He did not yet know that the Sun Family, of whom he spoke, was already gone.
"Open your dog eyes and look for yourself!"
With a wave of his hand, Ye Chen pulled the man through the air and threw him directly into the Sun Family courtyard behind.
"Ah... oof..."
The man in sunglasses let out a miserable scream before crashing heavily onto a corpse, half-dead from the impact. If not for the cushion of bodies, he probably would have been killed outright.
Furious and enduring excruciating pain, he tried to prop himself up, only to realize his hand was pressing against a dead body!
He raised his eyes and saw corpses everywhere!
Right in the center, pinned to the ground by a sword, was the head of the Sun Family!
The man's mind went blank as he froze in shock, utterly unable to believe what he was seeing!
How—how could this be?!
Outside the courtyard, the grandmaster-realm bodyguards brought by the man in sunglasses attacked Ye Chen without a word.
The outcome was predictable. After two or three moves, dozens of men were comfortably sprawled across the ground.
Witnessing Ye Chen's terrifying strength, the members of the other families were instantly cowed, not daring to make a move.
At that moment, the man in sunglasses limped out, his face ashen.
"Dead... they're all dead!"
Fear filled his eyes, and his entire body trembled uncontrollably. Looking at Ye Chen was like looking at the Grim Reaper himself!
What do you mean, they're all dead?
The members of the other families were completely baffled. They rushed into the Sun Family courtyard immediately.
After witnessing the tragic state of the Sun Family, their faces turned just as ashen!
"Can you clear the way now?"
Ye Chen asked coldly.
The family bodyguards blocking the path stood frozen. They were somewhat panicked, but without an order from their family heads, none of them dared to step aside. They were all waiting for their respective masters to speak.
Shocked by the horrific sight of the Sun Family, the family heads exchanged uneasy glances. They could not believe that the mighty Sun Family had been utterly wiped out!
Even those men in camouflage combat gear—subordinates of the King of Jiangnan—were all dead!
Did this Ye Chen do all of this?!
How dare this brat!
"No answer, is it?"
"Then those who block me die!"
"Whichever family stands in my way, that family dies!"
Ye Chen let out a soft scoff, uttering the most terrifying words in a calm tone. He casually raised a foot and prepared to leave.
"Move! Clear the way quickly!"
"Hurry up and let him pass..."
Terrified, the group of family heads shouted in a panic. They had no desire to end up like the Sun Family, slaughtered to the last person!
This brat was the Grim Reaper incarnate! He must not be provoked under any circumstances!
At the command, over a thousand guards from the various families immediately retreated, clearing a wide path.
"Consider yourselves sensible."
"Remember this well: I am Ye Chen of the Ye Family of Jiangbei."
"Keep your eyes open and your brains engaged from now on, and don't ever cross me."
Ye Chen smiled with satisfaction, offering a parting piece of advice to the various Jiangnan families before striding away with his head held high.
The heads of the various large and small families present did not dare utter a single word.
The onlookers from Jiangnan, watching from a great distance, were left utterly dumbfounded. Had they not witnessed it with their own eyes, how could they possibly have believed it!
The arrogant and domineering families of Jiangnan had actually been so intimidated by a young man that not a single one dared to fart!
Seeing these overbearing families brought low was deeply satisfying!
Well, well, this young man is truly extraordinary!
Ye Chen hailed a cab on the roadside and returned to Jiangbei City. With all the coming and going, it hadn't taken up much time at all.
Since it was still early, Ye Chen headed to a funeral service company. He intended to hold a funeral for his parents and the members of the Ye Family who had perished. He would build a mausoleum for his parents and clansmen on the grounds of the abandoned Ye Family estate, giving the wronged souls of the Ye Family a permanent resting place so they would no longer wander as lonely, desolate ghosts!
Ye Chen instructed the staff at the funeral service company to rush the work, making it as fast as possible. As for the expenses, they only needed to go to Gao Lan at the company. With the vast fortune of the newly acquired Zhao Family, money certainly wouldn't be an issue.
How could the funeral company staff not know of Ye Chen? They readily promised to handle everything to the highest possible standard.
Having given his instructions, Ye Chen took a taxi back to the hotel.
