A single man suppressing the entire martial arts world, revered as the foremost among Martial Venerables—how overwhelmingly tyrannical.
Hearing that the young master before her eyes intended to kill the Southern Fist King, how could Mu Yanran not be shocked?
Was he planning to use her as a blade?
She had no objection to serving Yunyun Mountain; after all, her life and her skills had been bestowed upon her by the mountain.
However, she could not accept being used blindly as a tool, only to be killed stupidly and pointlessly without even knowing why!
"Young Master, the Southern Fist King possesses incomparably formidable cultivation and is at the Earth-rank Peak. I advise you to be cautious, lest you invite disaster upon yourself," Mu Yanran said coldly.
To her surprise, the moment she finished speaking, Di Longxuan locked a chilling gaze upon her!
"The Earth-rank Peak—is that what you call incomparably formidable? I won't hold your frog-at-the-bottom-of-a-well perspective against you, but if you ever dare say such a thing again, you die!"
He had no interest in explaining his feud with the Southern Fist King to Mu Yanran.
Nor did he have any interest in discussing his own cultivation realm with her!
The art of managing subordinates remained unchanged through the ages, resting on just four words: mysterious and iron-fisted!
Therefore, Di Longxuan had no need to cozy up to Mu Yanran with a friendly attitude. If she refused to submit, he would kill her!
He was the Young Master of Yunyun Mountain, whereas she was merely a saintess.
Their relationship was not an equal one to begin with, so why bother with equal communication?
Furthermore, with a woman like Mu Yanran—who already held great power and formidable influence—speaking to her in gentle tones would never earn her respect.
Only by proving yourself stronger than her could you suppress her wildness and arrogance, forcing her into submission and awe!
Mu Yanran hurriedly bowed in salute. "This subordinate wouldn't dare. I beg the Young Master for forgiveness! This subordinate will surely cooperate fully with the Young Master's actions!"
"That's more like it. Memorize my arrangements well. If you forget them, don't blame me for showing no mercy to a woman."
Di Longxuan stood with his hands behind his back, his presence piercing the sky as a majestic and overwhelming aura radiated from his tall figure!
Mu Yanran looked at him, feeling as though she had fallen into an illusion.
Could this Young Master truly possess heaven-defying abilities?
Yet Mu Yanran had secretly investigated this Young Master a little, knowing that he was once the eldest young master of the Di Family in Zhangtai City and a notoriously good-for-nothing prodigal.
He had only been on Yunyun Mountain for six years—what heaven-defying changes could possibly happen in six years??
However, Mu Yanran no longer dared to show these thoughts on her face. After carefully committing every single one of Di Longxuan's arrangements to memory, she cautiously took her leave.
Seeing her figure disappear, Di Longxuan turned and headed to the hospital.
Inside the ward, Di Xiaoguo was happily playing with her toys, finally recovering the innocence and carefree joy that belonged to a child.
"Xiaoguo, Daddy has to go out on a trip tomorrow. You must be a good girl and not run around outside," Di Longxuan said softly.
Out in the world he slaughtered without blinking and was ruthlessly cold, but only in front of Di Xiaoguo did he present a gentle and affectionate demeanor.
"Okay Daddy, I remember. But you have to let Aunt Ning and Aunt Liu come play with me," Di Xiaoguo blinked her large eyes and said.
"Aunt Liu is sick, so let Aunt Ning come keep you company instead. I'll tell her."
Di Longxuan agreed.
After chatting for a little longer, Ning Jiuchuan arrived.
Di Longxuan affectionately tapped the tip of Di Xiaoguo's nose, then went out to the corridor to talk with Ning Jiuchuan.
"Young Master Di, did you need something when you called me over?"
Having survived a brush with life and death, Ning Jiuchuan harbored no resentment toward Di Longxuan; instead, he felt even greater awe.
A man who feared not even the Tenth-Rank Yama and had crushed all the tycoon families of Zhangtai City beneath his feet had completely shattered his worldview.
It left him with only a single thought when facing Di Longxuan: obedience! And getting on his good side!
