Feng Qizheng and his men stormed into the State Preceptor's residence.

At the foot of the steps to the inner gate lay several men in close-fitting fighting clothes. They looked like house guards.

They were the ones who'd been bracing the gate when Feng Qizheng sent them flying.

"Kill them!"

Feng Qizheng gave a sweep of his big hand.

"Mercy, mercy! Please, spare us..."

The guards on the ground were scared out of their wits. They scrambled up onto their knees and kowtowed, begging for their lives.

Feng Qizheng was unmoved.

Ning Chen had said more than once that being softhearted sometimes isn't wrong; after all, we're human, not animals.

But with an enemy who knows martial arts, you must never go soft, because people like that are dangerous.

These guards plainly knew how to fight.

So Feng Qizheng didn't go soft. He had a few modao soldiers cut them all down, one stroke each.

Then he led his men inside.

The servants of the State Preceptor's residence saw the modao army come in like wolves and tigers and screamed.

Feng Qizheng bellowed, "I hear the first beauty of Nanyue, Kang Baobao, lives here. This general will give you a quarter of an hour.

If Kang Baobao steps forward on her own within a quarter of an hour, this general can show some mercy.

If she hasn't shown up by then, don't blame this general for washing the State Preceptor's residence in blood."

Hearing that, the people of the residence shook all over, their legs gone weak.

Time ticked away!

As the quarter hour drew to a close, the people of the residence went gray as ash. Many of the maids were so frightened they were crying, though they only dared to sob quietly.

Feng Qizheng was getting impatient.

"I thought this Kang Baobao would be something special, but she's just a pretty vase who's scared to die... Modao army, hear my order..."

Just as Feng Qizheng was about to give the order to put the place to the sword, a clear, sweet voice came from beyond the moon gate…