You get Lu Bu as your starting character.

Chapter 107 Take away those who are still breathing.
Qinghe Prefecture, Cui Family.

As a major branch of the "Boling Cui Family," one of the seven great families of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the Cui Family of Qinghe Prefecture holds a pivotal position in Yanzhou.

Yet the Cui family, which held a pivotal position in Yanzhou, is facing annihilation today.

Inside the mansion, the sound of fighting was deafening.

Under the attack of five thousand elite Divine Martial Guards, the unsuspecting Cui family was captured in the blink of an eye.

When the Cui family patriarch and the other twenty-odd members of aristocratic families came out of the hall after hearing the commotion, their expressions changed upon seeing the scene of fighting in the courtyard.

Eastern Depot's henchmen?

Divine Martial Guard?
The head of the Cui family and the other members of the aristocratic families immediately recognized that the ones who had stormed into the Cui family were the Eastern Depot guards and the Divine Martial Guards.

They hadn't realized that they had just been gathered in the hall discussing how to deal with the imperial envoy who wanted to threaten the interests of their aristocratic families.

In the blink of an eye, the imperial court's Eastern Depot's henchmen and the Divine Martial Guards stormed the door.

Could it be that Cui Hao couldn't withstand the imperial envoy's interrogation and said something he shouldn't have, which implicated the Cui family?

The Cui family patriarch and the other members of these aristocratic families had no time to think about these things, because they had already seen Cao Shaoqin leading a group of Eastern Depot henchmen rushing towards them.

"The Imperial Envoy has given orders."

"The Cui family disregarded human life, harmed the people, seized other people's fertile land, colluded with the local prefect, and wreaked havoc in the region."

“All of you members of noble families are guilty. Seize you all, throw you into prison, and confiscate your property and exterminate your clan.”

Anyone who dares to resist will be killed without exception.

After rushing over, Cao Shaoqin glanced at the Cui family patriarch and the twenty-odd members of the aristocratic families, and said with a cold expression.

After speaking, Cao Shaoqin looked at the Cui family patriarch and these aristocratic families in a sinister manner; "You people gathered together, yet you still want to turn the world upside down and defy the imperial court. You are truly overestimating yourselves."

"Take them all down, my lord."

"Anyone who dares to resist will be killed by this servant."

Cao Shaoqin never showed mercy to those who dared to defy the imperial court.

Perhaps Fang Xuanling needed these people to be alive to confess their crimes, to provide statements or evidence, before he could convict and kill them.

But the Eastern Depot doesn't need to go through much trouble. If the Eastern Depot wants to kill someone, all it needs to do is say, "Execute first and report later, with the special permission of the Emperor."

If these people don't know what's good for them and try to refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit.

Cao Shaoqin wouldn't mind slaughtering them all here.

The Cui family patriarch and the other members of these aristocratic families turned pale upon hearing Cao Shaoqin's words.

Sure enough, the imperial envoy probably obtained some evidence against these powerful and wealthy families from the arrested officials.

Otherwise, these henchmen of the Eastern Depot and the Divine Martial Guards wouldn't have dared to so openly storm into the Cui family.

It should be noted that the Cui family of Qinghe is a branch of the Cui family of Boling, one of the seven great families of the Great Zhou Dynasty. In Yanzhou, they are considered the leading family and have a very important position.

Without solid evidence, even the imperial court wouldn't dare to act so recklessly against the Cui family.

Otherwise, the imperial court would have to face more than just the Cui family, one of the seven great families of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Instead, it was a challenge to the authority of the powerful families of the world.

"Gentlemen, you all heard that."

"That imperial envoy from the court wants to wipe out all the aristocratic families in Yanzhou."

"Everyone, escape separately. If anyone manages to escape, immediately notify all the prominent families in Yanzhou."

"Gather private troops and eliminate the imperial envoy sent by the court first, otherwise the powerful families of Yanzhou will be defeated and wiped out one by one by the court."

After saying this, the head of the Cui family leaped away and fled.

The head of the Cui family knew that the situation was now very clear: the Eastern Depot, with the Divine Martial Guards, had launched a surprise attack and stormed into the Cui family's residence, catching them off guard.

