Chapter 4: Life is Full of Unexpected Encounters

The Su family was working hard to break down the door. The sound of heavy hammers striking stone echoed incessantly. Nearby, more than ninety corpses of the Su family members lay piled together, some already gnawed down to the white bone.

Finally, with the concerted efforts of several top experts, the thick stone wall at the entrance of the cave shattered with a thunderous boom.

"It really is here!" Su Yunhe exclaimed in delight.

Twenty-eight or twenty-nine people gathered before the cave, gazing inside with mounting excitement. In this moment, they had completely forgotten the sorrow of losing their kin just moments ago.

A Monarch’s inheritance!

To a small, remote family in Green Wave City, this was the stuff of legends—figures far above the clouds. Any Monarch was a myth of the martial world and the dream of every youth. This was the hope for their family’s rise to power!

Just as they were filled with joy and wild fantasies, a gray, hazy mist suddenly billowed out from the broken entrance along with a cloud of dust. It moved with startling speed, engulfing the entire opening the moment it appeared.

Su Yunhe and Su Changying were the first to bear the brunt, instantly shrouded by the gray fog. The mist then surged forward, swallowing all twenty-eight people standing at the entrance.

The fog was pervasive.

A chorus of blood-curdling screams tore through the air. No one was spared. Every inch of their exposed skin began to rot, their eyes suffering the most. Immediately, the twenty-eight people collapsed, writhing and wailing in agony. Among them were the family head, all the elders, the honored guests, and every surviving direct descendant.

The toxic mist was fast-acting. The struggling and screaming ended in a very short time. More than twenty people lay motionless on the ground, already beginning to decay. Among them was Su Fei, the eldest son of the Su family and first in line for succession. Seeing his younger brother, Su Yue, obtain such vital intelligence, he had been anxious that his brother would use this opportunity to surpass him in status. He had cried and begged to come along on this treasure hunt to contribute to the family. Now, he had rotted into a pile of sludge.

Silence fell, absolute and heavy.

The only ones left alive were Su Yue, who had been tasked with guarding the bodies, and a younger cousin named Su Yun. Both brothers stood rigid, faces pale with shock and terror, their hollow eyes fixed on the heap of corpses scattered across the cave entrance.

Those bodies were their kin—fathers, mothers, grandfathers, uncles, and brothers.

Because the matter was highly confidential and the potential gains were immense, everyone who came on this trip was of the Su family’s direct bloodline. Even the in-laws had been kept in the dark until now. In one fell swoop, the Su family had been effectively wiped out. The most chilling part was that they didn't even know why.

How could this happen?

The two were completely stunned, their minds blank. Looking at the twenty-eight corpses before them, they felt as if the entire universe had exploded in their minds. They could not comprehend it. Just a moment ago, there were over a hundred people. How could they suddenly be… gone?

The mountain wind whistled through the treetops, sounding like the wailing of ghosts. In this remote and desolate place, it was particularly bone-chilling.

"Caw! Caw! Caw!"

A few shrill, eerie cries added to the horror. Unidentified scavenger birds had caught the scent of blood and rotting flesh. Su Yue and Su Yun shuddered, snapping back to reality. Their legs went weak as they crawled toward the pile, wailing.

"What happened? What happened to you all?"

"Why is this happening!"

"Father! Father, what’s wrong? Say something!"

No matter how they called out, the people on the ground would never respond again. The two wept, tears and snot streaming down their faces.

***

Amidst the whistling mountain wind, a voice suddenly spoke.

"Hello there."

Fang Che stood at the entrance of the cave, a kind smile on his face. He walked out leisurely, hands behind his back, dressed in a black robe with dark gold patterns. The patterns shimmered with faint light as he moved.

He stepped out of the cave, his first step landing on the head of Su Yunhe, the Su family head, and his second on the head of Su Changying.

*Crunch. Crunch.*

He walked over, a head under each step, flesh and blood falling away beneath his feet. Yet, Fang Che’s expression remained unchanged—gentle, refined, and mild.

