Chapter 642: Chapter 77: Whoever Dares Harm Her, I’ll Kill Them!

"Where are Xuewu and Yichen rushing off to?" King Sang Shun fixed his gaze on Sang Lanruo, with a faint pressure in his deep eyes.

Sang Lanruo lowered her head, her tone calm, "I instructed them to take care of some matters."

King Sang Shun’s eyes fell on Sang Lanruo’s pale cheeks, a complex emotion surfacing in his gaze. After a while, he spoke with difficulty, "Lanruo, do you feel unwell?"

Sang Lanruo raised her head, looking at her father.

For some reason, she suddenly noticed that the frost at her father’s temples seemed a bit whiter, and there was a hint of exhaustion between his brows.

"I’m fine." She answered lightly.

However, this answer failed to ease King Sang Shun’s heart. He looked at his only daughter and said, "Tomorrow, I’ll find some pharmacists to check on you."

He thought of finding a pharmacist to examine his daughter’s health. If the situation was as bad as Mu Qingge described, he would personally go to the East Continent once to seek an elixir from the Alchemy Institute.

"No need, I’m fine." Sang Lanruo shook her head, refusing.

"Lanruo, just listen to your father this once." King Sang Shun rarely used a pleading tone.

Sang Lanruo looked at her father in confusion, moving a few steps closer, and asked, "I’m fine, why see a pharmacist?"

"Lanruo..." King Sang Shun hesitated to speak.

"Father." Suddenly, Sang Lanruo called out. This long-lost address made King Sang Shun tremble all over, his eyes warm and misty.

"What did you call me?" How long had it been? How long had the barrier existed between father and daughter? He hadn’t heard Sang Lanruo call him ’father’ for so long.

"Father." Sang Lanruo looked at her father with guilt on her face, tears falling from her eyes. "I am not a good daughter, nor a good mother. For all these years, I’ve been immersed in pain, relying on you to take care of Xuewu and Yichen. Lanruo is here, grateful to my father."

As she spoke, she knelt on the ground, kowtowing three times to King Sang Shun.

King Sang Shun looked at her, his expression complex. At this moment, he put aside his dignity as family head, reaching out to help Sang Lanruo up. "What are you doing?"

However, Sang Lanruo refused to stand. She rejected her father’s support, merely looking up at him, pleading with her tone, "Father, Lanruo is unfilial. For years, I have never fulfilled my duties as a daughter. Now, I want to ask you to agree to let Xuewu and Yichen acknowledge their ancestry. Rest assured, they have been nurtured by the Sang family, and with Sang family blood in their veins, they would never do anything to betray the Sang family."

"Didn’t I say in the main hall before, regardless of whether their surname is Mu or Sang, they are my grandchildren. When have I ever gone back on my word?" King Sang Shun said.

He advised, "Get up first, the ground is too cold, it’s bad for your health."

"Thank you, father." Sang Lanruo said, as she kowtowed three more times to King Sang Shun.

This made King Sang Shun frown with worry, unable to help but ask, "What’s wrong with you today? You look utterly disheartened. Isn’t it that Mu Liancheng was taken away, and you plan to leave me and go with him?"

As he spoke, there was a sternness in his tone.

If Sang Lanruo intended to seek death, he would never allow it!

"Dad..." Sang Lanruo softly called, the smile on her lips carrying a somber beauty. "Don’t worry, I won’t do anything foolish."

"You’re not going to kill yourself, so do you intend to slowly wear yourself to death then?" King Sang Shun said angrily.

How could he not understand his daughter’s nature?

These years, Mu Liancheng’s revival was her only hope to live on. Now that Mu Liancheng was taken away, what a huge blow it was to Sang Lanruo?

Perhaps, from today onwards, her will to survive would continue to fade.

If you’re so reluctant, why did you agree?" Anger surged like a wave in King Sang Shun’s heart. "If you want to die, I’ll just capture that bastard who wants to force his own mother and make her return Mu Liancheng to you!"

"No! Don’t!" Sang Lanruo hurriedly stopped him.

She lunged forward, grabbing King Sang Shun’s hem, pleading, "Don’t go looking for her. She didn’t force me, I came to terms with it myself. With Liancheng by my side, I already have no way to save him. But Ge’er has a way, she said so."

"She’s been so ruthless to you, yet you keep speaking for her!" King Sang Shun said in a voice filled with hatred and pain.

