"I'm not afraid of bullets. Are you?"
"Watch out! He's got a gun!" someone screamed in terror.
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a hail of bullets tore through his body.
Holding twin pistols, Ye Chen emptied a magazine, immediately tossed them aside, and grabbed another pair. The ground was littered with bodies and weapons, giving him an endless supply.
He didn't even bother dodging incoming bullets. Protected by his formidable true qi, they couldn't harm a single hair on his head. Every bullet stopped three inches from his body as if striking an invisible wall of brass and iron, flattening into blossoms of lead before dropping harmlessly to the ground.
Meanwhile, Ye Chen fired mercilessly. Even experts of the Grandmaster Realm and Martial King Realm could dodge a single bullet, but could they dodge an entire barrage?
In an instant, bullets flew wildly across the courtyard. Many thugs died not by Ye Chen's hands, but under the crossfire of their own comrades.
"Shoot! Blast him to pieces!" the King of Jiangnan ordered in panic and fury.
"My Lord, we can't kill this bastard!"
"Guns don't work on him at all!" someone shouted back.
How were they supposed to fight someone who wasn't even afraid of bullets?
"Charge! Kill him!" the King of Jiangnan barked again. "If he doesn't die, all of you will!"
Just then, a stray bullet zipped past, grazing his ear with a sharp whiz. Half of his ear was sheared off instantly, blood pouring out in a torrent.
"Ahhh!"
"Protect me! Someone protect me!" the King of Jiangnan screamed.
Clutching his bloody ear, he scrambled behind his dragon throne in terror, curling up into a pathetic ball and trembling from head to toe. He had only lost half an ear, but acted as if he had lost half his life.
Four Martial King Realm personal guards immediately moved into formation before the King of Jiangnan to shield him.
Gunfire echoed ceaselessly across the courtyard amidst flashes of muzzle flare. Guards collapsed one after another. Ye Chen tore through their ranks as if walking through an empty field, slaughtering indiscriminately.
Within a mere minute, over three hundred men were reduced to a scattered handful of battered remnants.
Ye Chen tossed aside his empty weapons, deciding to use his bare fists to sweep away the remaining obstacles.
The dozen or so men still standing were all Martial King Realm guards—the King of Jiangnan's proudest force. With these lackeys at his disposal, no one had ever dared challenge his rule over Jiang Province.
Yet these usually arrogant and domineering enforcers were now trembling uncontrollably. Facing the invincible Ye Chen, their fighting spirit was utterly broken. All they wanted was to flee and preserve their lives.
But Ye Chen would never grant them that chance.
Today, not a single living soul would walk out of this place alive!
"Go! All of you, attack!"
"Stop him! Stop him for me!"
The King of Jiangnan shoved his four personal guards forward while scrambling backward in a panic.
"Old thief, you can't run!" Ye Chen leaped forward.
A dozen guards stepped up to block his path, only to be struck dead with a single wave of Ye Chen's hand.
As the King of Jiangnan fled, he felt a terrifying killing intent closing in from behind. Looking back, he saw Ye Chen right on top of him.
"Aargh!"
Terrified, the King of Jiangnan stumbled and crashed face-first onto the ground, knocking out two of his front teeth. Ignoring the searing pain, he scrambled to get back up and run.
Before he could even rise halfway, Ye Chen's foot slammed down onto his back.
*Thud!*
A dull crack resounded as the King of Jiangnan's body slammed against the floor, instantly shattering several of his ribs.
Across the vast courtyard, hundreds of corpses lay strewn in rivers of blood. Not a single living person remained standing. Every last hound who had served the King of Jiangnan was dead on the spot—a fate they richly deserved.
"Still trying to run, old thief?" Ye Chen's voice was chillingly cold.
His bloodshot eyes burned with terrifying murderous intent. The once-mighty King of Jiangnan was now pinned beneath his boot. With just a slight application of force, he could end the old wretch's life.
"No, no! I won't run!"
"Let's talk this out! Please don't kill me!"
