This left his subordinates dumbfounded. True to his title as Temple Master and the living God of War, he was an absolute powerhouse!
Chen Bufan cut a swathe through everything. The factory's interior was a labyrinth, and he wished he could transform into a nine-heavens sword god and hack the entire place to splinters.
"Swish!"
Suddenly, a piercing whistle tore through the air, heading straight for the back of Chen Bufan's head!
With razor-sharp reflexes, Chen Bufan violently sidestepped. A bullet grazed his shoulder, shattering the wall behind him with a loud *bang*.
Someone was lying in wait, launching a sneak attack!
Missing his mark, the hidden assailant gasped in shock. Was this even human? His reaction time was so fast he could actually dodge a bullet!
Before he could fire a second shot, Chen Bufan was already charging at him.
The next second, a brutal fist smashed forward.
*Bang, bang!*
Several iron drums burst instantly. The ambushers hiding behind the scenes had their chests caved in, blood spurting wildly from their mouths.
"Where is Sisi?" Chen Bufan asked coldly, his fist pressed heavily against the man's chest.
"In... in the basement..." the ambusher wheezed out with great difficulty, his mouth foaming with blood.
*Boom!*
Exerting sudden force, Chen Bufan blasted the man flying with a single punch. Without pausing for breath, he sprinted straight toward the basement!
He had barely taken a few steps when another ambush opened fire from the shadows.
With agile grace, Chen Bufan closed the distance in a single bound.
*Snap!*
He twisted the man's neck, killing him instantly.
After wiping out several consecutive waves of ambushers, Chen Bufan successfully reached a heavy iron door.
"Opening this door should lead into the basement!"
Instead of pushing it with his bare hands, he drew his sharp sword and slashed straight through it.
*Screeech!*
The immense force caused the blade to spin like an electric drill, instantly carving cracks into the rusted iron gate.
Through the gaps, a dozen men holding gleaming machetes were visible, clearly stunned.
They had been waiting for Chen Bufan to push the door open and rush in, never expecting him to be prepared. He had slashed the door open with a single sword strike while still standing some distance away.
"Kill them!" Regaining their senses, the men charged at Chen Bufan.
"Insects, get lost!" Chen Bufan roared coldly, wasting no words. Moving like a divine dragon, he raised his sword and waded into the fray.
*Slash, slash, slash...*
Before these men could even react, a sudden chill hit their necks. Blood gushed out in torrents, and their bodies collapsed to the ground with heavy thuds.
Stepping over the corpses, Chen Bufan rushed into the basement and sprinted all the way to the end.
With a loud *bang*, he smashed open the second door.
A vast, empty hall materialized before his eyes!
Several people stood in the hall, their faces pale with panic.
"Han Feiyun!"
Chen Bufan's gaze locked onto a young woman among them, his killing intent surging.
"Daddy!"
At that moment, an excited voice rang out.
Scanning the room, he spotted an iron cage in the corner. Sisi was inside it.
"Sisi, your great hero is here! Don't be afraid, Daddy is taking you home in a minute!" Chen Bufan said emotionally.
"Chen Bufan, I didn't think you'd find this place so fast," Han Feiyun said coldly.
"A bunch of ants thought they could stop me? Pure delusion! I've already sent them all on their way!" Chen Bufan declared harshly.
"You killed my father too?" Han Feiyun's tone shifted abruptly.
"Now it's your turn!" With that, Chen Bufan raised his sword and charged straight at Han Feiyun.
"If you dare kill me, I'll finish her off!" Han Feiyun threatened viciously.
*Rumble...*
The moment she finished speaking, the sound of machinery whirring echoed through the room.
Chen Bufan looked up to see a massive stone pier descending from the ceiling. Weighing several tons, it was suspended directly above the iron cage.
If it crashed down, the iron cage wouldn't hold up at all, and Sisi inside would instantly be crushed into pulp!
"Stop!" Chen Bufan shouted decisively.
The stone pier immediately halted its descent.
"Chen Bufan, go ahead and kill me now!" Han Feiyun taunted, crossing her arms with supreme arrogance.
"You bitch, bullying a mere child? Are you even human?" Chen Bufan's voice turned razor-sharp.
"You're wrong. She's not a child; in my eyes, she's just a little puppy. Killing a puppy isn't cruel, is it?" Han Feiyun laughed loudly.
Chen Bufan forced down the murderous rage surging in his heart.
"Four years ago, the Han family plotted against me. What was your ultimate goal?"
"Want to know why? Then get down on your knees and beg me!" Han Feiyun said playfully.
"A vile bitch like you dares say that to me?" Chen Bufan sneered with utter contempt.
Han Feiyun flew into a rage: "Chen Bufan, I want you to kneel and beg me right now, or I'll kill your daughter!"
"You're welcome to try!" As his voice fell, Chen Bufan lunged toward Han Feiyun.
