SWNOVELXO Chapter 54 Who gave you the courage to be my enemy?
Wood shavings flew in all directions, and dust billowed up.
The sudden commotion drew everyone's attention.
Tian Xiaohu and his companions looked over to see a group of people dressed in brocade filing in through the gates.
Their faces were filled with arrogance and haughtiness.
Seeing the situation, Tian Xiaohu and the others quickly stepped forward, chastising, "Who dares to intrude into Shen Mansion so brazenly? Don't you know what this place is?"
The intruders acted as if deaf, naturally splitting into two sides like a tide to create a wide passage.
Then, two figures walked out unhurriedly through this aisle.
The one at the back was particularly burly, almost filling the path that the others had made, much like a small mountain.
These two were none other than Zhou Su and Tie Gang Lin Heng.
The leader, Zhou Su, slowly raised his hand and waved it slightly, and the people behind him immediately fell silent, "Of course, we know where we are, otherwise why do you think we would come here?"
As he spoke, his hands resting behind his back, a fierce glint flashed in his eyes, "When your lord killed people from our families, he should have anticipated this day. Be sensible, surrender without a fight, and you might keep your bodies intact. Otherwise, we will slaughter your entire family, leaving not even the chickens or dogs alive!"
"You say you're going to slaughter my entire family, not sparing even the chickens or dogs?"
Shen Qing couldn't stand still any longer upon hearing this. He strode out from the main hall, staring at Zhou Su with a smile that was not quite a smile.
Upon his appearance, the complexion of some people present changed abruptly.
The deeds Shen Qing had done in Yongzhou were well-known, and his appearance had spread far in Yongzhou, seen by many.
Now, someone recognized him, and an involuntary gasp ripped through the crowd.
Fear, confusion, and shock mixed, creating a noisy confusion of emotions.
"Shen Qing... he's actually still alive! Weren't you saying he was doomed to die at the Jing Luan Assembly, destined for the netherworld?"
A trembling voice rose from the crowd, filled with disbelief.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Su's gaze fiercely shifted toward Shen Qing.
He had never personally witnessed this face before, and a bad premonition surged through his heart.
In almost a whisper, he asked someone next to him in a low voice, "He... he is Shen Qing?"
After receiving a confirming nod from his companion, Zhou Su felt as if his mind had exploded, as if the entire world were collapsing at that very instant.
His heartbeat quickened, his thoughts were in disarray, and for a brief moment, he didn't know what to do.
How could this be?
Zhou Su couldn't understand why Shen Qing was alive.
That was the Jing Luan Assembly, where barely one in ten could survive!
What were all those guards from the Xue Family, and the noble sons from the Capital Families doing? Couldn't the Chief Officer of one place take him down?
The more Zhou Su thought, the more terrified he became.
But the reality was right in front of him, undeniable.
He couldn't help but swallow, the arrogance with which he had entered now gone, his entire body deflating.
If Shen Qing had indeed survived the Jing Luan Assembly, then one thing was beyond doubt—his strength must be unfathomable, far surpassing theirs.
Had he come here seeking death?
Anxiety prickled at Zhou Su's heart, a foreboding feeling setting in.
"What should we do?" someone nearby inquired in a low voice.
What should we do?
Who the hell knows what to do?
Everything Zhou Su had done was based on the assumption that Shen Qing was dead following the Jing Luan Assembly.
Now that he was alive and had walked out, all that Zhou Su had done had painted him into a corner.
Faced with Shen Qing's question, Zhou Su didn't know whether to respond or to remain silent. Like a man suffering constipation, his face turned beet-red, his mouth moved continuously, yet he uttered not a single word.
Lin Heng from Tie Gang glanced at Zhou Su, seeing his indecisive state and growing impatient, finding his actions far too irresolute.
He knew very little about Shen Qing.
In his eyes, Shen Qing was merely from a county town. Given that the Ji Family had monopolized the Martial Mechanisms, how powerful could someone from a place so far from the Capital City be?
Tie Gang Lin Heng took the initiative and directly slapped Zhou Su aside. His towering figure squeezed to the front, and turning his head, he said to Zhou Su with a grin, "It doesn't matter if he's Zhang Qing or Li Qing, I can handle it for you. But... it'll cost you more!"
Zhou Su, as if clutching at his last lifeline, asked, "How much more?"
"Half of what you've earned from behind the scenes in Yongzhou!"
Zhou Su's expression twitched.
If he could eliminate Shen Qing and take control of Yongzhou's industry, the profits would be substantial, comparable to that of a minor noble family. Lin Heng's demand for half was truly exorbitant.
Unfortunately, at this point, he didn't have much choice.
If today he made one misstep and lost everything, nothing would be left to him.
Compared to this, retaining half could actually be considered a good outcome.
Of the two evils, he chose the lesser.
Zhou Su gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, I agree!"
"Deal!" Tie Gang Lin Heng tilted his neck and advanced step by step towards Shen Qing.
He fixed his gaze on Shen Qing, scanned him from head to toe, and with a threatening smile said, "I am Tie Gang Lin Heng, here to take your life today. I hope in your next life you'll be reborn into good fortune and avoid troublemakers like me."
Before his words had even faded, Lin Heng charged towards Shen Qing with his colossal figure, like a wall, and threw a punch with the momentum of toppling mountains and overturning seas!
However, the anticipated scene of Shen Qing being blown away and spitting blood did not happen.
Shen Qing remained motionless, simply raising his hand gently, and firmly caught Lin Heng's fist, strong enough to crush stones and split metal.
Boom!
A gust of wind exploded between the two of them.
It spread outward in all directions, radiating from where they stood.
The crowd in the courtyard couldn't help but stagger backward several steps.
Fine cracks appeared on the shadow wall and the roof tiles, making a crisp cracking sound.
Tie Gang Lin Heng felt as though his hands were clamped down mercilessly, unable to move.
His eyes showed a hint of shock and suddenly widened.
He noticed that Shen Qing's posture was as solid as a rock, without a hint of movement from beginning to end.
Shen Qing's lips curled into a smile, and with a bit of strength, he sent Lin Heng's fist rebounding back.
At the same time, his other hand formed seals with a single hand, and under everyone's gaze, he rapidly struck, creating afterimages on Lin Heng's body.
Spiritual Power around him transformed into intense beams of energy, effortlessly penetrating through Lin Heng's Protective Gang Qi and straight into his flesh and blood.
"Your Qi-Blood is impure and chaotic, your strength is lax, your steps are disorderly, your perception slow – your punch is like child's play, utterly devoid of might. With such poor cultivation, you delude yourself into taking my life, Shen Qing? Who gave you the audacity to stand against me?!" Shen Qing spoke swiftly as he struck, each word hammering down on Lin Heng's heart, turning his face instantly pale.
He had never expected his full-force strike to be so easily neutralized by Shen Qing, nor had he anticipated Shen Qing's strength to be so terrifying.
"Die!"
Shen Qing's hand condensed with Spiritual Power.
With a pfft sound!
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Tie Gang Lin Heng screamed, his chest exploded with a hole largе enough to fit an arm through, and his life force was continuously drained away by Shen Qing's fingers.
Tie Gang Lin Heng numbly looked down at the wound, realizing he had been careless today and provoked a force he should not have.
Shen Qing's hands formed a seal, and he pressed down with the Sky Flipping Seal.
With a boom, all of Lin Heng's vitality was extinguished.
His body stiffened and then fell backward onto the ground, life completely extinguished.
In an instant, the courtyard fell silent as a grave.