The martial arts world of Lingnan Province had far more than just their thirty-six powers. However, because Wei Chenggong's son-in-law was Jiang Manying, and Jiang Manying was the chief constable of the Six Gates in Lingnan Province.
It was for this reason that these thirty-six families could unite with the Six Gates to prepare to seize the Peng Zu遗迹.
The reinforcements invited by Monk Puhui were terrifying in their individual combat strength, and their background could not be ignored. The matters of the Zhao family and Wei Chenggong made them afraid to face Chen Jiuyang alone.
Thus, they decided to retreat to advance and win over Chen Jiuyang. If they did not apprehend Monk Puhui, at most, everyone would share the Peng Zu遗迹.
But then they sneered. Their thirty-six families could let go of apprehending Monk Puhui, but those ruthless bald donkeys from Shaolin Temple would not let Monk Puhui go.
"Then it's settled. We, the thirty-six... thirty-five families of Lingnan, will host a grand banquet for Chen Jiuyang, inviting him to drink and eat meat. We'll see if he's willing to come."
"Spread the word and see which force finds Chen Jiuyang first to deliver the message."
...
Chen Jiuyang walked forward with the Zhao family captives.
"Marquis Xuanyang, please wait."
A middle-aged female constable, wearing the uniform of the Six Gates and appearing to be in her early thirties, appeared before Chen Jiuyang.
"What business does a constable of the Six Gates have with this Marquis?" Chen Jiuyang asked her.
"It concerns Marquis Xuanyang's life and safety. May I..." The middle-aged female constable glanced at the people from the Zhao family behind Chen Jiuyang and said, "Speak with Marquis Xuanyang alone?"
"My life and safety?" Chen Jiuyang narrowed his eyes and said, "Alright, let's talk privately and see if what you say is true."
Immediately, Chen Jiuyang followed the middle-aged female constable to a secluded spot. The middle-aged female constable said, "Marquis Xuanyang, thirty-four families in Lingnan have united to set a Hongmen Banquet for you. They are willing to give up apprehending Monk Puhui and want to make you complacent."
"The thirty-four families of Lingnan will give up apprehending Monk Puhui, but the people from Shaolin Temple are also within the Qinling Mountains. Once you agree to the thirty-four families of Lingnan, they will stall you and provide clues to the monks of Shaolin Temple, allowing them to capture Monk Puhui."
Chen Jiuyang's eyes turned cold. "We have no prior connection, why should I believe your words?"
The middle-aged female constable gritted her teeth and said, "I am a descendant of Peng Zu. Our lineage has always lived within the Qinling Mountains. Twenty years ago, the Peng Zu遗迹 was discovered, and the Lingnan martial arts world, in order to keep it a secret, massacred all the ordinary people within the Qinling Mountains."
"I was taking the college entrance examination at the time and managed to escape. Later, I became a constable of the Six Gates and investigated the truth."
Chen Jiuyang's eyes suddenly turned cold. "They dared to attack ordinary people?"
The middle-aged female constable took out a document from her person. "I expected Marquis Xuanyang to be suspicious. This is the evidence I have investigated for over twenty years. It is precisely because of this that Monk Puhui trusts me."
Chen Jiuyang looked at her deeply. "Was it you who let the young monk who came to Feng Province to find me out of the Qinling Mountains?"
"It was me," the middle-aged female constable nodded.
This made sense. Monk Puhui was being pursued by aristocratic families and the Six Gates, yet he could send a young monk to inform him. It turned out there was an insider in the Six Gates.
Chen Jiuyang took the document from the female constable and, after reading it, his killing intent surged. "These beasts deserve to die!"
The Lingnan martial arts world, in order to monopolize the secret of the Peng Zu遗迹, had massacred all the ordinary people near the Peng Zu遗迹 to cover it up!
Twenty years ago, Jiang Manying had not yet joined the Six Gates and was unaware of this matter.
Chen Jiuyang looked at the middle-aged female constable and asked, "What do you wish for me to do? To slaughter these people and avenge them?"
The middle-aged female constable said, "I came to inform Marquis Xuanyang not for you to do anything, but only to hope that Marquis Xuanyang will believe me and be careful of the people from the Lingnan martial arts world."
