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Chapter 263: Enticing the Enemy

Translator: chuchutrain Editor: DavidT , Rock

Ling Tian could see with one glance that the five of them had mental states that were absolutely calm and unruffled. Obviously, the sparring sessions with Yu ManTian had yielded great benefits to them, allowing their strength to take yet another great leap forward! Ling Tian couldn't help but nod his head in satisfaction, and now would be the best time to let them employ the new tactics they had learned into a life and death scenario! If the XiMen troops didn't show up, then Ling Tian would go on the hunt to allow the five of them some live target practice, for example, Qian ShuiRou's underlings.

Ling Tian spoke out, "Tonight, Ling Jian and I will work separately, and it will go like this..." The crowd burst into laughter, and someone said, "Young noble, I really don't know if you're too smart or too devious, hahaha…"

The five of them typically treated Ling Tian as just a brotherly figure, and Ling Tian himself also never maintained the sort of stifling rules from the aristocratic families. This was something which Ling Tian was pleased about. In order to reach the apex, a martial cultivator would inevitably face long periods of loneliness, so he focused on developing an atmosphere of familial love.

However, Ling Tian couldn't bring himself to smile this time, instead turning towards Ling Chen and saying, "Chen'er, your mission is to protect the safety of yourself and BingYan. As for the matter of fighting, it will not concern you at this point. Today's battle is just an opportunity for you to get used to the blood and slaughter of a battlefield, do you understand? I didn't want you to experience it so quickly, what a pity…"

Ling Chen nodded in reply, with a warm feeling suffusing in her heart. Her young noble constantly looked for opportunities for her to temper herself in blood and slaughter. However, when the fight really came, he would always take care of her first, attempting to keep her hands as far away from blood as possible. Ling Chen's heart was already satisfied just based on her loved one's intention to protect her.

Having made all the arrangements, Ling Tian then brought Ling Chen and Yu BingYan back to Smoky Thea Tower.

As the sun set and the moon revealed itself in the sky, under the fervent and admiring gazes of people, Ling Tian delightedly pulled at Ling Chen and Yu BingYan, the two peerless beauties, and walked out of Smoky Thea Tower, blending into the crowd.

It was as though he didn't realize that behind him were a few stealthy shadows trailing behind. Since someone wanted to assassinate him, then how could he not give them the chance to take action?

XiMen Qing was actually still furiously racking his brains on how he could lure Ling Tian out of Smoky Thea, but seeing Ling Tian walk out by himself just like that, he couldn't help but be overwhelmed with joy. He thought to himself, This is really following the saying of if King Yama wants someone to die at midnight, who will dare to keep him past daybreak? Since Ling Tian has taken the initiative to walk out like that, isn't that fulfilling this prophecy? He immediately sent down the order to carry out the plan.

As Ling Tian walked, he was chatting and laughing together with the other two ladies. They actually didn't return to the Ling Family, but rather walked towards the west.

Walking along an alleyway, the three of them suddenly came to an abrupt halt when they saw a sea of blood red in front of them! Around fifty or so people, wearing a blood red uniform and carrying greatswords were standing orderly, blocking the entire road!

While there was still a distance between the two parties, they wouldn't be able to avoid battling even if Ling Tian's group wanted to run using their movement techniques!

Ling Tian's gaze traveled, and he observed that the fifty or so people were all full of vitality and strength, with fierce gazes and vicious expressions on their faces. All of them were staring at him, as though he was their greatest enemy. Glancing at the entire alleyway, it seemed like the whole place was devoid of life except his group and theirs.

Footsteps sounded and rustled. The fifty of them took big strides, gradually getting closer, the imposing manner and bloodthirst more and more apparent with each step. Even though there were only fifty of them present, they gave off the feeling like it was a regiment of a thousand people rushing towards them!

In the darkness, a cold and sinister voice came out of nowhere, "KILL!"

Fifty of them, all raising their swords, rushed up at once. However, in that ensuing madness, they actually didn't even let out any screams or shouts for blood! All they could hear was the heavy breathing as well as the shuffling of footsteps as the group sped towards them. The front few blades were already chopping down towards Ling Tian's head, their movements uniform; this was something impossible to achieve without much effort put in!

Ling Tian coldly snorted, shouting out, "Seeking death!" He had long drawn out his sword and immediately stabbed out three times consecutively, aiming for the throats of the three closest men! With his momentum, he would definitely be able to kill the three men before any of the swords hit him. By rights, those being targeted would immediately dodge or block the blow, but in reality…

The red-robed men didn't even bother blocking or dodging, their swords still resolutely chopping downwards as though they didn't care a whit about their throats being slashed! Even their comrades were the same, ignoring the fact of their teammates looming death, unhesitatingly still targeting Ling Tian!

Ling Tian was inwardly startled, as these kamikaze warriors were truly aggressive! His speed didn't decrease and instead increased, tapping on three points one after another, before miraculously retracting and deflecting a blow from a sword above his head. After this his body retreated at high speed, looking like a blur as three arrows of blood fountained out. He actually had the time to pierce the throats of those three targets of his! With any ordinary high-leveled cultivator, just looking at how Ling Tian was able to deal with the kamikaze warriors, his soul would have long fled with his battle morale in tatters!

However….

The rest of the kamikaze warriors didn't even spare a glance for their fallen comrades. Hefting their blades, they actually stepped on the bodies of their fallen comrades, rushing in for the kill!

What elite kamikaze warriors, what a tenacious fighting spirit!

"Good!" Ling Tian shouted out in praise. With a wave of his left hand, a large number of silver needles were shot out, and the skies were filled with silver light, after which many stuffy noises were heard as a great number of them were injured.

Ling Tian immediately grabbed Yu BingYan, shouting, "Go!". The sound of blades clashing could be heard as Ling Chen freed herself from the entanglement, easily floating over to where Ling Tian was. The three of them moved like lightning, retreating quickly.

Normal people would definitely be unable to escape from this encirclement, but Ling Tian and Ling Chen were not ordinary people. Their movement techniques had long surpassed the realm of convention, and they were easily able to escape even though they were surrounded!

On one of the rooftops at the side of the alleyway, a black-robed man suddenly floated down, his hand holding onto a sword as he blocked the escape path of the three. Ling Tian was certain that this person's objective wasn't to injure him, but rather just to delay him, allowing the kamikaze warriors to catch up and surround them. By then, it would be a miracle for him to escape!

However, how could Ling Tian be blocked so easily? This guy didn't have the ability to do so!

Ling Tian's speed didn't even slow down as he thrust out the sword in his hand to meet the assailant, the sword in his hand refracting out a multitude of light! A brief contact and Ling Tian's trio had already dashed past like a tornado! From afar only came his voice, "XiMen BuHui, so it's you!"

The black-robed man's mask had actually shattered under Ling Tian's sword energy, revealing the panicked expression of XiMen BuHui! On his palm, rivulets of blood could be seen as he gazed in the direction Ling Tian was escaping, the sword on his hand trembling.

Only he was aware that when they had crossed swords, how close he actually was to death itself! His original intention was just to obstruct Ling Tian, but in a single moment, his advance had immediately turned into a full-on defense, fighting to protect his life!

XiMen BuHui completely believed that if Ling Tian wasn't in a hurry to extricate himself, he would have been able to seriously wound or even kill him, or simply cut off his sword hand! It seemed like Ling Tian was afraid of the kamikaze warriors that his house had trained up. However, who wouldn't be, when facing a bunch of killers who were unafraid of death? Even if you were an expert, you would still need to retreat when facing such people. As such, so long as they managed to surround Ling Tian, his death would be assured!

A pity that he was wrong!

He didn't see the crafty smile on Ling Tian's face as he unmasked XiMen BuHui, as well as the scheming look in his eyes when he spotted everyone chasing up towards him.

The forty-seven kamikaze warriors ran past XiMen BuHui like a raging torrent, chasing towards the area where Ling Tian had escaped. XiMen BuHui only now wiped the cold sweat on his head.

However, thinking about when Ling Tian had spoken that sentence, 'XiMen BuHui, so it's you!', his heart suddenly jolted. That's right, he recognized me! If I don't kill him today, then whether he's from the Beyond Heavens Sect or not, just simply with the power of the Ling Family, the XiMen Family would have no end of trouble. Thus, Ling Tian had to die!

Thinking through this point, XiMen BuHui straightened his body and followed the rest of the kamikaze warriors to chase Ling Tian. However, his heart was already incredibly depressed, and the original excitement and high spirits had already vanished with the wind.

This was a small courtyard, hidden amongst the lavish villas that surrounded it, seemingly unassuming. But nobody knew that in this place actually hid the number one killer in the whole of the continent, waiting for an opportunity to strike!

