Chapter 254: A Stampede for Revenge

General Ma avoided the attack and glared at Xiao Nanfeng. "You brat, you think you can kill me? Die!"

He charged straight at Xiao Nanfeng.

"Insolence!" Ye Sanshui shouted, drawing his sword and defending his liege.

The two cultivators crashed into each other in a huge explosion of energy. Ye Sanshui seemed a little weaker in terms of explosive strength, and General Ma was able to force him back. However, he commanded Xiao Nanfeng's Immortal's Destruction. He tossed a talisman at General Ma, and a heavenly blade shot down toward him.

"Again?" General Ma defended with his sword.

The heavenly blade struck him and sent him smashing into the ground. He had blocked the blow, but at great cost. His hair came unbound and scattered across his shoulders.

"Again!" Ye Sanshui sent a third heavenly blade shooting at General Ma, who was prepared and managed to successfully dodge the attack. The blade crashed into the ground in a plume of dust.

"These blades might be strong, but they're meaningless if they can't hit me. Die!" General Ma shot forward again.

"Ye Sanshui, we'll assist you!" Two more Taiqing elders joined in the fray.

They blocked General Ma's way and began to attack him. To avoid any possibility of friendly fire, Ye Sanshui chose not to use the Immortal's Destruction again. He joined in the fray; the three cultivators attacked General Ma in sync. The advantage turned against him.

General Ma avoided the attacks as he shouted, "Are you Taiqing elders crazy? Xiao Nanfeng's just a brat, wet behind the ears! Why would you listen to his orders?"

The elders snorted, ignoring the foolish cultivator.

Xiao Nanfeng looked up at the sky. "General Ma, there must be more of you here in the city. Where are they? Have them show themselves!"

General Ma, hemmed in by the elders, shouted into the distance in frustration. "Show yourself, Commandants! Take down Xiao Nanfeng at once!"

Three figures emerged from the city, headed straight for Xiao Nanfeng.

"We've been waiting!"

Five cultivators emerged from right outside the Xiao manor.

"Another five Taiqing disciples? Impossible. Have they all gone crazy?!" General Ma exclaimed.

"Kill!" the Taiqing elders exclaimed.

The melee grew more and more intense as more cultivators joined the fray. Roaring flames bathed the city. Against the twelve Taiqing elders' onslaught, General Ma and his men were quickly forced on the defensive. They incurred wound after wound.

"They were prepared for this. We've been ambushed, and our camps must have been exposed as well. We have to leave Yongding immediately. Now!" General Ma shouted.

A large group of Immanence- and Ascension-realm cultivators quickly began to flee toward the city gates.

"It's too late!" Xiao Nanfeng called out.

Suddenly, thousands of Taiqing disciples appeared by the city gates.

"Kill!"

The Taiqing disciples charged forward in a stampede, as if there were thousands of soldiers and horses waiting for them. The sound of fighting rang out through the city.

"Thousands of Taiqing disciples?" General Ma exclaimed in mounting fear. "This must be half the sect. How did you do it, Xiao Nanfeng?!"

"What a coincidence. I was only here to seek revenge on the Chief Steward, but it looks like I'll be able to deal with a stain on these lands now as well," Xiao Nanfeng replied calmly.

"Impossible! You brought half the Taiqing Immortal Sect to kill a weakling like the Chief Steward? Do you think me a fool?" General Ma roared.

Xiao Nanfeng chose not to explain himself. He looked toward the battlefield.

Ye Dafu was the first to achieve success in combat. He smashed straight through the chest of a Spiritsong-realm cultivator in a spray of blood. The cultivator's corpse fell to the ground; he was dead even before it landed.

"Let me help you, Third Uncle!" Ye Dafu rushed over to where Ye Sanshui was located. They attacked General Ma together.

"Flee!" General Ma commanded.

The cultivators in the air, grievously wounded, scattered and attempted to flee.

When they arrived at the city walls, however, they found even more elders barring their way. The newcomers forced them back.

"Just how many elders from the Taiqing Immortal Sect are here? Why are there more?!" they cried out in despair.

Sixteen elders were surrounding the seven of them. At this rate, they would all die here!

General Ma was struggling to take on four cultivators at once. As he attempted to flee, he saw that even more reinforcements were arriving on the enemy side. His morale flagged. Was this the end for him?

General Ma gritted his teeth. He turned back, blocking the enemy cultivators' blows with his back. The injuries he sustained caused fresh blood to spray out of his mouth. He was badly injured, but he didn't care. He rushed toward Xiao Nanfeng, aware that dealing with him would be the crux of resolving this problem.

"Xiao Nanfeng, die!" General Ma roared, slashing at Xiao Nanfeng with this sword. The slash cut apart the void and summoned a howling gale. It looked as though it might bisect Xiao Nanfeng.

"Be careful, King Xiao!" Ye Sanshui cried out.

"The peak of Spiritsong, are you? Have a taste of my Hegemon's Fist!"

Xiao Nanfeng didn't even reach for a weapon. He struck with his unarmed fist.

The fist technique blocked the slash in its entirety—but Xiao Nanfeng didn't launch just the one punch. Dozens of punches filled the air, all targeting General Ma.

"Impossible!" General Ma exclaimed.