Sang Lanruo loved her child; how could he not love his own child?

Sang Lanruo slowly shook her head, "It’s my fault, she hates and blames me, and that’s as it should be."

"You!" King Sang Shun pointed at her, but was too angry to speak.

With a flick of his sleeves in anger, King Sang Shun said, "If you don’t want me to trouble her, you must promise me to live well. No thoughts of harming yourself and no tormenting yourself. Tomorrow, I’ll have the pharmacist come over to help nurse your health. You shouldn’t stay in this place either; move to another courtyard and recuperate properly."

"Father, I can promise to see the pharmacist. But, I will not move." Sang Lanruo said.

"Whom do you get this stubbornness from?" King Sang Shun exclaimed.

Sang Lanruo lowered her eyes and remained silent.

From whom? She didn’t know if it was from her father or her mother.

"Sigh..." King Sang Shun slowly said, "Your eldest daughter has a stubborn nature, no less than yours. She won’t acknowledge you now, so don’t think about it anymore."

Sang Lanruo pressed her lips in silence. How could she not think about it? The daughter she had hoped for nineteen years had finally appeared before her. Even if the other party wouldn’t forgive or acknowledge her, she couldn’t stop thinking about this daughter.

"I gave her a chance, but she didn’t appreciate it. I came here to tell you that if she asks you to give her the Sang family’s Artifact Refining Technique, you must not succumb to guilt and pass it on in secret, going against the ancestral teachings. You know how severe the consequences are." This was one of King Sang Shun’s reasons for coming, fearing that Sang Lanruo would do something foolish out of softheartedness, and even he wouldn’t be able to protect her then.

For those who pass the Artifact Refining Technique in secret and those who receive it, the Sang family has extremely harsh punishments, far more than merely taking one’s own life in atonement.

He was worried that Mu Qingge, having met with obstacles from him, would directly find Sang Lanruo and use elixirs to exchange for the Artifact Refining Technique. And that Sang Lanruo, out of guilt, would agree.

However, as soon as he said this, he noticed something was wrong.

Sang Lanruo was too silent, somewhat unusual.

Suddenly, his eyes narrowed, and he exclaimed, "You’ve already given it to her!"

"No." Sang Lanruo’s gaze avoided King Sang Shun’s stare. She had thought she could delay for some time, but hadn’t expected her father to come so soon and bring up this matter.

But King Sang Shun didn’t believe it, and instantly rushed to Sang Lanruo, asking with a shocked expression, "Tell me, did you tell her?"

Sang Lanruo raised her head and looked at her father. In his eyes, it seemed he had already decided the answer. She bit her lip, "Father, this is the only thing I can do for Ge’er. Please grant me this."

Bang!

King Sang Shun suddenly felt as if struck by lightning, his body swaying. His face turned deathly pale, and he looked at Sang Lanruo with heartache, "How could I have such a daughter? As the head of the Sang family, how can I shield you?"

"Daughter knows she’s committed a grave mistake, so she never intended to escape punishment. Please, father, punish me according to the ancestral teachings. Daughter will never have a word of complaint, only begging you to spare Ge’er. She doesn’t even know that what I gave her was the Artifact Refining Technique; she’s innocent. Please just punish me alone!" Sang Lanruo pleaded bitterly.

"Fate, this fate..." King Sang Shun closed his eyes in pain. He slowly said, "Do you know what the punishment for such actions is according to the ancestral teachings?"

Sang Lanruo remained calm and said, "A hundred lashes, cut with axe and sword, thrown into the Refining Furnace, never to be seen again."

With each sentence she uttered, King Sang Shun stepped back a little. Finally, he leaned against the edge of the table, as if all his strength had been drained, slumping down with a voice as pained as bleeding, "You asking me to punish you this way is tearing at my heart!"

"Father, it’s the daughter’s filial impiety." Sang Lanruo closed her eyes in agony. How could she not know how this would harm King Sang Shun? But she had no choice. She had never given her daughter anything, and now knowing she wanted the Artifact Refining Technique, she couldn’t not do this.

"Father, Lanruo has been unruly and difficult to teach since she was a child, always acting impulsively. Even after becoming a wife and a mother, she remained true to her nature, disregarding the feelings of others. Father, this life, Lanruo can’t change this character; please indulge me once more, just one last time, will you?" Sang Lanruo said, tears streaming down her face.

