"Chu He, you may go down the mountain!"
At the peak of Dragon Mountain, an ethereal-looking old man in green robes stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the young man before him with eyes full of deep affection.
"Heavens have eyes, he can finally go down the mountain!"
"To think that I, the mighty Wolf of Wall Street, have had to bitterly endure five years here, and today I am finally free!"
"Wall Street is worth shit!"
Someone immediately voiced his discontent. "I am a gold-medal assassin, for crying out loud, having taken out several presidents, yet I was trapped here!"
"Sob... I am the son of a regional governor! It's been a full five years, my old man might even be the national leader by now!"
"Leaders are nothing, the entire Golden Triangle is mine! Which drug lord wouldn't call me boss when they see me?"
Not far away, several barefoot farmers carrying shoulder poles burst into loud sobs.
These men had done plenty of evil to the common people, but five years ago they were captured by the old man in green to do hard labor on the mountain. Not only did they have to carry nightsoil and water the vegetables every day, but they also had to serve as "human punching bags" for Chu He. Their lives were utterly miserable!
"Master, are you really letting me go down the mountain?"
Chu He was handsome, his bronze skin glowing with a healthy sheen under the sunlight, sporting sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes—a proper hunk.
"Do you not wish to exact revenge?" the old man in green asked calmly.
"The murder of my parents is a vendetta of the highest order!"
Hearing this, a sharp, icy glint flashed in Chu He's eyes, and his murderous intent surged to the heavens!
"These are the Ice-Soul Golden Needles. One needle brings life, the other death!"
"The Dark Fire Token is also given to you. From this day forward, you are the Holy Lord of the Dark Palace, and the one hundred thousand disciples of the Dark Palace shall all be under your command!"
"In addition, there are several marriage contracts; handle them as you see fit!"
"Marriage contracts?"
Chu He took the sandalwood box handed to him by the old man, feeling somewhat bewildered.
"Cut the weeds and eradicate the roots. Do not let a single person who deserves to die escape. Yegui will help you!"
"Remember, mercy to the enemy is cruelty to oneself!"
The old man in green handed several treasures to Chu He and gave him this cold admonition without forgetting a word.
"Master, rest assured, this disciple will surely use the heads of our enemies to console the souls of my parents in heaven!"
Hearing this, Chu He nodded with a solemn expression. Bidding farewell to the old man, he quickly vanished into the peak of the mountain...
"You few, go down the mountain and assist Chu He in his revenge!"
The old man in green turned around and said calmly, "Should anyone dare to bully my disciple, this old man will send them to see King Yama!"
***
Jiangzhou.
Chu He stood in the backyard of a dilapidated, abandoned villa. Two tombstones stood erected here.
A bouquet of flowers before the tombstones caught his attention. Fresh chrysanthemums; it appeared someone had come to pay respects to his parents not long ago. Who could it be?
"Dad, Mom, I'm back!"
"No matter who the murderers of five years ago were, I will drag them out and avenge you both!" Looking at his parents' photographs on the tombstones, Chu He could not hold back his tears.
Swish!
At that very moment, a dark shadow appeared behind Chu He like a phantom. Dropping to one knee, the figure said respectfully:
"Your subordinate, Yegui, pays respects to the Holy Lord!"
Yegui!
The guardian of the Dark Palace, one of the most feared individuals among major global factions, because his appearance meant only one thing: someone was about to die!
Therefore, many also called him: The Grim Reaper!
Chu He slowly turned around, fixing a burning gaze upon Yegui, and said with a gloomy expression:
"Yegui, I want to know what exactly happened in Jiangzhou five years ago!"
Yegui nodded and recounted the details of his investigation in full.
It turned out that back then, Chu He had a fiancée named Shen Man. She had been instructed by others to intentionally approach Chu He, and the shooting at the restaurant on the day of their engagement was also linked to the people behind Shen Man.
"Why would she do such a thing?" Chu He frowned.
