Chapter 189: Slaughter Them All, A Change of Heart

Facing the encirclement of the Seven Killing Tower members, Lu Qing remained calm.

Just as the attacks were about to land on him, his aura suddenly erupted.

His body spun like a top, whirling at an incredible speed.

His hands moved with lightning speed, unleashing a barrage of punches.

In an instant, countless fist shadows appeared, blooming like a black lotus.

The powerful assassins from the Seven Killing Tower, without exception, were all punched in the chest by Lu Qing.

With a series of bone-cracking sounds, they were sent flying backward, their mouths spraying blood that splattered on the ground.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Accompanying a series of loud noises, the figures that had attacked Lu Qing all crashed through the walls, doors, and windows behind them, falling to the ground, lifeless and devoid of aura.

"How is this possible?!"

Seeing the brocade-clad man and those powerful figures being blown away by the black-clad man, the Zheng family bodyguard's eyes widened in disbelief.

He knew that the auras exuded by these figures were no weaker than his, and they were all Internal Organs Realm cultivators.

Even the leader of the Lovebird Fort was a master at the Internal Organs Realm completion stage.

Yet, despite their combined assault, not only were they unable to defeat the black-clad man, but they were also defeated in just one move.

The ambush of four had resulted in three deaths and one severely injured.

Such strength was truly terrifying!

"Who exactly are you?"

The brocade-clad man crashed into the wall behind him, spitting out a mouthful of blood, his face filled with shock.

He looked at Lu Qing with incredulous eyes.

Moments ago, this man had effortlessly deflected their well-prepared killing moves with his bare hands.

Then, with just a single move, he had crushed them all.

Out of the four who had surrounded him, only he remained alive.

The prowess of his fist techniques was truly unimaginable.

Even among the fist technique masters he had encountered before, none seemed to possess such exquisite and formidable skills.

"I've said it before, I am the one who will kill you," Lu Qing said, looking at the brocade-clad man.

He glanced through the hole in the man's chest, created by his own fist, and noticed the dark golden soft armor underneath.

"It seems this soft armor saved your life."

The brocade-clad man paused, realizing the truth in Lu Qing's words.

Indeed, if not for this soft armor that he always wore, he would probably have met the same fate as his companions, perishing on the spot.

Even so, he was still badly injured.

Of his original full strength, only two or three tenths remained.

The mysterious black-clad man's fist aura was simply too terrifying.

Even with the protection of the soft armor, his heart meridians had been severely damaged, and his martial arts Qi and blood were completely scattered, making it difficult to regroup them for the time being.

More importantly, up until now, he still couldn't see through Lu Qing's cultivation level.

The man before him seemed to be shrouded in layer after layer of mist, perfectly concealing his true realm even when his Qi and blood erupted.

Could he be a Natural Realm old monster? But the power he had just displayed was clearly that of Qi and blood, not Natural Qi.

For a moment, the brocade-clad man's mind was in turmoil, filled with various thoughts that he couldn't organize.

However, one thing was clear to him.

Today, he was truly in big trouble.

The black-clad man before him had clearly come for their Seven Killing Tower.

Although he found it hard to believe that someone would dare to provoke their Seven Killing Tower, the reality was right before his eyes, and he couldn't deny it.

Seeing that the brocade-clad man was still alive, Lu Qing flipped his hand, and a stone the size of a fist appeared, which he weighed lightly in his palm.

A chill ran down the brocade-clad man's spine.

Having witnessed Lu Qing's hidden weapon skills, he didn't dare to be careless.

"Sir, is there some misunderstanding here? This fort truly isn't the Seven Killing Tower that you mentioned. I'm just a businessman and have nothing to do with the Seven Killing Tower. If it's money you want, I'm willing to offer all the wealth in this fort with both hands..."

However, before the brocade-clad man could finish his plea, the stone in Lu Qing's hand shot out.

Driven by overwhelming power, the stone moved at an extreme speed.

The brocade-clad man, whose heart meridians were damaged, Qi and blood scattered, and strength greatly diminished, didn't even have the chance to dodge.

Bang!

The stone struck the brocade-clad man's skull with pinpoint accuracy.

Even though the skull of an Internal Organs Realm completion stage cultivator was exceptionally tough, it was still fragile as an egg before the stone propelled by Lu Qing's terrifying power.

It shattered instantly, spraying brain matter and blood everywhere in a gruesome display.

The brocade-clad man was dead!

"Ah!"