"The second piece of news is that just now, the Six Gates received word that many martial artists are ambushing and hiding outside the Qinling Mountains. They have not entered the Qinling Mountains, and their target may be you, Marquis Xuanyang. Once you resolve the troubles within the Qinling Mountains, there will be more troubles waiting for you outside. All I can tell you is this."
After speaking, the middle-aged female constable turned and left quickly.
Chen Jiuyang's eyes flashed with sharp light. He had only been away from Feng Province for a day, and someone had tracked him to the Qinling Mountains. The only person with such power among his enemies was the Third King, Zhou Fangzun.
Based on the timing, once he finished dealing with the matters within the Qinling Mountains, he would have to depart directly for Longjing to participate in the Martial Ranking competition.
Clearly, Zhou Fangzun and some others did not want him, Chen Jiuyang, to go to Longjing to participate in the Martial Ranking competition.
Heh.
Chen Jiuyang suppressed his killing intent and walked back to where the Zhao family captives were. At this moment, a beautiful woman in brocade clothing had already appeared. Seeing Chen Jiuyang, the beautiful woman immediately bowed to him and said,
"Greetings, Marquis Xuanyang. The thirty-four families of Lingnan invite Marquis Xuanyang to a banquet to discuss the important matters of the Peng Zu遗迹."
They actually came.
Chen Jiuyang sneered inwardly, but his expression remained calm. "What benefits does the Peng Zu遗迹 hold for this Marquis?"
The beautiful woman smiled faintly and said, "The thirty-four families of Lingnan do not have a mortal enmity with Monk Puhui, nor do they necessarily have to kill Monk Puhui. The thirty-four families of Lingnan only wish to find Monk Puhui and have him tell them how to enter the Peng Zu遗迹."
"In this way, Marquis Xuanyang can preserve Monk Puhui's life and repay his kindness, and the thirty-four families of Lingnan can get what they want. It's a win-win situation, isn't it?"
As expected, it was exactly as the middle-aged female constable had said.
You thirty-four families of Lingnan don't want Monk Puhui's life, but those bald donkeys from Shaolin Temple do.
Chen Jiuyang responded coldly, "What if this Marquis does not attend the banquet?"
"Hehehe." A burly middle-aged man holding a large axe sneered coldly, "Then Marquis Xuanyang should consider the consequences carefully." This person stood behind the beautiful woman. He had not spoken before, and his aura was extremely strong. He was also a Earth Realm martial artist, at the third level of the Earth Realm, the same realm as Chen Jiuyang.
Chen Jiuyang looked at him. "Are you threatening this Marquis, telling me that I have no choice but to attend this banquet?"
"So what if I am?" The middle-aged man holding the large axe grinned sinisterly. "If you don't come and continue to oppose our thirty-four families, then we would rather unite to kill you and let Monk Puhui go."
"So what if I oppose you?" Chen Jiuyang looked at the middle-aged man.
"Who do you think you are, to dare threaten this Marquis?"
As Chen Jiuyang's voice fell, his figure flickered and disappeared from his original spot. In the next instant, he appeared before the middle-aged man and punched him.
As his fist swung, his blood and qi surged like waves, and thunderous sounds rumbled!
"Not good!"
The middle-aged man's eyelids twitched violently, and he quickly raised his axe to block the punch.
"Crack! Rattle! Snap!"
Chen Jiuyang's punch directly shattered the metal axe in the middle-aged man's hand and hit the middle-aged man's chest. The middle-aged man felt all his bones and meridians creaking, and then the subsequent powerful force surged, and his body could not withstand it.
*Puff!*
The middle-aged man's spine was directly broken. Then, a horrifying scream accompanied by blood and bone fragments gushing out from his internal organs:
"Ah!"
After a scream, the middle-aged man knelt on the ground, blood seeping from his limbs and joints. His body was immobile. Although he was still alive, he had been crippled and turned into a useless person.
A Grandmaster at the third level of the Earth Realm was thus crippled by Chen Jiuyang with a single punch. This scene directly terrified the beautiful woman and the people from the Zhao family, their faces pale with shock.
Chen Jiuyang slowly retracted his fist, his gaze cold, and his voice indifferent.
"Lead the way. This Marquis agrees to attend the banquet."