Chapter 95

Located on the bustling streets of Songyan City, the Zhang family grocery store was reduced to ruins overnight.

It has been three months since then.

On the busy street, shops lined up one after another, and the crowds were noisy, bustling everywhere. Only this place was as silent as a grave. Pedestrians would inevitably avoid it from a distance, as if they were afraid of being tainted with a stroke of bad luck.

Here, the ruins remained, with dark red bloodstains still visible in the gaps of the broken tiles. This was the blood of the Zhang family grocery store owner and thirty-seven talisman apprentices. Although the bodies had rotted and disappeared, the bloodstains could not be erased, as if narrating the shock, anger, and resentment in their hearts...

A merchant arrived with a group of tall and strong servants. He had his eye on this plot of land and intended to build a shop on the ruins.

"Demolish it! I have already consulted with the Li family, and I have spent a large sum of money to acquire this land. From now on, this will be my territory. Quickly clear away these broken stones and rotten wood, and wash away these dirty and smelly bloodstains with water!"

The portly merchant shouted loudly, giving orders, but noticed that the group of strong servants behind him all had troubled expressions and were unwilling to move forward. He could not help but fly into a rage: "What's there to be worried about? Afraid of being tainted with the bad luck of the broom star and being dealt with by the Li family? Didn't I already tell you that I have consulted with the Li family?"

"Sir, so many people died here, it doesn't seem auspicious to open a shop here. Besides, the broom star stayed here for four years. Who knows if we might be tainted with his bad luck..." a servant explained with a bitter expression.

"Yes, now everyone in the city related to the broom star is dead, and even the things he used have been burned to ashes."

"Sir, let's just give up on this land!"

The servants all spoke up, expressing their concerns.

"Do you still want to live?" the merchant roared: "Go to work! If you don't clean up this ruin by tonight, I'll take your heads!"

The servants were silent as cicadas, and could only grit their teeth and move forward to start clearing the ruins of the Zhang family grocery store.

Seeing this, the merchant's face improved somewhat, and he muttered disdainfully: "A bunch of wimps, just like the broom star. If I were from the Li family, I would have killed all of you without leaving a single one alive..."

"Who is that guy? Such a strong killing aura, it's like he just walked out of a river of blood and a sea of corpses!"

"It's Chen Xi! It's Chen Xi! He... he's back!"

"Chen Xi? The broom star?"

"Bad, I need to hide from him. If I have any connection with him, the Li family will likely exterminate my entire family."

In the distance, the crowd on the street suddenly let out several screams, as if they had seen an unimaginable beast. Their faces changed drastically, and they fled in panic.

Suddenly, the entire street was filled with people crying and running, as if they had encountered something extremely terrifying.

"Sir, the broom star is back!"

"Let's escape quickly!"

"Yes, yes."

The servants all had mournful faces. If not for the fear of the merchant's authority, they would have already fled.

"Shut up!" The merchant's face was also changing, and he gritted his teeth and roared: "He's just a useless talisman maker. What are you afraid of? Those people are running because they fear the Li family. I have a close relationship with the Li family, so why should I run?"

As the merchant spoke, the once bustling street was now completely empty, and the shops on both sides had slammed their doors shut, as if avoiding a plague.

The atmosphere became silent, eerie, and oppressive, like the calm before a storm.

"Don't panic, do what you need to do. I'll pay you ten times the usual wage today!" The merchant took a deep breath and said slowly.

Money moves the heart and can even drive ghosts and gods.

Hearing that the wage would be ten times the usual, although the servants' faces were still extremely difficult, no one chose to leave. This was the allure of money.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

A series of footsteps echoed on the cold and oppressive street, light and ethereal like a breeze, yet heavy like a drumbeat. Each step felt like a hammer striking the heart, making the blood rise and the breathing heavy.

In this heart-stopping, eerie sound of footsteps, a lean and tall figure approached. His expression was cold and emotionless, but his eyes were blood-red, like those of a demon or a god in legend.

The killing aura was thick and unyielding, like a blade piercing the bone.

And he himself was like a sharp sword that had emerged from the blood sea, thirsting for blood and souls.

Thud!

The merchant's knees buckled, and he fell to the ground, his strength drained, his throat as if squeezed by an invisible hand. His eyes wide open, he saw the figure with overwhelming killing aura approaching and could not help but let out a shrill scream: "Chen Xi, you broom star, what are you going to do? I have the Li family behind me, you can't touch me!!"

On the side, the numerous servants were already terrified, sitting on the ground, their lips trembling, their faces pale. They realized that no matter how much money they earned, it could not compare to the value of their lives.

Chen Xi ignored them. He just looked at the ruins, and scenes from the past flashed through his mind.

"Poor little guy, since no one will buy your talismans, I'll buy them. It's not easy to support a family at such a young age."

