The Night of Qinghe.
The night was heavy, almost solid. The four friends led their forty-eight Iron Guard members silently through the shadows, moving along the outskirts of Qinghe Town. No one knew they had entered, and no one would.
The plan was simple in concept but impossible in execution: strike all three ruling families in a single night, eliminate their command, and leave no trace. Any mistake, and the families' Soul Ancestors would raise alarms, alerting one another. There was no margin for error.
Mo Family — Eastern Corner
The Mo Family had four Soul Ancestors: one at level forty-five, two at forty-three, and one at forty-two.
Their estate was fortified with high walls, guarded gates, and patrols following a strict rhythm. But overconfidence had made them predictable.
The Iron Guard approached from the northeast, unseen by the wandering patrols. The four friends split momentarily into observation points, analyzing the estate. Wang Yan gave a subtle nod.
Then the strike began.
Liu Ming led a team to silently incapacitate the outer patrols. Shadow-like movements, strikes that left no sound, no struggle.
Chen Yu's team moved to the main hall, isolating the Soul Ancestors who were inside. One at a time, the Iron Guard neutralized them—quick, precise, and without alerting the others.
Zhao Qing's team secured the estate's inner passages, preventing reinforcements from returning.
Wang Yan himself oversaw the operation, intervening only where the strongest ancestor resisted.
Within minutes, the Mo Family's command collapsed. The estate's walls no longer protected them; their authority had vanished before alarms could even be raised.
Han Family — Northern Corner
The Han Family had three Soul Ancestors: levels forty-three, forty-four, and forty-six.
They were more alert, cautious, and rotated patrols unpredictably. Defensive barriers were active, and alarm points were placed at every gate.
The four friends led the Iron Guard from the east, moving through alleys and rooftops to avoid detection.
The team struck the northern perimeter first, silently neutralizing the guards.
Wang Yan and Liu Ming entered the estate's main courtyard, confronting the three Soul Ancestors directly. The fight was brief but decisive—moves calculated to incapacitate, not destroy the town.
Chen Yu and Zhao Qing secured every exit, cutting off communication with outer patrols.
The Han Family's strongest member attempted to rally his subordinates, but by then the estate's inner defenses had already fallen. Confusion spread faster than resistance, and by midnight, the northern corner was silent. Authority had been wiped out.
Wei Family — Western Corner
The Wei Family had three Soul Ancestors: levels forty-one, forty-two, and forty-five.
They sensed danger immediately, activating their patrols and summoning their strongest defender.
The four friends led the Iron Guard along the rooftops and shadowed streets, avoiding detection.
Zhao Qing's team intercepted the outer patrols, eliminating them before the alarm could be raised.
Wang Yan and Liu Ming confronted the strongest Soul Ancestor in the estate's main hall, neutralizing him within moments.
Chen Yu's team secured internal corridors, ensuring no reinforcements could intervene.
By the first light of dawn, the western corner was silent. The Wei Family's command had collapsed, and no hope of regrouping remained.
By the time the Iron Guard withdrew, Qinghe Town appeared unchanged. Yet the truth was undeniable: the three families that had ruled through fear and blood were gone. Their authority erased, their power extinguished.
The four friends and their Iron Guard left the town as shadows do, leaving no trace behind. In a single night, a long-overdue debt had finally been repaid.
....
The first light of dawn barely touched Qinghe Town, but the usual sounds of life were absent. Streets that should have been alive with vendors, workers, and guards lay eerily silent. Gates that should have been watched were wide open, and no one called out to one another.
Curiosity turned to fear as townspeople cautiously approached the estates of the Mo, Han, and Wei families. What they found froze them in place.
The bodies of guards, retainers, and Soul Ancestors lay scattered across courtyards and hallways. Broken weapons, toppled furniture, and signs of struggle testified to a single, coordinated strike. The estates were silent, lifeless, and abandoned—no one remained alive to maintain them.
Whispers spread quickly, first among the town's few survivors, then outward toward the surrounding areas. Messengers carried the news faster than anyone could track. Within hours, the reports reached Green Pearl City, the seat of power in the region.
At the center of the city, City Lord He Yunlong received the information almost immediately. As the most powerful figure in the region, nothing escaped his notice. His eyes narrowed as he absorbed the details: three powerful families, their command annihilated, estates left in ruin.
He Yunlong's mind worked swiftly, analyzing the situation. The operation had been executed with flawless precision. Every strike, every patrol neutralized, every Soul Ancestor incapacitated—no mistakes, no survivors, no witnesses.
Only one organization in the entire region could carry out such a feat: the Iron Guard. Yet a question immediately arose: Why?
The Iron Guard had always been disciplined, honorable, and loyal. They had never acted without cause, never carried out an attack for personal gain or malice. Why would they obliterate these families?
Then the past came rushing back—the massacre of Qinghe Town, the slaughter that had been covered up, the gold mine that had been concealed, the lies that had hidden the truth from the world. A chill ran down his spine as the realization struck: perhaps the attack was connected to that long-buried event.
The thought grew heavier. If this operation was revenge for the past, then the consequences extended beyond the families themselves. He Yunlong had protected them, concealed the massacre, and even accepted a share of the gold the families extracted each year. If the Iron Guard's strike was related to that past, then he himself was a target. Exposure could reach him directly, and his position, authority, and reputation were suddenly vulnerable.
He Yunlong's expression hardened as he pieced together the situation. With the Mo, Han, and Wei families gone, Qinghe Town was left without any powerful figures. No Soul Ancestors remained, and the estates that had long enforced control were now empty.
A cold unease settled over him. Without the families, the townspeople could stumble upon the hidden gold. If the treasure were discovered, the carefully constructed story of the beast attack—the explanation he had given to the state capital—would collapse. The massacre would no longer appear as a misfortune or accident. The truth would emerge: the families had slaughtered the town for gold, and he had knowingly covered it up. Exposure could reach the capital, and the blame would fall squarely on him.
He Yunlong's sharp gaze narrowed, he became certain: there was a direct connection between the massacre of Qinghe Town years ago and the Iron Guard's actions tonight. The attack was not random. They understood the history, the gold, and the lies—and was sending a message that could not be ignored.
Acting immediately, He Yunlong summoned his two deputies, Jin Lei and Fang Rui, both veteran Soul Ancestors. His voice was calm but carried unmistakable authority.
"Fang Rui," he said first, "go to Qinghe Town. Secure the area, assess the situation, and ensure nothing else spirals out of control. I want the town stabilized immediately."
He turned to Jin Lei. "You investigate the four kids behind this—Wang Yan and his friends. I know they have been together since the junior Soulmaster Academy, but I need to know their families, their connections, and everything about their backgrounds. Find every hidden detail."
Both deputies bowed sharply. The deputies left without another word, moving swiftly to carry out their orders.
He Yunlong remained seated, fingers drumming lightly on the table, eyes cold and calculating.
Outside, Green Pearl City thrummed with life, but a storm had quietly begun, one that no one could yet see.
End of chapter.