AN - Stone me and give 5 stars
Boom—
The bluestone floor cracked beneath them.
King Xue only felt a splitting headache, followed by the sensation of warm liquid flowing from the top of his head. His mind spun in dizziness, still unable to process what had just happened.
Immediately after.
Gu Qingfeng grabbed King Xue's head again, smashing it into the ground several more times. When the latter's face was a bloody mess, and he was teetering on the brink of death, Gu Qingfeng finally released his grip.
Standing up straight.
Gu Qingfeng looked down at King Xue, who now lay unconscious, blood pooling around him. He spat on the ground, then turned his gaze towards Ye Shi and Song Lan, both of whom were frozen in fear, their faces pale.
"You little Qingyang Sect, you really think you're something, daring to come to my Gu family and kill my people!"
Upon hearing this.
Ye Shi barely managed to react, his entire body trembling as he stared at Gu Qingfeng in terror. His voice, once filled with arrogance, now shook uncontrollably.
"My father is the leader of the Qingyang Sect. You can't kill me—"
In a desperate attempt to save himself, Ye Shi invoked his father, Ye Nanqiu's, name, hoping to use it as a shield. But his plea was cut short. Before he could finish speaking, Gu Qingfeng kicked him with a devastating force. Ye Shi's chest collapsed, and he was dead before his body even hit the ground.
Song Lan, the only one left, was paralyzed with fear. Her face drained of all color, and a warm sensation flowed between her legs, soaking her skirt. Without giving her the chance to beg for her life, Gu Qingfeng struck her with a single palm strike. Her head sunk into her chest, blood gushing everywhere as her lifeless body collapsed to the ground.
"Drag them away and bury them!"
Gu Qingfeng said coldly. The guards behind him, startled back to reality, rushed forward to drag the corpses away without hesitation.
Then.
Gu Qingfeng turned to Meng Peng.
"Take this one to the dungeon. I want to interrogate him personally!"
"Yes—"
Meng Peng responded immediately, taking his men to haul the half-dead King Xue to the dungeon.
The so-called dungeon.
This was the place Gu Qingfeng had constructed recently.
From the situation with Si Tian, Gu Qingfeng learned the importance of having a place to interrogate enemies alive, so he had the dungeon built.
Unexpectedly.
The dungeon had only been completed a few days before its first guests arrived.
Once Meng Peng took King Xue away, Gu Qingfeng turned towards Gu Yang and offered a rare word of praise.
"You did well this time. Ye Shi was already at the mid-stage of Blood Refining, and you easily crushed him. This shows you've laid a solid foundation. Now, I have a task for you."
"Father, just give the order!"
"I need you to investigate all the background forces behind the Qingyang Sect."
Gu Qingfeng said.
Since they had already offended the Qingyang Sect, they needed to thoroughly understand their background to make the necessary preparations.
Gu Yang nodded.
"I will obey!"
At this point.
Gu Yang hesitated, then cautiously asked.
"Father, may I ask what your current level of cultivation is?"
King Xue was clearly a master in the Bone Refining Realm, yet Gu Qingfeng subdued him without effort. This spoke volumes about Gu Qingfeng's terrifying strength.
Gu Qingfeng smiled calmly.
"As long as there are no experts in the Marrow Cleansing Realm or higher in the Qingyang Sect, I can handle it."
With those simple words, Gu Yang's heart shook.
He had thought he'd already overestimated his father's abilities as much as possible, but now he realized he had still underestimated him.
But.
The stronger Gu Qingfeng was, the more secure Gu Yang felt.
In the dungeon.
Oil lamps lined the walls, illuminating the entire cell as brightly as day.
King Xue, disheveled and weakened, was tied to a wooden frame in a spread-eagle position. His scapula had been pierced with an iron hook, and a steady stream of blood flowed from the wound.
From the shattered flesh, traces of bronze mixed with silver bones were visible.
It was clear that this was a warrior who had perfected his bronze bones and had begun training his silver bones.
It was only thanks to the resilience of warriors in the Bone Refining Realm that King Xue remained alive. If he had been an ordinary man, these injuries would have long since killed him.
When Gu Qingfeng entered the dungeon, King Xue seemed to sense his presence. He painfully lifted his head, revealing a face caked with blood and grime.
"Who are you..."
King Xue's voice was hoarse. His eyes reflected shock, but mostly unwillingness.
He never imagined that he, an elder of the Qingyang Sect, would fall to such a wretched state.
What King Xue hadn't anticipated was Gu Qingfeng's overwhelming strength. He had been entirely outmatched, unable to put up any resistance.
Such power left King Xue feeling utterly powerless.
It was clear.
The man standing before him was no ordinary figure. His strength was at least that of a master nearing Golden Bone Perfection.
Gu Qingfeng stood with his hands behind his back, regarding King Xue with cold indifference.
"Who am I? I am Gu Qingfeng, Patriarch of the Gu Family."
"With your strength, it's impossible you don't have a reputation. No matter your purpose for coming to Baishidao, you shouldn't have crossed paths with my Qingyang Sect.
Our Qingyang Sect has stood in Guangyang Prefecture for centuries, with foundations beyond your comprehension.
If you let me go, we can pretend none of this happened, and the Qingyang Sect won't interfere with your Gu Family's affairs."
King Xue said, trying to keep his voice steady.
Gu Qingfeng shook his head slightly.
"It's too late for that. The man who claimed to be the son of the Qingyang Sect leader has already been killed by me. Our forces are now destined to be at odds."
At these words.
King Xue was taken aback, sensing the murderous intent in Gu Qingfeng's tone. In a panic, he spoke again.
"You have no need to worry. A dead genius is no genius at all. I doubt the Sect Master would tear his alliance with a powerful figure like yourself over a dead offspring—"
Before King Xue could finish, Gu Qingfeng interrupted.
"It's not about whether your Qingyang Sect will come after my Gu Family, but whether I'll allow your Qingyang Sect to continue.
Tell me everything you know about the Qingyang Sect and your true mission here, and perhaps I'll let you die with some dignity."
King Xue's face twisted with fear.
"You really intend to make enemies of the Qingyang Sect—Ah!!!"
Before he could finish, Gu Qingfeng crushed his hand. The bones, half-bronze and half-silver, shattered under Gu Qingfeng's grip, sending waves of unbearable pain through King Xue's body.
King Xue screamed in agony, his voice echoing through the dungeon. Gu Qingfeng's expression remained unfeeling as he slowly crushed the bones of King Xue's hand bit by bit, until nothing but fragments remained. Only then did he stop.
"I'll give you one last chance. I don't want to hear any more nonsense. You know what will happen if you refuse."