"This... your subordinate heard it seems to be related to your late father, but the exact reason hasn't been uncovered yet!" Yegui said with a look of shame.
"Have you found out who is behind Shen Man?"
"It is the Xu Family of Jiangzhou. Tomorrow is the grand wedding day between her and the young master of the Xu Family!"
"The Xu Family?"
Chu He narrowed his eyes and let out a cold snort. "They killed my parents, a blood debt must be paid in blood. Tomorrow, I will turn her wedding into a funeral!"
With that, Chu He knelt before his parents' graves and kowtowed three times. The moment he stood up and left, a shudder ran through Yegui's heart, for he saw boundless murderous intent in Chu He's eyes...
***
The next day, the entire city was bustling with activity.
Today was the wedding day of the Xu Family, the foremost family in Jiangzhou.
Maple Dan Hotel, the most luxurious five-star hotel in Jiangzhou, was adorned with lanterns and colorful banners at its entrance. Luxury cars gathered in droves, and the local tycoons had all come to attend the wedding of Xu Wen and Shen Man.
Inside the banquet hall, the lavish wedding setup was breathtaking.
The bride, Shen Man, wore a snow-white wedding gown that complemented her stunning visage, prompting the guests to whisper and comment among themselves:
"Tsk tsk, the Shen Family has really struck gold. Relying on a pretty daughter, they've managed to climb such a high branch as the Xu Family!"
"Shen Man has both beauty and means; her future is bound to be limitless!"
"..."
Just as everyone was discussing this, a bodyguard in a black suit stepped onto the stage, walked up to Shen Man, and whispered:
"Miss Shen, An Chuxia has gone to sweep the tombs of the Chu Family again!"
"Hmph! An ant from the An Family, a death-seeking dog!"
Upon hearing this, Shen Man's pretty face instantly turned cold. She lowered her voice and said to the bodyguard: "As soon as my wedding is over, send people to the An Family immediately and send their whole family on their way!"
"Understood!"
The bodyguard nodded.
As the wedding march played, the ceremony commenced.
Shen Man stood opposite Xu Wen, gazing at him with deep affection. At this moment, she felt like the happiest woman in the world.
"Bride and groom, exchange rings!"
"Groom, you may kiss the bride!" the emcee announced with a smile.
Xu Wen smiled faintly and reached out to embrace Shen Man's slender waist. Shen Man, too, blissfully closed her eyes...
"Shen Man, you murderer!"
Right at that moment, an extremely jarring voice suddenly cut through the banquet hall. Following the sound, the guests saw a beautiful woman dressed in white mourning clothes, holding a young man's funeral portrait, walking in with a face full of fury!
"Isn't that the girl from the An Family?"
"Rumor has it that Shen Man caused the death of An Jie. Could it be true?"
"If you ask me, An Chuxia is simply courting death. Causing trouble at a time like this, will the Xu Family let her off?"
"..."
The guests murmured amongst themselves. Shen Man's expression turned instantly gloomy beneath her wedding dress, and she shouted angrily:
"An Chuxia, if you dare spout nonsense again, I'll cut out your tongue!"
"I am not spouting nonsense!"
"Today, I am going to let the world see your true colors!"
"Xu Wen, aren't you afraid that this venomous woman will kill you one day as well, seeing as you've married her?" An Chuxia showed no fear of the threat; today, she was determined to demand justice for her deceased older brother.
"You surnamed An, you're courting death!"
Driven out of her mind by panic and fury, Shen Man's murderous intent flared up. She roared at the bodyguards:
"What are you standing there for? Go and cut out this madwoman's tongue for me!"
Hearing this, several bodyguards immediately rushed forward and pinned An Chuxia down. One of the bodyguards pulled a gleaming dagger from his waist, making a move to slice out An Chuxia's tongue...
Chapter 2: The Beauty An Chuxia
"Sigh, this is the consequence of overestimating oneself!"
