Volume One, Chapter 14: Troublemakers, Kill Them!

“What? A full-scale assault?”
“It’s over. Our Ye family is finished!”
“Mom, I don’t want to die…”
The younger generation of the Ye family instantly broke down, and chaos erupted throughout the clan.
Even the elders, who had long anticipated such a dire situation, were thrown into panic when disaster struck and the fear of death descended upon them.
The threat of annihilation was imminent.
Not even the venerable Lady Ye had expected the four great families to be so ruthless as to mobilize all their forces.
“Even if we die, I will die before you do. Why are you panicking?” Lady Ye said coldly. “Remember, the descendants of the Ye family stand to die with honor!”
Ye Qianshan took a deep breath and shouted, “The four great families have gone too far. If we must fight, then so be it. Even if we die, we’ll take a chunk out of them and make them feel the pain.”
“Right, let’s fight!”
“Fight!”
The morale of the Ye family surged.
At this moment, Lady Ye glanced at Chen Fan and whispered, “Xiaofan, there is a secret passage in the Ye family estate, right here… Wait, I will lead the clan to hold off the enemy. You take Qingcheng and escape.”
Chen Fan felt bitter inside; he had not expected the enemy to strike when he was at his weakest.
At this moment, he was powerless to resist.
Otherwise, he would not fear even the full might of the four great families.
“Grandma, I’m not leaving.”
Chen Fan took a deep breath and said solemnly, “I need the time of one incense stick to restore my strength. You don’t have to fight them head-on, just hold them off.”
“That’s different. This time, the four great families have unleashed their full force. Even if your grandfather were still alive, it wouldn’t be possible…”
“Grandma, trust me. Just give me the time of one incense stick.”
Seeing Chen Fan’s determination, Lady Ye knew it was useless to persuade him further.
She said gravely, “Very well, I will risk my life to buy you the time of one incense stick.”
Chen Fan turned and left, seeking a secluded place to cultivate and regain his strength.
Just then, the enemy burst in.
Leading them was a middle-aged man with a horse-like face and a mustache—Ma Yinglong, head of the Ma family.
Beside him stood three other middle-aged men.
One was a rotund man with a large belly, resembling the Laughing Buddha.
Another was nearly two meters tall but so thin he looked like a bamboo pole.
The last was a dwarf, barely one meter tall.
These three were the heads of the Zheng, Xu, and Zhu families.

With the four family heads present, the Ye family felt as if facing a formidable foe.
Lady Ye stepped forward and said coldly, “Today, the Ye family mourns. Why have you come with such great fanfare? Do you think the Ye family is defenseless?”
“You misunderstand, Lady Ye. We are not here to cause trouble but to apprehend a murderer,” Ma Yinglong said, his eyes flashing with murderous intent. “Today, a member of the Ma family was killed while on a mission, and the culprit is hiding in the Ye family. I hope you will not harbor the criminal and hand them over.”
“The murderer of my Zheng family’s kin is also within the Ye family. We request the same.”
“The villain who slaughtered my Xu family’s sons is likewise concealed here. We demand they be surrendered.”
“As for my Zhu family…”
The four family heads pressed their case shamelessly.
In truth, it was they who had stationed assassins in four directions to ambush those coming to pay respects to the Ye family patriarch.
Now, they twisted the truth, accusing the Ye family’s defenders as the culprits.
It was a blatant reversal of blame.
“The person is a guest of the Ye family and will not be handed over,” Lady Ye declared firmly.
She knew the four families were merely making excuses. Even if they handed over the suspect, they would find another pretext to attack the Ye family.
Moreover, the Ruan couple, Zhao San, and others had risked their lives to come offer their condolences.
How could the Ye family betray them by surrendering their guest?
“Lady Ye, think carefully. Can your family bear the consequences?” Ma Yinglong warned coldly. “The fate of the Ye family lies in your hands.”
Ye Qingcheng could no longer restrain herself and stepped forward, exposing the four families’ true nature: “Over the years, the four great families have oppressed the Ye family. They even conspired in Miaojiang to kill my grandfather. Now, all these actions are for that so-called treasure of the Chen family.
“Even if the Ye family possessed it, we would never hand it over to you.”
Ma Yinglong was about to retort when the Zhu family head interrupted impatiently, “Brother Ma, why waste words? The little miss of the Ye family is right. We have done all this for that item. If they don’t hand it over, we will destroy the Ye family today. I don’t believe we won’t find it.”
“I’m Wang Wu, and I killed your Ma family men. I’m right here. If you want my life, come and get it,” Da Dao Wang Wu stepped forward.
He did not want the Ye family to suffer because of him.
“Bold!”
Ma Yinglong narrowed his eyes and slapped his palm forward.
The disparity in strength was vast. Wang Wu’s broadsword shattered, and he was flung to the ground, his fate unknown.
The tension instantly reached its peak.
A great battle was on the verge of erupting.
At that moment, a voice shouted, “The War Master Hall has arrived!”
Ma Yinglong and the others furrowed their brows, puzzled as to why the War Master Hall would come at such a time.
If they intervened now, things would become complicated.
“That’s great! The War Master Hall’s arrival means the Ye family is saved.”
“They must have taken pity on the Ye family and come to help.”
The Ye family members were overjoyed.
But Lady Ye was not so sure.
Soon, a middle-aged man dressed in black appeared before them.
He was Shi Qiang, the War Master Hall’s leader of Jin City!
“Master Shi, what brings you here?”
“To arrest someone in the Ye family.”
Shi Qiang said coldly, “My subordinate Qian Hu’s entire family was slaughtered by Chen Fan, a remnant of the Chen clan. I received word that the man is hiding in the Ye family. I hope Lady Ye will hand him over.”
Ma Yinglong and the others were both shocked and pleased.
Shocked that Chen Fan was still alive; pleased because Chen Fan was in the Ye family, meaning the Chen family’s treasure must be here.
Today, no matter what, they would destroy the Ye family.
Chaos erupted within the Ye family.
They had expected the War Master Hall to come to their aid, but instead, they came to arrest Chen Fan.
With the four great families already a formidable threat, now the War Master Hall was involved.
Was the heavens intent on destroying the Ye family?
Ye Qingcheng hated Chen Fan deeply. Then she froze.
Looking around, she did not see Chen Fan anywhere.
He had fled!
While the Ye family was besieged, Chen Fan had escaped alone.
Not only Ye Qingcheng, but the others also noticed Chen Fan’s disappearance.
Shi Qiang came to capture Chen Fan and avenge Qian Hu.
In truth, they were also after the Chen family’s treasure.
Ma Yinglong and the others understood and quickly reached an agreement.
First destroy the Ye family, then deal with the rest.
“Attack!”
At the command, the four great families and Shi Qiang’s troops prepared to strike.
Just then, a fierce shout rang out over the Ye estate:
“The Black Armored Army comes to pay respects to Old Ye. Those causing trouble—kill them!”