Chapter 169 - 168 Waves
Tie Dan couldn’t be bothered with these two old guys and rushed into Tai City like a whirlwind, following the traces of the battle all the way in.
The layout of Lanling City was clear. The Lan Pond was to the west, the East Field courtyard was where the Xiao family’s relatives lived, the southern part of the city was the commercial area where servants and artisans resided, and Tai City in the north was the core fortress of the Xiao family. Military camps stood tall, with female walls and city fortifications set apart, so that even if the outer city fell, it could continue to hold firm. The defense was indeed tight.
But Tie Dan was actually a little late. Obviously, others had been plotting in secret, launching an attack early to seize the initiative.
Tai City was set ablaze, likely due to collusion between insiders and outsiders who broke through the defensive array. The Tribute Guards on night duty were suddenly attacked, leaving no bodies to bury. The ground was filled with severed limbs, headless charred corpses, clearly the result of someone storming in, slaughtering everyone to the extent of a massacre.
They were so well-prepared and acted so ruthlessly, clearly targeting the Xiao family for more than just a day or two. This time, if he had been delayed in the forest array for one more day, the opportunity would have been gone.
However, judging from the traces on the scene, the fire seemed large but only burned a few side halls. It should have been a signal to act. Yet, those who were on duty, and the palace attendants who came to put out the fire, were ambushed and mostly killed. The ground was littered with dismembered bodies and bloody remains, leaving almost no room for counterattack, it was a massacre.
Presumably, those who struck were masters of at least the level of the Three Great Sects, and there were many of them. At least organized as a sect-level formal group, they used the fire as a signal to charge and break through the guards, storming into the palace.
Moreover, they even placed Nascent Soul level masters outside to intercept the Xiao family’s Tribute, and Core Formation realm disciples inside Tai City Palace to stop reinforcements. Such a precise plan must be acted upon quickly, lest he arrives too late and even a leaf of Immortal Ganoderma can’t be found.
"Ding ding dang dang."
"Xiao Chong! The Xiao family’s end has come! On this day next year, it will be the day of remembrance for the old thing! Brothers, why choose to die with them? Drop your armor and surrender, let’s divide the heritage together!"