togophonebook Chapter 7 Thunder Begins
Chapter 7 Thunder Begins
When Chen Xuan returned to the Chen residence, it was already close to dusk.
Without disturbing anyone, he went straight to his grandfather Chen Zhan's study. Chen Zhan was staring intently at a yellowed map when Chen Xuan pushed open the door and entered; the worry in his eyes eased slightly.
"Xuan'er, where did you go today?"
"I went out for a walk and checked out the situation in the city," Chen Xuan replied casually.
"Have you received any news?"
"There were some gains, but it was more complicated than expected."
Chen Xuan sat down opposite him and recounted in detail what he had seen and heard during the day—the Poison Wolf Gang being mysteriously silenced, the appearance of unfamiliar faces in the city, being followed, and the Jianghu people with snake patterns embroidered on their sleeves.
Chen Zhan listened, his expression growing increasingly grave. When he heard "serpentine markings," he abruptly stood up, paced back and forth in the room, and said in a deep voice:
"Shadow Pavilion!"
"Grandpa knows about this organization?"
"I've only heard some scattered rumors."
Chen Zhan sat back in his chair, his expression complex.
"About twenty years ago, your father mentioned that a mysterious organization had appeared in the underworld, marked by a black snake. They acted in a secretive and ruthless manner, and specialized in shady dealings."
"Leaving aside Shadow Pavilion for now, it seems Black Wind Sect is about to make a move. How does Xuan'er plan to deal with it?"
"can not wait."
Chen Xuan said decisively, "The enemy is already mobilizing their troops. If we sit and wait for them to be fully prepared, we will be handing our lives over to others."
"As Sun Tzu's Art of War says, 'First make yourself invincible, then wait for the enemy to become vulnerable.' We must take the initiative and disrupt their plans."
"What do you want to do?"
Chen Xuan walked to the map and pointed to a spot in the west of the city: "The Poison Wolf Gang has been wiped out. The Black Wind Sect's headquarters is outside Qingyang City, so it's not a good time to take action for now. However, the Black Wind Sect still has a few henchmen in the city."
"The Seven Killings Society, the Blood Hand Gang, and their strongholds at the docks and gambling dens. My idea is—"
He traced his finger across the image:
"Starting tonight, we will eliminate these peripheral forces one by one. First, to clip their wings and weaken their strength; second, to send a warning to others; and third..."
He paused, a cold glint flashing in his eyes: "I want everyone in Qingyang City to see clearly what the fate will be for those who dare to offend the Chen family!"
Looking at his grandson's calm and resolute profile, Chen Zhan felt both gratified and heartbroken.
It is gratifying that the Chen family has a worthy successor, and such an outstanding one at that; it is heartbreaking that this young child has to shoulder such a heavy burden.
"Don't worry, Grandpa." Chen Xuan seemed to see through his thoughts, and his tone softened.
"My grandson knows what he's doing. There aren't many in Qingyang City who can harm me. Besides..."
With a slight thought, the words "Purge Qingyang" faintly appeared deep within his consciousness, and the four characters "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms" in the reward section shone brightly. It seemed that the "Purge Qingyang" mission was not only about eliminating the Black Wind Sect, but also about stripping them of their wings and eradicating Qingyang itself.
"Besides, my grandson also has things he must accomplish."
Chen Zhan said no more, only nodded emphatically:
"Okay! I'll take care of things at home, so you just need to go ahead and do your job. Just let me know if you need any manpower or supplies."
"No need," Chen Xuan shook his head.
"Having too many people involved will only make things worse. My grandson alone is enough."
That night, at midnight.
North of the city, the headquarters of the "Seven Killings Society".
Compared to the Poison Wolf Gang, which hides in filthy alleys, Wen Song, the leader of the Seven Killings Society, is clearly more particular.
The main hall is a three-courtyard building with white walls and black tiles, and even has several clumps of bamboo transplanted there, giving it a somewhat pretentious feel.