A tear rolled down from the corner of King Sang Shun’s eye. He murmured, "In the end, you still want to die, you still want to abandon me, your father."

Sang Lanruo closed her eyes in pain, tears flowing endlessly. She did not want to die; her daughter had yet to call her mother, she had not yet seen her husband revive, and her children had not grown up; how could she be willing to die? Even if she was tormented day and night by such heartache, she wouldn’t easily speak of death. But if this was the only way to bring fulfillment, she wouldn’t back down either.

"You treat her this way, but do you know that she is aware of your illness yet refuses to save you? Do you know that your most cherished daughter, before you came to the main hall today, proposed to me to exchange the elixir that could save you for the Sang family’s Artifact Refining Technique? After I refused, she simply stormed off, never mentioning it again." King Sang Shun said in heartache.

He wanted to berate Sang Lanruo to awaken her to the fact that it was not worth it.

However, Sang Lanruo just responded with an indifferent smile, "This child is smarter than her father, which brings me peace."

"You!" King Sang Shun felt the breath caught in his chest, causing him pain.

Sang Lanruo looked at him and slowly said, "In father’s heart, as the head of the Sang family, personal interests cannot be prioritized. Refusing Ge’er is righteousness, Lanruo understands. In Ge’er’s heart, she never acknowledged me as her mother; to her, I’m just a stranger. Seizing the opportunity to negotiate with father, isn’t that the most normal thing? How could I be disheartened, how could I blame her?"

King Sang Shun looked at her with grief, his tightly pressed lips faintly trembling.

"Cough, cough..." Suddenly, Sang Lanruo started coughing violently.

"Lanruo!" King Sang Shun hurriedly supported her, pulling her up from the ground.

When she lifted her head, he noticed blood staining the corner of her lips.

The stark blood crimson made King Sang Shun’s eyes reflect shock and heartbreak. "I’ll go find a pharmacist right away!"

"Father." Sang Lanruo tightly grasped his wrist, shaking her head. "Father, promise me. Fulfill this last wish for me. In this life, during my childhood, I lived rebelliously and carefree, growing under your protection. In my youth, I met the love of my life. Although we were together for only a few short years, it was enough for me to dedicate my life. But these nineteen years have been extremely painful. Father, I am a little tired. In this life, I wasn’t a good daughter, a good wife, or a good mother. I only hope in the next life, I can still be your daughter and repay the kindness you have shown me. In the next life, I will obediently listen to you, alright?"

Every word Sang Lanruo spoke felt as if it was tearing King Sang Shun’s heart apart.

He could pretend ignorance and conceal this matter. However, if he did so, he wouldn’t be fit to remain the head of the Sang Family. And in the future, if Mu Qingge refined weapons using the Sang Clan’s Artifact Refining Technique, she would also be pursued by the entire Sang Clan.

Sang Lanruo wanted to shoulder this matter alone, hoping it would end with her and not involve Mu Qingge.

"Are you sure you want this?" King Sang Shun asked with a trembling voice.

Sang Lanruo smiled gracefully, "I am your daughter, and now the Sang Family is in peril. If Father doesn’t execute me according to the law, it might cause discord among the clan. Teaching Qingge the Artifact Refining Technique is the only thing I can do for her. And taking the responsibility for this matter is the only thing I can do for Father. In the future, Father can better manage the Sang Family and quell those discontent voices in the clan." Over the years, she lived in seclusion but it didn’t mean she was unaware; many people in the clan were already dissatisfied with her father’s indulgence towards her.

If this time, she was executed according to the law, it would make managing the Sang Family smoother for King Sang Shun, and perhaps, the Sang Family might have a chance to rise again.

King Sang Shun painfully closed his eyes, this decision had wrestled in his mind for a long time.

Finally, he shouted, "Someone, Sang Lanruo wants to secretly teach the Sang Family’s Artifact Refining Technique, take her away, escort her to the clan grounds, and hold a public trial in front of the clan members on a chosen day!"

After shouting these words, his face, along with his neck, turned a deep shade of purple, the veins on his forehead were bulging, and his eyes filled with bloodshot veins.

"Thank you for fulfilling my last wish, Father." Sang Lanruo gave him a brilliant smile.

...

