C8 The Scheming Crown Prince

The dash talisman in Lee Cann's possession was one of the key reasons he had the audacity to challenge the Fiend Sect. If he found himself outmatched, he could easily make a swift escape. Should one dash talisman prove insufficient, he'd simply use another. As a first-rank Martial Master, his speed would quadruple, ensuring that unless he encountered a speed specialist or a Martial General, no one could catch him.

"Identify yourself! How dare you run wild in the Fiend Sect's domain? Do you have a death wish?" barked the patrol team captain, his voice a mix of menace and trepidation.

"Enough with the racket! When did you nefarious sect members become so brazen in the Southern Tang?" Lee Cann retorted.

"Wan'er, attack!"

Lee Cann had no time for the minor figures at the fourth or fifth rank. Mu Wan'er, gripping the Fearful Kris, moved so swiftly she was nearly a blur.

Against a tenth-rank Martial Disciple like her, the multitude of lower-ranked Martial Disciples stood no chance; they were simply lambs to the slaughter.

"Spare me, noble warrior!"

"Someone alert the elders!"

With each swift stroke of her sword, Mu Wan'er dispatched the patrol members. In under two minutes, they all lay defeated by her hand.

Suddenly, an overwhelming aura descended upon them.

"You insolent witch! To invade the Fiend Sect and slay our people, you shall pay with your life!"

An elder plummeted from the heavens, his body shrouded in sinister black Qi, radiating immense power.

"A Martial Master?" Lee Cann mused with a grin. "I've been waiting for this moment!"

His laughter echoed as he released his Dragon Emperor Genuine Qi with abandon.

The Dragon Cry Sword emitted a resounding roar as Lee Cann, sword in hand, soared to meet his foe. His presence outshone that of the elder.

Unfazed, the elder met Lee Cann's challenge with a hearty laugh. "To think the Southern Tang royal lineage boasts such an exceptional descendant. But make no mistake, today marks your end!"

"Blood Evil Palm!"

A chilling gust swept through, carrying with it the wails of countless tormented souls, assailing Lee Cann's ears. The Blood Evil Palm, descending from above, appeared to be conjured from the despair of innumerable wronged spirits.

Lee Cann could feel his very soul quivering, on the verge of being ripped from his body amid the harrowing screams.

"The Blood Evil Palm is the culmination of the resentment from three hundred virginal young men and women, along with that of three hundred dying pregnant women. It has been refined over three long years."

"Don't fool yourself into thinking that being a first rank martial artist will save you. Even a third rank martial artist would meet their demise against my Blood Evil Palm!"

The old man's voice dripped with smug satisfaction.

Lee Cann seethed with anger.

In the past, the casual brutality in novels barely registered with him.

But now, the anguished cries of the young men and women, the pregnant women, seemed to echo before him.

His rage was boundless.

"Scum like you don't deserve to walk this earth!"

"Dash talisman!"

He slapped two dash talismans onto his legs, and his speed surged to twice its normal pace.

"Die!"

Lee Cann's voice was a whisper in the old man's ear.

Before the man could react, a sharp pain exploded in his chest—a long sword had plunged into his heart.

The sword qi obliterated his heart as the Dragon Emperor Genuine Qi surged through his meridians, obliterating his life force.

The Dragon Emperor Genuine Qi melded with the sword qi, tearing into the old man's soul, fragmenting it into oblivion.

Within seconds, the old man was dead, his soul shattered. The agony he endured in those final moments could well be the most brutal punishment known to the world.

"Ding! First rank Martial Master killed. Sinner slain. Reward: 10,000 points."

"Ding! Congratulations, host, for earning the gratitude of 3,587 wronged souls. With the system's aid, they will transcend the cycle of rebirth. Special reward: 100,000 points."

A sinner?

The grateful dead?

Not bad at all!

Lee Cann looked up as myriad points of light materialized before him.

Within each light, he saw a figure.

Men and women, old and young, their faces etched with gratitude, bowed in unison to Lee Cann.

