novelNext Destination, The Huangfu Family!
| ← Ch.316 | Ch.318 → |
The Hua family were well-known for their prowess in the field of medicine. However, in the previous century, their reputation had steadily been on the decline.
Their hope had thus been placed in Hua Jingya, the new talent. In fact, they even encouraged her to become Divine Doctor Rong's apprentice. Who would've thought that the moment she left the family would be the last time they'd ever see her. Another part of the reason why the family was so impoverished and desperate could be attributed to the Huangfu family's sanctions.
A few days ago, Hua Youlin returned alone, which sent shockwaves through the Hua family.
This mainly was due to the fact that his return symbolized the return of the acupuncture technique, unique to the Hua family alone. After a round of assessment by Hua Zihou, it was discovered that Hua Youlin's skill had reached its peak. It wasn't just that, the methods he used, the school of thought he subscribed to was hard to comprehend for the lesser skilled members of his family.
The Hua family was thrilled. What they did not expect, however, was that the Huangfu family would soon face an existential threat.
For now, nearly every member of his family was rounded up and locked inside the hall of their very own dwelling.
"Youlin, the Huangfu family have said that as long as you invite that Miss Gu over, they'll let us go immediately. Why aren't you calling her then?" The one urging Hua Youlin to make the call was Zhang Si, a daughter-in-law of his family. She had an infant in her arms that appeared to be no more than a couple of months old. With bloodshot eyes, she glared down at Hua Youlin.
The rest of his family followed suit after Zhang Si made her demand.
Everything didn't matter when one was staring right into the eyes of death. Even though Hua Youlin had transformed into a completely different person since his return to the family. Yes, his skill was terrifyingly well-honed but at this point, what's left on their minds was the struggle for survival. Hua Youlin bowed his head. He brushed his fingers gently across the golden tortoise that hung on his neck. Looking up at Zhang Si, he snickered."Whether you live or die, it does not concern me."
"Say something, Great Elder!" Zhang Si had no choice but to go down the path of indirect warfare, by using the great elder as her leverage.
The great elder's head shrank into his shoulders as he trembled in fear. It was true. He had instructed some goons to beat up Hua Youlin back in the Imperial Capital but his plan was foiled when Gu Xiqiao intervened. After that, he had been shoved around by the powerful forces that ruled the capital. Amidst the struggle, their family had sustained considerable damage. Now, the mere mention of Gu Xiqiao's name was enough to make him tremble uncontrollably.
"Alright, stop it." Hua Zihou's brows furrowed when he noticed Zhang Si's reaction."These people we're facing are no ordinary people, do you not understand that?!"
Sensing Hua Zihou's growing impatience, Zhang Si kept her mouth shut. Still, she continued giving Hua Youlin the evil eye.
Hua Zihou let out a sigh. He pointed at Hua Youlin's broken finger and peeled his eyelids open to get a good look at the injury."Are you alright, Youlin?"
"I'm fine, Uncle." Hua Youlin shook his head and his facial expression remained unchanging.
"Listen to me Youlin." Hua Zihou lowered his voice."You are the last sliver of hope for our family. I absolutely cannot tolerate any harm done unto you. Their search for Miss Gu is a clear indicator of how capable she is. You need to send her a message, tell her to come to your rescue. That shouldn't be too hard, no?"
"Uncle, you don't understand." Hua Youlin's voice was equally as calm."Sister Gu is incredibly strong. Everything that is happening and shall happen in the future, is already part of her calculation. However, she cannot locate where I am right now. What does that mean you might ask? Well, it means that the people binding us here possess the capability of dodging her consciousness. Whoever they are, they're stronger than her."
"Youlin, I believe that fate is on your side. From what you're saying, I have faith that this Miss Gu should be able to come up with a rescue plan." Hua Zihou balled up his fist tightly.
