The poorest member of the Imperial Guard, the Empress begged me to embezzle.

"With this little strength, you think you can kill me?"

A mocking smile appeared on Chu Xiu's face. With a thought, he appeared outside the Yangzhou Prefectural Governor's Mansion, sheathed the Taiqing Zhenyue Blade in his hand, and said calmly, "Arrest them all!"

His nonchalant demeanor made it seem as if Chu Xiu had merely crushed a group of insignificant ants, rather than killing a group of experts at the Human Immortal Realm or even the Earth Immortal Realm.

"Yes!"

Fang Heng responded and waved his right hand.

Dozens of elite Imperial Guards rushed over and captured Elder Jianxin and the others.

Now that Elder Jianxin and the others have been severely injured by Chu Xiu's single strike, they naturally have no fear of these people.

"Kill, leave no one behind!"

Chu Xiu looked calmly at the Yangzhou Prefectural Governor's Mansion and said indifferently.

"kill!"

Upon hearing Chu Xiu's order, Fang Heng and his men led a group of elite Imperial Guards into the Yangzhou Prefectural Governor's Mansion.

After all, there are still a large number of Maitreya sect followers in the Yangzhou prefectural government.

After a while.

Fang Heng and his entourage then emerged from the Yangzhou Prefectural Governor's residence.

"Reporting to Your Excellency, all members of the Maitreya sect within the entire Yangzhou Prefectural Governor's residence have been exterminated!"

Fang Heng bowed respectfully to Chu Xiu and said, "Not one left!"

Chu Xiu nodded slightly, remaining silent.

Swish!

Ying Taotie appeared behind Chu Xiu, and said with a solemn expression, "Reporting to the Marquis, the investigation has been completed."

"explain."

Chu Xiu said calmly.

"Reporting to the Marquis, all the direct descendants of the Yangzhou Xiao family in the entire Xiao mansion have disappeared without a trace, with only some collateral descendants remaining."

"I have not found any trace of Xiao Yu and his men throughout the entire city."

"This humble servant suspects that there is an underground passage within the Xiao residence that leads directly to the outside of the city."

"Xiao Yu has already led the entire direct line of the Xiao family and the direct line of the Maitreya Sect out of the city."

After considering for a moment, Ying Taotie spoke to Chu Xiu.

"Were only members of the collateral branches left behind?"

A cold glint flashed in Chu Xiu's eyes as he said in a cold voice, "Xiao Yu really ran fast!"

"My lord, should we continue our search for Xiao Yu?"

Ying Taotie hesitated for a moment, then asked Chu Xiu.

"Continue the investigation."

"And sent someone to Jingzhou to tell the governor of Jingzhou, Lord Gu Tianhe, to lead the Jingzhou troops to temporarily take over the entire Yangzhou."

"Dispatch the Shadow Guards to inform His Majesty as quickly as possible that I have already suppressed Xiao Yu, and instruct His Majesty to send a new Governor of Yangzhou and a Yangzhou Commandant to take over the affairs of Yangzhou."

Chu Xiu said in a deep voice.

Although he felt that Xiao Yu had actually escaped, it wouldn't be an easy task for the Shadow Guards to find them.

But what needs to be done still needs to be done.

His immediate priority is to reclaim the entire city of Yangzhou.

"Yes, Your Excellency obeys!"

Ying Taotie said respectfully.

"Fang Heng, lead three thousand elite troops to the Xiao residence and slaughter every single member of the Xiao family in Yangzhou!"

"In addition, you are responsible for sending people to deliver the martial arts figures we have captured to Lin Huaiyu, who will be in charge of interrogating them. You must make sure to find out their identities and backgrounds."

"Furthermore, you are responsible for confiscating the property of the Yangzhou Prefectural Governor and the Xiao family, and compiling a list of all their gold, silver, and valuables."

Chu Xiu pondered for a moment, then spoke in a low but powerful voice.

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Fang Heng said with utmost respect.

"Pei Shiji, Luo Tianxi."