The lights scattered, the figures vanished.

In that moment, Lee Cann's heart was an oasis of calm.

He sensed that the tormented spirits had journeyed to a place beyond words.

There, they would embark on new lives.

"Young Master, what was that?" Mu Wan'er inquired.

Lee Cann answered, "Those were the wronged souls of people this villain killed. By taking him down, I've liberated their spirits. They're expressing their gratitude to me."

Gratitude from the vengeful souls?

Reflecting on the recent events, Mu Wan'er realized she had indeed felt an unusual emotion in the air.

Thinking it over, it certainly felt like gratitude.

"Young Master, you're incredible!" Mu Wan'er exclaimed with the enthusiasm of an adoring fan.

Lee Cann playfully tapped Mu Wan'er's nose, saying, "I'm only this formidable because you, Wan'er, deserve half the credit!"

"Ah!" Mu Wan'er gasped, puzzled.

Lee Cann just grinned, not bothering to elaborate. "The Fiend Sect has committed countless atrocities. Wan'er, join me in eradicating these villains!"

"Yes, Young Master!" Mu Wan'er replied, her spirit lifted.

Within the young girl beat the heart of a righteous warrior, despising evil.

"What a hero in the making. A Martial Master at such a tender age, and a member of the Southern Tang royal family, no less. Could it be... you're the Crown Prince, you, you're still alive?"

A voice rang out, laced with astonishment.

A group of over fifty individuals leapt from the rear courtyard.

Leading them was a bearded middle-aged man, radiating a deadly aura, the most formidable among them.

"A fourth rank Martial Master!"

Lee Cann's eyes narrowed as he sensed the man's presence.

To the middle-aged man's left stood a chubby youth, previously referred to as the Young Sect Master.

To his right was a meek-looking middle-aged man with a faint aura, likely no more than a third rank Martial Disciple.

He was the one who had spoken, now staring at Lee Cann with shock etched across his face.

Behind them, a crowd of forty to fifty people gathered, including three first rank Martial Masters, with the remainder being Martial Disciples.

"Lord Fang, you've got some nerve colluding with the Fiend Sect. Are you courting the annihilation of your entire clan?"

Mu Wan'er's voice rang out, fierce and condemning, upon recognizing the frail middle-aged man.

Mu Wan'er and Lee Cann recognized the delicate-looking middle-aged man.

His name was Fang Wenshan, the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of War for the Southern Tang Kingdom, holding the esteemed rank of a third-tier official.

Indeed, he was a significant powerholder within the Imperial Court.

Encountering Fang Wenshan here was somewhat unexpected for Lee Cann, but not entirely shocking.

Given Fang Wenshan's close ties to the Second Prince, it made sense that he might be implicated if there were any collusion with the Fiend Sect.

Lee Cann looked at Fang Wenshan with a mocking smile, "Deputy Minister Fang, what a surprise to find you here!"

Fang Wenshan was bewildered.

This was indeed the Crown Prince!

But how had Crown Prince Lee Cann undergone such a transformation, and how had he attained such formidable strength?

"Lord Fang, is this man really that worthless Crown Prince?" inquired the middle-aged man with a beard.

With some effort, Fang Wenshan nodded. "Yes."

"The Second Prince claimed he was dead, didn't he? And wasn't Crown Prince Lee Cann supposed to be a good-for-nothing?" the bearded man asked, his tone edged with irritation.

Fang Wenshan let out a sigh. "It appears he's been fooling us all along!"

"Quite the strategist! But of all the mistakes, my dear Crown Prince, coming here to meet your end was your greatest," the bearded man scoffed at Lee Cann.

Lee Cann let out a light laugh. "Who would have thought that the esteemed Second Prince of the Southern Tang, my dear younger brother, would be so deeply entangled with the notorious Fiend Sect."

The bearded man burst into laughter. "There's so much you didn't anticipate. Too bad you can only continue your inquiries with the King of Hell!"