The first major confrontation erupted in the central market square the following day.
Word of the Zhao declaration had spread like wildfire, and tensions had reached a breaking point.
Stalls were abandoned as civilians fled or hid behind shutters.
The once-bustling market became a battlefield as Zhao branch warriors, led personally by their branch head, clashed with Wan Clan guards in a public display of power.
Mu Ronghua had strongly opposed Tianqi joining the fight.
In their private chambers earlier that morning, she had pleaded with him, her elegant hand gripping his arm tightly.
“My son, let the guards and the Silent Lotus handle this.
You are the Patriarch.
Your safety is paramount.
I cannot bear the thought of you in danger.”
Tianqi had kissed her forehead gently but firmly refused.
“I am the leader, Mother.
If I hide behind others, the clan will lose faith.
They need to see me fight for them.
I will not send men to die while I remain safe.”
Now, Tianqi stood at the forefront of the Wan Clan forces, his refined yet practical battle robes allowing freedom of movement.
A sharp sword gleamed in his hand as he led the charge.
Steel rang against steel as the two sides fought fiercely in the open square.
The Zhao branch head roared from the opposite side, his burly frame cutting through the chaos.
“For the Zhao Clan!
Kill the Wan dogs!
Show them the price of their arrogance!”
His warriors shouted in response, surging forward with reckless aggression.
Swords clashed, spears thrust, and bodies collided in brutal close combat.
A Zhao guard swung a heavy blade at a Wan defender, only to be met by a precise counter from a better-trained Wan soldier.
Blood sprayed across the cobblestones as the first casualties fell.
Tianqi moved like a predator through the fray.
His sword flashed in deadly arcs, enhanced by the strength gained from dual cultivation with Mu Ronghua.
He parried a Zhao warrior’s overhead strike and countered with a swift thrust that pierced the man’s chest.
“For the Wan Clan!” he shouted, his voice carrying over the din.
“Push them back!
Show them the strength of our pureblood resolve!”
His personal guard fought with renewed ferocity around him, inspired by their leader’s direct participation.
Coordinated strikes and superior tactics pushed the Zhao warriors back.
Wan Clan forces used the market stalls and carts as temporary cover, executing flanking maneuvers that the more disorganized Zhao side struggled to counter.
A Zhao captain charged at Tianqi with a spear.
“Die, you brat!” he screamed.
Tianqi sidestepped the thrust with graceful precision, his sword slicing across the man’s throat in one clean motion.
The captain collapsed, gurgling as blood poured from the wound.
“Your aggression ends here,” Tianqi said coldly, stepping over the body to engage the next opponent.
From the shadows of a nearby rooftop, a hooded woman watched silently.
Her identity remained unknown, her face concealed by the deep hood of her dark cloak.
She observed the battle with narrowed eyes, her interest clearly piqued as she watched Tianqi’s forces winning decisively.
The lotus assassins moved like ghosts in the periphery, eliminating key Zhao threats without drawing attention, their presence unnoticed by most but not by her sharp gaze.
“Impressive,” the hooded woman murmured to herself, her voice low and intrigued.
“The young Patriarch fights at the front like a true leader, not hiding behind his men.
His movements are refined, almost too precise for someone so young.
And those shadows…
the ones striking from the blind spots.
They move like trained assassins, yet they serve him seamlessly.
Interesting.
Very interesting.”
The Wan Clan clearly held the upper hand. This story is hosted at g.com.
Their guards were better trained and motivated under Tianqi’s leadership.
Recent cultivation resources and the morale boost from previous victories made them a formidable force.
A group of Wan warriors executed a perfect pincer movement, trapping a squad of Zhao fighters against a row of abandoned stalls.
Swords flashed, and more Zhao bodies hit the ground.
“Keep pressing!” Tianqi commanded, his voice steady amid the chaos.
“Do not let them regroup!
For the Wan Clan and our pureblood future!”
His men roared in response, fighting with even greater determination.
The Zhao side began to falter, their initial aggression giving way to desperate defence as casualties mounted.
The hooded woman continued watching from her vantage point, tilting her head slightly.
“He adapts quickly.
That counter against the spearman was flawless.
That woman must have trained him well, or perhaps their bond gives him something more.
The Silent Lotus, or whatever they call themselves now, are efficient.
Almost too efficient.
I wonder how deep their loyalty runs…
and what secrets the that boy hides.”
XXXX
As the battle raged, the Zhao branch head charged forward to confront Tianqi directly.
The burly man roared like a wounded beast, his heavy sword raised high as he bulldozed through the chaos of clashing warriors.
“Wan Tianqi!
Face me, you cowardly brat!
I will crush your skull for what you did to my children and my loyalists!”
Tianqi turned to meet him, his own blade gleaming under the sunlight filtering through the market square.
The two leaders met in the center of the battlefield in a fierce duel.
Blades clashed violently, sparks flying with each powerful exchange.
