"Tiger, we've got a fresh, tender piece here—a college girl from around these parts."
"Looks like she's still a virgin, too. I guarantee you'll be satisfied!"
A lackey dragged in a young and pretty woman, presenting her to their boss.
Complying with their boss's demands, they frequently scoured the streets to abduct people. Whenever they spotted a remarkably attractive woman, they would drag her straight to the clubhouse and hand her over for Zhao Hu's enjoyment!
The Black Tiger Gang had committed no shortage of such vile acts of oppression and bullying!
"Not a bad looker. She'll do."
"Well, little girl, what are you standing there staring for? Come over here and have a few drinks with your boss!"
Zhao Hu smiled with satisfaction and gave a cold command.
"Please, I'm begging you, let me go... Please..."
The young woman instantly collapsed to her knees, sobbing and pleading, her entire body trembling.
She was just an ordinary female college student, snatched forcibly off the street by thugs and brought to this place. The mere thought that she might be defiled by these scumbags made her wish she were dead!
"Damn you, move your ass over here when you're told! Cut the chatter!"
The lackey grabbed the female student by the back of her collar and shoved her forward.
The female student tried to resist, but she was no match for a ruffian. Pushed forward step by step, she reached the absolute pinnacle of terror and despair!
Bang!
Right at that moment, the door to the private room was blown wide open with a deafening crash, splinters flying everywhere!
It startled everyone inside the room out of their wits!
They turned their gazes toward the doorway in stunned disbelief.
Ye Chen walked into the private room with a completely calm expression. His gaze was icy as he lifted his eyes to look straight at Zhao Hu in the center.
"Brat, what kind of person are you?!"
"How dare you come to cause trouble on Black Tiger Gang territory! You've got a death wish, damn you!"
The Seventh Boss of the Black Tiger Gang let out a furious roar and immediately made his move. He was a Grandmaster Realm powerhouse.
"Noisy!"
Ye Chen casually waved a hand.
The Seventh Boss, who had charged forward, was sent flying sideways, crashing heavily against the wall and splattering blood across the floor.
This scene shocked everyone present.
Zhao Hu and the key figures of the Black Tiger Gang finally recognized that this man was Ye Chen!
Terror instantly flooded their eyes!
Why on earth was this brat here?!
"Boss, what do we do?"
The others all looked to Zhao Hu.
"D-Don't panic..."
Zhao Hu swallowed hard, his teeth already chattering as he spoke. Cold sweat broke out across his forehead.
Though he told them not to panic, he was panicking like mad himself. After all, the brat standing before him had single-handedly wiped out the Zhao Family, and had even casually killed the Sun family's young master, who was in the Martial King Realm!
Zhao Hu, standing at the late Grandmaster Realm, usually walked around as if he owned the place. There were very few people in Jiangbei who could be considered his match!
Yet facing Ye Chen right now—especially feeling the terrifying killing intent radiating from him—he instantly shrank into a coward!
"Brother Ye Chen, calm your anger."
"I don't know what business brings you to my place today?"
Zhao Hu forced a smile as he asked.
"Not much business."
"Just wiping out your Black Tiger Gang."
Ye Chen replied indifferently.
He spoke the most terrifying words in the calmest tone possible.
Hearing this, everyone present felt their hearts skip a beat!
This brat couldn't possibly be joking, right?
The shadow of death immediately enveloped everyone in the room.
The abducted female student hurriedly seized the opportunity to hide behind Ye Chen. Although she didn't know this handsome-looking man, his appearance instantly filled her with a sense of security!
"Brother Ye Chen, don't say such frightening things."
"Our Black Tiger Gang has never offended you in any way."
"We can talk things over properly if there's an issue."
Zhao Hu continued to force a smile, though it looked far uglier than crying.
He was usually the one bossing others around; when had he ever had to lower himself like this?!
Zhao Hu racked his brains, yet he couldn't for the life of him think of how he might have offended Ye Chen. Why on earth would this guy suddenly show up on his doorstep out of nowhere!
