"Ah! Sister Xue Mei! The wall has collapsed!"
"That's great!"
The four girls arrived at the collapsed high wall, and Xiao Zi exclaimed in surprise. The four girls were overjoyed. If they had gone through the main gate, it would have taken a long time. Now, with the wall collapsed, it was much more convenient.
"Sister Xue Mei, Xiao Zi, Xiao Qing, Chen family has been destroyed. We finally don't have to sacrifice to the River God anymore!" Xiao Lan said happily, carrying a small bundle, looking at the blazing fire in the Chen family.
"Yes." Qin Xue Mei glanced back towards the direction of the Chen family's ancestral hall, quickening her pace. The hero had said that everyone in the Chen family had been killed. She no longer had to serve as a sacrificial maiden. She could return to Qingniu Town and live a good life with her brother Wang Zai, using the twenty taels of silver to build a house.
"How can I take my sister away without alarming the other three girls?" Qin Wang followed behind the four girls, pondering. He still needed to return to the Chen family to eliminate the old witch and the remaining family members. But his sister, Qin Xue Mei, couldn't stay in one place. Where would he find her later?
"Xiao Zi, Xiao Qing, Xiao Lan, it's the middle of the night, and wandering around aimlessly is dangerous. We managed to escape, but if we encounter any bad people, it would be terrible. How about we wait until daylight under the shed of that noodle shop up ahead?" Qin Xue Mei suggested.
Noodle shops usually start kneading dough by the fourth watch.
"Yes, Sister Xue Mei is right. Let's wait there until dawn," Xiao Zi, Xiao Lan, and Xiao Qing agreed.
So, the four girls huddled together for warmth under the shelter of the Chen family noodle shop.
"They are waiting here until daylight. Perfect, I can go and eliminate the Chen family!" Qin Wang glanced deeply at the four girls huddled under the shelter, then leaped up and headed back to the Chen family.
At this moment, the Chen family ancestral hall was ablaze, and the awakened Chen family members hurriedly called the servants to extinguish the fire. Unfortunately, they were all poisoned and fell paralyzed around the hall.
"Oh my! The master isn't home, and the only three second-rate experts in the family are all dead!"
"What kind of poison is this? It's terrifying, making people collapse instantly?"
"Quickly report to the old madam for instructions!"
From a distance, many Chen family maids, servants, and family members dared not approach, watching the fiery blaze with exclamations of alarm. They feared the poison if they tried to put out the fire, but the fire was growing larger.
At this moment, a black-clad, masked figure appeared before them, scanning the crowd with a sharp gaze and speaking in a hoarse voice. "The Chen family has committed many crimes. I am here to act on behalf of the heavens, killing all Chen family members to rid the world of evil! I won't harm the servants and maids. Leave within three breaths! Anyone who doesn't will be killed as a member of the Chen family!"
After speaking, Qin Wang dashed towards the well-dressed ones in the crowd, killing them instantly. These Chen family members included over ten third-rate martial artists, but they were no match for the second-rate Qin Wang. Every move he made killed one, blood spurting everywhere!
In no time, screams and cries filled the air. Seeing the masked man killing the Chen family members so ruthlessly, all the servants and maids were terrified, throwing down their water buckets and fleeing in all directions, cursing their luck for not having more legs. Some Chen family members also began to flee.
Outside the Chen family ancestral hall, more family members kept falling.
Meanwhile, in the Chen family's secluded back courtyard, the ground was paved with blue stone slabs, and landscape trees were planted around.
"Spring Grass… Spring Grass!"
In her chamber, an emaciated old woman with white hair lay weakly on a luxurious couch, calling out towards the window.
This old woman was the Chen family's Madam Chen, Zhuo Qiumei.
When the fire broke out at the ancestral hall, she had sent her personal maid, Spring Grass, to check on the situation. But Spring Grass hadn't returned for a long time, and the other three maids were also nowhere to be seen. The screams coming from the direction of the ancestral hall were distressing.
"No need to call. All the Chen family maids have run away!" At that moment, a black-clad, masked man holding a dagger stood at the door, his voice cold.
"Who… who are you!" Madam Chen's heart sank as she saw the black-clad man appear at the door like a ghost. She wanted to sit up but fell back powerlessly.
The Chen family had suffered a setback at the Su family last night, losing four second-rate experts. Her son, Chen Kun, had gone to chase down Su Dingfeng to give an explanation to the clan, leaving three second-rate experts, Chen Bowen, Chen Boshu, and Chen Zhong, to guard the house. How had this man managed to enter the Chen family estate?
"I am here to kill you! You old witch, you have done too many evil deeds. Today, I will take your life!" Qin Wang's eyes flashed with icy killing intent as he looked at the emaciated old woman lying on the bed, his teeth clenched. This old hag was too despicable!
"Ah!! You won't die peacefully! My beloved grandson is already an immortal… an immortal! He will never… never let you go…" Madam Chen, hearing Qin Wang's words, gritted her teeth and tried to crawl up, wanting to claw at Qin Wang, but she collapsed weakly on the couch, her eyes filled with venom, breathing rapidly.
"Oh, really? Well, here's some good news for you: you won't enter the cycle of reincarnation!" Seeing Madam Chen still so arrogant on the brink of death, Qin Wang sneered, slashing her eighteen times with his dagger. The last two slashes gouged out her eyes, ensuring she wouldn't have her final moments reflected in her eyes!
A faint soul rose from Madam Chen's body and was absorbed into Qin Wang's soul-gathering urn.
"This old witch is the Chen family's madam; she should have a lot of silver. Let's see." Qin Wang glanced around the chamber after killing Madam Chen.
The room was furnished with an exquisite nanmu wardrobe, a sandalwood table, and chairs. In the corner were two sandalwood chests with iron-reinforced corners, carved with dragon and phoenix patterns.
Qin Wang opened the first chest, finding a pair of golden bowls, two pairs of golden chopsticks, gold and silver jewelry, bracelets, jade pendants, and a stack of silver notes. The second chest contained two sets of red clothes, two pairs of embroidered shoes, and a bridal headdress, all showing signs of age.
"This old witch came from a wealthy family," Qin Wang thought, recognizing the bridal headdress. The headdress and robe were worn by noblewomen or wealthy brides, signifying honor.
Qin Wang packed the gold and silver from the first chest into his bag, tore off the beads from the bridal headdress in the second chest, and threw aside the bridal robe.
"What's this?" Qin Wang noticed a delicate box at the bottom of the chest after tossing aside the bridal robe. Inside was a three-inch-long cyan sword, a miniature of a full-sized sword, very light.
"Since the old witch kept this, it must be valuable. I'll take it!" Qin Wang pocketed the small sword, searched the room once more, found nothing else, and lit a fire starter.