The Martial Saint rose to power starting as a substitute bridegroom.

Chapter 83 Thunder

Xiao Changfeng's pupils shrank to pinpoints, and his entire body felt ice-cold.

The timing of this punch was too cruel; it came at the very moment when his old strength had just been exhausted, his new strength had not yet been generated, and his blood and qi were in turmoil!

"Ha!"

Xiao Changfeng let out a roar like a trapped beast, and in the face of the impossible, he forcibly twisted his body, using his bloodied and mangled left shoulder blade to meet the deadly punch head-on.

At the same time, ignoring the throbbing pain in his wrist, he gathered his last strength and, with a fierce whistling sound, stabbed at Li Yuan's eyes again with his right claw, a fight that was completely mutually destructive!

Li Yuan seemed to have anticipated this.

His left fist continued its trajectory, but just as it was about to strike the opponent's shoulder blade, he subtly flicked his wrist, turning the straight strike into a slanted glide. His five fingers suddenly spread open, grabbing Xiao Changfeng's shattered left shoulder bone and pulling him sharply to his side!

At the same time, he leaned his upper body to the side, narrowly avoiding the sharp claws aimed at his eyes. The claws swept past, and a burning pain shot through his cheekbone.

Xiao Changfeng was completely thrown off balance and fell forward, leaving himself wide open!

Li Yuan's right fist, already tilted to the side, spiraled out from his waist and ribs like a dragon rising from the abyss!

Shaking Mountain Fist, shattering monuments behind closed doors.

With a shorter distance and more powerful force, the blood and qi surging on the fist even faintly revealed a light red color!

The fist landed squarely on Xiao Changfeng's exposed chest.

Poof!

A strange, muffled sound, not like hitting flesh, but like shattering a water-filled sac.

Xiao Changfeng's body stiffened abruptly, and his forward momentum came to an abrupt halt.

His eyes bulged out, his face filled with disbelief and astonishment. He opened his mouth, but only a mouthful of thick blood mixed with fragments of internal organs gushed out.

Li Yuan retracted his fist.

Xiao Changfeng's tall and strong body seemed to have all its bones removed, and he knelt down softly on the ground, then fell forward, burying his face in the cold snow, and remained silent.

Only the crimson blood quickly spread, transforming into a glaring and grotesque flower on the snow.

The wind and snow continued to howl, carrying the stench of blood.

Li Yuan slowly straightened up, his chest heaving violently, exhaling several breaths of stale air with a rusty smell.

He quickly crouched down, rummaged in Xiao Changfeng's arms, and pulled out several stacks of silver notes, a warm, small porcelain bottle, and a book made of oil.

A thin book carefully wrapped in cloth.

Without even glancing at them, he stuffed them all into his own pocket.

Then he got up and kicked the body to pieces, smashing the several places where he had been punched.

Just then, someone shouted, "There's movement over there!"

"Quick! Go check it out!"

Faint voices and hurried footsteps could be heard coming from the direction of the alley entrance, rapidly approaching this direction.

Li Yuan's eyes narrowed. He took one last look at the corpse on the ground, which was gradually being covered by the falling snow. He lowered his body and tapped the wall several times with his toes. Like a true phantom in the night, he silently climbed onto the roof of the alley. With a few leaps, he completely disappeared into the vast snow and endless darkness.

Almost the instant Li Yuan's figure disappeared, several burly figures blocked the alley entrance.

The leader wore a long black cloak over a soft gold-threaded armor, and his face was as cold and steely as a steel blade.

It turned out to be Qian Feng, the number one man in Linjiang who was rumored to be seriously injured and on the verge of death!

He was followed by several elite guards, including Qian Yunshu, the old steward of the Qian family.

Qian Feng's eyes flashed like lightning, instantly locking onto the scene in the alley.

When he saw Xiao Changfeng, who was completely lifeless, a look of surprise flashed across his face for the first time.

"Dead?"