He had been wronged! Where was he even supposed to go to seek justice?
"Your Black Tiger Gang bullies the weak and commits all sorts of evil."
"That reason alone is enough for all of you to die!"
"All irrelevant personnel, get out of here immediately."
Ye Chen said in a deep voice, too lazy to waste words with this pack of scum.
Hearing this, every single member of the Black Tiger Gang turned ashen-faced!
The hostesses hired to pour drinks scrambled to their feet and fled in a panic, not daring to stay another second.
"Thank you!"
The female student bowed to Ye Chen, offering a sincere expression of gratitude before hurrying away as well.
In the spacious private room, only the members of the Black Tiger Gang remained.
"Ye Chen, we have no grudges between us. Do you really have to drive my Black Tiger Gang to extinction?"
"Let me tell you, if you push us too far, we aren't to be trifled with either!"
"If you make a move against the Black Tiger Gang, you're declaring war on every single person in the Jiangbei underworld!"
Seeing that polite talk wasn't working, Zhao Hu's expression instantly darkened! He even had the audacity to issue a verbal threat.
Seeing their boss take a stand, the other members of the Black Tiger Gang glared fiercely in response! Who knew what had given them the courage.
"Declaring war? So be it! It suits me just fine!"
"I won't kill you just yet. I'll give you half an hour—hurry up and call your people."
"Call every stray dog from your underworld here. No matter how many there are, I'll keep you company to the very end!"
Ye Chen pointed right at Zhao Hu's nose and commanded. Then he comfortably settled back onto the sofa, crossed his arms, and leisurely crossed his legs.
He might as well wipe them all out in one go; that would be the simplest and most efficient way.
To hell with the underworld.
Jiangbei had no room for this kind of path!
"Brat, you've got a lot of nerve!"
"Do you really think everyone in the Jiangbei underworld joining forces will be afraid of you?"
"Just wait, I'm calling my people right now!"
Zhao Hu threatened with a grim, vicious smile.
The others wore sneers on their faces as well.
This fellow surnamed Ye had the audacity to challenge the entire underworld of Jiangbei—he truly had no idea how high the heavens were or how thick the earth was!
There were three major gangs and six minor gangs in Jiangbei. Put together, all the gang members totaled a solid three to four thousand people!
Among them, there were fifty Grandmaster Realm experts.
Xiantian Realm powerhouses exceeded five hundred.
The remaining several thousand were mostly Houtian Realm martial artists.
With so many people joining forces, their strength far surpassed that of the Zhao Family!
Could they really be afraid of failing to deal with a single Ye Chen?!
The Black Tiger Gang immediately notified the other gangs, telling them to bring all their manpower to the Black Tiger Clubhouse.
Zhao Hu played it smart: he didn't tell the other gangs that the person they were dealing with was Ye Chen, fearing that if the other gangs heard Ye Chen's name, they'd be too terrified to even show up.
"You expect me to just sit here and wait?"
"Don't you have anything to eat or drink?"
Ye Chen asked coldly.
The Black Tiger Gang didn't dare to neglect him in the slightest, hurriedly bringing over tea, water, fruit platters, and snacks. If this young master needed it, they could even provide a whole parade of glamorous hostesses!
Ye Chen wasn't worried in the least about the Black Tiger Gang poisoning him. Whether any food was poisoned or not, he would know the moment it reached his lips.
Ten-odd minutes later, the entrance to the clubhouse began to grow lively.
The first to arrive were the members of the six minor gangs. As for their names, they weren't even worth mentioning.
"Tiger, who are we beating up tonight?"
One of the minor bosses asked curiously, poking around for information.
"Don't rush, you'll find out in a bit."
"Let me give you a fair warning first: it's a tough nut to crack."
Zhao Hu said with a smug smile on his face.
"No matter how hard the nut is, I can still chop it to pieces!"
The minor boss blustered with absolute confidence.
