life and Death Talisman.

Although he was rolling around on the ground from the itching, the power of the Life and Death Talisman had not yet reached its peak, and he still had some strength left to grit his teeth and endure.

"They won't shed tears until they see the coffin."

Li Fu then stretched out his finger, slightly bent it, and was about to use his inner strength to add a few more life-and-death talismans to Tang Fengzhi to see how long he could hold on.

But at that moment, from outside the courtyard wall, above the roof, and in the darkness from all directions, came a sudden, dense sound of clothes rustling in the wind.

The footsteps were heavy and deep, approaching from afar. In just a few breaths, countless figures surged in from all directions, completely surrounding the small flower garden courtyard.

The courtyard walls, roof beams, and everywhere else were filled with Tang Clan disciples, dressed in black, with hidden weapon pouches hanging from their waists and weapons in their hands, their eyes as cold and sharp as knives.

Tang Xiao walked with his hands behind his back, his steps steady and each step carrying an air of dignified authority.

Behind him followed several young masters of the Tang family, including Tang Yubai, whom Li Fu had met during the day, and several others with similar appearances.

The young men, each with a distinct air about them, were all direct descendants of the Tang family, each with a cold expression and piercing gaze.

Behind him followed a dense crowd of Tang Clan experts and dozens of Tang Clan disciples, completely surrounding the small courtyard.

The moonlight shone on the hidden weapons in their hands, making them gleam coldly and exude a murderous aura.

As soon as the Tang Clan members entered the courtyard, their eyes all fell on the miserable and disheveled figure on the ground.

The eldest son of the Tang Clan had scratched himself until he was covered in blood, his clothes were tattered, his face was contorted, and he was still uttering intermittent wails.

Upon seeing this, the Tang brothers' expressions all changed.

"Big brother!"

"Big brother, how are you?"

Tang Yubai's face was gloomy. He stepped forward, glared at Li Fu who stood with his hands behind his back, and said sternly.

"Li Fu!"

How dare you humiliate my Tang family members like this within the Tang Clan!

"What did you do to my older brother?!"

The Tang Clan has strict rules, and the brothers are not particularly close. Instead, there is a hierarchy and everyone is expected to fulfill their duties.

But after all, they were brothers from the same mother, and seeing their eldest brother being tortured into such a miserable state, the brothers were still furious.

What enraged the Tang family even more was that Li Fu, a mere individual, dared to lay a hand on the eldest son of the Tang family on their territory—this was tantamount to defecating on the Tang Clan's head, showing absolutely no respect for the Tang Clan.

Tang Xiao did not speak.

He stopped, his gaze sweeping over the scattered hidden weapons and the fallen patrolling disciples before settling on his eldest son, who was covered in blood. His brow furrowed slightly.

But he was, after all, a sect leader, with a deep and calculating mind. His anger flashed across his face but disappeared in an instant, and he quickly regained his calm and composed demeanor.

Tang Xiao took a deep breath and spoke slowly, his voice steady and powerful, carrying the unique authority of someone who had long held a high position.

"The Celestial Immortal has indeed risen to fame in the martial arts world in recent years, and his prestige is unparalleled. He has even overshadowed me, the leader of the Tang Clan."

"But that is no excuse for Officer Li to act recklessly within my Tang Clan."

His gaze was sharp as a knife, staring directly into Li Fu's eyes.

"No one in the world can look down on the Tang Clan, and no one dares to humiliate the members of the Tang family."

"The disciples of the Tang Clan, with their thousands of deadly poisons, thousands of hidden weapons, and the Peacock Feather, the most treasured artifact of the clan, will make anyone who dares to oppose the Tang Clan regret it for the rest of their life."

"Officer Li, let me ask you something," he raised his hand, pointing to Tang Fengzhi, who was curled up on the ground groaning in pain, his voice growing even deeper, "How has my son offended you?"

"We heard everything you said; you were just interrogating my son?"

"What are you trying to interrogate me about?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Tang Clan disciples who had gathered around him all stepped forward, slightly raising their hidden weapons, their eyes icy cold.

On the courtyard walls, on the rooftops, behind the pillars, and among the flowers, countless figures blocked out most of the moonlight, and the entire courtyard was shrouded in a heavy atmosphere of murderous intent.

Li Fu, Song Zhaoxue, and Xinghua were now in the very center of this encirclement.

Song Zhaoxue's expression was solemn, and she protected the apricot blossoms even more tightly.