"An Chuxia is pretty, but unfortunately brainless. Daring to pick a fight with Shen Man—isn't that simply seeking her own death?"
"As for what happened back then, the Xu Family forbids anyone from ever mentioning it. This girl really has some nerve!"
"..."
The guests sighed in secret. In truth, they had heard about the affairs concerning the Chu Family, but so what? The Xu Family was a top-tier family in Jiangzhou, and rumor had it they even had a big shot backing them up. Who would dare to offend them?
Seeing that An Chuxia was about to have her tongue cut out, a ferocious smile involuntarily crept across Shen Man's face.
Whoever tried to dig up her past would have to die!
"All of you who don't want to die, get lost!"
At the critical moment, an angry roar suddenly echoed through the banquet hall.
The crowd turned their heads in unison to see a young man brimming with murderous intent striding into the hall.
"Chu He?"
An Chuxia's eyes widened as she looked at the man walking toward her step by step, her face filled with disbelief.
"Chuxia, it's you?"
When Chu He saw that it was An Chuxia, he was equally stunned, for she was the younger sister of his good friend An Jie.
Back then, Chu He had almost been killed at his engagement banquet, and it was An Jie who had protected him with his life, clutching him as they leaped down from the second floor.
At that time, An Chuxia was still in high school; never had he expected to run into her again after all these years.
"Ch-Chu He... aren't you dead?"
An Chuxia was startled at first, but immediately her emotions turned turbulent. Weeping, she shouted at Chu He: "Why did you come back? Leave Jiangzhou quickly... otherwise, my brother died in vain!"
"What? Your brother is dead?"
"Don't you even know? It was all the doing of this fiancée of yours!" An Chuxia pointed at Shen Man, weeping as she leveled her accusation.
Upon hearing this, Chu He's brow instantly furrowed into a tight knot.
An Jie was dead?
What on earth had happened to Shen Man and the An Family?
"This brat... is actually Chu He!"
"What a pity for the Chu Family. Back then they were at least a well-known family in Jiangzhou, only to be wiped out overnight!"
"Wasn't this kid missing? Word was he died, how is he still alive?"
"..."
There were also guests present who recognized Chu He. Although five years had passed, Chu He's appearance hadn't changed much, and many still recognized him at a glance.
When Shen Man saw Chu He, she was equally gripped by shock!
Like everyone else, she had assumed Chu He was dead. Who could have imagined he was still alive?
"It's you?"
With an unsightly expression, Shen Man gritted her teeth and asked, "Chu He, aren't you dead?"
"What, are you very disappointed that I'm still alive?"
With a blank expression, Chu He cast an icy glance at the bodyguards pinning An Chuxia and said coldly, "If you don't want to die, let her go!"
Hearing this, the bodyguards dared not act rashly and looked over at Shen Man instead.
"Why are you looking at me? Take him down along with her!"
Shen Man was practically shrieking. Since Chu He was still alive, she had to cut the weeds and eradicate the roots to prevent any future trouble.
"Hmph, truly a venomous woman!"
The moment Chu He's voice fell, several bodyguards released An Chuxia and lunged at him. The bodyguard holding the knife thrust the sharp blade directly toward Chu He's chest.
"Courting death!"
With a kick, Chu He sent the bodyguard charging at the front flying backward. Like a tiger entering a flock of sheep, he knocked all the bodyguards to the ground in the blink of an eye—some with broken legs, others with broken hands. Agonized screams from the bodyguards instantly echoed throughout the hall.
"..."
Upon seeing this, Shen Man was startled. Could it be that this fellow Chu He knew martial arts?
"Chuxia, are you alright?"
Chu He walked over to An Chuxia, gently patted her shoulder, and comforted her: "Don't be afraid. With me here, no one can hurt you!"
"Chu He, y-you must leave quickly, you'll get yourself killed!"