Ye BaiFei sat at the head of the seat with his face a pasty white color. After the battle that day with Ling Tian, Ye BaiFei had abandoned the original place they had resided in, occupying this new place. This was the cautiousness of a killer, and this place was also the ambush location for another group that Kong YuanYang, the second powerhouse of the Blood Slaughter Pavilion, had brought over. So this location was definitely safe.

When the Blood Slaughter Pavilion had received the assassination notice, Ye BaiFei and Kong YuanYang had all brought a group and came here with the intention to compete. But before their operation started, Ye BaiFei already had his base exposed by Ling Tian! The two groups didn't get along well but left without a choice, Ye BaiFei could only hide in here temporarily.

Ye BaiFei had pulled out all his stops during the battle that day, causing his life to be in danger. Even though he had rested till now, he hadn't even recovered half of his original strength, let alone mended his broken bones.

Seated opposite him was a skinny man who was precisely the other legendary killer of the Blood Slaughter Pavilion, 'King Yama Beckons' Kong YuanYang! Right now, he was sniggering while saying, "Leader Ye, this junior here really can't believe that, with your unrivaled skills, you could actually be injured in the hands of a silkpants! I even heard that the person who crossed swords with you was a young lass. Could Leader Ye have been mesmerized by her beauty, leading to you falling into a trap? Hahahaha!"

Chapter 264: The Show Begins

Translator: DavidT Editor: DavidT , Rock

Kong YuanYang had heard about this matter more than ten times already. Every time he heard about it, he felt as though he entered a cool room on a scorching day, as he was extremely pleased with the news. Seeing his rival who had always been a step above him in such a pathetic state, Kong YuanYang couldn't help but feel a wave of elation as he mocked Ye BaiFei's misery. While he had already heard about this matter so many times, Kong YuanYang wasn't tired of hearing it in the slightest and even teased Ye BaiFei about it today.

However, it was a pity that he didn't understand, because anyone who had participated in that previous fight was extremely clear that Ling Chen was no ordinary lass but a frightening expert. Be it Ye BaiFei or the rest who had participated in the previous battle, they had felt a wave of fear when facing the lady with exceptional martial arts!

Ye BaiFei then sneered, "When you meet Ling Tian, you will naturally find out for yourself. Perhaps you don't even have to meet Ling Tian, you just need to exchange blows with the lady by his side and you will know for yourself if you will be baffled by her beauty!" Following which, he shut his eyes and ignored Kong YuanYang.

Kong YuanYang then chuckled, "For a lass who isn't even at the age of twenty, what can she possibly accomplish even if she began training from her mother's womb? Boss Ye, you should just admit your defeat! Rest assured, this brother here will definitely catch Ling Tian for you and let you do whatever you want to him. Haha! As for that beauty, she will be mine to enjoy. This brother here will definitely not stand on ceremony!"

Ye BaiFei opened his originally shut eyes and looked at Kong YuanYang, "Don't blame me for not reminding you. If you want to deal with Ling Tian, the only way will be for you to wait for my injuries to recover and join hands with you. If we were to join hands, we would have a chance of beating him. However, we would have a 50% chance at the very most! With our martial arts, it is impossible to kill Ling Tian on our own! Your martial arts are slightly weaker than mine and you may not even be able to defeat that lady in a fair fight. It doesn't matter if you want to throw your own life away, but you must definitely not delay the matters of the pavilion! You should be clear about the consequences!"

Kong YuanYang then said with an eccentric tone, "Rest assured, at the very least, this little brother will be able to make a full retreat and I will not leave half my life there. At the very least, I won't be beaten silly by that lass!"

Ye BaiFei snorted and shut his eyes without saying another word.

Right at this moment, a loud bang could be heard from the outside and a miserable shriek followed it. Both of them were startled as they looked out and saw that the wooden door of the little courtyard had already flown up towards the roof of their house with a footprint embedded within it. The door was actually sent flying with a single kick!

While that was happening, some distance away Ling Tian held onto Yu BingYan and continued to sprint with Ling Chen following closely behind him. Although the three of them seemed to be running for their lives, they were extremely clear that this was no more than a show. With Ling Tian and Ling Chen's movement techniques, those red-dressed death troops would never be able to catch up to them. As long as the three of them could lure the death troops to the battle site, their plan would be accomplished!

As for XiMen BuHui and the others giving chase in the rear, they were pleasantly surprised to find out that Ling Tian seemed to be growing tired from carrying Yu BingYan and began to show signs of slowing down. Thus, they couldn't help but grow excited as they let out a battle cry and began to speed up. However, they never realized that after entering into a corner, there were another two red-dressed masked men who joined their troops secretly and were following them along the way.

As for Ling Tian, he asked Ling Chen leisurely while sprinting, "Chen'er, are you tired?"

Ling Chen acted as though she was panting but not a droplet of sweat could be seen on her face, "Young noble, I am only using half of my strength so how can I be tired? However, it is just too tiring to restrain myself!"

She had 100 units of strength but was only able to use 50 units of it. She could obviously easily throw her enemies off, but she had to feign weakness to ensure that they stayed on her tail. This was an extremely tiring affair!

Ling Tian then shook his head and lamented, "The movement techniques from these people of the XiMen Family are completely rubbish. They are just too slow! In order to match their speed, we have no other choice. This young noble is not tired in the slightest and our pace is no more than a leisurely stroll to me. However, it is far too tiring to keep up this act. I have to pretend that I am tired and ensure that they will not be able to see through the trick. Such a job really isn't easy."

Yu BingYan began to burst out into giggles, "Tian'ge, with their speed, they wouldn't even be able to catch up to me. Why do I need you to carry me? It will only make you tired! Right, Tian'ge, what kind of a trap did you lay for them ahead?"

Ling Tian pretended to pout, "Nonsense, is your Tian'ge someone like that? What kind of a trap would I have? I only want to let the friends from both sides meet each other and warm up to each other. It is all out of goodwill."

Yu BingYan almost burst out into laughter. The goodwill of her Tian'ge was probably to send the troops from both sides straight to hell.

Finally, Ling Tian gave a long sigh, "Thank goodness, we are finally reaching the place. Why do I feel as though I am an adult running with a bunch of three to four-year-olds? This is too much of a torture. Chen'er, these people from the XiMen Family are really stupid. They only know how to eat the dust in our rear and don't have any other methods. At the very least, they should know of something called hidden weapons right? What a bunch of pigheads."

Chen'er could no longer hold in her laughter, "Err, young noble, perhaps they had never learned it before. After all, hidden weapons are quite profound."

Ling Tian nodded his head in agreement, "That makes sense."

The red wall in front of them with two alleys to the right and left was the designated location set by Ling Tian!

The show was finally about to begin!

They were finally approaching their destination!

As Kong YuanYang squinted his eyes and looked ahead, he could only see two masked men dressed entirely in red. They were unbridled as they walked in with the person in front scolding, "Where did these b*st*rds come from? Why are they hiding in this tortoise shell? Come on out and kowtow to this daddy here."

"Your daddy is the one present." An assassin flew into an outrage and drew his sword, stabbing towards the chest of the red-dressed man. The sword move was simple but sharp and vicious.

"Eh?" The red-dressed man shouted out, "You actually dare to touch grandfather XiMen here? You're seeking death!" With his body tilted to the side, a sword was unsheathed, and the assassin's sword was suppressed underneath. Following which, the sword slashed out towards the assassin. If the assassin chose not to let go of his sword, his fingers would definitely be lost. But if he were to let go, his weapon would immediately fall into the hands of his enemy. Helpless, he could only let go of his weapon and retreat.

The red-dressed man then made use of his advantage and kicked right into the assassin's abdomen, sending him flying into the air. After the assassin landed right in front of Kong YuanYang with a loud thud, he was no longer able to stand back up.

The next instant, all the assassins of the Blood Slaughter Pavilion darted out of the room and surrounded the two red-dressed men. With their swords unsheathed and gleaming in the sunlight, their faces were filled with a dense killing intent!

Kong YuanYang's face was calm as he stepped out of the room, "Who are you? What are you here for?"

The red-dressed masked man then laughed cruelly and said, "This daddy here is your grandfather! I am here to teach my grandson a lesson!"

Kong YuanYang was completely enraged! After roaming the continent for decades unhindered, since when did he suffer from such humiliation? His eyes then turned red as he commanded, "Kill them! Leave no one alive!" The moment the command sounded, Kong YuanYang was the first to charge over before his subordinates could even react.

Tonight, regardless of who these two red-dressed men were, even if they were the children of the Celestial Emperor, Kong YuanYang would show no mercy! It was all because they had thoroughly enraged him! They must be killed! Diced into thousands of pieces!

The assassins all began to charge forward, trapping the two of them right in the center. However, the red-dressed masked men were not afraid in the slightest. With their nimble movement technique, they darted around and managed to both attack and defend.