"Ha ha, Chen Xi, your talisman-making skills have improved. Keep working hard, never be proud. For your grandfather, your brother, and most importantly, for yourself."

"I knew this day would come. Let's go, this place is too small for you. Your life shouldn't be confined here. Keep working hard, and remember to come back and visit me whenever you can. Ha ha, am I being too greedy?"

...

Two streams of blood tears silently slid down his cheeks. Chen Xi knelt on the ground, facing the ruins, the former Zhang family grocery store, and the encouraging and helpful Uncle Zhang. He bowed deeply.

"Uncle, Xia Xi has grown up. I will avenge you!"

Standing up, Chen Xi left without looking back.

On the side, the merchant and the servants all had terrified and grotesque expressions, bleeding from the seven orifices, and died silently.

On the ground, there was a blood-drawn talisman, a first-grade Fire Cloud Talisman that Chen Xi was most skilled at making. The blood-colored talisman patterns bloomed like flowers, as if mourning the souls in the ruins.

At the Qingxi Wine House.

On the desolate ruins, there were bones, bloodstains, and Chen Xi was cooking delicious dishes with full concentration, muttering something. Faintly, one could hear words like "Old Ma," "Pei Wei," "Qiao Nan"...

The scene of ruins, bloodstains, bones, and a person cooking and talking was eerie and even terrifying.

After a while.

Four dishes and a pot of wine were placed before the ruins, and Chen Xi's figure was no longer there.

A stray dog smelled the aroma and ran over, but before it could approach the delicious dishes, it suddenly let out a whimper and fell to the ground, dead on the spot.

—

Chen Xi is back!

This news spread like wildfire, shaking the entire Songyan City.

Chen Xi, a broom star who grew up in Songyan City, was born when his family was destroyed, his parents disappeared, his engagement was torn, his grandfather died tragically, and his younger brother's right hand was crippled...

A few months ago, because of him, the Li family massacred civilians within a thousand-mile radius, destroyed the Zhang family grocery store, and the Qingxi Wine House. Anyone with even the slightest connection to him had died tragically, how innocent they were?

Now, this well-known broom star has returned. Is he going to bring another layer of bad luck and bloodshed to the entire city?

The streets were empty.

The bustling shops were all closed.

Large and small academies prohibited students from going out.

The entire city seemed to have become a ghost town in the blink of an eye.

Even the self-proclaimed powerful cultivators were silent and watching, as if they could already see that Chen Xi was destined to die at the hands of the Li family.

—

At the General's Mansion.

Luo Chong, the first expert under General Qin, had a furrowed brow, filled with worry.

At this moment, a guard ran over and knelt on one knee, reporting: "Reporting to Commander Luo, the General has said that our mansion should not get involved in this matter."

Bang!

Luo Chong slammed his hand on the table, sending wood chips flying.

"Watching the Li family massacre tens of thousands of civilians, watching the Zhang family grocery store and the Qingxi Wine House be destroyed, how can the dignity of our mansion be maintained? How can we command respect?"

Luo Chong, who had been suppressing his anger for months, could no longer hold back, his face turning dark and fierce, roaring loudly, "Why? Why ignore it? Just because the Li family has the support of the Longyuan Su family, can they trample the dignity of our mansion?"

"Luo Chong, you are too impulsive!" A voice full of authority sounded, and then a middle-aged man in purple robes walked over, standing nine feet tall, his back straight like a sword or a spear, like a mountain pressing down, full of authority. This man was the supreme ruler of the General's Mansion and the actual ruler of Songyan City, Qin Han.

"General!" Seeing the middle-aged man in purple robes, Luo Chong was taken aback, took a deep breath, and stood up, bowing.

"The Su family is terrifying, and the major forces in Longyuan City are also terrifying. Although we represent the will of the Great Chu Dynasty, we can only choose to compromise when facing these ancient family powers."

Qin Han sighed: "Not to mention you and me, even in Longyuan City and throughout the Southern Border, no city's General's Mansion dares to openly oppose them."

Luo Chong knew that Qin Han was telling the truth, but his anger only increased, gritting his teeth and saying: "We are dealing with the Li family, not the Su family!"

Qin Han shook his head: "Without the support of the Longyuan Su family, do you think the Li family would dare to act so recklessly?"

Luo Chong was stunned: "Are we just going to do nothing? Watch Chen Xi be killed? Hongmian has a good relationship with him."

"I know, that's why I locked the girl up." Qin Han casually replied: "It's a helpless situation. Chen Xi's death might bring peace to the entire Songyan City. Besides, to offend the Li family and the Su family for the sake of a broken family's child is undoubtedly to send our mansion to its doom. It's not worth it."

"Are the major families and major forces really that terrifying..." Luo Chong was dejected, muttering to himself.

"Indeed." Qin Han nodded but did not elaborate further.

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