Explosion!

"Alright, it's time to depart. Everyone, stay in formation and be prepared for any danger. This will be a long journey, and we have little to no rations. Assemble a hunting team from the idle warriors and be ready to hunt anything we can eat. We'll also need scouts to prepare for any future threats. Form squads of three to ensure information is relayed in case of an emergency.

The non-combatants will be responsible for cooking food and maintaining the durability of our tools and weapons. In rotation, train them all to be comfortable shooting a bow. You never know when you might need additional fighting power.

As for the strong, you know your roles. Jian Fan and his squad will guard the non-combatants to ensure their safety. Our warriors will be divided into four groups, protecting us from every cardinal direction. Each top fighter will lead one of these groups. We have the protection of our elders in the shadows, and as for me, I will stay at the front with the rest of the lower-level warriors. Our formation is impregnable. Jian clan, move out!"

Night fell swiftly. The journey had been relatively smooth, aside from a few minor incidents involving vagrants or wild wolf packs. To avoid witnesses, they were forced to eliminate every person they encountered. The wolf pack was turned into meat and supplies, and their lair was searched. The remaining wolves were exterminated, and their young were adopted for future fighting power. As they sought a place to rest for the night, they discovered a mountain shrouded in mist at the summit—an ideal resting spot. Climbing the mountain, they found a hollow cave and decided to make camp there.

Jian Bu ensured everyone was settled before issuing orders. "We will need a night watch," he announced. "A squadron will keep watch in rotation every three hours. The non-combatants will cook. For now, use the leather we acquired to create blankets; we can repurpose it later. From the fangs and claws, we will craft spare arrows. The bone marrow, eyes, nose, and ears will be used to create wolfman totems, allowing us to control the young pups on a more spiritual level. The top warriors will provide martial guidance to those on the brink of a breakthrough, and the rest of our resources will be allocated to them to maintain our sharp fighting power. We've already covered our tracks and will remain here for a week to mislead our enemies."

Jian Bu then went to check on his brother in the non-combatants' area. "How are you feeling, brother?" he asked.

Jian Chen, excited, looked at his brother and replied, "My injuries have mostly healed. It still feels strange to be without legs, but the non-combatants are creating prototype artificial legs for me that will be supported by boots. As for walking, I should be fine. But that's not the point, brother. I've wanted to talk to you all day, but I couldn't move from my position. You know I love to read, right? I realized this mountain is where our Jian clan progenitor secluded himself for ten years during his youth to attain his famous sword heart. Perhaps we could find some of his sword marks or his inheritance and gain insight into the sword path!"

Jian Bu's eyes widened, then quickly became thoughtful. He considered the potential chaos and disruption within the clan if others discovered their progenitor's inheritance. "Brother, have you told anyone this? It could be problematic," he asked.

Jian Chen's face paled. "I only told Jian Ning. He's the only person my age around here, so we quickly became friends. Is there something wrong?"

Jian Bu relaxed. "Everything is fine as long as he doesn't tell anyone. I'll go remind him. In the meantime, here, take this. I found this book during one of my adventures. See if you can decipher it. I already tried but couldn't find anything. Maybe you will."

Jian Chen happily accepted the book and said, "Thank you, elder brother!"

Jian Bu nodded and left to speak with Jian Ning. As he searched for Jian Ning, he saw one of Jian Fan's henchmen laughing with other clan members. He heard them say, "Hahaha, I can't believe our clan's progenitor's inheritance is on this mountain. If we could find it, we could become powerful clan elders governing a region."

Jian Bu's face turned pale, and he quickly charged at them. Using the Jian Clan Tiger Fist martial art, he launched a surprise attack, suppressing their Qi meridians, and dragged them to a corner. With a malevolent smile, he asked, "Does anyone else know about this?"

Their faces filled with terror. "Only Jian Fan knows, but he probably told his grandpa Jian Feng, as that's the only way he could secure the inheritance!"

Jian Bu's face was filled with anger. A deep hatred boiled inside him, and immense bloodlust emanated from his body. "You guys... you ruined everything," he said, beating them continuously for a long time. Jian Bu's eyes were a deep red, resembling the color of blood, but the red quickly faded, and a golden sheen returned to his eyes. As he calmed down, he realized what he had done. "Cough cough... you guys should've told me instead. This is what happens when you act for your own interests. Here, take this Blood Revolution Pill and heal up."

But Jian Fan's henchmen were stricken with horror and couldn't move. One of them mumbled, "D-Demon, y-you're a demon!"

Jian Bu's face turned icy cold. He forced the pills into their mouths and said, "I want you guys to remember your place from now on. This better not happen again, and if I hear that more people know about this, you are the first people I will come and look for. Now get out of here!"

As the henchmen ran off, a smile crept onto Jian Bu's face. He had tampered with the pills, turning them into Blood Explosion Pills. They would all explode within a short time if nothing went wrong, and hopefully, Jian Fan would fall with them, Jian Bu thought.

Fifteen minutes later, a loud explosion echoed through the cave. The hollow chamber quickly became covered in rocks, and the clan members rushed to the scene. Jian Zhen, one of the clan elders, demanded, "What happened here? Who was on the scene?"

A clan member stepped forward and said, "We don't know. We were playing chess while eating, and then we heard a loud explosion!"

Jian Zhen harrumphed and ordered, "I want all of you here to start digging. If Jian Feng's grandson is dead, you guys will be dead too!"

Jian Bu quickly arrived on the scene and said, "Let's all calm down here. Everyone is probably fine. They are some of the strongest members in the clan. Let's not panic. Everyone, let's work together in formation to take down the rocks in three moves. Are you ready?"

"YES!" the clan members screamed in unison.

Jian Bu's prestige soared after directly stopping a clan elder and helping his clan members escape the crisis. They proceeded to use the Stone Tiger Formation to move the rocks in three quick moves. What was left were blackened walls covered in red paint. A closer look revealed pieces of meat in every crevice and sharp point of the wall.

Jian Zhen thought, 'This kid has high ambitions. He reminds me of the Branch Patriarch, alas... he is too rash, directly offending me. He will need to be taught a lesson.' As the smoke cleared, Jian Zhen got a clearer look at the cave and saw the remains of his clan members. He used the movement technique Flying Tiger to quickly reach them, grabbed their remains, and devoured them whole. He didn't stop until everything was consumed. Then he drew a circle around him, threw a talisman in every cardinal direction, and spewed black smoke everywhere. A loud boom was heard, followed by a blinding light. When everyone's vision recovered, what lay before them were the bodies of six people: the henchmen Jian Bu had beaten earlier and the body of the clan elder's grandson, Jian Fan.

Jian Zhen's face darkened, his eyebrows twitching, his mind in chaos. "How did this happen? How will I explain this to Jian Feng? The clan will be in chaos for the next couple of days and likely for the rest of the journey. Someone will have to pay the price for this... alas..."