Chapter 18: He Must Die

Inside the courtyard.

Boom!

The air roared violently as a series of sword shadows, carrying boundless ferocity, erupted like a long-dormant volcano. Every strike was incredibly savage, imbued with earth-shattering power.

After a long while, the violent and tyrannical sword shadows gradually subsided.

"Hoo!"

Su Xin stood in the center of the courtyard with his sword in hand, letting out a soft breath.

"As expected of the North Sky Sword Art, known as the number one sword technique of the Tianyan Dynasty. I have been contemplating this Thunder-Fire Scroll for several days, yet I have only just barely scratched the surface," Su Xin muttered to himself.

The North Sky Sword Art consisted of three scrolls: the Phantom Scroll, the Thunder-Fire Scroll, and the Mountain-Sea Scroll.

The Phantom Scroll focused on speed.
The Thunder-Fire Scroll focused on power.
The Mountain-Sea Scroll focused on defense.

Combined, these three formed the supreme sword art of the Tianyan Dynasty.

Among the three, the Phantom Scroll had the lowest threshold. After Su Xin comprehended a trace of sword intent, he quickly mastered its first form. These past few days, he had been studying the Thunder-Fire Scroll. To master it within days was something he personally found unsatisfactory, but to the average person, it would be nothing short of miraculous.

In terms of difficulty, the Mountain-Sea Scroll was actually easier to grasp, and Su Xin could have learned it with less effort. However, that was a defensive technique. Since he planned to use a forbidden art to kill Zhao Tianlei within thirty breaths, he had to go on a frenzied, all-out offensive to ensure his target's destruction. Even at the entry level, the offensive power of the Thunder-Fire Scroll was terrifying.

That night, alone in his room, Su Xin produced two top-grade Spirit Gathering Pills. Having previously obtained twenty from the Red Dragon Pavilion, he had already consumed eighteen; these were the final two.

Without a moment's hesitation, Su Xin swallowed both pills in one breath. He activated his bloodline inheritance technique, frantically beginning to absorb the surrounding spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

Time flowed on until the night before Zhao Tianlei was due to return.

Hum, hum...

As the bloodline inheritance technique surged, the spiritual power within Su Xin’s body roiled, finally reaching a state of absolute saturation.

"Peak of the Tenth Realm of True Martial!"

Su Xin opened his eyes, a flicker of irrepressible ecstasy within them. He had spent these past few days straining to improve his cultivation and strength, consuming every last pill, and finally, on this last night, he had reached this stage.

"At the peak of the Tenth Realm of True Martial, once I trigger the God-Extinguishing Forbidden Art, my cultivation can instantly skyrocket to the peak of the Sea-Transformation Realm. Relying on my bloodline inheritance and the power of my bloodline, my sheer force will be no weaker than Zhao Tianlei's, perhaps even stronger!"

"In terms of skill, Zhao Tianlei is mediocre. His breakthrough to the Void-Breaking Realm was largely due to luck, and his techniques are merely at the standard mid-stage Void-Breaking level. He could probably clear the fourteenth floor of the True Martial Pavilion, but I have already grasped a trace of conceptual intent; if I burst forth with all my might, I can certainly clear the fifteenth!"

"I also have the North Sky Sword Art... both the Phantom and Thunder-Fire scrolls are mastered!"

"With two great trump cards in hand, I am ninety percent certain I can kill him!"

Su Xin stood up, his hands clenched tight, his eyes blazing with intensity.

The people of the Su family—his father Su Baichen, his uncle Su Baihu, and cousins like Su Yuning and Su Qinghong—were all worried that Zhao Tianlei would cause trouble upon his return from Tianshui City.

But little did they know... he had never intended for Zhao Tianlei to return to the Su family alive!

"Tomorrow... Zhao Tianlei will die!"

Under the cover of night, Su Xin left the Su estate alone.

...

The next day, at high noon, the sky was overcast.

There was a main road that was the only path from Tianshui City back to the prefecture capital. At this moment, a small convoy was moving slowly along it.

The convoy consisted of only two carriages. One carried a pitch-black coffin, and the dozen men on horseback surrounding it were all dressed in mourning clothes—this was Zhao Tianlei and his men returning from Tianshui City.

In the other carriage sat Zhao Tianlei and his surviving son, Zhao Qing.

"Father, in two more hours, we will be back at the Su family estate. Once we return, you must crush that Su Xin’s bones to ashes, cut off his head, and place it in Big Brother’s mourning hall for forty-nine days as a sacrifice!" Zhao Qing said viciously.

"Shut up!"

Zhao Tianlei, also in mourning clothes, had a lean face and striking, sharp, and cold eagle-like eyes. Despite the pain of losing a son, he was far more composed than Zhao Qing.

"I told you, when we return to the Su estate, you can cry and make a scene—the louder, the better. But you must not show any disrespect to Su Xin, nor can you utter a single word about killing him to avenge your brother."

"I want everyone in Yongning Prefecture to know that it was the young master of the Su family who killed my son, and that the Su family was the first to act unrighteously!"