These people rushing in still had no idea just how grave the situation was!
Twenty-odd minutes later.
Over three thousand people had gathered at the entrance of the Black Tiger Clubhouse.
The three major gangs of Jiangbei had assembled. Aside from the Black Tiger Gang, the other two were the Black Dragon Gang and the Black Eagle Gang.
"Tiger, pulling off such a massive spectacle—just who are we trying to deal with?"
"Exactly, who on earth are we dealing with that requires calling in this many people?"
The bosses of the Black Dragon Gang and the Black Eagle Gang both wore arrogant, overbearing expressions.
Both men were broad-shouldered and thick-chested, built like brick walls, and stood as late Grandmaster Realm experts. A swarm of their lackeys whispered among themselves amidst a great deal of clamor.
With so many people summoned, even if everyone just spat once, they could drown the person they were supposed to teach a lesson!
"Everyone, wait a moment. I'll go drag that ignorant brat out here!"
Zhao Hu turned and walked into the clubhouse, leaving a crowd of curious people behind him.
An ignorant brat? Who on earth was that?
Inside the luxurious private room, Ye Chen leaned back against the sofa, closing his eyes to rest and wait.
He had already heard the massive commotion outside and knew that a great many people had arrived.
Very well, it seemed these so-called underworld figures still had some spine!
"Fellow surnamed Ye, the people I called have all arrived!"
"Let's go, outside is where we talk!"
Zhao Hu walked into the private room and said coldly, a sinister grin hooked at the corner of his mouth.
This brat's doom was right at hand!
"Tell them to come in and see me."
Ye Chen replied indifferently, leaning back comfortably on the sofa, too lazy even to open his eyes.
"You... Fine, just you wait!"
"Damn it, I want to see how many more minutes you can act so arrogant!"
"Tonight, don't even think about leaving this place alive!"
The muscles on Zhao Hu's face twitched as his suppressed fury finally boiled over. He flicked his hand in disgust and walked back out to the clubhouse entrance.
"All you bosses, follow me!"
Zhao Hu called out to the crowd, leading them into the clubhouse.
"Oh ho, putting on quite the airs, aren't we?"
"Let's move, brothers, and show that guy what real terror looks like!"
The bosses of the Black Dragon Gang and the Black Eagle Gang sneered.
The bosses walked at the very front, followed by the gang's core members and experts. Behind them swarmed thousands of petty ruffians, packing the place so tightly there was no room left to move.
Inside and outside the clubhouse, every inch was blocked solid!
Over a hundred people filed into the spacious private room, surrounding Ye Chen—who was still sitting in the center with his eyes closed—in a tight, inescapable circle.
"Fellow surnamed Ye, your time of death has come!"
"Hahahaha, why aren't you getting up to meet your maker?!"
Zhao Hu pointed his finger straight at him, howling with unbridled arrogance!
Fellow surnamed Ye?
When the others heard that, their brows instantly furrowed. Looking closer and observing more carefully, they realized that the person sitting there with his eyes closed really did look a bit like that man!
Could it really be that brat?
"No, your time of death has come!"
Ye Chen calmly opened his eyes, sweeping a cold gaze across the crowd before him.
The piercing killing intent made the temperature inside the private room feel as though it had plummeted instantly.
Every single minor boss present felt a chill strike straight to their core!
Their faces morphed into masks of utter shock!
How could it be this god of slaughter, Ye Chen?!
The minor bosses turned their heads to stare at Zhao Hu, every single one of them wearing a bitter expression.
You bastard, why didn't you tell us sooner that the person we were dealing with was Ye Chen!
If they had known beforehand that it was Ye Chen, they wouldn't have dared to come even if you gave them a hundred sets of guts!
"Brat, you're still acting arrogant with death staring you in the face!"
"Brothers, let's kill this brat together!"
Zhao Hu let out a roar.
Zhao Hu clenched his iron fists and roared, moving to take the lead in charging forward.
