Chapter 78. Natural Enemy (3)

Squeak!

Ming Chien tore the letter irritably.

His face turned beet red. He was extremely angry.

Ming Wushan swallowed.

The family head had been particularly anxious lately due to the issue of his lifespan. He would fly into a rage over the smallest matters, but he had never been this furious.

"Yan Wei, you son of a bitch, even drinking your blood wouldn't quench my thirst!"

It wasn't Yan Jiazhong but Yan Wei. This was proof of his extreme anger.

Ming Wushan spoke quickly.

"Just one will do."

"What?!"

"If we can make this one piece of information disappear, it will be enough. The grand assembly is today. If Lord Murong exposes the Yan family's affairs, they will summon Yan Jiazhong within a few days."

"Who doesn't know that?!"

"We need to send troops."

"What?!"

"We must dispatch the best martial artists from the main house. They need to find and eliminate the Jiangsu trade merchants and detain Yan Jiazhong."

A murderous intent flickered in Ming Chien's eyes.

Whoosh!

A fiery rage burned like flames, and red flames actually shot up from various parts of Ming Chien's body.

Ming Wushan's face turned pale.

'He has become even stronger.'

The family head of a few days ago and the family head now were vastly different.

His qi had increased explosively. While an increase in qi doesn't necessarily mean an increase in skill, the fact that he could unconsciously emit such a level of qi indicated that his martial arts had also improved.

"I apologize, but... you need to calm down first."

He was prepared to be scolded.

Surprisingly, after a long while of fuming, Ming Chien calmed himself with deep breaths.

"You're right."

"…!"

"This is an unexpected turn of events, but once we get over this mountain, everything will be in our hands. There's no need to act rashly."

Ming Wushan bowed.

"A wise decision."

"Is Yan Hozheng still not here?"

The question felt like an ambush. At least to Ming Wushan, it did.

"That's correct."

Ming Chien smiled coldly.

"Indeed, he's quite a barker, just like his father, the bastard."

"He is stronger than we imagined. I would like to mobilize troops to sweep him away, but if we do that…"

"It would start a war. I understand. There's no need to waste our strength on a mere youth."

Fortunately, he seemed to have regained his composure, though he was still angry.

"Once today passes, the Yan family will become the public enemy of the martial world. However, Yan Wei must not realize this. Since he won't attend the grand assembly, it will take time for him to receive the letter."

"That's correct."

"In other words, we need a decisive move to divert his attention?"

"A wise judgment."

Ming Chien stood up.

"Sending all the Death Swords from the main house could wipe out the Yan family, but we can't do that."

"That's correct. Moreover, the spies we planted in the Yan family have been removed. The Death Swords would suffer heavy losses."

"Then there's no need to send the Death Swords."

"…?"

Ming Chien smiled ferociously.

"He is the head of one of the Seven Great Families. Even if we send overwhelming forces to the Yan family, we can't eliminate the family head. We lack the justification."

"That's correct."

"But if we create the justification, we can eliminate Yan Wei."

"…?!"

"I will go myself."

Ming Wushan's eyes widened.

Ming Chien's eyes gleamed with a strange pleasure and terrifying ambition.

"The head of the First Family in the world will go to punish the head of one of the Seven Great Families. Negotiation? That's unimportant. I'll find any excuse to start a fight and kill Yan Wei."

"Lord, Lord! That is…!"

"I will be the justification myself. I will make it so."

It was the most certain method, but also the most reckless.

Ming Wushan hurried to continue.

"That's dangerous! Lord Murong will destroy the Yan family at the grand assembly! There's no need for you to go…!"

"Who else is fit for the task if not me?!"

Ming Wushan's mouth closed involuntarily at the resounding shout.

Ming Chien emitted a murderous aura.

"There's a secret of our main house there. If that fact gets to the provisional martial alliance, it will be a severe blow to both the Yan family and us."

"That's true, but…"

"I don't know how they found out, but it's actually a good thing. If we can take over Jiangsu at this opportunity, we will truly become the First Family in the world."

Ming Wushan bit his lip.

Actually, it didn't matter if Ming Chien went to the Yan family. Indeed, as he said, it was the most certain method.

But why? He felt uneasy.

The strange war clouds over the Henan martial world seemed to have spread to Jiangsu. And the family head was going to a place where those war clouds were felt.

"And."

Whoosh!

Flames burst from Ming Chien's hand, emitting a terrifying aura.

A sense of ecstasy rose from his face.

"Isn't this a good opportunity to test this First Martial Technique in the World left by our ancestors?"

"…!"

"You said before that Yan Wei would be a high-level expert capable of reaching the Thirteen Celestial Seats in ten years."

"That's just a rumor about him…"

"Let's see."

Ming Chien smiled with a murderous intent.

"I will personally test whether he has the qualifications, as the master of the Nine Great Families."

* * *

"Immediately keep an eye on the southern and eastern gates of the Ming family. Gather all the Beggar Sect members in Henan. We must keep a close watch on the Ming family."

"Why suddenly?!"

"There's a high possibility that the Ming family head will go to Jiangsu."

"What? Go himself?!"

"They are confident that the Ming family will become the public enemy of the martial world at the grand assembly. In other words, there's only one thing left to do."