"I know you came for that thing. I'll give it back to you, I swear!"
Sprawled like a dog in the dirt, the King of Jiangnan pleaded for mercy through a mouthful of blood. The haughty, invincible ruler had vanished, replaced by a cowardly wretch terrified of death.
"Tell me!" Ye Chen roared in fury. "Where is Lin Ruoyi? Hand her over right now!"
Until he saw that Ruoyi was safe and unharmed, his wrath would not subside.
"Ah! My back!" the King of Jiangnan wailed again. Even though Ye Chen hadn't applied much force, the old man felt as if his spine was snapping.
"Who is Lin Ruoyi? I don't know anyone by that name!" the King of Jiangnan shouted, completely bewildered.
"Don't play dumb, old thief!" Ye Chen snarled. "You sent people to kidnap Lin Ruoyi! Hand her over immediately!"
"I never sent anyone to kidnap any Lin Ruoyi! I really don't know who you're talking about!" Gritting his teeth through the pain, the King of Jiangnan was utterly baffled.
"You didn't have Lin Ruoyi kidnapped?!" Ye Chen's brow furrowed.
Judging by the old man's genuine reaction, he wasn't lying. Could it be that someone else had taken Ruoyi?!
"I truly didn't kidnap her! If you don't believe me, search the place yourself! Did you make a mistake?"
The King of Jiangnan shook his head repeatedly. Suddenly, it dawned on him: Ye Chen hadn't stormed his estate because he discovered the truth and wanted that item back—he had come for a woman?!
At this realization, the King of Jiangnan felt both speechless and aggrieved. What kind of woman could make this kid go on such a rampage? And what bastard had kidnapped the kid's woman and framed him for it, reducing him to this miserable state? Damn it all!
"It wasn't you who kidnapped Ruoyi..." Ye Chen was momentarily stunned.
It was now certain that another group had taken her. In other words, had he come to the wrong person?
Well... on second thought, he had planned to kill the King of Jiangnan anyway, so it wasn't really a mistake!
Yet his fury burned hotter with worry for Ruoyi's safety. The kidnapper had said they would contact him again, but there had been no word since. Who had taken Ruoyi, and where was she now?!
"You definitely got the wrong person, right? Someone framed me!"
"Please spare my life! I won't hold it against you that you killed so many of my men!"
"Please? I only beg for a way out!"
Enduring excruciating pain, the King of Jiangnan humbled himself and begged. To survive, he had no choice but to lower his proud head.
"Save your breath! There is no way out for you," Ye Chen replied coldly, rejecting his pleas. "You said earlier that I came for 'that thing.' What were you talking about?"
Ye Chen recalled the slip of the tongue. He was certain the King of Jiangnan was hiding something—something that very likely belonged to the Ye family!
"N-no... I didn't say anything about a thing," the King of Jiangnan denied at once, playing dumb as a cunning gleam flashed across his eyes. If this kid hadn't come for that treasure, he would never give it up. That item was an irreplaceable supreme artifact!
"Don't test my patience! Where is it?"
Ye Chen stomped down hard. He had no time to waste on this old wretch when he needed to save Ruoyi.
*Crack!*
The King of Jiangnan's spine snapped under his foot.
"Ahhh!"
"Don't kill me! I'll tell you!" the King of Jiangnan shrieked, yielding instantly. He knew full well that this ruthless kid wouldn't hesitate to kill him.
"Lead the way!"
Ye Chen grabbed the back of the King of Jiangnan's collar, hoisting the half-paralyzed man up.
"Ahead..." the King of Jiangnan pointed with a contorted face, dangling limply like a boneless shrimp. The ruler who once held Jiang Province in his palm now had his life in another's hands.
Ye Chen passed through several rooms before reaching an underground vault.
Beneath the estate lay a massive secret chamber filled with gold, silver, jewelry, antiques, calligraphy, and paintings—all the rare treasures the King of Jiangnan had plundered over the years. The wealth stored here was immeasurable.
