With Ye Ling in tow, Ye Xuan marched through the Ye Clan's compound, ignoring the stares and whispers from those around them. When Ye Xuan had been the heir, the people of the estate had treated him with respect, greeting him with flattery. Now that he was no longer the heir, those same people either avoided him or acted as if they had never known him.
After all, Ye Lang was the new heir, and no one wanted to risk offending Ye Lang or the Great Elder.
But Ye Xuan didn't care. It was only when someone fell from power that you saw their true colors.
Ye Ling clung tightly to Ye Xuan's hand, her voice trembling. "Brother, maybe... maybe we should just let it go? I... I'm not in pain. They have the elders behind them—they'll come after you."
Ye Xuan halted and turned to look at Ye Ling, his eyes fierce. "Whoever dares lay a hand on you, even if it's the Great Elder, I'll kill him!"
With that, he pulled Ye Ling forward, moving with purpose.
Soon, Ye Xuan and Ye Ling arrived at the estate's kitchen, where a fat man came out to meet them.
This man was the head steward of the entire kitchen, Steward Wang.
Seeing Ye Xuan, Steward Wang blinked, then a sly smile spread across his face. "Well, what wind blows the Young Master here? Oh wait, I almost forgot—you're not the Young Master anymore, are you? Ah, my memory is so bad! Right, right, I should call you brother-in-law now. The elders have already decided to marry your sister to me, so we—"
Before he could finish, Ye Xuan moved like lightning, stepping forward and delivering a vicious kick to Wang's groin.
"Agh!"
Steward Wang's eyes bulged, his features twisting in pain.
Around them, everyone froze in shock.
What was Ye Xuan doing?
Ye Xuan glared at the steward, his voice a low growl. "I've never laid a hand on my sister, and you dare touch her?"
He raised his hand and slapped Steward Wang hard across the face.
The sound echoed like thunder.
Blood spurted from Steward Wang's mouth as he crumpled to the ground, clutching his groin, his screams echoing like a dying pig.
Ye Xuan was about to strike again when a furious voice called out, "Ye Xuan, stop this at once!"
The speaker was Ye Ku, one of the clan elders. He had brought several clan guards with him.
Ye Xuan ignored him, instead stepping on Steward Wang's face. Turning to Ye Ling, he asked, "Which hand did he hit you with?"
Ye Ling's voice trembled. "The... the right one, Brother. Please, let's just forget this..."
Before she could finish, Ye Xuan drew a dagger from his waist and swung it down at Steward Wang's right shoulder.
Slash!
The entire right arm fell away from the body, blood spurting like a fountain.
The courtyard fell into complete silence.
Everyone—even Ye Ku—stood there, stunned.
Steward Wang fainted instantly from the shock and pain.
Ye Ling gasped, covering her mouth, her face pale.
Ye Ku finally snapped out of his daze, pointing at Ye Xuan, his face red with fury. "Ye Xuan, how dare you commit such violence in front of me! You—"
Ye Xuan turned, holding the bloody dagger, and sneered. "Old dog, don't think I don't know you're behind this along with the Great Elder. You scheming bastards spend all day plotting against your own people. If you're so tough, why don't you try scheming against the Zhang family, the Li family, or the City Lord's estate? You act tough against your own and cower like dogs in front of outsiders. That's the kind of elders we have!"
The Zhang family, the Li family, and the City Lord's estate—these were the other three powers in Qingcheng, with the Ye Clan being the weakest of the four.
Ye Ku's face twisted in anger. "Ye Xuan, you dare speak to me this way? You attacked someone in broad daylight. You—"
"Why are you yapping so much?" Ye Xuan suddenly roared. "I've already cut him—come at me if you want!"
Ye Ku turned purple with rage. "Arrest him!"
But the guards behind Ye Ku hesitated, none daring to move.
Ye Xuan had fought for the clan countless times. Among the guards, he was respected. When it came to dealing with the other three forces, only Ye Xuan had the guts to stand firm and fight. He had even led many of these guards in battles to defend the clan's territory. Most of them had fought alongside him.
Seeing the guards hesitate, Ye Ku shouted, "Do you all want to rebel?!"
The leader of the guards, Li Mu, looked at Ye Xuan, clearly conflicted. "Brother Xuan, we... we..."
Ye Xuan looked at Li Mu and spoke calmly, "Li Mu, you and I have fought together in at least a hundred battles. You all know better than anyone how I've treated the clan. Yet today, the clan would feed us food meant for dogs. This, I cannot endure. I won't make things difficult for you. I understand your position. But know this: if you move against me today, our brotherhood ends here. You show no mercy, and neither will I."
Li Mu's face turned grim.
