I Can Merge Techniques-Chapter 56 - 55: When the Tree Falls, the Monkeys Scatter; a Terrifying Night at the Huang Mansion

Chapter 56: Chapter 55: When the Tree Falls, the Monkeys Scatter; a Terrifying Night at the Huang Mansion

A shrill sound tore through the silence of the night.

The Huang Family erupted in an uproar as people gathered at the sound.

Once they saw the pale, blood-smeared head on the ground, the crowd fell instantly silent!

And then—

"Ah! It’s... it’s the Eldest Young Master!"

"A head! It’s the Eldest Young Master’s head!"

"My god!"

The Huang Family’s front courtyard exploded into chaos, like cold water thrown on boiling oil!

Shrieks, panicked shouts, and the clang of dropped weapons all mixed into a cacophony.

Every last taut nerve snapped at once.

Word reached the inner hall, and Huang Shouliang and his younger son, Huang Lin, came stumbling out.

The moment he saw Huang Yu’s head on the ground, Huang Shouliang’s vision went black, and he nearly collapsed.

Huang Lin was so terrified he nearly lost his soul, his legs giving out as he crumpled to the ground!

A wet patch spread across his crotch, and the foul stench of urine filled the air.

"Yu’Er! My son!!"

Huang Shouliang beat his chest and stomped his feet, tears streaming down his old face.

But even before the Huang Family members, the hired Blood Saber Sect Members were the first to grow restless.

When Huang Yu was alive, he could still keep them in line with his status as a Small Leader and his strength at the peak of the Blood Refining Realm.

He had forced them to stand guard for the Huang Family on these cold nights for practically no pay.

For days, the Blood Saber Sect Members had been nursing a bellyful of resentment, but they dared not voice their anger.

Now, Huang Yu’s head was here. He couldn’t be more dead.

The mountain weighing down on them was gone.

But the crisis that made their hearts pound was imminent!

Wasn’t the assassin in the shadows throwing Huang Yu’s head a warning?

"Fuck it! Huang Yu is dead, and we’re still here acting as the Huang Family’s watchdogs?"

"Exactly! There’s no benefit to it, and we’ll end up offending the monster who killed Huang Yu!"

"I’m done! Whoever wants this job can have it!"

"Let’s go! That person threw the head to threaten us!"

"Even Huang Yu, who was in the Blood Refining Realm, is dead..."

The Blood Saber Sect Members immediately began to clamor, sheathing their swords and sabers and shouting that they were leaving.

Seeing this, Huang Shouliang felt his soul about to fly from his body in terror.

The head of the household guards had been killed a few days ago. Now, the Huang Family’s greatest reliance was on these Blood Saber Sect Members.

If they left, how would the Huang Family survive the night?

Huang Shouliang suppressed his grief and fear, stumbling forward and pleading in a trembling voice, "Brave heroes! Please stay! If you are willing to protect the Huang Family for one more night, I... I will reward you handsomely!"

"Five taels of gold... for each of you! Paid right now!"

As he spoke, he hurriedly told the new steward to fetch the gold.

Hearing "five taels of gold," the group of Blood Saber Sect Members paused.

They exchanged glances, greed written all over their faces.

Seeing this, Huang Shouliang’s heart settled slightly. He quickly pressed the heavy gold ingots into their hands one by one, bowing repeatedly. "I beg you all! You must protect my son and me!"

"Once we get into the Inner City tomorrow, there will be another generous reward!"

However...

The gold had just landed in his hand when the leading Blood Saber Sect Member weighed it and a mocking sneer appeared on his face. "Master Huang, thank you! But we’re not doing this life-threatening job!"

"What? You... you took the money..." Huang Shouliang was dumbstruck, as if struck by lightning.

Huang Lin was also stunned!

"A joke!" the man scoffed. "You think we guarded the Huang Family for three days for free?"

"If it wasn’t for Huang Yu’s sake, who could you possibly hire with this much gold?!"

’Someone who can take Huang Yu’s head isn’t an opponent we Blood Nourishing Realm practitioners can handle...’ the man thought, shooting Huang Shouliang a cold glance.

The Blood Saber Sect Members were mostly desperados, but they weren’t brainless.

They were crystal clear about what money could be earned and what money couldn’t.

With Huang Yu dead, who would be willing to die for the Huang Family?

The group of Blood Saber Sect Members pocketed the gold and turned to leave without a second’s hesitation.

"You! You can’t leave!"

Huang Shouliang chased after them in despair, grabbing the last man and hissing in a low, urgent voice, "Just protect us for one more night, get my son and me into the Inner City tomorrow, and I’ll give each of you another fifteen taels... no, twenty taels of gold!"

Under a heavy reward, there will always be brave men.

The eyes of the Blood Saber Sect Members lit up!

Even the leader showed a flash of hesitation.

He frowned and looked at the others.

