Chapter 4

As Ye Fan hurried along with Ye Ling, many people pointed and whispered. Back when Ye Fan was the heir of the Ye family, everyone in the household treated him with utmost respect and greeted him warmly. But now that he was no longer the heir, those who once flattered him either avoided him entirely or pretended not to know him. After all, the new heir of the Ye family was now Ye Lang, and no one wanted to offend either him or the Grand Elder. Ye Fan, however, didn’t care. Only when one falls from power can they truly see people for who they are. As they walked, Ye Ling clung tightly to Ye Fan’s hand, her voice trembling. “Brother, maybe we should just forget it? I... I’m not in pain... They have the elders backing them, they will target you.” Ye Fan stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Ye Ling. His voice was cold and menacing. “Whoever dares to hit you, even if it’s the Grand Elder himself, I’ll kill him.” With that, he grabbed Ye Ling’s hand and strode off. Before long, Ye Fan arrived at the Ye family’s kitchen with Ye Ling in tow. At that moment, a fat man walked out. This man was none other than Chief Steward Wang, the one in charge of the entire kitchen. Chief Steward Wang glanced at Ye Fan and was momentarily stunned. Then, his plump face stretched into a mocking smile. “Well, well, what brings the Young Master here? Oh wait, my bad! You’re not the Young Master anymore, are you? Ah, my memory is terrible! Oh, that reminds me—I should call you ‘brother-in-law’ now. The elders have already arranged for your sister to marry me, and we…” Before he could finish, Ye Fan suddenly lunged forward. Before Wang could even react, Ye Fan delivered a vicious kick straight to his crotch. “ARGH!” Chief Steward Wang’s eyes bulged as his face twisted in agony. Around them, everyone was frozen in shock. What was Ye Fan trying to do? Under countless stunned gazes, Ye Fan’s voice was filled with fury. “I have never once laid a hand on my sister, and you dare to hit her?” As he spoke, he swung his hand and delivered a brutal slap across Wang’s face. Smack! The sound echoed like thunder. Pfft! Chief Steward Wang spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed to the ground, clutching his crotch, howling in pain like a pig being slaughtered. Ye Fan was about to strike again when suddenly, an enraged voice rang out behind him. “Ye Fan, how dare you!” The voice belonged to Ye Ku, who had arrived with several Ye family guards. Ye Fan, however, completely ignored Ye Ku. He stomped down on the still-wailing Wang’s face before turning to his pale and terrified sister. “Which hand did he hit you with?” Ye Ling’s voice trembled. “H-His right hand… Brother, maybe just l-leave it…” Before she could finish, Ye Fan pulled out the dagger at his waist and slashed down at Wang’s shoulder. Shing! Wang’s entire right arm was severed from his body, and blood spurted out like a fountain. The crowd fell into complete silence. Everyone was utterly dumbfounded, including Ye Ku, whose eyes were wide with disbelief. As for Chief Steward Wang, he had already passed out from the pain. Ye Ling covered her mouth, too shocked to speak. Ye Ku finally snapped back to his senses, his finger trembling as he pointed at Ye Fan. “Ye Fan, you’ve gone mad! How dare you commit such violence right in front of me?! You…” Ye Fan suddenly turned, dagger in hand, and glared at Ye Ku. His voice was filled with rage. “You old bastard, don’t think I don’t know that you and the Grand Elder are behind all of this. You bunch of scumbags do nothing all day except scheme against your own people. If you’ve got the guts, why don’t you try plotting against the Zhang family? Or the Li family? Or the City Lord’s mansion? You’re only brave when dealing with your own kin, but when facing outsiders, you’re nothing but spineless dogs! That’s the true nature of your so-called Elder Council!” The Zhang family, the Li family, and the City Lord’s mansion—these three forces, along with the Ye family, were the four major powers in Qingcheng. Among them, the Ye family was the weakest. Ye Ku’s face turned as dark as a stormy sky. He growled, “Ye Fan, what are you being so arrogant about? You attacked someone in broad daylight, right in front of everyone! You…” “What the hell are you yapping about?” Ye Fan roared. “I’ve already cut him down—come and fight me if you dare!” Ye Ku’s face turned purple with fury, and he bellowed, “Seize him!” However, the guards standing behind him hesitated and didn’t move. Ye Fan had fought countless battles for the Ye family, earning deep respect among the guards. He was the only one in the family who had the courage to stand his ground against the other three factions. Many of these guards had fought alongside him to expand the Ye family’s territory, and his reputation among them was unparalleled. Seeing the guards still unmoving, Ye Ku was stunned for a moment before raging, “Are you all trying to rebel?!” One of the guards, Li Mu, hesitated before speaking. “Brother Ye, we… we…” Ye Fan glanced at Li Mu and said calmly, “Li Mu, you’ve fought at least a hundred battles alongside me. You know better than anyone what I’ve done for the Ye family. And now, the family feeds my sister and me scraps fit for dogs. I refuse to accept this! I won’t make things difficult for you all—I know you have your loyalties. But let me make one thing clear: if you choose to fight me today, our brotherhood ends here and now. Don’t expect me to hold back, because I won’t.” Hearing this, Li Mu’s face darkened. The