Xiao Tianzuo cast a cold glance at Ye Wei.
“And just who do you think you are, daring to make decisions for me?”
He sneered, his tone sharp as a blade.
“I didn’t tell him to leave, so he’s not going anywhere today.”
Standing beside them, Ye Qingshan glared at Ye Wei as well and growled,
“Are you out of your mind? Hurry up and apologize to Young Master Xiao! Don’t forget that little bastard still…”
Before he could finish, Xiao Zhan, who had his back turned moments ago, suddenly spun around.
That look in his eyes, like a bloodthirsty beast, like a bottomless abyss devouring everything in sight!
A murderous aura surged forth like a crashing tide. Ye Qingshan’s face turned deathly pale; his knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground in terror.
Overhead, the once-clear sky darkened with thick, rolling clouds. Xiao Zhan’s overwhelming aura soared to the heavens, suffocating everyone present.
“Speak! Where is my daughter? What did you do to her!?”
No one dared answer.
Xiao Zhan’s eyes were bloodshot as he fixed his gaze on Ye Wei. His voice trembled with fury and pain.
“Our daughter, where is she?” Ye Wei finally broke.
Tears streamed down her face as she screamed hysterically,
“Why did you come back!? Why!?”
“Yaoyao’s in their hands, if you show yourself, you’ll only get her killed!”
With that desperate cry, she threw herself into Xiao Zhan’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
She knew; none of them would survive this day. Not Xiao Zhan, not their child, and not herself.
“You fool,” she whispered through tears, her voice fading, “why did you come back… why…”
And then she fainted in his embrace.
Xiao Zhan held her tightly, his voice low but steady.
“Don’t worry, Weiwei. I won’t let anything happen to our daughter.”
By now, all the guests had retreated twenty meters away.
The Ye family guards rushed forward, joining Xiao Tianzuo’s men to surround Xiao Zhan.
Ye Qingshan, face grim, turned to Xiao Tianzuo and bowed deeply.
“Young Master Xiao, rest assured, today’s matter will be handled to your satisfaction.”
With a wave of his hand, he shouted,
“Attack!”
Dozens of Ye family guards charged forward, short blades glinting coldly, each strike meant to take Xiao Zhan’s life.
But Xiao Zhan only snorted coldly. A shockwave of invisible force erupted from his body.
The steel blades flew from their hands, and the guards were thrown backward, their palms shredded and bleeding.
Still cradling Ye Wei, Xiao Zhan’s figure blurred.
Before the guards could even hit the ground, he struck, kicking them midair one after another.
Within thirty seconds, they exploded in midair, bursting into clouds of blood mist.
A chilling breeze swept through the manor, carrying a rain of blood.
The guests were terrified beyond reason; none dared to flee. Their legs gave out, and they sat trembling on the ground, staring in horror at the man who stood like a god of war amidst the carnage.
Ye Qingshan’s face turned ashen.
If he still didn’t understand that the Ye family had provoked a true monster, he was unfit to be its patriarch.
Even Xiao Tianzuo had gone pale.
His personal guards, more than twenty Earth-rank experts, hadn’t even managed to react before being obliterated.
He’s… Heaven-rank!
As Xiao Zhan walked toward him, Xiao Tianzuo staggered backward, all arrogance gone, his face a mask of terror.
“You, don’t come any closer!”
His legs gave out, and he fell, crawling backward in panic.
Suddenly, he yanked open his shirt, revealing a tattoo over his chest, a stylized “Xiao” (family crest).
“I’m the son of the Xiao family patriarch from the Imperial Capital! If you dare kill me, my clan will make you wish you were dead!”
“And that filthy woman, Ye Wei, she bore your bastard child! I’ll make her suffer too!”
Xiao Zhan’s steps halted.
Thinking his words had worked, Xiao Tianzuo let out a shaky breath and sneered,
“Now kneel and apologize, and I might…”
He never finished.
Xiao Zhan’s figure flashed. In an instant, he was in front of him, one arm still holding Ye Wei, the other hand gripping Xiao Tianzuo’s throat.
The air turned glacial. Everyone trembled under the suffocating pressure.
“So… the Xiao family from the Imperial Capital, huh?”
“Good. Then we’ll settle both old and new debts today.”
Xiao Tianzuo’s heart sank. He tried to beg, but before he could speak, Xiao Zhan hurled him to the ground.
A sharp crack split the air as Xiao Zhan stomped down; both of Xiao Tianzuo’s legs shattered like brittle wood. His screams echoed through the manor.
