The two guards exchanged a glance, then stepped forward in unison, shielding the young man behind them. They were indeed loyal to their family, ready to fight to the death even though they knew they were outmatched.
Unfortunately, despite being far stronger than the other guards, they were no match for Qian Ye. As the sound of the ocean waves echoed once more, an overwhelming pressure fell upon them. With only enough time to let out a single scream, they were crushed, their bones shattered, and they collapsed, lifeless.
The young master finally collapsed.
Qian Ye crouched in front of him, slapping his face with the Bloodspear, and asked, “As the young master of the Tian family, why are you here?”
The young man, fearing for his life, quickly explained, “I received information that the Darkflame had been crippled, left as nothing but an empty shell. I thought robbing the Darkflame caravan would be an easy and profitable job. I… I wanted to prove to my uncles that I, Tian Pengju, am the only rightful heir, and their attempts to push my older brother to the position of the head of the family are futile!”
“Who spread this information?”
“A man named Old Cat told me. His information is usually accurate, and he often frequents traveler inns. That damned Old Cat, he even took five hundred gold coins from me. When I return, I’ll make sure he pays!”
“You don’t have to worry about that,” Qian Ye said calmly. The Bloodspear flashed, plunging into the young man’s chest.
In the face of death, the young man burst with unimaginable strength, grabbing Qian Ye’s wrist and pleading, “Don’t kill me! I can serve you, I’ll do whatever you say. Help me become the head of the family, and everything in the Tian family will be yours, all yours!”
“The Tian family’s resources are pitifully few,” Qian Ye remarked, exerting more force, shattering all resistance as the Bloodspear pierced through the young man’s heart.
Qian Ye quickly withdrew the blade. Due to the rapid end of his life and the extreme tension before death, the young man remained kneeling, never falling, turning into a grim scene on the desolate wilderness.
Qian Ye stood up and ran back to the convoy, leaping onto the lead carriage. “Let’s go.”
The steward cautiously asked, “Sir, was the opponent tough this time?”
Qian Ye replied nonchalantly, “It was manageable, some young master of the Tian family, I think. He’s already dead.”
“Is it Tian Pengju?”
“Maybe, I didn’t pay much attention.”
The steward’s face turned grave, “Did sir dispose of the body?”
“No, I didn’t have the time.”
The steward stuttered, “What, what shall we do? The Tian family has considerable influence in Guanlan City. We may be in trouble on this trip.”
Finally, Qian Ye looked at him, “Are you afraid?”
The steward shivered, “Of course not, how could I be afraid when I’m with sir!”
Qian Ye said, “Good, if you’re afraid, you won’t be accompanying the caravan next time.”
The steward nodded, bowing, “Not afraid, not afraid, of course not afraid!”
Qian Ye closed his eyes, gesturing for the convoy to move on. The steward got off the lead carriage and returned to his seat, still shaken, muttering to himself, “Whether I, Qiao Liang, accompany the convoy or not, is not something you can decide! Hmph, who do you think you are, trying to dictate Rongcheng Business House’s affairs?”
Unbeknownst to him, Qian Ye, with his eyes closed, had his ears slightly moving, catching every word.
After the Tian family’s hunting party was annihilated, the mercenaries and hunters in the wilderness seemed to sense danger and disappeared. The last leg of the journey was unimpeded, and they arrived smoothly in Guanlan City.
Before the convoy entered the city, they saw Xue Wu waiting at the gate. Bowing to Qian Ye, he said, “The Xue family has been eagerly awaiting your arrival.” Then, he leaped onto the lead carriage, adding, “It is a great honor to meet sir again.”
Qian Ye nodded, “Let’s talk inside the city.”
With Xue Wu leading, the convoy naturally moved smoothly. On the way, Xue Wu asked, “Sir, the elders and heads of various families are already waiting. Do you want to rest first or go now?”
“No need to rest, let’s go now.”
Xue Wu directed the lead carriage towards the city center, while the other vehicles headed to the inn as planned. In a short while, the lead carriage stopped in front of an ancient, exquisitely decorated teahouse. Xue Wu led the way, guiding Qian Ye to the top floor and into a quiet, elegant room.
There were several elderly men in the room, each with a different expression—some excited, some suspicious, and some with veiled hostility.
Qian Ye scanned the room, “Are all the families in the city present? It seems a bit sparse.”
Xue Wu lowered his voice, “A few families couldn’t attend due to urgent matters. I hope sir will understand.”
Qian Ye said coolly, “What matter could be more important than the survival of a family? If they chose not to come, they are choosing their own destruction. Their absence is fine by me.”
