Zhou Rui made a desperate gamble, clinging to the Void Sect as his last hope.

He hoped the Void Sect would step in and save his life.

’After all,’ he thought, ’as one of the Four Great Sects, if the Void Sect says the word, would Mo Qi really dare to be so disrespectful?’

The person in charge of the Void Sect’s post in Nanyang City was an old man at the Late-stage Purity Realm. Although he knew Zhou Rui was trying to use him, now that the words had been spoken, he had to step forward to protect the Void Sect’s prestige, whether he wanted to or not.

Besides, Fang Min had indeed produced a Void Sect Token to prove her identity back then.

"Young Master, I am Wang Ming, an Outsider Elder of the Void Sect. No matter how the Zhou Family has offended you, I ask that you show the Void Sect some respect and let’s talk this out. Please release Young Master Zhou first."

Mo Qi looked at Wang Ming coldly. "You think you can represent the Void Sect?"

Wang Ming’s expression darkened. It was true that he was only an Outsider Elder with a low status, but that was only relative.

Aside from the other three Great Sects and the Mountain and Sea Empire, Wang Ming was met with awe and adulation wherever he went.

He had been in Nanyang City for over thirty years; it was no exaggeration to call him the local emperor.

Even though Mo Qi and Jin Sanpang had displayed incredible power, in his eyes, it was nothing special.

Compared to the Void Sect, they were but a firefly to the bright moon.

"Young man, did your elders not teach you that some people cannot be offended and some things should not be said? You should know that disaster stems from a careless tongue," Wang Ming said, his face grim.

"Heh, can’t say they have. And besides, you’re not worthy!"

Mo Qi couldn’t be bothered to waste words. With a flick of his hand, he tossed out his Identity Token.

Wang Ming caught it reflexively and gave it a casual glance.

He was instantly horrified. All the color drained from his face, leaving it a ghastly, bloodless white.

"You... you, you... you are..."

Staring at the token of a Void Sect Core Disciple in his hand, Wang Ming was too terrified to speak.

As an Outsider Elder, his authority was usually just for bluffing and intimidating others.

In fact, Wang Ming’s status in the Void Sect was lower than even an Elite Disciple’s.

And what did it mean to be a Core Disciple?

Even an Elder like Wang Xinglong, whose status was second only to Sect Leader Yun Xuzi, could only move against Mo Qi in secret, never daring to do so openly.

Compared to Mo Qi, he, the person in charge of this remote little city, was less than nothing.

To put it bluntly, Mo Qi could kill him without facing any consequences.

’No wonder he’s so powerful at such a young age. He’s a Core Disciple. That explains everything.’

"My... My Lord, please forgive me! This lowly one was blind to your eminence and has offended you."

Wang Ming knelt directly before Mo Qi, wishing he were dead.

’If you’re a Core Disciple, why didn’t you just show your identity earlier? This is a classic case of one’s own people fighting each other!’

Zhou Rui was dumbfounded. The Zhou Family’s Ancestor was dumbfounded. Everyone else stared with their mouths agape, speechless.

’Just who is this youth with such incredible blade techniques? Even Wang Ming has to kneel and beg for forgiveness!’

Only the City Lord, who had glimpsed a corner of the Identity Token, seemed lost in thought.

"Scram. It’s not your turn yet!" Mo Qi barked.

"Yes, yes, yes." Wang Ming didn’t dare disobey Mo Qi. He actually curled up and "rolled" to the side.

"Now, let’s continue," Mo Qi said, turning to Zhou Rui.

Zhou Rui shuddered violently in fear and quickly pleaded with the Zhou Family’s Ancestor, "Ancestor, please, save me!"

The Zhou Family’s Ancestor quickly turned his face away, ignoring him.

’Are you kidding me? How could I possibly afford to offend someone who even Wang Ming has to kneel to?’

’Besides, Mo Qi had said before that every single person in the Zhou Family who was involved would be held accountable.’