"What are you doing here?" Mu Qingge gripped the papers in her hand tightly, looking at Mu Xuewu and Mu Yichen with a slightly darkened gaze.

"Boss, we finally caught up to you. Mother wants us to take you away from Fusha City, saying she’s worried that some people in the Sang Family might be unfavorable to you, and wants us to escort you to a safe place. Also, take this chance to visit the Linchuan Mu Mansion." Mu Yichen spoke quickly.

Mu Xuewu also nodded, "Boss, although you don’t acknowledge Mother right now, we are still family, and that fact won’t change."

Their words made Mu Qingge’s face darken.

Her unpleasant expression left Mu Xuewu and Mu Yichen confused, wondering if they had said something they shouldn’t have.

’These two idiots! It’s clear that Sang Lanruo wants to send them away, out of the Sang Family,’ Mu Qingge angrily thought to herself.

Upon seeing the Artifact Refining Technique from the Sang Family hidden among the things Sang Lanruo gave her, she already sensed that something was amiss.

The appearance of Mu Xuewu and Mu Yichen only confirmed her suspicion.

What would be the consequences of secretly passing on the Artifact Refining Technique? Just seeing how King Sang Shun was willing to give up on seeking treatment for Sang Lanruo from her, one could judge that the punishment wouldn’t be trivial.

"Young Master, is something the matter?" Mu Chen noticed Mu Qingge’s abnormal demeanor and asked.

"There is indeed a bit of an issue." Mu Qingge replied solemnly.

She held the Artifact Refining Technique given by Sang Lanruo, but her heart was unwilling to accept her kindness.

’Return it, as long as it hasn’t been discovered yet.’ Mu Qingge narrowed her eyes, making her decision. If she wanted the Sang Family’s Artifact Refining Technique, she would find her own way, without needing Sang Lanruo’s help.

However, before she could act, a low horn sounded suddenly in Fusha City.

Upon hearing this sound, Mu Xuewu and Mu Yichen’s faces changed immediately.

"This is the sound calling for the Sang Family to gather." Mu Xuewu said to Mu Qingge.

"It must be something significant; otherwise, this horn wouldn’t be blown." Mu Yichen added.

Mu Qingge’s heart sank, silently thinking: ’Looks like it has been discovered.’

Now she faced two choices: either leave Fusha City before the Sang Family pursued her, or return to the Sang Family.

A sharp glint appeared in Mu Qingge’s clear gaze as she brushed past Mu Xuewu and Mu Yichen.

"Young Master, where are you going?" Mu Peng asked, puzzled by her actions.

"To the Sang Family." Mu Qingge replied without pausing her steps, leaving behind only those two inexplicable words for everyone.

...

In the closed carriage around her, Sang Lanruo’s eyes were swollen and red as she bit her lower lip, looking at King Sang Shun with fierce eyes.

King Sang Shun stood outside the carriage, ignoring her fierce gaze, and slowly said, "Lanruo, don’t blame Father. You are my daughter, and I don’t want you to die just like that. The horn has been sounded; if she is with Xuewu and the others, they will understand what it means. If she returns for you, I will protect you both, even if I have to give up being the head of the family. But if she hardens her heart and doesn’t come, then Father can only look on as you are thrown into the Refining Furnace."

"If Ge’er suffers any harm, I will hate you for all eternity..." Sang Lanruo said hoarsely.

She had originally thought her father would agree to her plan and deal with her after ensuring Mu Qingge left Fusha City safely. But unexpectedly, he immediately sounded the horn to summon the entire clan.

Within an hour, all members of the Sang Clan in Fusha City would gather together.

"Hate me if you must. Even if you hate Father, I have to do it," King Sang Shun said, turning away to leave.

...

Mu Qingge suddenly decided to return to the Sang Family, leaving everyone confused.

However, the horn indicated a major incident in the Sang Family, Mu Xuewu and Mu Yichen couldn’t leave at this moment either.

The group hurriedly returned to the Sang Family but found the estate gates closed as if no one remained inside.

"They must have gone to the clan grounds!" Mu Xuewu turned to Mu Qingge.

"Clan grounds?" Mu Qingge frowned.

Mu Xuewu nodded, explaining, "If a matter arises that requires the entire clan’s participation, it will be resolved at the clan grounds. Only there can accommodate the tens of thousands of Sang family members." Even now, with the decline of the Sang Family, the clan members surnamed Sang, plus those of dependent surnames, numbered nearly a hundred thousand.