Kong YuanYang gritted his teeth as a light ball exploded from his sword and shot out into the sky. At the same time, he shouted out, "Seize blood!" His voice was chilly and could freeze the souls of men.

The black-dressed assassins in the surroundings then charged over in a crazed manner with their eyes turning red. They no longer bothered about defending their lives and charged directly at the red-dressed masked men.

In just a short while, the red-dressed masked men were no longer able to withstand the attacks of the assassins. Thus, they whistled and jumped out of the circle with the red-dressed man in the lead scolding, "How despicable, overwhelming us with your numbers. This grandfather here won't accompany you anymore!"

Kong YuanYang laughed malevolently saying, "You want to leave? Not so easy! Leave your life behind!"

The red-dressed man then burst out into laughter and said with disdain, "With just a few three-legged cats like you guys? You actually want to kill this grandfather! What a joke!" He charged out of the encirclement with his sword moving like the wind!

Kong YuanYang then said hatefully, "If I don't kill you today, I will not be considered a human!" With a wave of his hands, the many assassins charged forward without a care for their lives.

Both the red-dressed men stared at each other and the delight in each other's eyes could be seen. They then laughed and said together, "How refreshing! Goodbye!" Unleashing their movement techniques at the same time, they charged into the air and landed on the roof. With a loud laugh, they had already disappeared towards the east.

Kong YuanYang roared, "Give chase!" Jumping onto the roof, he quickly gave chase with the other assassins following behind him with rage all over their faces.

XiMen BuHui led his troops and chased after the Ling Tian trio. In the eyes of those from the XiMen Family, Ling Tian had already tried to make a few circles but was still unable to shake them off. Furthermore, he was gradually becoming slower and should be getting tired already. Thus, XiMen BuHui became bolder as he shouted out along the way that they definitely had to kill Ling Tian.

A loud swoosh could be heard and more than ten black-dressed figures charged over like a shooting star. At the same time, a laugh could be heard, "XiMen BuHui, you guys have fallen into my trap. See how I destroy every last soul of your XiMen Family in Sky Bearing!" Following which, he waved his hands and said with a mellow tone, "Kill without mercy!" It was as though he was giving out an order.

XiMen BuHui and the others were fuming! Lifting up their swords, they went around the red wall and realized that the back of the wall was empty with the Ling Tian trio nowhere to be found.

Swoosh-swoosh-swoosh. Thirteen to fourteen black-dressed figures landed in front of XiMen BuHui with a face full of killing intent. The assassins glared at XiMen BuHui with a face full of hatred as though they had seen the enemy who murdered their parents. They were the assassins from the Blood Slaughter Pavilion! After chasing the two red-dressed masked men, they had lost any trace of the both of them when they arrived in this district. Hearing that there was a commotion in this direction with red moving objects being seen from afar, they charged over without consideration.

Chapter 265: Fight but Lose Out

Translator: chuchutrain Editor: DavidT , Rock

XiMen BuHui's pupils shrank as he suddenly came to a conclusion: No wonder Ling Tian seemed neither too distant nor too close! He was actually leading them to this location in order to ambush him here with his own people! What a vicious ploy! However, he probably underestimated the XiMen Family. How could these dozen odd people even deal with these death warriors?

Kong YuanYang also received a huge shock! To think that there was actually such a large number of people dressed in the same blood-red robes waiting for him here. With a glance, he could tell that all of them had a certain amount of skill, plus they were inordinately fearsome! He began to have some second thoughts, as while he believed that he would have the strength to win the battle, their losses would be huge, and this would undoubtedly affect their operation. Thus, he began to think about retreating.

A pity that at this time, someone within the sea of blood-red shouted out, "A bunch of dogs in black! My brothers, let's kill! Don't let them escape, or else the consequences will be dire." This was followed by a rustling sound, and all the assassins from the Blood Slaughter Pavilion were suddenly greeted by steely blades in front of their faces. Never in their dreams did they expect the group of them to actually attack without even speaking a word, with the person standing in front being pierced through like a kebab and falling onto the ground without a word, his soul having already left this world.

The other killers immediately avoided all the offending blades, but Blood Slaughter Pavilion had a strict hierarchy, and thus everyone all turned their gazes to Kong YuanYang, waiting for him to give the order on what to do.

Kong YuanYang was already furious, already filled with hatred towards the blood-robed men in front of him. However, he was not clear about their identities yet, and seeing that the party seemed to be quite strong, he had wanted to retreat and decide later. However, before he could open his mouth, a black-robed man had appeared directly behind him out of nowhere and shouted, "Kill all these red-robed bastards!" before rushing out. In a blink of an eye, he had reached the side of the red-robed men, and immediately beheaded one of them, causing the person's blood to spurt upwards.

Kong YuanYang also didn't dwell on that matter, because he felt that what his subordinate had uttered was exactly the thoughts in his heart. Seeing one of them get beheaded further increased his excitement as he believed them to just be mere paper tigers. This caused him to throw caution to the wind as he loudly yelled, "Kill! Kill all these bastards who love wearing blood-red!"

Seeing his subordinate get killed in front of him, XiMen BuHui was also furious. However, thinking about it, he realized that whatever his side had shouted made sense. One had to know that their death warriors had all consumed the secret medicine of the XiMen Family, the 'Unfettered Celestial Ascending Powder', and thus couldn't live for long. If they could take this chance to undermine their opposition's strength, it would be a good thing, and since he had already exposed his face and the Ling Family wouldn't let him go, then he might as well just drop all pretense!

Immediately, he waved his sword, exclaiming, "Kill! Leave no one alive, dismember all of them!"

A shout came from both sides as they rushed towards each other like tidal waves. It seemed as though the heavens sent down lightning and the volcanos erupted as both sides struck out with their full strength, trading life for life!

The Blood Iron Death Troops were purely created to slaughter, and the training they received was not on how to quickly kill someone, but to torture them till they pleaded for death. On the other hand, the Blood Slaughter Pavilion had strict requirements on the martial skills of its people, and every move of theirs aimed to kill. When the two sides collided, the number of deaths would definitely not be small!

The Blood Iron Death Troops themselves had undergone rigorous training, and they wouldn't even make any noise if a blade landed on their heads. As for the Blood Slaughter Pavilion, they were even more uncommunicative, only letting the blades in their hands do the talking. Both sides fought intensely, to the point that except for the sounds of clashing blades, no other sounds could be heard! Both sides had people staring with bloodshot eyes as well as clenched teeth, staking their lives to kill as many of the opposing side as possible. However, they behaved like thieves, not even making any sound, just obsessing over killing the rest.

This sort of battle was rarely seen and rarely heard of.

Inside this muddled area, both sides failed to notice that the two red-robed people, as well as the black-robed man that appeared later on, had no intention to stake their lives. They mainly defended as they retreated, slowly leaving the encirclement before vanishing into the night.

Ling Tian and the two ladies were hidden on one of the random rooftops, peeking their heads out to observe the mindless massacre below intently as though watching a movie. Suddenly, Ling Tian started to coo, mimicking the call of a nighttime bird. Shortly after this sound traveled out, the surroundings flashed as two black-robed men and four red-robed men appeared in their vicinity. Leaning beside Ling Tian, their eyes all were busy glued to the scene as well.

"What an intense fight." Ling Tian sighed emotionally, as though in a soulful mood, "These people originally had no hatred or grudges towards each other, but they could actually get themselves into such a desperate fight, indeed life is ever changing, aiya aiya."

Ling Chen and Yu BingYan covered their mouths as their shoulders trembled uncontrollably. To think that the original schemer could actually bemoan the state of the universe, what a joke! However, they didn't dare to make a sound, so they had to painfully suppress their laughter.

It was actually Ling Jian and Ling Chi, who had dressed up as the red-robed men and gone to attack Kong YuanYang, and the other two who had infiltrated the Blood Iron Death Troops were Ling Feng and Ling Yun. The black-robed person who had blended in with the Blood Slaughter Pavilion was Ling Dian. After they had completed their respective tasks, they then met up with Ling Lei who didn't have a role in this operation, then heeded Ling Tian's call and rushed over. Hearing Ling Tian's words, they also started to quietly snigger.

Ling Tian seriously spoke, "The six of you, carefully watch the moves of the Blood Slaughter Pavilion, then reference them based on what I've taught you. If you can master the various areas of using a sword, it will definitely be of benefit to you in the future."

The six of them trained their eyesight over and saw that although the moves of the Blood Slaughter Pavilion were simple, every single one of their moves was precisely executed, one move leading straight to another, without any excess movements! Although it looked slightly unnatural, the crispness behind every single strike was enough to make up for this minor deficiency. Their skill was especially obvious as they dodged left and right to avoid the blades, and as every time their swords came out, be it wound or kill, the sword would never return back without having tasted blood!

