The two ninjas exchanged a glance, both seeing astonishment in each other's eyes.
Their opponent was indeed no ordinary person, instantly discerning their identities and strength.
A sense of vigilance rose in the hearts of the two ninjas; they knew they had most likely encountered a supernatural powerhouse from Jiuzhou.
Instead of retreating, they closed in. As they came within two meters of Ye Ning, they made their move.
Two flashes of cold light emerged, blindingly fast, enveloping Ye Ning entirely.
Just as the blade light was about to land on Ye Ning, the two ninjas exchanged another glance, both seeing a smile of amusement in each other's eyes.
This supernatural powerhouse from Jiuzhou apparently wasn't as terrifying as they had imagined; he had actually been frightened stupid by their attack.
Right at that moment, Ye Ning moved.
Charging straight against the blade light, amidst their horrified gazes, he shattered the blade light with a single punch and closed in right before them.
"Fall back."
The expressions of the two Chunin shifted drastically, and they turned to run.
They knew they had encountered an expert whose strength was far beyond anything they could compare with.
Their reaction was extremely fast, but Ye Ning was even faster.
With one punch, he struck down one ninja and then closed in on the other.
The remaining ninja had barely managed to bolt a dozen meters when Ye Ning caught up to him.
Putting on a brave front, the ninja formed hand seals, attempting to meet Ye Ning head-on.
As a result, Ye Ning brought down a palm brimming with terrifying Qi, directly tearing the ninja's hand seals to pieces.
That palm did not stop, landing squarely on the ninja and sending him flying sideways with his chest caved in.
Having slain the two of them, Ye Ning took out his phone and dialed Li Biao's number.
"Help me look up someone's address. His name is Yamaguchi Kazuo, a Dongying devil."
"Understood."
Li Biao responded immediately, without even asking what Ye Ning intended to do.
A smart subordinate only needs to execute orders.
.
Chapter 33: Vengeance Without Delay
Ye Ning had once said that if Yamaguchi Kazuo dared to make a move against him, he would finish him off.
Now that two Chunin had been sent to target him, Ye Ning naturally would not hold back.
As a man, his vengeance never waited until the next day; he always settled accounts on the spot.
Hanging up the phone, Ye Ning cast his gaze toward the distance.
"You've been following me all the way here, you can come out now, can't you?"
Following Ye Ning's words, a man with dyed blonde hair stepped out from the side.
He shrugged and said with a smile, "Don't misunderstand, I'm not with them. I just sensed some ninja activity and followed along. If you hadn't been able to beat them just now, I would have stepped in to help."
"People from the Butcher's Blade?" Ye Ning asked.
The blonde man's expression stiffened, a look of surprise crossing his face.
"You know about the Butcher's Blade?" the blonde man asked in astonishment.
His name was Zhao Yu, and he was indeed a member of the Butcher's Blade, specifically their person in charge in Xiaocheng.
"My grandmaster said that anyone wandering around the mountains who loves to meddle in other people's business must be from the Butcher's Blade," Ye Ning said.
Hearing that the other party was from the Butcher's Blade, he immediately relaxed his vigilance.
The Butcher's Blade had principles and would not easily attack people.
They were the protectors of Jiuzhou, and the Butcher's Blade was only ever unsheathed against foreign enemies.
"Your grandmaster really understands us quite well. That's right, I am indeed the person in charge of the Butcher's Blade in Xiaocheng. You can just call me Zhao Yu."
Zhao Yu said with a smile.
He was formidable in strength, already a first-rate martial artist.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been qualified to become the person in charge of a city.
Yet, facing Ye Ning, he had an inscrutable feeling that this person, younger than him, might actually be even stronger than he was.
"I'm going to kill Yamaguchi Kazuo. You won't try to stop me, will you?" Ye Ning asked.
Zhao Yu shook his head and said, "Of course not. He dared to send ninjas to kill you; I'd be more than thrilled if you killed him. In this dignified land of Jiuzhou, it's not the turn of Dongying people to run amok."
"Good."
Ye Ning said.
"Need any help? According to regulations, I'm fully authorized to act now," Zhao Yu said, looking rather excited.
Glancing at Zhao Yu, Ye Ning shook his head and said, "No need. You're too weak. If we really ran into a formidable enemy, I'd still have to look after you."
"A first-rate martial artist is considered weak?" Zhao Yu asked incredulously.
He stared fixedly at Ye Ning, wanting to know if he was saying this on purpose.
Yet, seeing the deadpan seriousness on Ye Ning's face, Zhao Yu grew dazed; the other party wasn't just saying it to provoke him—he genuinely believed it.
He, a dignified first-rate martial artist, wasn't even qualified to operate alongside the other party?
The next moment, a hand clamped around his throat.
Zhao Yu's entire body stiffened; he hadn't even caught a glimpse of how Ye Ning had made his move.
