The Su family courtyard was silent in the early dawn, but that silence shattered as the murderous aura of the Jian family swept through like a raging storm. The air trembled under the pressure of dozens of cultivators, their killing intent rolling in waves that pressed down upon every corner of the ruined Su estate.
At the front stood Jian Hao, his eyes bloodshot, veins bulging with fury. His son's corpse still haunted his mind, and the grief twisted into rage, consuming his reason.
"You bastards!" Jian Hao roared, his voice echoing like thunder. "Get out! Why are you hiding like dogs? Su Long, come out and die by my hand! I'll bathe in your blood!"
His shout shook the walls. The elders of the Jian family sneered, their killing intent boiling over.
"If you don't crawl out now," one of the Jian elders snarled, "we'll burn this place to the ground and slaughter every last one of you!"
The Su family gate creaked open. Slowly, Su Feng, the loyal guard, strolled out, a piece of bread dangling from his mouth. He yawned lazily as though he had just woken up from a nap.
He blinked at the sight of the entire Jian family gathered and tilted his head. "Oh? The Jian family? Why are you all barking here like a pack of stray dogs? Woof, woof!"
He even scratched his ear and barked twice, mocking them with an exaggerated expression.
The Jian cultivators' faces darkened instantly. Jian Hao trembled with rage, nearly vomiting blood.
"Where is that coward Su Long?" he spat. "Hiding after killing my son? I'll slaughter his entire clan and bury their ashes beneath my Jian family gate!"
Su Feng spat the bread out and grinned with madness. "How dare you insult my young master? I'll rip your tongue out and feed your body to real dogs!"
One of the Jian elders stepped forward, veins bulging with fury. "Impudent guard! Kneel and apologize to our Patriarch before I tear your limbs apart!"
Su Feng smirked, tilted his head, and said one word: "Woof."
Then he burst into wild laughter. "Hahaha! You people really do look like dogs!"
The Jian elders' killing intent exploded, but before they could move, Jian Hao raised his hand. His face twisted with hatred.
"Capture that fool. Then search the estate! Bring me Su Long and that little girl. I'll show him the cost of killing my son—his sister will be tortured to death before his very eyes!"
Several Jian elders shot forward, their figures blurring with speed. Su Feng did not flinch. He smirked, eyes filled with madness.
Suddenly—
Shoosh!
An arrow pierced straight through one elder's skull. His eyes widened in disbelief as his body collapsed lifelessly to the ground.
Shoosh! Shoosh! Shoosh!
Three more arrows whistled through the air like streaks of death. They slammed into the rushing elders. One's head burst apart like a smashed watermelon, another's heart was torn through, and the last had his throat ripped open.
Blood sprayed across the courtyard.
The Jian elders froze in terror, staring wide-eyed at the fallen corpses. Their hearts trembled. Who? Who has such terrifying archery within the Su family?
From the main hall, a figure stepped out calmly.
It was Su Long.
He held the Starpiercer Bow in his hand, his black robes fluttering in the breeze, his eyes sharp and cold.
"Looking for me?" His lips curled into a mocking smile.
Jian Hao's face contorted with grief and hatred. "You bastard! You killed my son!" He turned to his elders. "Kill him! Tear him to pieces!"
The elders surged forward, surrounding Su Long.
One elder raised his sword and sneered. "Too arrogant, boy. We'll cut off your limbs and make you beg for death!"
But before his blade could fall—
Slash!
Su Long's sword flashed. The elder's head flew into the air, spinning before crashing to the ground with a dull thud.
Gasps rang out.
Another elder lunged, but Su Long's Heavenbreaker Sword cleaved down with terrifying might. His body split clean in two, his organs spilling across the dirt.
Screams echoed as one by one, the Jian elders fell like slaughtered pigs, their bodies piling upon the blood-soaked ground.
Jian Hao's eyes turned scarlet. "SU LONG!" he roared. "You dare kill my elders and my son?! I'll rip you apart!"
His aura burst forth—Body Refining Peak Realm. He charged forward with bloodshot eyes, his sword blazing with killing intent.
Su Long stood calm, like a predator watching prey.
Jian Hao's sword slashed down—
But Su Long's foot shot out. BAM!
His kick smashed into Jian Hao's face, sending him flying across the courtyard. He crashed into the dirt, his face swelling grotesquely like a pig's.
Before he could rise, Su Long grabbed his hair and yanked him up.
"Mess with my family?" Su Long growled, his voice cold and heavy. "Then watch your own family burn."
PA! PA! PA!
He slapped Jian Hao across the face, each blow echoing through the courtyard. Blood sprayed from Jian Hao's mouth.
Then—Slash!
Su Long's blade cut through his limbs. Jian Hao's screams tore through the night, shrill and miserable.
The surviving Jian cultivators froze in horror, their knees trembling.
Su Long raised the Starpiercer Bow again.
Shoosh! Shoosh! Shoosh!
Arrows rained like death itself, piercing fleeing disciples one after another. Screams filled the air as bodies fell like wheat under a scythe.
"Monster! He's a monster!" the Jian disciples shrieked, trying to escape. But Su Feng stood at the gate with his sword, cutting down anyone who dared run.
The courtyard became a sea of blood. Pleas for mercy rang out.
"Master Su! Please, it wasn't our idea! It was all Patriarch Jian Hao's fault!"
"Spare us!"
Su Long's expression didn't waver. His sword swung coldly—slash, slash, slash—and heads rolled across the dirt.
Jian Hao, lying limbless on the ground, screamed in despair as he watched his clan massacred before his eyes.
"You devil!" he howled. "Even if I die, I'll become a ghost and haunt you! You killed my clan! You killed—"
Ding! [100 Hatred Points Obtained.]
Su Long's cold smile widened.
"Ghost? Then I'll capture you even as a ghost, and make you suffer more."
With one decisive strike, his blade sliced Jian Hao's body clean in half.
The Patriarch of the Jian family fell silent forever.
Blood dripped from Su Long's sword. His eyes gleamed with killing intent as the system panel flickered faintly in the air.