Hua Youlin stared down at the floor."Sister Gu is only a couple of years older than me, but she's miles ahead of me in every aspect. She's insanely talented. You probably know about the ancient martial arts world, right? She's a normal person but she was able to sweep them off their feet as an outsider. Her personality may seem a little cold but she cares deeply for her friends. If she knew what happened to me, she'd definitely go after our captors in revenge. Still, we can't deny that they're stronger than her. It's pretty clear why they asked me to call her over—they want her to come with her guard down. The pressure she's bearing on her shoulders is already plenty enough. I will absolutely not let her walk into such a trap!"
"But, if things go on at this rate, you'll die!" Hua Zihou looked into Hua Youlin's eyes."Don't you fear death?"
"If not for her, I'd be dead a long time ago." Hua Youlin was surprisingly calm when he responded to his uncle's question.
Hua Zihou stared at Hua Youlin, with no idea what else he could say. For some unknown reason, the way in which the boy was acting shocked him. If... a big IF, the Hua family was to survive this ordeal, there was no doubt that they would soon regain their former glory.
What a shame, time was running out. Hua Youlin lowered his gaze, which had a hint of melancholy to them.
Nightfall.
The clear panel was still up in front of Gu Xiqiao's face. On it was Hua Youlin's statistics, his vigor had already dropped below 50%!
Very well!
Gu Xiqiao's gaze was stone cold.
In the next instant, she appeared right in front of the main entrance to the Hua residence. Still standing in the void, her ink-dark hair floated in the air as if she was underwater. The cold aura of a killer was so strong that the air pressure in her surroundings plummeted.
"Who are you?" The two armed guards watching the entrance raised their weapons as they kept their eyes glued onto Gu Xiqiao.
She raised her right arm lightly and next to her appeared two golden needles.
There wasn't enough time for them to react when the projectiles plunged into their bodies. Their eyes were wide open as they stared at Gu Xiqiao in horror.
However, her eyes were already on the main entrance instead of them.
Bang! The door swung open forcefully despite how there wasn't a single breeze blowing in the air.
Step by step, she patiently walked into the compound.
Behind her, the men slumped onto the ground lifelessly.
"Sister Gu!" Hua Youlin's expression changed the moment Gu Xiqiao entered his vision. With a panicky voice, he yelled out, "Why did you come? Leave while you can!"
Gu Xiqiao only focused her eyes on the injuries Hua Youlin had sustained. Her face darkened. The murderous intent she had was so strong that it almost congealed into a physical state.
The sight of her made the people of the Hua family seal their mouths shut. They were initially curious about the Sister Gu that Hua Youlin frequently mentioned. Now that they saw her, they were so intimidated that they had forgotten how to speak.
"Tell me, who's responsible for this?" Gu Xiqiao's voice was cold, almost hostile. It was the side of her that Hua Youlin had never seen before.
Hua Youlin did not care that much about that."It's fine, let's just leave, Sister Gu."
"Tell me, " Gu Xiqiao's line of sight shifted over to Hua Zihou."Not a single word less. Tell me everything you know."
Hua Youlin peered at Hua Zihou nervously. Of all the time, he chose to keep his mouth shut now? He watched in horror as Hua Zihou's lips remained still.
"It's the Huangfu family. They seem to be working together with a powerful figure." Finally, Hua Zihou was able to answer Gu Xiqiao. His body visibly shuddered as he spoke."Those people, they are like ghosts. They rounded us up and interrogated Youlin, forcing him to spit out your information."
"What about his injuries?" Gu Xiqiao questioned.
"It's the Huangfu family. How could we, a bunch of regular humans put up a fight against them? Half of our people have betrayed us, and Youlin was the first to be captured. They don't care about us, regular humans. Just look at how heavy-handed they were when they interrogated Youlin." Hua Zihou wiped a tear off the corner of his eye.
How could they possibly even resist the capture of those people?!
Gu Xiqiao nodded. Her next question cut straight to the chase.
What he said was true. From their perspective, the Hua family amounted to nothing. Killing one of them was the same as squashing an ant to death. If not for Hua Youlin, who would potentially reveal her identity, they probably would never even bother dirtying their hands, handling the Hua family for even a second.
Because, they weren't worth their attention!
