「Dafang Mansion.」

「Government Office.」

Brocade Guard Thousand Households Zhao Tianxing looked at the message delivered by his subordinate, his face darkened.

Disciples of the Profound Yellow Sect swarmed into Dafang Mansion.

Yan Ruyu of the Celestial Cyan Workshop set off with his disciples, seemingly headed towards Dafang Mansion.

Sub-Sage Kong Qingquan led the Little Sage Manor's disciples out, suspected to be heading for Dafang Mansion.

Zhao Qixian of the Celestial One Daoist Sect emerged from seclusion again, leading his disciples, apparently intending to instigate a new Struggle between Buddhism and Daoism.

And, what a coincidence, Zen Heart Temple was right inside Dafang Mansion!

What are they trying to do? Are they all completely disregarding us Brocade Guards?

"Damn it! A bunch of cursed bastards!" Zhao Tianxing's beard trembled with anger as he clutched the message. "What do they mean by this? Do they think Dafang Mansion is their personal backyard? Do they really think I, Zhao Tianxing, am some pushover?"

The two Centurions standing below wore bitter expressions. They too were startled when they saw this message. After all, with so many Jianghu people pouring in, if chaos were to erupt, the Brocade Guards of Dafang Mansion alone wouldn't be enough to suppress it.

And that wasn't even considering the others. Just Kong Qingquan and Zhao Qixian alone were enough to give Zhao Tianxing a splitting headache. He didn't care about the Struggle between Buddhism and Daoism. But this so-called Struggle between Buddhism and Daoism is clearly just a farce. Their real target is probably the same as the Profound Yellow Sect, Little Sage Manor, and Celestial Cyan Workshop.

"Immediately contact Thousand Households Gong and Zhou! Tell them I have a problem here and need their help," Zhao Tianxing ordered, his face cold. "The Profound Yellow Sect is a Jianghu faction under Zhou Yuntong's jurisdiction. He didn't keep an eye on them and let them come to my territory. What is the meaning of this?"

His voice had barely faded when a Brocade Guard rushed in from outside.

"Sir, Thousand Households Zhou of Fengxiang Prefecture and Thousand Households Gong of Celestial Origin Mansion have arrived with many men."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Tianxing was taken aback.

Perfect timing! I was just agonizing over how to handle this. Now that Gong Longfei and Zhou Yuntong are here, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"Let them in!" Zhao Tianxing commanded sternly. Dragon Head Mansion... forget it. That fellow Liu doesn't deserve to set foot in here.

He had considered involving the Brocade Guards from Dragon Head Mansion as well. But remembering that Commander Liu from Dragon Head Mansion was at loggerheads with him, he immediately abandoned the thought. With Gong Longfei and Zhou Yuntong, plus myself overseeing things, it should be enough!

Soon, Gong Longfei and Zhou Yuntong entered; their subordinates remained outside, as the room couldn't accommodate so many people. Seeing the two of them, Zhao Tianxing had his subordinate Centurions serve tea.

"You two couldn't have come at a better time!" Zhao Tianxing passed the message in his hand and said coldly, "Take a look. These Jianghu people seem intent on stirring up trouble here."

To him, the appearance of so many major Jianghu powers clearly signaled their intent to cause trouble. If he handled this poorly and incurred blame from his superiors, he'd be skinned alive, even if he wasn't killed outright.

Zhou Yuntong and Gong Longfei exchanged glances, both sighing.

"We're aware of the situation. We came to give you some advice," Zhou Yuntong said, tossing a message from the Capital City to Zhao Tianxing. He added solemnly, "You'd best stay out of this. There's a power struggle happening up high. If you don't want to get dragged into it, it's better to remain an observer."

A power struggle up high?

Upon hearing this, Zhao Tianxing opened the message from the Capital City and couldn't help but gasp.

