Chapter 8

“Ten… ten… ten thousand shrines… Shrine Master, Chu… Chu Tian… Chu Tianhe!”

A sharp collective gasp sounded as every Divine Guard present drew in a cold breath. Instantly, terror washed over their faces, and they unconsciously took several steps back, staring at Chu Tianhe as if witnessing a god or demon from the heavens and earth.

What was the Pantheon but a colossal mountain standing between heaven and earth? How could ants like them ever hope to shake such an existence?

“Chu… Chu Tianhe… how… how can this be?”

“No, impossible, absolutely impossible. How could Shrine Master Chu… Chu himself come to a small city like Jiangzhou?”

Li Changhu was utterly stunned, cold sweat soaking the back of his shirt. Although he had sensed this man was no ordinary figure, he simply could not believe that Chu Tianhe was, in fact, the Shrine Master of the Pantheon!

Even though he had already received notice from the War Department in advance that Chu Tianhe, Master of the Pantheon, had arrived in Jiangzhou, he refused to believe it. How could the man who stood at the very pinnacle of the world, a presence akin to a celestial being, possibly come to such a backwater place as Jiangzhou?

“What? Do you truly believe anyone in this world would dare impersonate me?” Chu Tianhe’s gaze swept across the crowd, striking terror into all. Not a single Divine Guard dared meet his eyes.

The name of the Pantheon was one none would ever dare pretend to be.

Much less impersonate its Shrine Master!

“Kneel and live, or stand and die. The choice is yours.”

After his gaze circled the hall, Chu Tianhe’s cold and commanding voice rang out again, as if a summons from the depths of the underworld itself, chilling them all to the bone.

A heartbeat later, every Divine Guard in the hall dropped to one knee in unison, bowing their heads in submission.

The aura of a king, suffocating and overwhelming. Though Chu Tianhe had done nothing but stand here, the mere utterance of his name was enough to quell all resistance.

With a dull thud, Li Changhu too could not withstand the pressure any longer and fell to his knees, his eyes emptied of all hope.

He knew full well how much filth the Li family had sunk into over the years—many of those deeds had been by his own hands. Yet he had always relied on his power and influence to suppress every matter.

But now, standing before him was Chu Tianhe!

“Yesterday, in this very place, I declared I would wipe out the Li family to the last. Now, you are the final one.”

Chu Tianhe’s voice was chilling, brimming with murderous intent.

At these words, every Divine Guard present felt their hearts clench as their gazes snapped to Li Changhu.

Within the hearts of these Divine Guards, there were many who resented Li Changhu. The Li family had acted tyrannically in Jiangzhou for years, incurring the wrath of heaven and man alike. Everyone was aware, but because of Li Changhu’s status as the supreme commander of local forces, they dared only be angry in silence. After all, a soldier’s duty is obedience.

“Master, please spare me! I have also fought on the front lines, battled invaders, and earned merits for the nation!”

Li Changhu burst into tears. Faced with imminent death, his terror was so great that tears and snot streamed down his face, gone was all his former arrogance.

“Tianjiu, do it!”

Yet his pleas evoked not a shred of pity.

Even if the one kneeling before Chu Tianhe was Zhang Zhenhu, commander of the Grand Xia War Department, he would show no mercy.

The humiliation and vengeance for his late wife could only be repaid in blood!

A cold glint flashed—before all present, Tianjiu’s blade fell, severing Li Changhu’s arms in one swift strike.

A blood-curdling scream echoed, sending chills through all who heard it.

Another slash—Li Changhu’s legs were lopped off, reducing him to a human stump in a matter of seconds.

In that agony and terror, Li Changhu coughed up a mouthful of bile, his screams piercing the air.

Finally, with one last stroke, Tianjiu severed Li Changhu’s head. Thus, the heads of all the Li family’s villains had been taken, not one left behind.

…

To the north of Jiangzhou, at Lingxiao Cemetery.

Before a solitary, elevated tombstone, twelve severed heads were arranged.

Chu Tianhe stood in silence for a long time, gazing at the photograph of his beloved upon the stone, offering silent homage, saying nothing.

In this moment, it seemed that no words in the world could ease the guilt in Chu Tianhe’s heart for his late wife.

“Xiaorou, you always said you loved the view of Lingxiao Lake. Now I have buried you here, the only spot in the entire cemetery from which the lake can be seen.”

“You loved Weiming Mountain—it's visible from here as well. And your favorite roses—I have planted them for you.”

Chu Tianhe’s voice was filled with sorrow. It was as if he were the only soul left in heaven and earth, speaking to his departed wife of emotions that the world would never know.

“Master, the War Department has arrived. Zhang Zhenhu is leading three thousand elites, heading straight for the cemetery.”

Chu Tianhe’s wrath had shaken the Grand Xia nation to its core. Zhang Zhenhu had wasted no time, gathering every elite available—three thousand formidable warriors, each one extraordinary in their own right. It could be said he had mobilized the nation’s entire might, with another hundred thousand Dragon Guards following as backup.

All of this, just to contain Chu Tianhe.

After all, this was Grand Xia. Here, those who killed must pay with their own lives; the law was strict and unbending. Not just anyone could act with impunity, or the War Department would be rendered a joke.

“I wish to speak with Xiaorou. When they arrive, stop them.”

Even as the army of the War Department bore down upon him, Chu Tianhe merely waved a hand, never once taking Zhang Zhenhu, the highest commander of the War Department, seriously.

“Yes, sir!”

A steely glint flashed in Tianjiu’s eyes as he turned and strode out of the cemetery.

Outside, Zhang Zhenhu and his three thousand elites had already arrived at the gates, their presence formidable.

“Is Chu Tianhe inside?!”

Seeing Tianjiu blocking the entrance, Zhang Zhenhu’s brow furrowed, and he demanded brusquely.

He did not care for the annihilation of the Li family—but as for Li Changhu’s death, there had to be an explanation. After all, Li had been a commander under the War Department. If his death went unaddressed, what face would the War Department have left?

“Zhang Zhenhu, you’ve grown bold indeed—to address the Shrine Master by name?”

Though outnumbered, Tianjiu showed not a trace of fear. He merely frowned, his tone sharp.

“I asked you, is Chu Tianhe inside or not!” Zhang Zhenhu’s voice was tinged with anger as he barked the question again.

“He is. What of it?” A cold light flashed in Tianjiu’s eyes, his killing intent surging as he locked his gaze on Zhang Zhenhu. “The Shrine Master commands: no one is to enter, not even you, Zhang Zhenhu!”

“All under heaven belongs to the king—Chu Tianhe does not have the authority to seal off this cemetery from others!”

Furious, Zhang Zhenhu strode forward. Chu Tianhe might be the Shrine Master, but Zhang Zhenhu was Grand Xia’s highest military commander.

“You wish to force your way in?” Tianjiu’s face darkened as he drew a short blade, its cold gleam chilling to the bone. “So long as I, Tianjiu, am here—try to take a single step, and see what happens.”