The switch controlling the stone pier was in her hands; only by eliminating her first could Sisi's safety be guaranteed!
"Stop him!" Han Feiyun screamed frantically as her remaining subordinates rushed forward to intercept Chen Bufan.
"Get lost!" Chen Bufan swept his sword down.
*Slash, slash, slash!*
The bodyguards crashed to the floor instantly.
"How... how is this possible?" Han Feiyun stood frozen in shock. Was this really the useless loser from her memories? How had he become so terrifyingly strong?
While she was stunned, Chen Bufan struck!
"Chen Bufan, even if I die, I'm dragging your daughter down with me!" Han Feiyun shrieked, slamming her hand onto the remote control.
*Rumble!*
The multi-ton stone pier plummeted instantly!
"Damn it!"
He was still a step too late.
Chen Bufan had no choice but to abandon Han Feiyun and sprint toward Sisi at maximum speed.
"Then let's all die together, hahaha!" Han Feiyun laughed maniacally.
The next second, her expression froze in utter bewilderment.
The stone pier had stopped!
Chapter 21: The Han Family Becomes History!
Chen Bufan had caught the stone pier with one bare hand.
The tremendous impact shredded his sleeve, exposing a thick arm bulging with terrifying, coiled veins.
*Crack, crack!*
The floor beneath Chen Bufan's feet cracked like a spiderweb under the immense pressure before instantly shattering to pieces.
"Sisi, don't be afraid. With Daddy here, even if the sky falls, I'll hold it up for you!" Chen Bufan declared fiercely. With his other hand, he shattered the cage with a single palm strike and scooped Sisi into his arms.
Then, carrying the stone pier, he walked toward Han Feiyun, leaving deep footprints with every step!
"Tell me, four years ago, why did you and Han Lie's family frame me like that?" Chen Bufan asked coldly.
If not for this question, why would he have bothered wasting breath on this woman?
Han Feiyun was utterly dumbfounded, staring at Chen Bufan as if he were a monster. Her arrogance had completely vanished, replaced entirely by sheer terror.
Terrifying. He was an absolute demon—lifting such a heavy stone pier with his bare hands, possessed of astonishing, monstrous strength!
"It... it was Kirin Hall!" she confessed honestly, not daring to hesitate for even a second.
"Four years ago, Xing Ao, the Hall Master of Kirin Hall, gave the order. Only after you were killed did my father get promoted to Deputy Hall Master of Kirin Hall..."
"So that's how it was!" Chen Bufan nodded. Back when he was at the Han family estate, he hadn't known what connection Han Lie had with Kirin Hall, but it turned out he had bought his way to the top by murdering him.
"Why did Kirin Hall do this?" Chen Bufan continued to press.
"I don't know! Everything was ordered by Kirin Hall, please spare my life!"
"If you don't know, then go die!" Chen Bufan strode forward.
*Thud.*
Han Feiyun dropped straight to her knees, slamming her head repeatedly against the floor.
"Chen Bufan, I'm kowtowing to you! Please, for the sake of the fact that I was once your wife, spare my life! If you want, I can keep being your wife from now on, even a mistress!"
"We were only brought together by interests back then; what bond of husband and wife was there between us? As for now, Yurou is countless times better than you. You're not even qualified to be a dog for me!" As soon as Chen Bufan finished speaking, Canglong arrived with his men.
After handing Sisi over to them to take away first, a muffled explosion echoed through the room.
Immediately afterward, Chen Bufan emerged outside the factory.
Tens of thousands of troops from the God of War Temple had gathered there in full force.
*Thud, thud, thud!*
Led by Canglong, dozens of men dropped to their knees simultaneously.
"We failed to protect you properly and let the Temple Master's daughter be captured! Please punish us, Temple Master!"
These men had been assigned to protect Sisi and Yurou, and since Sisi had been snatched away, they bore primary responsibility and felt overwhelmingly guilty.
Chen Bufan sighed, then ordered, "Canglong, everyone, get up!"
"Your subordinates committed a grave error and are unworthy of rising!" Canglong lowered his head even further.
At that moment, a large hand rested gently on Canglong's shoulder, giving it a reassuring pat.
"You are all my brothers in the God of War Temple. I have no intention of blaming any of you. If anyone is to be blamed, it's the vicious enemy for resorting to such despicable methods."
Hearing Chen Bufan's words, Canglong's heart trembled slightly, and a stinging sensation burned the bridge of his nose.
"By military law, a mistake is a mistake; we willingly accept our punishment!" Canglong still refused to rise.
"This isn't the army. As the God of War Temple Master, I order you all to get up right now. Act like real men and stop dawdling!" Chen Bufan reprimanded.
Canglong and the others had no choice but to stand up.
