The square was collapsing, burying Lin Hao’s body. A giant hand and a massive fist, formed from True Essence, smashed down into the rubble.

Lu Changjun and the other two Martial Artists revealed smiles.

Elsewhere, Meng Qing sat on the turtle egg’s back, watching the scene in horror. She wanted to scream, but no sound came out.

Beneath her, the turtle egg’s four limbs were planted firmly, poised to spring into action.

Just then, all the strange phenomena vanished.

The pressure suddenly eased.

Lin Hao’s body shot up, and what he saw were two heads flying into the air.

The two Elemental Realm Fifth Layer Martial Artists who had attacked were killed in a single blow!

Lin Hao’s expression turned grim.

The timing of the hidden assassin was impeccable.

Before Lin Hao could think, he saw the other two Elemental Realm Martial Artists suddenly make a move.

They weren’t attacking him. Instead, their True Essence manifested as giant hands, grabbing at the empty air.

There was nothing there.

But then something strange happened—fresh blood dripped from the void.

Lin Hao stared into the empty space, his eyes seemingly catching a fleeting, illusory figure.

By using himself as bait, Lin Hao had finally found a clue to the person hiding in the shadows.

The two remaining Elemental Realm Martial Artists on the enemy’s side were also smiling, but their smiles quickly froze.

This time, Lin Hao saw it clearly. He caught sight of the illusory figure again.

Lin Hao couldn’t help but admire the assassin in the shadows.

The two Elemental Realm Martial Artists had just succeeded, and their guards were down. The assassin had chosen the absolute perfect moment to strike.

’Maybe even getting discovered was part of the assassin’s plan,’ Lin Hao wondered.

’The assassin hiding in the shadows is definitely a formidable opponent.’

A sense of gravity he had never felt before washed over Lin Hao.

About an hour had passed since he received the Soul-Chasing Order. And yet, all he had seen of the assassin was a faint shadow. This was a terrifying prospect.

Lin Hao suddenly felt the urgency of the situation.

Without a word, Lin Hao kicked the four severed heads, one after another, sending them flying into the City Lord’s Mansion like soccer balls.

His action was no different from kicking a hornet’s nest.

The ever-composed Lu Changjun finally lost his cool, his face pale as he flew back toward the City Lord’s Mansion.

Before long, five imposing, middle-aged men appeared.

The man in the center was especially striking. He wore python-patterned robes, his eyes flashed like lightning as they opened and closed, and he walked with his hands clasped behind his back, exuding the unmistakable aura of a superior.

To his left, a middle-aged man saw Lin Hao, and after a brief start, his pupils contracted sharply.

"I let you off the hook in Red Beauty City, but I never thought you’d dare to cause trouble in Celestial Jade City!" the man said to Lin Hao, his eyes cold.

Lin Hao recognized this person as well.

In Red Beauty City, when Lu Diewu and her group caused a commotion at the Treasure Hunting Pavilion, it was this middle-aged man who had appeared and taken Lu Diewu away.

He was Lu Diewu’s second uncle.

’Could the man in the center be Lu Dieyi’s father, the City Lord of Celestial Jade City?’

Lin Hao glanced at the middle-aged man in the python robes, making a guess.

However, the middle-aged man’s gaze wasn’t on Lin Hao; it was fixed on Meng Qing.

Lin Hao’s brow furrowed slightly.

At that moment, a man standing beside the Lu family’s second uncle asked him, "Brother Xinyuan, you know this young man?"

"If I say his name, I suspect you all will recognize him," Lu Xinyuan replied.

As he spoke, he glanced at a middle-aged man standing to the right of the man in python robes.

"Oh? Who is he?" the man next to Lu Xinyuan asked.

"Lin Hao. Lin Hao of War Dragon City," Lu Xinyuan said, his expression complicated.

BOOM!

As soon as he said this, everyone’s expression changed, except for the man in python robes and the person to his right.

The name of Lin Hao from War Dragon City had long since spread throughout the entire Southern Border Prefecture; it was safe to say that there was no one who didn’t know of him.