factions in Qingcheng constantly battled over territory and resources, with younger generations fighting on the frontlines since it was an unspoken rule that the older generation could not interfere—doing so would trigger an all-out clan war, which no one wanted. Thus, the younger fighters were sent to compete for dominance. And Ye Fan had always been the Ye family’s champion. He was the undisputed leader of his generation, and these guards had fought alongside him too many times to count. Now, they were being ordered to capture him—it was a near-impossible decision. Moreover, they knew exactly what kind of person Ye Fan was. Once a fight broke out, he would go completely berserk, showing no mercy. If they dared to attack him, they were as good as dead. Seeing Li Mu and the others still frozen in place, Ye Ku’s expression became even more twisted. “Are you all really choosing death?!” Li Mu took a deep breath and was just about to speak when Ye Fan suddenly said, "He knows full well that none of you are a match for me, yet he refuses to act himself and instead sends you forward. All he wants is for me to kill you lot, so he can use it to stir up trouble." As he spoke, a sneer curled at the corner of his lips. "These elders of the Ye Clan, pampered and privileged as they are, truly excel at scheming against their own people!" Hearing this, Li Mu and the others immediately looked grim. Ye Ku was planning to sacrifice them! Ye Ku locked eyes with Ye Fan and said coldly, "Ye Fan, times have changed. If you had kept a low profile, you might have survived a little longer. But unfortunately, you fail to see the situation clearly. Even now, you're still so arrogant. You—" "You old dog!" Ye Fan suddenly cut him off, his voice sharp. "Was it your idea to marry off my little sister to that scumbag?" Ye Ku let out a cold laugh. "Yes, it was my idea. What can you do about it?" Ye Fan’s expression twisted with fury. "You can plot against me all you want, but my sister is only twelve! And you, you wretched old dog, even have the audacity to scheme against her? To hell with you and your ancestors!" As his voice fell, he suddenly stomped his right foot. Boom! The stone floor beneath him shattered instantly. At the same moment, Ye Fan shot forward like a ferocious tiger pouncing on its prey, charging straight at Ye Ku. Ye Ku’s face changed drastically. He never expected Ye Fan to actually attack him. After all, he was an elder of the Ye Clan! Did Ye Fan truly intend to rebel? There was no time to think—Ye Ku quickly bent his knees into a half-crouch, clenched his right fist, pulled it back, and then threw a punch forward with all his might. Crushing Fist! A low-tier martial technique of the Ye Clan, powerful enough to shatter stone. But Ye Fan’s fist had already arrived, and he was using the exact same technique. Boom! As the two fists collided, Ye Ku’s face twisted in shock. In an instant, his right hand cracked apart, blood spraying into the air! Before he could react, Ye Fan had already closed in, slamming a fierce punch into his abdomen. Splurt! Ye Ku spat out a mouthful of blood, his body curling as he was sent flying backwards. The moment he hit the ground, Ye Fan’s foot stomped down hard onto his chest. Ye Ku stared up at him, eyes wide with disbelief. "Impossible! How can your Crushing Fist be this powerful? You—" As the Ye Clan’s internal affairs elder, Ye Ku wasn’t the strongest fighter, but he was still in the Qi Transformation Realm. Yet now, he had been utterly defeated with a single punch! Ye Fan suddenly smacked him across the face. "You spend your days being pampered in the Ye Clan, growing weaker by the day. Your so-called Crushing Fist is as feeble as a child’s! You’re a disgrace!" Ye Ku glared furiously at Ye Fan. "How dare you hit me?!" Ye Fan responded with another slap. "I dare, and I just did!" Ye Ku’s face instantly swelled up. "AAAAAHHH!" Humiliated in front of everyone, Ye Ku let out a furious roar. "What are you all waiting for?! Attack!" Li Mu and the others hesitated. If they could win, they might have made a move. The problem was… they knew they couldn't. "Outrageous!" At that moment, a furious voice rang out from a distance. Everyone turned to look. The Grand Elder was rushing over, followed by a group of elders and guards from the Ye Clan. Ye Ling hurried to Ye Fan’s side, gripping his sleeve tightly with trembling hands. "Brother, run! Hurry… just go!" Ye Fan gently held her shaking hand and smiled softly. "Don’t be scared." Tears welled up in Ye Ling’s eyes. "It’s… it’s all my fault, Brother… I dragged you into this. I… I’m useless… I’m so sorry…" Ye Fan chuckled. "Silly girl, don’t be afraid. If the sky falls, I’ll hold it up for you!" Then, he turned to the Grand Elder with a cheeky grin. "Grand Elder, how about we settle this peacefully? I’ll admit I was wrong, and we can just call it even. What do you say?" The Grand Elder was so furious that he laughed. "Settle peacefully? Call it even? Ye Fan, are you dreaming? You—" Before he could finish, Ye Fan suddenly stomped his foot down on Ye Ku’s throat. Crack! A sickening snap echoed through the courtyard. Ye Ku’s eyes widened in disbelief. Moments later, the light in his eyes faded. Silence. Everyone was stunned. Ye Fan looked at the Grand Elder and grinned. "If we’re not settling peacefully, then let’s fight!" Under countless gazes, Ye Fan stepped forward, stopping right in front of the Grand Elder. "Grand Elder, I, a mere junior, challenge you to a life and death duel. You wouldn’t be afraid, would you?"