The Paternity Guard (PATERNITY)
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“You really are something to have seen through all this! I underestimated you, Lord Xing.” Yan Zhuangzhu’s demeanor was calm and as if just chatting with a junior. “When you laid hands on my ‘corpse’ last time, I thought you might cause trouble and indeed…”
Yan Zhuangzhu was referring to the acupuncture that Xing Beiming had pressed on his arm and almost exposed his plan.
“Lord Yan? You…” Daoist Qingfeng widened his eyes while looking at this righteous figure and was unable to understand why he was acting this way.
“Oh? It’s Daoist Qingfeng. Thank you for standing up for me this time but I believe you’re also trying to enhance your reputation in the Martial World, aren’t you? But that’s how it is in this world. One must not overestimate oneself and aim high but have low skills… How about this, shall I see you off?” His tone sounded like he was meeting an old friend but the cold gleam in his eyes was chilling.
With a wave of his hand, several people appeared from nowhere and swiftly took action against the motionless figures on the ground.
“Lord Yan? You…” Daoist Qingfeng repeated as he was completely bewildered by the turn of events.
Was Yan Zhuangzhu intending to kill them all to silence them?
“Hmph, join them in hell!” Yan Zhuangzhu raised his hand to strike but was suddenly halted by a stern shout.
“Stop! Stop! Hoo, hoo…” Riding a horse at full speed was Ke Weiqing with the former Governor of Qizhou, Xu Kun, behind him. Despite being on horseback, the old man was still out of breath.
Upon seeing him, Yan Zhuangzhu’s underlings ceased their actions. Daoist Qingfeng’s breath was caught in his throat while Xu Kun, supported by Ke Weiqing as he dismounted, approached with trembling steps. Seeing the carnage around, his anger flared, “Yan Zhuangzhu, I once thought you were a respected hero but I never imagined you to be a despicable villain who slaughters innocents! Why did you fake your death? And kill these people?”
Yan Zhuangzhu eyes flashed with killing intent, “T├аish╟Тu [1], why did you bother coming here to die? Ignorance is bliss for some people like you.”
[1] Governor
“Clang!”
Ke Weiqing blocked Yan Zhuangzhu’s fatal strike and handed Xu Kun over to Hou Jia and others then engaged with Yan Zhuangzhu in combat.
Ke Weiqing realized that while Yan Zhuangzhu’s Martial Arts were decent, they paled in comparison to those of reputable sects. Ke Weiqing was now certain that the events in Zhaoyun City were related to him, although whether this person was a major player or a mere pawn remained uncertain.
Several others emerged behind the guards and also engaged them in combat. Their skills were extremely bizarre and seemingly unaffected by sword wounds on their bodies. Xing Beiming soon realized that these individuals were likely the “drug people” rumored in the Martial World, who are subjected to excruciating processes to transform normal individuals into “drug people.” They endured the pain of thousands of cuts on their bodies, infused with poison until their entire bodies were saturated. Even sword strikes didn’t cause them pain and their wounds would heal rapidly. Moreover, they were implanted with parasites and made them obedient to their masters’ commands. Some of these drug people even retained traces of their original consciousness.
Xing Beiming no longer hesitated. With a swift motion, he sent one of the drug people flying and instructed Hou Jia to escort Xu Kun back to Qizhou while Shi Yi and Shi Er provided full protection to prevent any ambushes along the way.
Once Hou Jia departed, Ying Qi returned to protect Wu Enci. She stared wide-eyed at the scene before her, finding it difficult to comprehend. Finally, she glanced at Ying Qi back and asked softly, “Aren’t you a doctor? How come you’re so skilled in Martial Arts too?”
Ying Qi remained silent.
Observing Yan Zhuangzhu’s abnormally red hands, Ke Weiqing realized something was amiss. Even if he’s avoiding Yan Zhuangzhu’s palm striking him, he still noticed that his wounds inflicted on Yan Zhuangzhu hadn’t been very effective. Seizing an opportunity, Yan Zhuangzhu smirked and swiftly struck out. At that moment, the air of justice and dignity vanished from his face, replaced by a sinister grin.
“A’Chun, move aside!” Just as the critical moment approached, Xing Beiming pushed Ke Weiqing aside and confronted Yan Zhuangzhu. A chilling aura circulated between their palms, causing Yan Zhuangzhu’s smug expression to freeze gradually. A visible layer of ice rapidly enveloped his right palm before spreading upward.
“Moon Shadow Divine Art!” Yan Zhuangzhu exclaimed, “Truly deserving of its reputation!” Though his right hand was immobilized but his left hand was still free. He pulled out something and blew on it. The next moment, he howled in agony and collapsed with his right arm frozen to the bone and a severed frozen arm lay on the ground.
