Oh no! My grandmother made me shoulder the responsibility for eight households!

Chapter 83 The matter is over

Three purple figures leaped out of the pavilion, forming three groups that surrounded Yuan Tiangang in the middle.

"Yuan Tiangang, do you really intend to fight my Purple Robe Pavilion to the death?" the Purple Robe Envoy said coldly.

"We are now locked in a life-or-death struggle," Yuan Tiangang said calmly.

"Then there's nothing more to say." The purple-robed envoy summoned the Divine Banquet. "Form the formation!"

The three of them simultaneously formed hand seals, and the Divine Banner of Forbidden Gods shone with a brilliant purple light.

A strange power spread out, suppressing the martial artist's spiritual sense and true energy.

Yuan Tiangang sensed it for a moment and nodded: "The Forbidden God Banner lives up to its name; it can suppress two-tenths of my power. It's a pity..."

He took a step forward.

"Click—"

Cracks appeared in the purple light of the Forbidden God Banner.

"What?!" the purple-clad envoy exclaimed in shock.

"A magical artifact is powerful, but it depends on who uses it." Yuan Tiangang took another step. "How could you possibly suppress a celestial being?"

The Banner of Forbidden Gods shattered with a crash.

His natal magic weapon was destroyed, and the purple-clad envoy coughed up blood and retreated.

Upon seeing this, the two guards in purple robes turned and fled.

"Can you escape?" Yuan Tiangang reached out and made a grabbing motion.

The two purple-clad guards were as if gripped by an invisible hand, unable to move.

"Soul Search".

Both of them convulsed violently, and blood flowed from their seven orifices.

A moment later, Yuan Tiangang stopped, and the two men collapsed to the ground, now mentally impaired.

The purple-clad envoy tried to escape, but found that the surrounding space had frozen.

Under the Celestial Realm, he couldn't even move a finger.

"You still have a use." Yuan Tiangang struck his dantian with a palm, destroying his cultivation, then picked him up and turned to leave.

Outside the village, the battle was over.

Three hundred Snow Dragon Riders stood silently in the pool of blood, their white armor stained red, their spears dripping with blood.

The eight Vajra Guardians stood solemnly in all directions, their auras as deep as the abyss, sealing off the surroundings.

Within a three-mile radius of Juyizhuang, corpses lay strewn everywhere, and blood flowed like a river.

All 6,472 members of the canal gang were wiped out.

Not a single one was left.

……

At dawn, at the gates of Suzhou.

Three heads hung high – Hong Tianba and two purple-clad guards.

The wooden sign listed the crimes: colluding with foreign enemies, selling prohibited items, and harming the people.

Countless people gathered below the city walls, pointing and discussing amongst themselves.

"The Grand Canal Gang... is it really wiped out?"

"More than six thousand people, all gone overnight..."

"Those white-armored cavalrymen are terrifying; they're practically heavenly soldiers!"

Some were terrified, some cheered, but everyone understood one thing—the situation in Jiangnan had changed.

The news spread like wildfire throughout Jiangnan.

The leader of the Suzhou branch of the Azure Dragon Sect wrote a letter to the main branch overnight:

"Lin Chen's eight Vajra generals are all Grandmasters, and his three hundred Iron Cavalry are all First Rank."

The entire 6,000-strong canal gang was wiped out overnight, not a single survivor. This young man's power has grown significantly; I suggest the main headquarters consider this matter.

The branch leaders of the White Tiger Gate, Vermilion Bird Gate, and Black Tortoise Gate made the same judgment—if you can't afford to offend them, you can at least avoid them.

But the truly important people react in different ways.

The ancestral home of the Cui family in Hangzhou.

Cui Yongnian, the head of the Cui family, looked at the battle report with a gloomy expression: "Lin Chen... what ruthless methods."

"Father," the eldest son, Cui Mingde, whispered.

"My cousin Mingyuan is beyond saving. Lin Chen has also destroyed the Cao Gang, cutting off our source of income in Jiangnan. If this boy is not eliminated, the Cui family will never have peace."

"Remove? How?" Cui Yongnian sneered.

"Eight Grandmasters, three hundred First-Rank Iron Cavalry, and Yuan Tiangang, that half-step Celestial Being—unless the Ancestor emerges from seclusion, who can touch him?"

"Then we..."

"Endure," Cui Yongnian said slowly.

"Notify all industries in Jiangnan to temporarily scale back operations. Also, send a letter to the Zhou family, saying that my Cui family is willing to join forces with the Zhou family to fight against Lin Chen."

"yes!"

Jiangning, Zhou Family Villa.

Zhou Wenyuan, the father of Zhou Ming, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, also received the news.

He remained silent for a long time before speaking to the butler:

"Send a message to the capital, asking them to find a way to impeach Lin Chen in court tomorrow."

It is said that he indiscriminately killed innocent people and disregarded human life, which aroused public anger in Jiangnan.

"Sir, will this work?"

"Even if it's useless, we have to do it." Zhou Wenyuan sighed.

"Lin Chen is making an example of us. After the Canal Gang, the next ones will be families like ours that are connected to them. If we don't fight back, we'll be at their mercy."

He paused for a moment, then added, "Also, prepare generous gifts; I intend to personally visit Lin Chen in Suzhou."

The butler was taken aback: "Master, this..."

"Impeaching on one hand, and showing goodwill on the other," Zhou Wenyuan said calmly. "Don't put all your eggs in one basket."

……

That night, Suzhou's largest restaurant was brightly lit and decorated.

