Chapter 169:

As Wan Ronghua’s body fell to the ground, the entire Wan family fell into chaos. "Sir?" "Sir has passed away." The guards were numerous and bustling around. Some Spirit Refining martial artists were also present, their faces slightly embarrassed. In tonight’s battle, although they were many in number, they didn’t have much impact, just standing on the sidelines. Although not to the point of sacrificing himself for Wan Ronghua, the employer’s death under their care indeed made their faces look unpleasant. The members of the Wan family had a drastic change in their expressions. The death of their family head was a major event, equivalent to an earthquake for them. After the earthquake, several people quickly developed unusual thoughts in their minds. The Wan family was a large and influential family, one of the four wealthiest families in the Imperial Capital. Now that the family head had died, the Wan family needed a successor… In the back of the crowd, the concubine Fang Fang’s face turned slightly pale. She had married into the Wan family only a few years ago. Fang Fang’s position within the Wan family depended solely on Wan Ronghua’s favor and affection. It all depended on his whims. Now that Wan Ronghua had died, it is likely that she would face more than just falling out of favor… With Wan Ronghua’s death, the faces of the people varied. At first, they were shocked, found it hard to believe, and then more and more complex thoughts arose in their minds. But in the end, all the complex thoughts quickly disappeared. The gazes of the crowd, which was enormous and dense, couldn’t help but fall on Qiao Mu. But the story wasn’t over yet! Qiao Mu was already dead. At the final moment of his life, he sat cross-legged on the ground, slowly closed his eyes, and had a faint smile on his lips. This appearance was completely that of an elder who had fulfilled their last wish, smiling as they passed away, without regrets. Uninformed passersby might even think that this old man was happily mourning. However, the Wan family, who had witnessed the entire process, couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of fear and dread when they saw the faint smile on Qiao Mu’s face after his death. Qiao Mu had serious injuries on his body. But several experts in spiritual refining could tell that most of Qiao Mu’s injuries were actually self-inflicted. He had used a life-threatening secret technique that put an immense strain on his own body. They watched as Qiao Mu rushed in, and then watched as Qiao Mu died. His death was swift and clean, like a brilliant firework that lit up the night sky in an instant. "This person appears so old, probably at least eighty or ninety years old, right?" "I’ve seen many old people, and most of them become more protective of their lives as they age, especially those from wealthy families… But this old person from the Qiao family, to launch such a determined attack at our Wan Mansion, it’s quite surprising." "What a grudge this must be! Lord Wan seems to have been extremely unlucky for the past eight generations, to have provoked someone from the Qiao family… They must really not care about their own lives." The large group of guards surrounding them, including the two servants called "spiritual refining", were somewhat intimidated by Qiao Mu’s presence. In any era, people who are not afraid of death are very few. These guards, who were paid to do their duty, naturally didn’t want to confront Qiao Mu to the very end. And one of the reasons for Wan Ronghua’s death is also due to the negligence of these guards… "Mr. Wan… such a pity, he was very smart, had great strategies, and had a sharp eye… but he didn’t expect to be caught by an old country man." "He planned everything, but he didn’t lose because of a chess mistake, but because an old martial artist sacrificed his life instead, and died in a reckless way?" "We shouldn’t mess with this fearless country man, luckily there aren’t many people like him, and this old man is already dead." Those two spiritual devotees exchanged a glance, feeling relieved in their hearts. Their martial arts skills were still strong, without this Wan Ronghua, they could find someone else to work for, and they had no worries about earning money. But after witnessing Qiao Mu recklessly kill Wan Ronghua, they couldn’t help but feel a little scared. Qiao Mu’s target was Wan Ronghua, they were frightened for a moment and didn’t stop him. So, what if Qiao Mu’s target changed to one of them? It would definitely be a dead end, with no way out. With this thought, their eyes became even more afraid when looking at the old man’s body. Right after that, a figure suddenly appeared in front of them and took steps towards Qiao Mu’s dead body. This person is Qin Shiqing, who also sustained some injuries, but not too serious. At this moment, he held his chest wound with one hand, and slowly approached Qiao Mu’s dead body step by step. His pace was steady, his face serious, his eyes sharp, and his body tense. He seemed to be on high alert, without relaxing his guard. "Could it be that the old man from the Qiao family hasn’t died yet? Has his breathing stopped? Could it be some kind of secret technique, faking death?" These several spiritual refining followers had such thoughts in their minds, instantly feeling a great threat. As the top-ranked martial artist, Qin Shiqing had strong skills, great fame, and broad knowledge. If even Qin Shiqing treated this matter seriously, naturally they would follow suit. They saw Qin Shiqing casually walking up to Qiao Mu’s body, lifting his long knife and chopping it down, one slash at a time. The shining blade cut through the darkness, completely shattering Qiao Mu’s head into several pieces. Qin Shiqing held the knife in his hand and mercilessly cut Qiao Mu’s body apart. Throughout, Qiao Mu’s body showed no signs of life, clearly dead. "Looks like he’s really dead." Qin Shiqing calmly sheathed his long knife. At this