At its peak, the number of foreign clan members drawn by fame to the Sang Family numbered several hundred thousands, even millions.

It was the most glorious era of the Ancient Clan!

"Where is the clan grounds?" Mu Qingge asked.

"It’s a distance away from the Sang Family mansion," Mu Xuewu said.

"Let’s go there," Mu Qingge declared immediately.

"Boss, what on earth has happened?" Mu Yichen asked, perplexed.

Mu Qingge spoke solemnly, "When I left the Sang Family, hidden within the scroll Sang Lanruo gave me was the Sang Clan’s Artifact Refining Technique."

"What!"

"What!"

Mu Xuewu and Mu Yichen exclaimed in shock.

"Then this horn signifies the revelation, and Mother has been captured! Secretly passing down the family’s Artifact Refining Technique warrants not only whipping but also brutal torture before being thrown into the Refining Furnace, burned to ashes!" Mu Xuewu said, her face turning pale.

Mu Yichen’s face also went pale, as he gathered Spiritual Power beneath his feet and disappeared from view.

"Boss, we must hurry over there," Mu Xuewu urged Mu Qingge.

"Young Master, this is the Sang Family’s affair. If we go like this, it might make things worse!" Mu Chen stood in front of Mu Qingge to stop her.

With a clear and cold gaze, Mu Qingge looked at him, firmly saying, "This matter involves me; I have the responsibility to handle it." If she did not go, Sang Lanruo might indeed die just like that. She would then owe her for a lifetime.

Even if she obtained the Sang Family’s Artifact Refining Technique, could she use it?

Bypassing Mu Chen, Mu Qingge left with Mu Xuewu.

Bai Xi and Mei Zizhong also hurriedly followed. Mu Peng said to Mu Chen, "Great Elder, this is the difference. If such an incident happened, Mu Luofeng would probably have run away long ago, but Young Master Qingge shows such responsibility. This is the true young leader of our Mu Clan!"

Mu Chen sighed, his gaze filled with emotion. He instructed Mu Peng, "I will follow first to ensure the Young Master’s safety. You quickly gather the people and come over. I will leave signs along the way to guide you."

"Yes, Great Elder!" Mu Peng responded and immediately turned back.

After instructing Mu Peng, Mu Chen also hurried to catch up.

In Fusha City, the wind swirled the yellow sand, blinding many and dissipating the obsessions in some people’s hearts.

...

Woo woo——!

The ancient sound of the horn slowly rose.

The Sang Clan’s ancestral land was located amidst the West Mountain outside Fusha City. The West Mountain, like a body carved by knives and axes, naturally carried a sense of sharpness and solemnity.

Two cliffs, like treasure swords descending from the sky, stood between heaven and earth, forming the gate to the Sang Clan’s ancestral land.

Here, the Sang Clan’s totem was engraved, and the rocks within resembled various natural weapons.

An arched wall connected these weapon-like rocks, overlapping layer upon layer, intertwined intricately.

In the central circle, nearly a hundred thousand people were gathered, summoned by the horn, yet unaware of what had occurred.

They only saw the execution platform slowly rising, and behind it, the blazing refining furnace. This refining furnace, born with the Sang Clan, held a status akin to the ancestors within the Sang Clan.

The flame inside was a companion flame, it was an abnormal fire, yet not an abnormal fire. It had never extinguished since it was ignited.

An ancestor of the Sang Family once said, the fire in this furnace symbolized the fate of the Sang Clan. As long as the fire was burning, it meant the Sang Clan still existed in the world. If one day the fire were to go out, it would be the doomsday of the Sang Clan.

Generations of ancestors guarding the ancestral land regarded this furnace and fire with utmost importance. For ordinary matters, they wouldn’t summon the refining furnace.

The Sang Clan members in Fusha City had all hurried over.

They stood together, whispering and guessing what had happened.

"Clan Leader, do you really intend to punish Niece Lanruo so severely?" The Second Elder of the Sang Clan said to King Sang Shun.

King Sang Shun pressed his lips and remained silent, his deep eyes looking toward the floating execution platform. The intricately carved pillar up there was stained with the blood of many guilty clan members; today, was it his daughter’s turn?