"Uncle Ning, I will be gradually recovering the properties that originally belonged to the Di Family. Therefore, I need you to help me investigate whose hands the Di Family's assets are currently scattered among, and secondly, help me find someone trustworthy enough to manage these assets," Di Longxuan said sincerely.
"Very well, I will definitely help you accomplish these two tasks," Ning Jiuchuan said solemnly.
Although the other man addressed him as Uncle Ning, Ning Jiuchuan understood that this was purely out of respect, while they were no longer on the same plane of strength at all.
Therefore, he did not dare to be arrogant in the slightest, still respectfully addressing him as Young Master Di.
Afterward, Ning Jiuchuan took his leave, and Di Longxuan returned inside to keep Di Xiaoguo company.
Time quickly passed to the evening of the second day!
In Luodu, inside a luxurious villa within Ziyun Mountain Villa, the lights were dazzling like neon, flowers paved the path, and laughter rang out incessantly.
This was precisely the location where the Third Princess, Xia Danyan, was holding her birthday party.
She had invited over thirty guests whom she considered VIPs. Although the number of people wasn't large and their social standing wasn't extremely high, to Xia Danyan, they represented the most powerful circle of connections she had.
Privately, she was hailed as the Third Princess, and many people knew she was the illegitimate daughter of the Southern Fist King, but this was an identity that could not be brought out into the open.
Because within the Southern Fist King's family, the familial influence was formidable, and there were no lack of people who guarded against her and suppressed her.
Therefore, although Xia Danyan was arrogant and unruly, she still had to keep a low profile on ordinary days!
Even if she wanted to cozy up to high-status figures in the Luodu circle, others did not dare associate with her, constrained as they were by the pressure exerted by the Southern Fist King's family.
Today, Xia Danyan wore a bright red evening gown inlaid with various precious gemstones, and around her neck hung a massive black opal, its fire dazzling and profound, resembling an angel's eyes left behind in the mortal world.
The people all around constantly fawned over Xia Danyan, showering her with praises of "Third Princess" until she felt as though she were floating on air!
She thoroughly enjoyed this feeling. Although her mother had been an extremely beautiful socialite, she had unfortunately inherited her parents' most unremarkable facial features, resulting in a terribly uncoordinated face that carried an indescribable ugliness.
To make matters worse, she loved sweet treats, so her weight had consistently remained well over two hundred pounds.
Many people in Luodu's upper-crust circles secretly referred to her as Princess Dinosaur.
Yet Xia Danyan cared nothing for this. With the blood of the Southern Fist King flowing through her bones, who would dare touch her!
Although her status did not permit her to enter the Southern Family of Tianhai City, the Southern Fist King gave her five million yuan in pocket money every month.
Five million—how extravagant, how many people could enjoy such treatment?
"Danyan, I'm sorry I'm late! This is the gift I brought you!"
A man dressed in a suit, looking refined and gentle, walked over cautiously, holding a bouquet of fiery red roses and an exquisite jewelry box.
He was none other than Xia Danyan's boyfriend, Zhu Junlong.
To be precise, Zhu Junlong was a boyfriend Xia Danyan had forcibly snatched away.
Several years ago, Xia Danyan went shopping at a mall and spotted the fair-skinned, handsome Zhu Junlong. Even though he already had a girlfriend, she ruthlessly beat the girlfriend into the hospital and then forced Zhu Junlong to become her boyfriend.
Everyone present couldn't help but cast playful glances toward Zhu Junlong.
This pair of mandarin ducks had always been a laughingstock in the upper-crust circles.
Sure enough!
As the good show unfolded, Xia Danyan actually raised her hand and slapped Zhu Junlong across the face!
She cursed viciously, "Why are you only just getting here? Do you understand women at all? I don't want these vulgar things; what I want is your favoritism, your absolute exclusivity!"
The surrounding crowd couldn't help covering their mouths to suppress snickers! They truly couldn't stomach Xia Danyan using words like "favoritism" and "exclusivity."
Yet Zhu Junlong dared not show the slightest bit of disgust.
Because his parents and his younger sister were all under the other's control.
The moment he showed the slightest disobedience, he would be beaten! His family would be beaten too! Ever since Xia Danyan took a liking to him, Zhu Junlong had fallen into a hell-like existence, denied peace day or night!
