Chapter 41: Overwhelming Domination

The Command of the Southern Guardian!
To see the command is to see the Southern Guardian himself!

Such tokens are exceedingly rare, but Dongfang Ming, a man from the Imperial Capital, naturally recognized it. In that instant, he stood frozen in place, as immovable as a statue.

“The Command of the Southern Guardian!”
A startled cry burst from Nangong Lei’s lips, filled with shock and terror.

He had already heard of the existence of this command token from Ji Yuntian, but the sting of defeat and his hatred for Jun Wushuang had made him forget it for a moment. Now, seeing the token in Jun Wushuang’s hand, he shuddered violently, his scalp tingling.

Damn it.
I forgot he had the Southern Guardian’s command!
This is bad.
Even Uncle Ming probably can’t kill him now!

“Again, the Command of the Southern Guardian!”
Ji Yuntian’s face was unsightly, his smile frozen in place. He had hoped Dongfang Ming would crush Jun Wushuang and wipe out the entire Jun family. But with the appearance of the command token, he knew his hopes were dashed once more.

Dongfang Ming was powerful, but compared to the Southern Guardian, he was nothing. With this command before him, no matter how formidable Dongfang Ming was, he could do nothing but stand down. Otherwise, he would offend the Southern Guardian, and the consequences of that were beyond what Dongfang Ming could bear.

“Oh right, I almost forgot—the master still has the Southern Guardian’s command!”
Master Wu slapped his own forehead, his face lighting up with delight as he finally remembered. Dongfang Ming’s appearance had made him worry so much that he had forgotten about the token. With the command in hand, even if Dongfang Ming had the courage of ten men, he wouldn’t dare touch Jun Wushuang.

This battle was now unlosable!

Off to the side, Jun Zhantian and Lin Mengyao also breathed a sigh of relief.
To be honest, Dongfang Ming’s strength and status were both overwhelming, casting a suffocating sense of oppression. Not just Jun Wushuang—even if everyone in Jiangning City joined forces, they would not be his match.

Fortunately, there was still the Southern Guardian’s command!

“Boy, where did you get that token?”
Dongfang Ming’s expression was as dark as water. He locked his gaze on Jun Wushuang, his voice thundering with rage.

“So you may be scum, but at least your eyes aren’t blind. You recognize the Southern Guardian’s command!”
Jun Wushuang sneered.

“Enough nonsense. Tell me how you obtained that token.
If you don’t speak, your life is forfeit!”

The command was a treasure beyond price.
The Southern Guardian never lent it lightly.
Jun Wushuang was nothing but a country bumpkin from Jiangning City—how could he have ever had contact with the Southern Guardian, let alone possess the command?

But Dongfang Ming was no fool; he could see at a glance that the token was genuine. If they were alone, he might have killed him to silence the matter.

Yet now, before the eyes of all, he dared not deny it.
Otherwise, the Southern Guardian’s wrath would reduce him to ashes.

“And what are you, that you dare question me?”
Jun Wushuang’s face turned cold, his voice sharp as a whip.

“What did you say, boy?”
Dongfang Ming’s expression darkened, each syllable laced with menace.

Jun Wushuang wasted no words. He held the Southern Guardian’s command out before Dongfang Ming’s eyes.

“Kneel!”
Kneel?
Ordering Dongfang Ming to kneel?

The crowd was aghast, thinking Jun Wushuang mad.
A mere young master of a minor clan, demanding that a golden-ranked instructor of the Imperial Martial Academy kneel?
Was he insane?

“Don’t go too far, boy!”
Dongfang Ming glared furiously.

“Kneel!”
Jun Wushuang, holding the command, repeated himself.

Dongfang Ming’s rage boiled over, his aura exploding so violently that cracks spread across the square’s stone floor. The terrifying flames of his anger made everyone tremble.
What was Jun Wushuang, that he wouldn’t crush him with a single palm?
The token itself was not a weapon, held no power.
But the figure standing behind it was like Mount Tai pressing down, suffocating him.

The name “Southern Guardian!”
Within the Great Qian Dynasty, second only to the Emperor himself!
Even the patriarch of the Dongfang clan would have to bow before the Southern Guardian’s command.

“Kneel!”
For the third time, Jun Wushuang spoke, his voice now cold and detached.

Thud!
Under the shocked and disbelieving gazes of the crowd,
Dongfang Ming finally bowed his proud head, grinding his teeth, fists clenched, body trembling. He slowly bent his knees and knelt before Jun Wushuang.

Boom!
The entire square was in uproar. Countless people felt their minds reel.

Dongfang Ming, scion of the Dongfang clan,
a mighty Marquis-ranked cultivator,
the Imperial Martial Academy’s golden instructor—
arrogant, domineering, revered by all.
And now, he knelt before Jun Wushuang.

This—this was simply inconceivable!

Yet what happened next was even more shocking.

Smack!
Jun Wushuang slapped Dongfang Ming across the face.

“This first slap is for distorting right and wrong, confusing black and white.”

A bright red handprint blossomed on Dongfang Ming’s cheek, a stunning sight.

“You!”
Dongfang Ming seethed, wanting to strike back.
But the Southern Guardian’s command pressed against his brow; though his jaw clenched with fury, he dared not move.

Smack!
“This slap is for bullying the weak, abusing your power!”

Smack!
“And this slap is for your insolence, insulting my father!”

Jun Wushuang did not stop. One slap after another landed on Dongfang Ming’s face.

The crisp sound echoed.
Dongfang Ming’s face quickly swelled like a pig’s head, blood dribbling from his mouth and nose, his appearance utterly wretched.

Anyone could see that Dongfang Ming was burning with rage, yet before the Southern Guardian’s command, he dared not resist.

The crowd was stupefied.
A golden instructor of the Imperial Martial Academy, forced to kneel and slapped like a dog more than a dozen times.
News of this would surely shake the entire Great Qian Dynasty.

“Boy, you’re dead! I, Dongfang Ming, swear I’ll tear you to pieces!”
As a Marquis-ranked cultivator, these dozen slaps did not seriously injure Dongfang Ming.
Now, his eyes burned with hatred, fixed on Jun Wushuang.
His rage and murderous intent were so ferocious that everyone present shivered in terror.
After such humiliation, Dongfang Ming would stop at nothing for revenge.

Yet Jun Wushuang seemed not to hear.
In those dozen slaps, he had not only bloodied Dongfang Ming’s face, but also injected devouring demonic energy into him.
This demonic energy would slowly consume Dongfang Ming’s vitality.
Even as a Marquis-ranked warrior, he would be unable to expel it.
Within half a year, Dongfang Ming was doomed.

Jun Wushuang ignored Dongfang Ming and strode toward Nangong Lei.
The duel of life and death was not yet over.
Nangong Lei must die!

“Uncle Ming, save me!”
Nangong Lei’s hair stood on end as he cried for help.
But with Jun Wushuang holding the Southern Guardian’s command, Dongfang Ming was powerless.

“No! You can’t kill me! I am the direct descendant of the Nangong family—my brother Nangong Tianxuan is a Heaven-ranked student at the Imperial Martial Academy, my father is a second-rank imperial official, my grandfather is the patriarch of the Nangong clan!
If you dare touch me, the entire Jun family will die—this is a crime that dooms nine generations!
Even with the Southern Guardian’s command, you can’t save your whole clan!”

Nangong Lei staggered back, howling in hysteria, trying to use his family’s power to threaten Jun Wushuang.

“Noisy!”
Without expression, Jun Wushuang swung his blade.

A flash of steel, a spray of blood.

Nangong Lei was dead.