We're practicing all martial arts, so why did you switch to easy mode?

Chapter 156 The City Falls, Rescuing People, and Reunion

An old house where a treasure.

The Hong clan has three elders. As long as the three elders are alive, no matter how other forces try to destroy the Hong clan, the Hong clan will not perish.

This left Su Chen slightly disappointed. It seemed that the task of destroying the Hong Clan was going to be long and arduous. However, this attack was enough to make the Hong Clan feel the pinch for a while.

Looking back, all three of the Hong family's strongest members—Hong Jinfeng, Hong Jingrui, and Hong Jinnian—had met tragic ends at Su Chen's hands, which offered him some consolation.

Of course, this matter is not over yet.

After pondering for a moment, Su Chen looked at Qiao Qiliang and asked, "If I'm not mistaken, the three elders of the Hong clan shouldn't have returned yet, right?"

"Hmm." Qiao Qiliang nodded and advised, "You're not planning to take advantage of this time to make a move against the Hong family, are you?"

"We have this plan, but we haven't fully thought it through yet." Su Chen nodded.

Qiao Qiliang didn't delve into it further, and smiled mischievously: "Alright, tell me when you've thought it through."

"By the way, how did you handle the Shadow Assassin incident last time? Did you leave any clues?" Su Chen suddenly asked.

Qiao Qiliang raised an eyebrow: "You still don't trust me?"

Then he patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, they're all my father's henchmen. I guarantee Shadow Assassins won't be able to find us even if they dig three feet into the ground."

He paused, then looked at Su Chen suspiciously, sensing his thoughts: "Why are you asking this out of the blue?"

"What, you don't mean to say that Shadow Assassins also have three elders, do you?" Su Chen shrugged and asked in return.

“No, not at all.” Qiao Qiliang shook his head, his face becoming more serious. “But Shadow Assassins are not much weaker than the three great families of Hong, Chu and Luo.”

Su Chen was aware of this; the Shadow Assassins they had wiped out were merely a branch of the entire Shadow Assassins organization in Qinzhou.

How could a force that can spread throughout the entire Donglin Prefecture be weaker than the three great families?

Qiao Qiliang glanced at Su Chen and explained, "In fact, the overall power of Shadow Assassins is even greater than that of the three great families, second only to the two great families of the upper two states."

The five prefectures of Donglin Prefecture also have differences, divided into two levels, upper and lower.

Liangzhou and Xiazhou belong to the upper two prefectures, while Qinzhou, Yunzhou, and Cangzhou belong to the lower three prefectures.

The classification clearly shows that the overall strength of the two upper states surpasses that of the three lower states.

Indeed, this is the case. Of the two upper states, Liangzhou alone possesses an overall strength equivalent to the combined strength of the three lower states.

Not to mention Xia Prefecture, which is even larger than Liang Prefecture and located in the center of the entire Donglin Prefecture.

It is no exaggeration to say that the overall strength of Xiazhou is several times greater than that of the other four states combined.

After all, this place is the capital of Donglin Prefecture, and it is a gathering place for top experts from all the states of Donglin Prefecture.

The Shadow Assassins, originating from the local forces of Xiazhou, later expanded throughout Donglin Prefecture, and the Hong family alone was not enough to rival them.

If Su Chen wanted to deal with the Hong family, he still felt there was some hope, but if he wanted to deal with Ying Sha, he had to dispel that idea.

This is undoubtedly like throwing an egg against a rock.

Su Chen naturally knew Qiao Qiliang's worries and comforted him, "Don't worry, I won't do anything reckless."

He already had a preliminary plan in mind, but it was not convenient to disclose it at the moment.

After chatting with Su Chen for a few more minutes, Qiao Qiliang left.

Su Chen went to another courtyard, found Hong Ming, and told him his thoughts.

"Are you planning to move us to Fengbei City?"

When Hong Ming and Li Mo found out, they looked at each other and were both taken aback.

"Ah."

Su Chen nodded and told the two of them his concerns.

Since the Hong family was able to attack Hong Ming and Li Mo the first time, they could naturally do so a second time as well.

This time it was luck; Su Chen intervened and saved the two of them halfway through. But what about next time? And the time after that? Will they be so lucky again?
No one knows.

Su Chen didn't want to gamble on this uncertain luck.

Regardless of whether the Hong family eventually discovers his actions, he must take precautions.

He told Hong Ming and the others to move to Fengbei City. With his and Qiao Qiliang's help, their safety would at least be guaranteed.

Knowing Su Chen's worries, the two fell into thought.

Hong Ming didn't have many concerns and made a decision on the spot, but Li Mo's family was all in Qinghe City, and he needed to consider his family's feelings.

