Even the Queen of the Underworld had met her end at this young man's hands.
The man was practically a demon!
"You've brought a catastrophic disaster upon yourself! The forces behind the Master will never let you go!"
White Azalea snapped back to her senses and screamed at Ye Qingyun.
Ye Qingyun took a stride forward, reached White Azalea, lifted her up by the neck, and said in a cold voice.
"Who are the forces behind Zhou Ruoyan?"
"Heh, you'll be coming down to join me soon enough."
As soon as she finished speaking, blood gushed from White Azalea's nose and mouth, and she died on the spot.
"She actually committed suicide. Truly loyal to her master."
With that, Ye Qingyun dropped White Azalea's corpse to the ground.
White Azalea was dead too...
Seeing this scene, quite a few people felt a chill run through their entire bodies, a cold draft rising straight from the soles of their feet.
Swish!
A dark figure morphed into a gruesome blur and charged at Ye Qingyun.
Wielding a dagger, she thrust it viciously toward Ye Qingyun's chest!
Ye Qingyun reached out and grabbed the shadowy figure's neck with absolute precision.
With a burst of force—crack—he shattered the person's laryngeal cartilage.
Ye Qingyun casually tossed the corpse to the ground.
When the crowd looked over, their hearts skipped a beat.
This person was Wulong, one of the Four Golden Flowers under Zhou Ruoyan!
Wulong's martial prowess had reached the level of a Seven-Star Martial Artist.
In the underworld of Jiangning City, she was only a fraction weaker than Zhou Ruoyan!
Moreover, Wulong excelled in the art of assassination.
Even so, she had been effortlessly killed by Ye Qingyun right in front of everyone.
The crowd's terror toward Ye Qingyun deepened a few notches.
Upon seeing the corpses of their two sisters on the ground, the other two Golden Flowers under Zhou Ruoyan—Poinsettia and Oleander—were filled with sorrow.
The two of them exchanged a glance and nodded.
Then, simultaneously, they swallowed the poison they had prepared in advance. Blood spilled from their mouths and noses, and they died on the spot.
Given their relationship with Zhou Ruoyan, Ye Qingyun certainly wouldn't have spared them.
By taking their own lives now, they could at least avoid being tortured.
The corpses of Zhou Ruoyan and her four fierce commanders lay scattered across the floor in disarray.
This sight sent a biting chill straight through the hearts of the onlookers all around!
A quick-witted middle-aged man dropped to his knees before Ye Qingyun with lightning speed.
"My lord, as the saying goes, a country cannot go a single day without a ruler.
Now that Black Rose has perished at your hands, the throne of the underground king of Jiangning City rightfully belongs to you!
I, Fishmonger Qiang, am willing to serve you as our new underground king!"
This Fishmonger Qiang was considered second only to Black Rose in the underworld, yet he knelt so decisively to pledge his absolute sincerity.
It was clear how much he acknowledged Ye Qingyun's strength.
Prompted by Fishmonger Qiang taking the lead, a massive crowd dropped to their knees before Ye Qingyun, shouting in unison.
"Master!"
Ye Qingyun looked out over the sea of heads before him; not a single person remained standing in his presence.
His expression remained indifferent as he spoke calmly.
"I only wanted Zhou Ruoyan's life. I have zero interest in the underworld."
What he said was actually the truth.
There were mainly two reasons: first, Ye Qingyun's mother did not want him meddling in organizations of this underground nature.
Second, Ye Qingyun looked down on these petty, small-time squabbles.
So-called underworld queens and four golden flowers were no different from children playing games in Ye Qingyun's eyes.
What?
He refused?!
Many people's expressions froze.
The boss of the underworld wasn't just a title—it came with genuine authority.
To put it without exaggeration, even the mayor of Jiangning City would have to show the underworld boss a modicum of respect.
Now that Zhou Ruoyan was dead, if Ye Qingyun refused to take the throne, the underworld of Jiangning City would inevitably fracture and erupt into chaos among competing warlords.
