"A Sacred Family member stole my Yang Family's heirloom and threatened to destroy our business if we said a word about it."
"Shen Xiu burned my daughter's face just because she couldn't stand the fact that my daughter is prettier than her."
"The Sacred Family poisoned all our livestock just because we didn't want to sell our land to them."
"My father had a conflict with Elder Shen Quan of the Sacred Family. The day after that encounter, my father went missing and was never seen again."
"Shen Yue forced my niece to go out with him. After he got what he wanted, he threw her away like a used toy."
"The Sacred Family forced my father to hand over our Sun Family Fire Fist martial technique and forbade us from practicing it."
"Back when we were still little brats, Shen Hong stole my Demon Beast Card... Um... ah... wait, does this really count?" Xue Hui chuckle as he nodded.
"O-Okay... great! That fiend Shen Hong stole my card. It was my most treasured gift from my father. I will never forgive him for that."
After speaking, the middle-aged man hurriedly raised his arms, catching the pill bottle that Xue Hui tossed to him. He looked extremely delighted upon seeing the single green marble-like pill inside it.
After Mei Mei, many experts from different families followed her lead and came forward to share the injustices they had suffered at the hands of the Sacred Family, causing the crowd to erupt into an uproar. Everyone was eager to share their grievances in hopes of receiving Xue Hui's elixirs.
This created the sight of multiple pill bottles cruising through the air, leaving streaks of light as they landed in the hands of people speaking out against the Sacred Family.
Shen Hong could only watch with a darkened expression as people were quick to sell them out. He couldn't care less whether the complaints were real or not. The damning point was that everyone had something to say against his family.
Worse, the elixirs Xue Hui was handing out seemed endless in number, so much so that he could distribute them like candy.
With those elixirs in everyone's hands, Shen Hong could easily imagine that even if Glory City were completely destroyed by the upcoming demon beast horde, the city would still be able to rebuild as long as Xue Hui and the others survived. This time, however, Glory City's overall strength would rise to unimaginable heights.
Just imagining it filled his heart with indignation.
The Abyss Demon Realm was not exactly an ideal living space for humans. It was a cursed land shrouded in endless darkness, with little to no resources, a toxic environment, and danger lurking at every turn.
The thought of him and his family having to spend the rest of their lives rotting away in the Abyss Demon Realm while everyone in Glory City lived and thrived was maddening to him. The sound of grinding teeth escaped his lips. With bloodshot eyes, Shen Hong slammed his hand onto the table with a loud thud before shooting up from his chair.
"THAT'S ENOUGH!"
Shen Hong's thunderous voice jolted everyone back to their senses, causing the excitement to die down.
Shen Hong glared at the people standing and eager to voice their complaints, making them tremble in fear. Their knees buckled, prompting them to fall back into their chairs, looking as though all the blood had drained from their faces.
Only then did people remember that Shen Hong was still a powerful expert who could easily snap most of the people in the banquet hall in half.
The corners of Xue Hui's lips curved upward. From the very beginning, his eyes had been stealing glances at Shen Hong, watching as his anger gradually built until he could no longer hold it back and exploded.
For a moment, Xue Hui thought Shen Hong could still keep his cool as people continued bringing up the dirt surrounding the Sacred Family.
prompting him to hand out a dozen more elixirs before Shen Hong finally had enough and made his move. He was actually glad that Shen Hong had finally taken the bait.
While it was true that the garden could produce a near-endless supply of medicinal herbs, he had only managed to concoct a small amount of Realm Breaker Soul Ascendant Pills. His stock wasn't actually that large.
Moi Ca, who had just awakened after hatching the God Phoenix Flame within her body, had offered to help him concoct pills while conveniently forgetting that she didn't even know how to ignite her own alchemy flame. In the end, she was left handling the simpler tasks while he did almost everything.
With heavy footsteps, Shen Hong took several strides forward, stopping in the very center of the banquet hall where everyone could see him clearly. Standing tall like an immovable mountain, his overbearing presence made some of the gathered crowd struggle to breathe as his oppressive aura weighed heavily upon them.
"Is bribing everyone really necessary just to stain my Sacred Family's reputation? If you must know, my Sacred Family has been, and always will be, one of the greatest protectors of Glory City. My father, and his father before him, all died protecting the city. We have all spilled our blood to keep everyone alive, but now that my Sacred Family is being suppressed by your Divine Family and the City Lord's Mansion, everyone is jumping at the opportunity to cut us loose. Where is the justice in that?"