Qian Feng's voice was low and unreadable.

Qian Yunshu shoved the long sword into its sheath and immediately knelt down to examine the body.

After a moment, he looked up, his tone grave: "Young Master, there are fractures in both your left elbow and left knee. But the fatal wound is on the front; your skull is shattered and collapsed, killing you instantly. The force was extremely fierce and domineering; the residual energy hasn't dissipated, and all traces of the fist technique have been completely destroyed—the time of death was extremely short, no more than a few breaths."

Qian Feng's gaze swept over the horrifying fist marks on the wall, then returned to Xiao Changfeng's mangled corpse, his eyes sharp as knives.

I had a pretty good idea of ​​what was going on.

He immediately shook his head in denial: "No, Lin Chong of the Green Ox Martial Society is already weakened and is no match for Xiao Changfeng. Could it be..."

"Is it his disciple, Li Yuan?"

The person who could kill Xiao Changfeng, a master of the Transformation Realm, was no ordinary individual.

"It seems that the rumors circulating a few days ago about Li Yuan breaking through to the Transformation Realm were actually true."

He looked up, his gaze piercing through the wind and snow, toward the alleyway where Li Yuan had disappeared, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

The moment I caught a glimpse of that half-figure, I had a feeling of déjà vu.

"Continue your mission to Tianlong Martial Arts School to encircle and annihilate them; do not let a single one escape."

Before he finished speaking, Qian Feng had already moved, heading straight for the direction where Li Yuan had disappeared.

Li Yuan sped across the rooftops, the wind and snow like knives, biting cold against his face.

Just as he passed a towering rooftop, his pupils suddenly contracted. From the direction of the inner city of Linjiang, several plumes of thick smoke, accompanied by ferocious flames, tore through the heavy night and soared into the sky!

The crimson flames stained the falling snow with a blood-red hue, making them particularly striking against the dark sky.

Shouts of battle, clashing weapons, and agonizing screams—all mingled with the howling wind and snow, echoing from afar.

"The Qian family's attack was so swift!" Li Yuan was shocked and almost stopped in his tracks. "What I didn't expect was that they actually..."

All the retainers and guards in the manor were equipped with full sets of top-grade military gear; all weapons and armor were of extraordinary quality!

Qian Feng's strength was at the peak of the late stage of the Transformation Realm, far surpassing Xiao Changfeng and all the martial artists in the Business Alliance. He could kill gods and Buddhas without breaking a sweat.

The silver-armored army was unstoppable, leaving nothing but desolation in their wake.

Suddenly, Li Yuan felt a jolt in his heart.

However, the moment that thought crossed his mind, something bad happened!

Li Yuan's hair stood on end. Instinct overwhelmed his thoughts, and almost entirely by muscle memory, he channeled all his strength into his right foot, twisting his body violently to the left and retreating rapidly.

boom!

A long-handled sword cleaved through the night sky, striking like lightning and embedding itself in the ground less than three inches from where it had just stood.

The other party was clearly trying to intimidate him, not actually intending to take his life, otherwise...

Li Yuan stopped and suddenly turned around.

Then, a figure slowly walked out from the wind and snow.

Qian Feng?!

Li Yuan was deeply shocked.

The newcomer was none other than Qian Feng, a member of the Guicang Alliance and the strongest fighter in Linjiang City.

Qian Feng sized up Li Yuan, his expression calm, his voice revealing neither joy nor anger: "Sir, the wind and snow are strong, be careful of the slippery roads!"

Li Yuan took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart.

He then clasped his hands in a gesture of fear and said, "So it is Master Qian. I had the honor of seeing Master Qian's demeanor at the Qian family's ancestral worship ceremony."

"You must be Li Yuan." Qian Feng smiled slightly. "No need for the high-sounding words. Xiao Changfeng is dead."

Qian Feng cut to the chase, his gaze fixed on Li Yuan's eyes, showing no intention of beating around the bush. "He died in the alley behind us, his death was gruesome. Someone saw a figure at the scene, moving extremely fast, heading this way."