’If we all work together, we might not have to fear that assassin.’

’Don’t underestimate us. The power of the Blood Nourishing Realm is far inferior to the Blood Refining Realm, let alone the Bone Marrow Forging Realm. But even someone in the Bone Marrow Forging Realm doesn’t have a Copper Head and Iron Bones. If surrounded, they’d still be hacked to pieces!’

However...

But then again, who could say for sure what Realm that assassin in the shadows had reached?

In the crowd, an older man chuckled and said, "You can only spend money if you’re alive to earn it."

"I’m taking my leave."

With that, he slung his Long Saber over his shoulder and left.

The expressions on the faces of the Blood Saber Sect Members changed. For most of them, fear of the unknown assassin won out. They shook their heads and dispersed.

In the end, only two men from the Blood Saber Sect group remained.

Seeing this, the household guards’ eyes flickered, and they too began to think of retreating.

Many of them slipped away without so much as a word.

Even the thugs from the Blood Saber Sect weren’t willing to take the risk, so why would these household guards, who were just trying to make a living, be willing to risk their lives?

Of all the household guards, only a single middle-aged man with a long scar on his face was left.

Once the Blood Saber Sect Members and household guards were gone, the already terrified maids and servants let out a cry and scattered like birds, each running back to their rooms to pack their valuables and flee for their lives.

Even several of the concubines, without a second thought, fled with their maids!

Huang Shouliang wanted to stop them, but how could he?

This was a perfect example of rats deserting a sinking ship.

In the blink of an eye, the vast front courtyard was empty save for Huang Shouliang and his son, the two Blood Saber Sect Members, the scar-faced man, and a few old servants.

Huang Lin, who had long since lost his nerve, cried out, "Father! Let’s go to the Inner City now! Let’s go right now! We can’t stay here another moment!"

"Shut up!" Huang Shouliang roared in frustration. "The Inner City gates closed long ago! Going out now is suicide! We can only wait for dawn!"

His words were like a death sentence. Huang Lin’s face turned white as a sheet, and he collapsed completely, muttering, "It’s over... it’s over..."

In the darkness, a pair of cold eyes seemed to be watching them from the shadows.

An invisible pressure weighed on everyone’s heart like a giant stone.

The scar-faced middle-aged man spoke up. "Master, Young Master, let’s get inside."

To dare to stay, and with such a calm voice, this man was clearly a formidable character himself.

Huang Shouliang exchanged a look with the two men from the Blood Saber Sect, nodded slightly, and they all retreated into the Huang Mansion’s courtyard.

Once inside, the few of them conferred in low voices...

Huang Shouliang and his son, carrying all their valuables, retreated with the others into the main hall.

The hall was spacious, with no windows on three sides—the only "opening" was the vermilion-lacquered main gate that faced the central courtyard.

But upon closer inspection, one could see twelve decorative ice-crackle-patterned windows set discreetly into the green brick walls on either side of the hall. The latticework of each was carved from a single piece of white jade, allowing light to pass through but not shadows.

Inside the magnificent hall, four towering nanmu wood pillars, each so thick it would take several people to encircle, rose from the floor. Coiling dragons carved into the pillars glinted with a Dark Gold luster in the candlelight, looking as if they might break free and fly into the heavens.

The group used tables, chairs, and cabinets to barricade the vermilion-lacquered main gate, only then letting out a collective sigh of relief.

’Huddled together, we can at least bolster our courage...’

’Spread out across the large estate, it’s impossible to defend.’

’Besides, that assassin could kill Huang Yu of the Blood Refining Realm. With our meager skills, we’d be lambs to the slaughter if we split up.’

Hiding in the main hall was the only way to feel even a little bit safe.

The scar-faced man and the two Blood Saber Sect Members gripped their Long Sabers tightly, guarding either side of the main gate.

They waited only for the assassin to force his way in to meet him with a devastating counter-attack!

In the vast space, everyone’s breathing was ragged, their hearts pounding like drums.

The faint candlelight flickered, illuminating faces etched with fear.

They strained their ears, trying to catch the slightest sound from outside.

In their extreme terror, time seemed to slow to a crawl, as if it had frozen solid.

Just as everyone’s nerves were stretched to the breaking point, on the verge of numbness—

BOOM!

The vermilion-lacquered main gate was suddenly smashed open by a tremendous force, flying inward on a gust of wind!

’The assassin actually dares to launch a direct assault!’

The scar-faced man and the other two were startled, their fingers instinctively tightening on their sabers!

The next instant—

WHOOSH!

A black shadow, as fast as a phantom, shot into the hall!

SWISH!

The Long Sabers in the hands of the scar-faced man and the other two slashed at the black shadow simultaneously!

SHUK!

One saber struck the black shadow’s right shoulder, another swept across its neck.

The last saber, from an extremely tricky angle, hit the black shadow squarely on the left calf!