Chapter 25: Lord Guan Is Master Qi

Dead... He’s dead...

Yes!

Before the eyes of everyone present, that head simply rolled off from that cold, lifeless corpse. It had taken less than three seconds in total for the young master of the Xu family—the premier powerhouse of Jiangcheng—to meet his end inside the ancestral home of the Li family.

Panic, terror, and shock—a series of intense emotions erupted after five seconds of dead silence.

"Ahhhhhhh—" A piercing scream broke the air first.

"What... what did I just see? This low-life man surnamed Guan... he actually killed Young Master Xu!"

"No... this isn't real..." Someone pinched their own cheek hard, and realizing it was not a dream, fainted on the spot.

"It’s over... The Li family is finished. Li Yuyan, your man has brought disaster upon us. Our family is doomed."

The room soon descended into a cacophony of frantic discussion.

"Call the police! Hurry, call the police!"

Someone shouted this, and Li Jianjun, the head of the family, moved to stop them. But just as he opened his mouth, he realized that if he intervened, he would only drag the Li family into an abyss of no return.

If the victim were an ordinary person, he might have been able to leverage his connections to suppress the matter. But this was not an ordinary person; this was Xu Tao, the eldest son of the Xu family. If he dared to cover this up, his family would be razed to the ground by the next day. Even his own past achievements and prestige would be useless. People, once they lose their power and are no longer in their position, are merely toothless tigers, no matter how much superficial respect they receive.

Undeniably, the moment Xu Tao died, the downfall of the Li family was sealed.

In a fit of rage, Li Jianjun glared at Guan Sheng. "You... you... how dare you..."

Guan Sheng held the blood-stained, half-arm-length blade, his gaze locking onto Li Jianjun.

"Any advice?" The four short words carried an untouchable majesty. Feeling the overwhelming pressure, the old patriarch, who had spent his life on the battlefield, was so stunned that he choked back his words. He dared not meet Guan Sheng’s eyes.

Instead, he turned to Li Yuyan and barked, "Look at the mongrel you've taken in! Look closely at the catastrophe he has caused! Do you want to destroy the Li family?"

Destroy the Li family?

Li Yuyan felt a cold disdain. When had the Li family ever thought of protecting her? Looking at Xu Tao’s severed head on the ground, she seemed prepared to face death. To be slandered, humiliated, and abused... perhaps this was not such a bad end.

However, she could not fully accept it. If she could, she would have wished to be the one to strike. If she had killed Xu Tao, the Xu family might have hesitated, fearing the influence of Master Qi behind her. But Guan Sheng was different. The Xu family would surely retaliate against him.

Li Yuyan stared at Guan Sheng and took a deep breath. "Didn't I tell you to stay put at the group?"

Guan Sheng looked at her. "Old Zhang was nearly crippled by him. His men threw him out of the hospital."

Li Yuyan’s expression shifted. "What did you say? Old Zhang..."

"So, you came for Old Zhang."

The torrential rain became a curtain, the sound of it like a harp, leaving Guan Sheng’s mind in turmoil. Blurred memories flashed through his head, making him restless.

"Yes... and no."

"I did it for myself," Guan Sheng said firmly. "My master said I am cold and heartless, that I only care about myself. And yes, I do only care about myself. I care about my own anger. I care about my own sorrow. I care when people I value are harmed. Humans have seven emotions and six desires; since I have chosen the path of slaughter, I must acknowledge my humanity. I have never denied that I am a selfish person."

"Li Yuyan, I apologize for forcing you to marry me without your consent, but you are my person now! Anyone who bullies you deserves to die!"

The moment those words were spoken, Li Yuyan’s mind went blank. This declaration—which sounded like a confession yet not quite—struck her soul with a warmth that was both gentle and domineering.

"Guan Sheng..."

Before she could react, Guan Sheng raised his blade toward the yellow-haired youth, Liu San.

*Swish!*

Liu San, having watched Xu Tao’s head fall, was so terrified he wet himself and collapsed to his knees. He vividly remembered the sight of Guan Sheng beating Xu Tao the night before.