With a pair of terrified eyes fixed on Ye Ning, he finally understood why Ye Ning deemed him unqualified.
"What realm are you in, exactly?" Zhao Yu asked in shock.
Ye Ning released his grip on the man's throat and turned to leave.
Watching the direction of Ye Ning's departure, Zhao Yu reined in his expression, his eyes growing deep.
"At the very least, the Xiantian realm. This matter must be reported upward." Muttering to himself, Zhao Yu also departed.
Yet he knew full well that a storm was brewing in Xiaocheng.
If Yamaguchi Kazuo died, plenty of people would undoubtedly lose their composure.
Soon, Ye Ning received a reply from Li Biao, who provided him with an address.
However, Li Biao brought up another matter.
"Mr. Ye, someone wants to see you. They're from the Provincial Capital."
"Not seeing them."
Ye Ning hung up the phone.
Who did the other person think he was? Just because they wanted to see him, he was supposed to eagerly come running? That was simply out of the question.
Grand Canal Residence No. 1. Ye Ning had arrived.
This was Yamaguchi Kazuo's residence, where the couple owned a detached villa.
At that moment, their complexions were looking rather poor.
The two Chunin they had sent out had been out of contact, and when they tried to reach them, they received no response at all.
This gave them a sense of unease, suspecting in their hearts that something had gone wrong.
Yet, they dared not be entirely certain.
After all, two Chunin represented a formidable force.
"Did we let our guard down? That Jiuzhou person might actually be very strong," Yamaguchi Keiko said with a hint of worry.
"Rest assured, two Dongying Chunin are more than enough to kill him. Our Great Dongying ninjutsu is invincible," Yamaguchi Kazuo said with absolute confidence.
Yamaguchi Keiko nodded and said, "That is true. Since that Jiuzhou person dared to kill our son, he must pay with his life."
"Let's hurry up and make another son," Yamaguchi Kazuo said.
A blush instantly bloomed across Yamaguchi Keiko's face, and she reached out to undo her clothes.
Right at that moment, a flash of silver light streaked past, piercing straight through both of their heads in succession.
They collapsed to the ground, breathing their last.
In the darkness, a single figure departed, vanishing from sight.
After Ye Ning left, Zhao Yu's figure arrived at the scene.
Seeing the sight before him, his gaze flickered.
"That fellow employs ruthless methods, but I like it. There's no need to be too polite with those little Japanese devils," Zhao Yu muttered to himself.
He poured some powder over the two corpses, causing their bodies and clothing to dissolve away together.
"We need to buy some time for now. Those two dead fellows were ninjas from the Kazama family; the Kazama family won't let this rest. I just hope no Tennin makes a move."
A Tennin was the equivalent of a Xiantian martial artist standing above first-rate martial artists.
Once such an entity made a move, it would cause massive trouble.
The biggest issue was that guarding against a Tennin was no easy task.
"Before that happens, though, I reckon certain people won't be able to sit still much longer." With that, Zhao Yu sneered and turned to leave.
Ye Ning had already returned to the Lin Family estate. When he opened the door, Lin Xue and Su Qingqing were both sitting in the living room, clearly waiting for him.
Seeing Ye Ning return, both of them let out a sigh of relief.
"Where on earth did you go? Why are you coming back so late?" Su Qingqing's sharp gaze locked onto Ye Ning.
"I killed a few people," Ye Ning said calmly.
Su Qingqing: "..."
Lin Xue: "..."
Just moments before, Su Qingqing had told Lin Xue that Ye Ning had likely gone off to find Han Ziyan, urging her to come back and interrogate him.
After all, no matter how indifferent one pretended to be, one couldn't completely abandon their fiancé and let him run wild with other women.
Lin Xue had reluctantly agreed, but made Su Qingqing take the lead.
And yet, Ye Ning had just hit them with such an explosive piece of news.
"Whom did you kill?" Lin Xue asked.
"Yamaguchi Kazuo, the father and mother of Yamaguchi Kenichi. And two Chunin—ninjas, basically," Ye Ning replied.
Su Qingqing's reaction was instantaneous as she gasped, "When you told me to leave first earlier, it was because you sensed ninjas tailing us."
"Right, what else?" Ye Ning countered.
Su Qingqing was left speechless; she had assumed Ye Ning had gone off to chase after other women.
As it turned out, Ye Ning had actually gone out to kill people.
She had wronged him with her suspicions, a realization that instantly brought a flush of shame to her heart.
"Then why didn't you tell me? Am I just some kind of burden?" Su Qingqing complained with dissatisfaction, though even she felt she was being unreasonable.
"Aren't you?" Ye Ning retorted.
Su Qingqing: "..."
.
Chapter 34: Irritation
Su Qingqing's face darkened, and she turned and walked away.