Meanwhile, at the residence of the King of Jiangnan:
Inside a luxuriously decorated hall, a man sat upon a dragon-carved throne. He was in his fifties, sporting a toothbrush mustache, and his deeply lined face seemed to hold a lifetime of schemes in every wrinkle. Dressed in a deep-gold Tang suit, he wore several thumb rings made of gold and jade, and he was twirling an emerald cigarette holder between his fingers. The look suited him well—the local emperor of Jiang Province!
"Reporting to my lord, the situation has been investigated."
"Sun Zhiye is dead, and the twenty-odd officers you dispatched also died at the hands of Ye Chen!"
A trusted aide came forward to report.
"Insolent wretch!"
"Wiping out the Sun Family is one thing, but how dare he kill my men!"
"This brat is a calamity and cannot be left alive!"
Enraged as a thunderclap, the King of Jiangnan leaped to his feet. A mere remnant of the Ye Family, who had somehow managed to cling to life, had come back and turned Jiangbei and Jiangnan upside down! And today on the phone, he had even dared to challenge the King of Jiangnan directly! It was simply outrageous!
"My lord, give the order!"
"I will arrange for men to go and take that brat's dog life right now!"
His aide said with righteous indignation.
"No, bring him to me alive!"
"I want to see just how capable that brat really is!"
"I will carve his heart out and strip his bones with my own hands!"
"That brat's blood might still be of use to me!"
A sinister, cold smile curled across the dark face of the King of Jiangnan.
"Understood, my lord!"
"I will make the arrangements immediately to capture that brat alive!"
Taking his orders, the aide left to muster men.
The King of Jiangnan sat back down upon his dragon throne. Toying with his emerald cigarette holder, his gaze grew increasingly gloomy. To think the young scion of the Ye Family was still alive! That was actually an exciting development, because the little Ye brat still had his uses!
...
Returning our gaze to Jiangbei:
Halfway back to the hotel in a taxi, Ye Chen received a call from Gao Lan, the acting CEO of the company. She informed him that all the medicinal herbs he had requested had been successfully procured. Unable to wait, Ye Chen immediately redirected the cab to the company.
Arriving at the building, he looked up and saw that the lettering on the facade had already been replaced with four golden characters: Yelin Group.
Ye Chen smiled with satisfaction. Gao Lan handled matters with remarkable efficiency, and he appreciated working with such people.
He stepped into the CEO's office.
Seeing the arrival of Boss Ye, Gao Lan immediately stood up to greet him, her long legs in black silk moving at a brisk pace.
"Mr. Ye, the medicinal herbs you requested are right here on the desk."
"Acquiring these herbs was no easy task; the total cost came to over a hundred million."
Gao Lan reported with a smile. Some of these medicinal ingredients were exceptionally precious and rare, making them extremely difficult to obtain. For instance, the thousand-year-old blood lotus was practically impossible to buy on the open market, and they had ultimately had to purchase it from a private collector for tens of millions.
The pile of herbs on the desk was worth over a hundred million!
"Very good. Thank you for your hard work."
Ye Chen inspected the quality of the herbs. He didn't care about the money spent; his only concern was whether the ingredients were complete. Now that he had all the components, he could craft the scar-removal ointment to treat the scars on Ruoyi's face.
"Thank you for the praise, Mr. Ye!"
Receiving such commendation and affirmation, Gao Lan beamed with joy. All her hard work had been entirely worth it!
Ye Chen then instructed Gao Lan to help him purchase a house and a car the next day. It was an idea he'd had on the ride over—he couldn't keep staying in a hotel with Ruoyi indefinitely; they needed to settle their living arrangements and transportation. As for the specifics of what to buy, he told Gao Lan to use her own judgment.
Recalling Uncle Li, who had been a benefactor to Ruoyi, Ye Chen decided to arrange a spot for him in the finest nursing home in the city. From then on, Uncle Li would no longer have to live a life of lonely toil and could spend his remaining years in comfort.
Gao Lan noted down every instruction, promising to carry them out diligently.
Shortly after, Ye Chen carried a box of medicine back to his hotel room.
"Brother Ye Chen, you're finally back!"
"What's in this big box you're carrying?"
Overjoyed, Lin Ruoyi swayed toward Ye Chen and gave him a big hug. She had been practicing walking all day and was now able to get around quite well.
"It's a surprise. I'll tell you later."
"You must be hungry, let's have dinner first."