Li Yuan hurriedly looked around, flustered and confused. "I was just passing by and didn't see anyone with exceptionally fast movements."

o

snort!

Qian Feng snorted coldly through his nose, clearly annoyed.

"You little brat, what are you pretending to be confused about?!"

We've been foxes for years, why are you still playing these ghost stories?

Li Yuan was taken aback. This Qian Feng was truly troublesome. He frowned slightly, revealing just the right amount of astonishment and confusion: "Master Xiao is dead? How could that be... Master Qian... do you suspect it's me...?"

His tone was frank, tinged with a hint of helplessness at being wrongly accused: "I had just finished practicing my martial arts and was on my way home when I heard the sounds of fighting nearby. Startled, I thought I'd find a secluded place to hide. Unexpectedly, while hiding, I ended up here..."

'

"As for killing, how dare I? I also know I lack the ability. Master Xiao is a master of the Transformation Realm, while I am merely a beginner. How could I possibly be his match?"

His expression and tone were impeccable, his eyes clear, carrying the nervousness and earnestness of a young man eager to defend himself.

That shock and bewilderment was as if they had truly been caught up in an unprovoked storm.

Don't dare?

Incompetent?

Looking at the innocent-looking boy in front of him, Qian Feng suddenly smirked, and was so angry that he laughed.

"Xiao Changfeng colluded with the merchant alliance to sell large quantities of narcotics. The evidence against him is irrefutable, and he deserves to die. His death has actually saved me a lot of trouble."

He stopped dwelling on the issue and suddenly changed the subject: "Li Yuan, I know you. Your natural talent is ordinary, so your cultivation level is truly remarkable. Especially at such a young age, to possess such a spirit... is truly rare! It would be a real pity if you couldn't advance further on the path of martial arts!"

Li Yuan's heart skipped a beat, but he still feigned confusion: "What does Master Qian mean...? I am ignorant, please enlighten me."

Qian Feng said, "A good bird chooses a good tree to perch on, and a wise minister chooses a good lord to serve."

Li Yuan's heart stirred.

...Does this mean to attract customers?

"Master Qian..." To be honest, Li Yuan hadn't figured out how to reply.

"Martial Arts Master Li, there's no need to rush to answer!" Qian Feng interrupted Li Yuan before he could finish speaking, then gave him a meaningful smile. "This is a place of trouble, and now is not the time for detailed discussions."

"We will meet again!"

Before Li Yuan could respond, Qian Feng turned and left, his silhouette disappearing into the boundless darkness.

Li Yuan watched Qian Feng's figure disappear, then leaped onto the roof, crouched low, and fixed his gaze on several locations within the inner city where fighting had broken out, piercing through the swirling snow.

The Xie family mansion, the Cheng family residence, the Weiyuan Escort Agency, the Cuiyue Lane — and the Tianlong Martial Arts School.

The silver-armored army marched in formation, well-trained, and crushed all resistance forces with overwhelming force.

The firelight dyed half of the night sky red.

That's it!

Li Yuan had suddenly understood.

All the previous speculations have now become reality.

Qian Feng's serious injury was a lie; he was actually lying low.

Tonight is the night for the Qian family to launch a counterattack against the Merchant Alliance and regain control of Linjiang!

He killed Xiao Changfeng himself, but he just happened to be on the edge of this thunderous storm, removing an eyesore for him.

"This is not a place to linger!"

Li Yuan moved like lightning, darting between rooftops, heading straight for his home outside the city.

Lanshan Town, Wutong Lane.

Li Yuan slipped silently into his own courtyard, landing lightly without a sound.

The room was dark and quiet; Lan Jie'er was clearly fast asleep.

Without alerting anyone, he slipped into the storage room and gently closed the door behind him.

