Chapter 191: Treading on the Earth, Shaking the Ground

Chapter 191: Treading on the Earth, Shaking the Ground

Cao Manor.

Tonight, the manor was brightly lit and bustling with people.

It was the 50th birthday celebration of the Cao family's patriarch.

As the number one family in Luoshui County, the patriarch's birthday naturally attracted many guests.

Moreover, the patriarch had a talented son, Cao Rong, who had just turned thirty and was already at the peak of the Seventh Stage Martial Dao. No one dared to offend the patriarch of the Cao family for the sake of his son's achievements.

In the future, if Cao Rong were to advance further in his martial arts and official rank, he would instantly become an untouchable figure, rising to the level of a Seventh Rank County Governor.

Military power was also a true form of authority.

On this joyous occasion for the Cao family, several dozen men had silently gathered in an alley not far from the manor.

It was already deep into the night, and darkness had long descended.

In the distance, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled, accompanied by the sound of wind and rain, over the lake.

The mighty display of nature's power concealed the movements of the dozens of men.

The dark clouds further obscured the moon, casting an even darker shadow over the night.

"Commander Jiang, do we need to go in?" a middle-aged man with a square jaw, standing next to Jiang Ning, asked.

This man was the second-in-command of the City Guard, tasked with assisting Jiang Ning on this mission.

Jiang Ning replied, "No need! Please, Deputy Official Liu, have your men surround the manor and ensure no one escapes!"

"I'll do my best!" the square-jawed man said.

Jiang Ning nodded slightly and then turned to the three captains behind him.

Xie Xiaojiu, Ran Hongmei, and Feng Jiuge.

These three captains had brought a total of thirty men.

Although ordinary Inspector Guards were typically of the Ninth Stage, among these thirty men, there were also several of the Eighth Stage.

With their combined strength, along with Xie Xiaojiu, Ran Hongmei, and Feng Jiuge's peak Eighth Stage abilities, they were a force to be reckoned with in Luoshui County, not to be taken lightly by any power.

Moreover, with the even more powerful and influential Jiang Ning leading them, no one dared to underestimate this group.

However, despite their strength, Jiang Ning dared not be complacent.

According to the information provided by Hong Minghu, the Cao family was connected to the Idolatry Sect and might even be one of their bases.

This news made Jiang Ning cautious.

He didn't know the full extent of the Idolatry Sect's power, but he had witnessed the strange and formidable transformation of Shi Xiaoyuan into an Eighth Stage martial artist.

Not only did Shi Xiaoyuan's strength and speed increase significantly, but his physical body also became virtually indestructible.

And this was just an Eighth Stage martial artist.

If someone at the Seventh Stage were to receive blessings from the gods of the Idolatry Sect, how powerful would they become?

Anyone or anything connected to the divine should not be underestimated.

Jiang Ning was naturally vigilant about this mission.

The so-called Seventh Stage martial artist of the Cao family was nothing to him; he could handle it.

After all, the patriarch was an elderly man in decline.

But the members of the Idolatry Sect were the ones he truly feared.

"Sir, shall we make our move now?" Feng Jiuge asked, seeing Jiang Ning's stillness.

Jiang Ning raised his hand and said, "Wait a moment!"

He looked up at the clouds behind the manor.

The heavy rain that had started over the Luo River had now spread to Luoshui County.

This was the second major rainfall in the past few months, also orchestrated by Jiang Ning.

In the water, his strength increased manifold.

The rain, being water, was part of his plan.

Soon, the dark clouds that had been approaching Luoshui County reached above the manor, and a torrential downpour began.

The entire Cao Manor was instantly engulfed in the heavy rain.

Numerous torches were extinguished in an instant.

"Let's go!" Jiang Ning waved his hand.

The next moment, he led the team out of the alley.

Dozens of men surged out behind him.

At the same time.

Tweet!

Deputy Official Liu put two fingers in his mouth and blew, producing a piercing whistle that echoed through the clouds.

Dozens of men who had been hiding nearby emerged one after another.

"Who are you?" The four bodyguard martial artists guarding the manor's entrance, upon seeing Jiang Ning and his group, immediately became alert.

At the same time.

Cao Manor's backyard.

"Retreat! Quick, retreat!" The Cao family's patriarch, who had just disappeared from the banquet, now appeared in the backyard.

They had just received a secret message from outside.

The Inspection Office was about to take action against the Cao family, and they had discovered that one of the Idolatry Sect's bases was located within the Cao family.

