What just happened?
At this moment, Ye Hongli felt as though she were suffering from a severe hangover, her memories blanking out completely. But soon, a wave of recollections surged back into her mind, and she remembered everything that had just taken place.
She, she had actually been dancing a striptease?!
Shocked, in utter disbelief, furious, and deeply ashamed... a myriad of emotions washed over her, but ultimately, they all dissolved into sheer terror!
That man had easily defeated her brother. And her brother was Ye Qinglong—a Martial Dao Grandmaster!
As for her, her infallible hypnotic arts had been treated like child's play before that man. Instead, she had been hypnotized and controlled, forced into performing a deeply humiliating striptease.
From beginning to end, he had remained seated on the sofa without even moving a muscle.
This unfathomable, supernatural power sent a chill running straight down her spine.
Terror far outweighed shame.
"Put your clothes on."
At last, Ning Chen spoke.
With the utmost speed, Ye Hongli picked up her clothes and put them back on.
After that, Ning Chen released his suppression on Ye Qinglong, withdrawing his energy.
Eyes split with rage, Ye Qinglong forced himself to his feet, looking ready to fight Ning Chen to the death.
Ye Hongli hurriedly held him back.
The gap in strength was simply too vast; rushing forward again would be sheer suicide.
"The reason we came to Chuzhou is because of a black card associated with us. You used that black card at the SPACE Bar," Ye Hongli wisely confessed, indicating that they harbored no ill intentions and had only come for the card.
However, before she could ascertain Ning Chen's identity, she left out any mention of Asura Temple.
"A black card?" Ning Chen's expression flickered slightly. He took out the black card that the gatekeeper at the village entrance had given him. "Are you talking about this card?"
Upon seeing the card, Ye Hongli and Ye Qinglong instantly grew somewhat excited and nodded. "That's the black card."
"So, that means you're from Asura Temple?" Ning Chen looked at them with growing interest.
The expressions of Ye Hongli and Ye Qinglong shifted slightly.
The other party knew they were from Asura Temple?
No!
Ye Hongli instantly realized that it was because of the black card that Ning Chen had deduced their origins.
"May I ask, where did you get this black card?" Ye Hongli asked politely, sensing instinctively that Ning Chen was connected to their master, the Master of Asura Temple.
"The gatekeeper at the village entrance gave it to me," Ning Chen said slowly.
Seven years ago, the Ning Family was utterly destroyed. Only he fell into the river and miraculously survived, saved by an old woman who brought him back to God Village.
There were only thirteen people in that village.
A blind old woman claimed she possessed the Supreme Divine Pupils.
A lame old man claimed he possessed the world's supreme speed.
And there was a slovenly uncle who got drunk every day, claiming to be the Wine Sword Immortal, whose single sword flash could chill nineteen provinces.
Some were masters of medicine, some of alchemy, and others of array formations.
Even the gatekeeper at the village entrance claimed he was once the Master of Asura Temple, who had come here in search of longevity.
...
Most crucially, there was an enchanting and alluring young matron who claimed she mastered the most powerful Dual Cultivation Technique in the world, and that a single romantic encounter with her could allow one to attain divinity on the spot.
Ning Chen had taken them all as his masters.
Of course, among the thirteen masters, the gatekeeper at the village entrance was not included; that fellow had not yet qualified to enter the village, so he had shamelessly taken it upon himself to guard the village gate.
He had told Ning Chen that he was once the Master of Asura Temple.
To curry favor with Ning Chen and get him to put in a good word with the thirteen masters, the fellow had bribed Ning Chen several times, and the black card was one of those bribes.
"The gatekeeper at the village entrance?" Ye Hongli and Ye Qinglong were both dumbfounded.
"Y-You're certain?" Ye Hongli's beautiful eyes widened.
"Not just the black card, but this ring as well." Ning Chen produced an archaic-looking ring.
At the sight of the ring, the expressions of both Ye Hongli and Ye Qinglong changed drastically.
Observing their reaction, Ning Chen suddenly asked, "This ring wouldn't happen to be the symbol of your Master of Asura Temple, would it?"
"Ye Hongli, head of the Vermilion Bird Hall of Asura Temple, pays respects to the Master!"
"Ye Qinglong, head of the Azure Dragon Hall of Asura Temple, pays respects to the Master!"
Ye Hongli and Ye Qinglong immediately dropped to one knee, confirming Ning Chen's suspicion with their actions.
Ning Chen was slightly taken aback. "It really is?"
Damn it!
He suddenly felt that he had been conned by that gatekeeper at the village entrance. The fellow must have taken advantage of his innocence back then, trapping him and deliberately passing down Asura Temple to him!
If he took over Asura Temple, that gatekeeper would make out like an absolute bandit!
"Aren't you afraid this ring is fake?"
Ning Chen's gaze swept over Ye Hongli and Ye Qinglong.
"The Asura Ring carries a special aura that members of Asura Temple can sense. It cannot be faked," Ye Hongli said immediately.
Ning Chen smiled. "Is there any possibility that I killed him and snatched it from him?"
Ye Hongli: "..."
Ye Qinglong: "..."
"You don't believe me?" Ning Chen raised an eyebrow.
"This ring can only be inherited, never forcibly seized," Ye Hongli explained.
"Fine," Ning Chen nodded. "Get up."
"Thank you, Master." Ye Hongli and Ye Qinglong rose together.
Ning Chen produced a medicinal pill and tossed it to Ye Qinglong. "This pill will heal your injuries."
