High Martial Arts: Invincible Starts from Basic Archery Chapter 783 - 612: Who exactly are you! - Part 2
Previously on High Martial Arts: Invincible Starts from Basic Archery...
"It appears the Liu Family still respects the established rules."
An unexpected voice drifted in from the outside.
The speaker’s tone held a hint of mockery.
"They are merely putting on a performance, nothing more."
A second voice followed, punctuated by a freezing laugh.
Everyone turned their gaze toward the entrance, noticing two men standing there who had arrived completely undetected.
One wore spectacles and possessed a scholarly, refined aura.
The other man was far more savage in appearance, his brutal expression enough to make one’s pulse race with a single look.
The hall fell into a heavy silence.
Recalling their previous harsh lesson, no one was brave enough to speak up or demand their identities this time.
Liu Zhenyang and his son traded looks, their hearts pounding with sudden realization.
Could these be the reinforcements dispatched by the Elder Council?
Their arrival was incredibly swift!
"Please, enter our home."
In the following heartbeat, Liu Zhenyang rushed forward to greet them.
"Where is the target?"
The sophisticated man on the left spoke with a thin smile.
For reasons unknown, that smile sent a shiver through everyone present, as if a profound, bone-deep frost was spreading through their souls.
Liu Zhenyang faltered, his expression clouded with confusion as he asked, "Did Elder Xu not contact you to explain the situation?"
"Explain what?"
"Has the person already departed?"
Liu Zheng added, "That individual left just moments before you arrived. Elder Xu called us earlier, so we assumed he had already updated you."
"Are you telling us we made this trip for nothing?"
The refined man’s smile turned icy.
"No, certainly not."
The dread in Liu Zhenyang’s chest intensified.
He sensed something fundamentally wrong with these two strangers.
However, since they were representatives of the Elder Council, surely nothing untoward would happen.
"You have traveled here for the sake of the Liu Family. We cannot allow you to leave empty-handed. Please, wait a moment while I arrange a grand banquet in your honor."
"Indeed, you must be exhausted from the journey from Baijiang City. Please, stay and find some rest," Liu Zheng chimed in.
He held onto his father’s earlier words.
These two were among the elite powerhouses of Yan Country. Securing their favor would be immensely profitable.
Once they dealt with that brat named Chen, the treasures the Liu Family lost would have to pass through the Elder Council to be returned. If they were on good terms with these two, they might even get their property back directly. Such a prospect was enticing.
"There is no need for that."
The savage-looking man on the right scowled.
"Wait now."
The refined man chuckled, "They are being hospitable. Why refuse? Since the boy is gone, we won't catch him immediately. Why not enjoy a brief rest?"
He then turned his gaze back to the Liu father and son, smiling as he said, "You wish to host a banquet for us? I should warn you, satisfying our tastes comes with a steep price. Are you truly prepared?"
The two Liu men looked at each other.
His tone suggested he was being deadly serious.
But having offered, they couldn't back down now without appearing foolish. Besides, they were desperate to win these experts over.
"Whatever the cost, if the Liu Family can provide it, please do not hesitate to ask," Liu Zhenyang said, clenching his teeth.
Their Secret Realm and Divine Demon-level Martial Arts were already gone.
Whatever else they possessed might be valuable, but it paled in comparison to what they had already lost.
They were ready to pay any price.
Upon hearing this, a flicker of pity appeared in the eyes of the brutal man.
In contrast, the refined man’s eyes sparkled with blatant excitement.
"You have given your word."
"I have. As long as the Seniors assist the Liu Family in executing that brat and reclaiming our stolen goods, whatever you desire—if the Liu Family has it—I will offer it freely," Liu Zhenyang declared without a second thought.
"Rest easy. The things I desire are definitely within the Liu Family's power to provide."
As the refined man finished speaking, waves of black mist began to pour from his body, instantly swallowing the entire hall.
This abrupt transformation left the members of the Liu Family stunned.
They looked at the swirling shadows around them with eyes wide with confusion and dread.
Even if they didn't recognize this black mist, they felt an instinctive, primal sense of doom.
"Senior, what is the meaning of this?"
Liu Zhenyang shouted.
"Did you not say you wanted to welcome us?"
The refined man asked, his face beaming.
"We do, but how can we host you if we are trapped like this?"
"It is unnecessary, for you yourselves are the finest feast."
The refined man broke into a wicked laugh.
Behind him, more than ten dark tentacles suddenly erupted into existence.
"???"
Liu Zhenyang stood frozen, unable to process the situation.
The others were equally bewildered.
A few had realized the terrifying truth, but they instinctively rejected it. These were men sent by the Elder Council to help them; how could they possibly attack?
But reality struck them with brutal force.
"Ah!"
A piercing shriek rang out.
A man at the edge of the crowd was skewered through the chest by a black tentacle. In less than a second, he shriveled into a dry husk and hit the floor.
"!!!"
The Liu Family members were paralyzed with horror.
They stared at the mummified remains, their minds refusing to function.
How could this happen?
How was this possible?
The reinforcements from the Elder Council were slaughtering them in their own home?
"Senior! What are you doing!" Liu Zhenyang cried out, his fear eclipsed by his fury.
"Ah!"
His only answer was another scream.
A second person was impaled and drained instantly.
The brutal man standing nearby simply shook his head and turned away.
"Senior, have you lost your mind? You are murdering the Liu Family!"
Liu Zhenyang screamed in a frenzy.
He began to doubt if these two were actually from the Elder Council.
Yet, if they weren't, how did they know to ask about Chen Fan? The coincidences were too perfect.
"Hahaha! Didn't you insist on welcoming me properly? My favorite delicacy is blood, hahaha!"
The refined man laughed maniacally as dozens of tentacles lashed out from his back, piercing several Liu Family members simultaneously.
"No, no—" One man’s plea was cut short as he turned into a hollow corpse, his mouth frozen in a silent, tragic scream.
"No, please, I don't want to die!"
"Patriarch, save us! Help us!"
The air was thick with the sounds of desperation.
"How can this be happening? How?"
Liu Zheng, the clan head, was rooted to the spot by sheer terror.
He had never witnessed such a grotesque and supernatural horror.
"You aren't from the Elder Council. Who are you really?"
Liu Zhenyang’s eyes turned crimson with rage, his True Essence beginning to surge violently.
"You're mistaken. We were indeed sent by those old fossils."
The refined man’s eyes flashed with mocking amusement.
"No! That's a lie! The Elder Council would never permit the slaughter of our family, and they would never employ such demonic creatures!"
"Is that what you think?"
The refined man continued to laugh and chat while effortlessly claiming more lives.
With his level of Cultivation, he could have ended everyone in a blink.
However, he found that boring. He preferred to drink in the despair of his prey before their end; it made the meal far more satisfying.
"Stop! Stop this at once!"
In his desperation, Liu Zhenyang watched more kin die with every passing second. His pleas fell on deaf ears.
"I'll kill you!"
Gnashing his teeth, he lunged at the refined man.
"Splat!"
A tentacle shattered his Protective True Qi and tore through his chest.
"Old fool, you don't know your place. I intended to save you for later, but you were so eager to die." The refined man snorted, his eyes dripping with contempt.