She clenched her fist tightly. Gu Xiqiao started thinking about the suffering of the Hua family, and more specifically, Hua Youlin had been put through because of her.
"Powerful figure? The Huangfu family?" asked Gu Xiqiao.
"Sister Gu!" Hua Youlin's anxiety was rising. It was at this moment that he realized that he could speak again."I'm fine, I really am. Those people are waiting for you to walk right into their trap. You must avoid taking the bait at all costs!"
"That's right Miss Gu." Hua Zihou wore a somber expression."You leave with Youlin. At the very least, the Hua family wouldn't be wiped out completely."
"Little Hua, know that this is all because of my fault." Gu Xiqiao peered down at Hua Youlin."I should've at least let you see how strong Peace Manor has become now."
"Sister Gu..." Hua Youlin's expression changed one more time."You need to think more rationally now!"
"Boom!" Right after he said that ten men suddenly appeared in the hall.
All of them were wearing a suit of black armor. They had burly figures and one could practically smell their bloodlust. Their eyes were as sharp as knives; it was clear that these people lived their lives constantly on the razor's edge!
Hua Zihou and the rest of his family were horrified when they saw these people pop up out of nowhere. These men were the source of their nightmares for the past two days.
"That is the person our boss is looking for, " said one of them as he pointed at Gu Xiqiao."Should we report this to him?"
"Take her out immediately." ordered the leader of the team. It was clear that he viewed humans as the same as ants."Her, and the rest of the people here. We'll torch this place once the job's done. Let's keep things clean!"
"Understood!"
These men were quite obviously used to carrying out such tasks. Taking a human life was the same as drinking water or eating bread in their eyes. After all, no one from the secular world had the means to stop them from doing so.
Gu Xiqiao knew in the blink of the eye, just how arrogant these bastards were when she heard their response.
"Don't kill us!" Zhang Si got on her knees and begged with her baby in her arms."I have nothing to do with Hua Youlin, so don't kill me please!"
"Spare our lives!" pleaded another member of the Hua family.
Too bad, these men did not care about the lives of regular humans. They raised their blades around which a dark mist swirled, up into the air. Just as the blade was about to be brought down onto their heads—
The ten of them stared in horror at the golden needles that appeared in front of their eyes. These needles had the thickness of a human finger and wrapped around it was a layer of purple electric sparks!
It was strange, how they suddenly came out of nowhere. The needles moved so fast there were visible afterimages that followed their trajectories. These projectiles pierced straight through their hearts and went cleanly out their backs, leaving no bloodstains whatsoever.
The ten needles returned to Gu Xiqiao's side. The mixture of golden and purple hues projected a pure white light onto her face.
Drip, drip!
Fresh blood trickled down from the cavity in their chest onto the floor.
The hall was dead silent. The members of the Hua family who were begging for mercy froze up. The men who they thought were unfathomably powerful were now... dead?
They were stunned!
It appears that this young lady was no simple woman. She took down her foes in less than a second!
Good heavens! Just what sort of person is she?!
Thud!
Thud!
Ten dull thuds could be heard as the ten-man death squad slumped onto the ground lifelessly.
Gu Xiqiao glanced indifferently at their corpses. These men were nothing but minions; the battle was far from over!
"Jiji, lead Little Hua and these people away from here, " ordered Gu Xiqiao while walking exiting the compound."Bring them to the Wei family."
Jiji nodded before turning to face the Hua family.
Hua Zihou's voice was trembling."Miss Gu, y-you... don't tell me you're still thinking about bringing the fight to them? You absolutely mustn't do that. These men that you have killed are incredibly powerful. God knows who else you might face over there." Hua Youlin's words were still fresh in his mind. If it really was as he had said, that the person behind this plot was stronger than Gu Xiqiao, he feared that she would march right towards her death.
"Sister Gu." Hua Youlin tugged Gu Xiqiao's shirt. He peered up at her, telling her not to go with his eyes.
Gu Xiqiao responded by patting Hua Youlin's head, after which he lost his consciousness. She proceeded to push the boy into Hua Zihou's arms."Help me look after him."
She stormed out of the entrance upon saying that.
