A group of Grandmaster Realm lieutenants stood fearless and glared angrily.
"This is the funeral site of the Ye family."
"May I ask why the King of Jiangnan is here?"
Ye Chen looked directly at the new King of Jiangnan sitting in the car and asked coldly.
His voice echoed across the entire scene.
Inside the car, the King of Jiangnan was resting with his eyes closed, paying no attention to the voice.
"Brat, who the hell do you think you are, daring to speak to our King like that!"
"Can't you see our King is..."
The field-grade officer grew more arrogant, stepping forward two steps to bark orders.
Before he could finish, his face twisted sideways as he spat a mouthful of blood and flew backward.
"And who the hell do you think you are, daring to speak to me like that!"
Ye Chen said in an icy voice.
Just now, he had merely flicked his hand where he stood.
The speed was so fast that none of the people present even saw it clearly.
The onlookers on both sides were struck with utter astonishment upon seeing the King of Jiangnan's officer get hit.
Everyone stared at Ye Chen in shock.
He actually dared to strike the guards of the King of Jiangnan!
Was he tired of living?!
It's over, a huge disaster is about to happen!
Unfortunately, the onlookers did not yet know that the previous King of Jiangnan had been killed by Ye Chen.
Had they known, they wouldn't have been so shocked.
Behind them, Lin Ruoyi was slightly startled.
Fortunately, she knew the inside story; otherwise, she would surely have been even more shocked and terrified than the onlookers.
Beside her, Gao Lan was completely dumbfounded at that moment.
Like the other residents of Jiangbei, she stared in disbelief at Ye Chen's back.
This man dared to openly challenge the King of Jiangnan!
What on earth... what on earth was he thinking?!
"You little brat, you dare resort to violence!"
"Do you know who we represent? We represent the King of Jiangnan!"
"Showing disrespect to the King of Jiangnan is punishable by death!"
Another Martial King Realm field-grade officer stepped forward, pointing at Ye Chen and rebuking him angrily.
"Execution without mercy!"
"Execution without mercy!"
The Grandmaster Realm lieutenants immediately began shouting along.
Their shouts shook the heavens, and their murderous intent was palpable, as if they intended to slaughter Ye Chen on the spot.
The onlookers on both sides stood frozen in place, not daring to move rashly.
Oh no!
Now a real disaster was coming!
"The funeral of the Ye family is no place for scum like you to run your mouths!"
A cold glint flashed in Ye Chen's eyes.
He threw a punch through the air.
The swaggering officer had no power to parry as the blow struck him squarely in the chest.
He spat a mouthful of dark blood and flew backward, crashing into the hood of the luxury convertible behind him.
The group of Grandmaster Realm lieutenants was also blown away by the force of the punch, scattering in disarray as they crashed to the ground.
The hundred-odd guards following behind the luxury car immediately rushed forward to reinforce their ranks.
Seeing this, the Jiangbei onlookers, already in shock, were stunned all over again.
They were all certain of one thing:
Ye Chen was going to go head-to-head with the King of Jiangnan to the very end!
Though they said nothing aloud, in their hearts they were silently cheering him on.
For this King of Jiangnan to bring people to a funeral site was simply going too far in his bullying!
With his luxury convertible wrecked, the new King of Jiangnan in the car could finally no longer sit still.
He slowly opened his eyes and stepped out of the car with a gloomy expression.
He was Wu Tian, one of the War Generals under the God of War Dongfang, appointed as the new King of Jiangnan.
A newly appointed official always implements three new measures to assert authority.
And this first fire of his, Wu Tian was going to burn right on Ye Chen's head!
"New King of Jiangnan, I'll ask you once more: what are you here for?"
"If you're looking to humiliate yourself, get lost immediately."
Ye Chen glared coldly at the King of Jiangnan, issuing a warning.
Today was an important moment for the Ye family funeral, and he did not want to make a huge fuss against this new king.
However, if the other party failed to appreciate what was good for them, that would be a different story!
He had been able to kill the previous King of Jiangnan, and he could kill the one before him just as easily!
"Brat, you are so arrogant, daring to use such an attitude and tone to speak to me!"
"Coming here today, of course, is to attend your Ye family's funeral, and by the way, to deliver a grand gift to you."
"Men, bring the grand gift up!"
Wu Tian sneered as he gave the order, looking down upon the person before him with haughty disdain.
Eight lieutenants immediately carried forward a massive object covered by a white cloth, dropping it onto the ground with a heavy thud.
Wu Tian stepped forward and ripped the white cloth away.
It was startlingly an iron coffin!
The onlookers present were instantly seized with immense shock.
Everyone knew what presenting an iron coffin meant!
It was a curse wishing someone a violent death and eternal damnation!
For the King of Jiangnan to send such a thing at a funeral was simply too vicious!