"You've all worked hard tonight, brothers. Go back and get some rest early; there are still stronger enemies to deal with," Chen Bufan said. With that, the main force dispersed, leaving only Canglong and a few others behind.
"Temple Master, I..."
"Say no more. Drive me back; your sister-in-law must be worried sick." Chen Bufan interrupted.
"Yes!" Canglong nodded resolutely, his loyalty to the Temple Master more absolute than ever.
By the time they reached home, it was already four in the morning.
The light inside the humble dwelling was still on. Jiang Yurou had stayed up all night, standing by the doorway and waiting, unable to find peace for even a second.
Seeing the car pull up, Jiang Yurou rushed forward immediately: "Bufan, how did it go?"
Chen Bufan gestured toward his back. Sisi was fast asleep, resting against his shoulder.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Jiang Yurou burst into tears: "Si..."
"Shh—" Chen Bufan quickly gestured for quiet. After a night of turmoil, Sisi had finally fallen asleep.
After tucking Sisi into bed, Jiang Yurou finally let out a sigh of relief.
Yet anxiety immediately washed over her face again: "Bufan, how did you rescue Sisi? What happened to the Han family?"
"Everything is settled. The Han family won't be coming to trouble us ever again. It's very late, you should get some rest too," Chen Bufan comforted her.
"Bufan."
"What is it?"
"Thank you!" Jiang Yurou's eyes were red.
"Silly wife, Sisi is my daughter too. What's there to thank me for? Go to sleep." Chen Bufan pulled Yurou into his arms and kissed her cheek.
After Yurou drifted off to sleep, Chen Bufan gave Canglong a few more instructions before the house finally settled into complete quiet.
...
The next day, several bombshell headlines hit the news, instantly exploding across the peaceful morning!
"Han Lie's Household Wiped Out Overnight"
The title alone left countless citizens gaping in shock, their jaws dropping so wide they could swallow an egg.
Han Lie! The underground emperor of Liyang and the second-in-command of the Han family.
Using his formidable strength, he had carved out commercial markets for the Han family and earned a reputation as an overlord of his era.
Yet he had been brutally killed overnight, with his entire household exterminated—sharing the exact same fate as his older brother, Han Youwei. Their villa had been razed to the ground, and their entire clan wiped out.
Simultaneously, all businesses under the Han family banner were forced to shut down immediately.
It was as if an invisible hand had wiped everything related to the Han family completely off the map of Liyang!
The police department promptly released a statement saying that Han Lie and his daughter were involved in a kidnapping case and died in an unidentified conflict, and the relevant investigation was underway.
As soon as the news broke, all of Liyang was thrown into uproar once more. The last time there was such a massive sensation was just a few days ago, when Han Youwei's family was wiped out!
And now, only a short time later, Han Lie's household had been obliterated as well!
Regardless of how the police investigated, one fact remained unshakeable: the Han family had completely vanished from Liyang!
The premier tycoon family that had dominated the local region for decades had thus become history.
Public rumors swirled about what kind of entity the Han family could have possibly provoked to be driven to total annihilation within a matter of days.
Someone as powerful as Han Lie, known as the underground emperor of Liyang who held sway over both the underworld and legitimate circles, had actually met such a tragic end.
It forced people to wonder just what manner of formidable expert possessed such terrifying strength.
Even the statement released by the police department carried deep undertones, as if some unspeakable heavyweight was pulling strings behind the scenes.
Some people suspected Chen Bufan. From the day he resurfaced, Han Youwei's family had been eliminated, the father and son's corpses had turned up in a hotel, and later Han Lie had rushed back in a panic...
Everything seemed tied to Chen Bufan, yet there was no substantive evidence.
Most importantly, nobody could believe that a mere Chen Bufan possessed the influence to raze the Han family to the ground.
...
Chapter 22: Attending a Banquet at Qingfeng Pavilion!
While the outside world was in turmoil, Chen Bufan's family of three had returned to a peaceful life.
After a night's rest, both Sisi and Yurou had recovered their energy.
Early in the morning, Sisi hugged Jiang Yurou tightly, as if terrified they might be separated again.
"Mommy, Daddy is so cool! He fought so many people all by himself, and even lifted a huge stone ball with one hand!"
"Sisi, you mustn't lie," Jiang Yurou feigned sternness.
"Sisi isn't lying, every word is true!" Sisi insisted earnestly.
Chen Bufan wanted to intervene, but it was already too late.
Jiang Yurou turned her gaze toward Chen Bufan, her eyes filled with suspicion. Could her husband really be that strong?
"Bufan, I think we need to have a serious talk," Jiang Yurou said, looking ready for a showdown.
"Aren't you going to work?" Chen Bufan asked. Previously, he had worried Yurou wouldn't believe him; now, he worried she would pry too deeply. Telling her everything might not necessarily be a good thing.
