Chapter Thirty-Eight: Resolving the Trouble Once and for All

When Chu Han descended from the mountain, the sky had already darkened. He hurried back to Jingyuan City, uncertain how many days he had spent in the Primordial Realm, and anxious that something might have happened in his absence. The memory of the young prince’s plot was still fresh in his mind, especially since the chaos in the Lantian Barracks had yet to be resolved. If the young prince struck now, the Tang family would truly face annihilation.

Arriving at the Tang family residence and seeing the devastation before him, Chu Han was shocked. The entire estate resembled ruins, the main gate had been torn down, and the interior was a scene of devastation—clear evidence of a recent battle.

With a grim expression, Chu Han entered. He found Tang Hao lying in the main hall, and Sun Hao was nowhere to be seen. Chu Han hurried to help his father up.

“Father, what happened?” he asked urgently, though he already had a good idea of what had transpired—he only needed confirmation.

Tang Hao sighed and recounted the events: the previous day, the Lin family’s patriarch and the abbot of Yongquan Palace had arrived together, both seeking Chu Han. But Chu Han had been absent. Unconvinced, the two factions attacked the Tang family. To protect Sun Hao, Tang Hao arranged his escape, but still the family suffered a catastrophic blow. Both forces threatened that if Chu Han did not show himself by today, Tang Hao would be killed.

Chu Han’s heart filled with both shock and fury. Even after eliminating Yongquan Palace’s vice abbot, these two factions would not desist. Cruel resolve spread across his lips; from now on, he would show no mercy.

“Chu Han! Come out at once, or I’ll kill your father today! Offending Yongquan Palace is not so easily forgiven!” came a shout from outside.

Chu Han heard the voices. The two factions had arrived with impressive speed—he had not yet sought them out, and already they were at his door.

“Father, go inside and rest. Leave this to me. I promise they’ll pay for this,” Chu Han said, entrusting his father to a servant before striding out.

A crowd had gathered outside, all men of the Lin family and Yongquan Palace. At their head stood two elders. Chu Han recognized one: Lin Qiuhe, the Lin family patriarch. The other, naturally, was Mo Zhu, abbot of Yongquan Palace.

“You finally deign to show yourself, boy. I thought you’d run for good. Since you’re here, there’s nothing more to say. Break both your arms yourself, and I’ll spare the Tang family,” Mo Zhu sneered, his eyes full of contempt. Lin Qiuhe stood silent, but the hatred in his eyes was unmistakable.

“I thought you might behave, but it seems you’ve come seeking death. Don’t blame me, then. Not one of you will leave alive today,” Chu Han declared coldly, his eyes turning blood-red, blue lightning crackling around his body, hair standing on end, an overwhelming aura radiating from him that made the weaker onlookers tremble and stagger.

Mo Zhu’s expression darkened and he gestured silently, exchanging a glance with Lin Qiuhe. The two attacked from different directions.

With a shout, Chu Han vanished, leaving only the mournful cry of thunder, and landed a heavy blow on Lin Qiuhe’s back.

His speed was astonishing. Both Lin Qiuhe and Mo Zhu were at the peak of the Wheel-Sea Realm, but Chu Han had already broken through to the Celestial Palace stage. Together, they were no match for him.

With a single punch, Lin Qiuhe’s bones shattered; he collapsed to the ground with a scream. Mo Zhu, witnessing this, was horrified—Chu Han’s speed and strength were far beyond their ability to contend with.

Mo Zhu tried to flee, but Chu Han gave him no chance. Reaching out, a bolt of lightning snared Mo Zhu’s ankle and yanked him to the ground, leaving him battered and dazed.

Without hesitation, Chu Han smashed Lin Qiuhe’s skull with a single punch. It was brutal, but necessary. He had shown mercy before, which only led his enemies to believe he was vulnerable. This time, he would instill fear in every rival power.

He seized Mo Zhu by the throat, his icy gaze sweeping the crowd. The men of Yongquan Palace and the Lin family quaked with fear and scattered, abandoning their leader. Mo Zhu struggled helplessly in Chu Han’s grip.

“Remember, I am not someone to be trampled upon. Since you’ve come for me, your life is forfeit,” Chu Han shouted, snapping Mo Zhu’s neck with a twist.

At that moment, Chu Han caught a glimpse of someone hiding nearby—a face he recognized from the young prince’s retinue, likely one of his spies.

Chu Han let him go, figuring a message delivered back would serve to intimidate the young prince. With everything settled, he returned to the Tang household.

The young prince’s spy, shaken by what he had witnessed, hurried back to the royal residence.

“What did you say? Mo Zhu and Lin Qiuhe were both killed by Chu Han?” the young prince exclaimed in disbelief. His plans had been set in motion, awaiting only the outcome of Mo Zhu and Lin Qiuhe’s attack before launching his own offensive.

The news shocked him. He knew well the strength of Lin Qiuhe and Mo Zhu; even he could not withstand an assault from both. Yet Chu Han had slain them both.

“It’s true. Both were killed in a single blow each—neither had a chance to retaliate. That man is terrifying, my lord. I advise you to reconsider. He is not someone we can contend with,” the spy replied, shuddering at the memory of Chu Han’s ferocity.

The young prince bowed his head in thought, then penned a letter for a servant to deliver. Clearly, his plans needed careful reconsideration.

Returning to his room, Chu Han noticed that the system’s progress had advanced a bit more, now at three percent. He sighed, wondering when he would finally be free of the system’s grip. Though it had aided him to this point, he resented its constant control.

With the immediate threats resolved—the abbot of Yongquan Palace dead, the Eastern Wastes’ forces off chasing the Primordial Realm, and the young prince sufficiently cowed—Chu Han’s next task was to settle matters at Lantian Barracks.

It was the loss of the Tang family’s protection over Lantian Barracks that had emboldened so many factions to cause trouble. That matter needed to be addressed quickly.

Under cover of darkness, Chu Han slipped quietly into Lantian Barracks. The place was in chaos: corpses everywhere, the aftermath of fierce battles, and the camp now divided in two. One faction, led by the First Divine General Dan Qing, sought to seize power; the other, resisting Dan Qing’s coup, was led by Sun Hao.

Unexpectedly, Sun Hao, after leaving the Tang family, had managed to organize such a force to oppose Dan Qing—a credit to his abilities.

Chu Han entered Sun Hao’s camp and found him in his tent, drinking wine with a troubled expression, clearly facing difficulties he could not resolve.