Chapter 49: Chapter 47: Whoever Stands in My Way Dies!

Atop the altar.

Jiang Chen’s gaze was icy. His robes snapped in an unfelt wind, and his black hair billowed on its own.

Lan Haichen’s arrogance and domineering presence filled Jiang Chen with rage and a bitter sense of injustice. It also cast a heavy, oppressive pall over the entire Yulan Festival.

Qian Duoduo cleared his throat and addressed the crowd. "Everyone, we’ve just had a small interruption, but the Yulan Festival must go on. Now... does anyone wish to come up and challenge Jiang Chen?"

"Challenge him?"

"That guy can even defeat a True Martial Realm expert. Wouldn’t we be courting death if we went up there?"

"Forget it. We can’t compete for the title of champion this year..."

Waves of dejected voices rose from the crowd.

They had witnessed Jiang Chen’s terrifying power with their own eyes. For cultivators at their level in the Martial Arts Realm, wasn’t going up there just asking for a thrashing?

"In that case, I declare that the champion of this year’s Yulan Festival is... Jiang Chen!" Qian Duoduo scanned the crowd, took a deep breath, and announced loudly.

"..."

But there were no cheers from the crowd.

Only dead silence!

Qian Duoduo gave Jiang Chen a slightly awkward look, said no more, and turned to walk off the high platform.

Standing alone atop the platform, Jiang Chen paid no mind to the crowd’s cold reception. His gaze swept across the onlookers, finally landing on Jiang Tai and his group. The corners of his lips curved into a cruel smile...

...

Ordinarily, winning the Yulan Festival championship would have made Jiang Chen the center of everyone’s attention. But today, the crowd chose to pointedly ignore their new champion.

Everyone was gathered around Jiang Tai.

Lord Sima Tao had a fawning smile on his face. "Patriarch Jiang, you are truly blessed. With a daughter like Ziyou, the Jiang Family is sure to prosper in the future!"

"Patriarch Jiang, I have a trade route I’m looking for a partner for. I wonder if Patriarch Jiang would be interested?" Xu Ying chimed in.

Lin Shengfeng also spoke up. "There’s a Red Gold Iron Ore mine over at North Mountain. My Lin Family is willing to cooperate with the Jiang Family to develop it!"

Chen Fan and Qian Duoduo, not to be outdone, also extended their own olive branches.

Jiang Tai roared with laughter, looking incredibly smug. "I, Jiang Tai, am interested in anything that makes money! Come, come, here’s to our fruitful cooperation. In the future, as long as everyone follows me, we’re all bound to soar to new heights. No one can stand in our way!"

Just then, a calm voice cut in from the side, causing the smile on Jiang Tai’s face to freeze. "Soar to new heights? I’m afraid you won’t get the chance."

"Jiang Chen?"

Jiang Tai narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "What is the meaning of this?"

"Do you think dead men get the chance to soar to new heights?" Jiang Chen shrugged, his tone flat.

"What? You want to kill me?"

Jiang Tai stared in stunned silence for a moment before bursting into wild laughter. Sima Tao and the others beside him also howled with mirth. "You truly don’t know your own limits. You think you can kill me? Jiang Chen, have you already forgotten the lesson Lord Lan just taught you? I admit, you’re far stronger than anyone expected. But my Jiang Family has Lord Lan as our backer! If you dare to touch a single hair on my head, there will be no place left for you in this world!"

"You talk too much. You’re like a buzzing fly, giving me a headache."

Jiang Chen flicked at his ear, a cold light flashing in his narrowed eyes. "Jiang Tai, back when you and your daughter drove me from our home and stole my Saint Martial Order, I made a promise. I said that during the Yulan Sacred Assembly, I would seize the title of champion and make you return everything you took from me. Now, it’s time for me to collect."

After speaking, Jiang Chen took a large stride toward Jiang Tai.

"Jiang Chen, you traitor! My Ziyou is a disciple of the Saint Martial Sword Sect and has earned Lord Lan’s favor! How dare you move against me?" Jiang Tai’s face paled as he snarled.

Sima Tao stepped forward. "Jiang Chen, don’t be a fool!"

"You can’t attack Patriarch Jiang!"