Three hundred Snow Dragon Riders, the Eight Vajra Warriors, and Yuan Tiangang gathered together.

Lin Chen booked the entire restaurant and hosted a banquet to reward the guests.

Thirty tables were set up in the lobby, each laden with delicacies and fine wines.

The white-armored knights removed their armor, changed into civilian clothes, and drank heartily.

Lin Chen sat in the main seat, raised his glass and said:

"Thank you all for your hard work. This glass is a toast to our brothers who fought bravely last night!"

"Homage to the Lord!" Three hundred people responded in unison, their voices shaking the rooftops.

Xiao Yulou sat next to Lin Chen, watching the bustling scene with a sense of emotion.

These tough men, who were ruthless killers yesterday, are now drinking and laughing like ordinary soldiers.

"Eighth Brother," she said softly, "these brothers are truly blessed to follow you."

Lin Chen smiled and said, "They risked their lives for me, so naturally I can't treat them unfairly."

Speaking of which, Fourth Sister-in-law, you must have had a long night too. Come, let me toast you.

Xiao Yulou blushed, but raised her wine glass to clink glasses with Lin Chen.

At this moment, Su Wenyuan arrived with Su Mo and Su Xiaoxiao.

"Your Excellency!" Su Changming bowed, "I am late."

"Uncle, you've come at the perfect time." Lin Chen stood up to greet him. "Come, take a seat."

After Su Changming sat down, looking at the assembled soldiers, he sincerely praised them:

"The soldiers under the Duke's command are truly a fierce and powerful army. Last night's battle shook the Jiangnan region."

"It's just a minor skirmish," Lin Chen waved his hand. "By the way, Uncle, have you heard anything from the Cui and Zhou families?"

Su Changming lowered his voice:

"The Cui family is scaling back their businesses, while the Zhou family is preparing to impeach you on the one hand, and on the other hand, they have prepared lavish gifts to pay you a visit. They are two-faced and utterly ridiculous."

Lin Chen scoffed, "A clown jumping around, no need to pay him any mind. Uncle, what has the Su family thought about the Jiangnan Canal Transport Association that I mentioned yesterday?"

"The Su family is willing to give its full support!" Su Wenyuan said solemnly.

"However... there might be resistance from other families."

"Obstacles?" Lin Chen laughed. "Whoever faces obstacles, let them come to me. I want to see who's so fearless."

These words were spoken with such authority that Su Wenyuan nodded repeatedly.

Halfway through the banquet, Su Xiaoxiao stood up and said, "Young Master Lin, I would like to play a tune on the zither for the soldiers to enhance the drinking experience."

Lin Chen nodded: "Okay."

The zither stand was set up in the center of the hall, and Su Xiaoxiao sat upright in front of the zither, her slender fingers gently plucking the strings.

When the zither music begins, it is like the sound of clashing swords and galloping horses, its power sweeping across ten thousand miles.

Gradually softening, like a spring breeze and gentle rain, it soothes the heart.

When the song ended, the audience erupted in applause.

"Miss Su's musical skills are truly unparalleled in Jiangnan," Yuan Tiangang rarely praised.

Su Xiaoxiao blushed slightly: "You flatter me, senior."

She looked at Lin Chen, her eyes filled with tender affection.

She learned last night that Lin Chen was going to make a move, and she was so worried that she couldn't sleep all night.

I breathed a sigh of relief when I heard about the great victory this morning.

Seeing him safe and sound fills me with joy.

Lin Chen raised his glass to her, a signature frivolous smile playing on his lips.

The banquet lasted until late at night.

As the gathering dispersed, Lin Chen said to the Eight Vajras:

"Brothers, you have worked hard. Each of you will be rewarded with ten thousand taels of silver. Rest for three days. After three days, we will eliminate the other three strongholds of the Purple Robe Tower in Jiangnan."

"Yes, sir!"

He then looked at Yuan Tiangang: "Mr. Yuan, how is the interrogation of the Purple-Clad Envoy going?"

"He confessed," Yuan Tiangang said.

"The Purple Robe Tower does indeed have three strongholds in Jiangnan, located in Hangzhou, Yangzhou, and Jiangning respectively."

Each stronghold is overseen by a Grandmaster, and... he said Yin Jiuyou will emerge from seclusion in three months.

"Three months..." A cold glint flashed in Lin Chen's eyes.

"Enough. We'll make our move in three days. I want to remove all of Ziyi Tower's claws before Yin Jiuyou emerges from seclusion."

"Yes."

After everyone left, Lin Chen stood alone in the courtyard, gazing at the night sky.

Xiao Yulou came over and draped a cloak over his shoulders: "Eighth brother, what are you thinking about?"

"I miss the capital, I miss home," Lin Chen said softly. "The matter in Jiangnan is almost settled, it's time to go back."

Missing your sisters-in-law?

"A little," Lin Chen said with a smile, "but I miss you the most, Fourth Sister-in-law."

"Smooth-tongued." Xiao Yulou leaned on his shoulder. "Eighth brother, what are your plans for Miss Su?"

Lin Chen remained silent for a moment:

"Take her back to the capital, and after she comes of age, give her a proper title. But before that, we need to ask for your opinions first."

"I have no objection," Xiao Yulou said.

"Miss Su is beautiful and talented, and has a good temperament. It will be more lively with another person in the family."

"Fourth Sister-in-law is so generous." Lin Chen put his arm around her.

The two stood quietly, enjoying this rare moment of peace.