"I'm sorry, Danyan, I was wrong. I'll definitely change next time. Please forgive me this once, my darling!"
Zhu Junlong gritted his teeth and forced out these words that sickened him to his core.
To his dismay, Xia Danyan struck him with yet another slap!
"You always say that every time! Do you understand? What I want isn't your words, nor your gifts—it's the sense of ritual that belongs exclusively to you!"
"Fine, I will correct myself!" Zhu Junlong clutched his cheek, not daring to resist.
Outbursts of laughter erupted around them once more. People simply couldn't get enough of watching Xia Danyan torment Zhu Junlong.
And yet, after striking him, Xia Danyan would use her obese figure to strike the pose of a delicate woman, putting on an expression of bitter disappointment.
The abundance of delicious food on site was entirely ruined, leaving no one with any appetite whatsoever...
"Alright, I won't hold it against you anymore. Get up, take my arm. Today I am the protagonist, and you are the Prince Charming. We are going to love each other dearly."
Feigning affection, Xia Danyan stepped closer, patted Zhu Junlong's hair, and put on the airs of an understanding, caring older sister.
Zhu Junlong shuddered with fright and hurriedly nodded. "Alright, I'll cooperate well."
Someone in the crowd started clapping and shouted, "Wishing the Third Princess everlasting love and a lifetime of happiness!"
Instantly, thunderous applause erupted from all directions, accompanied by a chorus of flattery and sycophancy!
Looking around with smug enjoyment, Xia Danyan let Zhu Junlong take her arm and walked to the center of the venue.
"Let me tell you, what I am best at is taming men. No matter what kind of man lands in my hands, he will behave as obediently as a lapdog!" Xia Danyan laughed smugly.
Laughter broke out around the room, but no one dared to raise any doubts, for Zhu Junlong was already unknown which number boyfriend he was to Xia Danyan.
The men whom Xia Danyan had previously grown tired of and discarded either ended up dead or crippled; in any case, their fates were utterly tragic.
Just as Xia Danyan was about to continue displaying her tigress demeanor, someone in the crowd abruptly stood up and walked toward her with an air of nonchalant ease!
"I've long heard of the Third Princess's great reputation. Seeing you today, you truly are extraordinary and eye-catching!"
As these words fell, all thirty-plus VIPs in attendance immediately turned their gazes toward the source!
The speaker was none other than Di Longxuan.
Noticing that he was dressed simply and wore no precious jewelry of any kind, everyone's eyes filled with a trace of contempt.
They all assumed he was just some fellow trying to curry favor with Xia Danyan so he could live off a woman.
And Xia Danyan naturally made the exact same assessment. The corners of her mouth hooked up, revealing a triple chin, and she let out a cold laugh!
"You certainly have some nerve, taking the initiative to come over and fawn on me. Well, I'll give you a chance: there is some dust on my crystal shoes—lick them clean for me, and I'll take in this lapdog of yours!"
With that, Xia Danyan thrust forward a thick, heavy leg.
Beneath the bright red evening gown, her leg could only be described as an elephant trunk, and to top it off, it was covered in coarse, dark hairs.
Her size-forty crystal shoes were indeed pretty and exquisite, fully embedded with genuine crystals, but licking them clean seemed like a task of no small difficulty.
Because those crystals were jagged and uneven; attempting to truly lick them would likely slash one's tongue to pieces.
"A good show is about to start! Go for it, brother, I'm rooting for you!" someone in the crowd chimed in with a shout!
"I'm rooting for you too! Warm up your tongue first, strive to become a top-tier lapdog!"
"Ha-ha, what an endless stream of good entertainment!"
"If he licks the Third Princess to her satisfaction later, I'll reward him with one hundred thousand yuan in dog food money!"
A cascade of mockery and ridicule rang out!
Xia Danyan curled her little finger at Di Longxuan with a dense, wicked grin. Foul and fat as she was, she truly never lacked for lapdogs around her, seeing as her father was the Southern Fist King!
Many people wished to use her as a stepping stone to advance in the world.
Yet compared to those lapdogs, the Di Longxuan before her seemed vastly different!