Fishmonger Qiang's eyes rolled as a scheme formed in his mind, and he spoke to Ye Qingyun.
"My lord, you may look down on the throne of the underworld, but the throne of the underworld cannot do without you!
I am willing to act as your most loyal dog and help you manage this underworld!"
Hearing this, several underworld bosses whose strength rivaled Fishmonger Qiang's changed color.
Damn it, Fishmonger Qiang sure knew how to play a winning hand.
He was far too good at sucking up!
As soon as those words left his mouth, Fishmonger Qiang's heart hammered against his ribs; he was immensely nervous.
This was a massive gamble on his part.
There was a saying: those close to the water get the moonlight first. He had such a great opportunity right now and needed to rush to pledge his loyalty to Ye Qingyun.
"You, come with me."
After a moment of thought, Ye Qingyun said to Fishmonger Qiang.
Joy surged wildly in Fishmonger Qiang's heart, his entire body trembling with excitement. Suppressing the emotion within him, he replied respectfully.
"Understood, my lord!"
Then, under the gaze of the crowd, Fishmonger Qiang followed behind Ye Qingyun and walked into the room.
"Damn it! Such a great opportunity, and Fishmonger Qiang beat us to the punch!"
Cried an underworld boss whose strength was no less than Fishmonger Qiang's!
The other underworld bosses nodded in deep agreement.
...
Inside the private room.
Ye Qingyun sat on the sofa while Fishmonger Qiang stood before him, half-bowed.
"What is your name?"
Ye Qingyun asked faintly.
An aura of absolute supremacy radiated from him naturally.
"Master, my name is Gao Qiang. I used to be a fish peddler, and many people call me Fishmonger Qiang. My lord, you can call me that, or you can call me Xiao Qiang."
Gao Qiang replied respectfully.
"Don't call me Master. My name is Ye Qingyun; you can address me as Young Master Ye."
"Understood, Young Master Ye!"
"Zhou Ruoyan's former position—you can take it. Can you handle it?"
Hearing this, Gao Qiang's mind was flooded with overwhelming joy.
The throne of the underworld!
This was a position he hadn't even dared to dream of!
And yet, here it was right in front of him, within arm's reach.
He immediately dropped to both knees on the floor and said respectfully to Ye Qingyun.
"Young Master Ye, from now on I am your most loyal dog. Wherever you tell me to point, I will never look west!"
Ye Qingyun was quite satisfied with Gao Qiang's attitude.
"Do not let word of my affairs get out."
"Rest assured, Young Master Ye, I swear on my life that not a single whisper of news about you will leak!"
"Get me 200,000 in cash right now."
Ye Qingyun instructed.
"Understood, Young Master Ye, I'll go get it for you right away."
Gao Qiang acknowledged the order and left the private room.
Ye Qingyun leaned back against the sofa and closed his eyes.
He truly had no interest in being the boss of the underworld.
It was just that Ye Qianwen urgently needed money over on her end, and going through the underworld was the fastest way to get cash.
Ye Qingyun hadn't bitten off more than he could chew by handing Ye Qianwen too much money at once.
Otherwise, Ye Qianwen would inevitably grow suspicious, which would be extremely detrimental to improving their relationship.
Ye Qingyun's gaze fell upon the ancient painting resting before him.
When he practiced asceticism in the mountains, he used the four arts of the literati—zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting—to cultivate his character.
The ancient painting before him possessed a remarkably strong visual impact and a long history; it made for a rather decent collectible.
Before long, Gao Qiang returned to the private room.
He was holding a case, which he opened on the coffee table in front of Ye Qingyun.
Inside were neat stacks upon stacks of cash.
"Young Master Ye, here is the 200,000 in cash."
Ye Qingyun brushed his hand over the money, and the 200,000 in cash instantly vanished.
At the same time, the ancient scroll, Ladies Journey in the Tang Dynasty, resting on the table vanished right along with it.