Qingcheng's powers frequently fought over resources, such as mines. Every fight meant bloodshed. Elders couldn't get involved—it was an unspoken rule to prevent clan wars, where nobody would win. Thus, it fell to the younger generation to fight, and Ye Xuan had always represented the Ye Clan.
He was, effectively, the leader of the younger generation, and these guards had fought alongside him numerous times. Asking them to apprehend Ye Xuan now was a difficult order to follow, especially since they knew his strength and temperament. In battle, Ye Xuan was like a madman, fearless and relentless. If they attacked, it would be a fight to the death.
Seeing Li Mu and the others hesitate, Ye Ku's face darkened. "Do you truly want to die?!"
Li Mu took a deep breath, about to speak, when Ye Xuan interjected, "He knows you're no match for me. That's why he won't fight himself. Instead, he wants you to do it, hoping I'll kill you so he can escalate things."
He smirked. "Our elders sure are good at scheming against their own people."
Li Mu and the others were visibly shaken. It was clear now—Ye Ku was willing to sacrifice them.
Ye Ku glared at Ye Xuan. "Ye Xuan, the times have changed. If you lay low, maybe you'd live a few more days, but you can't even see the situation for what it is. Even now, you act so arrogantly. You—"
"Old dog!" Ye Xuan suddenly cut him off, "Was it your idea to marry my sister to this scumbag?"
Ye Ku sneered. "It was indeed my idea. What can you do about it?"
Ye Xuan's eyes grew fierce. "You've schemed against me, and I could endure that. But to scheme against my sister, who is only twelve years old—screw you!"
With that, Ye Xuan stomped his foot.
Boom!
The stone beneath him shattered, and in an instant, he lunged toward Ye Ku like a tiger pouncing on its prey.
Ye Ku's face changed dramatically. He hadn't expected Ye Xuan to attack him directly—after all, he was an elder of the Ye Clan. Was Ye Xuan really rebelling?
There was no time to think. Ye Ku crouched slightly, pulling back his right fist, and then shot it forward in a punch.
A cracking sound filled the air—this was a basic Ye Clan technique known as Fist Break, capable of shattering stone.
But at that moment, Ye Xuan's fist met his. Ye Xuan used the same basic technique.
Boom!
When the fists collided, Ye Ku's expression changed instantly. His right hand cracked open, blood splattering everywhere.
Before he could react, Ye Xuan closed in, driving his fist into Ye Ku's abdomen.
Thud!
Ye Ku spat out a mouthful of blood as he was sent flying backward. Before he could even hit the ground, Ye Xuan stepped on his chest.
Ye Ku looked up at Ye Xuan, disbelief etched across his face. "Impossible! How is your Fist Break so powerful? You..."
Ye Ku wasn't a powerful cultivator by the clan's standards—he handled internal affairs—but he was still at the Genuine Qi Realm. Yet in front of Ye Xuan, he had been defeated with a single punch.
Ye Xuan slapped Ye Ku across the face. "You, sitting here indulging yourself, can't even throw a decent punch. You're a disgrace!"
Ye Ku glared at Ye Xuan. "How dare you strike me!"
Ye Xuan slapped him again. "I dare because it's you!"
Ye Ku's face swelled instantly.
"Aaaaargh!"
The humiliation was unbearable, and Ye Ku howled in fury. "Why aren't you attacking him?!"
Li Mu and the others looked conflicted. They might have been willing to fight if they thought they could win, but the problem was that they couldn't.
"Stop this!"
A thunderous voice suddenly echoed from not far away.
Everyone turned to see the Great Elder approaching swiftly, followed by several other elders and guards.
Ye Ling rushed to Ye Xuan's side, clutching his sleeve, her voice trembling. "Brother, run!"
Ye Xuan took Ye Ling's trembling hand and spoke gently, "Don't be afraid."
Tears filled Ye Ling's eyes. "It's my fault, Brother... I'm dragging you down. I'm useless... I'm so sorry..."
Ye Xuan smiled softly. "Don't be afraid. If the sky falls, I'll hold it up for you."
He looked at the Great Elder and gave a mocking grin. "Great Elder, let's make peace, alright? I'll admit my mistake, and we can just let this go. What do you say?"
The Great Elder sneered. "Make peace? Let it go? Ye Xuan, are you daydreaming? You—"
Before he could finish, Ye Xuan suddenly stomped on Ye Ku's throat.
Crack!
The sound of bones breaking echoed through the courtyard. Ye Ku's eyes widened, disbelief written in them. Slowly, the light faded from his eyes.
Everyone was stunned.
Ye Xuan looked at the Great Elder. "If we can't make peace, then let's fight one-on-one!"
With countless eyes watching, Ye Xuan walked up to the Great Elder. "Great Elder, I, a junior, challenge you. Are you too afraid?"