73 Massacre In All Directions

Jun Zhan Tian’s resolve was steely and his entire being was radiating with murderous intent. He left the military stage and headed towards his horse. There were a few places that he wanted to go to, where he must personally witness it burning to the ground. Only then would he be able to comfort his grandson’s ‘soul in Heaven’!

Suddenly, a chunk of the dark night moved and a figure that seemed even darker than the night materialized out of nowhere. Even though this figure was standing right before them, no one was able to discern the features on its face.

"Shadow? Why are you here? Did His Majesty send you?" Jun Zhan Tian raised his head and asked.

"This is a gift from His Majesty," Shadow raised his hand and a piece of white paper floated towards Jun Zhan Tian. A smile seemed to appear on the blurred face and he had a peculiar and terrifying voice. The voice transformed into an invisible thread, which crept into Jun Zhan Tian’s ears. "His Majesty said that your grandson should still be alive! His Majesty also wanted me to tell you this word: Moderation!"

The voice of the shadow emphasized specifically on the word "moderation". His voice was hoarse and seemed to be laced with unwillingness, as though he was not accustomed to speaking so much.

"Mo Xie is alive?" Jun Zhan Tian was elated as he suddenly remembered the person he had entrusted Mo Xie with: Is it possible that he had saved my grandson? Jun Zhan Tian took a step forward and asked anxiously, "Shadow, is my grandson’s injury severe?"

Shadow had already turned around and was ready to leave as if he did not want to stay any longer. Even though the person before him was the most powerful general within the military forces, he was not interested in lingering any longer then he needed to. Upon hearing Jun Zhan Tian’s question, he reluctantly answered, "Still alive, heavily injured!" Shadow shook his head as his spoke and gazed at Jun Wu Yi who was beside Jun Zhan Tian. He huffed and was gone in the next instant.

The spark of hope that had started to kindle within Jun Zhan Tian was immediately extinguished as if a pot of cold water had been poured over him! Jun Zhan Tian was paralyzed with shock. Shadow seemed to be sending a message when he gazed at Jun Wu Yi like that - Even though Jun Mo Xie would not die from his injuries, his condition would not be any better than Jun Wu Yi.

Jun Zhan Tian’s emotionless heart had just begun to turn warm again, but was now frigid cold! Is the only heir of my Jun Family going to end up a cripple? The thought swirled continuously around Jun Zhan Tian’s mind, as he became extremely enraged!

If he was correct, those who would always go against his grandson were the Meng and Li Families!

F*ck your grannies! I don’t care if you people have anything to do with today’s events! I will kill all of you! Consider today your unlucky day!

Jun Zhan Tian let out a stream of expletives in his heart. He jumped up onto his horse, gritted his teeth and cried out, "Soldiers, follow me! We are going on a raid!"

… Shadow had not intended to send that kind of ‘message’ to Grandpa Jun when he glanced at Jun Wu Yi. He had a different reason altogether in his mind…

The night was bound to become a bloody one!

Jun Zhan Tian’s furor would encase the entire empire in a torrent of blood!

In the empire, warhorses were seen galloping to and fro. One by one, the residences of numerous high-ranking officials were set on fire. The sound of weapons clashing and people screaming miserably filled the air.

Before Shadow had appeared, countless of men clad in black had already started to move about in the darkness. Like ghosts, they infiltrated the residences of court officials…

Some of the residences did not even have the chance to resist, and the officials fell helplessly before their swords, splattering blood all over…

The Assistant Ministers of Justice, Meng Zhi Yu and Li Qiao, are members of the Meng and Li factions respectively. They are also supporters of the Eldest Prince. Under normal circumstances, they were already very hostile towards the Jun Family. Tonight, both their families were going to suffer greatly.

As the war drums boomed, several dark figures leaped into the residences of these two court officials. These men left a trail of blood behind them wherever they go, starting from the gatekeepers to the main hall and finally into their target’s bedrooms. The two pitiful court officials did not even have a chance to utter a word before their heads were chopped off. Thankfully, their family members were spared. However, the residences were soon set on fire, which blazed brilliantly throughout the night…

One of the current Imperial Censor, Tie Yan, had always been on bad terms with Jun Zhan Tian. His son had followed Jun Zhan Tian to war but had ended up breaking military laws and was thus beheaded. The incident had caused him to be infuriated for years. Upon hearing the sound of the war drums, Tie Yan thought it was finally his chance to strike down Jun Zhan Tian. He quickly got out of bed and got dressed before starting to work on an impeachment petition. Halfway through, his window suddenly shattered and several masked men charged in. They snatched up the unfinished impeachment petition, glimpsed at it and sneered. Rolling up the petition, they brutally stuffed it down the old man’s throat before proceeding to slash his neck. Even the petition was cut in half in the process!