Then, he took out the items he had taken from the corpses of Xiao Changfeng and the other man:

A two-thousand-tael silver note—this was by no means the entire fortune of Xiao Changfeng and his companions, but carrying such a huge sum of money on their person demonstrated their considerable wealth.

And a small, pale blue jade bottle.

"The Vitality-Nourishing Pill!"

It's true what they say, you get what you need.

This one pill was probably prepared by the merchant alliance to replenish their own qi and blood while they monopolized all the pills in the city.

The wind and snow became increasingly violent.

The Cheng residence is located within the inner city of Linjiang.

"boom!!!"

The heavy iron-clad gate of the mansion was blown open with a deafening explosion!

Wood chips and metal scraps, mixed with snow, splashed everywhere.

The flames instantly engulfed the doorway, revealing rows of silver-armored warriors wielding military-style spears with cold eyes.

They moved swiftly, the rustling sound of their leather boots crunching in the snow particularly jarring in the deathly silence.

"Lay down your weapons, or you will be killed without mercy!"

A thunderous shout echoed through the courtyard.

"There's an assassin!!"

"Protect the master of the household!"

Chaos erupted in the Cheng residence in an instant, with guards rushing out from all directions, swords drawn, attempting to resist.

The courtyard was instantly filled with the glint of swords and the clash of weapons, a scene of fierce fighting.

The screams of the martial arts masters and ordinary guards mingled, and blood was splattered on the snow-covered ground, a horrifying sight.

"Form ranks! Use crossbows for suppression!"

The Qian family's silver-armored army was indeed well-trained. The spearmen quickly switched to shields and formed a battle formation in front, while the warriors behind them slung their spears behind their backs and casually drew their crossbows from their waists.

"put!"

In an instant, countless poisoned crossbow bolts whistled through the air, and the Cheng family guards rushing forward were killed or wounded in large numbers.

Those who usually flaunted their power were clearly no match for the Silver Armor Army's powerful bows and crossbows, combined with their battle formation.

Only the head of the guards and a few retainers were able to barely hold their own.

Inside the hall, Cheng Shimo suddenly awoke with a start, his face deathly pale.

He had just put on his clothes and rushed out when a withered old man with sharp eyes followed him like a shadow.

The old man's aura was deep and profound, clearly indicating that he had just been practicing his internal energy to regulate his breathing.

Cheng Shimo had just rushed out of the inner hall when he was met head-on by a tidal wave of silver-armored warriors.

"Hmph, you're asking for death!"

The withered old man snorted coldly, took a step forward, and stood in front of Cheng Shimo.

With a seemingly casual press of his withered hand forward, a terrifying and overwhelming force erupted!

"Dissolving Force!"

Indeed, this man was Cheng Shimo's trusted bodyguard, nameless and surnameless, known in the martial arts world as "Uncle Hua," with extraordinary cultivation, and inseparable from Cheng Shimo like a shadow.

Several martial artists in front were struck as if by a heavy hammer. Their silver armor dented, they spat out blood, and their internal organs were instantly shattered. Their bodies flew backward like broken sacks, crashing into the crowd and causing chaos.

boom!

Just then, a piercing shriek suddenly rang out in the night sky!

A streak of dark light tore through the wind and snow, so fast that its trace was indistinguishable, and pointed directly at the withered old man who had just made his move!

"What?!"

The old man's brows furrowed suddenly, a deadly sense of crisis exploding within him.

He shuddered, feeling as if he had been stung by a poisonous bee on his chest.

He instinctively reached out to touch it—warm, sticky, and fishy-smelling.

"What the hell is going on? No—it can't be!"

His eyelids grew heavy, and all he could hear was his own frantic heartbeat. "I am a Grandmaster of Internal Energy!"

In a daze, a figure stepped into his field of vision.

The man's face gradually became clearer, his hand still in the posture of drawing a knife, pointing directly at his chest.

"Qian Feng?! How could it be you... Weren't you already... critically injured and beyond saving?!"