Chu Xiu looked at Pei Shiji and Luo Tianxi.

"My subordinate is here!"

Pei Shiji and Luo Tianxi shouted in unison.

"You two will each lead three thousand elite troops to reclaim the counties of Yangzhou for our Great Zhou Dynasty."

Chu Xiu said calmly.

"Yes, sir!"

Pei Shiji and the other man shouted loudly.

Chu Xiu waved his sleeve and remained silent.

The group bowed and then quickly left.

Chu Xiu took a step forward and disappeared from the spot.

After a cup of tea.

In Yangzhou city, in an inn, in a courtyard.

Chu Xiu sat down at the stone table in the courtyard, holding the Xuan Yin Divine Sword and examining it.

"Congratulations, host, for suppressing the Xiao family and the Maitreya Cult in Yangzhou, for reclaiming Yangzhou for the Great Zhou Dynasty, for your persistent efforts in doing positive things, you have been rewarded with fifty years of human immortal power, the third strike of the original Ananda Breaking the Precepts Sword Technique, the Soul-Slaying Sword, and five Taiqing Jade Liquid Pills."

"Do you want to receive the reward?"

The mechanical voice of the positive energy system rang in Chu Xiu's mind.

"Yes!"

Chu Xiu's eyes lit up, and he spoke without hesitation.

In an instant!

An immense power of human immortality appeared in Chu Xiu's dantian, causing his cultivation level to break through from the peak of the fourth level of human immortality to the peak of the fifth level of human immortality.

Immediately afterwards, a picture appeared in Chu Xiu's mind.

A handsome young monk in a moon-white robe suddenly drew his sword and slashed out!

With this slash, the entire world seemed to be cleaved in two!

What's even more terrifying is that this strike seemed to cleave the heavens and earth, yet the heavens and earth remained completely unchanged.

It was as if it was slashing something profound and unfathomable.

"What a magnificent Soul-Slaying Blade!"

"The power of this strike is far greater than the second strike of Ananda's Breaking the Precepts Sword Technique."

"However, with this one strike, these people will be killed by me!"

"The reason we're keeping these people around is to find out their identities and origins, and to find out which sects they come from."

Chu Xiu said with a look of amazement on his face.

After all, the only sects he truly knew were the Yellow Heaven Sect of Jizhou, the Lingxiao Sword Sect, and the Canghai Saber Sect.

He didn't know whether the others came from a sect, or which sect they came from.

Now that he has found out the sects behind them, when he has the opportunity or enough strength in the future, he will uproot all of these sects and completely eradicate them!

After saying that, Chu Xiu continued reading.

Half an hour later.

Swish!

Lin Huaiyu appeared in the courtyard and bowed to a room inside, saying, "Reporting to the Marquis, I have obtained the information through interrogation."

"Oh?"

Chu Xiu looked at Lin Huaiyu with great interest and said.

"Reporting to the Marquis, these people are Elder Jianxin of Lingxiao Sword Sect, Li Hanchuan, one of the thirty-six divine generals of Huangtian Sect, Elder Xue Guhong of Blood Demon Sect, Yun Canghai, Sect Master of Canghai Blade Sect, Han Zhenyue, Sect Master of Kaoshan Sect, Zhao Tianxing, Valley Master of Jueqing Valley, and Yin Poxiao, Sect Master of Fentian Sect."

"The rest of them are just wandering martial artists, without any sect or affiliation."

Lin Huaiyu said with a solemn expression.

"So, only six sects came to Yangzhou to help Xiao Yu this time?"

Chu Xiu raised an eyebrow and said.

Although Li Hanchuan of the Yellow Heaven Sect can be considered a sect.

Just like the Maitreya sect, it can also be considered a religious sect.

However, they belong to a sect that is single-mindedly plotting to usurp the throne and rebel.

Of course, they all belong to the top-tier holy land sects, and their strength is in no way weaker than that of the top sects like the Lingxiao Sword Sect.

Even more so!