Cai Keji offended the Seventh Prince? Has he lost his mind? He should know full well that with the Seventh Prince returning to the capital, His Majesty has effectively endorsed him! Who would dare to cause trouble for the Seventh Prince at a time like this? This was the prince who'd dared to sleep with an Imperial Consort and emerged unscathed, even building a formidable reputation in Jianghu!

"Damn it! What the hell is that mad dog Cai Keji thinking?" Zhao Tianxing burst out, his voice laced with fury. "The crimes his Cai Family has committed in my Dafang Mansion are enough to have him executed a hundred times over! And now he provokes the Seventh Prince? Does he have any idea of the Seventh Prince's standing in Jianghu?"

Zhou Yuntong and Gong Longfei, sitting to the side, could only manage continuous bitter smiles. If Cai Keji had known, he probably wouldn't have provoked this particular individual. Now look, he's gone and done it, and they've come straight for revenge against the Cai Family.

A Brocade Guard Thousand Households? What use was that now? The Cai Family? Which Jianghu people would be foolish enough to help them at this point? Everyone in Jianghu knew the disciples of the Profound Yellow Sect were a fearless bunch. An aristocratic family that built its wealth on iron and silver mines trying to fight a group of daredevils from Jianghu? How could they possibly contend? Could they even win?

"The two of us came here to stop you from throwing your life away!" Gong Longfei said after a moment's thought. "This incident might look like a personal grudge between Cai Keji and the Seventh Prince, but don't forget who's backing Cai Keji!"

Who? The Ninth Prince, of course. Everyone in the Brocade Guard knew this. Cai Keji frequently mentioned the Ninth Prince, and the Cai Family was one of the aristocratic families supporting him. In other words, this entire affair was actually a struggle between the Ninth Prince and the Seventh Prince. The Cai Family was simply caught in the crossfire, suffering an unwarranted disaster due to Cai Keji's actions.

"But the Cai Family is within my Dafang Mansion! If the Imperial Court decides to investigate and assign blame, won't I be the one in trouble?" Zhao Tianxing said, his expression grim. This matter had truly put him between a rock and a hard place. If I help the Cai Family, I'll offend the Seventh Prince and that band of lunatics from the Profound Yellow Sect. But if I help the Seventh Prince, I'll effectively be offending the Ninth Prince and the Cai Family! It's trouble no matter which way I turn.

Zhou Yuntong sighed. "That's why I advised you not to help either side. The three of us will simply observe and ensure things don't escalate too much. At least then, you won't be directly implicated."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Tianxing felt even more suffocated.

What the hell kind of mess is this? So, in the end, I gain nothing and might even face punishment? That fat pig Cai Keji, is his brain filled with shit? Normally, he's overflowing with cunning schemes, each one more disgusting to implement than the last. What happened now? Did a donkey kick him in the head? Why on earth would he provoke the Seventh Prince for no good reason? When princes are feuding, a mere Brocade Guard Thousand Households like him jumping into the fray is just suicidal. Is he tired of living?

SMACK!

Zhao Tianxing slammed his palm on the table beside him, his face turning an even darker shade.

I can't swallow this! The more I think about it, the angrier I get! This mess Cai Keji created, I'm the one who has to clean it up, and it's an impossible situation to fix! Damn it all!

"Alright, let's head to the Cai Family's residence then," Zhou Yuntong said thoughtfully. "The Profound Yellow Sect disciples set out before us. I'm afraid by now..."

Before he could finish, a deafening BOOM resounded throughout Dafang Prefecture City.

That single sound silenced the entire Government Office.

What's going on? Thunder in broad daylight?

"No, that's a Fire Thunder Bullet!" Zhou Yuntong exclaimed, hurriedly standing up. "The Profound Yellow Sect confiscated a batch of Fire Thunder Bullets when they attacked Black Wind Stronghold!"

Damn it! Aren't Fire Thunder Bullets supposed to be used on battlefields? What is the Profound Yellow Sect trying to do? Are they planning to level the entire Dafang Prefecture City?