There was a simple reason for this: the things Lin Hao had done were simply too shocking for someone his age.

At this moment, the man in the python robes in the center finally tore his eyes away from Meng Qing.

He asked Lin Hao, "You, Lin... Lin-something, what is she to you?"

The "she" the man in python robes was referring to was, of course, Meng Qing.

Lin Hao did not answer.

"Lin Hao, this humble one is Eighty-Eight, the Pavilion Master of Celestial Jade City’s Treasure Hunting Pavilion. The Marquis is asking you a question." The man to the right of the one in python robes spoke up, shooting Lin Hao a meaningful look as he did.

The reason he knew Lin Hao was that all the Pavilion Masters of the Treasure Hunting Pavilion had a portrait of him.

Over twenty days ago, Imperial City had issued an order: all Pavilion Masters were to obey Lin Hao unconditionally upon meeting him.

Eighty-Eight knew even more—that ever since Ninety-Five had personally made a trip to Imperial City, even the Chen family had grown very close to the Wenren family.

And it was rumored that this was all thanks to Lin Hao.

Now, suddenly seeing Lin Hao in Celestial Jade City, Eighty-Eight would naturally help him.

Lin Hao glanced at the man in python robes, a little surprised.

He hadn’t expected this man to actually be a Marquis.

The Cangnan Empire had a rule: the head of a city was a City Lord, the head of a prefecture was a Mansion Master, and the head of a county was a County Marquis.

Since this man was a Marquis, he must be a County Marquis.

And since the Southern Border Prefecture was subordinate to Chijing County, the man’s identity was obvious: he was the master of Chijing County!

No wonder so many important people were at the City Lord’s Mansion.

Lin Hao glanced at the other middle-aged men, having already guessed their identities.

The man standing beside Lu Xinyuan must be the Patriarch of the Wei family.

And the one beside Eighty-Eight was naturally the Patriarch of the Ling family.

The only thing Lin Hao couldn’t figure out was why the Lu family’s Patriarch, the Mansion Master of the Southern Border Prefecture, hadn’t appeared.

’If his marriage to Lu Dieyi goes through, that man would be his father-in-law.’

"You men, remove her veil for this Marquis!" Seeing Lin Hao’s silence, a flash of displeasure crossed the Marquis’s face before vanishing. He then looked toward Meng Qing and commanded arrogantly.

Lin Hao took a step forward, about to speak, when Meng Qing’s voice sounded from behind him.

"There’s no need. It’s me."

In the next moment, Meng Qing had already glided forward with graceful steps to stand beside Lin Hao, though she did not remove her veil.

"Meng Qing, I can’t believe it’s really you! This Marquis heard you had appeared near Celestial Jade City and rushed here without stopping to find you." The Marquis’s face was full of joy, his expression quite agitated.

Hearing this, the Wei family Patriarch’s face changed drastically.

He knew that this woman had been forcefully abducted and brought to his home by his son.

Moreover, Meng Qing was an absolute stunner. If his son hadn’t laid eyes on her first, the Wei family Patriarch himself might have been tempted.

But he never imagined that Meng Qing actually knew the Marquis. If Meng Qing exposed the kidnapping, his Wei family would be finished.

The County Marquis of Chijing County had a terrifying title throughout Chijing County—Marquis Red Blood!

Marquis Red Blood was known to be capricious; when angered, rivers of blood would flow.

"PLOP!"

At this thought, the Wei family Patriarch dropped to his knees with a PLOP.

"Mercy, my Lord Marquis! Mercy!" He kowtowed, his head thudding loudly against the ground.

"And why are you doing this?" Marquis Red Blood asked, confused.

Lin Hao smiled. He walked a few steps forward and pulled a person out of the crater he himself had just been smashed into.

This person was, of course, Wei Feng.

When the four Elemental Realm Fifth Layer Martial Artists had appeared earlier, they hadn’t prioritized rescuing Wei Feng.

After all, as long as Lin Hao was dead, Wei Feng would naturally be saved.

However, the result had been unexpected.

After the first two attackers were killed in one blow, Lin Hao had emerged and kicked Wei Feng into the deep pit.