But tonight, this feigned "elegance" has been completely swept away by the chilling atmosphere.
Inside and outside the courtyard walls, there were several times more sentries, both visible and hidden, than usual. The cold glint of drawn swords occasionally flashed in the dim light of the lanterns.
All the guards stared wide-eyed, patrolling nervously, as if a ferocious beast might pounce out of the darkness at any moment.
The news of the Poison Wolf Gang's annihilation overnight has spread throughout the city like wildfire.
No one knows who that mysterious evil star's next target will be.
In the study in the back hall, Wen Song, dressed in a scholar's robe, was restless. A book lay open in front of him, but his gaze was unfocused, and his fingers tapped unconsciously on the table.
"Boss," a trusted henchman whispered.
"The brothers have everything arranged. Double guards have been added to the front and back gates, and barbed wire has been laid on the walls. Not even a mouse will be able to sneak in."
Wen Song hummed in response, his mind uneasy.
"Any new information from the Black Wind Gate?"
"Manager Lei sent word that we should be on high alert these next few days, and we'll make our decision once the sect leader and... and that 'Old Snake' arrive."
The leader hesitated for a moment, then said, "Boss, about the Poison Wolf Gang..."
"Shut up!" Wen Song hissed, his face pale.
"Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask! Just focus on your own work!"
He was actually more terrified. A ruthless character like Tu Laosan was gone just like that, without even a ripple.
When did such a killing god arrive in Qingyang City?
"despair."
A very faint sound, like a tile loosening, came from the eaves above.
"Who?!" Wen Song and the leader both changed color and looked up abruptly.
Almost the instant they looked up, the tightly closed carved wooden window in the study, along with its frame, suddenly and silently caved in and shattered!
It wasn't knocked open, nor was it shattered.
It was as if an invisible yet infinitely powerful giant hand had gently "pressed" it from the outside.
Wood chips flew like rain as a dark gray figure stepped into the room through the broken wooden window.
Their footsteps were light and slow, landing silently, as if they were just guests visiting friends under the moon.
"Chen...Chen Xuan?!" Wen Song's pupils shrank suddenly, and he exclaimed in shock, a chill running from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.
After the news of Chen Xuan's swift and decisive killing of Liu Xiangzhu spread, he carefully memorized Chen Xuan's portrait, but he never expected that the other party would appear in front of him at this time and in this way!
The leader reacted extremely quickly, shouting "Protect the leader!" and drew his sword, lunging forward with a gleaming blade aimed straight at Chen Xuan's face!
This powerful strike was the culmination of his life's work, intended to force back the uninvited guest and buy him time.
Facing this sharp blade, Chen Xuan didn't even look at him.
When the blade was three feet in front of him, Chen Xuan casually raised his right hand, joined his index and middle fingers together, and gently tapped forward.
The movements were slow and gentle, without a trace of frivolity.
"Ding!"
A crisp, clear sound, like jade striking each other.
That swift and powerful strike was firmly held between those two fingers! The blade trembled violently, emitting a painful hum, but could not advance even an inch further!
The leader's eyes bulged, his face filled with horror and disbelief. He desperately tried to exert his inner strength, his face turning red, but the knife seemed to be cast between Chen Xuan's fingers, remaining completely still!
Chen Xuan applied a slight force with his fingers.
"Snap... Boom!"
A sickening metallic snapping sound rang out. The longsword, forged from a hundred layers of refined steel, shattered inch by inch from the point where it was caught! Before the fragments could even scatter, Chen Xuan flicked the broken piece between his fingers.
"laugh!"
The sound of something cutting through the air was sharp and piercing.
The tip of the knife transformed into a point of cold light, shooting back at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye, and piercing the leader's throat with unparalleled precision.
The leader froze, the light in his eyes quickly fading. He clutched his throat and slowly collapsed to the ground, blood gushing from between his fingers.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye.
Wen Song didn't even see how Chen Xuan made his move before his most trusted confidant became a corpse.