"Besides, I really like being called 'Brother Ye Chen'. You must only call me that from now on."
Ye Chen chuckled, setting the medicine case down and taking out the dinner he had picked up along the way.
"Okay, Brother Ye Chen!"
"What delicious food did you buy? I was almost starving to death."
Lin Ruoyi said happily. With no outsiders in the room, she cast off her restraints and reverted to the lively, cheerful girl she used to be.
Twenty-odd minutes later, the two of them finished dinner.
"Brother Ye Chen, can you tell me what the surprise is now?"
Lin Ruoyi blinked her bright, limpid eyes.
"Go take a bath first."
"Once you're done, I have a very important task to do."
A mysterious smile touched the corners of Ye Chen's mouth as he decided to keep her in suspense a little longer.
"Brother Ye Chen, what do you want to do? Why do I have to wait until I finish bathing?"
"You couldn't possibly be planning to..."
Lin Ruoyi blushed, her mind drifting elsewhere as her heart began to flutter like a trapped deer.
"Don't let your imagination run wild, you'll find out in a moment."
"Be careful in the bathroom, don't slip."
Ye Chen calmly cautioned her, completely oblivious to the fact that the young woman's thoughts had taken a detour.
Nodding with a mixture of apprehension and excitement, Lin Ruoyi waddled off toward the bathroom by herself.
Meanwhile, Ye Chen immediately opened the medicine box, took precise amounts of each herb, and ground them directly into powder. On his way over, he had specifically purchased the grinding tools along with a crucible for boiling medicine.
He ground dozens of herbs into powder and mixed them in exact proportions, adding water to simmer them in the crucible until the liquid achieved a thick, viscous consistency.
The scar-removal ointment, possessing peerless healing properties, was successfully completed!
Half an hour had passed by the time Lin Ruoyi emerged wearing a bathrobe. Having spent so much time washing up, she smelled fragrant from head to toe.
"Brother Ye Chen, why is there such a strong medicinal smell?"
Lin Ruoyi twitched her nose; the entire room was thick with the heavy scent of herbs.
"Come sit on the sofa."
"The surprise is about to be revealed."
Ye Chen smiled, still keeping up the mystery.
With her heart pounding wildly, Lin Ruoyi walked over and sat on the sofa. Subconsciously wrapping her bathrobe tightly around herself, she kept her head lowered. The thought that Ye Chen might want to do *that* with her made her acutely self-conscious of her current appearance. Yet, if Brother Ye Chen didn't mind her looks... then she was willing!
Ye Chen approached the sofa holding a bowl of the ointment. Seeing Ruoyi's shy demeanor, he felt a brief moment of puzzlement. What was this girl blushing about?
"Ruoyi, this is the surprise I wanted to give you—a uniquely formulated scar-removal ointment."
"Apply this ointment, and within ten days to half a month at most, the scars on your face will completely vanish!"
Ye Chen smiled.
"Huh?"
"The surprise you meant was this?"
Startled, Lin Ruoyi lifted her head.
"Well, what did you think it was?"
Ye Chen furrowed his brow slightly.
"N—nothing at all!"
"Brother Ye Chen, you should just put the medicine on me."
Quickly shaking her head to change the subject, Lin Ruoyi felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her. So she had been overthinking the whole thing!
This guy—it was just applying some medicine, why did he have to make her take a bath first?!
Odious!
How was she supposed to know that Ye Chen had sent her off to bathe simply to get her out of the way so he could brew the medicine undisturbed?
Holding the ointment, Ye Chen carefully applied it to the half of Lin Ruoyi's face covered in scars. Once applied, he wrapped it gently with gauze.
"There. The ointment needs to be changed once a day from now on."
Ye Chen smiled.
"Brother Ye Chen, thank you."
Lin Ruoyi threw herself into Ye Chen's arms, holding him tight. She believed the ointment would work. She didn't even dare to dream of her face being completely restored—as long as it wasn't as hideous as it was now, she would be content!
Little did she know that this was an ointment whose raw ingredients alone cost over a hundred million, and its formula was priceless.
Late into the night, Lin Ruoyi insisted that Ye Chen sleep alongside her.
This began a severe headache for Ye Chen, as it presented yet another test of his self-control—he had to suppress the Dragon Blood Poison to prevent it from spinning out of control.
The night passed without incident...
