Chapter 91.1: The Hundred-Year Thunder Fruit and Seventy Cauldrons of Strength (I)

The steward of the Grand Emporium of Rarities escorted Lu Changsheng all the way to the Xiao Clan residence. With a brief introduction at the gate, he was able to lead Lu Changsheng inside without any delay. Clearly, the steward was no ordinary servant.

As they walked in, the steward lowered his voice and offered a quick reminder to Lu Changsheng. "Honored guest, when you speak with the patriarch, please do not act rashly. I'm sure this can be discussed diplomatically."

The steward did not know whether Lu Changsheng feared the Xiao Clan or not, but he himself certainly did. If the two sides came to blows, the blame would undoubtedly fall on him, no matter the victor.

Lu Changsheng made no response. To him, there were only two possible outcomes. If the Xiao Clan was willing to return the Hundred-Year Thunder Fruit, then there would be room for calm discussion. If they refused, then his saber would taste blood again today.

The steward led Lu Changsheng into the main hall. Before long, the patriarch of the Xiao Clan entered, his face lit by a broad and welcoming smile.

"Patriarch, this is Mr. Dao, the honored guest who previously placed an order for the Hundred-Year Thunder Fruit at the Grand Emporium of Rarities."

The steward's tone was gentle, his posture humble to the point of submission.

"Mr. Dao urgently requires the Hundred-Year Thunder Fruit, and we hope the Xiao Clan might be willing to part with it."

The steward knew in his heart that the Xiao Clan stood in the wrong. After all, this entire debacle had been engineered by the Xiao Clan. Now that the rightful buyer had come knocking, and was clearly not someone to be taken lightly, the Grand Emporium of Rarities had no intention of shouldering the consequences. Whatever came next would be for the Xiao Clan to resolve alone.

The patriarch's expression darkened. He spoke coldly, his voice sharp with authority.

"Let me make this clear," he began, his voice cold and sharp with authority. "My clan paid silver taels for the Hundred-Year Thunder Fruit, the fruit that now rightfully belongs to the Xiao Clan. As for anyone else who made arrangements with the Grand Emporium of Rarities, that is your affair. It has nothing to do with the Xiao Clan."

With a single statement, he had severed all responsibility.

"Patriarch, you—"

The steward tried to reason, but the patriarch cut him off without hesitation.

"Enough. This matter is perfectly clear. There is nothing more to discuss. Please see yourselves out."

The steward wiped the sweat from his brow. The patriarch had no interest in further negotiation and had dismissed them outright. He dared not offend the Xiao Clan, but the man standing beside him was equally terrifying. Caught between the two, he felt as though his life hung by a thread.

He turned helplessly toward Lu Changsheng. "Honored guest..."

"So the Hundred-Year Thunder Fruit really is with the Xiao Clan?" Lu Changsheng asked callously.

The patriarch had said a great deal, but Lu Changsheng had not cared to listen. Of late, he had come to understand the rules of the jianghu quite thoroughly. Right or wrong carried little weight. Rules were written by whoever held the blade.

"And if it is?" the patriarch snarled, his icy gaze fixed on Lu Changsheng. From what he knew of the situation at the Grand Emporium of Rarities, this man was merely an outsider, a wandering martial artist from another land, not even a citizen of the Fire Dragon Kingdom. There was no reason for the Xiao Clan to fear someone like that.

Lu Changsheng smiled wryly. "Then this becomes very easy to deal with."

Schwing!

In an instant, Lu Changsheng drew his saber from its sheath. The blade flashed coldly as its sharp edge rushed towards the patriarch.

"You..." The patriarch did not even have time to react before Lu Changsheng's saber rested against his throat.

"Have someone bring the Hundred-Year Thunder Fruit here," Lu Changsheng ordered calmly yet firmly.

The patriarch lifted his chin, a sneer tugging at his lips. "

Hmph.

This is the Xiao Clan. Do you really dare to kill me here?"

He showed not the slightest fear. This was his territory, guarded by a Divine Strength martial artist. Would a mere outsider truly dare to commit murder within these walls?

Slash!

A faint slicing sound rang out through the main hall. The patriarch's eyes widened. He clutched at his throat, disbelief contorting his face as blood seeped between his fingers. With a thud, his body collapsed to the ground, twitching violently. After a few labored breaths, the life within him was extinguished completely.

The steward from the Grand Emporium of Rarities stood frozen, his mind blank. A chill crept up his spine, as if a blade had brushed against his own neck. His face had drained of color, his entire body trembled.

The patriarch is dead. This foreign saberman dared to kill the patriarch.

At the sight of their patriarch lying in a pool of blood, the Xiao Clan martial artists charged forward in unison.

"How dare you kill the patriarch!"

"Die, you villain!"

Lu Changsheng's expression did not change. He knew that more bloodshed was unavoidable.