Ignoring him, Xiao Zhan turned his icy gaze toward Ye Qingshan.
“I’ll ask you once more; where is my daughter!?”
Ye Qingshan felt as though an invisible hand was crushing his throat. He could barely force out a strangled cry.
“I… I don’t know! I’ve never seen any child!”
“RAAAAHHH!” Xiao Zhan roared to the heavens. The killing intent around him turned tangible, sweeping across the estate like a storm.
“Search the place!”
At his command, hundreds of shadowy figures flashed into motion, rushing into every corner of the manor.
Only now did everyone realize that the manor was surrounded by these experts; all Earth-rank fighters from the Temple of the War God.
Moments later, they returned with no sign of his daughter.
“Boom!”
Xiao Zhan stomped again. The ground split apart, stones shooting out like bullets, piercing through the legs of everyone in the Ye family.
They collapsed, screaming in agony.
Ye Qingshan knelt too, clutching his bleeding leg but still shouting through clenched teeth,
“You can’t kill me! A powerful guest is coming for Ye Wei, someone even you can’t defy!”
“I advise you to leave now! I swear I won’t tell him about your affair with her!”
By now, the Temple of the War God warriors had formed a perfect line behind Xiao Zhan, their collective aura tearing through the clouds above.
Even the team of government security officers approaching the estate froze in place.
The leader answered his comms device, only to be met by his superior’s furious and panicked roar:
“Li Yong, where the hell are you!?”
Li Yong stammered, “We’re just outside the Ye estate. There are… There are hundreds of Earth-rank experts here!”
“What!?”
His superior’s voice rose several octaves.
“Holy hell! The Temple of the War God still has this many masters hidden in the country?!”
“Li Yong, you fool, stay where you are! Don’t move a damn muscle! I’m coming right now!”
The line went dead.
Li Yong exhaled shakily, fumbling for a cigarette, but his hands trembled too hard to light it.
Then, a long-haired man stepped out from behind a tree ten meters away and tossed him a lighter without a word.
Li Yong nearly pissed himself.
A Heaven-rank master… had just handed him a lighter. Should he even take it?
Back in the manor, Xiao Zhan still held Ye Wei in his arms as he looked down at Ye Qingshan, voice cold as ice.
“Who told you this ‘important guest’ was coming?”
“Jiang Yuan!” Ye Qingshan blurted out, grasping at hope. “You’ve heard of him, right? A Heaven-rank powerhouse! Even he bows before that great man. What are you compared to them!?”
“Oh?” Xiao Zhan’s eyes gleamed like cold steel. “Jiang Yuan… come out.”
A fierce wind swept through the air, and a moment later, a man appeared, dropping to one knee before Xiao Zhan.
“Temple Master!”
Xiao Zhan snorted coldly.
“Last night you told me Weiwei married willingly. How do you explain yourself now?”
Jiang Yuan lowered his head, guilt etched across his face.
“This subordinate deserves death!”
He raised his palm to strike his own face.
“Enough!” Xiao Zhan flicked his hand, sending Jiang Yuan flying backward.
“Make a mistake like that again, and I’ll end you myself!”
Ye Qingshan’s pupils shrank to pinpoints as realization struck.
“Jiang… Mr. Jiang, you…”
Jiang Yuan drew a throwing dart from his sleeve and walked toward him step by step.
“That ‘great man’ you spoke of… is none other than my lord, the master of the Temple of the War God. A being your Ye family could never hope to touch.”
“Now, speak. Who were those men last night?”
Trembling, Ye Qingshan stammered,
“I–It was Lei Zhen… the young master of the Lei family from the provincial capital.”
Before he could say more, Jiang Yuan’s dart pierced his throat clean through.
That day, the Ye family was wiped from Yuncheng forever.
Carrying Ye Wei, Xiao Zhan walked toward the gates, his voice echoing across the bloody courtyard:
“Jiang Yuan! Inform the Xiao family in the Imperial Capital that they have three days. Tell Xiao Beihe to come collect Xiao Tianzuo’s corpse himself.”
“And one more thing, issue my War God Command!”
“All Heaven-rank members of the Temple of the War God are to gather in the capital. If Xiao Beihe dares not come, then erase the Xiao family from existence!”
“Second, notify Shadow. I want every dark operative searching for my daughter. Leave no stone unturned.”
“Third, every power connected to Black Mamba… destroy them all. No survivors.”
“Yes, my lord!” Jiang Yuan executed a perfect salute, then vanished into thin air.