"Who are you to dare cause a disturbance in the Mansion of the Lord?" Jiang Ce hadn't moved yet, but the old steward standing next to him began to scold.
Jiang Ce had just been about to say something, but seeing the steward's speed, he estimated he wouldn't be able to stop him in time.
"Annoying." Su Xing'er uttered the word casually, and the young man behind her immediately understood. He struck the steward across the air, and the steward collapsed on the ground, unconscious. Even the few remaining teeth he had were knocked out.
Witnessing this scene, not just Jiang Ce, but even the leaders of the other forces felt a chill down their spines.
How could there be so many powerful individuals emerging all of a sudden? Did they still have a chance to survive? This steward's strength wasn't weaker than theirs, but he couldn't even defeat a young man. If they were in his shoes, they'd be in big trouble.
Su Xing'er ignored the others and sat down at the head seat.
"I think Young Master Jiang's proposal is quite reasonable. What do you all think?" Su Xing'er directly got to the point. However, she didn't intend to let Jiang Ce control these forces entirely; after all, Jiang Ce's scheming mind was not to be underestimated.
"I wonder which force you come from, Miss?" The portly middle-aged man was the first to speak up again, though this time his tone lacked his previous arrogance.
"Hmm? Hasn't your elders taught you that when inquiring about someone's origin, you should first reveal your own?" Su Xing'er gave the middle-aged man a cold glance.
"Qing Nu." Su Xing'er called out.
The youth behind Su Xing'er immediately understood. He appeared before the middle-aged man, snapped his neck without physical contact, then returned to Su Xing'er's side.
The incident happened so quickly. In the blink of an eye, the man was dead.
This Qing Nu was one of the two people Huo Xiu had sent. He had no significant role in the Su family, so Su Xun assigned him to Su Xing'er. The other one, Chi Nu, was sent to Su Mo. After all, Su Mo had already arrived at the imperial capital of the Nanyao Empire and wanted to join Jixia Academy. Su Xun naturally wouldn't let any harm come to him.
Jiang Ce had just been about to instruct Yu Heng and Yao Guang to punish this presumptuous individual when the two of them walked out on their own.
He had thought that they had become impatient and intended to take action, but in the next moment, he understood what was happening.
"Greetings, Miss," Yao Guang and Yu Heng both stepped forward and paid their respects to the white-clad young woman.
"You're Su Xing'er." Seeing their demeanor, even Jiang Ce, no matter how foolish, guessed the reason.
Su Xing'er merely smiled and didn't say much.
"I wonder how long it will take for these forces to be eliminated by the two elders?" Su Xing'er looked at them, her words icy.
Yao Guang and Yu Heng exchanged a glance.
"Two hours are sufficient," they said, releasing their auras.
"En...Enlightenment Realm," the middle-aged man stuttered as he spoke. This powerhouse could tear through space and control spatial forces. While there were many forces here, two hours would be enough for them to annihilate everyone.
"I, Treasure Pavilion, am willing to submit to Miss," the middle-aged man knew the trend was irreversible and had no power to change it. He could only submit first, perhaps in the hope of gaining some benefits by being one of the first to do so.
"We also pledge our allegiance," the other forces reluctantly submitted. If they were at the consummate Heavenly Origin Realm, they might have fought back, but facing a powerhouse from the Enlightenment Realm, they dared not resist.
"Hahaha, you cowards, do you think submitting to them will save you?" A middle-aged man laughed wildly. He had plotted for so long, and just when success was within reach, his plan shattered. How could he accept it?
His family was the most powerful force under the Lord's Mansion. Once the Mansion fell, he would be able to take over. Unexpectedly, it was all thanks to this woman. If not for her, he wouldn't have suffered defeat.
Su Xing'er looked at the deranged middle-aged man. Originally, she had intended for Qing Nu to kill him, but the man gave a bitter laugh and committed suicide. He said something about how if he died, they wouldn't live either. However, everyone thought he was just speaking irrationally before dying and didn't pay it much attention.
After seeing these people submit, Su Xing'er instructed Qing Nu directly. Qing Nu stepped forward and used a spell to implant life-and-death seals in everyone present.
"With these seals, you no longer control your own fate. I hope you don't make any mistakes!" Su Xing'er activated the spell directly.
Those who had just been implanted with the life-death seals were all writhing on the ground, clutching their stomachs and wailing in pain. Jiang Ce stood to the side, feeling an icy chill all over.
Suddenly, a dagger was thrust directly toward Su Xing'er. Fortunately, Qing Nu reacted swiftly and knocked the hidden attacker away. Qing Nu had sensed the aura of Qingyi Pavilion, as he was also affiliated with it, and was naturally familiar with the techniques and martial skills they practiced.
The person who was discovered attempted to flee immediately after being repelled, but how could Qing Nu let him escape so easily? He sealed off the space around the person, preventing his escape.
"I am from Qingyi Pavilion. Do you really want to oppose Qingyi Pavilion?"
The person realized he couldn't escape and tried to threaten Qing Nu. He was the guardian of Qingyi Pavilion in the Northwestern Region and was at the mid-stage of the Heavenly Origin Realm, ranking among the top experts in the Northwestern Region. This time, he had taken money to eliminate others' calamities.
Hearing that this person was from Qingyi Pavilion, everyone present felt a deep sense of unease. After all, Qingyi Pavilion was a superpower that spread across all five major regions of the Divine Martial Continent, and its influence was self-evident.
Even Jiang Ce was somewhat taken aback. The price Qingyi Pavilion charged was exorbitant, making it difficult for most to afford their services. Unexpectedly, someone had hired a killer from Qingyi Pavilion this time.
Recalling the dying words of the man, Jiang Ce had probably figured out the identity of the person. Likely, only a few people from the Su family weren't concerned about him.
Su Xing'er wasn't bothered, and Qing Nu was even more indifferent. As for the other two, their strength was formidable enough that they weren't concerned either.
"Oh, Qingyi Pavilion. What an imposing presence," Su Xing'er scoffed disdainfully.
Upon hearing Su Xing'er's words, the black-clad individual was about to retort, but Su Xing'er casually produced something.
"Do you recognize this?" Su Xing'er presented her identity token.
Seeing the green jade pendant, the person became somewhat hesitant in his speech. Anyone affiliated with Qingyi Pavilion would know this item and understand its significance. When new members joined Qingyi Pavilion, they were required to remember certain symbols and were told that these represented those controlling Qingyi Pavilion from behind the scenes.
"Are you... from that family?"