"I've already asked for leave, you don't have to worry about me." Jiang Yurou was determined to get to the bottom of everything today. She always felt like Chen Bufan harbored a mountain of secrets.
In the living room, the two of them sat facing each other.
"First, come clean. What's the deal between you and that woman? And back then, how did you get injured?"
"Are you sure you'll believe my explanation?" Chen Bufan asked.
Jiang Yurou thought about it for a moment, then nodded.
"Fine, I'll tell you!" Starting from the time he became a live-in son-in-law for the Han family, Chen Bufan laid out his relationship with Han Feiyun and all the grievances involving the Han family to Jiang Yurou.
"So that's how it was." Hearing this, Jiang Yurou was struck by a wave of realization, never imagining that Chen Bufan had been through so much.
"Does that mean Han Feiyun was your wife?"
A woman's focus is always bafflingly specific. Chen Bufan had no choice but to explain in detail.
"My family ran into some trouble back then. Entrusted by Uncle Gu, I entered the Han family as a live-in son-in-law to seek refuge. Therefore, Han Feiyun and I were never true husband and wife..."
Speaking of Uncle Gu, Chen Bufan let out a soft sigh, wondering how the old man was doing now.
Six years ago, the Chen family of Guangling was wiped out overnight in a blazing inferno, every member of the clan dying an unnatural death.
It was precisely because Uncle Gu intervened to help that Chen Bufan managed to survive.
And it was also with Uncle Gu's assistance that he traveled far to Liyang, marrying into the Han family as a son-in-law to buy a chance at mere survival!
That night, the destruction of the Chen family had been unimaginably tragic, a river of blood with corpses strewn everywhere.
All relatives and friends scrambled to keep their distance, either turning off their phones or cutting ties entirely.
Only Uncle Gu was willing to risk his life to help him!
As the old man's image surfaced in his mind, Chen Bufan felt an overwhelming wave of gratitude.
Four years apart—the young man you once saved has grown to dominate the world. I wonder if you are well, old friend?
"Bufan, are you alright?" Jiang Yurou asked with concern, noticing Chen Bufan's low spirits.
"I'm fine, just remembering some past events and getting a bit emotional," Chen Bufan smiled.
"Is it related to what happened to your family? Can you tell me?" Jiang Yurou asked out of curiosity.
"We'll talk about it later." Ultimately, Chen Bufan chose to remain silent; it would only bring needless sorrow.
One day, he would return to Guangling in peerless majesty to settle all past debts once and for all!
"Alright, I won't pressure you," Jiang Yurou said, her voice tinged with disappointment.
"And then what happened?"
"After that, it was what I told you last time..." Chen Bufan repeated the story, which was basically the same as what he had disclosed previously.
This time, Jiang Yurou finally didn't interrupt, patiently listening to the very end.
"Do you believe me now?" Chen Bufan asked with a smile.
"I believe you a tiny, tiny bit now," Jiang Yurou giggled.
"As long as you believe me, even if it's just one in ten thousand," Chen Bufan said tenderly, then recounted the process of rescuing Sisi.
He omitted the more gruesome details, though; Chen Bufan didn't want Yurou to know about flashing blades and underworld slaughter.
Some darkness he could face alone.
He would spread his arms wide to catch every storm, leaving only bright sunshine for his wife and daughter!
"Whatever I owed in the past, I'll spend a lifetime paying back," Chen Bufan thought to himself.
"Bufan, even though there are still parts of your past I don't know yet, no matter what happens in the future, I will always stay by your side, through thick and thin," Jiang Yurou declared with absolute resolve.
"Tha—" Before Chen Bufan could finish, a pair of warm lips pressed against his.
...
Over the next two days, Yurou didn't go to work. Because of the trauma from the incident, she worried Sisi might have lingering psychological scars, so she and Chen Bufan stayed home to keep her company the entire time.
It was rare for the family of three to be together like this, enjoying domestic bliss without having to worry about anything else.
Especially regarding finances: with the commission from selling a fifty-million-dollar luxury villa amounting to hundreds of thousands, plus her promotion to manager guaranteeing a base monthly salary of eight thousand, Jiang Yurou could finally breathe a sigh of relief. She suddenly felt that her future brimmed with hope.
...
The outside world remained turbulent. News of the Han family's destruction had long since reached Kirin Hall.
Xing Ao could hardly believe that the plan had failed completely, and that Han Lie's entire household had been slaughtered without a single survivor. From then on, there was no longer any Han family in Liyang!
*Crack!*
Blinded by rage, Xing Ao crushed the corner of his desk into dust, looking as though he wanted to tear Chen Bufan apart with his bare hands.
Han Lie was a Deputy Hall Master of Kirin Hall; killing Han Lie was equivalent to making an enemy of Kirin Hall, not to mention that this punk had already slain two Kirin Hall experts. This was a vendetta piled upon a vendetta!