He arrived before Su Yue. Under Su Yue’s bewildered gaze, Fang Che smiled warmly and said, "Brother Su, what a coincidence, we meet again. Truly, the world is a small place."

Su Yue seemed to realize something, though he couldn't quite grasp it. His eyes burned with rage as he stared at Fang Che, teeth clenched. "Fang… Fang Che? Why, why are you here?"

Fang Che smiled sweetly. "Because you are here. You are my best friend, my best brother. After so many years of your care, I naturally had to come and repay you."

"Repay me?"

The confusion in Su Yue’s mind suddenly cleared. He remembered Fang Che’s earlier words: *'This is a small repayment from your younger brother for all your care over the years.'*

He finally understood.

"You… you this…" Su Yue felt a lump in his throat, unable to speak. "…This was all designed by you? What a vicious scheme!"

Fang Che smiled faintly, and his long blade flashed.

A spray of blood erupted. Su Yun, who had been standing to the side, still in a state of shock, was cut down by a single strike. His head rolled away. Su Yun was merely a martial apprentice, his cultivation lower than Fang Che’s before his breakthrough. He had only been brought along to gain experience, and having never encountered such a major life-changing event, his spirit had shattered; he was killed without a fight.

Fang Che wiped his blade on the clothes of the paralyzed Su Yue, then, as if unintentionally, rested the tip of the blade against Su Yue’s right knee. He chuckled softly, "When brothers have heart-to-heart talks, it’s always a bit uncomfortable to have an outsider listening, don't you think?"

His voice was gentle, but Su Yue flinched.

His dull gaze drifted to his cousin’s headless corpse. Blood flowed from the neck, spreading across the stones and dripping over the edge. *Drip, drip.* His eyes locked onto his cousin’s eyes, which were still wide with confusion even in death.

Su Yue began to tremble violently. As he turned to look at Fang Che, an infinite terror washed over him.

"Demon!" he shrieked.

He tried to draw his sword, but his hand only touched something sticky. It was his cousin’s blood. Everything before him suddenly felt unreal.

"A demon?" Fang Che smiled. "Is it more demonic than your Su family?"

Su Yue roared and lunged with his sword, but Fang Che, without hesitation, thrust his blade into Su Yue’s knee. The gleaming tip pierced through the leg, trailing blood. The blade had been resting there all along; in his fury, Su Yue had simply impaled himself.

Before he could scream, a stone smashed into his mouth. With a *thud*, broken teeth and rock tumbled out. Su Yue fell backward, and a foot firmly planted itself on his chest, right below his throat. The toe pressed into his windpipe, forcing it to cave in slightly.

"Don't scream. Let’s have a proper talk. And while you're at it, help me organize my thoughts." Fang Che said earnestly, "Brother Su, I need you."

Su Yue completely broke down. Hearing Fang Che’s gentle, sincere tone, he couldn't stop shivering. He never imagined that the younger brother who had been so obedient for all these years would suddenly transform into a malevolent force, radiating a cold indifference that treated human life like blades of grass. He had forgotten his hatred; only fear remained.

"Say… say what?" he stammered.

"Tell me about the Su family’s true identity, your objectives, and what you were trying to do by getting close to me and influencing me since I was twelve," Fang Che said, tapping Su Yue’s face with the flat of his blade. *Pat, pat.* "Tell me what I want to hear. Do you understand, Brother Su?"

Su Yue trembled even harder.

Fang Che sighed. "Actually, I look down on you people. Using a naive child, exploiting a child’s natural rebellion, and taking advantage of the sensitivity of a boy living at his grandfather's house—don't you think that’s a bit… pathetic?"

Su Yue’s lips quivered. The intense pain left his mind almost blank. Fang Che wasn't in a hurry. He began to sort through the spoils he had gathered from the Su family members. It was, indeed, a bountiful haul.

***

He had no reservations regarding Su Yue. With his combat experience from his previous life, he did not fear Su Yue even if his cultivation were several levels higher. Moreover, this fellow was spoiled and weak-willed. His mind had already been shattered by a series of blows, and with one leg crippled, he had no way to fight back.