Scanning the surroundings, Shen Hong could see the disdainful looks directed at him. He knew it was already too late to save the Sacred Family's reputation, which he didn't really care about at this point. What Shen Hong was doing was distracting everyone, as per the Demon Lord's orders.
"It's truly fascinating how easily you can turn your head the other way, ignoring all your crimes while shamelessly asking for justice. No wonder, among you, the City Lord, and Uncle Zhenlong, you are the weakest. You have a fart for a brain. Even if I shove all my elixirs down your throat, you still won't be able to break through to Legend Rank. You simply lack the brains for it."
Xue Hui responded in amazement, chuckling as he looked at Shen Hong as though he were an idiot.
"You!"
Shen Hong barked angrily. Xue Hui was hitting his sore spot. His eyes burned with hatred, veins bulged across his forehead, and his face flushed red with both anger and humiliation. In all his life, no one had ever dared to speak to him like that, not even behind his back.
How could he possibly stomach such an insult being spoken directly to his face while everyone was watching? He was so furious that he couldn't even come up with a reply, as thoughts of killing Xue Hui occupied his mind.
"How dare you speak to my brother like that!"
This time, a female voice interjected between the two of them.
With an enraged expression, Shen Xiu walked over and stood beside Shen Hong. Her eyes, filled with disdain, briefly swept over Xiao Ning'er, giving her a once-over as a cold light flashed within them.
Xiao Ning'er noticed this, causing her brows to furrow. She immediately knew what Shen Xiu had come for.
"Enough with your childish insults. You think our Sacred Family is easy to bully? How hilarious."
She huffed mockingly, eyeing Xue Hui and Xiao Ning'er with scornful looks. Her ample chest rose slightly as she crossed her arms beneath it.
"You talk all high and mighty, like you're some kind of saint who can do no wrong, when the truth is you're just a condescending brat who schemes to steal another man's woman."
As Shen Xiu spoke, her sharp glare stabbed into Xiao Ning'er. She looked at her with disdain as the corners of her lips stretched into a sneer.
"And you, Xiao Ning'er," Shen Xiu's voice grew louder, making sure everyone could hear her. "I can't believe how thick your skin is. You show yourself in public, acting perfectly normal, as if you didn't go out of your way to chase and seduce another man behind your fiancé's back. You truly are a brazen girl, Xiao Ning'er. You're just like your mother, a loose woman who would sleep with anyone in exchange for a little money. Hmph. The apple truly doesn't fall far from the tree."
A collective gasp echoed throughout the banquet hall. Xiao Yufeng, who had been listening not far away, shot up from his chair, his face flushed with anger.
Similarly, Xiao Ning'er's gaze trembled as she stood there in shock. Her lips quivered while her body stiffened. She was stunned beyond belief by what Shen Xiu had just said about her late mother.
Seeing this, Shen Xiu's smirk widened. She knew she had struck Xiao Ning'er's weak spot.
Xiao Ning'er's mother had been the daughter of a top courtesan whom Xiao Yufeng had fallen in love with when they were still young. Later, Xiao Yufeng spent years saving enough money to buy her freedom from the Jade Leaf Pavilion, sparing her from a life as a courtesan before eventually marrying her.
With a satisfied expression, Shen Xiu was about to continue her insults when she was suddenly interrupted by a burning sensation spreading across her cheek.
Before she could react, she was sent flying, drawing a beautiful arc through the air before crashing into a nearby table with a loud thud.
Shen Hong, Shen Han, and every member of the Sacred Family who was about to make a move were suddenly locked in place as an overwhelming spiritual pressure descended upon them. Their bodies trembled as their strength was forcibly suppressed.
Shen Hong and Shen Han were both familiar with this kind of soul suppression. There had been times when the Demon Lord used his overwhelming strength to hammer a point into them.
"L-Legend Rank... soul suppression..."
Shen Hong spoke through gritted teeth, his voice shaking under the immense pressure pinning him down.
He turned his head to see who it was, only for his expression to morph into disbelief and horror.
Xiao Ning'er stood there with a grim expression, one arm still extended toward where Shen Xiu had been standing moments ago. Her body released a powerful burst of energy, causing her clothes and orange hair to flutter wildly, giving her a dangerous aura.
"Shen Xiu, keep my mother's name out of your fucking mouth!"
End of Chapter 108
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Update:
I've added more advance chapters on Patreon, so go check them out! The highest tier now includes the conclusion of Volume 3: "Demon Beast Horde Attack," including the two upcoming chapters.