She was primarily infuriated by Ye Ning; this fellow's words were simply too grating.
Seeing Su Qingqing grow angry, Lin Xue froze for a moment, then couldn't whether to laugh or cry.
"Could you phrase things a bit more tactfully? My cousin was actually really worried about you just now," Lin Xue reminded him in a soft voice.
Ye Ning nodded and said, "I know. I was just reminding her so she'd remember: next time she runs into a situation like that, she shouldn't hesitate for a second and just get away. That's the only way she won't get hurt."
Dawning realization struck Lin Xue.
"How far have things progressed between you and Han Ziyan?" Lin Xue asked suddenly.
Ye Ning fell silent.
No matter how direct he was, certain things couldn't just be stated flat out in person.
Lin Xue understood, a faint trace of sourness washing over her heart.
She smiled faintly and said, "I get it."
Glancing at the time, Lin Xue stuck out her tongue and said, "It's too late, let's get some sleep."
She stood up from the sofa and walked toward her bedroom.
Then Lin Xue paused, turning her gaze back to Ye Ning with an expression of seductive charm tinged with bashfulness.
"How about we share a room?"
Speechless, Ye Ning couldn't help rolling his eyes.
"Don't think I can't tell that your aunt is visiting."
"Haha!"
Lin Xue returned to her room, thoroughly amused.
She had done it on purpose just to provoke Ye Ning.
Who told this fellow to establish a relationship with Han Ziyan first, when she was clearly the one who had met Ye Ning first?
Yawning, Ye Ning turned and walked into his own room.
Silence settled over the house. Su Qingqing was fuming, mentally cursing Ye Ning up and down.
The guy was simply too detestable for daring to call her a burden.
Even though she knew full well that under those circumstances, she truly hadn't been of any use.
...
Before Zhao Yu left Yamaguchi Kazuo's villa,
Several figures arrived at the premises. Upon spotting the puddle of liquid on the ground and catching the pungent odor lingering in the air, their expressions shifted slightly.
"Corpse-dissolving fluid; Yamaguchi Kazuo has been murdered." The leader—a tall man with a sinister gaze—fixed his eyes on the puddle on the ground, his face turning ashen.
"Lord Kazama, who could have killed Yamaguchi Kazuo?" a retainer asked.
"Slap!"
Kazama Kuma delivered a sharp blow across his face.
"Baka! I came here with you—if you didn't know, how could I?"
The beaten Dongying man wore an awkward expression. He had intended to suck up to Kazama Kuma and highlight his brilliant wisdom, without thinking things through, only to end up kissing the horse's hoof instead.
Kazama Kuma's gaze remained sinister as he said coldly, "Check the surveillance."
Soon enough, his subordinates returned.
"My lord, the surveillance has been destroyed."
Kazama Kuma let out a cold snort, adopting a sagacious look. "I figured as much. It seems whoever killed Yamaguchi Kazuo is quite cunning."
His retainers muttered inwardly: *You figured it out, yet you still made us go check?*
Naturally, not a single person dared to voice these thoughts aloud.
"Investigate who has had conflicts with the Yamaguchi family recently, and we'll know who killed them."
"Understood."
A group of Dongying operatives sprang into action.
A look of regret flickered across Kazama Kuma's face as he muttered to himself, "What a waste of Yamaguchi Keiko; she was right in her prime and full of allure."
The group cleared out from the area.
Ye Ning had slept soundly. When he woke up, he discovered someone lying right on top of him.
Taking in his surroundings, he realized this was his own room.
Gazing at Su Qingqing, who was fast asleep while hugging him, Ye Ning was left speechless.
How on earth did this woman end up in his bed?
Appreciating Su Qingqing's exquisite features, Ye Ning pressed a light kiss to her lips.
Instantly, Su Qingqing snapped awake.
Finding a familiar face inches from hers, she let out a shriek.
Bang.
The bedroom door flew open, and Lin Xue stared in utter shock.
"Cousin, you guys..."
Before she could finish, she suddenly realized how inappropriate the scene was and slammed the door shut in a hurry.
"Sorry to interrupt, carry on."
Su Qingqing: "..."
Carry on my foot! Could someone please explain to her how she ended up in Ye Ning's bed in the first place?
Ye Ning sighed and remarked, "If you've got feelings for me, you can just say it. Why sneak into my room all stealthily?"
Gritting her teeth, Su Qingqing snapped, "Like hell I have feelings for you! Did you sneak me in here or something?"
Annoyed, Ye Ning retorted, "Don't you go framing me, or I won't be polite with you."
"Hmph, it has to be you, otherwise how could I possibly be in your room? You absolute fiend," Su Qingqing protested indignantly.
"You're calling me a fiend?" Danger flickered deep within Ye Ning's eyes.
Su Qingqing instantly tensed up. What was this guy planning to do?
"What are you doing?"