Another Imperial Censor, Zhou Meng Cheng, had taken Jun Wu Yi’s position when Jun Wu Yi lost the war and ended up a cripple. Back then, he had accused Jun Wu Yi of being an inept commander, causing Jun Wu Yi to be dismissed from his military duties. When the war drums sounded, Zhou Meng Cheng was sleeping soundly with one of his concubines, having drunk some wine before he slept. The next thing he knew, he was snatched up, completely naked. His prized possession between his two legs was hacked off and he was then stabbed in the heart. The dead and naked Zhou Meng Cheng was hung on one of the great trees in his residence. His eyes, which had remained open, stared soullessly at the flames blazing through his residence…

Another two families, which were once part of the Jun Family’s faction but had changed sides and were now part of the Second Prince’s faction, felt a sense of trepidation upon hearing the Generals Summoning Drum. Qian Wan Guan and Wu Yun were acutely aware of how Jun Zhan Tian usually acts. Even though their residences were not near the city gates, they had decided wisely to leave the city immediately! They quickly gathered up some of their belongings and headed towards the city gates, planning to escape while they can and lay low. However, when they arrived at the city gates, they found themselves surrounded by an army!

The officer that was leading the soldiers immediately yelled out orders to catch the assassins, signaling for the archers to let loose their barrage. He did not give anyone the chance to explain themselves! At the South Gate, more than a hundred members of the Qian Family had become ‘porcupines’ from the arrows and their faces were unrecognizable…

At the West Gate, almost sixty members of the Wu Family were slaughtered and their bodies had turned into a bloody pulp. The corpses were then doused with oil and set alight. The stench of burning corpses rose up to the Nine Heavens…

Next to the corpses of both families, a tall wooden sign which state "Assassin’s Retribution!" was erected.

Another unfortunate Imperial Censor had roused in the middle of the night to use the toilet. The next day, he was found with his bare buttocks exposed to the air while his head was shoved deep into the excrement pit. One could only guess how long he had to suffocate before he died…

Tonight, these officials who held high positions had turned into a flock of lambs surrounded by a horde of ravenous wolves!

On this night, it seemed as if the apocalypse had descended upon the entire capital! The turbulent flames of Grandpa Jun Zhan Tian’s fury completely engulfed the capital! The extent of what ensued was beyond what His Majesty had expected. When His Majesty received the report, he became so livid that he started to smash anything he could lay his hands on…

The Jun Family’s secret forces rampaged about like a pack of barbaric ghosts. The chaos of the night and the staggering amount of bloodshed and death had shaken the prominent members of the empire. Many of them were badly hurt and everyone was scared out of their mind! Everyone had the same thought: What can they do against such a powerful force? Perhaps they should consider planning a new line of defense for their own homes.

This was especially true for the three Princes. Each of them had summoned their allies and called for an emergency meeting. The mighty forces of the Jun Family had ignited sparks of jealousy in them: If only they had that kind of power…

However, in the midst of their meeting, their residential palace was suddenly set ablaze. Next, numerous decapitated heads were thrown inside, staining the grounds with their blood. The three Princes were petrified and immediately commanded their palace guards to investigate. However, nothing was found. In addition, their attempts to search outside were obstructed by the patrolling soldiers…

Of course, there were some exceptions amongst the many big families. These exceptions include the Li Family, Meng Family and Song Family who had a sturdy foundation. When the masked men clad in black started their assault, these families’ experts quickly reacted to counteract the attacks. However, the fire attacks on their family continued…

In the secret chamber of the Li Family, several members of the family were tempted to head out after hearing the cries of the battle outside. One of them had on a white robe and was more than thirty years old. His face was cold and proud. A glance at him and one would be able to tell that he was the Sky Xuan expert that had killed Qin Hu in front of Old Master Tang Wan Li.

The door of the chamber opened and Young Master Li You Ran entered.

"You Ran, let me go out. Out of these all these masked men, the strongest one should only be at around the Jade Xuan level of cultivation. What is there to fear? Anyone of us here is powerful enough to stop them. I don’t understand, the attacks have already reached your own doorstep yet you choose to remain indifferent about it. Since these masked men have a death wish, let us fulfill it for them!" complained the white-robed man in indignation. He had always been arrogant and fearless. Since when did he turn into a coward that had to hide out in a secret place?