"Well then, Master and Senior Brother, you should think it over carefully."

Su Chen left after saying a few words.

He thought he would have to wait a while for an answer, but something else happened that made the two of them make a decision directly.

In the lobby.

Li Mo trembled as he read the latest news.

"The Red Heroes Sect has breached Yanshan City? How is that possible?!" Li Mo couldn't believe it.

Although Hong Ming was also surprised, he quickly calmed down and said to Li Mo, "Now is not the time to think about these things. The Red Ying Sect has broken through Yanshan City, and Qinghe City is in imminent danger. We must go back quickly and bring Tie Rang and Zhang Hong over."

“Okay!” Li Mo nodded solemnly.

Su Chen, who was standing to the side, said, "I'll go with you."

The two nodded in agreement. With Su Chen around, they didn't have to worry too much about safety.

Qiao Qiliang originally wanted to send someone to escort the three of them together, but Su Chen refused, saying that having more people would be a bad thing at this time.

In the afternoon, the three rode out of the city.

Concerned for the safety of Zhang Wan'er and the others, the three of them did not dare to stop halfway and continued their journey towards Qinghe City without stopping.

Along the official roads, a scene of famine relief once again unfolded, with countless people fleeing from Yanshan City to other cities with their families in tow.

The next evening, after a long journey, the three of them finally arrived in Qinghe City.

Qinghe City today is even worse than Baishi City; there are no guards at the city gates, and people can come and go as they please.

After entering the city, Li Mo went straight to the Zhang residence.

Hongming originally planned to look for his friend, but Su Chen told him that Tie Rang's family had also moved to the Zhang residence, so he had no choice but to go with Su Chen to find Fang Rou.

"Ok?"

The two arrived at the gate of the Fang residence, their expressions froze, for the gate was tightly closed and locked.

"Master, Senior Sister and the others should have already left."

As Su Chen walked out of the Fang residence, his expression slightly serious.

“I just asked others, and Fang Rou’s family left yesterday,” Hong Ming nodded and said. “Let’s go meet up with Li Mo.”

After an incense stick had burned, the two arrived at the Zhang residence, and their expressions suddenly changed.

The gates of the Zhang residence were also tightly closed, with the door knockers locked.

After searching the vicinity, the three met up. Li Mo looked anxious: "I just found out that Wan'er and the others left yesterday."

"Senior brother, don't worry, nothing should happen," Su Chen reassured him.

Hong Ming spoke up at the right moment: "Yes, Fang Rou's family also left yesterday. They might be with Wan'er and the others. With so many people around, nothing should happen."

"But, but where will they go?"

Li Mo was only momentarily flustered. After being persuaded by the two, he calmed down and began to think.

“If they’re looking for you, then they should be going to Dafeng City,” Su Chen said after thinking for a moment.

“That’s right, very likely. We told them to look for you in Dafeng City before we left.”

Upon hearing this, Li Mo's eyes lit up.

"Then let's not delay, let's go to Dafeng City," Hong Ming said urgently.

No one knows if the Hong family has made any arrangements in Dafeng City. If they arrive too late, it's hard to guarantee that they won't fall into the hands of the Hong family.

The three mounted their horses one after another, drove away from Qinghe City, and galloped day and night towards Dafeng City.

……

The next day, noon.

Dafeng City.

Under Qian Santong's governance, Dafeng City had become somewhat orderly, but various forces were mixed together, and the city remained chaotic.

"This is Dafeng City, and it looks like there are so many people here!"

Fang Rou, Zhang Wan'er, and their group paid the entrance fee and were immediately shocked by the crowds upon entering Dafeng City.

Even at midday, crowds could be seen everywhere.

"Please wait here for a moment, I'll go and find out the location of the Qiao residence."

The speaker had a full beard, a rugged appearance, and was of medium height but had a robust physique. He carried a sword case on his back and walked like a mountain.

Along the way, it was thanks to Tie Rang's imposing physique that he deterred many petty villains from coveting his territory.

After a short while, Tie Rang returned, his brows furrowed and his face showing deep thought.

Seeing this, Zhang Hong asked, "Master Tie, what's wrong?"

“I just asked five or six people. Some said the Qiao family moved to Fengbei City, some said the Qiao family was in the city, and some said there was no Qiao family here.”

Tie Rang scratched his head. He had originally asked several people to confirm the location, but the more he asked, the more answers he got, leaving him at a loss for what to do.

"I'll go ask again," Tie Rang said, seeing everyone's silence.

“I’ll go too.” Zhang Hong and Fang Youwei said at the same time, and the three of them split up into three groups to inquire about the situation.

