Chapter 118: Wei Jiang's Fury

"Your Li Gang failed to mention that the young man was so ferocious. It took him only two or three moves to knock the eighth-stage Qi Sea Captain Fu Zun to the ground; his face was unrecognizable after a dozen punches, and we suffered collateral damage as well."

The bald flag officer pointed to his bruised cheek, turned, and walked away, leaving Wei Jiang standing in the side chamber, filled with rage and shock, lost in thought. Just a few hours ago, he had even considered arranging a marriage between the youth and his granddaughter; he never imagined his own servant would commit such an act.

"Someone, bring Li Gang to me!"

Wei Jiang’s roar shook the roof tiles, his voice echoing throughout the entire Wei estate. The guests attending the funeral were startled by this sudden outburst. As a long-standing powerhouse in Yu County, Wei Jiang commanded considerable authority. They wondered who this Li Gang was to provoke such fury from the old patriarch on a day like this.

Wei family guards moved at his command, capturing Li Gang in the kitchen while he was still flirting with the cook.

"Why are you arresting me? I haven't done anything!" Li Gang struggled desperately, completely unaware that his treachery had been exposed. He remained confident that a mere youth could never be a match for a provincial captain of the Jing'an Division.

The guards used poles and ropes to drag him toward the mourning hall. The old patriarch had ordered him to be "brought," and they dared not show any leniency for fear of drawing his ire.

Upon arriving at the hall, a guard kicked Li Gang behind the knees, forcing him to the ground. "Old Master, Li Gang is brought," the lead guard reported, his face sallow and his voice muffled.

Wei Jiang strode out of the room, followed by Wei Xuan. Having heard what happened from her grandfather, her beautiful face was cold as ice.

*Crack!*

Wei Jiang grabbed a wooden staff and struck Li Gang, the staff snapping in two upon impact. "You beast! You have been in the Wei family for ten years, and I have treated you well. How dare you act as a spy for others and betray us! Tell me, how did you leak the information?"

Wei Jiang’s fists were clenched tight, as if he might crush Li Gang’s skull at any moment. If this situation were handled poorly, the goodwill he had just cultivated would be destroyed, potentially turning into a blood feud. Offending such a heaven-gifted prodigy would spell the end of the Wei clan. Wei Jiang was trembling with rage; if someone like Captain Fu, also in the eighth stage of the Qi Sea, was defeated in two or three moves, he—already old—would stand no chance against Ling Chi.

Li Gang was completely paralyzed. *Captain Fu failed? How did I get dragged into this?* He lamented his situation, realizing there was no escape. He decided to confess everything in hopes of leniency.

"Old Master, I was momentarily blinded by greed. I took ten gold coins from Captain Quan of the Jing'an Division to gamble, and I promised to report any movements to them."

"When I saw the young lady give that youth the treasure in the sandalwood box, greed overcame me, and I slipped out to tell Captain Quan..."

Sensing the unprecedented murderous intent radiating from Wei Jiang, Li Gang became incontinent with fear, kneeling on the ground and wailing.

"Xuan'er, let us make a trip to He County. Regardless, this is the Wei family's fault, and we owe Ling Chi an explanation." Wei Jiang seemed to have aged ten years, his voice weary.

Wei Xuan nodded to her grandfather, then turned to her guards. "Retrieve a sandalwood box. I intend to use it for Li Gang's head."

The guards hurried away, leaving Li Gang sobbing on the ground, his body limp with terror.

"Gather everyone to witness the execution."

Wei Xuan returned to the mourning hall after leaving that order; her years of family upbringing ensured she remained composed. Half an hour later, the Wei family martial arts arena was packed. On a makeshift platform, Li Gang was bound tightly to a wooden frame, still struggling feebly.

"Is that Li Gang? He was caught so quickly."
"What did he do to deserve a public execution?"

As the Wei family whispered among themselves, the crowd fell silent when Wei Jiang and his granddaughter stepped onto the platform.

"I, Wei Jiang, have managed the Wei family for decades, and I have never treated any of you poorly," he declared. "But today, something has truly chilled my heart. There were spies among us, nearly bringing catastrophe upon our house."

"Li Gang, this beast, betrayed us to outsiders, plotting to steal the treasure we entrusted to a distinguished guest. His guilt is proven beyond doubt. We execute him today to warn those with malicious intentions—do not say you were not warned!"

Wei Jiang finished quickly. Wei Xuan, her face filled with killing intent, drew a long blade and walked toward Li Gang. She would perform the execution herself.

*Swoosh.*

With a flash of steel, Li Gang’s head flew high into the air before rolling across the ground. The crowd stood in deathly silence. Li Gang finally got to use the precious sandalwood box, though only his head would occupy it.

After seeing off the guests, Wei Jiang and Wei Xuan arranged for the burial.

"Grandfather, should we bring *that* item?" Wei Xuan asked hesitantly.

Wei Jiang paused, then nodded helplessly. The treasure was meant to be the foundation for the Wei family's resurgence, but now he had no choice but to use it to survive this crisis. They packed their carriages with gifts and set off for He County.

The carriage wheels crushed the stones on the imperial road, the horses breathing heavily, their hot breath condensing into mist in the cold air. Hours later, the Si River ferry landing came into view.

Wei Jiang and his granddaughter were stunned by the ruins on the opposite bank. They immediately sent men to inquire about what had caused such destruction. Moments later, a large ferry docked, and the coachman drove the carriages aboard.

"Old Master, Young Lady, I have news," the sallow-faced guard reported. "Passing martial artists say a great battle occurred here hours ago. The participants were unclear, but it seems the Jing'an Division was involved. Later, a young warrior with heaven-shaking lightning techniques appeared and slew an elderly ninth-stage Qi Sea sword cultivator on the spot."

The two of them felt a chill in their hearts, their breath hitching. It had to be Ling Chi. First, he killed Wei Ming and the mysterious corpse-refiner, and now a ninth-stage sword cultivator. Was there no limit to his power? Such a person must never be offended.

Wei Jiang began calculating whether his gifts were sufficient or if he needed to add more. Wei Xuan’s beautiful eyes flashed with a hint of regret; she had missed her chance to align with such a powerful figure.

The ferry crossed the river, the ripples in the water mirroring the turmoil in their hearts. The Jieqing Town pier had been completely destroyed, so the ferry docked at a temporary landing. They hurried their carriages toward the Jing'an Division, where they ran into A'Zheng.

"Sir, I am Wei Jiang of the Wei family from Sheng Province. We have come to pay a visit to Lord Ling Chi. Is he currently presiding here?" Wei Jiang asked politely.

"That's truly unfortunate. Lord Ling left for He County two hours ago. You’ll have to make the trip yourselves; he didn't say when he would return."