Zhao Tianlei stared at Zhao Qing like a viper. "As for Su Xin... he dared to kill my son; I will naturally ensure he dies without a burial place, but we must wait for the perfect moment to strike. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Zhao Qing gritted his teeth and nodded.

Just then—

"My lord, someone asks to see you," a subordinate’s voice came from outside the carriage.

Zhao Tianlei pulled back the curtain and glanced out. "Let him up."

Soon, a figure draped in a black robe entered the carriage. Once the curtains were drawn, he pulled back his hood, revealing his face. He was an old man, seemingly over sixty, with temples streaked with gray.

"Brother Tianlei, it has been months. How have you been?" The old man bowed slightly to Zhao Tianlei, then sighed, "I have heard of your son’s passing. Please accept my condolences."

"Condolences? To hell with condolences! My son is dead, but the Su family won't get off easily either. I will have every man, woman, and child of the Su family buried with him!"

Zhao Tianlei’s voice was icy. "Pang Shan, let’s skip the pleasantries. You should have guessed why I asked you here today, so I won't beat around the bush."

"Your Pang family has been contacting me in secret, asking me to join forces with you to wipe out the Su family. I didn't agree before because I felt your terms lacked sincerity."

"But now, I agree. We will proceed as you suggested: I will only take thirty percent of the Su family’s resources after the deed is done. But I have one condition..."

"What condition?" the gray-templed Pang Shan asked quickly.

"Once the Su family falls, I want a copy of all their top-secret manuals," Zhao Tianlei said.

"Manuals?" Pang Shan smiled, readily agreeing. "No problem."

The two came to an immediate understanding.

Zhao Qing, sitting in the carriage, was horrified. From their conversation, he realized that Pang Shan was an elder of the Pang family. Long ago, the Pang family had tried to conspire with his father to destroy the Su family from within, but his father had refused. Clearly, it was his brother Zhao Ling's death that had made his father yield.

"Brother Tianlei, with you and my Pang family joining forces, the fall of the Su family is only a matter of time. However, the Su family was once a top-tier noble clan of the Tianyan Dynasty. As the saying goes, a camel that is dead—" Before Pang Shan could finish, Zhao Tianlei waved his hand.

"I know what you are worried about," Zhao Tianlei said solemnly. "Your Pang family is worried that the Su family’s Nirvana-stage ancestor might have left behind some incredible trump card. But I can tell you now..."

"There isn't one!"

"That ancestor left the Su family absolutely nothing."

"Oh? Brother Tianlei, why are you so certain?" Pang Shan asked.

"First, if that Nirvana-stage ancestor had left behind a trump card, the Su family could never have fallen into such decline in just three years."

"Second, when the Su family first faced their crisis, I knew the experts within their ranks—including many retainers who hadn't left yet—secretly asked Su Baichen about it. The answer was always 'no.' That is exactly why those retainers, including several Void-Breaking experts, chose to leave; they knew the Su family was doomed."

"Third, and most importantly, when the Su family was in dire straits, a powerful expert broke into their estate, used absolute force to plunder most of their resources, and killed many of their experts. Even the head of the family, Su Baichen, nearly died at that person's hands. Even at that point, they never brought out any trump card," Zhao Tianlei said.

"An expert broke in, plundered their resources, and the family head almost died?" Pang Shan’s heart stirred. The Pang family knew of the first two points, but this third event was something he was hearing for the first time.

"Hmph, that happened at night, and the expert’s strength was overwhelming—a clean sweep. It didn't cause much of a stir. Most of those who knew about it were killed, and only a few survived. I am one of them," Zhao Tianlei added.

"Is that so?" Pang Shan’s eyes lit up. "If they didn't bring out a trump card even then, they truly have nothing left."

"Brother Tianlei, in that case, we can discuss the details and set a time to strike."

"We still need to set a time?" Zhao Tianlei frowned.

"Brother Tianlei, you should know that my Pang family is secretly supported by the Situ family. Since we are going to act against the Su family, I must consult them. Perhaps they will even send experts to help us, making it even more certain," Pang Shan explained.

"Very well," Zhao Tianlei nodded slightly.

Inside the carriage, the two discussed the details of their assault.

At this moment, not far ahead on the road, atop an unnamed hill overlooking the path, Su Xin stood dressed in tight black clothing, holding his long sword, his face hidden beneath a conical bamboo hat.

"Finally... they’ve arrived?"

Under the brim of his hat, Su Xin’s eyes were cold as he stared at the convoy appearing at the edge of his vision. This was his first time attempting a roadside ambush, and he couldn't help but feel a slight tension. He flexed his sword-gripping hand to loosen it.

"Hmm?"

Su Xin looked up. The already overcast sky turned completely dark.

Crack!

A deafening clap of thunder erupted, and arcs of lightning seemed to flash right before his eyes. Following this, a torrential downpour began to lash down. Raindrops hammered against the ground, instantly soaking the earth.

"It’s raining..." Su Xin reached out a palm, feeling the rain strike his skin.

"Since the heavens are in my favor, I shall unleash a grand slaughter in this storm."

With those words, Su Xin leaped down from the hill!