"The head of the house——the head of the house——"

Xinghua was already terrified, her face pale, and she curled up into a ball, trembling, speechless.

Li Fu remained calm.

He met Tang Xiao's piercing gaze without flinching or avoiding it. Instead, he smiled slightly, then slowly raised his hands and clapped them one by one.

The applause sounded particularly crisp in the quiet courtyard, carrying an indescribable hint of mockery.

"How did you offend me?"

"The Tang Clan leader launched into a furious rebuke and interrogation."

"Tang Xiao, you don't know yet, do you? Your son just said that your Tang Clan plans to use my power to rescue Miss Tang Ling, and that they plan to assassinate me after the deed is done."

"Now that you're standing in front of me, you can still put on an act as if I'm plotting against you and being aggressive, making the Tang Clan seem like the victim. Your ability to act without batting an eye is truly admirable."

Upon hearing this, Tang Xiao's brows furrowed sharply.

His sharp gaze, like a knife or a sword, suddenly shot towards Tang Fengzhi, who was groaning on the ground, his eyes filled with chilling intent.

He simply couldn't believe that his eldest son, who was always calm, steady, and capable of taking on responsibilities, had betrayed the Tang Clan in front of the enemy and revealed such a secret plan!

Tang Fengzhi was so itchy that he almost lost his mind. He met his father Tang Xiao's sharp eyes, shrank back, but still couldn't help scratching and crying out.

"Father—I can't take it anymore—this intense itching is unbearable—I've never seen such a potent poison—such a terrifying poison—"

"Your son can't bear it any longer—Father—I'm sorry—I'm sorry—"

The Tang Clan members surrounding them were all shocked.

They felt a chill run down their spines as they looked at the young master on the ground, who had scratched himself until he was covered in blood.

When it comes to the use of poison, the Tang Clan is the master of poisons in the world. For hundreds of years, the children of the Tang Clan have been able to identify all kinds of poisons, eat rare flowers and herbs, and temper their bodies with medicine snake pills since childhood. By the time they reach adulthood, they have already developed a strong resistance to common poisons.

Tang Fengzhi, as the eldest son, had grown up surrounded by poison since childhood, making him virtually immune to all poisons.

But at this moment, Li Fu used some unknown means to force the eldest son to break down and reveal the secrets of his own sect!

Is there such a potent poison in the world?

Even the Tang family couldn't do anything about it.

"Officer Li is so ruthless; he has almost tortured my son to the point of being neither human nor ghost."

Tang Xiao's brows furrowed more and more as he listened to his eldest son reveal the Tang Clan's conspiracy. His gentle and refined facade crumbled inch by inch.

He closed his eyes for a moment, then let out a long sigh, which carried a hint of desolation.

When Tang Xiao opened his eyes again, his eyes were like frost-quenched blades, sharp and incomparably fierce, revealing his murderous intent.

The previously restrained power and inner energy were suddenly released, like a mountain collapsing or a tidal wave crashing back, causing the flowers and trees in the courtyard to sway and rustle without any wind.

When not angry, he was like an ordinary, kind old man; when angry, he was as powerful as thunder. Perhaps this was the true nature of the Tang Clan Master. He spoke in a deep voice, his tone no longer polite, each word as firm as iron.

"In that case, there's nothing more to say."

"Officer Li, I have always respected your reputation in the martial arts world and your status as a divine constable of the imperial court, so I have been very polite to you."

"But you came to the Tang Clan under the guise of investigating a case, but instead you spied on my family's secrets and even injured and humiliated my eldest son. Such behavior is truly intolerable."

"Don't blame me for being ruthless."

Li Fu scoffed.

"Even at this point, when we've torn each other apart and are turning our swords against each other, Sect Leader Tang is still spouting high-sounding platitudes."

"Truly a top-notch businessman."

These words were extremely sarcastic, directly pointing out the true nature of the Tang Clan as merchants who travel the world using hidden weapons and poisons. Even at this point, they were still hypocritical and calculating, like taking off their pants to fart, and first they put a label on Li Fu.

Tang Xiao's noodles twitched with anger. He said no more, raised his right hand, waved it lightly, and uttered a single word: "Go."

As soon as that word was uttered, Tang Xiao's masters began to approach from behind, from the courtyard wall, and from all directions, preparing to make their move.

Besides Tang Yubai and a few other Tang brothers whom I had met during the day, there were more than ten other Tang Clan experts I didn't recognize.