Ye Chen didn't spare a glance at the dazzling hoard. Carrying the King of Jiangnan, he strode quickly into a hidden chamber within the vault.
In that small inner room sat only a single object: a palm-sized white jade talisman carved in the shape of a coiled dragon.
"This is..."
Ye Chen picked up the jade talisman and inspected it closely. On its back was engraved a tiny character: *Ye*.
"Tell me where this jade talisman came from!" Ye Chen demanded furiously. He had never seen it before, but there was no doubt it belonged to the Ye family.
"I'll talk, I'll talk..." Terrified of dying, the King of Jiangnan dared not hold back and laid bare everything that had happened back then.
Three years ago, he was the mastermind who directed the Sun and Zhao families to strike against the Ye family, all to seize the Ye family's heirloom treasure—this Dragon Soul Jade Talisman!
According to legend, it was an heirloom left by the Ye family's ancestors, capable of granting immortality to its wielder.
"Old thief, so you truly were behind the destruction of my Ye family!"
"Today, you die!"
Having learned the truth, Ye Chen's fury soared to new heights. They had murdered his family all for an heirloom treasure!
Yet the existence of this heirloom had been a secret guarded by the Ye family for generations—not even Ye Chen had known about it. How had the King of Jiangnan found out?
In his raging state, Ye Chen had no mind to ponder this. All he wanted was to end the King of Jiangnan and rush off to rescue Ruoyi.
"You can't kill me! Please spare me!"
"If you kill me, God of War Dongfang, who rules the five eastern provinces, will never let you get away with it!"
"If you let me live, we can pretend nothing happened today, and we'll never cross paths again!"
Trembling all over, the King of Jiangnan begged miserably, bringing up his ultimate backer in a desperate bid to intimidate Ye Chen. In his heart, he swore that if he survived today, he would make this insolent brat pay a hundredfold!
"I don't know who God of War Dongfang is, nor do I care," Ye Chen said, seizing the King of Jiangnan by the throat. His grip tightened steadily. "No matter how powerful your backer is, no one can save you now!"
"D-don't be reckless! You might be powerful, but God of War Dongfang is someone you cannot afford to offend! You..."
The King of Jiangnan's face contorted as he forced out words, but before he could finish, Ye Chen snapped his neck without hesitation.
Ye Chen repaid every grudge, and he repaid them immediately! As for the consequences, he couldn't care less.
The King of Jiangnan's corpse slumped to the floor, his eyes wide in gruesome death. The arrogant regional overlord had met a wretched end.
Taking the Dragon Soul Jade Talisman, Ye Chen left the secret chamber without casting a second glance at the vast wealth. His only concern was Ruoyi's safety.
He exited the corpse-strewn estate. Not a single soul remained alive inside the King of Jiangnan's manor. Since ordinary people were forbidden from entering, it would likely be days before anyone discovered the carnage, by which time the bodies would already be rotting.
Ye Chen got into his car and sped back toward Jiangbei.
On the way, his phone rang. The caller ID showed Ruoyi's number.
"Brat, are you squirming like an ant on a hot pan?"
"Worried you'll never see your woman again?"
"Hahahahaha..."
The moment the call connected, the person on the other end gloated with mocking laughter, convinced Ye Chen had been waiting anxiously by the phone as if awaiting his own death sentence.
Little did the kidnapper know that taking Lin Ruoyi had brought about the King of Jiangnan's premature demise. When he eventually went to the underworld, the King of Jiangnan and his army of ghosts would surely give him a warm welcome!
"Cut the crap! Tell me where you are!" Ye Chen barked furiously. The moment he had a location, he would take the bastard's head!
"Panicking already? Hahahaha!"
"I'll warn you one more time: watch your tone with me, or I can crush your woman's neck at any moment!" the man threatened with a sinister sneer.
"Don't you dare!" Ye Chen roared. "Tell me where you are right now!"
"Heh, look at you rushing! I'm waiting for you at the abandoned factory on the northern outskirts. If you have the guts, come save your woman!"