Most of the Cui family's experts are scattered across various properties owned by the Cui family, and even their private soldiers are stationed at manors outside the city.

They couldn't stop the Eastern Depot and the Divine Martial Guards at all.

Therefore, the only option is to escape first.

As soon as the head of the Cui family finished speaking, the other members of these aristocratic families understood their current predicament.

Without saying a word, the twenty-odd members of the aristocratic families followed the head of the Cui family and leaped up, fleeing in different directions.

These people from prestigious families are no ordinary individuals; to become influential figures in their respective families, they all possess remarkable martial arts skills.

The weakest among them all possessed the strength of a third-grade grandmaster.

It won't be so easy for the imperial guards to stop them.

However, the entire Cui residence was already surrounded by the Divine Martial Guards, so tightly that not even a fly could escape. As the Cui family patriarch and the other members of the noble families leaped to flee, a hail of crossbow bolts rained down upon them.

"Puch."

Most of these leaping noblemen were struck by the rain of arrows and fell to the ground.

Some died on the spot, while others were still alive. Only a handful of four or five people were able to withstand the barrage of crossbow bolts and escape to the outside.

Among them was the head of the Cui family.

"Hmph, trying to escape in front of a novice like yourself."

"You're really looking for death."

Cao Shaoqin snorted coldly and flicked his wrist.

The soft sword at his waist had already been drawn.

A cold light flashed.

"puff."

Blood spurted out in sprays.

The four or five people who were still running away also fell to the ground instantly, struggled a few times, and then fell silent.

"Take away everyone who can still breathe."

Cao Shaoqin sheathed his sword, uttered a few words, and turned to walk outside.

Upon hearing this, the guards rushed forward and carried away those who were still alive.

The sounds of fighting in the courtyard gradually faded away, replaced by a strong stench of blood.

……

The outskirts of the Cui family compound.

Lu Bu, mounted on his horse, watched Cao Shaoqin emerge and asked casually, "Is everything resolved?"

Cao Shaoqin nodded noncommittally; "It's resolved. What waves can a bunch of second-rate families stir up?"

“Even the Cui family of Boling, one of the seven great families, can be destroyed by the Miscellaneous School.”

Cao Shaoqin said with a confident expression.

indeed.

Although Cao Shaoqin's strength is at the peak of Grandmaster, his combat power is already comparable to that of a half-step Celestial.

With only a handful of people at the half-step Celestial Realm, Cao Shaoqin can be considered to be among the very top group.

It is true that the Cui family of Boling is one of the seven great families of the Great Zhou Dynasty, but they do not have any experts like the Half-Step Celestial.

If Cao Shaoqin were to launch a surprise attack on the Cui family of Boling, no one in the Cui family would be able to stop him.

Upon hearing this, Lü Bu glanced at Cao Shaoqin briefly but said nothing.

"However, from now on, we'll have to split up."

"We need to deal with the various powerful families as soon as possible, as well as the Cui family's private soldiers and manpower in various places."

"If these powerful families realize this and gather their private armies and manpower, then things will get complicated."

Cao Shaoqin glanced at Lü Bu and then spoke.

Cao Shaoqin knew that although these second-rate families didn't have any top experts, they still had some foundation.

The most important ones were private soldiers.

Powerful families often have private armies; don't be fooled by how easily Cao Shaoqin dealt with the Cui family of Qinghe Prefecture.

That's because the Cui family in Qinghe Prefecture was unprepared; their private soldiers and most of their experts were not there.

If the Cui family had received advance notice that Cao Shaoqin was coming to their residence to take people away, and had been prepared, then Cao Shaoqin would not have been able to take over the Cui family so easily.

Therefore, what follows is what we should be most careful about.

Once these powerful families receive the news and gather their private armies, it could cause unrest in Yanzhou once again.

Upon hearing Cao Shaoqin's words, Lü Bu reined in his horse and led three thousand Bingzhou wolf cavalrymen away.

Lü Bu understood Cao Shaoqin's meaning; since they were going to split up, Lü Bu would go first.

With the speed of his three thousand Bingzhou wolf cavalry, he was most adept at this kind of blitzkrieg.

(End of this chapter)