"Even so, I can't believe the Ming family head will go…"

"Whether it's the Ming family head or not! They will send overwhelming forces! We can't let them leave Henan!"

"Damn! There are too many possibilities! Can you be sure about this?"

"It's not many possibilities, but only one! Once the provisional martial alliance is established, the representative will head to the Ming family! The Ming family has no other way to eliminate their secrets now!"

"Shit! Fine! I'll trust you this time… Wait?!"

"What's wrong now?"

"You said we can't let them leave Henan?"

"Of course!?"

"We're not enough. I thought we could buy some time?"

"Whether it works or not, we have no choice but to confront them now."

"No, we can't. You're too hasty. As you said, we can't stop the Ming family's forces with just us."

"I'll go first."

"Wait half a day."

"Why are you doing this?!"

"I want to ask you, you crazy person! Wait half a day. There are people who will go with us."

"…?!"

"Even if the Ming family moves, their southward speed has limits. Don't worry. The Beggar Sect controls all the shortcuts in the Central Plains. We will definitely get ahead of the Ming family."

"…"

"Trust me once, twice, and three times."

Clunk!

The southern gate of the Ming family opened.

"Let's go!"

Neigh!

Dozens of strong horses galloped out briskly.

They were famous horses with golden fur, with legs longer and thinner than ordinary horses, and a speed that could easily double.

They were Hanxue horses, known as Qianli horses, a top-grade breed of immeasurable value.

There were dozens of such horses.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

Behind the galloping Hanxue horses at a terrifying speed.

Six horses, slightly shorter but much more robust and solid, pulled a massive carriage.

The carriage was incredibly luxurious. It could be mistaken for an emperor's sedan.

Inside the spacious carriage, Ming Chien was seated.

It was a carriage made exclusively for the head of the First Family in the world. It was decorated with a giant silk bed, allowing for a comfortable journey without a chair.

"Hmm, reassuring."

Through the small window at the front of the carriage, he could see the family's martial artists riding the dozens of Hanxue horses.

Whoosh.

The wind seemed to be startled and fled.

Over fifty high-level experts each rode a Hanxue horse. However, their postures were completely steady, unaffected by the dynamic movements of the Hanxue horses.

'They're quite good.'

All of them were high-level experts from the collateral line, trained as Death Swords.

Even before learning the Four Spirits' Four Great Skills, each of them had achieved a level comparable to the Ming brothers. They then chose and mastered one of the Four Great Skills that suited their existing martial arts.

There were over fifty such high-level experts. Moreover, behind the carriage, the Red Dragon Army of three hundred followed.

Like the White Dragon Army, they were also inner courtyard troops, the strongest among the Four Dragon Armies.

And himself.

The strongest family head in the history of the Nine Great Families was with them. With this level of forces, they could easily sweep away a small family like the Yan family.

'A bit disappointing that it's not complete.'

The fifty high-level experts leading the charge were not as proficient in their skills as he was. They needed at least a year of cultivation, which was somewhat disappointing.

But it's fine.

'Just capture Yan Wei.'

He intended to provoke a fight by any means. Yan Wei would not be able to avoid the fight.

If that happens, the Yan family will be finished. At the same time, the secrets of the Ming family could be eliminated.

No matter how he thought about it, it was a brilliant strategy.

A leader should be dignified and not move recklessly. But the strategy was to overturn that common sense and deliver an unexpected blow.

"Ha!"

He felt good. Very good.

His heart was pounding. The strong heartbeat felt more robust than before, thanks to the Phoenix Qi.

"I wish we could arrive as soon as possible."

How much time had passed?

After one day and into the second day.

Neigh!

Ming Chien frowned.

The Hanxue horses in front gradually slowed down and then collectively neighed.

'What is it?'

At that moment.

'…?!'

Ming Chien's face stiffened.

Whoosh.

A terrifying murderous intent was carried by the wind from far ahead.

It was not an ordinary murderous intent. It was so intense that even the head of the Nine Great Families, himself, was taken aback.

Ming Chien spoke.

"Who is blocking our path?"

"Lord, Lord!"

There was panic in the voice.

"What is it?"

"It's Yan Hozheng."

"…What?"

"The eldest son of the Yan family, Yan Hozheng, is blocking our path."

Surprise flickered in Ming Chien's eyes.

"Yan Hozheng? How did he know?!"

"I, I don't know…"

Clunk!

Ming Chien opened the carriage door and stepped out.

Whoosh.

The moment he kicked off the ground, he was already on the carriage roof.

Ming Chien's eyes wavered.

"Hey."

Far ahead, in the middle of a fork in the road.

A slender young man stood, a massive axe slung over his shoulder.

His blood-stained white robe and cold, sunken eyes were striking. He emitted a mysterious aura, and his presence was so overwhelming that it naturally drew attention.

"It's you…?!"

"Even if I shouted for you to come, you wouldn't crawl out, so what could I do? I had to come find you myself."

Ming Chien's face stiffened.

The voice from thirty feet away sounded as if it was right next to him, a sign of tremendous inner strength.

Yan Hozheng smiled meaningfully.

"Finally caught you, you thief."