"If you're not here by eight tonight, get ready to collect her corpse!"
"She might be an ugly freak, but she's still a woman. Before she dies, I'll make sure my boys have a good time with her!" The man let out a vile, lecherous laugh.
"If you dare lay a finger on her, I will grind your bones to dust and scatter the ashes!" Ye Chen warned coldly. "I want to confirm she's safe. Put Ruoyi on the phone!"
Now that he had their location, things were simple. He would go there and slaughter the entire gang!
"Fine, I'll let you hear her voice. Drag the woman over!" the man ordered.
"Brother Ye Chen! Mmph..."
Soon, Lin Ruoyi's terrified sobs came through the speaker.
"Ruoyi, don't be afraid! I'm coming to save you right now! Don't be scared, wait for me!"
Hearing her cry tore Ye Chen's heart apart. Gritting his teeth, he floored the accelerator to race toward her at top speed. He could not leave Ruoyi in terror and despair for another second!
"Brother Ye Chen, don't come! There's a whole group waiting in ambush for you! They have guns! Don't come..." Lin Ruoyi cried out, not wanting him to walk into danger for her sake.
"Damn bitch, who told you to flap your mouth?!"
*Slap!*
"Drag her away, hurry!"
A man's sharp reprimand sounded from the phone, followed by a crisp slap—Lin Ruoyi had clearly taken a brutal blow across the face.
"Brother Ye Chen, whatever you do, don't come! You—mmph..."
Lin Ruoyi tried to scream more, but she was dragged away and gagged once again. She knew these kidnappers had laid a deadly ambush for Ye Chen, and with guns in their hands, he would be walking into grave danger. She didn't want both of them to die...
"Ruoyi!"
"I will save you!" Ye Chen yelled, desperate for her to hear.
Ruoyi wasn't worried about herself; she was worried about his safety! How could he possibly abandon her?
As for mortal danger? That didn't exist for him. The only ones in mortal danger were his enemies! He was going to crush those bastards!
"Doesn't matter if you heard, brat—you have to come anyway!"
"If you don't show up, your woman is done for!"
"If you're afraid to die, beg me right now. Maybe I'll take pity and let her live!" the man taunted smugly over the phone, brazenly exploiting Ye Chen's weakness.
"Cut the crap! Wait there and prepare to die!" Ye Chen roared and slammed the call shut.
He pressed on at maximum speed to claim their wretched lives!
On the highway, a red sports car tore through the night like a streak of lightning. Surprised drivers looked on in astonishment, wondering what kind of blur had just flown past them.
The clock ticked toward 7:55 PM.
In an abandoned factory on the northern outskirts of Jiangbei.
"Time's almost up. Why isn't that punk here yet?"
"He talked big on the phone, but maybe he chickened out?"
"If he doesn't show, then this little lady... tsk tsk..." a man said disdainfully.
"If you ask me, he's too scared to come!" another man sneered with an Island Nation accent. "Why keep standing around here feeding mosquitoes? Let's enjoy this girl and wrap things up!"
"Captain, give the order! The boys can hardly wait!" a white man said, rubbing his hands together.
More men eyed Lin Ruoyi, whose hands and feet were bound as she lay on the floor, their lust barely contained.
"Look at you all, drooling like dogs!"
"I can't believe you're interested in an ugly freak like her. I'm truly disappointed in you boys," a seductive woman in a leather jacket and pants mocked disdainfully, casting a venomous glare at Lin Ruoyi.
"Mmph... mmph..."
Bound and gagged on the floor, Lin Ruoyi could only let out muffled whimpers. The bandages on her face had already been torn off by the thugs.
Listening to their vile conversation, fear and fury warred within her. If these bastards tried anything, she would bite off her tongue and kill herself! She would never let them defile her!
"Time's up."
"Looks like that coward really didn't dare to show."
"Do whatever you want with her, just don't kill her. She's still useful," the man in sunglasses said in disappointment after checking his watch.
He stroked the gun in his hand. The target he had planned to kill had failed to appear after all.