Yu Yang's face was twisted with rage as he stared ominously at Li Si.

Ever since that day he saw Li Si alone in a room with another man, he hadn't slept well for two days, tormented by the mental image of her with that little piece of trash. The more he thought about it, the angrier he got.

Logically, with Li Si's standing, what kind of man couldn't she find? If she had chosen a high-quality young master, Yu Yang, angry as he might be, would have felt somewhat better. But what was the result? This damned wench actually picked a worthless piece of garbage. Every time he recalled seeing them together, he burned with a fury that made him nauseous.

Given the circumstances, he had no intention of keeping up the pretense any longer. And thus, today's scene unfolded.

"Yu Yang, you dare lay a finger on me? Your Yu Family is nothing compared to my Li Family," Li Si said coldly.

A flicker of apprehension crossed Yu Yang's face. In Qiyun Road, the Li Family was a top-tier power, second only to the Qin Royal Family. His Yu Family truly couldn't afford to provoke them. But he couldn't swallow this insult!

At that thought, Yu Yang's eyes grew dark and sinister. "Every day, bodies are dumped into the Lingjin River. It wouldn't be too unusual if one day the young mistress of the Li Family was among them, would it? Besides, it won't be easy to trace it back to me!"

Li Si was shaken. She had always thought of Yu Yang as unreliable and a show-off, but she never imagined he could be so ruthless as to want her dead. He was a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Taking a couple of deep breaths, Li Si said slowly, "You're taking me to see Chen Yang, aren't you?"

Yu Yang sneered. "That's right! I'm going to torture him to death right in front of you and then throw him into the Lingjin River. After that, it'll just be the two of us."

Li Si's face filled with disgust. She said coldly, "Let go of me, and I'll go with you."

Torture Chen Yang to death? Heh... You utter fool. I can't wait to see what happens to you after you meet him. Some people are like that. With a little bit of background, they think they're the Heavenly King, superior to everyone. They don't realize that in this vast world, there's always someone better. Especially in this tumultuous era, everyone should maintain a sense of reverence in their hearts.

Yu Yang was unaware of Li Si's thoughts, naturally assuming she was conceding to avoid being hurt. Sneering, his opinion of her dropped even lower.

"Behave yourself, or I won't be polite!" Yu Yang warned.

Li Si retorted, "What, are you afraid a woman like me will run away?"

"Stop talking back and get in the van!"

Li Si got into Yu Yang's van, crossing her arms as a cold gleam flashed in her eyes. Yu Yang sat in the passenger seat and ordered the driver, "Drive! Make sure the car behind us follows closely."

"Yes, Young Master!"

From their last encounter, Yu Yang knew that the fellow named Chen Yang was a martial artist, possibly even a Fist Master. Since he was making a move today, he had come well-prepared. The high-ranking Fist Masters he had paid a hefty price to hire were in the van behind them.

As the saying goes, "Two fists are no match for four hands."

No matter how strong that little piece of trash is, can he possibly beat several seventh-level Fist Masters? One of them alone would probably be enough to give him a hard time!

「...」

「Yuehua Hotel.」

It was a very ordinary hotel, catering to the average consumer. Ji Ping's choice of location showed he understood Chen Yang, knowing that the Governor favored thriftiness over extravagance. Ji Ping himself happened to be the same kind of person. Anyone else hosting a dinner for the Nine Gates Admiral would have undoubtedly chosen the most luxurious hotel on Qiyun Road.

By the time Chen Yang arrived, Ji Ping was already waiting at the entrance. Joining him was a group of young men clad in martial uniforms. The mere sight of them standing there was enough to make everyone turn their heads for a second look, their faces filled with awe.

"Old Ji," Chen Yang said with a smile as he got out of the car.

Ji Ping hurried forward and greeted him respectfully, "Governor!"

"Greetings, Governor!" the young men in martial uniforms chorused, their eyes blazing with fervor and their expressions reverent.

Ji Ping hastily introduced them. "Governor, these are my most capable subordinates. From their first day in the Martial Department, they have seen you as their idol. I took this opportunity to bring them along to meet the Nine Gates Admiral."

Chen Yang appraised them briefly. Each one was handsome and brimming with heroic spirit.

"All very good," Chen Yang patted their shoulders, nodding with satisfaction. "Come on, let's go inside."

Ji Ping led the way. "The private room is on the second floor. Governor, please, this way."

「Inside the private room.」

While waiting for the dishes to be served, Ji Ping was the first to break the silence. "Governor, I hear things have been quite lively over in Cangyun City recently."

"Oh?" Chen Yang's interest was piqued, and he waited for him to continue.

"After suffering heavy losses, the Martial Association President issued an order to halt the establishment of all new branches. He also summoned all disciples of the fifth rank and above from across the country to convene at the Cangyun City headquarters.

"They claim it's for collective closed-door training to bolster their overall strength, but anyone can see the truth. The Martial Association has been thoroughly frightened by the killings, and this is their strategy to avoid further unnecessary losses.

"Consolidating their forces is one aspect. But I've also received reliable information that the powerful families backing the Martial Association have apparently dispatched an assassination squad, determined to eliminate anyone who opposes them."

To put it bluntly, the Martial Association was nothing more than a money-making machine for those powerful and noble families. Now that the machine was damaged and even faced the risk of destruction, how could they possibly stand by and watch? Naturally, they wanted to eliminate the problem quickly so their cash cow could start operating again.

"So they've finally decided they can't sit still?" Chen Yang chuckled. "That's good. Once we peel back the layers, we'll be able to find out exactly who they are."

Ji Ping's words were meant as a warning. Seeing Chen Yang's calm reaction, he didn't press the matter and changed the subject. "There's also the Chen Royal Family. For some reason, they've become very active lately, a complete change from their previous silence. But as for the specifics, I don't know."

It's all for the Ancestral Sword in my possession, isn't it? Chen Yang's eyes flickered with thought.

Soon enough, the dishes arrived, and Ji Ping placed the liquor on the table.

"Governor, a toast to you!"

After three rounds of drinks, Ji Ping and his men relaxed, the conversation flowing freely in the lively atmosphere.

But at that moment...

BANG!

The door to the private room was violently kicked open. Instantly, all eyes turned toward the entrance.

Yu Yang pushed a muscular man aside and strode into the room. He pointed a finger at Chen Yang and sneered, "It's this piece of trash! Get him! Beat him to death, and I'll take responsibility!"

However, something bizarre happened. The high-ranking Fist Masters he had paid a hefty sum for did not heed his words, instead taking several steps back.

Hmm?

Yu Yang frowned, but as his gaze landed on the young men in martial uniforms, his expression suddenly froze.

The... The Ten Thousand Martial Guards?

The three bright red characters on their uniforms were like sharp daggers plunging straight into his heart. In an instant, Yu Yang was dumbstruck, frozen like a statue.

Wh-what kind of people were these?

I'm finished! I've provoked a huge disaster!

...

PS: The last two chapters were updated at seven; it's almost ten now and they still haven't synced up! I'm really fed up with this backend

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