The Sang Clan’s Second Elder continued, "In my opinion, Niece Lanruo committed such wrongdoings because she was bewitched by that unfilial son; she shouldn’t be wholly blamed."

"Second Brother, you can’t say that. We don’t know the full story of what happened, how can we blame Mu... Qingge Nephew?" The Third Elder spoke up for Mu Qingge.

He now realized that Mu Qingge’s uniqueness toward Xuewu stemmed from bloodline, not what he thought it was.

"The full story? What full story? Didn’t you hear the Clan Leader in the main hall saying she coveted our Sang Clan’s Artifact Refining Technique? Fortunately, the Clan Leader discovered it in time, preventing Niece Lanruo from really disclosing the Artifact Refining Technique." The Second Elder stared and said.

"Indeed!" The Third Elder also sighed and advised King Sang Shun, "Clan Leader, since Niece Lanruo didn’t succeed, why make such a big fuss to punish her?"

King Sang Shun slowly spoke, "Although Sang Lanruo is my daughter, she is also a member of the Sang clan. The rules were set by the ancestors, and no one can violate them. She knew it was a grave offense and still did it; if I don’t punish her, won’t it chill the hearts of the clan members?"

"But, once this matter is exposed, according to the clan rules, Niece Lanruo would be thrown into the refining furnace." The Third Elder said sympathetically.

King Sang Shun took a deep breath and said solemnly, "That is also her choice, her fate."

"Bring the guilty member of the clan, Sang Lanruo, forward!" Suddenly, he raised his hand and shouted.

Soon, Sang clan guards brought Sang Lanruo up, and on the execution platform, they tied her hands high on that pillar.

"It really is Sang Lanruo!"

"She’s the Clan Leader’s daughter! What did she do?"

"Hmph, what Clan Leader’s daughter? Back then, she caused our Sang Clan to bow before the Ying Clan. If not for the Clan Leader’s protection, who would consider her our Sang Clan’s eldest lady?"

"Exactly. Who knows what trouble she got into this time, even the Clan Leader couldn’t shield her, resulting in her being brought here."

"Maybe it’s related to her deceased husband."

"Could be. Sang Lanruo was once the jewel of our Sang clan; with stunning looks, high talent, and rich bloodline. The family had high hopes for her, treating her like a princess. But now? She fell so low for a man who appeared out of nowhere. I wasn’t comparable to her back then, but now any weapon I refine could make her admit defeat."

The appearance of Sang Lanruo caused even more intense discussions within the Sang clan.

The discussions of nearly a hundred thousand people reached Sang Lanruo’s ears on the execution platform, like thousands of flies buzzing, making it impossible to hear clearly. However, she could make out the clansmen’s expressions and guess what they were discussing.

With a bitter smile, Sang Lanruo didn’t defend herself.

The truth was, she had indeed disappointed the clansmen.

After binding Sang Lanruo, two Sang clan guards stood on either side, their expressions severe and cold.

King Sang Shun looked at Sang Lanruo with a complex expression; within her eyes, he saw despair and anticipation. That anticipation... without needing to guess, he knew what it was for.

She hoped Mu Qingge wouldn’t come, and that everything would end quickly.

Retracting his gaze, King Sang Shun stood forward. He stood on a high platform on the ground, with the Second Elder and the Third Elder beside him, and behind them not far was the floating execution platform.

"Today, I have summoned everyone here to deal with the clan sinner, Sang Lanruo!" King Sang Shun’s voice carried with spiritual power, making sure every person present could hear it.

The Sang Clan members gradually quieted down.

They didn’t know what Sang Lanruo had done, only waiting for King Sang Shun’s following words.

Taking a deep breath, King Sang Shun said, "Today, she attempted to impart the family’s Artifact Refining Technique to outsiders. I caught and stopped her in time. But, even if she didn’t succeed, she violated the clan rules. So today, under the witness of the clansmen, I, as the Sang Clan Leader, will punish her according to the ancestral clan rules!"

"What! She actually tried to disclose the Artifact Refining Technique to outsiders? Has Sang Lanruo gone mad!"

"She’s lost her mind long ago!"

"The Artifact Refining Technique is the Sang Clan’s secret, something we all guard more closely than our lives. We wouldn’t disclose it to outsiders, nor to our clansmen or children unless they pass the family’s bloodline verification. Who dares to teach the Artifact Refining Technique?"

