Chapter 20 Supreme Sword Intent, Annihilating Two More Families!

Chapter 20: Chapter 20: Supreme Sword Intent, Annihilating Two More Families!

An incomparably sharp Sword Intent surged through the council hall.

Darius Fenwick immediately felt a stinging pain spread across his entire body, as though countless invisible blades were scraping against his skin.

Even his eyes suffered from the pressure. A sharp, stabbing sensation forced him to close them instinctively.

The sudden eruption of Sword Intent completely disrupted his attack. Under the combined effects of the pain and the overwhelming pressure, nearly ninety percent of the force behind his punch dissipated in an instant.

Facing the weakened attack, Julian Mercer merely shifted his body slightly.

Darius’s fist passed harmlessly beside him.

His attack had missed.

Darius froze for a moment, still struggling to understand what had happened. He was just about to open his eyes when a sharp whistling sound suddenly cut through the air.

Whoosh!

A cold gust rushed toward his face.

Before Darius could react, Julian swept his sleeve forward and spread his fingers, delivering a casual slap directly across the City Lord’s face.

The movement stirred violent waves of Qi that surged toward Darius with frightening force.

BANG!

An explosive impact shook the council hall.

The terrifying physical strength granted by the Innate Sacred Body Dao Embryo erupted.

Julian had used only a fraction of his strength, yet the result was devastating.

Darius, a cultivator at the sixth layer of the Purple Mansion Realm, was sent flying backward more than ten meters.

His body slammed into the wall.

Cracks immediately spread across the surface in a dense, spiderweb-like pattern. The wall shuddered under the impact, and fragments of stone scattered across the floor.

Darius slowly slid down the damaged wall before collapsing onto the ground.

His face had swollen and turned crimson. Every part of his body felt as though his bones had been shattered, and the intense pain caused his muscles to tremble uncontrollably.

Fortunately, the Yuan power circulating within his body gradually began to soothe his injuries. After several breaths, the pain eased enough for him to move again.

Darius opened his eyes.

Planting both hands against the floor, he forced himself to his feet and stared at Julian in disbelief.

"Sword Intent?!"

The words escaped his mouth almost involuntarily.

What had just happened was far beyond anything he had anticipated.

He had known that Julian possessed the cultivation of the fifth layer of the Purple Mansion Realm. However, he had never imagined that Julian had also comprehended Sword Intent, a profound understanding of the Sword Dao that many cultivators at the Origin Sea Realm might spend their entire lives pursuing without success.

The revelation shattered Darius’s assumptions.

A sword cultivator capable of comprehending Sword Intent while still in the Purple Mansion Realm was an extraordinary talent even across the entirety of Ravenholt Province.

Within the Great Qin Dynasty, such a person would be considered a rare genius, someone who might appear only once among ten thousand cultivators.

How could I have overlooked such terrifying talent?

Darius had known Julian’s name for years, yet he had never realized that the man’s comprehension of the Sword Dao had reached such a frightening level.

While Darius struggled to process the revelation, Adrian Mercer was equally stunned.

He had never imagined that his Patriarch had already mastered Sword Intent!

Adrian knew how rare such an achievement was. Across several surrounding cities, one might not find a single cultivator capable of wielding Sword Intent.

Back when Adrian had belonged to the Aldercrest Order, only its notoriously powerful Sect Master, a cultivator at the Origin Sea Realm, had possessed such an ability.

Yet Julian had comprehended Sword Intent while cultivating in the Purple Mansion Realm.

The difference was astonishing.

We have all underestimated the Patriarch’s talent.

Adrian looked at Julian’s back, his eyes filled with admiration and reverence.

Meanwhile, Julian regarded Darius with complete indifference.

A faint, mocking smile appeared on his face.

"Does the City Lord wish to test my abilities again?"

Darius’s expression darkened.

The veins at his temples bulged, and his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned pale.

He desperately wanted to teach Julian a lesson. Unfortunately, the painful truth was that he had already lost the confrontation.

His opponent’s strength was beyond what he could comfortably handle.

Darius swallowed his humiliation, lowering his head slightly as his chest rose and fell with heavy breaths.

"Patriarch Mercer certainly possesses extraordinary abilities. This time, I misjudged the situation. My skills are inferior to yours, and I admit defeat!"

A sensible man knew when to advance and when to retreat.

Darius might care deeply about his reputation, but he wasn’t foolish enough to risk his life merely to preserve his pride.

Without another word, he swept his sleeve aside and turned toward the exit.