Ling Tian indifferently spoke, "What I've passed to you were complete sets of sword moves and sword intent, but the path taken by the Blood Slaughter Pavilion is completely different. Killing someone for them is like a conditioned reflex, the moment they have the thought, the sword comes out to kill! If you guys were to fight with them, while you might win, there would definitely be casualties facing their final desperate strike! This sort of style belongs to only the Blood Slaughter Pavilion and no one else, so if you can comprehend this, then you'll have an advantage when you face off against them the next time."

Ling Jian's eyes never once left the battle as he softly spoke, "The fight that young noble has instigated today is not just as simple as letting the sandpiper and clam war against each other, only to be the fisherman that takes the rewards! You guys should also know that if we were to face them separately, we would definitely win. But in that scenario, we would definitely have to eat some losses, and young noble doesn't want to see that! You bunch of disappointing fellows! If your martial arts could rise faster with a quicker rate of improvement, would young noble need to go to such great lengths to deal with these little shrimps? Young noble has obviously shown great benevolence, but how do you guys thank him? Third Master Yu is looking upon you guys like his juniors, staying his hand, but you guys not only don't know how to appreciate it but instead insist on playing tricks on him, not knowing the true strength of a XianTian realm powerhouse!"

Ling Chi and the rest lowered their heads in shame.

Ling Tian smiled as he broke in, "Ling Jian, your words are a little harsh, one side is an aristocratic family with fifty death warriors, and the other side is the famed Blood Slaughter Pavilion, how are they little shrimps? However, the rate of your improvement is indeed slow. Third Master Yu ManTian is, after all, a peerless expert of this generation, so if you would face him seriously your benefits would definitely be much higher!"

Ling Tian's words were actually just meant to motivate them. Based on their current rate of improvement, they could be considered as geniuses, but Ling Tian was still not satisfied! As the saying goes, one does not need a heavy mallet to ring the gong, but Ling Tian felt that this saying was wrong. When sounding a gong, the heavier the mallet, the better! If you don't use a heavy mallet, then how would you be able to fully display the beautiful bass sound of the gong?

Ling Tian turned his eyes back to the battlefield, solemnly saying, "The battle below is about to come to an end, so we can start to prepare."

A mournful shriek finally sounded from the battlefield, it came from one of the Blood Slaughter Pavilion members who, after killing three Blood Iron Death Troop members, was finally hacked down. In that instant, dozens of blades fell upon him, turning him into meat paste!

The fighters on the scene were visibly fewer than before, with the Blood Iron Death Troops numbering about thirty. As for the Blood Slaughter Pavilion, six of them were now lying on the ground. There was not a complete corpse amongst the deceased, which showed just how cruel this battle actually was. Once a Blood Slaughter Pavilion member collapsed, he would definitely be greeted with a large number of blades, and even the corpses of the Blood Iron Death Troops were also equally trampled by their comrades!

Kong YuanYang and XiMen BuHui were battling each other, and their strengths actually turned out to be evenly matched, with none being able to have an advantage. Seeing their own people falling, both of them were equally worried, and thus went all out on each other, hoping to end the battle fast so they could turn back and aid their men! In that few exchanges, both of them were already filled with wounds, but despite the blood flowing out from their numerous injuries, the two men still persisted in the duel. While Kong YuanYang had an advantage in his vicious strikes, XiMen BuHui had the advantage in having better martial skills. At this point, neither wanted to retreat and would only stop when the other party was dead!

If this bunch of killers used sneak attacks instead, they could probably wipe out the entire Blood Iron Death Troops without losing even a single man, and if they were to lose any, it would definitely be a minor issue! However, being lured over here by Ling Chi and facing a frontal battle was their disadvantage, and while their martial skills gave them an advantage, they would definitely face many losses!

Kong YuanYang was panicking inwardly, and couldn't help but think of Ye BaiFei. If the latter was here, then with the two of them joining hands, they would have long gotten rid of this guy! However, it's hard to clap with only one hand, and while he put in his all, it was to no avail. He could only watch as his underlings turned into meat paste one by one, almost causing him to vomit blood in misery!

Chapter 266: The Third Party Benefits

Translator: chuchutrain Editor: DavidT , Rock

On the roof, Ling Tian stood up and said to Ling Chen and Yu BingYan, "The both of you remain here and watch over us. Ling Jian, the six of you will follow me down. Remember, don't leave anyone from the Blood Slaughter Pavilion alive. Kill them all! Leave a few of the Blood Iron Death Troops alive, I have other uses for them! Lest the XiMen Family tries to deny the truth!" He then revealed a cunning smile.

Ling Jian and the other five nodded in agreement and Ling Tian waved his hands, "Kill!" At the same time, his body shot out and flashed into the battlefield like a bolt of lightning. With each of his feet stepping on the head of a Blood Iron Death Troop, their heads were easily crushed with the exertion his inner Qi. After which, Ling Tian brandished his sword, and a head flew up into the sky with a fountain of blood spraying into the air!

At the same time, Ling Tian's left hand wasn't idle either. Sending out a palm strike, a tyrannical force crushed the ribs of a Blood Iron Death Troop as he landed on the floor with blood flowing out of his mouth! Before he could even reach the floor, he had already taken his last breath.

Ling Jian and the other five assassins also charged in a unleashed a massacre as though they were slicing up vegetables! In just a short moment, heads began to roll with fresh blood all over the place! Both parties never imagined that there would be another powerful force waiting to ambush them. Now that the battle was about to come to an end, both the parties were already exhausted and weary. Just when their guards were down, the ambushing party had already killed almost half of their forces!

XiMen BuHui had been paying attention to Ling Tian's appearance from the start of the battle. For Ling Tian to send so few men to lay an ambush, wasn't that akin to seeking death, even if these troops were indeed extremely powerful?

Ling Tian finally appeared and XiMen BuHui heaved a sigh of relief. He no longer had to nervously wait for Ling Tian's appearance. However, he immediately realized that something was wrong! After Ling Tian appeared, he actually began unleashing a massacre on both parties! It looked as though he was determined to wipe out everyone present. XiMen BuHui was immediately startled and knew that there must definitely be something wrong. Thus, he quickly made a swift retreat.

Kong YuanYang then shouted out, "Where are you going! Die!" while charging over with his sword.

XiMen BuHui quickly blocked the attack and asked, "Who are all of you? Aren't you guys Ling Tian's men?" While it was a question, XiMen BuHui already had the answer in his heart. At this moment, this number one expert of the XiMen Family almost cried out!

After losing more than half of their elites with success right in front of them, they realized that the people they had been fighting had nothing to do with the one they wanted to kill. Furthermore, it was likely that they were on the same side. After all, an enemy's enemy is my friend! To think that he would actually help the person he wanted to kill!

Kong YuanYang then replied hatefully, "Talk less nonsense and hand me your life!"

XiMen BuHui quickly said, "Misunderstanding! This is a misunderstanding! Both of us have been fooled! Look!" As he said that, he pointed to Ling Tian.

Kong YuanYang was afraid that it was merely a ploy by XiMen BuHui. With his sword still pointed at XiMen BuHui, he turned around to take a look. Only then did he realize that his men were almost all dead with only a few of them hanging in there pitifully. However, those hanging in there were also riddled with injuries and couldn't hold on for much longer. At that moment, he couldn't help but feel like tearing up.

XiMen BuHui pointed at Ling Tian with a look as though he wanted to cry, "This fellow is Ling Tian and we were led here by him. We thought that your guys were the subordinates of Ling Tian. This…"

"We're the subordinates of Ling Tian? F**k you! What kind of a joke is that?!" Kong YuanYang scolded in exasperation! Dammit, almost all of my men were killed by you and you are telling me that this is a misunderstanding? "Misunderstanding your head!" he then charged over with his sword.

XiMen BuHui quickly defended himself with his sword with frustration in his heart. I have already said that it is a misunderstanding, and you still want to tangle with me like that. While all of your brothers are dead, how many of mine are left alive? Would I be feeling good?

With a ball of anger in his heart, XiMen BuHui no longer showed mercy. At this moment, it was also impossible for him to show any mercy. Mercy would be akin to suicide!

They then engaged in a fierce battle.

Ling Tian's footwork was swift like lightning, interweaving around the remaining troops. As the remaining Blood Iron Death Troops witnessed that the situation was amiss, they quickly gathered together and charged at Ling Tian collectively, ignoring the brandishing swords of Ling Jian and the others. With a few slashes, four of them were already dead! However, the other death troops were able to approach Ling Tian as they attacked with all they had, hoping to drag Ling Tian down with them in death!

However, it was a pity that Ling Tian had already jumped into the air and avoided their final attack. At the same time, he threw out kicks at a rapid pace! 'Pu pu pu pu pu pu' sounds sounded and the remaining six death troops were kicked in the ChanZhong acupoint, falling to the ground without the ability to retaliate.