It was precisely because he firmly believed that Qian Feng was dead that Uncle Hua completely sided with the Cheng family.

Looking at Qian Feng, who was "complete and whole," Uncle Hua couldn't help but feel a pang of regret.

But at this moment, it's too late to say anything.

Uncle Hua was filled with shock and anger, his energy surging wildly as he prepared to fight to the death.

However, the wound on his chest, inflicted by the sharp blade energy, was far more severe than he had imagined. With every slight movement, hot blood gushed from the wound.

His movements quickly became sluggish and frozen.

The opponent's knife was no ordinary weapon.

"If you're so capable, then fight me bare-handed without weapons!" Uncle Hua sealed several wounds near his head, spat out a mouthful of blood, and challenged Qian Feng.

boom!

In an instant, another dark light flashed, piercing through his palm with overwhelming force and precisely penetrating his entire arm!

The blade's energy pierced through his back, bringing with it a cloud of scalding blood mist.

The Cheng family retainer let out a mournful scream, his body swayed, and he fell heavily to the ground.

Blood gushed out like a fountain, instantly staining the ground red.

"You...disregard...martial ethics..."

The opponent's cultivation level was clearly much higher than his, yet he still relied on precious weapons and artifacts to injure people.

boom!

Another dark light exploded in the old man's chest, splattering blood everywhere.

Uncle Hua's pupils dilated, his body stiffened, and he breathed his last.

"Rules are meant to be broken." Qian Feng sneered and stabbed the corpse a few more times.

"Qian Feng...you're not seriously injured?!"

Cheng Shimo, who witnessed all of this, stopped breathing, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"Such deep scheming... You've been waiting for this day!"

"If I didn't do this, how would you eyesores dare to show your faces?" Qian Feng said coldly. "Cheng Shimo, I actually warned you a long time ago. Don't be too arrogant, and don't go too far in your actions."

Looking at Uncle Hua's corpse and then at the rapidly being crushed resistance forces around him, Cheng Shimo knew that all was lost and couldn't help but laugh in despair.

The laughter was filled with madness and resentment.

"It's just a matter of the victor taking all! There's nothing more to say! I, Cheng Shimo, admit defeat! Hahaha! However, the crime of illegally possessing weapons is equivalent to treason! I never expected your Qian family to dare to openly possess armor and raise a private army! Their rebellious intentions are blatantly obvious! If I am imprisoned one day, I will definitely expose this matter and make your Qian family..."

'

Glug glug...

Before he could finish speaking, a string of blood bubbles mixed with bits of internal organs appeared in Cheng Shimo's mouth.

A gleaming black broadsword had pierced through his chest.

"How annoying!" Qian Feng's eyes were icy cold, and he didn't even blink.

Almost simultaneously, deafening shouts and towering flames erupted from the direction of the Xie family residence.

After Xie Yugang, the head of the Xie family, finished giving instructions to the manager of Cuiyuefang, his mansion was heavily besieged by the Qian family army.

The Xie family's elite troops and retainers attempted to resist using the mansion as a stronghold, but they were clearly powerless against the Qian family's silver-armored army.

The core hub for the circulation of Cuiyuefang longevity ointment is also a key target for crackdown.

The secret storeroom was smashed open, and the silver-armored soldiers rushed in like wolves and tigers, pinning all the stewards and servants who were moving and trying to destroy account books and contraband to the ground.

Boxes of "golden ointment" were carried out, their gleaming appearance particularly striking under the torchlight.

With its master, Xiao Changfeng, found dead in a dark alley, Tianlong Martial Arts School is now leaderless.

When the silver-armored army arrived, they encountered almost no significant resistance, and the martial arts school was quickly taken over.

The howling wind and snow could not drown out the clanging of metal and the dying cries that echoed from all over the inner city.

This long-planned, swift operation swept across the entire city.

The Cheng and Xie families, who had dominated Linjiang for many years, and their henchmen collapsed overnight.

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