"Ye Yunfei! How dare you trespass into the Enforcement Hall! What is the meaning of this?!"
Ye Fu finally snapped out of his stupor and roared.
"Young Master... they accused me of stealing Young Master Ye Qiang's True Spirit Pill... but I didn't..."
Xiao Yue had finally regained her breath. Seeing Ye Yunfei, a mix of joy and pain surfaced on her face as she struggled to speak.
"Xiao Yue, I know you didn't. Now tell me, who struck your face? Your young master will avenge you."
Ye Yunfei's voice was gentle as he asked.
"I... I..."
Xiao Yue was too frightened to speak.
"Don't be afraid. I will handle everything."
Ye Yunfei pressed.
"It was Chunfang... she hit me first. And... and Steward Ye too..."
Xiao Yue whispered, timidly glancing at Ye Fu and Chunfang, who stood beside him, her fear palpable.
Chunfang snorted disdainfully, feeling completely secure by Ye Fu's side. Besides, she was Young Master Ye Qiang's personal maid. Not many in the entire Ye Family dared to lay a hand on her. In her eyes, Ye Yunfei was nothing but a useless young master, hardly worth fearing.
"So, you are Chunfang."
Ye Yunfei turned his gaze toward her, his eyes frighteningly calm.
"So what if I am? This wretched little thief deserved to be beaten for stealing from Young Master Ye Qiang!"
Chunfang lifted her chin, her tone dripping with scorn.
"Ye Yunfei! What do you think you're doing!"
Ye Fu's expression darkened to the extreme. He realized that since entering the Enforcement Hall, Ye Yunfei hadn't even looked him in the eye once! It was as if he, the steward of the Enforcement Hall, was completely beneath his notice!
"Xiao Yue, can you stand by yourself for a moment?"
Ye Yunfei asked softly.
"Yes, I can."
Xiao Yue nodded. Her injuries were mostly on her face.
"Good. Stand by yourself for a bit."
Ye Yunfei nodded.
Then.
Swoosh!
Ye Yunfei moved.
Like a ghost, he appeared in front of Chunfang.
He swung his hand and slapped.
Smack!
A crisp sound of a slap echoed.
Chunfang's face swelled and reddened instantly.
"You... you dare hit me! Waaaa..."
Chunfang was dumbfounded, her face burning with a stinging pain, disbelief written all over it.
But it wasn't over.
Smack! Smack! Smack...!
Ye Yunfei's hands moved like lightning, delivering over a dozen consecutive slaps to Chunfang's face.
"Ah! You useless trash! How dare you hit me! Young Master Ye Qiang won't let you get away with this! You're dead!"
Chunfang's tears burst forth from the pain. Her sharp, mean features twisted grotesquely as she screamed hysterically.
But Ye Yunfei had no intention of letting her off.
"Normally, I don't make a habit of being harsh towards women. But you are an exception."
Ye Yunfei's voice was cold and pitiless.
Smack! Smack...!
Ye Yunfei's brutal slaps fell upon Chunfang's face one after another, each one fiercer than the last.
Everyone in the Enforcement Hall was stunned.
"Ah... Young Master Ye Yunfei... please spare me! I was wrong! It was Young Master Ye Qiang's idea! It had nothing to do with me! Young Master Ye Qiang ordered me to frame Xiao Yue!"
Amidst the bone-deep pain, Chunfang was utterly terrified and broken. She cried out in panic.
"Too late. Whether it was a frame or not no longer matters."
Ye Yunfei's voice was cold, overbearing, and chilling.
"To dare bully someone under my, Ye Yunfei's, protection—regardless of right or wrong—means you deserve death!"
Swish!
Ye Yunfei's sword flickered and pierced straight between Chunfang's eyebrows. Blood sprayed.
In that moment.
The entire Enforcement Hall fell deathly silent.
Everyone stared, fixated, as Chunfang's body slowly slid to the floor.
Unbelievable!
Since becoming "useless," Ye Yunfei had kept a very low profile within the Ye Family. He endured mockery and humiliation, never retaliating. Thus, in the minds of most Ye Family members, Ye Yunfei had become a weak, pathetic waste everyone could bully.
Yet today, this supposed waste had killed someone publicly!
And he did it so decisively, so dominantly!
"Ye Yunfei, you're seeking death!"
Ye Fu finally shook off his shock, his face twisting with furious rage as he charged forward.
Enraged, Ye Fu unleashed the full power of his Body Tempering Seventh Level, channeling his spiritual power into his palm as he blasted a palm strike towards Ye Yunfei.