Two wails of despair then sounded by the side and the two remaining assassins from the Blood Slaughter Pavilion fell under the joint attacks of Ling Chi and Ling Feng. To an assassin, defeat means death. An arrow of blood shot out from their throats as their eyes lost all hope!

In the battlefield, Ling Tian's party had already killed almost everyone and only Kong YuanYang and XiMen BuHui were left fighting. While they knew that their enemy was watching them by the side, neither of them were willing to stop the fight. In this bitter battle, they had already disregarded life and death!

With a whistle, two graceful figures flew over and landed by Ling Tian's side; they were Ling Chen and Yu BingYan.

After they had landed, they immediately gagged from the bloody surroundings. As for Yu BingYan who had never been to a battlefield, she puked on the spot. Looking at the scattered limbs and organs, her countenance changed completely. Grabbing Ling Tian's arms, she dived into his embrace. At the start, Ling Chen was still handling it well and managed to keep herself calm. But after Yu BingYan puked out and dived into Ling Tian's embrace, she also dived into Ling Tian's embrace.

Ling Tian laughed bitterly and patted the two heads in his embrace. He originally wanted to force Ling Chen to face this fear of hers. After all, it was impossible for his most beloved lady to avoid blood for all her life. But after thinking about it for a moment, he decided to scrap that idea. Just like the saying, 'more haste less speed', if he were to push Ling Chen too hard, it may leave a shadow in her heart instead.

Nine people forming a circle to watch two people fighting in the center. This was indeed a strange sight. Originally, XiMen BuHui and Kong YuanYang were both here to kill Ling Tian. But now that Ling Tian was right in front of them, they ignored him completely and fought amongst themselves instead.

Both XiMen BuHui and Kong YuanYang were already in despair! In the both of their eyes, it would be impossible for them to charge out of this encirclement even if they were uninjured. This was destined to be their burial grounds! As such, they decided to completely forget about their mission! they had the same idea in their hearts: before I take my last breath, I must definitely kill this b*st*rd who killed so many of my brothers!

"What an intense and exciting show." Ling Tian said with a chuckle as though he was watching a play, "Did you guys see that? Experts will be experts. Despite being surrounded, their mental state is still calm and each of their moves is accurate with their judgment not being clouded at all. This is something that all of you should learn."

"Err, young noble is right!" Ling Jian said, "My horizons have really been widened today. So these are what experts are like! Staying calm in peril and ignoring the deaths of all of their brothers! What a good mental state!"

"Mmm, look! XiMen BuHui's sword was a little too far to the left. If he was able to lower his wrist slightly and attack two inches lower, Kong YuanYang would definitely be injured! At that moment, Kong YuanYang will be no more than a fish on a chopping board! What a pity."

Ling Chi recalled the sword move which Ling Tian had just said and asked, "But when he launched his attack, his footwork was that of a tiger and his knee was already lifted up to the highest possible point. If his wrist were to be lowered, wouldn't his knee obstruct it?"

"Stupid!" Ling Tian scolded, "After lifting up his knees, he can just take a step out diagonally. At that time, wouldn't it become the elephant step? If that's the case, the tiger step will change into the elephant step and it would further amplify the strength of his attack instead of limiting it! Be it the lowering of his wrist, pulling up of his arm, or slashing out horizontally, it would all be done naturally and fluidly. That would be the perfect move!"

Ling Jian and the five others bowed respectfully! While they were fighting with their lives on the line, Ling Tian actually began to teach his disciples! Yu BingYan couldn't help but begin giggling, forgetting about the disgusting sight she had just witnessed.

The discussion between Ling Tian and the others was completely heard by XiMen BuHui and he couldn't help but be startled! To think that this silkpants was able to spot the flaws in my moves despite witnessing it for the first time. Furthermore, his words were completely accurate! At the same time, he can immediately point out the method to solve the flaws! What kind of eyesight was that?

After hearing that, he could die in peace!

With just his keen eyesight, Ling Tian could be said to have the strength of a grandmaster! XiMen BuHui couldn't help but sigh in his heart, How was such an existence someone who their XiMen Family could provoke? Just how frightening of a character did that XiMen Zhang provoke? My dear family head, the whole XiMen Family will probably be destroyed because of this mistake of yours trying to take revenge!

Being slightly distracted, his sword moves were no longer accurate. In a duel between experts, a slight mistake would lead to a large difference! Kong YuanYang immediately gained the upper hand, and his attacks became even fiercer!

XiMen BuHui clenched his teeth and actually decided to not avoid Kong YuanYang's sword at all. At the same time, his sword turned into a white line and charged at Kong YuanYang's heart!

Since I can't escape, let this fight end in mutual destruction! At the very least, it would be better than being captured and humiliated by the enemy! XiMen BuHui's gaze was resolute as he felt the sword plunge into his chest.

Kong YuanYang also revealed a look of liberation at the same time. Because his sword entered XiMen BuHui's chest first, XiMen BuHui's sword had missed his heart by a few inches. However, this killer had actually forced his body to move slightly to the side to welcome XiMen BuHui's sword with his heart! He was also hoping for a swift death!

Chapter 267: Enjoying to One's Heart Content

Translator: chuchutrain Editor: DavidT , Rock

They stopped their movements in that instant! XiMen BuHui's sword was embedded deep in Kong YuanYang's chest, and in the exact same spot on his body was where Kong YuanYang's sword was stabbed into! They had already stopped breathing, but their eyes were still wide open, with their sword hand tightly gripping onto their respective sword hilt. Even in death, their bodies were supporting each other, ensuring that they retained their original posture so that they wouldn't fall!

Ling Tian sighed once loudly, bowing deeply to the two of them, "Both of you are indeed real heroes! Ling Tian is filled with respect! May you rest in peace." Straightening himself, he turned as he continued, "May we still fight again as enemies in our next lives!"

To be so calm in the face of difficulties, and smile at the thought of life and death, treating everything indifferently, how many of such people were there in the world? Ling Jian and group also couldn't help but have a hint of respect in their eyes, all bowing towards the two corpses.

As Ling Tian departed, he calmly ordered, "While they're our enemies, they're also worthy of our respect! Command the Violent Wind to give the two men a proper burial, at the fastest speed!"

After everyone left, a faint shadow vanished from a tree big enough for three people to hug that was on the roadside beside where the fight took place. There actually had been someone witnessing the whole scenario that Ling Tian and Ling Chen couldn't discover, even with their enhanced senses! What level of skill was needed to achieve that?

Right now, it was already past midnight, and the Smoky Thea Tower was in a state of silence. Only the occasional sound of Third Master Yu's snores, sometimes long and short, much like a piece of melody being played, sounded out.

In the Extreme Joy Chamber, the XiMen Family's second in command, XiMen BuRuo who had led the troops over, sat there with a neutral expression. In front of him, the cup of tea had long lost any of the warmth it had, obviously, he didn't even have a bit of interest in drinking the tea.

On the other side, XiMen Qing was anxiously pacing around the room, and he couldn't help but keep mumbling, "Why aren't they back yet? Such a long time has passed, even if they had settled it outside the capital, they should be already back, no?"

On the side, Six timidly sat at a corner, his eyes darting together with the pacing of XiMen Qing's body. He then tried to placate XiMen Qing by saying, "They should be on the way back? Master BuHui has always been dependable in getting things done, so there shouldn't be a problem. What young noble should do now would be to consider how you're going to play with those two 'toys' of yours."

XiMen Qing nodded his head, feeling more assured, and finally sat down. Tilting his head to look at Six, he smirked, "I know you definitely have something in mind, brat. What do you have to say?"

Liu'Zi let out a crafty smile as he said, "Young noble has already said how this two ladies are not only talented in drawing and the zither but are both also peerless beauties. The two of them would definitely be chaste, and wouldn't easily give in, so if you threaten them with death it might not get the results you want…."

XiMen Qing immediately felt his spirits lifting up from this, "What good ideas do you have, quickly tell me, this young master will reward you handsomely!"

Six let out another weird laugh as he lifted up a jade bottle. "Young noble, inside this bottle contains a medicine with the name 'Irremovable Lasciviousness'. This was only obtained after a great effort on my part, and inside only contains thirty-two pills, truly a wondrous drug. When a man takes a pill, he would instantaneously have the strength and vitality of a dragon and tiger, witnessing a huge rise in his vital yang, and if a female were to ingest it, her lust will soar to the high heavens, to the point that even a chaste woman of nine generations would be screaming for release. Later, you can use some of these pills of the two women and watch their effects!

XiMen Qing revealed a face of joy, "This is indeed a good thing. After I've had my fill, you can take over from me and have the time of your life!"

Six was overjoyed, immediately bowing and saying, "Thank you, young master, for your kindness! Young master will definitely enjoy himself to the fullest today!"

Unexpectedly, there came a low voice from the window outside, and a voice mockingly spoke out, "Your house's young master will definitely enjoy to his heart's content today. He'll enjoy so much that he will not be able to enjoy himself anymore. That's what real enjoyment will be!"