Without a second thought, Ye Qinglong swallowed it immediately.
Soon, his injuries began to heal at a visible rate. In just a few minutes, he was as good as new, completely recovered.
This single pill alone left Ye Qinglong and Ye Hongli shocked all over again.
"Since you're here, stay in Chuzhou and do some things for me."
After giving some instructions and informing them that their master was still alive, Ning Chen departed.
Ye Hongli watched Ning Chen's receding figure in a daze.
Once Ning Chen had walked far away, Ye Qinglong turned to Ye Hongli with some concern. "Hongli, do you... harbor any resentment toward the new Master for making you dance a striptease? Are you unable to get over that hurdle?"
A smile bloomed on Ye Hongli's peerless face. "No, that was before. Right now, I'm just wondering how I can possibly conquer this unfathomable new Master?"
Ye Qinglong: "..."
Then, he warned, "Hongli, don't do anything reckless. The new Master may seem easygoing, but in reality, he is definitely no benevolent soul. Don't go looking for death."
"The conquest I'm talking about is completely different from the kind you have in mind," Ye Hongli retorted sharply.
No man had ever dared to treat her this way!
And make her dance a striptease?
It was an absolute, unprecedented first.
After the shame and anger faded, a profound interest in Ning Chen took root in her heart.
...
Early the next morning, Ning Chen received a call from Ye Hongli.
"Master, the Sun Family of Chuzhou has sent people to kidnap your sister and brother-in-law to use as leverage against you. We've already caught them."
Ye Hongli reported.
"I'm on my way."
A flash of killing intent crossed Ning Chen's eyes. Taking advantage of the early dawn before his sister and her husband woke up, Ning Chen quietly slipped out of Yijia Apartment.
A few minutes later.
Ning Chen arrived in front of a commercial van.
The door opened, and Ye Hongli and Ye Qinglong stepped out. "Master, these men were sent by the Sun Family. We've already interrogated them. Sun Zhengguo used his connections yesterday to release your brother-in-law without charges, but he also had people tail him and found out they were staying here."
Ning Chen's expression turned cold.
"How should we deal with these people?" Ye Hongli asked.
Ning Chen looked inside the van at the four trembling men in suits. They looked rather pathetic, clearly having already been roughed up by the two Ye siblings.
"Kill them!"
A chilling look settled on his face. Shaping his fingers into a sword, he slashed through the air, sending out a blade of energy that instantly reaped the lives of the four suited men.
"Dispose of their bodies, take their heads, and go to the Sun Family."
Ning Chen commanded.
When it rains, it pours; when people go looking for death, grant their wish!
"Understood!"
Ye Hongli and Ye Qinglong exchanged glances, both of them feeling a terrifying killing intent emanating from Ning Chen that chilled them to the bone.
...
Chuzhou.
The Sun Family villa.
Inside the living room.
Sun Yize had not slept all night. His head was wrapped in thick gauze, and his expression was extremely dark.
"Dad, is there any result from the people we sent out? I can't wait to see that guy begging for mercy on his knees in front of me."
He couldn't help asking once more.
To deal with Ning Chen, he had specifically had people prepare a large assortment of alcohol nearby—imported liquor, red wine, white liquor, beer... everything imaginable.
Not for drinking, but... Ning Chen had smashed his head open with a bottle yesterday, and today, he intended to pay it back tenfold.
Otherwise, it wouldn't dispel the hatred in his heart.
Beside him, Sun Zhengguo remained calm and steady as a mountain. "He who accomplishes great things must know how to maintain composure. What are you rushing for?"
"Dad, it's easy for you to say. Look at my head, look what it's been reduced to—I almost lost my little life. If I don't finish that guy off, I won't even be able to sleep," Sun Yize said through gritted teeth.
"Rest assured, anyone who dares to touch my son will pay a heavy price," Sun Zhengguo sneered as well.
Suddenly remembering something, Sun Yize asked with some concern, "Dad, that punk is actually quite formidable. All my bodyguards were knocked flat in a single exchange. Shouldn't we also hire a martial artist who has cultivated Internal Energy?"
Sun Zhengguo said dismissively, "Relax, that punk is young. At most, he's just a greenhorn who has barely cultivated Internal Energy. How strong could he be? Besides, this is modern society; no matter how high one's martial prowess, weapons still kill. The pistols I bought from the black market earlier have already been distributed to the bodyguards. With his sister and brother-in-law in our hands, we've got him over a barrel. With hidden gunmen in reserve, even if he really is an Internal Energy Martial Artist, we can easily take his dog life."
"That's good then." Sun Yize's mind was put at ease.
A few minutes later.
A commercial van drove up and parked in the courtyard outside.
"They're back?"
Sun Yize stood up abruptly, picking up a wine bottle with a vicious look on his face. "I'm going to collect some interest first and see how many bottles my ugly sister-in-law—no, his ugly sister—can take."
But after taking only two steps, he suddenly stopped.
"That ugly sister of his has a scar on her face that makes her unlookable, but her figure is top-notch..." Sun Yize changed his mind. "Have someone cover her head. Later on, I want to let that punk watch with his own eyes how I toy with his sister."
"Not just me playing with her; I'll have others run train on her right in front of him. I want him to know that offending Sun Yize comes at a heavy price."
To this, Sun Zhengguo raised no objections.
However.
Just as Sun Yize was walking out with a hint of a perverted smile of excitement on his face, the living room doors suddenly crashed inward and collapsed.