"Take one more step, and we won’t be so courteous!"

Xu Ying and the others also spoke up one after another.

The current Jiang Family was backed by Lan Haichen of the Saint Martial Sword Sect, a towering mountain of support. If Jiang Tai was harmed in any way, once Jiang Ziyou decided to pursue the matter, they would also find it difficult to escape being implicated.

Several of the Jiang Family’s elders also stepped forward.

Among them were a few elders who had once spoken up to protect Jiang Chen, but now, with Jiang Ziyou entering the Saint Martial Sword Sect and winning Lan Haichen’s admiration, they had changed their allegiance and all stood in front of Jiang Tai.

The Third Elder’s voice was grim. "Jiang Chen, you are a son of the Jiang Family. How can you commit such insubordination?"

"Jiang Chen, you need to calm down!"

The Second Elder said, "We admit that taking your Saint Martial Order was wrong of us. But what’s done is done, and dwelling on the past is useless... How about this? We can help you plead with the Patriarch and let you return to the family. We’ll also give you back that Saint Martial Order. We can even have the Patriarch plead with Ziyou to spare your life. How about it?"

Everyone present nodded one after another.

They felt that this was enough to make it up to Jiang Chen.

However, how could they possibly know that the enmity between Jiang Chen and the father-daughter pair of Jiang Tai was irreconcilable?

Time and time again, Jiang Tai and his daughter had tried to have him killed.

How could he not avenge such a grudge?

Jiang Chen swept his gaze over them and said flatly, "Get out of the way, or—die!"

"Arrogant!"

"We admit you’re very strong, but that was just because you used some kind of Secret Technique. There must be a huge backlash. How long can you keep it up?"

"There are so many of us. We could crush you with our numbers alone! We don’t believe you actually dare to attack..."

Expert after expert held their Combat Weapons, their True Qi surging, forming a human wall in front of Jiang Tai.

Jiang Tai, emboldened and arrogant, bellowed, "Jiang Chen, if you kneel and beg me right now, I might ask Ziyou to spare your miserable life!"

"I am killing Jiang Tai today. Anyone who stands in my way—dies!"

Jiang Chen took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

From his body, a surging Sword Intent erupted...

SHWIIING—

A flash of sword light, like an aurora falling from beyond the heavens, was incomparably swift and peerlessly sharp.

The sword strike plunged straight through the bodies of two elders.

SPLURT— SPLURT—

Two fountains of blood erupted as two heads were sent flying. With a single strike, Jiang Chen had slain two elders at the Martial Arts Eighth Stage.

"Damn you! You actually dared to attack?"

"Get him! Kill him..." Jiang Tai’s face showed terror as he roared hysterically.

Expert after expert charged forward.

Jiang Chen’s expression was blank. The sword in his hand moved like a phantom, each strike a brilliant flash of light that cut down everything in its path.

Head after head tumbled to the ground.

In just a few minutes, over thirty corpses lay strewn about before Jiang Chen, dripping with fresh blood that pooled into a gory river. Every single one had been killed by a single sword strike through the throat, their heads severed from their bodies.

Jiang Tai trembled all over in fear, his eyes full of terror. "H-How is this possible? How can this brat be so strong?"

"Too terrifying."

"Such ruthless methods. It’s best we don’t get involved..." Sima Tao and the others looked horrified, the thought of retreat blooming in their minds.

Jiang Tai roared, "Lord Sima, Patriarch Xu, Chairman Qian... As long as you help me block this little beast, I’ll immediately write to my daughter when I get back. She will definitely repay you."

Sima Tao and the others were visibly tempted.

’A reward from Jiang Ziyou?’

’She’s a disciple of the Saint Martial Sword Sect. Even a few cultivation Spirit Pills from her would be worth a fortune.’

A flash of greed passed through all of their eyes, but when they saw the young man in front of them holding a blood-dripping longsword, their hearts grew cold with fear. They gave a bitter smile. "Patriarch Jiang, our apologies. We’re powerless to help!"

"H-How could this happen?"

Jiang Tai’s face showed despair. Seeing Jiang Chen approaching him step by deliberate step, he was so frightened he turned and fled...