Gao Rujin’s words were not finished before he was interrupted.
“Silence!” Elder Gao snorted coldly. “Precisely because of my position, I must handle this fairly. I have always been upright and uncorrupted. Do not speak to me of family matters, otherwise from today onward I will have no ties with the Gao Clan.”
When Elder Gao said this, he then changed to a smiling face, walked to Xu Zimo and the others, and said respectfully, “Young masters, I apologize for alarming you. Are you satisfied with how I handled this?”
“Him,” Xu Zimo pointed at Gao Yang and asked, “how do you intend to deal with him?”
“Young masters are the victims, I am willing to hear your opinion,” Elder Gao quickly replied.
“Uncle, what are you doing?” Gao Yang shouted from behind. “Hurry and arrest all of them, I want them to suffer worse than death.”
“Shut up!” Elder Gao roared angrily.
This was perhaps the first time Gao Yang had encountered such a situation, and he was so frightened he didn’t dare speak again.
“Do as he says,” Xu Zimo looked at Gao Yang and said, “not worse than death, just give him a quick end.”
“What do you mean?” Elder Gao’s face slightly changed, somewhat uncertain.
“Kill him. I want you to kill him yourself,” Xu Zimo replied.
“He is still young, just a child, perhaps punishment is enough?” Elder Gao answered.
“If Elder Gao is unwilling, I won’t force it,” Xu Zimo smiled.
“That’s not what I meant,” Elder Gao quickly shook his head. He turned around, looking troubled at Gao Yang.
After a long silence, he finally walked step by step toward Gao Yang.
“Big brother, what are you doing?” Gao Rujin blocked in front and shouted, “He is Yang’er, our own kin.”
“I know,” Elder Gao nodded. “Step aside.”
“I will not,” Gao Rujin shook his head.
“Move!” Elder Gao roared in anger and directly shoved Gao Rujin aside.
Within the Gao Clan, Elder Gao’s status carried great weight. Because of his identity, he was long regarded as a top figure.
Being shouted at like this, Gao Rujin froze on the spot, unsure of what to do.
“Uncle, what are you going to do?” Gao Yang asked in panic.
He felt Elder Gao’s killing intent. He wanted to run, but with his limbs broken he couldn’t recover in time.
“Uncle, I am Gao Yang,” Gao Yang shouted.
“Yang’er, I wrong you, but it’s for the sake of the Gao Clan,” Elder Gao sighed.
Then, amid Gao Yang’s desperate cries, his palm struck down.
A cracking sound was heard, as if a skull shattered.
Blood trickled down Gao Yang’s forehead, his body collapsed straight to the ground.
Elder Gao turned back with a smiling face.
“What do the young masters think?”
“Quite good,” Xu Zimo nodded.
He looked over at Old Man Wei and Wei Ying, smiling. “Old Wei, do you want me to help?”
“Depends on your mood, young master,” Old Wei replied.
“Elder Gao, please help me get rid of these people too,” Xu Zimo turned and smiled.
Elder Gao’s body visibly trembled, but then he nodded. His aura flared up, and he charged toward the State-Protecting General.
“Oh, and remember to settle the tavern’s debt for me,” Xu Zimo said before leaving with Lin Ruhu and the others.
………
Compared to the noisy scene inside Bright Moon Tower, the outside suddenly felt quiet.
It was as if even the air had grown fresh.
“Seems I’m really not suited to being a spoiled young lord,” Xu Zimo chuckled.
“Everyone grows,” Lin Ruhu laughed beside him.
“Little Gui, remember to clean up afterward,” Xu Zimo ordered.
“The Gao brothers, Rujin and the elder, must not leave Flourishing Sun City alive.”
“Understood,” Little Gui nodded slightly, then his figure gradually disappeared.
“Brother Zimo, what do we do now?” Lin Ruhu asked.
“Wander Flourishing Sun City for a while. Once Little Gui returns, we’ll head back to the sect,” Xu Zimo replied.
……………
Inside Bright Moon Tower, after more than ten exchanges, Elder Gao deliberately exposed a flaw.
When the opponent fell for it, he immediately countered and struck a killing blow, severing the general’s head.
His chest rose and fell heavily, showing his great expenditure of strength.
He slowly walked over to Gao Rujin, patted his shoulder, leaving a bloody handprint.
“Why?” Gao Rujin raised his head and asked blankly.
“He is the Holy Son of the True Martial Sacred Ground,” Elder Gao directly answered.
“That one…” Gao Rujin stopped mid-sentence, and it suddenly all made sense.
“Of all people to provoke, why provoke him,” Elder Gao sighed.
“I did this for the sake of the Gao Clan. Don’t hold it against me. Do you think I wanted this?”
Just as the two were speaking, Little Gui’s figure appeared from outside.
“Sorry, I forgot something just now,” Little Gui said with a smile.
“What is it?” Elder Gao asked, puzzled.
“Your life.”
……………
By the time they returned to the True Martial Sacred Ground, night had already fallen.
A crescent moon faintly hid within the dark mist.
A few stars flickered sparsely in the sky.
Xu Zimo sat in the pavilion in South Goose Mountain’s courtyard, leisurely watching the night view.
“All ready?” he asked.
From the surrounding darkness, a voice answered.
“Everything is ready.”
“Good, let this be the final battle before Heaven’s Will arrives,” Xu Zimo nodded.
He then asked, “Any reaction from the Immortal Extinction Sacred Ground?”
“Very quiet,” the voice replied. “Even the sect disciples rarely leave the mountain recently, they are scheming something.”
“Someone is coming,” the voice said before fading away, leaving the area unusually silent.
Xu Zimo looked up and saw an elder walking in from the gate of South Goose Mountain.
“Sky Shroud War God,” Xu Zimo was stunned. He quickly stood to greet him, “Ancestor.”
The War God carefully examined him, then chuckled.
“Why has Ancestor come so late?” Xu Zimo asked.
“Of course, for you,” the War God smiled.
“I don’t quite understand, please explain, Ancestor,” Xu Zimo replied.
“You want to go to war with the Immortal Extinction Sacred Ground,” the War God said.
Xu Zimo nodded, not denying it.
“Why did you not inform the sect?” the War God asked.
“Didn’t the sect already make its choice?” Xu Zimo replied.
“I know you harbor resentment,” the War God said.
“No resentment, truly. I’m very open-minded,” Xu Zimo shook his head.
Disappointment, yes, but resentment? Hardly.
“Let me put it this way: in this world, aside from parents, most relationships are built on mutual use,” the War God said.
“I understand that,” Xu Zimo nodded.