point, the body of Qiao Mu under his feet was not recognizable, it was beyond human. Even the guardian behind him, Luohan, furrowed his eyebrows slightly and discreetly took two steps backward. It’s normal to finish the job, it shows careful thinking. But to continue striking until the body became unrecognizable, even Luohan, who was accustomed to seeing the dead, was somewhat speechless. "Why go to such extremes? That Qiao family elder has long been dead." "Though he was our enemy, he was indeed a brave martial artist. Since he’s already dead, why mistreat the body out of anger?" Several members of the Wan family muttered to themselves. Qin Shiqing wasn’t venting his anger, but seeking revenge. He just added a few more strikes than an ordinary person. After completing all of this, his anxious heart finally calmed down. "It’s all over now." He thought this, and his mind relaxed slightly. The battle with Qiao Mu was intense but short. However, fighting against a 1st rank Spirit Refining martial artist was mentally exhausting, like dancing on the edge of a knife. If Qiao Mu lands a hit and in case Luohan cannot come to the rescue in time, the outcome will be either death or severe injury. Now that Qiao Mu was dead, the tension in his heart loosened slightly, and he felt fatigue and pain throughout his body. In order to evade Qiao Mu’s attacks, he also used a forbidden technique, but his current condition was not great… And in that instant… A loud shout suddenly came out, causing him to feel scared. "You thief, how dare you bully my Qiao family?!" An old figure covered in a red aura, like a comet in the night sky, brought a strong wind. "Heavenly Demon Disintegration Method·Fragmented Virtual Finger！" Pointing towards the empty space, a powerful force surged through the air like an invisible sword, aiming directly at Qin Shiqing’s forehead! "You came back?" "There’s one more?" Sёarᴄh the nôvel_Fire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Many thoughts rushed through their minds. The sudden reappearance of the second Qiao family member caught them off guard. They didn’t have time to react. Even Qin Shiqing himself, due to a momentary lapse in concentration, only managed to slightly turn his head. With a gentle sound, like a soft popping noise. An invisible force pierced through the right temple of Qin Shiqing, penetrating his skull and bursting out from the back of his head! Blood mixed with shattered bones surged out, causing Qin Shiqing’s mind to tremble. At that moment, his pupils shrank to the size of a needle, sharp like a knife, as if a terrifying attack was brewing. But it was still a bit too slow. His lifeless body fell heavily backwards. The once sharp gaze gradually lost its brilliance and became scattered. His death. His death, just like Wan Ronghua’s sudden death, left everyone present guessing, their hearts filled with unexpected shock and fear. "You audacious thief of the Qiao family!" The angry Luohan opened his eyes wide and charged towards Qiao Mu with a fierce body. He attempted to grab Qiao Mu with his huge hand, which was as big as a fan. However, this grab was empty. Because Qiao Mu’s figure didn’t stay for a moment, at this moment he stepped on Shadow Step, combined with the bursting internal strength of the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Method. His figure flew up like the night wind, crossing over the Wan family’s courtyard wall and disappearing into the night. "How could Qin Shiqing… How could he die…" Luohan’s face turned pale, and with a sudden step on the ground, the blue bricks in the courtyard cracked. His tower-like figure also disappeared into the night, vanishing from everyone’s sight. The people inside the Wan family’s courtyard looked at each other in surprise. This sudden change in the situation caught them off guard. Just a moment of carelessness, and Wan Ronghua was killed under heavy protection. After Qin Shiqing killed Qiao Mu and whipped his body, he relaxed for a moment. As a result, another reckless member of the Qiao’s family immediately appeared and assassinated him? They couldn’t even see who the person was. If it wasn’t for Luohan mentioning the words "Qiao family thief," they wouldn’t even know who killed Qin Shiqing. At this moment, everyone in the courtyard couldn’t help but break into a layer of sweat under the night breeze. Some even shivered and involuntarily glanced around the dark corners, feeling afraid. "Maybe, there aren’t any other Qiao family members lurking in the dark, right?" Wan Ronghua’s children were not concerned about fighting for the family fortune anymore. Their gaze was fixed on the two spiritual refining servants standing in the courtyard. "Zhang, if you can keep me safe tonight, I’ll double your monthly offering!" "Chen, stay here tonight to protect our family. If we can safely make it through, there will be great thanks…" Surrounded by Wan Ronghua’s children, the two spiritual refining servants had stern faces and simultaneously brushed their sleeves as they left. It’s one thing to have money, but you also need a long life to spend it! "I’m sorry, I can’t afford to provoke the Qiao family. I’m scared," the servant named Zhang forced a bitter smile, displayed his light skills, and swiftly left, afraid of being targeted by the lurking Qiao family. The person with the surname Chen suddenly clasped their hands and said seriously to the dark figure in the night: "Wan Ronghua is rich but heartless. He frequently takes lives, seizes others’ wealth. I am ashamed to be associated with him!" After saying that, the person paid no attention to the strange looks from others and walked away quickly. Tonight, the fierce actions of two members of the Qiao family left a deep impression on them. It didn’t matter if it was the dedicated disciple already in spiritual refining or a member of the Wan family, a large clan. The Qiao family, a unique and eccentric martial arts family, had become an avoidable taboo in their hearts.