Chapter 29: The Ferocious and Evil Red Blood Mansion

Chapter 29: Chapter 29: The Ferocious and Evil Red Blood Mansion

「The next day.」

Having spent another sleepless night, Chen Qi’an’s dark circles had grown even deeper.

For one, Fan Chu had left and hadn’t returned all night. He worried that Fan Chu would never come back, leaving the Chen Family in real danger.

The other reason was the fury boiling in his heart.

For the past decade, ever since their engagement, he had been completely devoted to Lü Yunxiu, doting on her as if she were the most precious thing in the world. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ

And in all those years, he hadn’t dared to take the slightest liberty, wanting to save that perfect moment for their wedding night.

But Lü Yunxiu’s behavior on the street yesterday had thoroughly disgusted him. It was as if his decade of devotion had all been for nothing.

What man could bear it? To watch his own woman be treated like that by another man, to even hear that man mention her performance in bed?

But at the time, all he could do was swallow his pride. If Fan Chu hadn’t been by his side, he would have been humiliated even further by that vile pair.

After a whole night of reflection, Chen Qi’an came to a single conclusion: scholars are utterly useless.

So what if he became the Champion Scholar at nineteen? Wasn’t that considered the pinnacle of achievement for the younger generation of scholars?

But in the eyes of a Cultivator, he was less than an ant.

He had made a decision. The next time Fan Chu appeared, he would no longer doubt him. If the man could truly get him into a Cultivation Sect, he would be grateful for the rest of his life.

With these thoughts weighing on him, he picked at his breakfast under his mother’s worried gaze.

He had just put down his bowl and chopsticks when the sounds of a quarrel erupted from the front courtyard.

Chen Qi’an’s mother was so startled she dropped her chopsticks.

Chen Guanglin shot her a glare, put down his own chopsticks, and rose to his feet. He patted Chen Qi’an on the shoulder. "I’ll go see what’s happening," he said. "Don’t come out unless I call for you."

"Father, this whole affair is because of me. How can I hide?"

Chen Guanglin’s eyes blazed. "Do as I say!" he snapped. "Stay here and look after your mother and your third brother."

With that, he strode toward the front gate.

Just then, a series of horrific screams echoed from beyond the main gate.

As Chen Guanglin walked past the spirit screen, he saw the Prefecture Guards stationed outside lying scattered on the ground. A young man looked up at him, a defiant smirk on his face.

Beside the youth stood a middle-aged man with a small mustache. Behind them were twelve imposing-looking men.

"Who are you people? How dare you attack the Yunzhou Prefecture Guards!" Chen Guanglin demanded, though he already had his suspicions.

The youth leisurely tucked a stray lock of hair behind his ear with his pinky. Then his eyes narrowed, and he sneered, "Lord Chen, such an impressive display of authority!"

"I’m not going to waste words on you. I am the Young Sect Leader of Red Blood Mansion. Yesterday, your son and his guard injured my people. Bring them out and hand them over to us for judgment. Do that, and this matter is done. If not... not a single soul in the Chen Family, not even a dog, will be left alive."

"Does your Red Blood Mansion not have to abide by the accords of the Cultivation Realm?" Chen Guanglin demanded.

"Well, well. Lord Chen is more knowledgeable than I thought, to even know about the Cultivation Realm’s accords," Yan Ji said, a hint of surprise in his voice. His expression then turned cold. "So what if I don’t abide by them? What are you going to do about it?"

As he spoke, nearly a thousand Yunzhou Prefecture Guards converged on the area, the front ranks drawing their bows and taking aim at Yan Ji and his men.

"Surely, Lord Chen, you don’t believe these ants can actually harm us?" Yan Ji added, sweeping his gaze over the Prefecture Guards with a look of feigned disbelief.

"Young Master Yan, the Chen Family had no intention of offending the Red Blood Mansion. As for my son’s transgression, I will punish him myself. Can we please let the matter drop?"

Yan Ji’s reply was blunt. "No."

"Do as I said: hand over Chen Qi’an and that guard to us. Let us deal with them, and this will all be over."

"Young Master Yan, isn’t there any room for negotiation?" In truth, Chen Guanglin was starting to panic.