One of the old men, red-faced with anger, slammed the table and shouted, “Sir Qian Ye, those words are quite inappropriate!”
“Oh, how so?”
“I wonder, we have lived in Guanlan City for centuries, what storm haven’t we weathered? The survival you speak of, where does it come from?”
Instead of answering, Qian Ye sat down in the middle, ignoring the fiery gaze of the elder. After settling, Qian Ye asked, “Have these families survived to this day?”
“Of course!”
“Then, in my previous battle in the city, did I not destroy any of the families?”
Qian Ye’s question caused the red-faced elder’s complexion to change dramatically, until it turned purple. The entire room fell into a deathly silence, filled with awkwardness.
In that battle, Qian Ye had crippled several vassal families, leaving them with only empty titles. They would naturally disappear over time. The reason their names were still retained was that consolidating their assets and coordinating interests required time. To claim that Qian Ye had not destroyed any families was somewhat misleading. Though these families were small, they had long histories and could not be easily excluded from discussions about the city’s families.
Besides the red-faced elder, the others also felt uncomfortable. Some gazed at the sky, pretending indifference, while others stared at their teacups, avoiding eye contact. Even Xue Wu was at a loss for how to persuade.
Finally, an elder from the Xue family tried to mediate, “That battle was a misunderstanding, and we all paid a price. Let us not repeat the past. Since Sir Qian Ye is here for cooperation, we will do our best to accommodate. In these troubled times, unity brings strength, while division brings weakness. This is the truth.”
Everyone felt relieved and agreed, even the red-faced elder no longer glared at Qian Ye.
In reality, besides the battle when the Wolf King took control of Guanlan City, Qian Ye’s strikes against the families were the most severe. The Xue family suffered the most, previously able to make decisions with a single word. Now, they needed to consult on everything, though their nominal leadership remained, their actual power had significantly diminished.
The Xue family’s lead in showing willingness, followed by the others, made Xue Wu breathe a sigh of relief. He believed the cooperation was almost secured.
However, Qian Ye said, “Unity brings strength, but division bringing mutual harm is not certain. Elder Xue, you overestimate the power of the Guanlan City families.”
Elder Xue was first taken aback, then furious, but knowing the strength of the Darkflame in Nanqing City, his anger was impotent. The red-faced elder, unable to hold back, sneered, “Sir Qian Ye, perhaps you overestimate the Darkflame.”
Qian Ye replied coolly, “I alone can block caravans from leaving Tidesound City. Although Lord Luo cannot leave, there seems to be no such figure in Guanlan City.”
The red-faced elder laughed in anger, “You mean you can block us from leaving the city?”
“Is that so difficult?”
The red-faced elder was speechless, rising abruptly, but not knowing how to retort. Given Qian Ye’s stealth and long-range killing abilities, anyone targeted by him was doomed. No one would dare leave the city, especially the precious leaders of these families.
Yet, Guanlan City had four entrances. Qian Ye could block at most two, leaving the other two unattended. Therefore, the idea of sealing the city was exaggerated. But how could one argue? Could one say, if you block the south gate, I’ll leave through the north? The elders’ faces were not thick enough for such a claim.
In the deadlock, the door was suddenly kicked open, and a tall, elderly man stormed in, roaring, “Where is Qian Ye? Return my grandson’s life!”
Qian Ye turned, looking coldly at the elder. Xue Wu hastily stood up, blocking the intruder, saying, “Why are you here, Uncle Tian? Sir Qian Ye is not only a guest of the Xue family but of Guanlan City. If there is a misunderstanding, let’s discuss it after the main matter is settled.”
Xue Wu’s words implied clearly, but the Tian elder, consumed by rage, refused to listen, shouting, “Misunderstanding? Someone saw my grandson die by this man’s hand. Is that a misunderstanding?”
Xue Wu, frowning, struggled to find a way to dissuade. Qian Ye then rose, asking, “Are you talking about Tian Pengju?”
The elder glared, “Yes, my grandson! Admit it!”
Qian Ye sneered, “Why should I hide it? He ambushed my Darkflame caravan, and he deserved his fate. I hadn’t even gotten to the Tian family yet, and you came to me.”
The elder roared, “Pengju was just hunting in the wilderness. How is that intercepting your caravan? Even if he targeted the wrong one, he didn’t deserve to die. In the Eastern Sea, if a mistake is made, we pay compensation, not lives!”
Qian Ye said slowly, “The rules of the Eastern Sea are not my rules. My rule is, whoever dares to target the Darkflame, I will uproot them, leaving none alive. If you don’t want to follow my rules, then let’s meet on the battlefield.”
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