"Stop acting so impulsively!" advised Hua Zihou when he noticed how furious Gu Xiqiao was when she left. He caught up with her and continued rambling on, "Youlin's right. Those people are deliberately doing this to lure you into their trap. They probably have some sort of card up their sleeve."
He finally understood what Hua Youlin meant when he described Gu Xiqiao as 'stubborn'. She really was just that. Despite knowing that she was marching straight into a trap, she could not be held back, even by the combined strength of ten oxen.
It was at this moment that a stream of light flashed above his head. A number of figures descended from the sky and within mere seconds, a team was stationed beyond the entrance of the compound. That was followed by an explosion of chi so strong that it stirred up the dry leaves on the ground.
"Greetings Miss!"
This voice made Hua Zihou and the rest of his family hold their breaths. Even though they were regular human beings, the aura coming off from their bodies was so strong that even they could sense it. The faces of the Hua family members turned pale out of fear as if they had just seen a ghost."T-These are the powerful figures I was talking about. They must've come here together with the men from before. They've come. They've finally come..."
Hua Zihou's words sparked fear among his family.
Over the past few days, they experienced firsthand just how great the disparity of strength was between a regular human and these people. Any one of them could kill them with just the tip of their finger; to them, finishing off the Hua family was the same as killing a bunch of helpless ants!
They could not even fend against a single one of them, what more to say of a hundred of them.
And so, how could Hua Zihou not be fearful of what he was seeing?
He was suddenly given a grim reminder of how insignificant his family actually was!
"Miss Gu!" yelled Hua Zihou when he realized that instead of running away, Gu Xiqiao was striding towards their supposed enemy.
Gu Xiqiao ignored his cries as she continued moving forwards."Team 1 to 3, escort Jiji to the Wei family and make sure their family stays out of trouble. The rest of you, follow my lead!" Her voice was cold, so cold that it could be felt down to the bone."After messing around for so long, it's time for you guys to unveil your strength!"
Sensing the anger in Gu Xiqiao's voice, the Peacekeepers unleashed their chi to its fullest potential.
Half of the night sky above Mingzhou was illuminated as a result!
All of them had a gut feeling that tonight was going to be a sleepless night!
"Understood!" Their booming voices echoed through the air.
Immediately, seven separate teams trailed behind Gu Xiqiao and moved across the sky, towards the horizon.
Their next destination, Huangfu Manor!
The members of the Hua family suddenly felt their mind go blank. It felt as if their sense of reality had become fragmented.
They couldn't believe their ears. These men... were subordinates of Gu Xiqiao?
The 'miss' they had mentioned, it was her?
Hua Zihou started seeing stars circling above his head. At this point, he no longer had any idea what to say anymore.
In the next moment, the people of the Hua family watched in horror as the aura of every member of the Peacekeepers grew stronger. They could tell, using their primitive senses that these men were as strong as the ten men Gu Xiqiao had just taken down.
Those who showed nothing but discontent for Hua Youlin upon his return were significantly more affected than say, Hua Zihou. Their faces were completely drained of color. They had no idea that Hua Youlin had such close connections to people such as Gu Xiqiao or the Peacekeepers.
Zhang Si and the elder of their family felt their legs buckle underneath their weight.
Gu Xiqiao was already plenty strong. Who would've thought that there would be an army of such men under her command?!
A hundred of them! According to what Hua Zihou told them, it sounded like these men had a stronghold in the ancient martial arts world. And in spite of this, they still had the intention to bully Hua Youlin? These people were drenched in a cold sweat. Fortunately, they had yet to exact their plans on Hua Youlin. Otherwise, God knows what would happen to them!
"It's my first time seeing Miss Gu being so pissed off, " said one of the members of team 3. He walked up to Jiji and coincidentally discovered the state which Hua Youlin was in. His expression changed instantly."Little Hua! N-No wonder! No wonder she's so pissed!"
After invoking her fury, it would require a bloodbath for Mingzhou to cleanse themselves of this wrong they have committed!
| ← Ch. 316 | Ch. 318 → |