After a long while, the three returned and, after inquiring about several routes, received the same answer: "The Qiao family used to live in Dafeng City, but later moved to Fengbei City."

"How could you be in Fengbei City?" Zhang Wan'er's face suddenly turned pale upon hearing this.

She immediately recalled her conversation with Su Chen that day. Since the Qiao family wasn't in Dafeng City, why didn't Su Chen say so at the time? Recalling Su Chen's behavior, Zhang Wan'er, who was already suspicious, became even more worried.

"Wan'er, are you alright?" Zhang Hong asked with concern upon seeing Zhang Wan'er's appearance.

Zhang Wan'er shook her head: "I'm fine, let's go to Fengbei City now."

"it is good!"

Fang Rou helped Zhang Wan'er as the group arrived and departed in a hurry.

Fengbei City.

About half an hour later, Zhang Wan'er and her party arrived at Fengbei City.

Before even entering the city gate, Tie Rang went up to the city guards to inquire about the Qiao family's whereabouts and quickly received a definite reply, which put everyone at ease, at least they hadn't gone in the wrong direction.

A group of people paid to enter the city. Compared to Dafeng City, Fengbei City was also very lively, but not as lively as it seemed.

"The Qiao residence is near the city lord's mansion. We can find it by following this main road."

After gathering the information, Tie Rang addressed the group, and without wasting any time, they headed towards the City Lord's Mansion.

Puff puff.

"Quickly grab the young master's treasure, don't let him get away."

"Make way, don't block the road!"

"Get out of my way, all of you!"

Not long after they started walking, a commotion suddenly came from ahead, and then Zhang Wan'er and the others saw a group of people running wildly towards them.

Dressed in cyan attire, they marched through the streets like wild bulls, causing utter chaos.

This group of people were extremely domineering, occupying the wide street and rudely pushing aside passersby while constantly cursing.

Everywhere he passed was a mess.

"Look, there's the baby!"

At that moment, a sharp voice rang out, and all the men in blue robes looked up as if they had been injected with hormones, their faces filled with joy.

They raced after the treasure in front of them, moving at an incredible speed.

Zhang Wan'er and the others stepped aside and were taken aback by the almost frenzied appearance of these people.

They were especially astonished when they discovered that the treasure they had been talking about was just a parrot.

squeak squeak.

Suddenly, Zhang Wan'er heard birds chirping beside her. Turning her head to look closely, she realized that the treasure the group had been talking about had landed on her.

"Don't move. If you scare away the young master's treasure, I'll kill you."

"Everyone, get out of my way, don't disturb the baby."

"Damn it, didn't you hear me tell you to get out of the way? Are you looking to die?"

When everyone saw the parrot land on Zhang Wan'er's shoulder, they all blushed and ordered the people around them to disperse without any politeness.

Faced with the group's unreasonable behavior, everyone dared not speak out and retreated, keeping their distance from them.

However, Tie Rang and the others did not stray far from Zhang Wan'er. They knew that she was holding Li Yue in her arms, and if she were surrounded by this group of people, who knew what kind of accident might happen.

Upon seeing Tie Rang and the others still standing there, the group of men in blue robes burst into curses, their eyes gleaming with a fierce light, as if they were vengeful against their father's killer.

"You bastard, if you don't get out of here, don't blame us for being impolite."

"Don't be so loud, you might startle the baby."

"Hmph, we'll settle the score with you after we find our treasure!"

The man in blue and his companions glared fiercely at Tie Rang and the others, then turned to the parrot on Zhang Wan'er's shoulder, their expressions instantly becoming kind and gentle.

"My darling, my precious baby..."

Zhang Wan'er felt extremely uncomfortable under the intense gaze of so many people, and her scalp began to tingle.

"do not move."

A man in blue glared at Zhang Wan'er and shouted angrily.

The sudden roar caused Li Yue, who was in Zhang Wan'er's arms, to cry out, which indirectly startled the parrot on her shoulder.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, the parrot flapped its wings and suddenly took flight.

"You wretched woman, who gave you permission to touch me?"

"Your baby ran away! You deserve to die!"

"Arrest her."

The men in blue robes were furious and were about to grab Zhang Wan'er and the others when a loud shout came from not far away: "Stop!"

As soon as the voice fell, everyone made way for Qiao Qiliang, who led a group of constables over quickly.

The constables, armed with weapons, surrounded the man in blue and his companions.

Upon seeing this, the men in blue robes changed their expressions, but remained calm. One of them, a fair-skinned man in blue robes, stepped forward and said calmly, "We are from the Luo family. Who dares to make a move?"

"We're arresting people from the Luo family. They're causing trouble in the street and dare to argue. Their crimes are compounded. Arrest them all and take them back."

