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 your Liu Family still recognizes the proper etiquette."
A voice drifted in from the outside quite suddenly.
The speaker's tone carried 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, discovering two men standing there whose arrival had gone completely unnoticed.
One man wore spectacles, projecting a scholarly and polished image.
The other man looked far more savage, possessing a terrifying countenance that caused one's heart to race with just a single look.
The assembly hall fell into a profound silence.
Haunted by the previous incident, no one dared 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."
A moment later, Liu Zhenyang hurried forward to greet them.
"Where is the target?"
The scholarly man on the left spoke with a faint smile.
For some inexplicable reason, that smile sent a shiver through everyone present, as if a primal coldness was seeping into their bones.
Liu Zhenyang hesitated, his expression clouded with confusion. "Did Elder Xu not contact you with the details?"
"Informed us of what?"
"Has the person already departed?"
Liu Zheng chimed in, "That man left just moments before you arrived. We received a call from Elder Xu earlier and assumed he had already updated you."
"So, you are saying our journey here was a waste of time?"
The scholarly man’s smile turned icy.
"No, not at all."
The sense of dread in Liu Zhenyang’s chest intensified.
He felt that something was fundamentally wrong with these two individuals.
However, since they were representatives of the Elder Council, surely nothing could go awry.
"You have traveled here on behalf of the Liu Family. We cannot let you leave empty-handed. If you could wait a moment, I will arrange a grand banquet in your honor."
"Indeed, you must be exhausted after traveling from Baijiang City. Please, stay and recover your strength," Liu Zheng added eagerly.
He recalled his father's earlier words.
These two were among the elite powerhouses of Yan Country. Forging a bond with them would be immensely beneficial.
Once that man named Chen was dealt with, the treasures lost by the Liu Family would have to pass through the Elder Council to be returned.
If they established a rapport with these two, they might be able to reclaim their property directly. The prospect was enticing.
"There is no need."
The savage-looking man on the right scowled.
"Wait."
The scholarly man grinned, "They are being hospitable. Why decline? Since that brat has already fled, we won't catch him immediately. Why not enjoy ourselves here for a while?"
He then turned his gaze toward Liu Zhenyang and his son, saying with a smirk, "You mentioned hosting a banquet for us? Be warned, satisfying our tastes comes with a heavy price. Are you truly prepared?"
Hearing this, the father and son looked at each other.
His tone suggested he was being quite literal.
But having already made the offer, withdrawing now would be disgraceful. Furthermore, they were desperate to win these men over.
"Whatever you require, as long as it is within the Liu Family's power, please do not hesitate to ask," Liu Zhenyang said, jaw clenched.
Their Secret Realm and Divine Demon-level Martial Arts were already gone.
Whatever else they possessed might be precious, but it paled in comparison to what they had already lost.
They were prepared to pay any fee.
As Liu Zhenyang spoke, a flash of pity crossed the eyes of the savage man.
In contrast, the scholarly man’s eyes sparkled with blatant ferocity.
"You have given your word."
"I have. As long as you assist the Liu Family in executing that boy and recovering our stolen goods, anything you desire—even if it belonged to the Song Family—I will provide it," Liu Zhenyang declared firmly.
"Rest easy. The things I crave are definitely within the reach of your Liu Family."
As the scholarly man finished his sentence, thick plumes of black mist erupted from his body, instantly swallowing the entire hall.
This abrupt transformation caught the Liu Family members completely off guard.
They stared into the swirling darkness, their expressions filled with bewilderment and fear.
Though the nature of this black mist was unknown to them.
Their instincts screamed that it was something malevolent.
"Senior, what is the meaning of this?"
Liu Zhenyang shouted in alarm.
"Did you not say you wished to welcome us?"
The scholarly man asked, his face beaming.
"Yes, we wish to host you, but how can we do so if we are trapped like this?"
"There is no need for a feast, for you yourselves are the finest delicacies."
The scholarly man let out a wicked laugh.
From behind him, more than ten dark, writhing tentacles suddenly emerged.
"???"
Liu Zhenyang stood frozen, unable to process the scene.
The others were equally paralyzed.
Some had begun to suspect the horrific truth but instinctively rejected it.
These were the allies sent by the Elder Council to help them; how could they possibly strike them down?
But reality struck them with brutal force.
"Ah!"
A piercing scream rang out.
A man on the edge of the group was skewered through the chest by a black tentacle. Within seconds, his body withered into a dry husk and slumped to the floor.
"!!!"
The members of the Liu Family were struck dumb with horror.
They stared at the shriveled corpse, their minds failing to comprehend the atrocity.
How could this happen?
Why was this happening?
The reinforcements from the Elder Council were murdering their kin right before their eyes?
"Senior! What are you doing!" Liu Zhenyang cried out, his fear giving way to hysterical rage.
"Ah!"
The only answer was another agonizing shriek.
A second person was pierced by a tentacle, turning into a desiccated corpse instantly.
The savage man standing nearby simply shook his head and walked away from the carnage.
"Senior, have you lost your mind? You are slaughtering the Liu Family!"
Liu Zhenyang screamed, losing all composure.
A doubt began to take root—perhaps these two were not sent by the Elder Council at all.
Yet if they weren't, how did they know the details or the name Chen Fan? It seemed far too calculated to be a coincidence.
"Hahaha! Were you not the one who insisted on welcoming me? My favorite dish is fresh blood, hahaha!"
The scholarly man laughed maniacally as more tentacles burst from his back, impaling several family members simultaneously.
"No, no..." A man’s plea was cut short as he was drained into a husk, his mouth frozen in a silent, tragic cry.
"Please, I don't want to die!"
"Patriarch, help us! Save us!"
The hall was filled with the sounds of pure despair.
"How can this be? How can this be?"
Liu Zheng, the clan head, was rooted to the spot by sheer terror.
He had never witnessed such a grotesque and supernatural horror.
"You are not from the Elder Council! Who are you really?"
Liu Zhenyang’s eyes turned blood-red as his True Essence surged violently.
"You are mistaken. We were indeed dispatched by those old fossils."
The scholarly man’s eyes glittered with cruel amusement.
"No! That's a lie! The Elder Council would never permit the massacre of our family, nor would they ever consort with demonic creatures!"
"Is that what you think?"
The scholarly man continued to joke and laugh, casually ending more lives.
With his level of power, he could have wiped them all out in a heartbeat.
However, he found that boring.
He relished the taste of his prey's terror before the end; it made the meal far more satisfying.
"Stop! Cease this at once!"
In his desperation, Liu Zhenyang saw his family falling second by second, yet his shouts went unheeded.
"I'll kill you!"
Snarling with rage, he lunged at the scholarly man.
"Splat!"
A tentacle effortlessly shattered his Protective True Qi and tore through his chest.
"Old man, do you not know your own limitations? I intended to save you for last, but you were so eager to die." The scholarly man snorted, his eyes dripping with contempt.