Jiang Han was focused solely on the chase, but his speed gradually began to slow.
The Berserk Power Divine Ability only lasted for the time it took a stick of incense to burn. Once that time was up, a wave of weakness washed over his body, forcing him to stop.
Gazing at Jiang Hou's blurry, retreating figure, Jiang Han's expression turned grim.
With one of them getting away, everything would be exposed.
He felt no burden for killing Jiang Xiong and the other two. From the moment he had killed Jiang Hu and Jiang Bao, he had placed himself in opposition to the Third Elder's faction, and even the entire Jiang Family.
This was only the beginning; countless vicious battles lay ahead. Any mercy or hesitation would only lead to his eternal damnation.
"Time to go!"
After resting for a moment, he decisively turned and sprinted off into the distance.
He knew the clan's experts would arrive soon, so he couldn't linger. The only plan now was to find a safe place to hide, evade the pursuit, and then figure out a way to increase his combat strength.
Although the Berserk Power and Phantom Shift Divine Abilities had caused his combat power to soar, he knew very well that at his current level, he might stand a chance against two or three high-level Purple Mansion cultivators if he could ambush them.
But if he were surrounded by seven or eight of them, he would surely be the one to die. And against a Mystic Void Realm expert, he would likely be killed in a single blow.
Rumble!
Lightning flashed and thunder boomed in the sky. Soon, a torrential downpour began to fall.
Jiang Han sprinted through the rainy night. The downpour soaked his hair and clothes, leaving him looking exceptionally wretched, like a homeless stray dog.
***
After Jiang Hou returned, Jiang Long quickly led a group of men straight to the ruined temple.
When the bodies of Jiang Xiong, Jiang Xie, and Jiang She were brought back to the Jiang Family's ancestral hall, the entire clan erupted. The hall was packed with people, inside and out. Several women clung to the corpses, wailing loudly, their cries interspersed with curses and shouts.
"The Third Elder is here!" Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
A loud shout rang out, and the clamor in the ancestral hall instantly ceased.
The crowd outside parted as Jiang Xiaotian walked in, his face as dark as still water. As soon as he entered, the wailing women who had been kneeling on the floor swarmed him, crying out and begging him to avenge Jiang Xiong and the others.
"All of you, be quiet!"
Jiang Xiaotian roared, and the hall fell silent once more. He inspected the bodies, then turned his gaze to Jiang Hou. "Jiang Han is only at the 5th Level of the Purple Mansion Realm," he said grimly. "How could he have killed all three of them? Tell me everything, in detail. Don't leave out a single thing."
Jiang Hou shuddered under Jiang Xiaotian's vicious glare and began to recount what had happened.
He altered his story, claiming that they had been searching for the missing Jiang Hu and Jiang Bao when they noticed Jiang Han acting suspiciously. According to him, the four of them had merely asked Jiang Han if he had seen the two, but Jiang Han had attacked and started a massacre without another word. If he hadn't run so fast, he would have been killed too.
Jiang Hou described Jiang Han's two Divine Abilities as demonic arts and evil techniques. He made the Phantom Shift sound particularly mystical and sinister...
After he finished, a dead silence fell over the ancestral hall. Countless Jiang Clan Members stared at each other in dismay. In the minds of the older members, a thought surfaced: could it be that another peerless genius had appeared in the Jiang Family?
Years ago, Jiang Han's father, Jiang Henshui, had risen to prominence just as suddenly. His combat power had soared, and he had suppressed all his peers. No one from the younger generation within a hundred-mile radius dared to challenge him.
Like father, like son!
Although Jiang Hou had slandered Jiang Han for cultivating demonic arts, many of the clan members were unconvinced.
Demonic arts and evil techniques existed only in legends; they were cultivation methods for the demon and monster races. How could a human cultivate them? Jiang Han's sudden surge in power naturally led many to think of Jiang Henshui, assuming it must be some secret art that his father had left him.
"Power comparable to the 9th Level of the Purple Mansion Realm? The ability to teleport? And he leaves a shadow behind? Could it be... a bloodline Divine Ability?"