"Naturally, doing what a fiend is supposed to do."
Ye Ning chuckled evilly.
The next second, Su Qingqing felt herself being flipped over as a sturdy frame pinned her beneath him.
Just as she was about to cry out, her lips were sealed.
The temperature between the two of them steadily climbed.
Su Qingqing's mind grew hazy, and she found herself losing control.
The barriers between them grew fewer and fewer.
Just as Ye Ning was about to truly launch his conquest, a knock suddenly rang out on the bedroom door.
"Ye Ning, someone's looking for you, hurry up and come out!"
Ye Ning's face turned completely black, and anger flared in his eyes.
They were *this* close! To be interrupted at a time like this gave him an almost irresistible urge to commit murder.
Taking a deep breath, Ye Ning forcefully suppressed the fury burning in his chest.
He got up from the bed, put on his clothes, and walked outside.
Su Qingqing breathed a heavy sigh of relief, overwhelmed by the sensation of having narrowly escaped disaster.
Just a second longer, and she would have been devoured.
Standing by the doorway, Lin Xue saw Ye Ning's blackened expression, then caught a glimpse of the scene inside. She froze for a moment before whispering, "Did I ruin something good for you?"
Ye Ning pulled Lin Xue straight into his arms, murmuring softly beside her ear, "Once your aunt leaves, you're going to compensate me for today's losses."
He casually pinched her rounded curves as he spoke, prompting a startled gasp from Lin Xue.
Her heart hammered against her ribs, and two flushes of red bloomed across her cheeks.
"Where's the guest?" Ye Ning asked.
"In the living room, Dad is entertaining them. Go on ahead; I heard the visitor has quite a backing—probably a big shot from the Provincial Capital with something very important to discuss," Lin Xue said.
Ye Ning's expression darkened further. A big shot from the Provincial Capital? Wasn't that the very fellow Li Biao had mentioned?
He hadn't gone to see the guy, yet the guy had come looking for him instead.
Letting out a cold snort, he strode toward the living room.
Lin Xue felt a twinge of worry—not for Ye Ning, but for that fellow from the Provincial Capital.
Ye Ning was currently holding back a bellyful of irritation. She just hoped the guy from the Provincial Capital wouldn't utter any nonsense, or else he definitely wouldn't come to a good end.
With a dark expression, Ye Ning arrived at the Lin family living room.
Lin Muhua was conversing with a middle-aged man who had two bodyguards standing behind him. At a glance, they were clearly skilled individuals radiating a murderous aura—the sort who frequently saw bloodshed.
Ye Ning's gloomy entrance instantly drew everyone's attention.
.
Chapter 35: Speak to Me on Your Knees
The man glanced sideways at Ye Ning and asked indifferently, "You're Ye Ning?"
His bearing was immensely arrogant, as if he completely failed to register Ye Ning's existence.
His two subordinates wore the exact same expression, eyeing Ye Ning with a trace of disdain—the kind of look one reserved for country bumpkins.
Merely a city outside the Provincial Capital; just how formidable could the controllers of their underground world possibly be?
Fearing the fellow was already scared out of his wits just seeing him arrive here,
the middle-aged man thought smugly to himself, his expression growing increasingly contemptuous.
"Let me introduce myself, I'm from the Provincial Capital, you—"
Thud.
Before he could finish speaking, a kick from Ye Ning sent him flying through the air.
Following up instantly, Ye Ning planted his foot squarely on the middle-aged man's head and said coldly, "Who gave you permission to stand while talking to me? Get on your knees."
Lin Muhua was dumbfounded; Ye Ning was far too hot-headed!
The other party was a subordinate of a big shot from the Provincial Capital, and now that Ye Ning had beaten him up, it would likely be difficult to smooth things over.
Ye Ning had indeed sensed the man's attitude—that blatant contempt and disdain, treating him as an absolute nobody.
Since that was the case, he naturally felt no need to be polite.
The middle-aged man had been beaten half-senseless. With his head pinned beneath a foot, standing up was entirely out of the question.
Seeing his two subordinates still standing there in a daze, the man roared furiously, "What are you idiots standing around for?! Why aren't you making a move? Are you just going to watch him beat me to death?"
Only then did the two recover their senses, rushing forward directly.
Ye Ning's gaze turned frosty. Keeping his foot planted on the man's head, he swept out his other leg.
The man's two subordinates were sent flying by the sweep, collapsing onto the floor and twitching.
Enduring the excruciating pain, they reached frantically into their coats, intending to draw their firearms.
Ye Ning stated coldly, "If you dare pull those guns, all three of you die today."
Faced with Ye Ning's icy stare, the two subordinates instantly froze, not daring to make a single move.
They had a gut feeling that if they dared to draw their weapons, this man named Ye Ning would kill them on the spot.
Swallowing hard, the two didn't dare to act further.