Though Di Longxuan was dressed ordinarily, he exuded a peculiar aura—an aura that held a fatal attraction for women!
Mysterious! Unruly! Overbearing!
Zhu Junlong looked at Di Longxuan with a blank expression. He felt no jealousy, nor did he clap; he felt as though he were watching yet another tragedy about to unfold.
Listening to the jeers and shouts of the crowd, Di Longxuan walked calmly and unconcernedly onto the stage, stopping right in front of Xia Danyan.
"What are you standing there frozen for? Hurry up and lick for the Third Princess! Move it!!"
A fierce-looking, rugged man strode over, grabbed Di Longxuan by the collar, and roared viciously.
His name was Jiao Hu, Xia Danyan's bodyguard, and a former underground black-market boxing champion wielding formidable methods!
Word had it that he was also one of Xia Danyan's bedmates, though they maintained a master-servant dynamic in public.
"Hurry up! Hurry up!!"
"Get a move on, I'm still waiting to tip you!"
In the eyes of everyone present, Di Longxuan had become the most explosive attraction of the night, and they were all waiting to toy with him for their amusement!
"Fine, since you insist on me hurrying up, I'll satisfy you first!"
The corners of Di Longxuan's mouth suddenly curved into an icy arc!
*Splash!* In the blink of an eye, Jiao Hu's thick arm was actually torn right off his body by Di Longxuan!
"No!! No!! I'm going to kill you!!"
Jiao Hu remained in a daze for three whole seconds before a sky-shattering scream pierced the air!! Excruciating pain instantly flooded his entire body!
"You're going to kill me? Then tell me, what use is there in keeping your life?"
Di Longxuan reached out and grabbed Jiao Hu by the throat!
Jiao Hu's face instantly turned purple-black, the agony of asphyxiation causing him to struggle frantically, yet he couldn't escape at all!
Every single person in the entire hall was left dumbfounded and slack-jawed by this sudden turn of events!
They had never expected this plainly dressed man to be so savagely ruthless! And to dare act with such brutality right at the Third Princess's birthday banquet!
"Impudent! I'm going to hack you to pieces! I order you to let Jiao Hu go right now!! No one dares defy my command!!"
Fierce rage surged wildly across Xia Danyan's obese face!
For someone to come and provoke her with such madness right at her birthday party was intolerable.
Within Xia Danyan's mind, ten thousand ways to torture the man before her had already flashed past.
Zhu Junlong was equally dumbstruck with shock!
This was his first time ever witnessing anyone in this city dare to provoke Xia Danyan in such a manner.
"Does your command always work? Not necessarily!"
With an icy declaration, Di Longxuan gave a sharp *crunch!*—snapping Jiao Hu's neck!
Jiao Hu's eyes bulged instantly, filled with bloodshot veins, before turning limp and crashing heavily to the floor, reduced to a lifeless corpse.
With the appearance of such an overbearing scene, numerous shrieks erupted across the venue! Many of the socialites covered their mouths in terror, their faces turning ashen white!
Confronting this scene directly, Zhu Junlong trembled violently with fright!
Only Xia Danyan showed not a shred of panic; instead, she was consumed by a fury that ignited a complex, frenzied excitement!!
"You've got a lot of nerve! Tonight, I'm going to let you experience what true cruelty is!!"
Xia Danyan shouted coldly, her voice sounding like a croaking duck due to its high-pitched intensity.
With a fierce wave of her hand, thirty formidable men in black bodyguards instantly materialized on her left and right!
These were preparations she had made in advance: anyone who displeased her tonight would be stripped of all dignity and cast into eternal damnation!
"Friends, don't be afraid! Since he insists on provoking me, tonight we'll use him to play an even more thrilling game!! Let's watch him get sliced a thousand times, dismembered, and driven to absolute agony! Ha-ha!"
Xia Danyan's facial flesh quivered wildly as she glared and roared at the top of her lungs.
The guests, who had still been frozen in terror, instantly changed expressions and grew equally excited!
This was the Third Princess's birthday banquet, after all; daring to come and cause trouble meant a guaranteed fate of being played to death!