The Cai Family's estate occupied a full fifth of Dafang Prefecture City's area, and many residents within the city bore the Cai surname. The Profound Yellow Sect players didn't need to ask for directions upon arrival; they headed straight for the Cai Family's ancestral grounds.

The guards at the Cai Family's main gate barely had time to react before a horde of people rushed them, pinning them to the ground and beating them senseless. Then, the terrified guards saw someone light a Fire Thunder Bullet and hurl it into the Cai Family's courtyard.

"Art is an EXPLOSION!" Abbess, Don't Love Me shrieked, hands raised high. Beside her, Junlin and his team, clad in Akatsuki Organization-style cloaks, savored the feeling of looking down on everyone from their "lofty" position.

"Holy crap, Abbess, are you trying to kill us? You almost blew up our own guys rushing in!"

"Art my ass! Just wait until this task is over. I'm settling scores with you when we get back!"

"Brothers, charge! For Contribution Points! Let's tear down the entire Cai Family and show them what happens when they mess with us!"

"I'd better get some Contribution Points this time, right?"

The other players echoed with similar shouts and battle cries.

The players yelled and charged, while the Cai Family members fled in abject terror. They had no idea what was happening, only that they had to escape, their faces etched with panic. These descendants of a proud aristocratic family, usually so aloof, were now scurrying about like rats flushed from a drain.

"How dare you! Who are you people to attack my Cai Family?!" an elderly Cai Family decision-maker bellowed, stepping forward. His face was a cold mask as he glared at the surrounding Profound Yellow Sect players.

But in the next instant, a poisoned arrow whizzed through the air, piercing straight through his forehead.

Under the Phoenix Tree, looking particularly smug, quipped, "Let us hunt those who have fallen into darkness!"

"Kill-stealer!" I, Xuanqing, yelled back over his shoulder before gripping his sword tighter and charging toward another group of enemies in the distance.

The Cai Family members who witnessed this were scared out of their wits. Are these people complete lunatics? Do they truly not understand who the Cai Family is?

To the players, the Cai Family was just another small dungeon. Clearing it wasn't particularly difficult; the main challenge was the time it took to eliminate all the "minor monsters." In their eyes, every member of the Cai Family was currently a Red-Named Monster. Killing them yielded Contribution Points. And for Contribution Points, they wouldn't hesitate—forget the Patriarch of the Cai Family, they'd chase down His Majesty the Emperor himself, swords drawn.

"Sword Team, follow me to the rear! Clear out all Red-Named Monsters!" What to Call the Chopping King commanded, brandishing a custom-made chopping sword with an utterly fearless expression. He hacked at anyone in his path, even accidentally wounding several of his own teammates.

"Bro, you're hitting your own guys!" a Second Test Player yelled, clutching a wounded arm and cursing out the entire Sword Team.

But What to Call the Chopping King paid him no mind, instead leading his men into an even more ferocious slaughter.

Flourishing Flowers and Chaotic Dance Steps observed the chaos from a high vantage point.

Watching the battle unfold below, Flourishing Flowers smiled. "Shall we join in too?"

"No need. Don't forget this is a chain task," Chaotic Dance Steps replied, shaking his head. "Let the Construction Team demolish the Cai Family's ancestral hall. You take command of the Sword Team and the Construction Team. I'll keep an eye on the Brocade Guards. If they show up, I'll signal you to halt the assault."

"Alright!" Flourishing Flowers boomed with laughter, his internal energy as a First-Grade Martial Artist flaring powerfully.

In the next moment, he leaped into the fray. A Cai Family guard charged at him, only to have his head shattered by a single palm strike from Flourishing Flowers.

Against someone wielding the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill, even a light touch could cause injury, let alone against these lower-realm martial artists.

Faced with the players from Cloud Lament, the members of the Cai Family were as defenseless as soft tofu.

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