The punches struck him all over; he had had no time to block. His body caved in; his limbs were splayed. Shards of bone and fresh blood scattered around him. Losing all his strength, he slumped to the ground like a bag of skin and bones.

Xiao Nanfeng had deliberately controlled the strength of his Hegemon's Fist; otherwise, General Ma would already have been dead.

"It took you just a single punch to take down General Ma?!" the Chief Steward exclaimed.

"You've ruined me, Chief Steward!" General Ma cried out.

The four elders who had been chasing after General Ma stopped short.

"Elder Xiao, you're incredible!" two of the elders gasped.

The four of them combined had been having trouble with General Ma, but Xiao Nanfeng had taken him down with just a single punch!

"Elders, please protect the disciples that are fighting in the city. Don't let them be hurt by those bandits."

"Understood!" The elders flew into the city.

Ye Dafu and Ye Sanshui watched over the Chief Steward and General Ma.

"All you bandits, listen up! I, Xiao Nanfeng, rightful heir to these lands, have returned. I don't wish for more carnage. This is your one opportunity to redeem yourself. Kneel down and submit, and you shall be spared. Resist, and be killed!" Xiao Nanfeng shouted. His voice reached the entire city.

"Kneel and be spared. Resist and be killed!"

The Taiqing disciples took up the chant. Many of the rogue cultivators shuddered in fear and knelt down on the ground at once, though others continued to resist.

With the downfall of General Ma, the tide of battle turned overwhelmingly in Xiao Nanfeng's favor.

"Xiao Nanfeng, I recommend that you submit now. The Xiang clan's cultivators have returned, and the Tianshu Empire will soon be destroyed. You won't be able to save your titled lands. The Chief Steward may have lured us to our deaths today, but we have Wingform-realm cultivators and spirits at our disposal. You won't be able to withstand their might!" General Ma threatened.

"Is that your best argument? I've killed Wingform-realm spirits before, and my senior uncle even deeply wounded Xiang Pojun a few days ago. My master killed a crow Immortal. I suppose you're not aware of these things yet," Xiao Nanfeng replied.

"Impossible. You're lying!" General Ma shouted, even as he continued to cough out blood.

"Nothing's impossible. The Taiwu Empire is a relic of the past. Even with the aid of the Taiwu Empire, you scattered sect masters were unable to overcome the might of the Taiqing Immortal Sect and the Tianshu army. What makes you think you can muster a resurgence now? They lost that year, and their reappearance now will only bring them shame." Xiao Nanfeng sneered disdainfully.

"Times have changed. You won't be able to stand against the might of the Xiang clan," General Ma threatened.

"You don't have to worry about that. Rather, I'm curious why so many of you have gathered in the city of Yongding."

"The Chief Steward tricked us. He invited us to excavate a draconic vein, but he was just a filthy liar!" General Ma seethed as he glanced at the Chief Steward.

The Chief Steward couldn't help but respond in kind. "I never tricked you. I was considering joining your side. I even had my son invite three disciples of the emperor's brother-in-law over, prepared to use their heads to serve as proof of my commitment. I was prepared to help you excavate the draconic vein that lies beneath the city of Yongding. How could I have known that Xiao Nanfeng would return now? It's your fault for being unable to deal with a piece of trash like Xiao Nanfeng!"

"You're the piece of trash!" General Ma retorted.

"Who do you think you are? Why would Spiritsong-realm cultivators like them need your help to excavate a draconic vein?" Xiao Nanfeng looked toward the Chief Steward in disbelief.

"Everyone knows that the city of Yongding harbors a draconic vein, but no one knows how to excavate it. All who try die a terrible death; I am the only one who knows the solution," the Chief Steward declared.

"Oh?"

"Xiao Nanfeng, if you agree to release me, I'll tell you this secret and enable you to claim the draconic vein for yourself. Well?" the Chief Steward asked expectantly.

"Do you think I'd accept?" Xiao Nanfeng replied.

The Chief Steward's gaze turned despondent. He knew that Xiao Nanfeng wasn't about to free him. Not daring to antagonize him, however, he turned toward General Ma again. "General Ma, it looks like I've overestimated you. You can't even deal with Xiao Nanfeng. What a piece of trash you are!"

General Ma was so angry that he spat out more blood. "And who do you think you are to criticize the likes of me?"

"You piece of trash. I was going to join your side and help you overcome the Tianshu Empire, but you were too useless!"

"If I weren't in such a sorry state, I'd be able to punch you to death with a single fist. Think about how you tried to please me before—you dare humiliate me now? You're nothing more than a traitor slated for death!" General Ma roared.

Xiao Nanfeng smirked. "Chief Steward, are you trying to stall for time with this argument?"

The Chief Steward blanched and looked toward Xiao Nanfeng in disbelief. "You really were pretending to be a fool all along, then."

"Don't worry. I don't intend on killing you so quickly. I'm waiting for you to summon more reinforcements. To think that you had even more trump cards up your sleeve—I really am quite impressed." Xiao Nanfeng narrowed his eyes at the Chief Steward.

Just then, a shrill scream came from the rear yard of the Xiao manor.

𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

The scream was sharp and piercing, sending chills down everyone's back.

"Finally!" The Chief Steward looked toward the source of the noise expectantly.