"Many people in your Ye family have died, so His Majesty has specially sent you a coffin!"
"How is it? Is this gift thoughtful enough?"
The King of Jiangnan laughed aloud, staring coldly at Ye Chen with a triumphant and arrogant expression.
"Lord King of Jiangnan specifically sends the Ye family a coffin!"
All the guards shouted in unison, making it crystal clear to the tens of thousands of onlookers present.
This was a public humiliation of the Ye family!
The citizens who had once received kindness from the Ye family instantly burned with fury.
This King of Jiangnan was bullying them too outrageously; how utterly deserving of death he was!
Yet in front of the King of Jiangnan, they could only feel rage without daring to voice it.
After all, this was an existence they never dared to provoke!
"I know your purpose in coming here now."
"You came here to court death!"
Murderous intent erupted in Ye Chen's eyes!
Since the newly appointed King of Jiangnan was seeking his own destruction, he would grant his wish!
"You little brat, what do you mean? You actually dare to lay a hand on me?"
"Listen well, I am the King of Jiangnan appointed by the God of War Dongfang!"
"Just try touching a single hair of mine! Come on, try it?"
Wu Tian smiled triumphantly and savagely.
He was nothing like that dead former King of Jiangnan, who had lacked any real skill of his own and cowered like a dog!
He had actually allowed someone to break into his residence and be beheaded!
It was simply a disgrace to Lord God of War!
"Then I shall satisfy your request!"
"The coffin you brought along is just the right size for you!"
Ye Chen couldn't help letting out a cold laugh.
Chapter 33: A person takes responsibility for his own actions
This was the first time he had ever heard a request that actively sought death.
He simply had to fulfill it for the other party!
"Such big words!"
"Daring to oppose His Majesty, you truly know neither the heights of heaven nor the depths of the earth!"
"Today I will make you lose your life right here, and ensure your Ye family line is utterly extinguished! Hahahaha!"
Wu Tian burst out laughing loudly.
Over a hundred guards stood at full alert.
These men were all field and company-grade officers he had brought with him, utterly loyal to him.
Hearing this, Lin Ruoyi in the back grew instantly furious, clenching her fists tightly.
She truly wanted to kill this King of Jiangnan to vent the hatred in her heart!
Only, she did not have that capability!
"Disturbing the peace of the departed souls of my Ye family—die!"
Ye Chen shouted angrily, then flashed forward to make his move, throwing a punch straight at the King of Jiangnan!
"Attack!"
"Obliterate this brat!"
The eight Martial King Realm field officers roared, taking the lead to rush forward and intercept him, attempting to join forces and kill Ye Chen.
Yet, with a single punch from Ye Chen, the eight officers and a dozen or so lieutenants in the rear were blasted directly into the air!
Their meridians shattered completely, and they died on the spot, utterly unable to withstand a single blow!
The remaining guards were struck with terror upon seeing the might of that punch.
How—how could this brat possess such terrifying power?!
Lin Ruoyi, Gao Lan, and the onlookers had their jaws drop straight to the floor at this sight!
Good grief, this was simply too formidable!
They even began to feel a surge of excitement, longing to watch Ye Chen give the King of Jiangnan a brutal beating!
The King of Jiangnan's expression darkened slightly, though he remained calm and collected.
Knowing that Ye Chen was in the Martial Emperor Realm, he did not show excessive surprise.
"All of you, fall back to the side."
"I will personally obliterate this brat!"
Wu Tian gave the command, then stepped forward full of confidence with his fists clenched, the aura on his body erupting violently.
Martial Emperor Realm!
Every single War General under the God of War Dongfang possessed the strength of a Tier 5 Martial Emperor Realm!
On the battlefield, they were existences capable of fighting ten thousand alone!
The guards obediently retreated to either side.
Since His Majesty the King was about to strike, there would only be one outcome: this punk surnamed Ye was a dead man!
Daring to oppose the King of Jiangnan had only one end—certain death!
"Want to kill me? You're hardly worthy!"
"You should know how your predecessor died!"
Ye Chen sneered, his eyes filled with utter contempt.
Mere Martial Emperor Realm trash, yet daring to act so rampant before him!
"I am nothing like that previous piece of trash!"
"You little punk, prepare to meet your doom!"
Wu Tian roared, suddenly leaping into the air and launching an initiative attack.
Clenching his iron fist, he drove a punch straight at Ye Chen's face.
That single punch stirred up flying sand and stones, darkening the heavens and earth!
The terrifying murderous intent caused everyone watching to change color!
"Tch."
Ye Chen spat, then casually and calmly met the opponent's blow with a punch of his own.
Boom!
The two fists collided with a thunderous explosion.
The resulting terrifying shockwave blasted the surrounding circle of guards flying in all directions!
Immediately following, a sharp crack echoed out.
The King of Jiangnan's expression changed abruptly, twisting in agony.