Coincidentally, Guan Sheng remembered him too.

"I heard everything you said earlier," Guan Sheng said coldly. "I remember you hanging around with that Xu fellow last night and eating my wife’s Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. Tell the truth, or—I will kill you."

Liu San’s courage shattered. He turned to Li Jianjun and stammered, "Old Patriarch Li, I was wrong. I lied. Everything I said was a deception. Miss Yuyan never went to Laomu Mountain, and she never forced us to serve her. Xu Tao forced us to say those things. He said if we tarnished Miss Yuyan’s reputation, he would pay us. It's true, it's all true! I even have a recording."

With trembling hands, he produced the evidence he had kept to threaten Xu Tao. When the recording played, it clearly revealed Xu Tao instructing Liu San to lie.

Upon hearing it, Li Jianjun’s face turned deathly pale, and he stepped back. The members of the Li family stopped their murmuring, looking at Li Yuyan in disbelief.

What? It was all fake?

After the recording ended, Liu San kowtowed to Guan Sheng. "I... I told you everything! Please, have mercy! Spare my life, I..."

*Crack!*

Before he could finish, a flash of steel cut through the rain. With the sound of snapping bone, Liu San’s legs were severed.

Guan Sheng said coldly, "Death may be spared, but you cannot escape the price of your actions. A reputation built over a lifetime can be ruined by a single slanderous tongue. Do you think a simple apology is enough? Is a woman’s reputation worth so little?"

The next second, a shrill scream tore through the air. Liu San clutched his bleeding stumps, wailing in agony. The Li family members, witnessing Guan Sheng’s brutality, were petrified.

Li Yuxue, however, stepped forward recklessly. "You bastard! You’ve already gotten our family kicked out of the Jiangnan Chamber of Commerce, and now you’ve killed Xu Tao in our ancestral home! You... you’re finished!"

"Am I?" Guan Sheng looked at her, blade in hand. "I’m finished?"

As soon as he spoke, the sound of police sirens wailed outside the gates. Over a dozen police vehicles screeched to a halt, and dozens of armed officers stormed in.

Wang Sihuo, the leader, walked in with a triumphant grin. *Bang!* He fired a shot into the sky. The sound was deafening.

"That's right, you are finished!"

Dozens of officers immediately surrounded Guan Sheng. Wang Sihuo stepped up to him. "Murder in public, with ironclad evidence. No matter how powerful your background is, no one can save you now. Unless the highest-ranking officials from the capital come themselves, you are as good as dead."

Wang Sihuo turned to Li Jianjun. "Old Patriarch, your second son said you would use your influence to protect this young man. Now, will you still step in for him?"

Li Jianjun let out a cold laugh. "This man has committed murder. His crimes are unforgivable."

Li Yuyan panicked and grabbed Guan Sheng’s hand. "Chief Wang, it was Xu Tao who first—"

Before she could finish, Guan Sheng gently pried her hand away. "Don't panic."

"Guan Sheng, you..." For some reason, Li Yuyan felt a sharp pain in her heart.

Guan Sheng patted her head. "It’s just a trip to prison. Don’t worry, no one can touch me." He looked at Wang Sihuo. "I know you want revenge for your daughter. I’ll go with you."

Without waiting for them to handcuff him, Guan Sheng sheathed his blade, straightened his back, and walked out voluntarily. As she watched him get into the car, Li Yuyan felt as if she had lost someone vital, her spirit shattered.

After they left, Li Jianjun turned to his son, Li Feng. "Second son, you previously invoked my name to protect this man?"

The eldest son, Li Shan, chimed in, "Second brother, what is the meaning of this? Do you want to kill the old man?"

Li Yuxue mocked, "Second uncle, that was really uncalled for."

The rest of the family turned their hostility toward Li Feng. Not daring to hesitate, Li Feng rushed to the Old Patriarch’s side and whispered into his ear.

"Dad, that Guan Sheng is no ordinary man. He... he is the young master of the Qi family, Qi Xiaolong!"

Li Jianjun froze in shock.

"What did you say!!!"