Crash!

Gu Yuan casually smashed the oil lamp and set the nearby curtain on fire.

Then he left the room and headed straight towards the study.

Killing Qian Yunjie was nothing; the key was Qian Cheng, the patriarch of the Qian Family, who wielded the greatest authority over the Qian clan!

The Qian family had over a thousand members and was undoubtedly a formidable force!

According to Gu Yuan's previous investigations, although Qian Cheng was the clan leader and a decisive figure, the second, third, fourth branches and other collateral relatives within the family did not get along well, often scheming against each other.

Only because of Qian Cheng's suppression did no major trouble arise.

But once Qian Cheng, the patriarch, died, the Qian Mansion and the entire Qian clan would fall into chaos.

By then, the internal affairs of the Qian Mansion would definitely be in turmoil, with members vying for power, leaving them no time to trouble him?!

Even if someone did find the time to trouble Gu Yuan, a Qian Mansion in the throes of internal conflict would pose much less of a threat to him!

Besides, the Qian Mansion was a renowned wealthy family in Beiliang County, bound to have many valuable items.

Gu Yuan, having come all the way to the Qian Mansion, naturally couldn't leave empty-handed!

Before long, he arrived outside a room.

At this moment, cries were faintly coming from behind him:

"Help!"

"Oh no, there's a fire! Quick, someone come and put it out!"

The sounds were chaotic, accompanied by flickering firelight and thick smoke, waking many in the Qian Mansion from their sleep.

In front of Gu Yuan, there were also noises coming from the study, and a steady voice said:

"Fengping, go see what's happening outside!"

"Yes, Master!"

A moment later, the door was pushed open, and a middle-aged man in black stepped out.

This man was not tall, had a stern face, and notably, his hands were thick and robust!

Upon seeing this man, a name immediately came to Gu Yuan's mind — Qian Fengping!

He was a member of the Qian clan and one of the two tributers of the Qian Mansion, skilled in palm techniques, particularly in the fierce "Big Stone-Throwing Hand"!

Clang!

Gu Yuan stepped forward, his long sword vibrating, its cold sword light swinging as it pierced directly at Qian Fengping's chest!

Whoosh—

The sword was incredibly fast!

Very fast!

Qian Fengping only saw a blur, as a cold gleam packed with intense killing intent rushed towards him!

He was trembling with fear!

Even though he had reached the Bone Refining phase, and his renowned "Big Stone-Throwing Hand" was famous in Beiliang County, he was still a step too slow against this sudden sword attack and only managed to get his hand in the way, which was then pierced through by the long sword!

Thud!

The sword light continued through, piercing his heart.

Then, Gu Yuan took a sudden step forward, crouched and gathered strength, and punched out.

Boom!

His punch, like a hammer, landed on Qian Fengping, accompanied by the sound of bones cracking, causing his eyes to bulge, blood to spurt from his mouth and nose, and his entire body to fly backward, smashing through the wooden door behind him.

As he landed on the ground, staring wide-eyed, he was already lifeless.

Gu Yuan walked into the study and saw a middle-aged man looking at him in astonishment.

The middle-aged man had a handsome face, wore a long robe, exuding a hint of elegance, and his bright eyes added an air of poise and demeanor.

This man was none other than Qian Cheng, the patriarch of the Qian Mansion and the clan leader of the Qian family!

But to raise such a son like Qian Yunjie, who committed atrocities, he clearly wasn't a good man!

"Stop! Who are you?!"

The middle-aged man, shocked, exclaimed harshly at Gu Yuan.

Gu Yuan, however, had no intention of exchanging words with him.

Boom!

He stomped, unleashing his strength, causing the sturdy bluestone floor to crack and shatter.

Using the force of the stomp, Gu Yuan leaped several yards forward, channeling all his power into the long sword.

Buzz buzz buzz—buzz buzz buzz—

The sword, forged from Hundred-Forged Refined Iron, seemed unable to withstand the power, resonating with intense tremors and a loud vibrating sound.

In the next instant, under Qian Cheng's furious gaze, he was impaled through the heart by the sword, lifting him off the ground, pinning him to the wall!

"You!"

Qian Cheng opened his mouth, blood gushing out, staining his clothes red.

Boom! Boom!

He struggled to raise his arm, faint sounds of mechanisms trembling within.

"Not good!"

Gu Yuan was startled, quickly sidestepping and retreating without pulling out his sword.

At that moment, swift arrows shot out from Qian Cheng's sleeve,

Swoosh swoosh swoosh!

The arrows sliced through the air, transformed into shadows, easily penetrating the sturdy bluestone floor, embedding into the ground.

This sight left Gu Yuan with lingering fear.

He hadn't expected Qian Cheng to have such a terrifying hidden weapon.

The bluestone floor was thick and hard, but under these sleeve arrows, it was no better than tofu, pierced through easily.

If he hadn't dodged in time, several holes would have likely appeared in his body.

"Damn! I couldn't kill you!"

Seeing all his sleeve arrows miss, Qian Cheng's face was full of hatred and unwillingness, and then his arm fell limply, his breath weak.

"There's nothing to hate; blame yourself for failing to educate your son, causing harm to many lives! I've already sent Qian Yunjie ahead; now, you can join your son."

Gu Yuan strode over, raised his hand, and struck him on the forehead.

Thud!

Hit by Gu Yuan's palm, Qian Cheng's body shook, his head drooped like his bones had been extracted.

While his head seemed intact, inside, it had been turned to mush by Gu Yuan's sinister force.

Squeak! Squeak squeak!

At this time, Ah Huang, perched on a nearby bookshelf, called out to Gu Yuan.

As it called, its front paws alternated in clawing at a porcelain bottle, its sharp claws creating ear-piercing "grating" sounds on the ceramic.

But no matter how it clawed, the porcelain bottle didn't fall!

At the same time, a peculiar emotional wave entered Gu Yuan's mind.

"Oh, you're saying Qian Cheng's scent is strongest on this bottle?"

Gu Yuan pulled out his long sword, letting Qian Cheng's corpse fall to the ground, and without looking back, he strode over.

Noticing something strange about the porcelain bottle, he reached out and twisted it.

Click click click!

A wall nearby suddenly cracked open, revealing a door that popped out.

Inside was a secret room!

To be safe, Gu Yuan first sent in the smaller Ah Huang to scout, and once confirmed safe, he entered.

The space inside wasn't large, containing a big iron chest and a smaller one.

The large chest held a few items: a knife, a sword, and some dazzling gold and silver jewelry, glittering brightly.

The small chest contained several Martial Arts Secret Manuals and a stack of silver notes of various denominations.

Gu Yuan didn't inspect closely, taking the portable items from the small chest and stuffing them into his robe, then carried the large chest out. He then turned his attention to the bookshelf.

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