Volume 1, Chapter 68: The Arrival of the Patriarch of the Ye Family

"Those bastards from the Ye family just want to sit back and reap the spoils!"
"They are getting more and more arrogant by the day!"

Inside the car, an injured Zhao Lier was boiling with anger. Yan Fengjia had given her a fifth-grade Yuan-Nourishing Pill, which finally stabilized her condition.

The losses this mission suffered were heavy. The plan should have gone smoothly, but nobody expected it to be a trap set by the opposing party.

"Fengjia, thank you. If you hadn't arrived in time, I might really have died."

Yan Fengjia frowned. "The Ye family is acting so arrogantly right under the nose of the Heavenly Master Palace. Why didn't the Fifth Master step in and teach them a lesson?"

After all, his Fifth Master was one of the three supreme rulers of the Heavenly Master Palace. She possessed both the authority and the status to do so.

Zhao Lier sighed. "In this new era, warriors within the Heavenly Master Palace are rare, and the manpower required is increasing day by day."
"The Ye family's connections account for a huge proportion within the Heavenly Master Palace. My master's decisions affect the development of the entire institution."

Yan Fengjia fell into deep thought and said nothing.

After dropping Zhao Lier off at the hospital for a simple treatment, Yan Fengjia stood in the corridor looking out at the pouring rain, simply smoking a cigarette.

Yan Qiluo walked over.

"What happened?" Yan Fengjia asked.

Yan Qiluo's face was pale. "Master, I ran into that mysterious person again."
"He watched the entire battle from start to finish. If he hadn't intervened and smashed my sniper rifle, I would have already killed those three old fogies."

"A flick of the finger from a distance?" Yan Fengjia narrowed his eyes. "It seems the person who saved Tian Bolong isn't from the Tian family? Could he be part of that fugitive Dulong's gang?"

Clearly, the target was still him.
He had been orchestrating moves across the board, stirring up the winds and clouds, disrupting the situation, and constantly bringing trouble upon himself.

Yet, what was the purpose?
Yan Fengjia couldn't figure it out.

At that moment, a familiar figure saw Yan Fengjia and quickly stepped back.

"Fengjia, why are you here?"

Qin Wanqiu, who had come down to the fifth floor to fetch hot water, spotted Yan Fengjia.

Yan Fengjia smiled. "My Fifth Senior Sister got hurt, so I brought her to the hospital for a quick bandage."

"Fifth Senior Sister?" Qin Wanqiu remembered.
She recalled Yan Fengjia mentioning that his Fifth Senior Sister worked at a security company.
The two polite bodyguards looking after her father had been sent by this very senior sister.

Another senior sister?

"Once my dad is discharged, I plan to take my parents' ashes back to our hometown."
"Fengjia, I might need to take a few days off. Do you think that's alright?"

"Once Uncle is discharged, I'll go back with you."

Qin Wanqiu was taken aback and hurriedly waved her hands in embarrassment. "I've already caused you so much trouble. Never mind, I can manage on my own."

Yan Fengjia frowned. "Listen to me on this matter."

Overbearing, yet it warmed Qin Wanqiu's heart. She nodded and said, "Alright, I'll listen to you."

"Wanqiu Sister, you go on upstairs first. I have some things to take care of," Yan Fengjia warned when he saw Zhao Lier about to come out.

Qin Wanqiu cast another glance at Zhao Lier and nodded as she left.

Shortly after, Yan Fengjia flicked the cigarette butt in his hand toward the outside of the window.

"Bang!"

Like a bullet, the cigarette butt instantly pierced clear through a distant tree.

At this moment, his curiosity about that mysterious person grew even stronger.
His intuition was telling him that fellow might be coming straight for him.

...

Early the next morning.
The Heavenly Master Palace was holding a meeting at the Gathering of Virtues Hall.

Because Zhao Lier was injured and Yan Fengjia was worried the Ye family might make things difficult for her, he decided to tag along.
Although his identity didn't really make it appropriate for him to appear at this internal meeting of the Heavenly Master Palace.

"It's him!"

At the meeting venue, upon seeing Yan Fengjia walk in alongside Zhao Lier, the two elderly men in black and white robes standing behind Ye Mufeng exchanged glances.

"This arrest operation failed, and Dulong took the opportunity to escape. Catching him next time will probably be extremely difficult. Everyone, tell me what we should do now?"

A middle-aged man smoked a cigarette, his expression exhausted.
He instinctively glanced at Zhao Lier and Ye Mufeng.
Clearly, these two were the true bosses of this operation.

Ye Mufeng gave a faint smile. "In my view, these people have gathered in Qinghai City and refuse to leave."
"Even knowing we discovered them, they preferred to set traps and fight back against the Heavenly Master Palace. I believe there is a reason for this."
"Trust me, they definitely won't leave."

Zhao Lier sneered. "Young Master Ye is quite clever, but if you had exerted just a little more effort yesterday, this matter wouldn't have dragged on until now."

"Zhao Lier, are you implying that I did this on purpose?"

"You want to monopolize the credit, don't think I don't know," Zhao Lier bluntly exposed the Ye family's intentions.

Ye Mufeng shrugged. "Say whatever you like. If you can't get this job done, hand the command of this operation over to me."
"I guarantee that within three days, I will capture Dulong and safely bring back that top-secret file."

