Chapter 343: Chapter 201: The Destruction of the Lu Family

"Stop them!"

At the entrance to the He Family estate, the butler watched as a group of intruders smashed through the main gate. With a calm expression, he began directing his men.

"Release my father, or every last one of you dies tonight!"

Lu Wufei had no intention of wasting words. He took the lead, charging straight at the He Family guards who rushed to meet him.

The twenty Martial Artists behind him paired off and launched their counterattack.

The butler showed no signs of panic, merely watching with his hands clasped behind his back. He didn’t forget to add a reminder:

"Capture them alive if you can; try not to kill them. The Patriarch has a use for them. Of course, severing their hands and feet is also an option."

BAM!

Lu Wufei, his hands clad in Gloves, parried and countered left and right. His left hand caught a guard’s Long Saber, and he yanked the man forward. As the guard stumbled into range, Lu Wufei’s right fist smashed into his chest. The man spat a mouthful of blood and collapsed, out of the fight.

His face splattered with blood, Lu Wufei didn’t pause for a second. The Gloves, impervious to ordinary blades, were his deadliest weapon.

The Cultivation Technique he practiced was the same as his father’s, granting him Power and a physique that far surpassed others of the same grade.

One by one, the He Family guards fell before Lu Wufei until he stood just a few meters from the butler.

However, most of the men he had brought were now either injured or captured. Only a few remained standing behind him.

"Release my father! Or the He Family will pay!"

The butler remained utterly fearless. He looked at Lu Wufei and said with a smile,

"You’re even more reckless than your father. At least he knew how to use his head. You, on the other hand, have a blind confidence in your own strength, assuming no one below the Seventh Grade can match you."

As he spoke, the butler gestured with his hand. From the backyard, five more Eighth Grade Martial Artists rushed out and surrounded Lu Wufei and his remaining men.

"In a struggle between families, where our very survival is at stake, did your father never teach you that being an aggressive, lone fighter without sufficient strength is the most brainless thing you can do? Who gave you the nerve to attack the He Family with a mere dozen or so men? Cut off his hands. Seize him and await the Patriarch’s orders."

The butler just scoffed.

"Yes, sir!"

Instantly, all the guards charged forward once more.

In a matter of moments, all the Lu Family guards were captured. Lu Wufei, hopelessly outnumbered, was overwhelmed and severely wounded. The fight ended when they severed both of his hands.

The He Family guards immediately staunched Lu Wufei’s bleeding, ensuring he wouldn’t die from blood loss.

Once the bleeding was stopped and everyone was bound and gagged, they were all thrown into the front courtyard under guard to await He Shujun’s judgment.

The butler then resumed his post, leading his men to guard the paths to the front and back courtyards, preventing anyone from disturbing the Patriarch’s breakthrough.

Yes, he too could tell that He Shujun was on the verge of a breakthrough.

There was no other explanation. The Qi and Blood Power emanating from his body was simply immense. Combined with his tireless Cultivation, it was clear the moment was at hand.

「North East Street.」

On North East Street, Xu Yuandong and his men had already seized control of the five streets and alleys adjacent to the Xu Family estate.

All they had to do was wait for He Shujun to appear and for the two Patriarchs to finalize their agreement. Then, these five streets and alleys would belong to the Xu Family!

However, as the hour of the ox (1-3 a.m.) arrived, Xu Tieshan suddenly recalled Xu Yuandong and all the men stationed in the five streets.

This greatly confused Xu Yuandong. Instead of bringing everyone back, he returned home alone to inquire about the sudden change of plans.

「The Xu Family, Rear Courtyard Hall.」

"Father, why did you recall all our men?" Xu Yuandong asked the moment he entered the room.

Xu Tieshan’s expression was grim. "Recall our men at once, and release everyone from the He Family!"

Xu Yuandong’s face fell. He knew his father’s character; he would never give such an order without a very good reason. Still, he couldn’t help but ask,

"Has another family allied with the He Family?"

Xu Tieshan’s face was dark. "Our scouts report that He Shujun is breaking through! He’s about to enter the Sixth Grade!"

At this, the color drained from Xu Yuandong’s face. Without another word, he gave a cupped-fist salute and departed.

「The He Family, Rear Courtyard.」

BOOM!!

With a deafening crash, He Shujun slammed his palm onto the ground. A massive bluestone slab instantly exploded into pieces!

He rose to his feet and gazed at his unharmed right palm. A slow grin spread across his face until he could no longer suppress his ecstasy and burst into roaring laughter.

"Hahahaha...!"

Seeing this, the butler approached, his face beaming with joy. He offered a cupped-fist salute and said, "Congratulations, Patriarch! Congratulations on your breakthrough to the Sixth Grade! From this day forward, the He Family can be counted among the ranks of the Middle Third Grade Families!"

"Hahaha!" He Shujun was overjoyed.

He was ecstatic. To have risen from an insignificant disciple of a branch family to this point, all because he had obtained an item from a Poison Physician... Now, he was powerful enough to join the ranks of the Middle Third Grade Families under the Li Family’s dominion. He could finally crush Lower Three Grades families like the Xu Family and the Qiu Family!

After a moment of heady excitement, He Shujun collected himself and said with a smile,

"I’ve only just stepped into the Sixth Grade. I haven’t even opened the first acupoint, so I can’t be considered a true Sixth Grade yet. It’s just that my Dantian now holds a sliver of True Qi, which is what defines the grade. But that alone makes all the difference. With this wisp of True Qi empowering me, my strength is far beyond that of a Seventh Grade! If I had to face Lu Yan again, his formidable physique would be a joke in the face of True Qi!"

The butler immediately grinned. "Lu Yan may be dead, but his son is in our hands..."

The butler then recounted the events concerning Lu Wufei.

Upon hearing the report, He Shujun showed no interest in even seeing the captive. He simply ordered, "Take... him to the Lu Family estate and force every last one of them to surrender. Then, consolidate all the Lu Family’s resources, take a full inventory, and deliver it to the Celestial Break Gang’s headquarters."

The butler froze, thinking he must have misheard. He couldn’t help but ask again,

"Patriarch, did you say... deliver it to the Celestial Break Gang?"

He Shujun’s gaze turned chilling, and a cold sneer touched his lips. "That’s right. Send every last bit of it. No one takes what is mine so easily."