The thirty black-clad bodyguards swarmed onto the stage in a flash, clashing with Di Longxuan. Yet this brawl hadn't even truly begun before it devolved into a one-sided slaughter!
With every punch Di Longxuan threw, a bodyguard either exploded into a mist of blood or broke apart in mid-air—savagely brutal!
Not a single person could withstand even a single blow from him.
Thirty men meant thirty punches—barely ten seconds!
The crowd, who had moments ago been reveling in madness, had their excitement instantly sealed away, plunging into absolute terror as they scrambled to hide in the corners of the room!
"Remember, a man must always use his fists to speak, rather than standing around to be bullied. Even in death, one must never become another person's toy."
Wiping the blood from his knuckles, Di Longxuan cast his gaze toward the stunned Zhu Junlong.
Zhu Junlong trembled all over, cold sweat pouring down like rain, yet he didn't dare utter a single sound!
Beside him, Xia Danyan kicked him off the stage with a vicious curse!
"Shut up! Do you really think that having a few tricks means you can provoke me? My father is the Southern Fist King! Kneel before me right now and await my disposal, or else I'll summon my father here to torture you and your entire family to death!!"
These words landed upon the ears of the crowd with the sheer force of thunder!
In the Hengjiang Region, the foremost among Martial Venerables wielded authority akin to a king!
Who wouldn't fear the Southern Fist King?
The terrified guests once again had their expressions twist into excitement; if the Southern Fist King descended, a truly grand show would be staged!
On ordinary days, who ever got to lay eyes upon the Southern Fist King's countenance?
Yet upon hearing the three words "Southern Fist King," Di Longxuan showed not a trace of fear; instead, his sneer grew even sharper!
He struck out suddenly, seizing Xia Danyan by the hair and forcefully slamming her down toward the floor!
"What are you doing? Let me go, you damned scum!!"
Struggling with all her might, Xia Danyan cried out ferociously.
Yet under Di Longxuan's overwhelming and ruthless pressure, her knees slammed heavily against the ground the very next instant, blood even beginning to seep from her kneecaps!
"It is precisely because your father is the Southern Fist King that I came to attend your birthday party. Now, contact your father immediately, or I'll make you die as well!"
As these words echoed, the entire hall was struck dumb with shock!!
None of them had imagined that anyone would deliberately provoke the Southern Fist King and bully his illegitimate daughter to this extent.
"Old Ghost Su, what are you doing? Hurry up and come save me!! If I die, you'll be buried along with me!!"
Lifting her head, Xia Danyan glared at Di Longxuan with crimson eyes, her fierce aura remaining entirely unabated!
She refused to yield by even a fraction!
Following her cry, everyone in the venue wore expressions of profound shock.
For within the entire Luodu circle, it was common knowledge that Xia Danyan was secretly protected by a Martial Venerable-level figure—the greatest care the Southern Fist King could provide.
Countless young masters and daughters of wealthy families enjoyed no such treatment.
A Martial Venerable-level expert represented the absolute ceiling of combat power in the mortal world!
*Ahem, ahem...*
Amidst the dead silence, the sound of a cough rang out!
Immediately thereafter, a tall, thin figure was seen walking slowly from a dense grove of pine trees in the distance.
He cradled a cat in his arms, dressed in ordinary casual wear, without a trace of fierce or brutal aura about him; he looked more like a retired old man.
"If you give me some face and let go right now, I can ensure you don't die. To have attained this level of cultivation at such a young age—it truly would be a pity to die."
"However, of all people, you should never have provoked Xia Danyan. Ugly as she may be, and unreasonable as she is, she..."
"...nevertheless has a father who is even more unreasonable: the Southern Fist King!" the old man said calmly.
It sounded as though he were chatting about everyday household matters, yet his words were saturated with mockery toward both Xia Danyan and the Southern Fist King.
"Shut your mouth, Old Ghost Su! If you dare spout nonsense again, I'll have my father torture you to death! Hurry up and cripple his hands and legs!!"
Turning her head, Xia Danyan glared icily at Old Ghost Su and cursed viciously.
Yet upon hearing this, the approaching Old Ghost Su threw his head back and burst into wild laughter!
The aura around his body surged, causing his clothes to whip about furiously!