He was so frightened that his legs went weak and he slid off the armchair, collapsing to the ground, his lips trembling, unable to utter a single word.
Disorganized footsteps and shouts could be heard outside the courtyard, clearly indicating that the commotion had alerted the guards.
Chen Xuan didn't even look outside the door; his gaze fell on Wen Song, whose face was deathly pale. His voice was calm and even:
"So you're the head of the Wen Society, right? Now I'll ask you questions. Over the years, the Black Wind Sect has been scheming against my Chen family. Besides plotting to obtain that fabricated sword manual, are there any other reasons? My father disappeared back then, and I inexplicably became weak in recent years. Are those also related to you?"
Wen Song trembled all over, and all the color drained from his face.
"Would you let me go if I told you?"
Answer my questions truthfully, and I'll let you go.
Wen Song's eyes darted around, clearly hesitating.
"Speak," Chen Xuan said, a wisp of energy emanating from his fingertips, its chill penetrating to the bone.
I was already living in fear all day because of the terrible state of the Poison Wolf Gang.
Faced with this life-or-death situation, Wen Song could no longer hold on and completely collapsed:
"I'll talk! I'll talk!"
"Young Master Chen, please understand! This...this is all the intention of the sect leader and 'higher-ups'! They...they seem to have always suspected that Old Master Chen or your father knows some earth-shattering secret, not just the sword manual...I don't know the specifics either."
"Therefore, the suppression over the years has been aimed at both interrogation and... also at the complete decline of the Chen family, rendering them incapable of protecting anything. As for the disappearance of your parents, I am unaware of that!"
He swallowed hard and said with difficulty:
"Not long ago, Mr. Chen... didn't you suddenly fall seriously ill, almost to the point of death, and all the famous doctors you consulted were helpless?"
Chen Xuan's eyes suddenly narrowed as the original owner's hazy memories of being bedridden and on the verge of death flooded his mind. That illness came on strangely and left mysteriously, almost emptying the original owner's foundation.
"Then...that was also something you did?!" The murderous intent in Chen Xuan's voice caused the temperature in the study to drop sharply.
"It was...it was Master Liu who, on the orders of the sect leader, bribed a day laborer who was working in the manor at the time, to put 'Marrow-Eroding Powder' in your food!" Wen Song dared not conceal the truth.
"The poison isn't immediately fatal; it slowly erodes the meridians, gradually weakening the person until they're practically useless... The sect leader said that this would both extinguish any hope for the Chen family's future and throw Old Master Chen into a state of mental chaos, perhaps forcing him to hand over what they want in order to save you..."
Marrow-corroding powder! No wonder the original owner's physical condition was so poor!
The killing intent in Chen Xuan's heart was tangible. This was no longer a simple martial arts dispute, but a vicious scheme to wipe out an entire family!
"Anything else?" Chen Xuan's voice calmed down, but the calmer it was, the more terrified Wen Song became.
"And...and there were the two farms of the Chen family outside the city that caught fire years ago, the warehouses that were flooded, and...and Old Master Chen's sworn brother, 'Golden Knife' Old Master Li, who died in an accident five years ago while escorting goods..."
"These... these weren't directly handled by our Seven Killers Society, but behind them... there's always the shadow of the Black Wind Sect. Either we provided the information, or... or they borrowed weapons or manpower..."
Each and every one of these incidents clearly and menacingly outlines the Black Wind Sect's years-long, relentless erosion and sabotage of the Chen family.
Chen Xuan closed his eyes briefly, suppressing his surging anger and chilling killing intent. When he opened them again, his eyes were like a bottomless, icy pool.
"One last question: When will the Black Wind Sect Master you just mentioned arrive? Who is 'Old Snake'?"
"I...I don't know...I really..." Wen Song stammered, still trying to deny it.
Chen Xuan took a step forward.
With just one step, an invisible, heavy sense of oppression suddenly descended, and the air in the entire study seemed to freeze.
