"I knew you'd come here. I thought as much. A family head is not without his tricks but it all ends now." With his verdict passed, Gu Zhong's heart fell. Still couldn't escape in the end. Despite knowing his fate, he tried to negotiate.
"Liu Ning, there's no use in killing an old dog like me. You know me and you know that I've done you no wrong before. If I have, have mercy and forgive me."
"How dare you call Young Master Liu by his name? In such an impenitent manner! I am at your service, Young Master. I'll behead him for you!" A youthful voice said in the darkness.
"Family Head Gu," Liu Ning said ignoring the young man that just spoke up, "the only wrong you do me now is to oppose the Liu Clan's plot. Anyone who does that will be exterminated regardless. Not only you but all those that stand by the Qin Clan."
"But I am not opposing your plan in any way." Gu Zhong queried. Still with a smile, he cocked his head, as he said.
"One who is not with us is against us, Family Head Gu, well, unless you become part of us." He suggested and then snapped his fingers.
As Gu Zhong began to ponder on the pros and cons of his seemingly incumbent decision, a pair of arrows whistled at his back. Poor Zhong, he didn't notice the noiseless arrows until they tore through his chest and spinal regions respectively still shocked in death. Gu Zhong dropped to the ground on his knees and then, face.
"Too weak to negotiate, too insignificant to bargain." A deep voice echoed in the darkness as its outline moved in and out.
"He thought too highly of himself, to escape from us, impossible."
"His fate was already sealed when he met us, Liu Ning." The youthful voice said. Liu Ning smiled, exulted.
"Nice archery, but you'll need better training. Then you'll become useful to us." Liu Ning remarked towards a dark corner, precisely were the arrows emerged from.
Gu Yun emerged from the hidden place. He had witnessed Gu Zhong running to the gate to meet his fate. He felt a little pity though, Gu Zhong should have food in Gu Tian's but regardless of his continuous assurance of Liu Ning of Gu Tian's strength and ability, Liu Ning still arranged a covert backup. The odds were just too much. Too strong; he couldn't win. The Gu Clan was going to be trampled on subsequently, he thought, so it's the right thing to do.
"Thank you, Young Master. Your predictions are unparalleled," he said finally, "I never thought he could escape Gu Tian's hands. It was just unbelievable but it happened." He said with a surprised expression.
"Gu Tian was too careless. That stinky brawn - he couldn't handle a little old man." The youthful voice said.
"Not so, Liu Yuan," another youthful voice corrected, "the Family Head must have had some tricks off his sleeves for him to escape. Even a Peak Tier Level 1 martial artist would be unable to escape much less someone of Gu Zhong's Level."
"What do you know, Yao Ye? Blabbing like an idiot. That Gu Tian...hmph."
"He is right, junior brother," Liu Ning finally said, "I could perceive the remnant energy of the explosion on him. He just have used a talisman on himself as well as Gu Tian just to escape."
The deep voice chuckled as he said,
"Merciless even to himself, hmph. That's the heart of Martial Arts but it's a pity he did here."
"His talent was just too bad." Another voice said
Liu Ning withdrew a stone from his robes and spoke to it, "Third General Feng, how is it going on there?"
A chill voice replied, "It's going on well here. We've conquered the Western and Eastern parts of the Gu Clan and we're gaining ground in the North."
"That's good but do not slack your efforts."
"Thank you, Young Master." He said as Liu Ning broke the connection and immediately established another.
"Commander Zhu, what are your reports on the Luo Clan?
A feminine voice answered, "Erm... So far, 90% of the Luo Clan is under our feet. Just the main Clan and other neighboring branches around. But, I estimate that by the strength of our army, in 3 days, Luo Clan would be history."
"Welldone, Commander." He said terminating the connection."
"Good reports, I think, I'm already seeing your face brightening." The deep voice said.
"It's true, Liu Change. Who would have thought that we were capable of this. Two of the five Clans are conquered at a blow. Ha-ha."
"Even the Qin Clan will fall at our feet. We'll teach them their place in the dust." Liu Yuan exclaimed.
"Not yet, Junior Brother Yuan. Let it come to being first. Anyways, both of you," he said pointing at Yao Ye and Liu Yuan, "you can share any spoil you find in the Family Head."
"What could he possibly have?" Liu Yuan said with contempt, "you can keep it for yourself, Yao Ye."
"Thanks," he said as he skipped away to collect the spoil.
Dozens of miles away, Heaven Profound Martial Academy,
Gu Taixu, unaware of the fact that his Clan had been invaded, neither of his father's death, had been constantly cultivating indoors for 5 days and 5 nights. He had made considerable progress,
"Peak Tier!" He exclaimed.
He looked at the tank in his Soul Level and observed that nine-tenths of the first foot of the tank was full. Also the Blazing Meteor Line and the Silver Star Stroke had advanced to the 2nd level. The Crescent Light Steps made the greatest progress. It was at the Level 3.
With a smile on his face, he stopped cultivating and stood up. His first real progress in the Martial Path; it had finally come. Shaking up the dizziness caused by lack of sleep, he circulated his Martial energy seven times with the dantian as the root. Feeling invigorated after the exercise, he stepped out to the outside world for a stroll.
After walking a short while, he met Chen Yilin on the way.
"Hey, Brother Yilin."
"Yeah, Erm..." Chen Yilin thumped his temples with his index finger.
"Gu Taixu."
"Yes, Gu Taixu, how are you doing?"
"Doing fine."
"Haven't seen you in days now?"
"Yeah, I was just doing some discovery, moving around."
"Moving around, I see," Chen Yilin arched his eyebrows while putting his hands on his waist, "just moving around, eh."
"Yeah, nothing else." Gu Taixu said with an inquiring look.
"If then, you must certainly teach me how to move around," he said with a smile, "because I don't see how you advance to the Peak Tier in a few days by moving around."
"Ah!" Gu Taixu laughed for a while before he spoke, "Senior Brother Yilin, you got me on tenterhooks now."
"Congratulations, I believe you will step into the Level 2 within few months."
"Thank you."
"Anyways, where are you heading too?"
"I'm just going to the Academy's Wildlands Area to see what I can find."
"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha, Junior Brother Gu Taixu, one step into those Wildlands and you wouldn't know how you died."
"The lowest level beast in there can smash you into mincemeat without breaking a sweat." He continued.
"What?! That dangerous!" Gu Taixu exclaimed, totally baffled.
"I guess you did not seriously study the map of the area, I have one have with me but it belongs to my Senior Brother Chen Li." He withdrew a map from his robe and showed to Gu Taixu.
"That's why I don't dare go in there alone even at the Peak Tier of the Second Level. Here is the zone of the Mortal Beasts. They range from Level 1 - 9. The Level 1 and 2 beasts are very few and widely spaced because they are usually the targets of lower disciples like us," he said pointing to some discrete locations on the map in his hand.
"The Level 3, 4 and 5 beasts are more populated in this area." he said pointing to some locations, "A Senior once told me that you have an equal probability of finding a Level 4 and 5 beast in every 500m."
"..." He explained further.