The Zhou Family’s Ancestor felt like smacking Zhou Rui to death. ’I was in seclusion for a short while, and you managed to cause this much trouble? Why don’t you just ascend to the heavens already?’

Zhou Rui’s heart filled with despair. If even the Zhou Family’s Ancestor wouldn’t help him, who else could he count on?

"Tell me where Fang Min is, and I’ll give you a quick death," Mo Qi said.

"Please, spare me, I know I was wrong." Zhou Rui kowtowed frantically, his head smacking against the ground with loud THUDS.

With a flash of the blade, the flesh on one of Zhou Rui’s legs vanished, leaving only bone.

"I don’t want to repeat myself," Mo Qi said lightly.

"AH!" Zhou Rui couldn’t even kneel now. He collapsed on the ground, roaring in agony. "I don’t know where she is!"

SWISH!

The blade flashed again, and his other leg was also reduced to bloody white bone.

"AHHH!"

The intense pain almost made Zhou Rui pass out.

Seeing Mo Qi raise his blade again, Zhou Rui hastily shouted for him to stop.

"Wait! I don’t know where she is, but I can contact her!"

The cleaver stopped in mid-air.

A Communication Talisman flew out of Zhou Rui’s Storage Space and hovered before Mo Qi.

Mo Qi pointed a finger at it. Before he could even touch it, the Communication Talisman suddenly flared with bright light.

A voice filled with venomous hatred rang out: "Mo Qi, are you pleased with how Niu Kexin turned out? Don’t be hasty. This is only the beginning. Just you wait for my even crazier revenge, hahaha."

As the voice faded, the Communication Talisman fell to the ground and shattered into pieces.

"Fang Min!" Mo Qi tightened his grip on the cleaver, a cold smile on his face. ’You won’t get the chance,’ he thought. ’The gap between us will only grow wider and wider.’

SWISH!

Zhou Rui suffered the same fate as the middle-aged woman who had tortured Niu Kexin earlier. All the flesh on his body vanished, leaving only bones and internal organs.

"Ghk... ghk..."

Zhou Rui’s eyes were wide, his mouth agape, but he couldn’t speak.

He stared intently at Mo Qi, as if to ask: ’Didn’t you say you’d give me a quick death?’

"Unfortunately for you, you didn’t tell me where Fang Min is," Mo Qi said coldly, having read the question in Zhou Rui’s eyes.

Zhou Rui’s horrific end made everyone gasp, their scalps going numb with terror.

"Likewise, I’ll give you a chance." Mo Qi looked at the Zhou Family’s Ancestor. "Within one hour, I want to see the heads of everyone from the Zhou Family who was involved in this. Otherwise, the Zhou Family will no longer have a reason to exist."

"Yes, yes, of course." The Zhou Family’s Ancestor nodded repeatedly and scurried away dejectedly.

"Who is the City Lord?"

Just as everyone thought the matter was coming to a close, Mo Qi’s voice rang out again.

City Lord Zhang He was still contemplating whether he should report this matter when Mo Qi called for his position.

"I am Zhang He, the City Lord of Nanyang City," Zhang He said with a cupped-fist salute.

"Let me ask you, has the Niu Family ever been delinquent in paying their taxes?"

As soon as he said this, everyone’s expressions changed.

’Could it be that Mo Qi is going to hold the City Lord’s Mansion accountable too?’

If Wang Ming was the unofficial king of Nanyang City, then City Lord Zhang He was its true emperor!

Behind him stood the Mountain and Sea Empire!

Hearing Mo Qi’s question, Zhang He was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "They have never been delinquent."

Although he had guessed Mo Qi’s identity, he wasn’t worried.

’No matter how high your status as a Void Sect Core Disciple is, you have no authority over my Mountain and Sea Empire.’

"Since they weren’t delinquent, then why, as City Lord, did you not intervene when the Niu Residence was maliciously seized by the Zhou Family, even though you clearly knew about it? The common people pay to support you. Do you really think you’re pigs? All you know is how to eat, not how to work!"