Jiang Xiaotian muttered to himself, his expression shifting constantly. A deep-seated fear flickered in his eyes—he, too, remembered Jiang Henshui. He remembered the man who had suppressed him and all their peers, leaving them unable to even breathe.
Jiang Henshui had disappeared, and now his son was just as uncanny, rising abruptly with a massive surge in combat power. He had effortlessly swept aside four cultivators of a higher realm than himself.
Jiang Han was only sixteen. If he were given a few more years, he would likely become a second Jiang Henshui.
Moreover, he realized Jiang Han was even more ruthless than his father. Jiang Henshui had clashed with their faction many times back then, but he had never killed anyone, at most inflicting serious injuries. The scar on Jiang Xiaotian's own face was a gift from Jiang Henshui. Read this novel at novelping dot com for the best experience.
Jiang Han was different. He had killed three people right off the bat. And Jiang Hu and Jiang Bao were still missing, with no sign of them, dead or alive. It was highly likely he had killed them as well.
If Jiang Han was allowed to grow stronger, their entire faction would probably be exterminated...
A profound sense of fear welled up from deep within Jiang Xiaotian's heart. A vicious look appeared in his eyes, and without any further hesitation, he bellowed, "Jiang Han has cultivated demonic arts and slaughtered his own kin! His crimes are unforgivable! Jiang Long, Jiang Shi, you will each lead a Hunting Squad and depart immediately. If you find Jiang Han, kill him on sight. Bring his body back to be displayed for ten days to uphold the clan's laws!"
"Yes, sir!"
Jiang Long and a middle-aged man clasped their fists and accepted the order. Jiang Long could barely contain himself. The moment Jiang Xiaotian gave the command, he bolted out to gather his men and begin the hunt for Jiang Han.
Besides the Elders' Hall, the Jiang Family also had a Hunting Squad, which was divided into four teams totaling sixty men. The members of the Hunting Squad were the clan's elite. Each team of fifteen was composed of cultivators at the 7th Level of the Purple Mansion Realm or higher, and the team leaders were at the 9th Level.
Two teams, thirty men, all experts at the 7th Level of the Purple Mansion Realm or above, sent to hunt down Jiang Han. This time, Jiang Xiaotian was dead set on killing him.
"Old Sixth!"
After Jiang Long and the others had left, Jiang Xiaotian issued another order. "Have someone draw portraits of Jiang Han. Tomorrow, you will take men to Du Family Town, Guan Family Town, Wang Family Town, and other places to post notices. Announce that Jiang Han has betrayed our clan. Anyone who dares to harbor him will be an enemy of the Jiang Clan. Anyone who provides a clue to his whereabouts will be rewarded with one hundred Xuan Stones. Anyone who can kill Jiang Han will be rewarded with five hundred Xuan Stones!"
"Yes, sir!"
Another Jiang Clan Member accepted the order and departed. Hearing Jiang Xiaotian's words, some of the clan members inside and outside the hall sighed to themselves.
This move by Jiang Xiaotian was too vicious. Once these wanted posters were put up, Jiang Han would have nowhere to hide within a radius of several hundred miles. Five hundred Xuan Stones was no small sum; cultivators from many nearby families would likely be spurred into action...
"Furthermore, have Jiang Li escorted to the backyard of the Elders' Hall and placed under strict guard!"
Jiang Xiaotian thought for a moment, then said to the middle-aged woman guarding Jiang Li, "For the next few days, you will eat and live with Jiang Li day and night. You must not let anything happen to her, or you will be the only one I hold responsible!"
Jiang Li was Jiang Han's only remaining tie. Jiang Xiaotian feared that Jiang Han might sneak into Jiangjia Town to take her away. With Jiang Long out hunting Jiang Han, he didn't trust anyone else with her security, so he decided to bring her to the Elders' Hall backyard. That way, if Jiang Han wanted to get to her, he would have to go through him first.
"Alright."
Jiang Xiaotian's gaze fell once more upon the bodies of Jiang Xiong and the others on the floor. He shook his head and sighed. "For now, place their bodies in the finest coffins. Don't be in a hurry to bury them. We will wait until Jiang Han's body is brought back, and we will use his head to pay tribute to their departed souls. Then, we can give them a proper burial."
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