Unstoppable Martial Arts: Starting with brother's wife and young sister Chapter 865 - 469: Not Afraid? Then Kill!

Prince Xuan’s Residence.

Within the main hall, Ye Jinghong sat with a grave look upon his face.

"What is the meaning of this? Why must you insist on seeing me at such an hour?"

Chen Xuan appeared clearly annoyed; he was in the midst of preparations for an imminent breakthrough into the fifth level of the Taoist tier.

The harmony he had been seeking was finally about to manifest.

However, due to the excessive depletion of his vital energy during his previous endeavor, he had been maintaining silence to ensure a full restoration.

"Across the Imperial City, dozens of prominent families, including the Liu, Pang, and Shen clans, have had hundreds of their members eradicated by the Shadow Guard!"

"What?"

Chen Xuan, who had just managed to sit down again, surged to his feet upon hearing these tidings, his complexion turning ghastly.

These were elite houses with immense influence.

What could possibly provoke the Shadow Guard to initiate such a purge?

A mutiny?

Preposterous!

Chen Xuan dismissed the notion immediately, knowing such tactics were not typical for the Great Yu dynasty.

"Why did they do it?"

"Corruption."

"Corruption?"

Chen Xuan almost let out a cynical laugh at such a feeble justification.

Which family in all of Great Yu wasn't entrenched in corruption? If they weren't, how else could they sustain the sheer scale of their households?

It was nothing more than expected conduct.

"I assure you, I am not jesting; that is the official reason."

"The Liu Family, in particular, suffered the highest casualties despite the presence of Duke Liu. Over forty were slaughtered, a dozen or more being direct bloodline descendants."

Chen Xuan grasped the dire implications of the situation instantly.

"Furthermore, the Ritual Department, the Three Judicial Departments, and the Shadow Guard have joined forces in this crackdown."

"They are zeroing in on mineral resources. The Liu Family has been hoarding hundreds of mines across Great Yu, specifically Spirit Stone Mines, with roughly fifty percent held back from the state, which explains why they were hit the hardest."

Once he finished speaking, Ye Jinghong stared intensely at him. "You also possess quite a few mining assets, do you not?"

"Liquidate them immediately. Do not hang onto them; this is no longer a trivial matter."

He had rushed over the moment word reached him, recognizing the lethal gravity of the events in order to provide a personal warning.

If a titan like the Liu Family could be dismantled with such ease, then a mere Prince’s Mansion stood no chance at all.

"What prompted Great Yu to strike so suddenly?"

Chen Xuan felt a deep curiosity; as for his own assets, he had only recently gained them, so walking away would not be a catastrophic loss.

"Unknown to me, though it feels like this is only the commencement."

Ye Jinghong was just as perplexed as to why the Imperial authorities shifted their policy so abruptly.

Regardless of the current era or previous dynasties, the nation remained under the thumb of the Imperial Family while the various clans provided the logistical support.

Sustaining a high-status family required not just prestige, but massive pools of assets.

Avarice... no, one could not label it merely as greed; it was functional necessity for their survival.

It had always been a practice silently accepted by the Imperial Throne.

As long as they did not cross the line, it remained an unspoken agreement.

"Understood. I shall take control of this situation."

Chen Xuan nodded. After all, Ye Jinghong’s position was quite minor, and the Ye clan was an insignificant leaf in the vast forest of the Imperial City, so his ignorance of the political undercurrents was to be expected.

"As long as you understand the stakes, I will return to the Three Judicial Departments."

"If agents from the Ritual Department approach the rMolan Mansion, I will warn you at once, but you must act quickly."

Ye Jinghong cautioned before departing.

"Mm!"

Once alone, Chen Xuan sat perfectly still, processing the fact that this was far from normal.

He meticulously reviewed every major incident from the recent weeks.

The Pang Family... The Shen Family... The Shadow Guard...

"Damnation!"

He cursed under his breath, realizing that these events seemed to orbit around his own circumstances.

"Am I somehow becoming a catalyst for catastrophe?"

Chen Xuan wore a troubled expression.

Most of the time, his actions were reactionary, aimed strictly at self-preservation and protecting those within his sphere.

Yet, for the Imperial court of Great Yu to mobilize like this...

"I should consult Long Da. Perhaps he has information."

Reaching into his robes, he pulled out several Communication Spirit Talismans. He located Long Da’s, injected his Spiritual Power, and projected his voice, "Long Da, what is the impetus behind this sudden aggression from Great Yu?"

Inside the Imperial Palace.

Long Da, who had been focused on his meditation, felt the resonance from the Communication Spirit Talisman and instantly identified the sender as Chen Xuan.

He gazed down to see the artifact glowing with a faint, ephemeral light.

"Just as I anticipated."

Giving the jade a trace of his own Spiritual Power, he heard Chen Xuan’s urgent query.

"This..."

Long Da’s brows knitted together thoughtfully. He rose from his seat and headed toward the Qin Emperor Sacred Land.

Although he was privy to the intent behind the purge, he preferred to consult Qin Ying before taking any initiative, as he dared not overstep without her express guidance.

Soon, he arrived at the Sacred Land and gave her a concise summary of the situation.

"This should have been executed years ago."

Qin Ying’s golden eyes flickered with cold resolve; she had long harbored disdain for these families, viewing them as parasitic leeches feeding upon Great Yu.

Since the inception of the dynasty, they had built fortunes upon the good graces and protection granted by their royal ancestors.

While Emperor Qin had once made those promises to them, tens of millennia had passed, and the burden on the state had reached a breaking point.

She recalled her father speaking of this same dilemma during her youth, yet he had lacked the mandate to address it, fearing the political fallout of such a sweeping change.

Now, the time for the reckoning was at hand.

"Inform him that if he holds mineral assets, especially those containing Spirit Stones, he is to cut them loose. As for the rest, enlighten him—the truth of this matter is hardly a well-kept secret if one merely looks."

"As you command, Your Highness!"

Empowered by her word, Long Da sent a swift reply to Chen Xuan.

Back at Prince Xuan’s Mansion.

"I see."

Chen Xuan finally grasped the full picture.

It appeared the coffers of Great Yu were running dry; it was only natural for the Emperor to turn his blade toward the wealthy to replenish the treasury.

"Fattening the livestock, only to slaughter them at the New Year."

The grim thought crossed his mind.

"Qing Lian..."

He immediately transmitted his orders: "Liquidate every mine currently in our control, and desist from seeking any further acquisitions in that sector."

Qing Lian, who had been deep in the ledgers for the past few days, froze in shock. Her heart raced with newfound nervousness, knowing that the mines of the rMolan Mansion made up the vast majority of their wealth.