XiMen BuRuo immediately stood up, shouting, "Who?!" He could hear that the speaker had profound martial cultivation, but this voice didn't sound like any of his family members!

The cloth curtain was lifted as a person leisurely walked in. Dressed in simple robes with a belt tied, his robes were white as snow, and the smile on his face sincere. This was precisely the target of the XiMen house, Ling Tian!

"I heard that the XiMen family wanted to look for me for revenge, and this young noble couldn't bear to disappoint you guys, but those troops you sent really couldn't even move me. Thus, I had no choice but to send myself to your doorstep." Ling Tian spoke with a smile on his face, before grabbing onto a chair and seating down, crossing his legs.

"Oh, there was such a matter?" XiMen BuRuo couldn't help but let out an expression of surprise. "Young noble Ling must be mistaken, for someone of your caliber, could it be that any Tom, Dick, and Harry could provoke you? Young noble Ling really can jest." Being the second in command at the XiMen Family, how could XiMen BuRuo not have a certain level of intelligence? The moment he saw Ling Tian walk in, he knew that their operation had completely failed today and that Ling Tian had probably employed large numbers of experts outside to deal with them. At this critical juncture, how could he admit anything? His only hope now was that Ling Tian would fear the interference of other families, and not choose to do anything! So long as they survived past this, there would be more chances in the future!

"Oh, I must have been mistaken." Ling Tian seemed to be in deep thought, slowly nodding his head. He suddenly turned towards XiMen Qing, his gaze sharpening, "But I'm not sure why young noble XiMen here spoke of capturing my two close confidantes, is that another mistake? Could it be that young noble XiMen had spoken wrongly, or that I had heard wrongly?!"

XiMen Qing's handsome face paled in that instant, unable to muster back his original spirited look. His voice trembled as he replied, "None… none of your business, you… you had better not… malign others… kakaka…" Under his extreme fright, he couldn't control his trembling, and his teeth knocked against each other, cutting him a sorry sight.

Ling Tian coldly laughed in reply, no longer bothering about him, and started to think aloud, "Young noble XiMen has such a graceful and refined bearing, so how could Ling Tian not allow you to enjoy to your heart's content today? This would be greatly disrespectful to you, who had come here from such a far location!" As he finished, his face turned frosty as he ordered, "Why aren't you guys bringing in the toys for Young Noble Qing to have his fun with!"

A sound of assent rang out, and six black-robed men each carried a red-robed body, walking inside with great difficulty. In a few moments, the six bodies were thrown in a heap on the floor. Their acupoints had been pierced, which caused them to be completely immobile and unable to talk. All of them were from the Death Troops, and upon seeing XiMen Qing and XiMen BuRuo, all of their faces changed for the worse.

XiMen BuRuo was naturally able to retain his calm, but XiMen Qing's face immediately became a deathly white. The lackey Six sat by the door, and upon seeing the situation turn ugly, he silently began to creep towards the door, wanting to flee.

Clang! Ling Chi casually drew out his sword and laid it at the throat of Six. The ghastly energy emitting from the sword caused his Adam's apple to bob up and down nervously, his neck immediately having goosebumps such that it looked like a plucked chicken skin. He stood there like a statue, not even daring to move.

"Kid, didn't you bestow something good just now, ready to enjoy to your heart's content with your young master? Now you want to leave early?" Ling Chi's voice was also frightening to hear!

"Second Master XiMen." Ling Tian took two steps forward. "I must congratulate you on your good fortune, for tonight you'll witness a never before seen, a one and only good show! You'll realize that your trip to Sky Bearing this time has not been in vain."

XiMen BuRuo remained calm, asking, "May I ask what show is that?"

Ling Tian laughed out, a weird tone contained within as he waved his hands, "Let Second Master have a look at the show! Relax, the actors, props and stage will all be provided for by your XiMen Family, guaranteed to be as natural as possible!"

Ling Jian and the other five immediately drew out their swords, thrusting them towards XiMen BuRuo! While the sword point pierced through his robes, touching his flesh, none of them even drew a bead of blood from it. This spoke volumes about their control!

XiMen BuRuo definitely had some skills, but how could he stand up against five experts who had drawn their sword at once? He was immediately subdued, and could only sigh in defeat.

Ling Tian moved like the wind, immediately pressing on his acupoints, XiMen BuRuo's body went limp on the chair, and other than his ears which still worked perfectly, the rest of his body was completely immobile!

Ling Tian fished out the jade bottle from Six's hand, tossing it up in the air as he grinned, "Great noble XiMen, I've long heard of your wish to be left behind in the historical records. This junior here was actually racking my brain trying to help you, but to think that you actually gave me such a great idea. Hehe, with this suggestion from your loyal subordinate, this junior can guarantee that you enter the historical annals, never to be forgotten!"

XiMen Qing's eyes widened like saucers as he began to retreat step by step. His voice quavered as though he had already realized what Ling Tian was planning, for this was what he had planned to do to Ling Chen and Yu BingYan! He seemed to be gasping for breath as he spoke, "You… what are you trying to do?"

Ling Tian smiled benevolently as he replied, "Young noble XiMen has good eyesight, to take a fancy for my two close confidantes. I believe that the wives and concubines in your family are probably unable to satisfy you to your heart's content. This junior was worrying about that for you, but to think that this would be a case of 'unable to find the destination even after wearing out iron soles, but inadvertently finding it without any effort', that such a good thing could actually be so near to young noble. I believe that you'll not only enjoy tonight but will also leave your mark in history. This is killing two birds with one stone!"

Ling Tian lightly shook the bottle and continued, "I heard that this thing is called 'Irremovable Lasciviousness', hehe, seems like you'll have the vitality of dragons and tigers after consuming it, and your vital yang will surge, unable to be quenched. This really lives up to its name, causing you to sink into lasciviousness, unable to break free! You tell me, what would happen if you're all fired-up, but there are no women near you? HAHAHA…"

"No! You can't do this…" Under the extreme stress, XiMen Qing actually regained his vocal faculties. "Young noble Ling, Brother Ling, this is all my fault. This junior here had eyes but didn't recognize this noble one. I beg for your forgiveness, young noble Ling, please leave me an escape path, I, XiMen Qing…"

"So what if you're XiMen Qing?" Ling Tian viciously smiled. "To have designs on my women and even resorting to such underhanded methods, if I didn't let your reputation go down in history, making you infamous for life, how could I stand to see your vile guts?! Today would be the best time to repay you!"

Chapter 268: Bequeathing Shame

Translator: chuchutrain Editor: DavidT , Rock

"Pa!" Ling Jian harshly sent a slap towards XiMen Qing's face, and with his strength, XiMen Qing was sent flying, flipping a few rounds in the air before landing back in the exact same position!

The person that Ling Jian respected most was actually Ling Tian, and he treated Ling Tian like a teacher or parent, but the person Ling Jian doted on the most was actually Ling Chen. In Ling Jian's heart, Ling Chen was just like his blood sister, and upon hearing that XiMen Qing had actually developed ill intentions on Ling Chen, he immediately exploded with rage! The moment he saw XiMen Qing acting pitiful, he immediately threw a slap across.

"Pop!" XiMen Qing's mouth opened and immediately thirty-two teeth dropped out into the floor! Ling Jian had actually dislodged all the teeth in his mouth, not leaving a single one for him! His originally elegant and handsome face now looked like a shriveled and deflated thing.

With that concussive blow, XiMen Qing had already turned unconscious. However, Ling Jian just stretched out a leg, and gently stepped on his feet, exerting force slightly. XiMen Qing woke up due to the pain, making an "aiya" sound.

Ling Tian opened up the jade bottle, scrutinized it, and with satisfaction said, "Your servant indeed didn't lie. There are exactly thirty-two inside, four for each one of you here. I was actually worried that the distribution wouldn't be even and that you guys would start fighting as a result. That wouldn't be good! Ling Chi, first distribute them to young noble XiMen as well as Mister Six, and oh, the six death troops too, they're the main actors to allow young noble XiMen to have his good time."

Ling Chi let out a sound of assent, excitedly leaping up and took over the bottle, force-feeding four pills to XiMen Qing. After which, he went to each of the men one by one, using up all thirty-two pills.

Ling Tian let out a cruel smile, "Give them all a bottle of wine to flush it down, I heard that with this sort of thing, there would be a better overall effect."

After midnight, a strange sound woke up all the various aristocratic families in Smoky Thea Tower. From the sound, it seemed like…. Someone was very joyful… erm, basically an unexplainable noise. This was accompanied by a heavy hammering sound...

Because of their curiosity, everyone hurriedly put on their clothes and came out to take a look.

"Ah!! Shameless!!!!!" An embarrassed cry rang out as all the ladies, Xiao YanXue included, covered their reddened faces and escaped the scene as quickly as possible.