The surrounding fighters instinctively gave them space, recognizing the pivotal nature of this confrontation.
“You dare challenge the Wan Clan in our own city?” Tianqi said coldly, parrying a brutal overhead strike from the branch head.
The impact sent vibrations up his arms, but his strengthened body absorbed it without faltering.
The Zhao branch head laughed maniacally, swinging again with raw power.
“You kidnapped our children!
Sent us heads in boxes!
I will kill you and parade your corpse through the streets!”
Tianqi sidestepped the wild swing and countered with a precise thrust that grazed the man’s side, drawing first blood.
“Your arrogance brought this upon you.
The Wan Clan offered peace through reform.
You chose war.”
The branch head roared and pressed the attack, his heavy sword coming down in a series of crushing blows.
Tianqi met each one with cold precision, his movements enhanced by the vitality and strength gained from countless dual cultivation sessions with Mu Ronghua.
Every block and counter demonstrated superior technique and control.
“You fight like a demon!” the branch head snarled, breathing heavily as sweat poured down his face.
“But I am Zhao!
We do not yield to upstarts like you!”
He lunged forward with a powerful horizontal slash.
Tianqi ducked under the blade and delivered a sharp kick to the man’s knee, causing a painful crack.
The branch head staggered but recovered, swinging wildly.
Tianqi’s voice remained calm even as he fought.
“Your main family sees you as disposable.
Your own people are calling for your removal.
This war was lost the moment you threatened my clan.”
The duel intensified.
The Zhao branch head’s attacks grew more desperate and powerful, but increasingly sloppy.
Tianqi exploited every opening with lethal grace.
He slashed across the man’s thigh, then his shoulder, slowly wearing him down while remaining largely unscathed.
“You…
monster…” the branch head gasped, blood dripping from multiple wounds. Visit g.com for the full chapter.
“The Zhao Clan will avenge me!”
Tianqi disarmed him with a lightning-fast twist of his blade, sending the heavy sword flying.
Before the man could react, Tianqi grabbed him by the throat with overwhelming power.
The branch head’s eyes widened in shock as Tianqi lifted him slightly off the ground.
“This ends now,” Tianqi said coldly.
With a powerful motion, he slammed the Zhao branch head to the ground.
The impact cracked the cobblestones.
Tianqi raised his boot and brought it down mercilessly on the man’s head.
A sickening crunch echoed across the square as blood and gore splattered the stones.
The Zhao branch head died instantly in a brutal, decisive finish.
The Zhao forces broke in panic at the sight of their leader’s gruesome death.
Shouts of horror and retreat filled the air as they began fleeing the market square, pursued by the victorious Wan Clan guards.
From her hidden vantage point on the rooftop, the hooded woman’s eyes widened in genuine surprise.
She whispered softly to herself, her voice carrying a mix of intrigue and anticipation.
“Finally…
it is time to meet.”
She vanished into the shadows without another sound.
The Wan Clan had won a decisive victory, further cementing Tianqi’s dominance in Jiangling City.
XXXX
While the fierce battle raged in the central market square, Mu Ronghua remained in her private chambers within the Wan Clan residence.
She paced slowly across the elegant room, her graceful figure tense despite the serene beauty she always projected.
The ornate pearl-flower hairpin gleamed in her long dark hair, and her sage-green and cream robes flowed with each step.
Her alluring eyes, however, were filled with deep worry and longing.
She stopped by the window, gazing in the direction of the market even though it was too far to see anything.
Her elegant hand rested on the windowsill, fingers tightening slightly.
“My son…
be safe,” she whispered to herself, her voice soft but laced with obsessive concern.
“You insisted on fighting at the front.
I know you are strong, but the thought of anything happening to you tears at my heart.”
She turned away from the window and sat on the edge of the large bed where they had shared so many passionate nights.
Her mind replayed the morning’s argument, how she had begged him to stay safe.
“You are the leader, you said.
The clan needs to see their Patriarch fight.
I understand, my love, but Mother worries.
You are my everything.
My blood, my bond, my eternal partner.
No one can replace you.”
The distant sounds of battle, faint shouts and the clash of steel carried on the wind, made her heart ache.
She closed her eyes, imagining Tianqi’s powerful form moving through the fray, his sword flashing with the strength she had helped cultivate through their sacred unions.
“Come back to me unharmed,” she murmured.
“I need you.
Your touch, your seed, your presence.
The empire means nothing without you by my side.”
A faint rustle behind her made her open her eyes.
She did not turn immediately, but a small, knowing smile touched her lips.
A figure appeared silently from the shadows near the corner of the room.
The hooded woman, still cloaked in dark fabric, stood there motionless for a moment before lowering her hood slightly, revealing just enough to be recognized.
Mu Ronghua simply said, her voice calm and warm with familiarity, “Sister”
End of Chapter 22
Tired of waiting for updates?
Got ideas or feedback?
Drop a comment!