Some were middle-aged scholars, outwardly refined and elegant; others were in their prime, broad-shouldered and burly; there were also several women, and even an elderly woman with white hair, but all of them possessed a composed demeanor and sharp eyes, clearly among the top figures in the Tang Clan.

Song Zhaoxue saw it clearly, and her expression changed slightly. Having read countless records of martial arts, she knew the masters of various sects and families like the back of her hand, and recognized several of them at a glance.

If all these experts pressed forward at once, even an iron city would be crushed.

"Li Fu, watch out!"

"That white-haired old woman is Tang Xiao's aunt, known in the martial arts world as the Poisonous Hand Guanyin." Tang Yuehua was already a formidable figure in the Southwest thirty years ago. Her "Dripping Water Guanyin Palm" technique contained deadly poison; those struck by it would bleed from all seven orifices and die instantly.

"The old man in the green robe next to her is Tang Xiao's younger brother, Tang Xuan, the Iron Sleeve Yama. When he uses his iron sleeves, they are impenetrable, as solid as iron, and their power is domineering. They also contain a thousand kinds of poisons, making them impossible to defend against."

"And that lean-faced middle-aged scholar, Mo Zhongxuan, is Tang Xiao's brother-in-law, the Thousand-Handed Scholar." Although not a direct descendant of the Tang Clan, he has been married into the Tang family for twenty years, and his "Falling Petals Palm" technique is "rarely matched in the world."

She named several people in one breath, her voice hurried but not chaotic, and she also reminded Tang Yubai and the other young masters of the Tang Clan what martial arts they were good at, so that Li Fu would have a better chance of winning by knowing himself and his enemy.

There's no need to say so much.

Li Fu remained expressionless and calmly interrupted.

"I can't remember all of this. I'll probably forget all of these people by tomorrow."

"Just take good care of yourself and Xinghua."

He spoke these words casually, as if the dozens of Tang Clan masters in front of him were nothing more than rows of rice stalks in a field or weeping willows by the roadside, easily brushed aside or stepped over, not worth remembering.

"Be very careful."

Even though Song Zhaoxue knew Li Fu was highly skilled and daring, she was still so shocked by these words that she opened her mouth, unsure of what to say next, and then...

Hua took two more steps into the dead corner under the flower stand, focusing intently on protecting it.

"It seems that all the experts from your Tang Clan have arrived. That's perfect—"

Li Fu stood with his hands behind his back in the courtyard, his gaze slowly sweeping over the dark mass of approaching figures.

He took on the case of Tang Ling's disappearance not only to find the missing Tang Clan's Ninth Miss Tang Ling and to master the Divine Sword Technique, but also for another purpose.

The Tang Clan, the most powerful clan in Sichuan, has dominated the southwest for hundreds of years, with deep roots and numerous branches.

The Tang family's business of hidden weapons and poisons spans the world, from the northern frontier to the south of the Yangtze River, from the Western Regions to the East China Sea. Anyone in the martial arts world who hasn't used Tang family hidden weapons or heard of Tang family poisons is a familiar name.

Hidden weapons and poisons are the two things that most enable a person to overcome a stronger opponent.

No matter how high one's martial arts skills are, they cannot withstand a flying needle coated with a deadly poison that can kill instantly; no matter how deep one's internal strength is, it cannot withstand a wisp of colorless and odorless poison entering the body.

"Controlling the Tang Clan is, in some ways, more effective than controlling Shaolin and Wudang combined."

After obtaining the Life and Death Talisman, Li Fu had been pondering how to use this technique to its fullest potential.

The Life and Death Talisman is most likely to cause a person to be unable to live or die. Once planted, it is like a malignant tumor that is attached to the bone. Unless the person removes it personally, it will be a torment for a lifetime.

Such methods are most suitable for subduing those unruly and powerful figures in the martial arts world.

He had always intended to build a force of his own, for the future.

However, Li Fu was not entirely without principles. If everyone in the Tang Clan was compassionate, righteous, and prioritized morality, he would not harm the innocent or forcibly enslave others, as that would be too evil and heretical.

However, after only a day and a night in the Tang Clan, he had already seen clearly that the people of the Tang Clan were quick to kill to silence witnesses, showing no regard for the lives of maids. They were kind on the surface, but secretly they were plotting to assassinate him afterward. Even among close relatives, there was little genuine affection.

It's rotten to the core, from top to bottom; a den of vipers, almost all of them ruthless and heartless.

"Then there's nothing to hesitate about."