An overnight upheaval!

Chen Ku, Qin Yuxian, and Shan Lingguan, each carrying a person on their back, climbed over the city walls and saw that on the towering Baojiao City walls, now lay the corpses of the Baojiao County Yamen's City Defense Forces...

Flames burned on the city walls.

Squad after squad of Peace Path's Taoist Soldiers took over the fortresses on the walls that were easy to defend but hard to attack.

"Master, Senior Brother, do you think after Peace Path captures the county city, they can hold it?"

The three of them, each carrying an injured and unconscious person, jumped off the city wall. Once down, Chen Ku asked the other two:

"They didn't go through all that effort to capture the walls just to be easily suppressed by the official army sent by the Imperial Court, did they?"

"It's hard to say."

Qin Yuxian looked back at the city walls now largely occupied by Peace Path and said worriedly:

"Throughout history, any rebellion was either because they were too hungry and couldn't bear it any longer, which would just make them bandits, not a threat. But another kind is different, like Peace Path, which has been planning for a long time and burst forth in a single night, having considered many circumstances. Don't be fooled by the fact that we injured the Peace Path leader — the message revealed in his last words speaks volumes..."

"Senior Brother, you're talking about that 'God of the Yellow Heaven great ceremony'..." Chen Ku remarked gravely: "Do you think that so-called God of the Yellow Heaven can really descend?"

Qin Yuxian shook his head.

Shan Lingguan interjected at this point and asked: "Let's not talk about that. The court has more reason to worry about cult rebellions than we do. No need to overthink. Instead, tell us how you happened to come here tonight..."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ku explained the situation succinctly: he had heard earlier that Li Yutang was heading to Medicine King Hall to kill them, so he evacuated Medicine King Hall out of the city. Then, he had planned to inform Qin Yuxian, only to stumble upon the Peace Path leader attacking Qin Yuxian.

"I see." Shan Lingguan looked approvingly at Chen Ku and said: "By the way, the strike you used to injure that Peace Path leader seemed extraordinary. Where did you learn it?"

Though the peace path leader of the Seventh Possession Realm was first hit by his Huntian Overlord Body Seventh Layer's 'Five Thunders Decision,' allowing Chen Ku to seize the opportunity to ambush, the almost two-hundred-year-old man, having experienced Jianghu and with extensive knowledge, immediately recognized Chen Ku's snot technique as an innate method to counter 'souls.'

Chen Ku responded vaguely, claiming he had a brother, Chen Xin, who practiced the art of a Qimen Mage...

He attributed his skills to his elder brother far away in Yuan Country.

Shan Lingguan did not press further. Unlike other martial sects, his school, which practiced the Huntian Overlord Body, although termed martial arts, closely resembled the spiritual cultivation methods of other countries, requiring spirit roots and the absorption of natural spiritual objects to practice, hence, it was widely accepted.

Seeing that Chen Ku managed to think of them under such dangerous circumstances reflected a good disciple's character and integrity, no more questions were necessary.

Plus, since there were only three people in the Imperial Enlightenment Sect now, he set the rules, and if he didn't mind, no one else would.

"Since you've already had Medicine King Hall evacuated in advance, you must have a meeting point, just as well..."

Shan Lingguan said softly:

"Lead me and little Qin to your Medicine King Hall's meeting point to pass the night, then when dawn comes, we can decide on our next steps."

"Alright!"

Chen Ku agreed without hesitation and began leading the two toward the Medicine King Hall meeting point.

As a dominant force in Baojiao County, Medicine King Hall had branches in various towns outside the city, and their agreed meeting point was at the Medicine King Hall branch in Chen Ku's hometown, Snake Fish Town.

Making their way to the Medicine King Hall branch in Snake Fish Town.

Chen Ku couldn't help but glance at Guan Hongluan, slung over his shoulder.

It seemed that she had merely been immobilized by Shan Lingguan with some 'acupoint technique,' her breathing steady, as if she were just asleep.

"I'm quite familiar with Guan Hongluan's skills. Having just broken through to the Five Realms and wielding the Dragon Subduing Refining God Sword, yet she was captured by my master without any resistance."

It was only tonight that Chen Ku realized the depths of martial arts mastery possessed by his master Shan Lingguan and senior brother Qin Yuxian — unfathomably deep.

The fact that the Peace Path leader dared not confront Qin Yuxian on the ground, and that the masked man from the Marquis of Han Shou's Mansion felt compelled to rescue Tan Chongrui only under the Peace Path leader's restraint, clearly showed that this grandmaster truly had no equals in Qiu Dragon Mansion.

And his master Shan Lingguan was even more extraordinary.

Chen Ku also witnessed tonight why his master Shan Lingguan self-identified as the 'inner layer' of the Imperial Enlightenment Sect, handling the dirty work...

What grandmaster would openly kidnap a gentlewoman in the middle of the night?

Despite his inner doubts.

He couldn't help but secretly note:

"The Five-colored Peacock transformation must have fled upon seeing the master, fearing to be easily squashed like a chick. But the reaction of that masked man, upon returning after abducting Tan Chongrui, and finding his family's little princess similarly kidnapped, would surely be something...

In the Inner City of Baojiao County.

The masked man placed Tan Chongrui in a hidden location, and looking at the smoky city tonight, thought:

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.