"Reckless fools seeking death..." he muttered under his breath. Then, he swept his saber in a single motion. All the martial artists instantly collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

Lu Changsheng stepped out of the main hall immediately. Outside, many people had already rushed over after hearing the disturbance.

Saber in hand, Lu Changsheng stood resolute in the open courtyard. His gaze was cold as he spoke. "I only want the Hundred-Year Thunder Fruit. If there is no Hundred-Year Thunder Fruit, then the entire Xiao Clan will bleed for it."

For a moment, not a single person dared step forward. The saberman before them was far too dangerous. If they rushed in blindly, they would only be throwing their lives away

Suddenly, a sharp voice rang out. "What arrogance! You dare kill someone of the Xiao Clan?"

Hearing this voice, the Xiao Clan members felt a glimmer of hope, and a wave of relief washed over them.

"It's the Third Master!" someone exclaimed.

"The Third Master is back!" another cried out. "With the Third Master here, no one would dare act so recklessly."

"The Third Master is at the peak of the Organ Refinement Stage," a third said. "He's nearly unmatched."

As the murmurs faded, a middle-aged man with a saber strapped to his back stepped forth, his steps swift and purposeful.

Shing!

Without hesitation, Lu Changsheng swung his saber casually, cleaving the man from head to toe. His body split apart with a sickening sound, both halves falling to the ground.

The Third Master is... dead? A martial artist at the peak of the Organ Refinement Stage, said to be nearly invincible. Killed in the blink of an eye!

Lu Changsheng could not be bothered to waste any more words. His voice carried calmly across the courtyard. "If the Hundred-Year Thunder Fruit is not delivered by the time this incense burns out, I will start killing, and I will keep killing until it is brought to me."

Time passed slowly. Lu Changsheng stood where he was, motionless. He closed his eyes as if resting, as though nothing around him concerned him in the slightest. He had no fear that the Xiao Clan might attempt some desperate scheme. The Xiao Clan was rooted here too, numerous and unmoving. There was nowhere to run.

As for the Divine Strength martial artist guarding the clan, Lu Changsheng almost hoped they would appear. Once he killed that individual, the Xiao Clan would finally learn to behave. He did not care if the Xiao Clan thought of him as cruel or insane. In the jianghu, might made right. If they wanted, they could debate him with their blades.

For a time, everyone stood there in silence, trembling, as though facing a great calamity. The air seemed to grow thinner with each passing breath as the incense burned lower and lower.

Whoosh!

Just as the time was about to run out, a sharp sound cut through the silence. Lu Changsheng opened his eyes. An elderly man in his fifties had appeared before him. He held no saber in his hands, yet it was as though he was surrounded by invisible blades. His blood qi surged powerfully as he advanced step by step, his aura boring down upon everyone present.

The clan's Divine Strength martial artist had finally arrived. Only the aura of a Divine Strength martial artist could be so overwhelming, capable of suppressing an entire crowd without lifting a finger.

He stopped about ten zhang away from Lu Changsheng. Their gazes met, but Lu Changsheng remained completely unfazed.

The Divine Strength martial artist reached into his robes and took out a wooden box. "This is the Hundred-Year Thunder Fruit you requested," he said, opening the box and revealing a single fruit resting inside. Lightning patterns faintly traced the fruit's surface.

Another Xiao Clan martial artist took the box and approached Lu Changsheng, presenting it with shaky hands.

Lu Changsheng glanced at the Thunder Fruit but did not take it immediately. Instead, he lifted his gaze and looked calmly at the Divine Strength martial artist.

"You're not going to draw your saber?" he asked coolly. "I can tell your saber technique is quite refined."

Though the man carried no visible weapon, Lu Changsheng's senses did not deceive him. His mastery of the saber had clearly reached a formidable level.

The Divine Strength martial artist shook his head. "I am the only Divine Strength martial artist of the Xiao Clan. I cannot act lightly. If something were to happen to me, the Xiao Clan would collapse overnight."

Whether or not the Xiao Clan's Divine Strength martial artist believed he could win was beside the point. He would not risk his life for this. Victory would gain him nothing more than a single Hundred-Year Thunder Fruit. Defeat, however, would doom the entire Xiao Clan. Great clans survived by preserving their strongest assets. Clans that threw everything into battle at the slightest provocation never lasted long.

"This matter was the fault of the Xiao Clan," he went on, "and the fault of the Grand Emporium of Rarities. We failed to investigate thoroughly and did not realize that you yourself are a Divine Strength martial artist."

So he knows I am a Divine Strength martial artist.

Lu Changsheng studied the man for a long moment. The Divine Strength martial artist of the Xiao Clan was a wise one. Now, they had no choice but to accept reality. Knowing the caliber of Lu Changsheng, they no longer dared to try anything.

Since the other side had yielded, and had even offered up the Hundred-Year Thunder Fruit, Lu Changsheng had no reason to pursue the matter further. He sheathed his saber, took the wooden box, then walked calmly straight out through the gates.