After being slapped awake, Wei Feng looked around in a daze and immediately spotted his old man.

"Dad, save me! Dad... help me kill this bastard!" Wei Feng shouted, as if he had just grasped a life-saving straw.

The Wei family Patriarch felt like dying.

Seeing the Wei father and son, and then looking at Meng Qing, Marquis Red Blood seemed to realize a certain possibility, and his face immediately darkened.

Then, he turned to Meng Qing with a smile and asked, "Meng Qing, tell this Marquis what happened. This Marquis will see that justice is done for you."

Wei Feng’s voice died abruptly, his eyes filled with terror.

Meng Qing and her grandfather had appeared outside Celestial Jade City yesterday.

Yesterday, Wei Feng had been hunting outside the city when he was caught in a sudden downpour. When he rushed into a pavilion to take shelter, he encountered Meng Qing and her grandfather, who were also avoiding the rain.

Although Meng Qing’s face was veiled, her rain-soaked clothes clung to her body, revealing her graceful figure. A wicked desire instantly flared up in Wei Feng, and without another word, he abducted her and took her to the Wei Mansion.

Along the way, that Elder Yu, terrified and incoherent, had claimed that they knew the Marquis of Chijing County.

Of course, Wei Feng didn’t believe him.

It wasn’t until today, when Elder Yu unexpectedly escaped, that Wei Feng learned from a subordinate that the old man had bolted after accidentally hearing that Marquis Red Blood was coming to Celestial Jade City.

Now, Wei Feng started to worry.

He immediately took two of his lackeys and gave chase.

Naturally, he caught Elder Yu outside the city, and it was while he was dragging the old man that he encountered Lin Hao.

Now, seeing his own father kneeling and hearing that man refer to himself as "this Marquis," if Wei Feng still couldn’t guess his identity, he might as well just go and die.

How could the Wei family possibly contend with the master of a county? A single word from Marquis Red Blood could lead to the annihilation of their entire family.

"My grandfather was dragged to death by him, by Wei Feng. Brother Hao saved me." Seeing Marquis Red Blood, Meng Qing showed no hint of joy.

Lin Hao even saw that as she spoke, her hands were twisting the hem of her clothes, and her body was trembling.

The moment Meng Qing said this, an overwhelmingly powerful aura erupted from Marquis Red Blood.

Lin Hao was horrified.

’This Marquis is definitely a Soul Gathering Realm expert.’

The next moment, he struck down with his palm, and the Wei family Patriarch was instantly killed.

Marquis Red Blood killed without any warning.

No one present dared to speak, but the stench of urine filled the air.

Wei Feng’s face was deathly pale, and his body trembled violently.

Marquis Red Blood’s gaze fell on Wei Feng.

"BOOM!"

A deep crater appeared where Wei Feng stood, but Wei Feng himself was unharmed.

It wasn’t that Marquis Red Blood had held back; it was Lin Hao who had acted.

Marquis Red Blood looked at Lin Hao, but what he heard was an incredibly calm statement. "Letting him die like this is too easy for him. My life and death are for me to decide."

Everyone present revealed a strange expression.

Lin Hao’s audacity was just too great. How dare he speak to Marquis Red Blood like that?

"Haha, you’ve got guts! For the sake of you saving Meng Qing, I’ll let you deal with him. As for the Wei family, there is no need for them to exist any longer." Marquis Red Blood’s expression flickered, but he quickly returned to normal, a smile even appearing on his face.

But in that casual exchange, he had already pronounced a death sentence on an entire family.

"The guilty have heads, and debts have debtors. The Wei family Patriarch has already paid with his life. The rest of the Wei family can be conscripted into the army for reform," Lin Hao spoke again.

He was not one to kill the innocent. In fact, during the battle with the Wu family in War Dragon City, Chen Tianyu had ultimately taken all the Wu family members away; Lin Hao had not gone on a killing spree.

Marquis Red Blood’s expression was already turning somewhat displeased.

But in the end, he nodded.

Then, he asked a question that left everyone stunned.