“Hmph!” Ke Weiqing advanced and effortlessly ended his life. Only then did he remember, “Oh, now there’s no evidence. What should we do, Xing Beiming?”
“Why keep him?” Xing Beiming, who never kept useless people, didn’t even spare a glance as he left, “Deal with the rest yourself.”
“Ah, you’re really something. You leave all the hard work to me!” Though Ke Weiqing complained, he quickly picked up the dropped whistle. Mimicking Yan Zhuangzhu blowing technique, the controlled people instantly froze. Those unaffected by the command seemed just like ordinary people and only their thoughts were like fools. “This thing is handy. All of you, from now on, you belong to me! You’ll enjoy the best and endure the worst with me! Let’s go!”
Unashamedly appropriating someone else’s belongings, Ke Weiqing felt quite pleased. But there was one thing—
Ke Weiqing with a black face, pulled Xing Beiming aside and whispered angrily, “What did you just call me? Don’t think I didn’t hear it. I’ve changed my name for over a decade, so you’re not allowed to call me that name again!”
Ke Weiqing, originally named Ke Lichun, changed it to Ke Weiqing before gaining fame. However, Xing Beiming and Jiang Yao still called him A’Chun. Despite his fame, Ke Weiqing found the name too common and insisted on changing it to Ke Weiqing. However… Jiang Yao still called him A’Chun, and Xing Beiming followed suit, calling him Ke Weiqing only on formal occasions. When something happened, his common name would still slip out…
Xing Beiming, accustomed to his threats, didn’t mind. With a casual response, he went straight to the carriage and instructed Ying Qi to take Yan Zhuangzhu with them to Qizhou to continue the show. Until now, Shi Qi, who had always been a bystander, finally relaxed his tightly clenched fists…
With a solemn expression, Ke Weiqing mounted his horse and was somewhat comforted by the controlled people following behind.
Yan Family’s reputation was ruined and Qizhou was abuzz with talk of Yan Family’s Elder’s fake death. Yan Yunsheng, Yan Zhuangzhu’s third son, had stayed out of sight since Xu Kun arrived at the estate to demand an explanation. Because he distanced himself from the matter, the people believed him to be a weak scholar and incapable of Martial prowess and even sympathized with him. Yan Changhu was sentenced to several years in prison for attempted murder, even though the victim survived…
The Yan Family’s influence dwindled rapidly. Even if Yan Yunsheng wished to revive it, he had to wait until the storm calmed.
“It seems the Yan Family was just a small fry after all. But the Martial World’s chaos is imminent…” Ke Weiqing sighed.
They were currently on their way back to the World’s Supreme Fortress. Due to the urgency of their journey, they avoided a direct encounter with Lin Canghai, the Leader of the Martial Arts World. Lin Canghai was particularly fond of Xing Beiming, who was stronger and more renowned than him. If he caught him then he would surely put him to work while citing the able should carry the burden [2].
[2] t implies that individuals who are competent or proficient in a particular area should be willing to undertake the associated responsibilities or duties.
“Yan Zhuangzhu’s Martial Arts are decent, but compared to Master, it’s like heaven and earth. Why did his subordinates seem so confident that he wouldn’t be in trouble? And why did he seem to want to say something before he died, like he was asking for help?” Riding alongside Ke Weiqing, Ying Qi voiced his doubts as he was more relaxed in front of Ke Weiqing.
“Of course, he was confident because he had his son’s support. It’s just that there’s no evidence that his son supports him. Let him enjoy his freedom for a while longer. I suspect his backers only wanted to test the waters with Xing Beiming’s strength. But they probably didn’t expect him to become a pawn so quickly that even his own son didn’t come to his rescue. How pitiful…”
World’s Supreme Fortress
“Master?” Shi Qi looked at Xing Beiming, who seemed unperturbed.
What did the master just say?
“It was just going to find Gu Weijing, no need to panic.” Xing Beiming replied, still quite pleased despite Shi Qi ’s expression showing otherwise.
“No, it’s just…”
Gu Weijing was a Divine Physician, so the Master’s reason for finding him was straightforward but Shi Qi was still anxious.
“No need to say more. We’ll set off in a few days when the three months are up.” Xing Beiming made the decision himself then thought about what needed to be arranged as he walked out and left Shi Qi standing there, who was unable to snap out of it.
So when Lin Canghai, the Leader of the Martial Arts World, and his group rushed to the World’s Supreme Fortress on horseback, it was already too late.