When the various families cast their eyes across, they saw that the lights that surrounded the great hall were suddenly all lit, lighting the great hall as though it was daytime. In the middle, six strong, one scholarly, and one shriveled body were tangled with each other. Their bodies were all hairy, especially a certain part in their front, and all these men were actually hugging each other! There was a lascivious atmosphere in the great hall, with the group in the center vigorously moving a certain part of their body.

"Ah! Isn't that XiMen Qing?" DongFang JingLei's eyesight was incredibly good, and he immediately recognized at a glance a pale-skinned man huddling in the center and doing the most crazed actions. Wasn't that the supposed number one talent, XiMen Qing?

Hearing him shout, the rest of the audience could immediately recognize him. Some of them immediately spat out white foam, their faces full of disdain.

The group immediately turned their gazes towards Extreme Joy Chamber and got an even bigger shock. By the entrance of the pavilion was placed a chair, and seated on it was the number two figure of the XiMen Family. His gaze was fixed towards the promiscuous scene, without a single word of protest. His eyes seemed fixated on the scene, as though he was deriving much enjoyment from it to the point that he didn't want to tear his gaze away.

Everyone began to fervently discuss this scene. A few of the elderly scholars began trembling uncontrollably throughout their whole bodies, their beards shaking as they commented in anger how public morals were degenerating by the day, and how shameful it was that the XiMen family could actually have such a hobby! This was completely offending public morals, an eyesore to everyone! It was a given that every house would have their own skeletons in the closet, but all of them had a tacit mutual understanding not to gossip about each other. However, now that a family was washing their dirty linen in public, this was a complete loss of face for them!

A few of the aristocratic families immediately realized that XiMen Qing had been set up! He might have been fed some aphrodisiac, been mind controlled or force fed some poison. Whatever the case, he had already earned the name of laughingstock from the entire world! He had lost his right to be part of the eight great families!

What person could be so venomous? It was one thing to make him engage in such acts in a private room, but that person actually placed him on the stage of the scholarly meet in Smoky Thea Tower! His surroundings were filled with influential figures who could dispose of the aristocracy of the XiMen Family with just a word! This sort of matter would definitely spread through the public like wildfire in summer, and the humiliation of the XiMen family probably wouldn't be washed away for the next millennium!

Those on the scene watched as XiMen Qing continuously moved and shook, a hysterically bewitched look on his face. This scene made everyone unconsciously tremble in fear!

No matter who their opponent was, this person had to be shown respect even from afar! In the event that this sort of disaster would befall upon their heads one day… thinking of this point, all those present felt as though there was an ice-cold hand gripping their hearts.

"The f**k!" Third Master Yu opened his bleary eyes from being woken up, and immediately got the shock of his life. He said, "This XiMen family's hobby is… is really unique! God d*mn!"

"En." NanGong TianHu pretended to nod very seriously, "He is indeed a talent, even his reactions are different."

Yu ManTian cackled weirdly, interestedly stroking his chin as he looked at the 'performance', "Hehe, what a passionate scene, but the fellow seems to be too skinny. If Second Master NanGong were to go up, then there would definitely be a better show, hehe…."

NanGong TianHu snorted once, replying sarcastically, "If Third Master Yu were to go up, then that would be the best show! Oh right, I saw a few of those refined and handsome youths together with you at your chamber yesterday, could it be that Third Master you…"

Yu ManTian did know whether to laugh or cry as he started throwing a tantrum, and NanGong TianHu laughed evilly.

Standing in front of the Heavenly Fragrance Chamber, Ling Tian was dressed totally in white, quietly standing as though curious about the whole scene. He wore a wry smile as though he completely didn't judge this obscene situation, appearing to be a pure and sincere pretty boy.

However, those who saw this expression of his all started to tremble from the very bottom of their hearts.

These few days, who was the one that the XiMen Family was biased against? That went without saying! In Sky Bearing, who was the family whom the XiMen Family had the greatest grudges against? That went without saying too! And finally, who was the person who could have the power in Sky Bearing to gather and deal with all the XiMen family members in one go?

The three answers were: Ling Family! Young Noble Ling! Ling Tian!!

And only Ling Tian would have such venomous methods at hand and would dare to use such venomous methods! By using such a method, the XiMen family would no longer have their original clean reputation, nor any face left to speak of! He had completely thrown away all the face they possessed, leaving them without a foothold in the circles of influence and power!

Even though nobody had proof, all of those who witnessed the scene were left without a doubt that it was Ling Tian!

For such a person, if you made yourself a sworn enemy of him, you would definitely be unable to eat well and sleep well, obsessing over when he would strike!

What a frightening person, what frightening methods!

However, few people were aware that for XiMen Qing to actually reach such a stage, it was completely his own fault! From when XiMen Zhang tried to snatch a beauty on the streets, to the point where XiMen Qing developed designs for Ling Chen and Yu BingYan, they had signed the contract for their eternal damnation! Their actions pushed the XiMen Family to the brink of destruction!

Ling Tian coldly observed the reactions of all the surrounding people as the corners of his mouth curved upwards in a smile. In the end, he didn't speak a word, choosing to return to his chamber. He knew long ago what reactions everyone else would have, and was also clear that doing so would leave the impression of him as a sinister person. But all of this was within his expectations, as he planned to use this chance to shake the world with his deeds! Want to go against me, Ling Tian? You better think twice. Are you better than the XiMen Family?

A huge explosive sound rang out suddenly! When everyone turned to look, all of them paled, overwhelmed with shock! Ling Tian also paused in his steps and turned his head to look.

XiMen BuRuo, who was originally seated stably on the chair was bleeding from all seven of his orifices! However, he still leaped up, and with a despondent look, pulled out his sword, jumping onto the stage and stabbing directly through XiMen Qing's heart! However, even with his pierced heart, he still thrust a few more times, before dropping down on the floor, having lost all life! XiMen BuRuo continued, running his sword like chopping vegetables, mowing down the other six men as well as Six, looking every bit like an asura!

After venting his anger, XiMen BuRuo stood on the stage, his two eyes glaring at Ling Tian, the blood from his eyes still flowing non-stop. He opened his mouth but no words would come out. Finally, his eyes rolled backward and his body slumped down on the stage, no longer breathing!

On the stage, his sword remained gripping in his hands, thrust perpendicular into the ground, refracting the lights in the great hall!

XiMen BuRuo actually had all his acupoints sealed by Ling Tian and was unable to move his body. With his strength, it would require at least 12 hours before he could release himself! However, seeing XiMen Qing behaving like a depraved beast in the middle of all the other aristocratic families, he could no longer take the humiliation and pressure, and no longer had the intention to live! Thus, he destroyed his dantian, using the force to break through all his sealed acupoints and regain his mobility. Then, with the limited time he had, he cleansed the family name by killing all the 'shameful sinners' of the family, finally slumping down like a lamp bereft of oil.

The last part, he glared at Ling Tian as though he wanted to speak, but had no more strength to do so. Even voicing out a bit of sound was a monumental task, and so he died unwillingly.

Seeing his tragedy, no one could speak a word for a long time!

The entire stage was thrown into deathly silence!

XiMen Qing had actually become the laughingstock of the generation, but XiMen BuRuo's cleansing of sinners, in the end, managed to gain back some face for the family!

Once the matters of today were spread, the XiMen Family definitely wouldn't let Ling Tian go until one side was eliminated!

Chapter 269: Ling Xiao Goes to Battle

Translator: chuchutrain Editor: DavidT , Rock

Early morning the next day, the stage had long been cleared and removed. All those who stayed in Smoky Thea Tower had opened their windows wide without prior discussion, as though the disgusting atmosphere was still present inside the place and they wanted to let the wind sweep it away.

None of those who had personally witnessed the scene last night had any appetite for breakfast. This also gave everyone some reverence and fear towards Ling Tian living in Heavenly Fragrance Chamber. The second in command of the XiMen Family had brought their experts and two young nobles, as well as their Blood Iron Death Troops, to Sky Bearing. Such a strength was actually comparable to or even better than the strength of the other great families. To think that it only took one night for all of them to be swept away, and those alive to be involved in such a humiliating scandal!

And the person who had orchestrated the entire destruction of the XiMen Family, Ling Tian, seemed to be untainted by even a speck of it, as though he had lost nothing, nor did he look tired! What sort of strength was this? How could any family not based in Sky Bearing resist?

Everyone thought that they had to be a little more careful in Sky Bearing. If they were to accidentally provoke this malignant star, then they wouldn't even have a place to cry in!

The scholarly meet wasn't concluded yet, but now the organizers of the meet, the XiMen Family, didn't have even a single person alive anymore. Furthermore, with that disgusting and bloody scenario yesterday, it seemed like there would be no way for the scholarly meet to continue.

