Chapter 064: The Slaughter Returns

Bang!

With a thunderous crash, Gu Feng’s body was swept backward by a surge of force, flung as though he had fallen into a raging vortex, utterly unable to control his own fate.

“No—!”

Gu Feng’s desperate roar echoed as he was hurled back, his terror unmistakable in every trembling note.

But it was already too late. Suspended in midair, blood gushed from his mouth, his life swiftly draining away.

Swish, swish, swish...

More than thirty people at the back hurriedly dodged aside, narrowly avoiding the shockwave. Their faces turned pale with fright, and they could not help but tremble as they stared at Mu Tianxue in horror.

None of them had ever imagined that the girl, said to be weaker than an ordinary person, could be so terrifying! With just one move, even their strongest, Gu Feng, could not withstand her.

If they had gone up themselves, would they not have simply courted death?

Boom!

Another deafening crash sounded as Gu Feng landed heavily more than thirty yards away, rolling over a dozen times before finally coming to a halt.

“Ancestor!”

Gu Yiming cried out, rushing over to check Gu Feng’s condition.

Yet he soon realized he had been too hopeful. Gu Feng was not merely injured—he had ceased to breathe altogether, dead beyond doubt. His eyes were wide open, unable to rest in peace.

For a long moment, the scene was shrouded in an oppressive silence, so still it was frightening. Even breathing had to be carefully restrained.

Moreover, memories of the illusion resurfaced—the scenes of their clans being slaughtered by three figures, the sight of Shun’an City turned into a living hell.

Only now did they truly understand. What they had witnessed in that so-called vision had not been mere illusion, but a reflection of the Mu family’s true strength.

It was only their own folly that had made them believe it was false.

How laughable, how ignorant they had been!

Now, they finally realized that the two siblings of the Mu family were no longer the useless and ordinary people they once considered them to be, but true powerhouses.

With a single strike killing Gu Feng, her cultivation far surpassed his—at least at the eighth or even ninth tier of the Heaven-Perceiving Mirror.

Seeing that Gu Feng had breathed his last, Mu Tianxue still seemed uneasy. She hurriedly looked at Mu Tianhen. “Brother, did I... did I just kill someone?”

Swoosh!

Mu Tianhen swept to his sister’s side, landing beside her with a gentle smile. “Xue’er, Gu Feng deserved to die. To harbor such vile intentions—his death is more than justified!”

“Besides, Xue’er, you were ridding the world of evil, a good deed. Do not be afraid. As martial cultivators, these are things we must face.”

“In this world, the strong prey upon the weak. Especially when it comes to enemies, it is a matter of kill or be killed. Remember, Xue’er, in battle, never give your enemy a chance.”

“If you must kill, do so thoroughly! So, all those old relics must die as well. Do you wish to do it yourself? If you feel uneasy, I will handle it.”

“I...” Mu Tianxue was a little nervous, at a loss for words.

She dearly wished to shoulder this responsibility for her family and to share her brother’s burden. Yet she was truly afraid of killing, feeling it was a sin, something that should never happen.

But, just as her brother said, this world was already steeped in slaughter. Especially on the path to power, it was a road paved with corpses and rivers of blood.

For every general’s success, countless bones lie beneath; there is no battle without blood.

With these thoughts, Mu Tianxue gradually calmed herself, then smiled. “Brother, leave it to me. I must grow up. Today, I will use them as my stepping stones!”

Mu Tianhen said nothing, merely gave her shoulder a gentle pat before stepping aside. Yet his gaze did not linger on Mu Tianxue, but instead fixed on a rooftop outside the square.

Soon after, Mu Tianhen sent a message to Little White. “Little White, do you understand my meaning?”

Little White immediately replied, “Master, I understand. Don’t worry, leave it to me.”

No one noticed the silent conversation between the man and the little fox, nor did anyone see Little White’s delicate figure dart away from the square, heading toward the place Mu Tianhen had been watching.

Mu Tianhen then turned his gaze back to Mu Tianxue, wanting to see if his sister could truly overcome her fear.

She had just killed passively; now, it was up to her to take the initiative. That would be much harder, for Xue’er had always been a gentle, obedient girl.

But life is short, and what must be faced cannot be avoided by anyone.

Yet, before Mu Tianxue could act, something unexpected happened—someone was already rushing to their doom.

“Mu Tianxue, surrender your life!”

Suddenly, Gu Yiming’s furious roar rang out. “Gu family disciples, attack! Avenge the ancestor!”

“Kill!”

“Avenge the ancestor!”

Their cries erupted. Every member of the Gu clan, regardless of rank, charged at Mu Tianxue with murderous intent.

Their ancestor had been slain by Mu Tianxue, their greatest support toppled, their status as the City Lord’s Mansion instantly crumbling.

In that case, they had nothing left to lose. They would lay down their lives to kill this woman and avenge their ancestor. Since death awaited them regardless, why not meet it in a blaze of glory?

Watching this, Mu Tianhen’s lips curled into a distinct, knowing smile. He said to Mu Tianxue, “Xue’er, those dozens of old fools are yours. I’ll handle the rest.”

“Remember, strike when you must. Watch me!”

As his words faded, Mu Tianhen moved.

His feet pressed down, and his body vanished from where he stood, leaving only afterimages as he plunged into the midst of the Gu family.

Bang, bang, bang...

Immediately, a storm of heavy blows sounded; one figure after another was sent flying, smashed to the ground, dead on impact.

With every strike, Mu Tianhen held nothing back—none survived contact with him. The carnage glimpsed in the illusion was being reenacted in reality.

Thud, thud, thud...

Many were so terrified that they trembled uncontrollably, scrambling away in hopes of avoiding the slaughter.

Witnessing the myriad grisly corpses, Mu Tianxue seemed to grasp something she had never known before. Her expression darkened as a murderous aura rose from within her.

She moved.

“All of you, die!”

With a clear, commanding cry, her graceful figure flashed forward, pouncing on the more than thirty surviving patriarchs who were still reeling from the shock.

Sensing the approach of death, those old men snapped back to their senses and scrambled to flee, shouting to one another.

“Form the array, quickly!”

“Gather on me! The formation—now!”

Swish, swish, swish...

As urgent cries rang out, dozens tried to evade Mu Tianxue’s attacks while drawing together, seeking to form the Burning Vessel Array as they had in the illusion.

Unfortunately for them, though their intentions were sound, their bodies could not keep up; they failed to link up.

“You’re the loudest—so I’ll kill you first!”

Mu Tianxue fixed her gaze on Huang Kun, the patriarch of the Huang family, and shot toward him, unleashing both palms in a flurry of forceful strikes, sending waves of energy surging out.

“No—!”

Like Gu Feng before him, Huang Kun let out a final, desperate roar in the face of death.

He was then swept away by Mu Tianxue’s assault, blood spurting in midair, his life snuffed out in an instant.

Seeing their patriarch fall, the members of the Huang family could no longer maintain their composure.

Huang Dahai shouted, “Don’t just stand there! Attack together—kill them before we’re picked off one by one!”

Spurred on by his words, all thirty-odd families sprang into action, drawing their weapons and charging at Mu Tianhen and his sister, as well as the other members of the Mu family.

The melee was about to erupt.