Young Master Zheng, witnessing such a horrifying scene for the first time, let out a terrified scream.

"Not good!"

The Zheng family bodyguard holding the shield was startled and tried to cover the young master's mouth.

But it was too late.

Chapter: The True Face of Justice

Lu Qing's gaze had already turned towards them.

"Sir, we are from the Zheng family of the provincial capital. We are merely here for entertainment and have nothing to do with these people. Please be discerning, sir," the Zheng family bodyguard said, mustering his courage.

As for Young Master Zheng, he was already trembling and pale-faced in the face of Lu Qing's stare.

At this moment, he finally realized that the man before him was a true killer, unlike any martial artist he had encountered before.

Seeing Lu Qing's silence, the Zheng family bodyguard felt extremely uneasy.

Although the Zheng family was influential, they were still considered a force to be reckoned with in the provincial capital.

Even the few major sects that dominated Cangzhou would give them some face.

However, facing such a ruthless and fearless killer, he wasn't sure if they would be spared.

"The Zheng family? So what?" Lu Qing croaked, his voice hoarse, and a sinister smile appeared on his face. "Even if you were from the Yan family of the royal capital, offending me would still mean death!"

"Not good, Young Master, run!"

As soon as Lu Qing spoke his first sentence, the bodyguard felt a sense of foreboding. And when Lu Qing mentioned death, he didn't hesitate for a second before making his decision.

He forcefully pushed Young Master Zheng behind him with gentle force.

At the same time, he drew a short dagger from his waist with his right hand while holding the shield in front of him. Using his left shoulder as a pivot, he merged his body with the shield and rushed towards Lu Qing with exceptional bravery.

He wanted to force Lu Qing back and create an opportunity for Young Master Zheng to escape.

However, his plan was far too optimistic.

Facing the aggressive charge of the shield, which resembled a siege ram, Lu Qing neither dodged nor retreated. Instead, he spread his five fingers, drawing an arc with his palm, and slammed it onto the shield with the force of a mountain.

Boom!

Under the overwhelming power, the thick shield, forged from fine steel, shattered into four pieces. The Zheng family bodyguard hiding behind it vomited blood, and countless bones in his body had surely been broken.

How could he be so strong?!

With just one move, the bodyguard was nearly crippled, and he slumped to the ground in despair.

Lu Qing's strength far exceeded his imagination. Even the martial arts masters in his mansion didn't exude such overwhelming pressure that induced despair!

Who exactly was this mysterious man? When did such a formidable martial artist appear in Cangzhou?

"Your loyalty is admirable, but unfortunately, the person you're trying to protect is scum," Lu Qing said, shaking his head as he walked past the severely injured bodyguard.

Without stopping, he continued towards Young Master Zheng, who was too terrified to move, his legs turning soft at the sight before him.

"No, no, don't kill me, please don't kill me! If you kill me, my family will never let you off, my father will never forgive you!" Young Master Zheng screamed hysterically, having already lost his wits.

"Sir, we really have nothing to do with this fort. Please spare my young master for the sake of the Zheng family. We swear that we won't breathe a word about what happened here today!" the bodyguard pleaded, gritting his teeth through the pain.

"Do you think I'm killing this scum to silence him?" Lu Qing stopped and turned around, looking at the bodyguard with a strange expression.

The bodyguard paused, unable to think of any other motive.

"So, it's true that the wealthy treat human lives as grass. Let me tell you the truth: I'm killing him simply to avenge those girls he tortured and killed," Lu Qing said.

The bodyguard's eyes widened as if he had finally realized something.

However, the next moment, he saw a pebble shoot out from Lu Qing's hand.

Then, his young master's head exploded like a ripe watermelon.

"Young Master!"

The bodyguard let out a heartbroken cry.

"I was going to spare your life, but what you said just now changed my mind," Lu Qing said, turning around after killing Young Master Zheng.

"Were you also present when this scum tortured and killed those girls?"

"Are you taking revenge for those brothel girls and targeting my young master because of them?" The bodyguard asked, dazed.

"That's right. Isn't this reason enough?"

The bodyguard fell silent.

He wanted to say, "No, of course not!

Those lowly people, with their humble identities, even if there were a thousand or ten thousand of them, they still wouldn't amount to the worth of our young master!"

But he also knew that Lu Qing was asking because, in his eyes, this reason was already sufficient.

So, he remained silent.

However, even though he didn't speak, Lu Qing could tell from his expression that he had gotten the answer he wanted.

