The guards numbered nine or ten. They were all at the upper levels of the Mind Focusing Realm. Although they put up a ferocious front, they were not enough exactly strong opponents.
"Scram!" Bei Yujing shouted and launched a fist strike.
She had always had a brash personality. As the oldest of the women, she often liked to throw her seniority around. She was also the strongest among them at the 3rd Level of the Spirit Initiate Realm.
Her fist shattered the sword of the nearest guard and sent him flying.
"Brother!"
"Careful!"
Seeing that their opponent was so strong, the guards instantly lost the will to fight and ran. The rude steward had also disappeared like a frightened sand lizard.
Bei Yujing brushed off her sleeves as she landed, "Let's go in!"
The Bei Clan group went through the doors and into the courtyard. Their steps slowed as they looked around at their home and its current state.
"What happened here?"
"Heavens!"
"Those bastards!"
What used to be the Bei Clan was now a total mess. The fancy stone tiles of the courtyard were nowhere in sight, leaving only dirt and patches of dried weeds. The nearby guest buildings had been partially torn down and there were big gaps in the walls.
The husbands and fiancées spread out to search deeper. They quickly came back to report more of the same. The whole place had been ransacked. Furniture, decorations, and even garden ornaments; they were all gone. The Bei Clan wasn't a large or powerful clan in the past but they were still a large family with a certain amount of accrued wealth. Now all of it was gone.
"What happened? The beast horde wouldn't care about human items. Did other people come and loot the place afterward?" One of the aunts asked.
"What happened to the city guards, how could they have let this happen?"
"They are just ordinary people. Maybe they were worried about their own families when the beast horde was sweeping through this section of the city." Bei Yingluo tried to reason, "It doesn't matter. We have enough money to replace what was lost and rebuild the manor however we like."
"It does matter!" First Aunt Bei Yujing insisted. "We fought for the city and we died to protect it. The beast horde still broke through in the end and we suffered so much. And this is what we come back to? This is unforgivable! Let's go find the city lord, I want to hear his explanation!"
Before Bei Yingluo could say anything, a large number of spiritual auras arrived at the entrance. The group whirled around to find a larger group of guards. This time, they were actually strong with each one of them at the lower levels of the Spirit Initiate Realm. They were even a few at the upper levels.
"Capture them all!" One of them shouted.
"Yes, sir!"
"Stay still!"
"Don't resist!"
This new group of guards numbered around fifty or so. They spread out in an arc to surround the Bei Clan people from three sides.
"What's the meaning of this?" Bei Yujing asked angrily.
One of the commanders scoffed and replied, "This place is the property of the city lord of Drifting Sand City. You dare to barge in and start a fight with our people. Your crimes are not light."
He jerked his head next to him. The steward that had previously disappeared showed up again, carrying the injured guard from before.
"You…" Bei Yujing's heavy chest heaved up and down in anger, "We are the Bei Clan. This manor belongs to the Bei Clan. You have no right!"
To support her words, the men of the Bei Clan all stepped up to protect their women. Although they were outnumbered, they weren't plucked chickens and welcomed a good fight.
"Cheh, what Bei Clan? They all died. All I see are a bunch of criminals. Take them!" The commander shouted.
"Go!"
"Hah!"
The first row of guards rushed ahead, shouting and waving their swords.
In response, the Bei Clan men on the other side all unleashed their spiritual energies and their chosen martial arts.
Woosh!
They were just about to clash when a sudden, overwhelming surge of spiritual force froze steps. They all knew what this level of power represented, immortal!
Many turned to expect Elder Mo but it was actually Bei Yingluo. Her right arm was raised, holding a glowing ruby in the shape of a chamomile. She walked through her people to face the guards. Every step caused her sect badge to emit the spiritual aura of her master.
"You… who are you?" The commander asked.
"My name is Bei Yingluo, disciple of Ten Thousand Flower Valley from the Dragon Flower Province to the north. My master is known as Immortal Blue Dragon Chen Wentian. My aunt speaks the truth and we really are the Bei Clan that used to reside here. I hope that we can resolve this matter without bloodshed."
The commander eyed her up and down and considered the matter. Although she was weak, the item emitting immortal might in her hand was not fake. He had interacted with a few immortals in the past and was not an idiot.
"Very well. Miss Bei of Ten Thousand Flower Valley. This matter, I do not have the power to resolve it. You will have to discuss it with the city lord."
"We can do that." Bei Yingluo agreed.
"In the meantime, this place is already in such a state. It will not protect your people from the sand or the cold night. I can recommend a few nicer lodgings nearby."
"Alright, let's do that." Bei Yingluo said.
She withdrew ten gold taels and handed them over, "This is not a lot but it should be enough to treat that man's light wounds."
She paused and withdrew another one hundred taels, "This is for you. Regardless of what kind of state it is in, this place is still dear to my Bei Clan. I hope you can look after it for the next few days. We finally managed to return home after over a year and we want to have at least a few bricks left.
"Miss Bei knows how to do things. Very good." The commander laughed and accepted the money.
He then turned and led his men away.
Soon, the courtyard was empty except for the Bei Clan's people.
Bei Yingluo let out a sigh of relief, "That went well. Let's find somewhere to stay temporarily. We can settle these issues one by one."
Her first aunt still seemed miffed but the others were also relieved. The women had infants or were pregnant. They were in no condition to fight.
Chen Wentian was pleased as well. Bei Yingluo was always so clever and yet so flexible. He would have supported her if she wanted to fight some people but she took care of the problem in her own way. He really liked this type of woman who was calm and reliable.