More importantly… as he killed Su Yun and wounded Su Yue, he clearly felt the Five-Spirit Gu within his body stir. A wave of bloodthirsty malice surged up, fueling his killing intent.

Fang Che’s heart skipped a beat as he realized something.

"So that's how it is."

He immediately utilized the Boundless True Scripture to suppress the Five-Spirit Gu, and his mind cleared instantly. He whispered to himself, "So it really is like that!"

...

A moment later, under Fang Che’s relentless pressure, the broken Su Yue finally began to speak. Although he didn't know everything, it was enough for Fang Che.

Simply put, the Su family and the Fang family were both ninth-level martial clans. However, twenty years ago, the Fang family suffered a massive, accidental loss of power and had been declining ever since, hovering on the verge of being demoted.

The Su family, having secretly joined the One-Heart Sect—a branch of the Sole-Righteous Sect—had been stable for years due to the sect’s support. They harbored ambitions to annex the Fang family’s assets, which would allow them to ascend to an eighth-level clan.

The clan hierarchy consisted of twelve levels. The twelfth was the weakest, newly established; the eleventh was a period of expansion; the tenth was an enhancement of the eleventh; and the ninth was a period of consolidation. A ninth-level family was already quite formidable, with hundreds of blood-related members and a Martial Grandmaster at the helm.

Twenty years ago, one of the Fang family’s two Martial Grandmasters died in an accident. Then, Fang Qianyi, a cultivation genius of the Fang family, disappeared while out with her best friend. Two years later, she returned with a child—Fang Che.

The Su family attacked on multiple fronts, suppressing the Fang family’s business, obstructing their martial progress, and sabotaging their tasks at the Guardian Hall. As Fang Qianyi’s cultivation grew and she became a pillar of the family, the Su family began to lure the ten-year-old Fang Che. Through various hints and suggestions, they successfully implanted a sense of "living under another's roof" in the rebellious youth. Once this feeling took root, resentment toward his grandfather’s family grew.

This influenced Fang Qianyi—after all, even if a child is disobedient, they are still one’s own flesh and blood. Dealing with a mischievous, unruly child at her parents' home created friction. Over the years, with a child constantly stirring up trouble, life in the Fang household was anything but pleasant.

A few years later, an opportunity arose for the Fang family to obtain a partial treasure map, and the Su family manipulated Fang Che to exploit it.

This was their final move. A master from the One-Heart Sect happened to be passing through Green Wave City, searching for "Five-Spirit Seeds." The Su family pushed Fang Che forward. If he succeeded, he would become a dog for the sect, and after a few tasks, they would report him, implicating and destroying the Fang family while claiming the reward from the Guardian Hall. If he failed, Fang Che would die on the spot, and Fang Qianyi would surely go mad—how could she not react if her son died at her father’s home?

It was a win-win for the Su family, or at the very least, it would leave the Fang family divided and severely weakened. Once weakened, the Fang family would fail the Guardian Hall’s clan assessment, drop to the tenth level, and their ninth-level resources would be divided among the Su family and others.

The plan was meticulous. But no one in the Su family expected that a plan destined for success would go so wrong. The "fool" Fang Che had suddenly revealed the inheritance of the "Sword Monarch," which was a fatal temptation for the Su family. Thus, the elite of the Su family had foolishly buried themselves in these desolate mountains.

And no one else knew. Every person who knew the secret had come along! The Su family didn't dare leave a witness behind because the envoy from the One-Heart Sect was arriving soon. If that envoy learned of the "Sword Monarch’s inheritance," the Su family would have no share in it.

The situation was truly bizarre. Who would have thought that a car speeding steadily down a highway would, without any human error, suddenly drive itself off a cliff leading straight to hell?

***

[New book launch. Welcome to follow. Through the storms of the martial world, let us walk together for another journey.]

[First day of publication—four chapters this morning. Another chapter will follow at 6:00 PM.]