Qiao Qiliang raised his eyebrows and shouted sharply, showing no regard for the others.

If they were direct descendants of the Luo family, he would calmly take them back. But these few servants dare to jeer at him?

"Wait!" The leading man in blue shouted, his face grim as he stared at Qiao Qiliang. "Do you really dare to offend the Luo family?"

Qiao Qiliang remained silent with a cold face, then gently waved his hand, and the constables pressed closer step by step.

"Young Master Qiao, you have quite the airs of an official. Do you think the Luo family is easy to bully?" A voice echoed softly, as if it came from all around, or perhaps from afar.

Upon hearing this voice, the men in blue robes all beamed with joy: "It's Young Master Sheng!"

The crowd seemed to be pushed aside by an invisible force, making way for them.

A man dressed in pure white walked slowly towards them, his steps light and deliberate, playing with a folding fan despite the biting wind.

“Luo Sheng.” Qiao Qiliang narrowed his eyes, recognizing the man before him as one of the direct descendants of the Luo family.

“Young Master Qiao, my men are ignorant, but they are loyal. Considering they were looking for treasure for me, I beg you to give me face and let them go, how about it?” Luo Sheng said with a smile.

Although he was begging for forgiveness, there was no trace of humility in his eyes; on the contrary, he seemed rather aggressive.

Upon hearing this, Qiao Qiliang snorted coldly: "A country has its laws, and a family has its rules. Since they are ignorant, I, Qiao, will have no choice but to discipline them for you."

"That's it..."

Luo Sheng's smile faltered slightly, then vanished, and he nodded earnestly, "In that case, I'll trouble you, Young Master Qiao, but..."

He paused, his eyes turning cold, and said indifferently, "However, Young Master Qiao is right. Every family has its rules. These guys are incompetent. Luo Quan."

Click, click, click!

Before he finished speaking, everyone felt a blur before their eyes as a dark shadow disappeared from behind Luo Sheng, followed by a series of screams.

In just a few breaths, more than a dozen severed arms appeared on the ground, a shocking sight that chilled everyone to the bone.

"Take it back," Qiao Qiliang said expressionlessly.

A group of constables took action and escorted the group away. Throughout the entire process, Luo Sheng simply wore a faint smile and remained silent.

squeak squeak.

Just then, the parrot flew back and hovered in the air, seemingly recognizing Luo Sheng.

Luo Sheng didn't even look at the parrot, and with a casual wave of his hand, a scream rang out.

The next second, the parrot, which had been chirping incessantly, was instantly killed and fell in front of Qiao Qiliang.

"I'm sorry, I don't like things that other people have touched. I'm sorry if I startled you, Mr. Qiao. Please don't take offense."

As Luo Sheng spoke, one of his men stepped forward, picked up the parrot's carcass, waved it in front of Zhang Wan'er, and then threw it by the roadside.

Zhang Wan'er's face turned pale, she pursed her lips and took a few steps back.

"Hahaha!" Upon seeing this scene, Luo Sheng laughed loudly, gave Qiao Qiliang a deep look, and then turned and left.

Watching Luo Sheng leave, Qiao Qiliang waved his hand, signaling everyone to disperse.

He approached Zhang Wan'er and said, "Be careful lately, he might make a move against you."

"Huh? We didn't offend them." Fang Rou asked, puzzled.

Qiao Qiliang opened his mouth, glanced at the parrot, and said, "This already counts as offending him."

Looking at the dead parrot, everyone exchanged glances, with Fang Rou's face filled with resentment.

After giving him a warning, Qiao Qiliang was about to leave when he heard a voice behind him: "Are you Qiao Qiliang?"

Qiao Qiliang was taken aback for a moment, then nodded and said, "Yes, who are you?"

"I am Li Mo's wife."

"I am Hong Ming's disciple."

Several voices rang out in succession, startling Qiao Qiliang before he realized what was happening.

He asked with slight surprise, "What are you doing here? Didn't Su Chen and the others come back with you?"

Afterwards, he informed Zhang Wan'er and the others that Su Chen and the other two had gone to find them.

Upon learning this result, Zhang Wan'er and the others were both amused and exasperated, but they still explained the reason to Qiao Qiliang.

"I see. They're still on their way to find you. You should come back with me first. They should be back in a few days."

Qiao Qiliang thought for a moment and then said to the group that he planned to take them back to the Qiao residence first. As for Su Chen, he assumed they would return before they found Zhang Wan'er and the others.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Wan'er and the others looked at each other, hesitated for a moment, and finally decided to return to the mansion with Qiao Qiliang.

(End of this chapter)