An Chuxia was burning with anxiety. She hadn't planned on leaving the wedding banquet alive today, but she never expected Chu He to come and get involved in this mess as well.
"Rest assured, even if someone dies today, it will be them!" Chu He smiled coldly, pointing at Shen Man and Xu Wen on the stage.
"Audacious!"
Xu Wen, who had remained silent all this while, could finally hold back no longer. Looking down at Chu He from his vantage point, he said coldly:
"Chun surnamed Chu, I know you used to be Xiao Man's boyfriend, but today is the wedding between her and me. Do you really think I wouldn't dare touch you just because you're causing a scene like this?"
Chu He glanced dismissively at Xu Wen and said coldly,
"A blood debt must be paid in blood. Not a single member of the Xu Family escapes, and you too, Shen Man—all of you are going to die!"
At the engagement banquet five years ago, a group of gunmen had suddenly appeared, raising their weapons and firing the moment they entered the doors!
His parents were struck by bullets and tragically lost their lives!
And An Jie had protected him with his life, clutching him as they leaped from the second floor. Chu He had lost consciousness on the spot, waking up only to find himself on the mountain.
Now that his enemies were right before his eyes, Chu He would naturally not let them go!
The only thing he hadn't expected was that An Jie had actually died?
"Outrageous!"
At that moment, Shen Man's father, Shen Jun, stepped forward in a rage, pointing straight at the bridge of Chu He's nose as he cursed:
"You surnamed Chu, have you been given too much face? My daughter must have been blind to date you back then! Get the hell out of here right now, or I'll finish you off!"
Presuming upon his status as an elder, Shen Jun didn't take Chu He seriously at all!
Slap!
With a flick of his hand, Chu He delivered a solid slap across Shen Jun's face, saying coldly, "Old dog, did I give you permission to speak?"
"How dare you hit my dad! Brother Long, kill him for me!"
Seeing her father get struck, Shen Man panicked instantly and shouted at a burly man in black standing nearby.
"Brat, whichever hand struck Brother Jun, leave that hand behind, or I'll make sure you're carried out of here horizontally today!" The man in black stepped in front of Chu He, his face full of arrogance.
This man was a high-priced martial arts expert hired by the Shen Family, rumored to have served as a mercenary in Africa with formidable combat capabilities!
"Get lost!"
Chu He let out an angry roar.
"Brat, you're tired of living!"
The man known as Brother Long flew into a rage and immediately swung his fist toward Chu He's face.
It had to be said that Brother Long did possess some skill; his fist whistled through the air, and an ordinary person taking that punch would either die or end up bedridden in the hospital for half a year!
Bang!
Just when everyone thought Chu He was about to suffer a terrible fate, he struck out. With lightning speed, he threw a punch that slammed heavily into Brother Long's abdomen, shattering the man's intestines within his body!
Thud!
Brother Long's eyes bulged, and he died just like that, without even understanding how it happened!
Shen Man turned pale with fright. Having not seen him for a few years, Chu He seemed like a completely different person—when had he become so terrifyingly powerful?
"Know fear now, do you?"
With blood-red eyes, Chu He fixed his gaze intently on Shen Man and said in a deep voice, "Five years ago, why did you want to wipe out my entire family? Tell me, and I'll leave your corpse intact!"
"Brother Wen, the guy surnamed Chu is threatening me, kill him quickly!" Terrified and furious, Shen Man hurriedly pleaded for help from Xu Wen beside her.
"Chu He, you have some nerve!"
Xu Wen could no longer maintain his composure, and he raged, "Don't think you're hot stuff just because you've learned a few parlor tricks. My Xu Family is not afraid of you!"
"Brother Yan, I must ask you to step in and teach this brat a harsh lesson!"
As his voice fell, a rugged young man with a powerful, muscular build stood up from the VIP seat.
"Brat, kneel down, kowtow and apologize to Brother Xu Wen, cripple both your own hands, and then get the hell out of the hotel!" The man glanced contemptuously at Chu He, his words dripping with disdain.
