Chapter Eighty-Nine: Assault on the City Lord’s Mansion

Jiang Pingchuan was led by Old Lord Gong, his arm draped around Jiang’s shoulders, to the front gate of the City Lord’s Manor. The gates were tightly shut, and the manor itself was eerily silent.

Jiang shrugged off Old Lord Gong’s hand. Old Lord Gong withdrew, knowing well he needed to stick close to Jiang; he feared being left to face Han Zhen and all his forces alone. Now that they had reached the manor gates, Old Lord Gong felt Jiang, however reckless, wouldn’t abandon him right at the threshold.

“Old man, you’ve been in East Continent City for a long time. Do you know much about the City Lord’s Manor?” Jiang Pingchuan eyed the silent manor, feeling an unsettling strangeness. Han Qing was no pushover; a challenge to Han Zhen should have sparked a furious battle, yet the manor was deathly quiet, without a hint of combat.

“Of course I know. From your first day in the city, I was aware someone like you had arrived. This manor is a den of dragons and tigers. If you’re afraid, you can leave,” Old Lord Gong declared, his tone grandiose as he gazed at the manor.

“Oh,” Jiang Pingchuan replied, glancing at Old Lord Gong before turning to leave. Old Lord Gong hastily grabbed Jiang, stopping him, then struck himself across the face with a nervous laugh.

“There are at least this many foundation-stage experts in the manor,” Old Lord Gong said seriously, holding up five fingers. He wasn’t here to show off; in his heart, he felt East Continent City was due for a shake-up. Han Zhen had controlled it for over twenty years, doing nothing but indulge himself.

“Five? How many can you handle?” Jiang Pingchuan eyed the five fingers, secretly astonished. According to his knowledge, foundation-stage cultivators were rare on the Changfeng Continent, yet Old Lord Gong claimed there were five in just this manor. Jiang began calculating how to break in.

“One?” Jiang Pingchuan watched as Old Lord Gong sheepishly retracted four fingers, leaving one raised. He nodded, embarrassed.

“You know, I’m old now. Can’t fight like I used to…” Old Lord Gong said, pitifully. Jiang rolled his eyes, then pointed toward the distant encampment of their Beggar’s Sect members.

“Old fool, let’s go. The farther, the better,” Jiang said coldly, unable to tolerate Old Lord Gong’s flippancy.

At this moment, the old man still had the nerve to joke. No one knew what was happening inside the manor; perhaps Han Qing had already been killed by Han Zhen. Jiang Pingchuan was unusually irritable.

“Don’t get mad. Honestly, I can handle at most two. Any more and I’m done for,” Old Lord Gong gritted his teeth. Jiang nodded, then leapt over the manor wall into the courtyard. Old Lord Gong grunted, channeled his energy, and vaulted over as well. As he soared, he was shocked to see Jiang gripping the eaves instead of landing. He tried to grab the eaves himself, but before he realized it, he had dropped to the ground. Cursing, he pulled out his prayer beads.

Though Guangfu had controlled them for years, Old Lord Gong was their true master, and they felt familiar in his hands. The beads glowed an eerie green in the dim courtyard. Jiang Pingchuan hung from the eaves, watching Old Lord Gong stand at the courtyard’s center, marveling at how the old fellow had survived so many years.

Jiang watched Old Lord Gong slowly advance, then suddenly furrowed his brows and quickly concealed his aura, holding his breath as he watched.

“Gentlemen, what brings you to the City Lord’s Manor at such a late hour?” A middle-aged man in a long robe stepped from the shadows, casting a wry look at Old Lord Gong.

Old Lord Gong straightened, abandoning his sneaky demeanor. Jiang Pingchuan, seeing that Gong hadn’t glanced his way, breathed a sigh of relief; the old man wasn’t stupid after all.

“What, must I report to you when I come here?” Old Lord Gong sneered at the middle-aged man, who stared back in surprise.

“So it’s Old Lord Gong. Why scale the walls, at your age? Aren’t you afraid of breaking your bones?” A young man stepped out from another shadow, eyeing Old Lord Gong. Jiang Pingchuan observed the dim courtyard. After the young man appeared, three more figures emerged from the darkness.

Jiang Pingchuan noted the five surrounding Old Lord Gong: two were foundation-stage cultivators, the other three were at the sixth level of the Qi-refining stage.

He studied their formations: they moved according to the five elements, meaning he and Old Lord Gong faced not only five formidable opponents but also their formation. Jiang realized he would have to disrupt the formation unexpectedly to break its core.

He scrutinized the five, but couldn’t yet discern who was the formation’s linchpin. Only when Old Lord Gong engaged them could Jiang locate the crucial point. But that put the old man in danger, since they knew nothing of the formation’s power. Jiang felt a surge of anxiety for the old man.

“If you don’t exercise in old age, you’ll rust. Besides, taking the unconventional path has always been my way,” Old Lord Gong said with a savage grin, attacking one of them directly. He seemed to understand Jiang Pingchuan’s plan—only by quickly finding the formation’s core could they hope to survive and meet Han Zhen.

As Old Lord Gong struck, the five exchanged glances, formed seals, and launched attacks at him. Old Lord Gong let out a furious shout, blasting a palm at one of the foundation-stage cultivators.

Disappointingly, his strike hit only air. The five moved constantly, their positions shifting rapidly as they attacked. At first, Old Lord Gong could counter with his own moves, using their aftershocks to affect the five. But as their formation sped up, he grew weary, barely able to defend against their attacks. Within moments, his initial ferocity faded, and he resorted to defensive techniques.

Jiang Pingchuan watched the formation accelerate, his eyes turning silver. In his vision, the formation’s movements slowed. He noticed not all five changed positions; the second young man who had emerged remained stationary, while the others moved quickly, tricking Old Lord Gong into thinking all five were shifting—hence his attacks always struck empty air.

Seeing Old Lord Gong falter, Jiang Pingchuan leapt from the eaves, revealing his full strength—peak early foundation stage. The formation underwent a clear shift; someone had noticed him. The young man tried to move, only to find himself locked in place by Jiang’s energy.

Jiang formed an empty fist and struck with lightning speed, smashing into the young man's chest. The youth spat blood and was sent flying, gravely wounded; with his defeat, the formation collapsed.

The remaining four were thrown back as well. Old Lord Gong sneered, rapidly striking one foundation-stage cultivator; his first blow was blocked, but the second landed squarely on the man's brow, ending him.

Jiang Pingchuan approached the dying youth, planting his foot on the young man’s chest and crushing it, the youth’s eyes wide, locked on Jiang in his final moments. Jiang withdrew his foot, then charged at the remaining three, dispatching one with a flick of his hand.

Old Lord Gong was not to be outdone; he looped his prayer beads around his fingers, using them as knuckle dusters, and smashed the head of a sixth-level Qi-refining cultivator with repeated punches, splattering blood and brains.

With that one slain, Jiang Pingchuan strode deeper into the manor. Nearly a quarter-hour had passed since their entry; the second batch of cultivators would soon arrive through the main gate.

Old Lord Gong followed, leaving behind a foundation-stage cultivator whose legs Jiang had severed and whose wounds he had sealed. The man, terror etched on his face, crawled desperately toward the depths of the manor. Jiang Pingchuan and Old Lord Gong followed him inward.

Suddenly, both stopped. Three powerful energies locked onto them from different directions. Jiang Pingchuan’s lips curled into a slight smile as he felt the pressure of those three formidable presences.