Celestial Night Emperor

Chapter 9: Chapter 9: Digging 37 Pits Here

All of Su City was in an uproar, a tempest brewing in its business circles. Amid the chaos, the Zhao Clan delegation, which had been on an inspection tour, hastily returned to Jiangning City.

Outside the Zhao Family Mansion, hundreds of men in black stood ramrod straight.

A fleet of sixteen luxury cars rolled up in an imposing line. Zhao Tianxiong, the patriarch of the Zhao Clan, emerged. Before the mansion, three hundred men in black bowed in unison and roared, ”Greetings, Boss!”

Zhao Tianxiong waved a hand, his face impossibly dark. He strode directly into the luxurious manor, picked up a cup of tea, and sat with his brow tightly furrowed.

”What the hell is going on? What happened to my son, Wuji?”

The subordinate’s face was deathly pale as he reported in a low voice, ”The Young Master was abducted from the wedding. We don’t know who his captors are, but they’re at the South City Orphanage!”

CRASH! Zhao Tianxiong smashed his teacup and roared, his eyes blazing, ”Wonderful! I’m gone for just a few days, and my son is kidnapped and his wedding ruined! What the hell do I keep you people for? Why didn’t you go rescue him?”

Zhao Tianying, the second-in-command of the Zhao Family, slowly approached. ”Brother, don’t be hasty. Their background is a little strange, but I’m sure no one in Jiangning would dare to actually harm Wuji.”

’How outrageous! What an absolute disgrace!’

As the head of the clan, Zhao Tianxiong had arrived in Jiangning thirty years ago with nothing. He had clawed his way up from the very bottom, step by step. When had he ever suffered such a humiliating loss?

But he was no impulsive brute; he was a man of deep and calculating schemes.

Hearing his younger brother’s words, he slowly sat back down. ”Tell me everything. Who are we dealing with?”

”The bastard’s surname is Qin. We’ve already had him investigated. He might be from the frontier. The tents they’ve erected at the South City Orphanage are the kind used by the Battle Department in the outer domains!”

Zhao Tianxiong’s eyebrow twitched as he sneered, ”The Battle Department? So what!”

His younger brother gave a sly chuckle. ”Then I’ll follow your lead, Brother! What’s the plan?”

Zhao Tianxiong rose and clasped his hands behind his back. He paced a few steps before issuing his order. ”We’ll extend an olive branch before we draw the sword. Have Young Master Jiang come see me.”

A jolt went through the Zhao family members. Young Master Jiang! He was the adopted son of Governor Jiang Qianjun, a man wielding immense power. With his close ties to the Zhao Family, he was an absolutely staunch ally.

Before long, Young Master Jiang arrived. He flopped into a chair with a swagger and a yawn. ”Old Zhao, what’d you call me for?”

”Heh, surely you’ve heard, Young Master Jiang? At my son Wuji’s wedding, some punk named Qin abducted him. He’s holding him at the South City Orphanage, so I was hoping you might retrieve him for me.”

Zhao Tianxiong’s tone was exceedingly polite.

Young Master Jiang was stunned for a moment. ”Here in Jiangning, someone actually dared to mess with you Zhaos? They must have a death wish.”

He leaped to his feet and thumped his chest. ”Give me two hours. I guarantee I’ll bring him back, alive and kicking!”

Young Master Jiang had both the confidence and the power to back it up.

His adoptive father, Jiang Qianjun, was the Governor of Jiangning. All the city’s influential figures were Young Master Jiang’s sworn brothers, and its wealthy elite were little more than minions he could order around at will.

Upon leaving the Zhao Family, Young Master Jiang immediately issued his orders. ”Get me a team from the Police Department, a team from the Joint Defense units, and two from Public Security. Add in the administration department and the discipline forces. Get them all out here! And remember, they all have to be our own, trusted people!”

A palpable tension instantly descended upon Jiangning City. Forces from various departments converged rapidly, piling into armored vehicles and thundering menacingly toward the South City Orphanage!

Meanwhile, at the orphanage, Zhao Wuji had been beaten beyond recognition. Facing the boundless wrath of the men from the Northern Domain, he had confessed everything.

A report was placed in Qin Tianxuan’s hands.

Qin Tianxuan opened it, his eyes scanning the page. His fingers began to tremble. ”Niannian was with Han Biwei, but because of him, she couldn’t even get enough to eat? This... Is this true?”

Venerable Yuan took a deep breath. ”This Zhao Wuji is psychologically twisted. When he failed to threaten Miss Han, he targeted the Young Master. No wonder she has nightmares at the mere mention of his name!”

POW! The report in Qin Tianxuan’s hand disintegrated into dust.

A violent, murderous aura flooded the area, causing several subordinates to drop to their knees in terror.

”This has nothing to do with you!” Qin Tianxuan said, his breathing slow and measured as he fought to suppress the raging inferno within him.

’Niannian... He actually dared to be so vicious to my Niannian.’

”Sir, Zhao Wuji’s actions were all orchestrated by the Zhao Family. Their goal was to force Han Biwei to submit, creating an opportunity to infiltrate Su City and seize the Han Family’s assets!”

”Sir, Zhao Wuji is arrogant and tyrannical, with the blood of several people on his hands. Please give the order for his punishment!”

Qin Tianxuan stared ahead at the empty lot where the demolished orphanage once stood.

The sight of this place alone brought to mind the suffering his daughter had endured.

”Has the list of the Zhao Family’s crimes been compiled?”

”Reporting, Sir. There are thirty-seven main culprits in the Zhao Family. All of them are guilty of heinous crimes, their hands are stained with blood, and they have preyed on the innocent!”

Qin Tianxuan immediately raised a finger. ”Right here. Dig thirty-seven pits. And in front of each one, I want the name of a Zhao Family villain written!”

The order was given.

Execution began.

Before long, thirty-seven fresh graves had been dug in the desolate lot. In front of each pit stood a wooden plaque, inscribed with the name of one of the Zhao Family’s thirty-seven villains.

Without a single glance, Qin Tianxuan flicked his sleeve. ”The first pit is for Zhao Wuji. Do not report to me on this matter again.”

Zhao Wuji was dragged forward. His eyes were vacant, his mouth full of blood. He wailed and shrieked, ”Don’t kill me! You can’t kill me! I’m the sole heir of the Zhao Family! I...”

CRACK!

Wutian’s palm struck his neck. After checking for breath, he coldly tossed the body into the pit.

In an instant, the pit was filled and the earth tamped down. The wooden plaque was driven into the soil above it.

The villain had been brought to justice.

Just then, outside the orphanage’s perimeter, engines roared. Muddy water sprayed from the rain-slicked road.

The army led by Young Master Jiang—a coordinated force from the Police Department, Joint Defense, Discipline, and Public Security—had arrived with a thunderous roar.