"You want command? Sure, go report to the higher-ups yourself. I'm in no mood to talk nonsense with you."
"For the next operation, your Ye family doesn't need to participate. Get lost!"

With that, Zhao Lier stood up and walked away.

"Stop right there," Ye Mufeng stood up. "What right do you have to exclude me from this capture operation? You have no qualification."

"Qualification?" Zhao Lier stopped, pointed at Ye Mufeng, and said coldly, "I am the commander-in-chief of this operation. If I don't have the qualification, do you think you do?"

"Such bold words from Miss Zhao. If your master weren't one of the three supreme rulers of the Heavenly Master Palace, do you think your meager strength qualifies you to serve as commander-in-chief?"

Just at that moment, a resonant male voice came from outside the door.

Hearing this voice, Zhao Lier froze.
Ye Mufeng's father, the head of the Ye family, had actually come too?

Yan Fengjia looked over and saw a middle-aged man in a grey suit entering, accompanied by bodyguards carrying black cases.

Instantly, the entire Ye family contingent, including Ye Mufeng, bowed respectfully.

"Father!"
"Master Ye!"

Ye Ao walked in, his gaze sweeping over Yan Fengjia. "You are the outsider mentioned in the reports who killed one of the old-era Grandmasters?"

He invisibly released a powerful aura, causing Zhao Lier, who was only at the grandmaster realm, to turn pale.

Yan Fengjia gently placed one hand on his Fifth Senior Sister's slender waist and pulled her into his embrace.
Faced with the head of the Ye family, who suppressed the atmosphere of the entire room the moment he stepped in, Yan Fengjia remained as calm as water.

"Young man, have you considered joining my team?" The tone brooked no argument.

"Reason?"

"I will give you everything you want. After all, a talent like you is always needed by the Ye family."

"To show my sincerity..." Ye Ao looked toward the door and said coldly, "Crawl in!"

As soon as the words fell, two people were thrown in through the door.

Yan Fengjia was startled when he saw these two.
They were none other than Leiguan and Ouyang Gong, whose martial arts had been crippled.

Right now, however, facing this Ye Ao, the two of them were trembling like dying dogs.
Leiguan frantically knocked his head on the floor toward Yan Fengjia.

"Mr. Yan, my martial arts have already been crippled, and I have received the punishment I deserved."
"I beg you to spare my life, I'm begging you!"

Ouyang Gong, seeing the spectacle before him, was so terrified he couldn't speak and wet his pants on the spot.

"Crippling your martial arts was the punishment I gave you. You may leave," Yan Fengjia said indifferently.

Hearing this, Leiguan breathed a sigh of relief and turned his head to look at the cold-faced Ye Ao.

"Mr. Ye, Mr. Yan has forgiven me, and I know my mistake. I will never dare to use the Ye family's name to cause trouble for you again. Please let me go."

Ye Ao lowered his head and smiled. "Little brother, you certainly are magnanimous. If it were me, this man would have been dead long ago."

Yan Fengjia replied, "Crippling his martial arts was enough."
"You can leave. I won't hold this against you."

Leiguan wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and stood up to leave.

The very next moment...

Ye Ao suddenly struck with lightning speed, grabbing Leiguan by the neck.

"Crack!"

With a bare-handed twist, Leiguan's head tilted sideways, and his neck was instantly shattered.
A mouthful of blood spewed onto Ouyang Gong's face. With a miserable scream, Ouyang Gong fainted on the spot.

"You..." Zhao Lier was startled by the sight, burning with rage.

Yan Fengjia remained calm, but his expression when looking at Ye Ao changed noticeably.
To be so ruthless to his own people—this Ye Ao was a formidable figure.

Ye Ao wiped the blood from the back of his hand as if he had merely squashed an ant.

"Little brother is magnanimous, but as the head of the family, how can Ye not properly discipline the people under him?"
"To express my apologies, little brother, would you do me the honor of letting me treat you to a simple meal tonight?"

"I don't think that's necessary. Fifth Senior Sister, let's go."

Yan Fengjia pulled Zhao Lier away.

Seeing them leave, Ye Mufeng was furious. "Dad, that punk is refusing a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit. Does he really think he's somebody? How dare he—"

"Slap!"

Suddenly, Ye Ao's smile vanished, and he slapped his son across the face, sending him flying.

"Dad, you—"

"Foolish thing, thinking you're so smart. If you hadn't been so eager for success yesterday, why would I have had to come down here myself?"
"I'll deal with you properly when we get home."

By the afternoon, Yan Fengjia was already back home.
At that moment, someone outside the door announced that a delivery had arrived.

Yan Fengjia signed for it, opened the box, and his expression instantly darkened.
A bloody head lay inside the package.
It belonged to Ouyang Gong.

Naturally, there was also a note attached.

"Brother Yan, Ye is hosting a banquet at the Gathering of Virtues Hall tonight. Please bring this along and arrive promptly at eight o'clock. Do me the honor."

"Is this a threat?" Yan Fengjia looked at the head and sneered. "Fine, let's see what tricks you're trying to play."

To prevent his Fifth Senior Sister from suffering losses at the hands of this man, Yan Fengjia felt he should step out and put them in their place.