He wanted to leave the Mercer estate as quickly as possible.

However, just as he took his first step, Julian’s voice sounded from behind him.

"Hold on."

Darius’s entire body stiffened.

His right foot remained suspended in midair for a moment before he slowly turned his head.

"What is it? Does Patriarch Mercer intend to take my life here as well?"

Julian shook his head calmly.

"Not at all. I simply have a question. From now on, how much commercial tax will the City Lord continue collecting from the Mercer Family?"

Darius paused.

He hadn’t expected Julian to bring up something so mundane after their confrontation.

But the question concerned an important source of wealth.

According to the laws of the Great Qin Dynasty, families operating businesses such as restaurants, markets, shops, and escort agencies were required to pay a portion of their commercial earnings into the imperial treasury.

Under the previous arrangement, the four major families of Wexford City settled their accounts every month and handed twenty percent of their operating earnings to the City Lord.

Darius would then forward the collected tax to the administration of Ravenholt Province, which was responsible for transferring it to the Imperial Court.

Of course, after passing through several layers of administration, how much of that wealth ultimately reached the imperial treasury was another question entirely.

This was a world where powerful cultivators could overturn mountains and shatter walls. Many aristocratic families possessed experts whose strength rivaled that of powerful sects.

If several such families joined forces, they could even challenge the authority of the Imperial Court.

Under these circumstances, commercial taxes were a heavy burden for ordinary people and weaker organizations. For powerful aristocratic families, however, they were often little more than a formality.

After considering Julian’s question, Darius hesitated before answering.

"Half a percent..."

He had originally intended to reduce the Mercer Family’s tax burden to half a percent, a concession that would already have been generous by ordinary standards.

But then he noticed Julian’s icy gaze.

It was as though someone had poured an entire basin of cold water over him. His remaining anger vanished instantly.

Darius suddenly worried that he might not be allowed to leave the Mercer estate alive.

He hurriedly changed his answer.

"N-No need! The Mercer Family will be completely exempt from commercial taxes from now on!"

The moment the words left his mouth, Darius felt an enormous weight lift from his shoulders.

At least he had managed to preserve his life.

But the relief was quickly followed by a pang of regret.

The Mercer Family of today was nothing like the weakened clan it had once been. After destroying the Rourke Family and absorbing the wealth that family had accumulated over hundreds of years, the Mercers’ monthly earnings would undoubtedly be enormous.

With the Mercer Family exempt from commercial taxes, Darius would lose any opportunity to collect a portion of that wealth.

His heart ached at the thought.

But what’s the point of having money if I’m dead?

Life mattered more than wealth.

Darius shook his head, forced himself to abandon his lingering regrets, and finally walked through the grand entrance.

Soon, only Julian and Adrian remained in the council hall.

Corpses lay scattered across the floor, and the stench of blood hung heavily in the air.

Julian glanced around without showing any emotion.

Then he turned and walked out of the hall.

There was still work to be done.

The Bellamy and Kessler families had spent years exploiting the Mercer Family, seizing its properties and contributing to its decline. Their leaders had now paid for their crimes, but Julian had no intention of leaving the remaining members untouched.

He quickly gathered the Mercer clansmen and led them toward the residences of the Bellamy and Kessler families.

Neither family possessed the strength to resist him.

Their remaining members struggled briefly, but the outcome had already been decided. Under Julian’s overwhelming power, both families were successively annihilated.

The Bellamy and Kessler estates were thoroughly searched, and their accumulated wealth was confiscated.

Before long, Mercer disciples were carrying chests filled with gold, silver jewelry, Spirit Stones, property deeds, and countless other resources through the streets of Wexford City.

The sight left the surrounding crowds utterly stunned.

"Only one day has passed, and the Mercer Family has made another move?"

"Good heavens! The Rourke Family was destroyed yesterday. Which family has suffered their wrath today?"

"I heard that the Bellamy and Kessler estates are already filled with corpses. It must have been the Mercer Family!"

"Hmph! Those three families were all cut from the same cloth. While Julian Mercer was in seclusion, they joined forces to suppress the Mercers and seize their properties. It seems he’s finally settling old scores."

"Settling scores is one thing, but aren’t the Mercer Family’s methods a little too ruthless? They wipe out entire families at the slightest opportunity!"

Someone looked toward the procession of Mercer disciples carrying away the spoils.

"In just two days, three major families have been slaughtered. Hundreds of people are dead. Calling this the work of the Demonic Path wouldn’t be an exaggeration, would it?"