At noon the next day, Gao Lan called to inform him that the house and car had both been purchased. She would drive the car directly to the hotel and deliver the house keys at the same time.
"Ruoyi, I bought a house for you. Let's go take a look together."
Ye Chen smiled.
"I—I don't want to go out."
The mere mention of going out filled Lin Ruoyi with dread. Even with half her face hidden under gauze, she had no wish to step outside for fear of being seen by others.
"It's fine, I'll be right by your side."
Grasping Lin Ruoyi's slender wrist, Ye Chen offered words of encouragement. Suddenly finding a wellspring of courage, Lin Ruoyi nodded and agreed to go out.
When the two of them arrived outside the hotel, an eye-catching red sports car was parked by the roadside. Gao Lan, dressed in a uniform skirt and black silk stockings, leaned against the vehicle and waved. Compared to this sight, any model at a high-end auto show paled in significance!
Holding Ruoyi's delicate hand, Ye Chen walked over. He was quite pleased with the car.
With her sharp eyes, Gao Lan quickly recognized that the woman with half her face wrapped in gauze was none other than Lin Ruoyi, once hailed as the number one beauty of Jiangbei!
At last, it all made sense to her—the "Lin" in Yelin Group actually stood for Lin Ruoyi!
Watching Ye Chen hold the other woman's hand so intimately, her eyes were filled with envy. How wonderful it would be if she could also become someone by the CEO's side!
Driving the sports car with Lin Ruoyi beside him, Ye Chen headed toward their new home.
They arrived at the Golden Garden Villa District, the most exclusive and luxurious residential community in Jiangbei, where residents were invariably wealthy and influential. Following the address, Ye Chen pulled up to a four-story detached villa. Holding the keys, they stepped inside.
"Could this really be our new home?"
Lin Ruoyi gasped in astonishment. She knew very well that a single villa here cost upwards of a hundred million!
"That's right. From now on, you are the lady of this house."
Patting Ruoyi's head with a smile, Ye Chen expressed his complete satisfaction with Gao Lan's choice of residence.
"I can't imagine that I'd ever live in such a huge house!"
Overwhelmed and flattered, Lin Ruoyi privately thought: if she was the mistress of this house, then the master must surely be Ye Chen. Had their relationship simply been confirmed by default?
At that thought, her little heart began to flutter wildly once again.
Soon, Lin Ruoyi remembered Uncle Li and his plight. Learning that Ye Chen had already settled Uncle Li into a nursing home, she finally set her mind at ease.
The villa was fully stocked with all kinds of furniture and daily necessities, allowing them to move in and live comfortably right away.
During the daytime, Ye Chen took Ruoyi to the shopping mall primarily to buy clothes, as the outfits he had previously bought her didn't quite fit right. While browsing the mall, he keenly sensed that two men were tailing them in secret! Although the pair had disguised themselves well, they still couldn't escape his sharp eyes.
"Ruoyi, you go ahead and pick out some clothes. I need to use the restroom."
Finding an excuse, Ye Chen left the clothing store.
Near a railing in the distance, two middle-aged men were pretending to make casual conversation. With a flash, Ye Chen appeared right beside the two undercover men.
Sensing a terrifying murderous intent, the two men attempted to move, but Ye Chen had already struck, sealing their vital acupoints. Paralyzed by the master-realm technique, their bodies went numb and they were entirely unable to move!
"Confess. Who are you people?"
"If you don't talk, I'll throw you over the edge."
Cold warning flashed in Ye Chen's eyes. They were on the fifth floor of the shopping mall; if these two immobilized men were thrown down from here, death would be certain!
"What are you talking about? We don't understand."
One of the men spoke up, attempting to keep up the charade.
Cursing inner hesitation, Ye Chen grabbed the man by the shoulder and tossed him straight over the rail.
The man underwent a brief bout of free-fall motion.
*Splat!*
He hit the ground, his brains splattered everywhere.
Watching his companion vanish in the blink of an eye, the remaining man drew in a sharp breath of cold air! Terror filled his eyes as he stared at Ye Chen. This brat's methods were so ruthless—he was practically a demon!
"I'll talk! Please don't kill me!"
"It was... Officer Zhou Wu who sent us to tail you!"
Before Ye Chen could speak again, the man hurriedly begged for mercy, spilling the identity of the mastermind with barely a moment's hesitation.