Upon learning this, the patriarch was shocked.

He then quietly left the banquet with several core members of the family.

Under the sudden heavy rain, the important figures of the Cao family gathered in the backyard.

They then opened the entrance to the secret passage.

This secret passage led directly outside the city walls, a secret escape route established by generations of the Cao family.

After learning that the Inspection Office had taken action, they realized there was no room for hesitation or negotiation.

Hong Minghu, known for his fierce and domineering personality, led the Idolatry Sect, which had become the primary target of the Inspection Office.

And now, the Inspection Office needed a target to demonstrate its authority in Luoshui County.

The Cao family found themselves in the crosshairs of the Inspection Office, and there was no way this would end well.

Understanding this, the head of the Cao family wasted no time and immediately notified some important members of the family to gather in the rear yard, leading them through the secret passage to escape.

As for the others, they were left to delay Jiang Ning and his men outside.

At this moment, the entrance to the secret passage had already been opened, and as the heavy rain poured down, several young members of the Cao family, some bewildered, some confused, and others terrified by the circumstances, all displayed different expressions.

However, urged by their elders, they hurriedly dove into the passage.

Among them was Cao Zijian, also a member of the Inspection Office.

Within just a few breaths, the over a dozen people originally gathered in the rear yard had all entered the passage.

The torrential rain outside provided the perfect cover for their escape, masking any sounds they might make.

From the front yard to the rear, it seemed like no one noticed the changes occurring in the Cao family's rear yard.

But at the entrance of the Cao Manor, a pair of eyes, like an omniscient observer, saw through the rain and mist, using his powerful senses to clearly perceive everything happening in the rear yard.

As the mist entered the passage, he also clearly detected everything happening within.

His gaze suddenly sharpened.

"Indeed, there's an Idolatry Sect stronghold!" Jiang Ning thought to himself.

Jiang Ning let out a loud shout, his deep voice, empowered by the essence stored in his organs, instantly drowned out the howling wind and rain.

"Jiang Ning of the Inspection Office, by order, is here to arrest all 385 members of the Cao family. Those who resist or obstruct will be killed without mercy!"

His words echoed like rolling thunder, instantly reverberating throughout the entire Cao Manor.

The four bodyguard martial artists guarding the manor's entrance were shocked by Jiang Ning's declaration.

"Go! Those who resist will be killed!" Jiang Ning shouted as he rushed into the manor.

He couldn't afford to waste any time, as he could clearly sense the group in the underground passage moving swiftly.

In a matter of moments, they would be beyond his reach.

Just then, Jiang Ning's voice boomed.

The entire Cao Manor erupted in commotion, especially in the main hall, where guests from various factions, invited by the Cao family head, were stunned by Jiang Ning's presence.

"Jiang Ning? Is it really him?"

"The Inspection Office is taking action against the Cao family, and it's Jiang Ning leading the charge. Is he settling a personal score?"

"Of course! Don't forget that the Cao family once wronged Jiang Ning. Now that he's risen to prominence, it's not unusual for him to seek revenge."

"That's right! With his youth and pride, how could he tolerate the Cao family's past bullying? If not for Shen Congyun's intervention and protection, Jiang Ning might not have survived the day Cao Rong took action."

"..."

The numerous Cao family members, upon hearing Jiang Ning's declaration, immediately began whispering among themselves.

As natives of Luoshui County, they were well aware of the history between Jiang Ning and the Cao family.

"Before Jiang Ning's rise, Cao Bin had already wronged Jiang Ning. Later, it even escalated to Cao Rong's intervention.

If not for Wang Jin's timely appearance and Shen Congyun's subsequent involvement, Jiang Ning's growth might have been stunted."

Bang!

Someone suddenly sprang into action, rushing out of the main hall.

"Let's go! Follow Cao Bin and see what's happening!"

"Alright, but we'll need to stay out of the way later!"

"..."

Amidst the whispers, the crowd began moving towards the front yard of the Cao Manor.

In the front yard, Jiang Ning quickly located the direction of the underground passage.

With his exceptional hearing, he could even discern that there were thirty-four people in the passage below.

Jiang Ning quickly formulated a plan.

He rushed to a corner of the front yard's main hall.

In the corner, a section of the underground passage was visible.

Just then, a loud shout echoed, "Jiang Ning!!!" and Cao Zijian appeared before Jiang Ning.

"You traitor! Settling personal scores and breaking your word!" Cao Zijian shouted, reaching out to grab Jiang Ning's collar.