"Ah! My hand!!"
He shrieked in misery, for the bones in one of his arms had been smashed to smithy!
Fear instantly flooded his entire face!
Could this brat's strength actually be above the Martial Emperor Realm?!
"Go to hell!"
Ye Chen did not retract his fist, driving it forward relentlessly until the flesh and blood on the King of Jiangnan's arm burst apart.
Then, another punch struck the King of Jiangnan squarely on the jaw.
Another sharp crack rang out.
The King of Jiangnan's jawbone shattered entirely, sending a mouthful of bloody teeth flying out!
The King of Jiangnan was blown backward through the air, crashing down into his luxury convertible.
Blood sprayed from his entire body as he hung on by a last, dying breath!
The guards, who had just been feeling triumphant and cheering for their King, were frozen in utter shock at this sight!
Their War General, their King of Jiangnan, was actually no match for this brat!
How could this be possible?!
An unprecedented terror began to spread through their bodies!
The Jiangbei onlookers watching this scene were likewise frozen in place.
Yet on their faces, there was no terror, only wild elation!
That punch had been profoundly satisfying to witness!
"Good!"
"Well hit!"
Someone bold in the crowd suddenly couldn't help shouting out loud!
How could a scene like this not stir one's passions?!
Prompted by that single person, a whole group of people began raising their arms and cheering!
In that moment, they seemed to no longer fear the power of the King of Jiangnan at all!
"Brother Ye Chen is amazing!"
Lin Ruoyi couldn't help cheering aloud either.
Her Brother Ye Chen was simply beyond handsome!
"..."
Beside her, Gao Lan was so shocked her jaw hung wide open, forming a large circle.
Ye Chen leaped through the air, bringing his foot down squarely onto the King of Jiangnan's chest.
Boom!
The luxury convertible beneath Wu Tian instantly collapsed into a pile of scrap metal.
He spat another mouthful of dark blood, and his lingering breath of life vanished by more than half!
"You brought this upon yourself!"
Ye Chen looked down from above, gazing at the King of Jiangnan with utter disdain, much like stepping on an ant beneath his feet.
"Cough, cough..."
"Kill... kill him..."
Wu Tian spat black blood as he issued the slurred command.
His ribs were completely fractured, the broken bones piercing deep into his internal organs!
The surrounding guards looked at each other in dismay upon hearing the order, none daring to rush forward rashly.
In their eyes at that moment, Ye Chen was no longer human, but a terrifying Grimship!
Yet, there were always those who didn't know what was good for them.
"Protect our King!"
"Charge with me! Let's kill him together!"
Someone roared, taking the lead in a desperate suicidal charge.
Dozens of fiercely loyal individuals, all in the Martial King Realm, disregarded their lives and rushed forward, vainly hoping to rescue their King.
"Then go keep your King company in death!"
A cold glint flashed across Ye Chen's eyes as he threw out a few punches.
The dozens of Martial King Realm guards who rushed forward were as fragile as paper, sent flying in all directions!
After hurtling several meters through the air, they perished on the spot.
"Anyone else?!"
"Want to come court death?"
Ye Chen cast a cold glance around the circle of surrounding guards.
Swept by that icy gaze, every last guard felt their heart turn cold, their entire body trembling uncontrollably!
This was the terror of being stared down by death itself!
All the guards stood frozen in place, not daring to twitch a muscle!
Whoever moved would die!
"Now, time for you to hit the road!"
Ye Chen slowly increased the pressure of his foot.
"Pfft, pfft..."
"I am a subordinate of the God of War Dongfang!"
"If you dare kill me, Lord God of War will make the entire population of Jiangbei pay with their lives!"
Wu Tian coughed up blood frantically, mustering his last ounce of strength to utter the threat.
He pulled out his ultimate backing, the God of War Dongfang, believing that Ye Chen would never dare to kill him!
He did not know that the previous King of Jiangnan had said the exact same words, and by now his corpse was already completely cold.
Upon hearing this, the onlookers present all wore expressions of apprehension.
If the King of Jiangnan died in Jiangbei, the wrath of the God of War might indeed bring disaster upon the city!
"If the God of War you speak of is the same trash as you, then he deserves to die as well!"
"Today, no one can save you!"
Ye Chen brought his foot down with crushing force.
Dust billowed everywhere!
The King of Jiangnan's chest was stomped completely through, a mangled mess of flesh and blood!
His final breath was utterly extinguished!
Ye Chen then grabbed the King of Jiangnan's corpse and casually tossed it straight into the iron coffin.
"Collect the body and get lost!"
Ye Chen ordered the remaining guards.
"Yes, yes, yes..."
The guards nodded repeatedly, trembling so violently they could barely walk.
They hurriedly hoisted the iron coffin and dragged their companion's corpse away in a panicked flight.
"Go back and deliver a message."