When the guests saw the man's appearance, the hall instantly erupted in uproar!
"Isn't that Yan Zhe? His old man is Jiangzhou's number one martial artist, Grandmaster Yan!"
"Chu He is in for it now. The Yan Family is an ancient martial arts family—they could take his life in a split second!"
"..."
No one held out any hope for Chu He, assuming he was a dead man.
Chapter 3: Execute Without Exception
"You want to die?"
To everyone's surprise, Chu He didn't take him seriously at all.
"Outrageous!"
Hearing this, Yan Zhe flew into a rage and immediately unleashed a fatal technique, rapidly attacking Chu He.
Chu He originally intended to put this fellow down with a single palm strike, but upon seeing the moves Yan Zhe was using, he changed his mind instead. He simply grabbed the wrist of the incoming attack and gave it a sharp twist!
Crack!
The sound of snapping bone rang out, and Yan Zhe's wrist bone was cleanly broken by Chu He!
"Who... who on earth are you?"
Yan Zhe was considered a tough guy. Despite his shock, he endured the pain and glared resentfully at Chu He.
"Who taught you the Plum Blossom Hand?"
Chu He looked coldly at Yan Zhe, and after speaking, he pulled a black-gold token the size of a cigarette case, carved with flame patterns, from his chest and waved it before the man's eyes.
"Do you recognize it?"
"Th-The Dark Fire Token?!"
Upon seeing this token, Yan Zhe broke out in a cold sweat. Such a token was only fit to be held by the Holy Lord of the Dark Palace—could the person before him be...
"Do you intend to betray the Dark Palace?!"
With an angry shout from Chu He, hearing the words "Dark Palace" made Yan Zhe even more certain of his suspicions. Terrified out of his wits, he dropped to his knees with a thud and began kowtowing like a jackhammer, pleading bitterly:
"Holy Lord, this subordinate deserves death! I beg you, in your magnanimity, to spare my life!"
"..."
Upon witnessing this scene, everyone in the banquet hall was dumbstruck!
A dignified young master of the Yan Family, a direct scion of an ancient martial arts family, was actually kneeling and begging for mercy?
"Get lost, and go report to the Hall of Penalties for your punishment yourself!" Chu He said coldly.
"Thank you, thank you, Holy Lord, for not killing me!"
Amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, Yan Zhe was instead moved to tears of gratitude. Even Xu Wen could no longer hold back his curiosity and asked:
"Brother Yan, the guy surnamed Chu is merely a stray dog, why are you so afraid of him?"
"Audacious!"
Hearing this, Yan Zhe flew into a rage. Enduring his pain, he cupped his fists toward Chu He and said, "Holy Lord, this man dares to disrespect you, allow this subordinate to teach him a lesson!"
"No need, you may go!" Chu He waved his hand.
"Yes!"
Only then did Yan Zhe drop the matter. Clutching his broken hand and casting a fierce glare at Xu Wen, he turned and quickly departed from the banquet hall.
The people present were utterly dumbfounded; Yan Zhe's attitude toward Chu He was clearly that of a servant toward his master!
"Chu He, p-please don't kill me!"
By this point, Shen Man was truly terrified. Seeing Chu He pressing toward her step by step, she hastily said, "Darling, I still love you very much!"
"If you want... I won't marry Xu Wen, I'll marry you instead!"
"Shen Man, you bitch!"
Hearing this, Xu Wen turned green with rage. His bride had cuckolded him right at the wedding; if word of this got out, wouldn't he become the laughingstock of everyone?
"I'll ask you one last time: why did you want to wipe out my entire family five years ago? Tell me, and I'll leave you an intact corpse!"
Chu He walked up to Xu Wen and, with lightning speed, reached out to clamp his hand around the man's neck, lifting him into the air like a little chick.
"Bastard, let go of my son!"