’The guard sent by the Monarch still hasn’t appeared. Could he have gotten scared and run off to hide?’

’He knew there were accords meant to restrain the Cultivation Realm, but after so many years as an official, he knew all too well that laws and treaties only bind those willing to be bound.’

’There are always those who will test the limits of the law, or ignore it entirely.’

’Clearly, these people from the Red Blood Mansion were exactly that type.’

"It seems Lord Chen is still hesitant. Well then, let’s help him understand the situation!" With that, Yan Ji waved a hand to the guards behind him.

The twelve guards drew their swords and charged into the Prefecture Guards on either side.

Seeing this, the Prefecture Guards didn’t wait for Chen Guanglin’s command. They loosed their bowstrings, and a cloud of arrows, like a swarm of locusts, flew toward Yan Ji and his men.

But Yan Ji and his dozen men were all at least in the Heartbeat Realm. How could ordinary arrows possibly harm them?

The arrows couldn’t even pierce the defensive layer of True Qi around their bodies.

A massacre began.

The twelve men from Red Blood Mansion slaughtered the ordinary soldiers without a shred of hesitation.

In an instant, screams filled the air as blood began to stain the street red.

"Stop!"

Watching his men being slaughtered, Chen Guanglin’s eyes turned bloodshot.

Yan Ji waved his hand, and the twelve men stopped simultaneously.

In the span of just a few breaths, nearly a hundred soldiers had fallen to their swords.

"It seems Lord Chen has made a choice. Are you going to hand them over now?"

Before the hesitant Chen Guanglin could speak, Chen Qi’an appeared at his side.

"Your Red Blood Mansion is only capable of bullying ordinary mortals like us," Chen Qi’an said. "But the heavens are watching. One day, you will pay for your actions."

"Then you needn’t trouble yourself with worrying about us, Champion Scholar," Yan Ji laughed.

"What about that guard of yours? Is he too scared to come out?"

"He has already returned to the Capital City," Chen Qi’an said.

"Returned to the Capital City? You think he can just walk away after hurting someone from our Red Blood Mansion? In that case, we’ll start by collecting some interest from your Chen Family."

As Yan Ji spoke, he raised his hand.

Suddenly, Chu Fan’s voice rang out from the corner of the street.

"It seems bullying mortals is all your Red Blood Mansion is good for."

The first time Chu Fan had viewed the Ye Family’s ancestral painting, the effect had been immense. Subsequent viewings, however, yielded negligible results.

It was just like his Miaolian Celestial Stabilization Technique: for a period of time right after breaking through to a new Great Realm, his Cultivation would advance quickly, but the progress would taper off.

He had spent all of yesterday, day and night, on his Cultivation. During the day, he observed the painting, but his Spiritual Power hadn’t increased in the slightest.

And during the night, as he cultivated the Miaolian Celestial Stabilization Technique, his Cultivation level hadn’t budged at all.

These results made Chu Fan worry that something had gone wrong with his Cultivation.

So, early this morning, seeing that Ye Xiaohan and Qi Wei didn’t need his immediate attention, he had given them a few instructions and left the residence.

He hadn’t gotten more than a few streets away when he heard the sounds of battle coming from the direction of the Chen Family’s home. Casting aside any pretense of being a mortal, he took to the rooftops, leaping from eave to eave until he arrived outside the Chen Family’s main gate.

Chu Fan’s appearance took many people by surprise.

A flash of joy appeared on Chen Guanglin’s face, but it vanished as quickly as it came. He was old and had seen much of the world. ’Can this guard really handle these Cultivators?’

The faces of Yan Ji and Zou Tinggui, however, lit up with excitement.

"I thought you’d run away. I didn’t expect you’d have the guts to deliver yourself right to our doorstep." Yan Ji licked his lips, a bloodthirsty gleam in his eyes.

It was as if Chu Fan was an ant in the palm of his hand, ready to be crushed at his whim.

"Run?" Chu Fan sneered back. "Why would I need to run from the likes of you?"

The moment the words left Chu Fan’s mouth, Zou Tinggui drew his sword and lunged at him...