Palm shadows danced wildly; spiritual power erupted.
But the next moment, his movements froze completely. His halfway-extended palm hung in mid-air, its spiritual power dissipating.
"Young Master Ye Yunfei... let's talk this through..."
Ye Fu said with difficulty.
Because he had discovered that Ye Yunfei's sword was already pressed against his throat, its icy-cold, razor-sharp tip having pierced his skin. Crimson blood dripped down.
"How is this possible?! How can this be! I'm at Body Tempering Seventh Level, yet I couldn't even see when this trash drew his sword!"
Ye Fu's heart raged with resentment and unwillingness.
"Was it Ye Qiang who put you up to this?"
Ye Yunfei asked coldly.
"Young Master Ye Yunfei... please lower your sword first..."
Ye Fu's smile was extremely ugly.
Smack! Smack!
Ye Yunfei suddenly unleashed a series of lightning-fast, heavy slaps across Ye Fu's face.
"Stop wasting my breath. Answer. Yes, or no."
Ye Yunfei's voice was like ice.
"You...!"
Ye Fu felt his face burning. Rage churned in his eyes.
Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack...!
Before the sound of his voice faded, Ye Yunfei's palm struck again. This time, he delivered over a dozen consecutive slaps.
Ye Fu's face swelled like a pig's head, completely numb. His mouth hung open uncontrollably, blood mixed with dislodged teeth continuously dripping out.
"Argh! Go on! Kill this trash!"
Driven to madness, Ye Fu roared with a garbled voice.
"Halt!"
There were six other members of the Enforcement Hall in the hall. Hearing Ye Fu's roar, they drew their weapons and charged at Ye Yunfei.
Crack!
A flash of sword light, and Ye Fu's head dropped to the floor like a watermelon. His eyes, wide with terror, remained open even in death.
Swish! Swish! Swish…!
Ye Yunfei's sword moved like lightning, piercing the hearts of the six Enforcement Hall members one by one.
Then, Ye Yunfei sheathed his sword.
"Xiao Yue, let's go back."
Without looking back, Ye Yunfei supported Xiao Yue and walked out of the Enforcement Hall.
"Young Master... this is terrible... you've killed so many people... what should we do..."
Xiao Yue's face was pale with fright, her delicate body trembling slightly.
"It's fine. Even if I kill ten times more, your young master will be unharmed."
Ye Yunfei spoke gently as he supported Xiao Yue out of the Enforcement Hall.
"Xiao Yue, they bullied you. They deserved to die."
At the same time.
The Ye Family's training grounds were bustling with activity.
The Ye Family annual assembly was in full swing.
The assembly mainly followed two processes.
The first process involved sparring matches among the younger generation of the Ye Family, allowing them to showcase their strength.
Outstanding performers would be selected as core disciples. In the coming year, they would receive focused training from the family and enjoy at least double the cultivation resources.
The younger generation represented the family's future hope. Especially for a martial arts family like the Ye Family, the strength of its youth determined the family's future fate—a matter of utmost importance!
The second process involved gathering the clansmen to discuss the family's major development plans.
Currently, the first process—the sparring matches among the younger generation—was underway.
In the middle of the training grounds stood a challenge platform.
Ye Family youths eagerly stepped up to spar.
To the east of the training grounds, a raised viewing platform had been erected.
Seated upon it were the high-ranking members of the Ye Family.
Patriarch Ye Tianpeng sat at the center.
The Ye Family's seven Elders flanked him on the left and right.
Several other prestigious senior members of the Ye Family also occupied seats on the platform.
To Ye Tianpeng's left sat Ye Zhongnian.
"Hmph, Ye Tianpeng. This assembly will be the one where the position of Patriarch rightfully falls into my hands!"
Ye Zhongnian's gaze, cold and sinister, occasionally swept toward Ye Tianpeng.
The entire training grounds were packed with Ye Family clansmen, either standing or sitting, all watching the sparring matches on the platform.
"Young Master Ye Qiang, Steward Ye Fu of the Enforcement Hall has already sent men to arrest Xiao Yue and taken her to the Enforcement Hall for interrogation."
"I'm sure that wretched girl won't be able to withstand the torture and will admit that it was that trash Ye Yunfei who sent her to steal the True Spirit Pill."
"Soon, Ye Fu will personally escort Xiao Yue to the training grounds and announce the interrogation results."
"Hehe, when that time comes, Ye Yunfei, that trash, will definitely be notorious throughout the family."
Amidst the crowd, a servant quietly approached Ye Qiang and whispered his report.