However, the only ones who moved forward alongside him were a few of the Black Tiger Gang's leaders.
The group of minor bosses surrounding them, on the other hand, wore difficult expressions, hesitating over whether they should make a move.
Even if they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, they had at least heard tales of Ye Chen's terrifying strength!
If they actually fought him, they feared they wouldn't come out ahead!
Seeing that the bystanders weren't following him into battle, Zhao Hu immediately checked his momentum.
"Lads, why aren't you charging with me? That's not very loyal of you, is it?"
"With so many of us here, are we really going to be afraid of this brat?"
Zhao Hu complained resentfully.
He hadn't expected that these minor bosses—who usually acted tougher than the last—would turn out to be cowards today!
The minor bosses exchanged glances, remaining silent for a moment as they seemed to measure each other's thoughts before making a decision.
"What, too scared to move?"
Ye Chen let out a cold laugh.
He sat comfortably on the sofa, making not the slightest reaction to the people charging toward him.
"Listen well. I'll give you two choices now."
"Either stay here and wait to die! I won't leave a single one of you alive!"
"Or get the hell out right now, tuck your tails between your legs from now on, and never commit another evil deed!"
"After tonight, this path of yours will no longer exist!"
"Oh right—as for those of you present at the Grandmaster Realm and above, don't even think about running. You must die!"
Ye Chen swept a cold glance over the throng of thugs.
He knew that anyone capable of becoming a minor leader in these gangs must have committed a mountain of misdeeds.
Not a single one of these men would he spare.
As for those low-level punks who were merely taking orders, he couldn't be bothered to exterminate them completely. He would grant those people a single chance to turn over a new leaf.
As soon as these words were spoken, an uproar instantly erupted.
"Fellow surnamed Ye, you've got a hell of a lot of nerve!"
"Brothers, let's kill this arrogant, ignorant brat!"
Zhao Hu raised his arms and shouted, trying to rile up the crowd.
Meanwhile, the minor bosses present felt their fear gradually give way to anger.
They had caught his meaning: this brat intended to cut off their financial lifeline entirely!
To cut off a man's livelihood was to cut off his path to survival!
"Damn it! I've never seen anyone as arrogant as you in all of Jiangbei!"
"Black Dragon Gang, hear my orders! We're cutting this brat down today!"
The boss of the Black Dragon Gang leaped forward, pointing right at Ye Chen's nose and cursing.
"My Black Eagle Gang isn't going to be afraid of a brat like you either!"
"Black Eagle Gang members, listen up—not a single one of you is allowed to run!"
The boss of the Black Eagle Gang also stepped forward, making his stance clear.
Seeing that all three major gangs had declared their positions, the members of the remaining six minor gangs finally found the courage to make up their minds.
To hell with it, they'd go all out tonight!
"Kill this brat!"
"Kill this brat!"
The minor bosses and gang leaders shouted for blood one after another.
Emboldened by their superior numbers, a sudden surge of courage rose within them. They had run wild and unhindered in Jiangbei, reaping countless benefits. This path wasn't going to be bullied by some arrogant young punk!
As for the foot soldiers down below, however, they grew torn and hesitant.
They had a chance to leave, but they struggled to decide whether they actually should...
"Good! You lads still have some loyalty!"
"Once we kill this brat, everyone celebrates together!"
Zhao Hu's incitement worked, and he immediately broke into a triumphant laugh.
He glared viciously at Ye Chen.
This brat was a dead man tonight!
"Stop your howling. You'd better think this through carefully."
"I'll give you three final minutes to consider."
Ye Chen calmly glanced down at his phone and started the timer.
"Heh, you arrogant brat—then you can live for three more minutes!"
Zhao Hu crossed his arms, looking down his nose at Ye Chen with an expression that clearly said he had nothing to fear.
The gang leaders were all filled with murderous intent.
Since this brat wouldn't let them leave, they had no choice but to kill him to protect their vested interests!