A black sword hilt, like a serpent emerging from its lair, appeared in Jiang Ning's hand, and Cao Zijian was sent flying, crashing into a corner of the front yard.

At this moment, the crowd that had just exited the hall witnessed the intimidating arrival of the Qianyuan group.

They saw more than twenty people, all dressed in standard-issue black robes.

Upon seeing this, they instantly understood that these individuals were from the Inspection Office.

Each one of them was at least a Ninth Stage Martial Dao practitioner.

As for Jiang Ning and Xie Xiaojiu, they were dressed casually.

This was the freedom afforded to the team leader and deputy commander.

"The Cao family is in trouble! A deputy commander, three team leaders, and three teams are mobilized. It's going to be tough for the Cao family to get through this!"

"Yeah! It's going to be tough!"

"Brother Xie, isn't that your ninth daughter? You married the Cao family's third daughter. Why don't you go plead with your daughter?"

Hearing these words, a middle-aged man in the crowd glanced at the speaker with a faint look and said, "Do you think I'm crazy?"

At this time, in the front yard of the Cao Manor.

Seeing Xie Xiaojiu's move, which sent Cao Bin flying, Jiang Ning nodded slightly.

Then, he immediately lifted his right leg, gathering the power from his entire body, and the mighty force surged within him.

Boom—

He stomped his right leg forcefully downward.

This kick was not just a mere ten thousand pounds.

In an instant, the ground shook, the earth collapsed, and the soil churned.

The thick green bricks cracked, and with Jiang Ning's foot as the center, the surrounding area rose high.

The surroundings resembled the writhing of an earth dragon.

The crowd swayed, and the nearby buildings also trembled, with dust and debris flying.

As they steadied themselves, their expressions were filled with shock.

"What's he doing?" Someone swallowed hard, still unable to conceal their astonishment.

With one kick, the earth shook as if an earth dragon was writhing.

"Is this still a human?" Someone spoke in a near-whisper, expressing their disbelief.

This kick instantly shattered their perceptions.

Although there weren't many Eighth Stage Martial Dao practitioners, there were still quite a few in Luoshui County with such strength.

However, they had never seen or imagined that an Eighth Stage Martial Dao practitioner could cause an earthquake and make the ground collapse with just a stomp.

And at this moment, in the secret passage.

The group, who had been hurrying along the passage, suddenly stopped in their tracks.

Looking at the broken wooden boards above the passage and the supporting wood on the walls starting to twist and deform, their faces paled.

Just then, Jiang Ning gathered all his strength for another kick.

After entering the Seventh Stage Martial Dao, not only had his physical qualities slightly improved, but his explosive power had increased significantly.

Therefore, each kick now carried far more explosive power than it had several days ago, at least by several tenths.

When this kick landed—

Boom—

The crowd felt the earth shake, and the ground collapse became more apparent.

Spiderweb cracks spread again, and stones flew.

Everyone quickly steadied themselves and dodged.

Crack—

Just then, a beam in the hall snapped.

In the secret passage, the wooden supports holding up the passage could no longer bear the force and broke with a loud crash, and falling rocks immediately tumbled down.

"Not good!"

"Someone above wants the passage to collapse!"

An elder with a prominently protruding forehead spoke up.

Immediately, another booming sound echoed from above.

The passage went crazy under this force.

The people in the passage had just steadied themselves, but now they swayed again.

Then,

Boom—

Boom—

One kick after another.

Dust flew, the ground collapsed, and the thick green bricks had long turned into rubble.

The Cao Manor's hall in front also had its beams broken, starting to collapse, with bricks, tiles, and wood continuously falling.

"Quick, quick, quick! Let's get out of here first." Someone shouted.

The crowd, with their bodies swaying, rushed out of the Cao Manor.

Although they would get drenched in the rain outside, how could they not run with the hall looking like it was about to collapse?

Boom—

With Jiang Ning gathering all his strength for another kick, he also mobilized the Inner Breath from his Dantian.

With the Inner Breath's empowerment, this kick unleashed even more terrifying explosive power.

Boom, boom, boom—

In the passage, stones tumbled, the passage collapsed, and the falling rocks completely blocked the entire passage.

Jiang Ning's body also sank half a zhang into the collapsing ground.

Immediately,

He leaped from the collapsed ground, landing lightly in front of the crowd.

At this moment, he was fully focused on the exposed passage entrance below.

In his perception, there were still thirty-four people in the passage, including more than ten from the Cao family and more than ten others.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end