Ten Thousand Martial Guards.

Yu Yang's pupils constricted in shock, a fire of disbelief burning in his gut.

How could that little piece of trash be sitting down to eat with someone like that?

He didn't dare harbor any doubt as to their authenticity.

After all, who would dare to impersonate the forbidden army of Cangyun City? In ancient times, they were the equivalent of the Imperial Guards!

Seeing the men's expressions darken and their gazes turn as sharp as an eagle's, fixed solely on him, Yu Yang sucked in a breath of cold air. His fingers trembled slightly. "Um, I, uh... I went into the wrong private room. I was looking for Room 888 but ended up in 886. Sorry to disturb you. I'll... I'll be leaving now."

With that, he quickly began to back away, his pale face streaming with cold sweat. "Sorry, so sorry!" Yu Yang kept apologizing, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it would leap out of his throat. He held his breath, tense to the absolute limit.

"Weren't you looking for Chen Yang?" Li Si said, the corner of her mouth twitching as she pointed at him. "Well, he's right here."

Ji Ping and the young men in martial attire all stood up, their eyes growing sharper.

Yu Yang was speechless, his face turning ashen.

I already apologized, and it's obvious I can't afford to provoke them! Why did she have to point me out? Does she want me dead? And how could he not see it now? Li Si had long known Chen Yang's identity was extraordinary. Her previous compliance wasn't because she was a coward, but because she was completely confident in the outcome. In other words, she was leading him straight into a fiery pit! If Li Si had just mentioned that Chen Yang was on close terms with the Ten Thousand Martial Guards, he wouldn't have dared to come, not even with a hundred times the courage. That woman... she actually set me up!

Seeing the men approach him, Yu Yang was filled with sheer terror. "A m-misunderstanding!" he stammered. "There's a misunderstanding here! I... I really went to the wrong room, my apologies."

"Who did you just call a 'piece of trash'?" Ji Ping asked, his gaze fixed menacingly on Yu Yang as he waved his hand, signaling his subordinates to block the exit.

TAP, TAP, TAP.

Blocked by the young men in martial attire, none of Yu Yang's lackeys dared to move. At a gesture from the guards, they were all herded into the private room.

BANG.

The door slammed shut. The sound made Yu Yang and his men's hearts pound. It felt as if their only escape route had been sealed, leaving them with no way out.

Ji Ping stepped in front of Yu Yang and slapped him hard across the face, sending him crashing against the doorframe. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as he nearly collapsed. "I... I..."

Ji Ping's gaze was cold, yet it held boundless reverence. "He stained the lands red with his blood and carried a coffin on his back into battle. In the Hundred Flowers Valley, he fought against a million Barbarian soldiers in a bloodbath that lasted three days and three nights. He utterly defeated the Barbarian invasion, securing the safety of the border populace and defending this nation."

"What gives a creature like you the right to insult him?" Ji Ping sneered. "The only reason you can act so brazenly is because our nation is at peace. This land has never been plagued by the war and turmoil he holds back. It is precisely because he defends the border that we enjoy this era of prosperity and splendor."

Yu Yang was silent.

Isn't he... isn't he with the Qin Corporation from Lingjin City? How... how did he also become part of the Martial Department, with such incredible military achievements? This...

Yu Yang hung his head low, biting his lip so hard it nearly bled, not daring to make a sound.

"If you want to demean and insult him, you'll first have to ask if my Ten Thousand Martial Guards agree! Ask if the 800,000 Martial Guards standing watch over Hanyun Valley agree!" Ji Ping's voice was laced with a chilling hostility.

These men never sought rewards or applause. They would pay the ultimate price with their lives and remain unsung heroes. But to be insulted was unacceptable. Especially when that insult was aimed at Chen Yang. In this world, no one had that right.

THUMP!

Yu Yang's trembling legs could no longer support his weight. He collapsed to his knees, shaking uncontrollably.

At this point, how could he not guess Chen Yang's identity? He was revered by the Ten Thousand Martial Guards and commanded the 800,000 Martial Guards of Hanyun Valley. Across the entire nation, who didn't know that man? The Nine Gates Admiral, the Zhennan Prince.

Yet this was the unparalleled legend he had mocked. He'd made fun of him for driving a beat-up van, for living in a decrepit, immigrant-filled neighborhood, and for being good for nothing but a bit of kung fu. He had been so full of his own superiority, never taking Chen Yang seriously, even calling him a "piece of trash" again and again.

Looking back now, how naive was I? How foolish? How utterly suicidal?

Just moments ago, he had called him a "piece of trash" right in front of everyone and threatened to have him beaten to death.

The thought made his soul feel like it had been scattered to the winds. All the spirit and vitality drained from his body, and he collapsed to the floor like a boneless heap, his face the color of ash.

THUMP, THUMP, THUMP.

The others could no longer stand either, falling to the ground one by one.

"W-we were hired by him!" one of them managed to say, pointing a trembling finger at Yu Yang. "If we had known we were being sent to deal with the Governor himself, we would never have dared to come!"

"Please, spare our lives!" the others chimed in.

In their hearts, they had already cursed eighteen generations of Yu Yang's ancestors. The fool didn't even check who he was dealing with before starting trouble. It was bad enough that he was suicidal, but he had to drag them down with him!

Unable to contain his rage, one of the men clenched his teeth and slammed a fist into Yu Yang's head.

THUD!

Yu Yang collapsed miserably to the ground. The others immediately joined in, punching and kicking him.

"Spare me! Spare me!" Yu Yang screamed, never imagining he would be beaten by the very men he had paid a fortune to hire. He scrambled over to Li Si, pleading desperately, "Sisi, save me! For the sake of our years of acquaintance, please, save me!"

Li Si took two steps to the side, not even sparing him a glance. Chen Yang walked up to her and looked at her disheveled hair. "Did he lay a hand on you?"

"He pulled my hair and screamed obscenities at me," Li Si said, briefly recounting what Yu Yang had done. She finished with a pained expression, "Thank God you were here, otherwise..." Tears welled in her eyes. She didn't dare imagine what would have happened.

"I... I..." Yu Yang tried to say something, but Chen Yang delivered the final verdict. "Bury him."

Yu Yang fell silent.

"You haven't eaten yet, have you? Sit down and have something," Chen Yang said to Li Si.

"Okay," Li Si nodded, sitting down beside him.

"Go bury him," Ji Ping ordered his subordinates.

"Yes, sir!" they responded in unison.

KNOCK, KNOCK.

Chen Yang rapped his knuckles on the table. "No rush. Let's eat first."

Yu Yang's blood ran cold.

「Chen Clan Royal Family, Qiyun Road Branch」

After two days of recuperation, Chen Boyong's injuries had improved. His complexion was still a sickly white, but his spirits were adequate. The wound to his pride, however, could never heal. A direct descendant of the Chen Clan Royal Family, the right-hand man of the Great Elder, had knelt in front of hundreds of people.

Heh...

Chen Boyong stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, his gaze somber. "To humiliate the Chen Clan Royal Family like this... even if you are Lord Yang, the one who shattered the Dragon Brilliance List, you must die!"

Once I retrieve the Ancestral Sword, I will deal with you!

An Elder entered the room and reported, "Sir, visitors from Cangyun City have arrived. They say they are here regarding the Martial Association and have come specifically to see you."

"Let them in at once!"

The Elder bowed and left.

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