Ling Tian was currently happily chatting with Yu BingYan when the curtains parted and a person walked in. He was Wang Tong, head of Ling Tian's bodyguards.

"Young noble, the Grand Marshal will be going to the battlefield today. Madam has already rushed down to the military drill ground, and wants me to inform young noble to rush over at the fastest possible time." Wang Tong's sentence left Ling Tian in a daze. The fact about Ling Xiao leaving for war was a common occurrence the past few years, but every time he did, there would be a preparation of close to a fortnight. Since when would it be such a rushed affair?

While the border station was in a bad situation and needed reinforcements badly, to arrange the troops and logistics needed time. How could they just decide to run off to the battlefield without any advance warning?

This matter seemed fishy! Ling Tian immediately stood up, saying, "Ling Chen, follow me. Yan'er, I'll need you to stay with your third uncle for the moment, I'll look for you when I'm back, okay?" After making a few hurried preparations he left with Ling Chen.

Yu BingYan let out a meek sound of assent, staring in a daze at Ling Tian's retreating shadow. She was perfectly clear of the situation. The fact that the army was setting out in such a rush would mean that they were going to resist the Northern Wei, there were no other reasons! Whether the Yu Family was allied with the Northern Wei didn't matter. They were in the end part of the empire, and while the Yu Family wasn't afraid of the Northern Wei, they couldn't be so blatant as to appear in the enemy's army. This is why Ling Tian wasn't able to bring her along.

The other reason was that Ling Xiao's setting off was a Ling Family affair. If Yu BingYan were to appear, what would that signify? The world would think that Yu BingYan was Ling Tian's principal wife! While the two of them had feelings for each other, such a matter involved the politics of two different great families, so how could they take it lightly?

Indeed, if Ling Tian were to bring Yu BingYan along, when that matter spread it would definitely incite disharmony between Northern Wei and the Yu Family. But Ling Tian was unwilling to resort to such measures, and besides, what was one Northern Wei to him?

To deal with his enemies, Ling Tian never needed to resort to any unscrupulous methods to achieve his objective. But even if he were to do so, he had a bottom line, and that was to never use his woman! No matter if it was to use the love or reputation of a woman, Ling Tian would definitely be unwilling to use such a method!

Ling Tian was willing to use any sort of psychological method, even the cruelest and most despicable methods to go against his enemies. Towards his family members, especially his own woman, he wouldn't even think about it. It was a sort of principle, and it was Ling Tian's own moral compass.

Ling Tian hurriedly bid farewell to the audience present and jumped on Wang Tong's horse, nudging the horse and speeding away.

From afar, one could already hear that the entrance of the Imperial Palace was filled with a hubbub of noise. The never-ending wave of noise made it sound like there was a tsunami approaching.

Once he neared the palace, Ling Tian didn't stop his speed, but rather urged his horse to leap over the crowd. On the stage was Ling Xiao, dressed in full metal armor, looking imposing and proud as he loftily stood there.

Underneath the stage stood Old Madam Ling together with Chu Ting'er and the rest, all with neutral faces. Ling Xiao setting off to war was an occurrence similar to having a family dinner together. Besides, with the Northern Wei's monarch ill and the crown prince ruling on his behalf, mobilizing the Northern Wei forces for war was akin to the saying 'if the speech is not in order then nothing can be accomplished'. Mobilizing all of Sky Bearing Empire's troops was actually without justification, merely throwing the country into chaos. As such, Ling Xiao was actually not allowed to blindly slaughter the opponent's soldiers, but only to focus on defense. Old Madam Ling and Chu Ting'er were not that worried, but rather it was Long Xiang the emperor that seemed to be taking this a little too seriously. Sending the Sky Bearing's God of War to watch over the defense, wasn't this akin to using a war-blade to slaughter a chicken?

Seeing his son rush over on horseback as he stood on the stage, Ling Xiao felt a sense of gratification. While this time there was no danger involved whatsoever, seeing his son urgently hurrying over still gave him a warm feeling in his heart. However, on the surface, his expression still showed displeasure, scolding, "Why are you here? Making your horse leap past the citizens, what would happen if you hurt them accidentally? Why are you so ignorant!"

Ling Tian stepped up, and bowed, "This son is here to send Lord Father off to battle. I wish you success in battle, and to return soon!"

Ling Xiao snorted once, "This old man has always been victorious in all his military exploits, when has it ever been different? Do I still require you to teach me?" While he looked like he was lecturing Ling Tian, he was actually full of confidence, and with his loud voice that spread to all the people present, it lessened their anxieties. All the soldiers present immediately raised their weapons, shouting, "We arrive and succeed! Come back quick! Sky Bearing's God of War never loses at all!"

A hint of a smile appearing in Ling Tian's eyes, to know that his father actually was so capable of swaying the hearts of people! This was especially seen through his words; they appeared so confident, considering himself above all! While such words would seem arrogant in normal days, but right now, it gave off the feeling of looking down from the top, especially with the name of 'Sky Bearing's God of War'!

What followed next was a flurry of traditional rites, like the emperor coming out to salute Ling Xiao with a cup of wine, followed by the officials and such. Ling Tian's gaze happened to collide with the Emperor, but Long Xiang surprisingly turned his head away guiltily. This gave Ling Tian a shock, and he began to plot once again.

When Ling Xiao had finished Chu Ting'er's wine and was about to wave his hands to set off, Ling Tian interrupted him by saying, "Lord Father, please wait." Everyone turned to stare at him.

Ling Tian confidently spoke, "Before Father sets off, your son only hopes for you to return early. However, there's another person's wine in the family that Father has never drunk before. This person, if Father doesn't take the wine, you would only feel endless regret!"

The crowd looked around in bewilderment. Didn't all of the Ling Family present already offered their wine? Were there still more family members coming?

Ling Tian only turned his head back, and warmly spoke, "Chen'er, give a toast to Father, to wish him a triumphant return!" Ling Chen immediately got a rude shock, her entire face flushing red as she was momentarily at a loss as to what she should do. Both Old Madam Ling and Chu Ting'er were also taken aback, and Long Xiang's face was exceedingly ugly to behold. His desire to take Ling Chen into his harem was a secret, but it was already impossible. Right now, Ling Tian's actions were akin to giving him a slap on his face! How could his expression be good?

Under this scenario, Ling Tian had actually asked Ling Chen to toast his father, and he mentioned it as 'give a toast to Father' and not 'give a toast to MY Father'! What did this mean? It meant that he treated Ling Chen as part of his family, which was as good as telling all present that Ling Chen is my, Ling Tian's, woman!

Everyone present completely understood the underlying message!

After this toast, Ling Chen would no longer be Ling Tian's maidservant! She would be considered as Ling Tian's woman, or the first woman that Ling Tian publicly proclaimed!

This was a completely unforeseen occurrence!

A tremendous earth-shaking bit of news!

These few years, anyone who had lived in the city would know that Ling Tian's maidservant was a peerless beauty! Just how many wealthy noble's sons yearned day and night for her, some even willing to give her the position of the first wife, reserving it for her! Many of them had come knocking on the door asking for her hand in marriage, but from today onwards, no one would even dare to breathe a word about this matter!

In her heart, Ling Chen wasn't only emotionally touched but totally embarrassed, her entire body trembling. She herself was aware that as long as she brought a cup of wine over to Ling Xiao, all of her desires and hopes would immediately be satisfied! This was the only desire she had in her life! A life of happiness beside her young noble!

When she secretly glanced over to Old Madam Ling and Chu Ting'er, she saw the two of them smiling and nodding their heads, she got even more panicked, lowering her head as she took over the cup of wine handed by Ling Tian. She raised her hands up and tottered a few steps until she was in front of Ling Xiao, then touched her kneecaps to the ground as she raised up the cup, saying in a voice full of shyness, "Chen'er toasts… toasts….". The moment she reached this part, her voice got softer and softer, as though it was a mosquito buzzing.

Ling Xiao burst into laughter, laughingly scolding her, "Silly lass! You have such an eloquent tongue in your everyday life, so why can't you say anything today? You don't want to toast your father-in-law? What's there to be embarrassed about, even if you don't dare to say it, I still have the guts to drink!" Saying thus, he took over the cup of wine, drinking it in one gulp and shouting out, "Good wine! This wine given by my daughter-in-law is really good to drink!"

Everyone fell to the ground in laughter. How could there be such a shameless father-in-law? Within the army, a black-faced general laughed out, "Grand Marshal, you've already drunk your daughter-in-law's wine, now you'll definitely emerge victorious. Grand Marshal just has to prepare to come back and carry your grandson!"

All the soldiers present burst into laughter, chanting, "Carry your grandson, gonna carry a grandson!" Ling Chen was so embarrassed that her face turned as red as a tomato. She dove straight into Ling Tian's bosom and stomped her foot repeatedly.