"Indeed! Sang Lanruo is assuming she can be so bold and reckless, disregarding the clan’s interests because she’s the Clan Leader’s only daughter!"

"Alas, pity the Clan Leader. Sang Lanruo is his only bloodline, and after today, he might be downhearted for a long time."

"Our Clan Leader is admirable. Today’s punishment of Sang Lanruo is truly impartial!"

The words of King Sang Shun sparked great discussion among the Sang Clan members.

Some of those words struck clear into the ears of King Sang Shun and Sang Lanruo as if knives piercing their hearts. Even without any insults in those words, they were unsettling.

Because it was the disappointment from the entire clan.

Sang Lanruo let out a miserable smile, not defending herself, remaining very quiet. At this moment, her only thought was hoping Mu Qingge wouldn’t come.

Not just Mu Qingge, but also wishing Xuewu and Yichen wouldn’t appear.

She owed her father and the clansmen too much, so now she would repay it all.

"Clan Leader, she is your biological daughter; how do you plan to deal with her?" Someone shouted from the crowd.

The Second Elder and the Third Elder both shouted, "Presumptuous!"

King Sang Shun calmly raised his hand, stopping them from pursuing the matter.

His deep eyes swept over tens of thousands of closely packed clansmen. He spoke, "According to the clan rules, anyone who privately imparts the clan’s Artifact Refining Technique will be punished with a hundred lashes, a hundred blades and axes upon the body, and then thrown into the refining furnace."

His words silenced the clansmen.

They weren’t shocked by the cruelty of the clan rules but were unsure if King Sang Shun would really do this to his daughter.

A hundred lashes were tolerable, but blades and axes upon the body... that was embedding a hundred weapons into the body! Afterward, one would be hung upon the pillar, burned by fierce flames until all the blood flowed from the wounds or was dried, and finally thrown into the refining furnace when close to death.

Such cruel punishment wasn’t something even the strongest men could endure. Could Sang Lanruo, a frail woman, manage? Even if she could bear it, would the Clan Leader be willing?

They even suspected that this was merely an act, to let the entire clan speak up to dissuade them, and then naturally spare Sang Lanruo.

The silence of tens of thousands was far more frightening than the loud voices.

King Sang Shun’s gaze continuously swept over their faces, yet not a single person stood up to speak, not a word about sparing Sang Lanruo.

This caused a slight pain in King Sang Shun’s heart.

He knew, over the past decade, Sang Lanruo had not only hurt his heart but also the hearts of the clan members.

One could say, the amount of hope once placed on Sang Lanruo by the clan is now matched by the level of disappointment, and this disappointment has even multiplied.

King Sang Shun’s lips quivered slightly. To the guard on the execution platform, he said, "One hundred whippings, proceed!"

Two people stood out from the sides, a light flickered in their hands, each holding a Teng Whip filled with barbs, soaked in salt water.

"I’m sorry, Young Lady."

One of them said, and the two exchanged nods.

They simultaneously raised the Teng Whip high, alternately swinging it toward Sang Lanruo’s body.

Pa pa pa pa——!

The sound of the Teng Whip striking the body was clear and loud. Each whip tore through Sang Lanruo’s clothing, bringing up her flesh. Yet, she clenched her teeth tightly, not letting out a cry of pain.

Even when she couldn’t help but let out painful moans, they were extremely quiet, only heard by the two on the execution platform and King Sang Shun.

The sound of those whips striking Sang Lanruo’s body caused pain in King Sang Shun’s heart.

His eyes quickly became bloodshot.

The slender figure under the whip gradually made the people of the Sang Clan’s eyes become complex.

Suddenly, the sound of the whip stopped.

A guard’s voice came through, "Family Head, she’s fainted."

"Splash her awake with water, continue the beating!" King Sang Shun gritted his teeth and squeezed out these heart-wrenching words from between his teeth.

"Yes!"

Woosh——!

The sound of splashing water was heard, accompanied by the coughing sound of Sang Lanruo being choked awake.

However, upon hearing the coughing, King Sang Shun felt a sense of relief. What he feared most was not hearing a single sound from his daughter.

The one hundred whips finally ended.

King Sang Shun had gouged his own palms. "Bring the knives and axes forward!"

"Brother! Lanruo can’t take it anymore!" The Third Elder no longer called him Family Head, but rather addressed King Sang Shun as Brother. The sight of Sang Lanruo covered in blood and flesh was unbearable for him, having watched her grow from a young age.

