The reputation of Second Young Master Zhao was too formidable! Once Lin Yiyi married Zhao Yumei, she would surely soar to great heights. When that happened, she would certainly come back for them, and they could bask in her glory!

Master Chen, you must save my brother! We don't want to lose Second Young Master Zhao's protection! We don't want to lose our jobs!

A group of guards knelt, pleading desperately.

"Master Chen! Please, you must save us!"

"We don't want to lose Second Young Master Zhao's protection!"

"We don't want to lose these jobs!"

Just then, two other guards chimed in, "The First Young Master's reputation in Nancounty City is thunderous! He is a true chosen one, an influential figure in the city! As long as you say the word, Master Chen, Lin Yiyi will be finished for good!"

"Heh, the Zhao Family?" Chen Zheng swept his gaze over the kneeling crowd and sneered. "Do you really think any of you would survive if Zhao Yumei died?"

"Master Chen! What… what do you mean?" the female guard stammered, her face pale with fright. "Second Young Master Zhao is the second young master of the Zhao Family! He's the most beloved grandson of the Zhao Family Head! His father is even the family's old ancestor!"

Chen Zheng sneered again. "The Zhao Family Head? Heh! I, Chen Zheng, have never feared anyone. If I, Chen Zheng, wish to kill him, it takes but a flick of my finger. This Zhao Yumei is nothing more than an ant. What does he amount to?"

"Master Chen, don't be so impulsive!"

"He is, after all, the second young master of the Zhao Family! How can you possibly fight him alone?"

A chill ran down the spines of the onlookers. Second Young Master Zhao may have been a wastrel, but his cultivation was that of a genuine Alchemy Realm expert.

"The Zhao Family? Zhao Yumei? Heh!"

Chen Zheng took a single step forward.

BANG!

He sent the female guard flying with a single kick. The other guards were completely stunned, their minds reeling from the sight.

"You!" Zhao Yumei's eyes widened in utter disbelief. At that moment, his heart was flooded with a profound, soul-deep terror.

You! You! You… How do you know alchemy? Who in the world are you?

A terrifying rumor suddenly surfaced in Zhao Yumei's mind.

Could it be? Is this person the legendary Master Chen? Chen Zheng! The one from the rumors! He's an alchemist! He's actually a real alchemist!

An endless tide of fear surged within Zhao Yumei. He wanted to flee, but he was completely powerless to escape.

"Correct," Chen Zheng said flatly. "But your soul is too weak. You are not worthy of being my servant. Scram!"

He slapped his palm down on the top of Zhao Yumei's head.

SPLAT!

Zhao Yumei's soul instantly shattered, turned to ash by Chen Zheng's strike.

"Ah! Ah! Ah!"

His physical body roared madly, but it was futile. With his soul obliterated, he could never be revived. Only a single strand of his spiritual consciousness remained. Chen Zheng crushed it to dust with another slap, then casually swiped it into his storage ring.

"I didn't want to cause trouble or bring disaster upon myself. You all forced my hand," Chen Zheng said, looking at Second Young Master Zhao's corpse with a hint of disgust. "In this lifetime, Zhao Yumei could never dream of becoming my servant."

"Master Chen, you must save us!" one of the guards cried out. "Zhao Yumei is a direct descendant of the Zhao Family! We don't want to lose our jobs!"

"If you don't save us, we're all doomed!"

"Master Chen!"

The group of guards wailed. They were just ordinary guards, their cultivation merely at the peak of the Xuan Realm. They couldn't possibly withstand a single blow from an Alchemy Realm expert.

"Master Chen, I'm begging you! Please save us!"

"Please, Master Chen! We'll do anything you ask, just save us!"

The guards, all kneeling, looked up at Chen Zheng in desperation.

"Scram!" Chen Zheng bellowed.

They immediately scrambled to their feet and fled, not daring to spare him even a single glance. What Chen Zheng had just done was too terrifying. That palm strike had seemed as effortless as swatting a fly, yet it had shattered Zhao Yumei's soul in an instant. The disparity in their true power was simply too vast. It was no contest; Zhao Yumei was doomed to defeat.

Chen Zheng swept his gaze around, noting the mansion wasn't particularly large. Although the Zhao Family was powerful, they were merely a mid-tier force in Nancounty City. He could annihilate the entire family with a casual punch.

He let out a low roar.

BOOM!

The next second, the entirety of Nancounty City trembled three times.

"What's happening? What's going on?"

"It seems a powerful enemy is invading! Could it be that wretch Zhao Yumei?"

"No, it's not an invasion! It's… it's Master Chen! Master Chen is here!"

"Master Chen? How could that piece of trash Zhao Yumei ever be his opponent?"

Cries of astonishment echoed throughout the city.

"What's wrong? What happened?" a middle-aged man cried, running over anxiously from a distance.

A guard rushed toward him, wailing, "Young Master Zhao Yumei… he's been killed! Master Chen shattered his soul with a single slap! The young master is dead, without even a place for a proper burial!"

Upon hearing the report, the middle-aged man saw Chen Zheng and hurried to his side, grabbing his arm. "Master Chen! What are you doing here? You must leave, quickly! It's dangerous!"

Chen Zheng looked at him. "Who am I?"

"You're Master Chen!" the man said, startled.

"I'm asking you, who am I?" Chen Zheng repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"You… you're Master Chen!" the man stammered again.

"Hmm," Chen Zheng nodded. "In that case, can you tell me the relationship between the Zhao Yumei I just killed and the other one they call 'trash'? And why did this Zhao Yumei send assassins after that one?"

The middle-aged man glanced around nervously and lowered his voice. "The Zhao and Lin families have been allies for generations, and Zhao Yumei knew the young miss of the Lin Family. The young miss is the Lin Family Head's only daughter. In fact, she came to visit Old Master Zhao this time specifically because of Zhao Yumei. The marriage engagement between the two families stems from this matter."

"I see," Chen Zheng said with a cold scoff. "Then today, I will seek justice for that 'trash' one." He turned and glanced at Zhao Yumei's corpse.

"No! Please, don't!" a guard pleaded, throwing himself in front of Chen Zheng. "Old Master Zhao is incredibly powerful! Please, just let this go! I'm begging you!"

Old Master Zhao! He's an Alchemy Realm expert! A true powerhouse, an existence at the absolute pinnacle of the Alchemy Realm! Who is Chen Zheng? How could he possibly be a match for a master of the Alchemy Realm?

Seeing that Chen Zheng had no intention of stopping, the guard tried again, his voice cracking. "Master Chen, I beg you! Old Master Zhao is truly strong! He's an Alchemy Realm expert! You must reconsider!"

"Alchemy Realm?" Chen Zheng remarked indifferently. "Is the Alchemy Realm supposed to be impressive? I could kill him as easily as crushing an ant. Before me, he is less than a speck of dust."

Hearing this, the guard was utterly flabbergasted.

Master Chen… just said that killing Old Master Zhao would be easier than crushing an ant! Then, doesn't that mean Old Master Zhao is…

A stunned silence fell.

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