"I'll talk! I'll talk!" Overwhelmed by the fear of death, Wen Song broke down, tears streaming down his face. "Sect Master... Black Heart Old Man will arrive tomorrow evening! 'Snake Elder' is... is a master sent from above, his poisons are cunning and his appearance is unknown..."
"Above?" Chen Xuan keenly caught the word.
"Who's up there?"
"I...I don't know! I only know they're even more powerful figures than the Black Wind Sect, with black snakes embroidered on their cuffs...Even Manager Lei treats them with utmost respect..."
Wen Song kowtowed repeatedly, pleading, "Young Master Chen, spare my life! I was forced into this! I have absolutely no ill intentions towards the Chen family!"
It really was them... Shadow Pavilion! Chen Xuan got the information he wanted and stopped looking at them.
At this moment, the study door was kicked open with a "bang," and seven or eight Seven Killers, armed with knives and clubs, rushed in. They were both shocked and furious when they saw the corpse on the ground and the limp Wen Song.
"Kill him!" someone shouted, and the crowd responded in unison, swarming forward.
Chen Xuan finally made a move.
His figure blurred, seemingly transforming into several afterimages, as he approached the crowd. There were no complicated moves, only the simplest fists, palms, fingers, and legs. But each strike was as fast as lightning and as heavy as a mountain, accompanied by a constant series of thuds, cracks, and snaps.
The man at the front was struck in the chest with a palm, and sent flying backward, crashing into the bookshelf and collapsing it.
On the left, a man's steel knife was snapped in two by a flick of a finger, and the broken blade pierced his own shoulder.
On the right, a person's leg bone was broken by a kick, and he fell to the ground screaming in pain.
In the blink of an eye, the seven or eight men who had rushed in were all lying on the ground, either dead or injured, and incapacitated. Throughout the entire process, Chen Xuan had not even left the three steps in the center of the study.
He walked up to Wen Song, who was limp as a board, and looked down at him.
"No...don't kill me...you promised me, I'm willing to surrender! The Seven Killings Society is willing to serve the Chen family as its master!" Wen Song pleaded hoarsely.
Chen Xuan remained silent for a moment, then suddenly raised his hand, his fingers forming a sword shape, and pointed in the air.
A wisp of condensed, almost tangible finger energy shot out and precisely entered Wen Song's brow.
Wen Song's pleas came to an abrupt halt. The look of shock, fear, and resentment on his face froze instantly. Then his eyes glazed over, his body went limp, and he breathed his last.
The notorious gangster "Ghost Scholar" from the north of Qingyang City died quietly in his own headquarters.
Chen Xuan didn't even glance at his corpse, his gaze sweeping over the bodies of the other Seven Killers members.
Knowing that there were still some survivors hiding in the vast Seven Killings Society, searching and slaughtering them was not realistic, but fortunately the goal had been achieved;
So he turned and walked to the study door, his voice echoing throughout the deathly silent courtyard:
"Wen Song is dead. From this day forward, the Seven Killings Society ceases to exist. You may all disperse, live in anonymity, and behave yourselves. If you commit evil again, I will personally come to take your lives, no matter where you are."
Having said that, he didn't linger any longer. With a flash, he darted out of the courtyard like a night owl and disappeared into the darkness of the approaching dawn.
As he drifted down to the backyard of the Chen residence like a falling leaf, the eastern sky was already beginning to lighten with the first hint of dawn.
Chen Xuan returned to his room quietly without alerting anyone.
I sat cross-legged, regulating my breathing and focusing my mind. The battle just now, though seemingly easy, had actually taken a toll on my mental and physical strength.
Especially the delicate operations such as breaking a knife with a finger and striking acupoints in mid-air require extremely high control over internal energy.
But after this battle, he gained a deeper understanding of how to use the Yi Jin Jing at the perfect level.
Outside the window, the sky was gradually brightening.
A new day begins in Qingyang City.