"I, Ye Chen, killed this man. A person takes responsibility for his own actions, and this has nothing to do with the people of Jiangbei!"
Ye Chen said in a deep voice.
Chapter 34: You're hurting me
As soon as those words were spoken, all the onlookers turned to gaze at Ye Chen.
He was taking all the trouble entirely upon himself!
Although this was something Ye Chen had done single-handedly, hearing him say this still filled the crowd with immense emotion and reverence.
With such a scion, the Ye family was bound to rise again!
This was nothing short of a blessing for Jiangbei!
The King of Jiangnan's guards dared only nod their assent repeatedly, not uttering a single superfluous word.
Like stray dogs, they shrank their bodies and fled in a panic.
"Bah!"
"You deserved to die! Serves you right!"
"Preying on the common folk and committing every evil imaginable!!"
Furious citizens directly spat upon the corpse inside the iron coffin, venting the grievances that had accumulated in their hearts over many years!
Yet the King of Jiangnan's guards dared not react in the slightest.
Seeing this, even more people began spitting at the iron coffin.
The populace seemed to project all their hatred toward the former King of Jiangnan onto this new King of Jiangnan who hadn't even lasted a single day!
For this new King of Jiangnan was only more vicious than his predecessor!
The guards would never have dreamed that their noble-status King would not only die a miserable death, but be subjected to such humiliation even after passing away!
At that moment, they were like street rats chased by everyone.
Amidst the curses of the crowd, the guards tucked their tails between their legs and fled in panic, not daring to linger for even a second, fearing that if they left too late, their own lives would be forfeit here as well.
"Good!"
"Well done!!"
Enthusiastic cheers and applause erupted within the crowd.
They were cheering for Ye Chen, celebrating a great victory!
Lin Ruoyi looked at Ye Chen, her eyes welling with tears.
Her Brother Ye Chen was clearly an extraordinarily dazzling hero in the eyes of all!
Beside her, Gao Lan had hearts practically popping out of her eyes, gazing with boundless adoration at the man before her!
This was the true king of her heart!
She would gladly follow such a man and do anything for him—even surrender her life!
Until four or five minutes later, the roaring applause and cheers finally subsided.
"Thank you, elders and fellow villagers, for your applause, and thank you for coming to attend this funeral."
"I, Ye Chen, take full responsibility for my actions. If that God of War comes to demand accountability, I will bear it."
"There is no need for anyone to worry. The funeral concludes here, everyone disperse."
Ye Chen expressed his heartfelt gratitude.
The things he did would never implicate the people of Jiangbei.
"We aren't afraid!"
"We support you!"
The people shouted in unison.
Though they lacked the power to help Ye Chen, they offered their full spiritual backing!
Watching the people who supported him, Ye Chen smiled heartily.
If the God of War dared to vent his anger on these ordinary people because of him, he would be the first to object!
Night fell.
Before the Ye family tombs, only Ye Chen, Lin Ruoyi, and Gao Lan remained.
"Mom, Dad, you can rest in peace now."
Ye Chen's voice choked with emotion.
Even a stalwart man could not help his eyes growing moist.
Successfully holding the funeral finally fulfilled one of his long-cherished wishes.
"Brother Ye Chen, if Uncle and Auntie know of this in the netherworld, they will surely be proud of you."
Lin Ruoyi embraced Ye Chen tightly, offering gentle comfort.
Empathizing completely with Ye Chen, tears flashed in her eyes as well.
"President Ye, please do grieve with restraint."
Gao Lan stood to one side, offering words of comfort too.
She would have loved to embrace this man just like Lin Ruoyi did.
Yet she knew clearly that their relationship was superior and subordinate; she could not overstep her bounds.
"I'm fine, let's head back."
"Gao Lan, thank you for all your hard work running around. You should head back and rest early too."
Ye Chen smiled a moment later.
With that, the three of them departed, returning to the villa home.
After Ye Chen and Ruoyi had dinner together, he removed the gauze from Ruoyi's face and applied scar-removal ointment.
As visible before, the scar on Ruoyi's face had faded considerably.
Only, in one spot where the injury had been deeper, the scar remained rather noticeable.
"Ruoyi, this patch is quite stubborn and will take a bit longer to heal."
"You don't need to wrap it in gauze anymore from now on, just apply the ointment daily."
"Tomorrow, come with me to the company; I have a surprise for you."
Ye Chen smiled, starting to play mystery again.
"A surprise?"
"What kind of surprise is it this time?"
Lin Ruoyi furrowed her delicate brows, her face inexplicably turning red as she recalled the last time Ye Chen spoke of a surprise and she thought he meant doing that sort of thing...
"Little silly, since it's a surprise, of course I can't tell you right now."
Ye Chen reached out and flicked the bridge of Ruoyi's nose with his finger.
"Hmph, you're the silly one!"