But King Sang Shun ignored his pleading, loudly shouting, "Continue!"

A hundred weapons were brought onto the execution platform.

Sang Lanruo was already extremely weak, her simple clothes had long turned into tattered, bloodstained rags. Her vision was somewhat blurred, seeing double images as she looked at the weapons approaching her.

Yet, she smiled.

In her heart, she wished this punishment would proceed quickly, as long as Mu Qingge did not appear, she would leave without regret.

Thud!

The sound of weapons entering flesh abruptly triggered a chill in the hearts of tens of thousands of Sang Clan members.

A dagger had already been inserted into Sang Lanruo’s right shoulder.

How her slender body could be pierced by a hundred weapons was unknown.

At this moment, another attendant picked up a small axe, swung it forcefully, and directly struck Sang Lanruo’s lower leg.

"Ah!" The pain of the broken bone nearly made Sang Lanruo faint, another layer of cold sweat covering her.

The small axe embedded in her bone did not fall off.

This scene caused all the Sang Clan members to tremble inwardly. Knives and axes striking her, seeing it with one’s own eyes can only convey the cruelty within. With only two weapons inserted, ninety-eight remained; should they all be used, could there still be a recognizable human shape?

King Sang Shun’s hand, hidden in his sleeve, clenched into a fist, his palm already a bloody mess. He dared not look at the scene behind him, his daughter’s suppressed moans slicing him like a torturous ordeal.

’Mu Qingge, will you truly not come?’ He thought inwardly.

The third weapon, a sharp sleeve arrow, was inserted into Sang Lanruo’s left shoulder. Blood flowed along the wound, dripping to the ground, causing her complexion to pale further.

"Brother! That’s enough, stop now!" The Third Elder couldn’t hold back anymore.

King Sang Shun kept his lips pressed tight, while the Second Elder said hesitantly, "Clan rules are such that after punishment begins, it’s against reason to interrupt. If abandoned now, how will the Family Head command respect later? Before it started, everything was still negotiable. But now that it’s begun, there’s no reason for interruption!"

"Second Brother! Lanruo grew up under your watch too, can you truly bear to see her suffer such torment?" The Third Elder asked emotionally.

The Second Elder shook his head slowly, "Of course I can’t bear it, but under the current circumstances, what’s to be done?"

"Ah——!" The head of a spear was inserted into Sang Lanruo’s palm, the agony making her cry out uncontrollably.

Soon, various weapons were inserted into her body, numbering in the twenties.

Sang Lanruo was already at death’s door, and with each new wound on her body, she cried out again.

"Roar——!" With her scream, a sudden whirlwind swept through the sky, accompanied by an ear-splitting beastly roar.

The sudden shift in wind and clouds prompted the Sang Clan members to all look upwards, including King Sang Shun and the other two. A massive shadow appeared in the sky, a gigantic python suddenly emerging.

That giant python was completely silver-white, intimidating in aura.

"What is this?"

"Is it a Spirit Beast? It’s so huge!"

The Sang Clan members on the ground began to stir with chaos.

The appearance of the Nine Extremes Sky-devouring Python even pulled the Supreme Elders out of secluded cultivation within the Sang Clan’s territory.

They emerged from their retreat, hovering in the air, looking at the sky.

Among them, one person’s eyes shrank as they recognized the identity of the python. "It’s the Nine Extremes Sky-devouring Python! How can this Ancient Holy Beast appear here?"

"Our people are up ahead. Let’s quickly go take a look!" another Supreme Elder suggested.

Six figures flashed and vanished from their origin.

At this moment, five people leapt down from Bai Xi, landing atop the execution platform.

"Mother——!"

"Mother!"

Seeing Sang Lanruo covered in blood, Mu Xuewu and Mu Yichen rushed toward her.

Mu Qingge, holding the Linglong Spear, stood on the platform, her expression stern, akin to a War God. Mu Chen swiftly intervened, restraining the two people on the platform, grimly standing beside Mu Qingge.

Bai Xi wrapped around the platform, layers enclosing the group within.

Sang Lanruo’s appearance caused a chilling determination to emerge from the depths of Mu Qingge’s clear eyes. She looked at King Sang Shun, her killing intent surging as she declared, "Whoever harms her, I will kill them!"