Lu Qing sneered, "It seems I was right. Since that's the case, you can join your young master."

A piercing sound cut through the air as another pebble was launched from Lu Qing's hand, aimed directly at the bodyguard's head.

Pu!

A muffled sound rang out as a bloody hole appeared between the eyebrows of the Zheng family bodyguard, causing his body to shake and his eyes to glaze over. He fell heavily to the ground, his life force dissipating.

After dealing with the bodyguard, Lu Qing didn't linger and slowly made his way into the building.

As he passed by the corpse of one of the Internal Organs Realm assassins who had ambushed him, he kicked the assassin's temple.

The corpse, which should have been dead, suddenly opened its eyes wide.

The assassin's eyes were filled with disbelief, as if he couldn't believe that his act of feigning death had been seen through by Lu Qing so easily.

However, Lu Qing remained calm and unfazed.

Although the assassin's Tortoise Breath Feign Death technique was quite profound, it was glaringly obvious under Lu Qing's soul perception, not to mention his unique ability.

Even a Precelestial Realm cultivator wouldn't be able to hide their aura from him, let alone a mere Internal Organs Realm cultivator.

After finishing off the feigning assassin, Lu Qing continued towards the inner part of the building.

He had already killed all the Internal Organs Realm warriors in the fort.

But he had no intention of letting the remaining Seven Killing Tower members off the hook.

The slaughter continued.

Two quarter-hours later, when Lu Qing left the Lovebird Fort, the entire place was littered with corpses.

Using his soul perception, he had searched for and killed all the remaining Seven Killing Tower assassins in the fort.

Among those who had come to indulge in pleasure, he also casually killed those who were guilty of heinous crimes.

He even discovered a treasure vault and happily looted it.

After doing all this, Lu Qing left without hesitation.

As for the remaining people in the fort, such as the enslaved women, if they weren't foolish, they should have taken the opportunity to escape by now.

Lu Qing had already helped them break free from this den of vice.

What happened next was up to their own fate.

"Indeed, my heart has become much colder."

On the hillside, as Lu Qing watched the panicked crowd fleeing the fort, a self-mocking expression appeared on his face.

If it had been the Lu Qing who had just arrived in this world, seeing those pitiful women, he would have tried to find a way to help them find a safe place.

Just as he had done in Happy Fort.

But now, looking at the chaotic crowd below, his heart remained unmoved.

Because he knew that such incidents were all too common in this world.

The world was like this, and with just his sole power, what could he possibly change?

"In the end, it's because my strength is too weak."

"Only those with weak strength would hesitate and consider the consequences of their actions."

"If I had the power to stand alone at the top, I could do whatever I wanted, following my heart's desire, without fearing anyone's judgment."

His gaze drifted upwards to the starry sky.

The next moment, his figure disappeared from where he stood.

Several quarter-hours later, Lu Qing stopped in a mountain valley.

"As expected, without the Earthwalk Charm's boost, traveling consumes much more energy."

Lu Qing's consciousness sank into the space between his eyebrows.

The yellow light group representing the Earthwalk Charm had disappeared.

Just now, after rushing for another 200 li, the Earthwalk Charm's power had been completely depleted by Lu Qing.

Without the charm's boost, his body felt "heavy" again, and traveling was naturally slower and more cumbersome.

"It's true that it's easier to get used to luxury than to get used to frugality." Lu Qing sighed.

Having gotten accustomed to the lightness and speed of traveling with the charm's boost, he now felt awkward and slow traveling with his own two feet.

Looking around, he found a dry, large stone and sat down cross-legged on it.

After calming his mind and energy for a while, he formed hand seals and began to condense a charm.

With the experience of his previous success, it took Lu Qing less time to condense the Earthwalk Charm this time—less than a quarter-hour.

With a slight movement of his spell, he stored the Earthwalk Charm into the space between his eyebrows.

"Look," Lu Qing smiled with satisfaction as he watched the charm transform into a ball of light.

It wasn't that he didn't want to condense more Earthwalk Charms for future use.

But with his current soul strength, there was a limit to the number of charms his soul charm could handle.

At most, he could only store five charms, and only one of them could be of the same attribute.

Any more than that would be beyond his capacity.

If he wanted to store and control more charms, he would need to further break through his soul strength.

Sensing the light group in his acupoint, Lu Qing's mind moved, and that strange power reappeared, making his body feel lighter.

He smiled faintly and pushed off the ground, once again rushing towards home.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end