That included the majority of the Xiantian Realm thugs, who also refused to leave, hoping to climb even higher within their respective gangs.
Meanwhile, those blocking the exit—the low-level Houtian Realm thugs—gradually descended into chaos.
"That guy is way too powerful. In front of him, we're not even cannon fodder!"
"Let's go, brothers, don't wait here to die!"
"We don't even get that much out of this anyway, why risk our lives?!"
"Let's bounce, let's bounce. I don't want to die here."
The petty thugs of various gangs immediately began to slip away. They were afraid of dying, and at this very second, fearing death was the smart choice!
In the blink of an eye, word spread like wildfire among the petty thugs. Several thousand people began retreating in succession.
Upon hearing that the target was Ye Chen, many didn't even hesitate for half a second before turning tail and running.
The allied army of the various gangs fell into utter disarray.
The gang leaders ran about, scolding and threatening the thugs not to leave, warning them that if they fled today, they could forget about ever showing their faces in Jiangbei again!
Yet the thugs were now far more terrified of Ye Chen, a man who had wiped out the Zhao Family with a flick of his wrist!
No matter who tried to step out and block their path, it was completely useless!
In less than three minutes, the vast majority of the thugs had slipped away.
Those left behind were merely the fifty Grandmaster Realm leaders of the various gangs, alongside some five hundred Xiantian Realm enforcers.
"Time's up."
"The ones who ran were smart."
"As for you lot—this place will be your graveyard."
Ye Chen put away his timer and calmly stood up.
It was time for him to make his move.
"Brat, you're celebrating way too early!"
"The people we have here are more than enough to kill you!"
Zhao Hu sneered and rebuked him.
The five hundred-odd people remaining behind were the absolute elite among elites. Especially the fifty Grandmaster Realm experts—each of their hands had countless human lives stained upon them!
With so many people, annihilating this brat would be a walk in the park!
"Mmm, enough is right."
"Enough for me to stretch my muscles!"
Ye Chen gave a cold smile.
"Damn it! Let's all go together!"
"Show this brat who's really running the show around here!"
Zhao Hu let out a roar, a surge of killing intent erupting from his frame.
Clenching his iron fists tight, he charged forward with murderous intent.
A flash of cold light crossed Ye Chen's eyes.
The temperature inside the private room seemed to drop by another few degrees.
His figure flickered, vanishing instantly from where he stood.
In the blink of an eye, he materialized right before Zhao Hu.
Reaching out, he seized Zhao Hu by the throat.
With a sharp snap, he crushed it.
Zhao Hu, possessed of late Grandmaster Realm strength, didn't even have time to mount a defense before his throat was shattered and he was killed instantly!
His eyes bulged as if they were about to burst out of their sockets, filled with eternal resentment in death!
"Hh, pathetic."
Ye Chen let out a disdainful cold scoff.
He casually tossed the corpse aside and launched himself at the others who were charging forward.
Seeing this scene, the minor bosses froze, their eyes instantly filling with sheer horror.
The boss of the Black Tiger Gang was just... gone like that?
Was this brat even human?!
Yet, the very moment they stood frozen in shock, the boss of the Black Dragon Gang had his crown smashed in by a single palm strike from Ye Chen, dropping dead on the spot.
Once again, he hadn't even managed the slightest trace of resistance!
Having witnessed Ye Chen's terrifying might firsthand, not a single trace of their previous smug confidence remained in the eyes of everyone present.
Terror and the shadow of death had taken it all over!
Only now did they realize that attempting to rely on sheer numbers to kill Ye Chen was a colossal mistake of epic proportions!
Every single one of them was terrified.
They turned tail to bolt.
However, Ye Chen flashed over to block the doorway.
Knowing fear now?
It was already too late!
"We'll fight you to the death!"
"Everyone, charge together!"
Driven to desperation, the thugs threw caution to the wind.
They were ready to stake everything on a desperate struggle for survival, harboring the delusional hope of fighting their way to a final sliver of life.