At this moment, Wei Zheng, the head of Black Tiger Hall, was sitting on a sofa, with ten deputy commanders standing by his side and dozens of thugs stationed just outside.
Around the luxurious villa, a hundred bodyguards patrolled vigilantly, keeping a close eye on the front gates.
Wei Zheng lit a cigar, looked at the lackey kneeling before him, and frowned as he asked, "Are you telling me that Zhou Hu was crushed into dust?"
"Yes, yes! That man is coming to see you at three o'clock this afternoon."
Wei Zheng spread his hands and said to the ten deputy commanders, "You heard that. Do any of you believe this? I don't believe a single word. Zhou Hu has gone missing, so he must have committed a major crime or absconded with the funds. To dare concoct such a lie to fool me means this punk is tired of living. Search every inch of the ground for him and make sure he dies by my hands."
Several lackeyes kowtowed repeatedly, extremely anxious. "Boss, it's true! We aren't lying."
Wei Zheng delivered a kick, sending the speaker crashing to the floor.
"Who dares to touch my men right here in the headquarters of Black Tiger Hall? Do you think I'm a pushover? Did you slack off on demolishing that building? Let me tell you, you must get it done today, or it'll be hard to explain to Young Master Fang—he spent money on this, after all. Do you hear me?"
Suddenly, a gentle breeze swept past. His ears twitched slightly, and he frowned. "What's all that commotion outside? Are you all tired of living? With all that racket, don't you cultivators know how much I prefer peace and quiet?"
Outside, cries of pain—"Ouch, ouch"—rose one after another in an endless stream.
The lackeyes kneeling on the ground turned as pale as earth. "Master, it must be that lunatic."
The time had arrived. It was precisely the third quarter of the Wei hour.
Wei Zheng sneered. Had this little follower lost his mind, still spouting nonsense at a time like this?
Yet the next instant, his smile froze, because a bloodied figure smashed through the window and crashed straight into one of the protectors.
Wei Zheng's expression turned grave.
Someone actually dared to barge into Black Tiger Hall!
A young man clad in a martial arts uniform strode imposingly in through the doorway.
"Which one of you is the boss? Step right up!"
Yun He stood as straight as a pine, his gaze sharp as he locked eyes with Wei Zheng seated in the center.
"Ha! To think there are still reckless youngsters who dare come make trouble at my Black Tiger Hall. How refreshing." Wei Zheng laughed heartily.
As he laughed, the surrounding protectors chimed in.
The lackeyes on the floor pointed at Yun He and shouted, "Master, it's this punk—the one from the Yun Family! Yesterday, he wouldn't let us demolish the house and chased us away."
Wei Zheng glared fiercely at Yun He. "As an outsider who doesn't know the mighty reputation of Black Tiger Hall, your ignorance can be forgiven. How about this: I'll give you a chance. Kneel down, kowtow three loud times, and send your sister to serve Young Master Fang. Then I might let you leave in one piece."
Yun He furrowed his brow. "You people keep bringing up my sister and dragging in some Young Master Fang. It seems your Black Tiger Hall is in cahoots with him, pushing your bullying all the way to my Yun Family. Is that it?"
A protector's mouth curled into a mocking smile. "Only now do you realize it? Well, your death won't be in vain. Who told your family to have such a delicate, pretty little sister? Sleeping with Young Master Fang is your family's blessing—"
Murderous intent surged around Yun He. His family was his untouchable bottom line, and these people had repeatedly insulted his sister with their words. He could no longer tolerate these ants. With a sudden wave of his palm, the protector felt a scorching wave of heat wash over him, instantly enveloping his body. Before he could even utter a sound, he was burned to ashes.
"Because of my sister, all of you will die today. Black Tiger Hall shall perish today!"
Wei Zheng immediately stood up.
"He's a Xuantu Realm cultivator! Everyone, do not underestimate him. Surround him and beat him to a pulp—smash him into dust!"
The protectors grinned savagely. "A mere Xuantu Realm cultivator dares to barge into our Black Tiger Hall single-handedly? You're courting death."
These protectors were all Xuantu Realm cultivators, with the strongest among them having reached the peak. They struck out simultaneously, cutting off all of Yun He's escape routes with the intent to shatter him in a single blow.
Wei Zheng laughed maniacally. "Punk, there is a path to heaven, but you refused to walk it; there is no door to hell, yet you barged right in."
However, the moment his voice fell, he felt a fierce gale sweep past, carrying an aura of destruction. The protectors' waists snapped in half instantly; their upper bodies crashed heavily to the ground, while their lower halves remained standing right where they were.
"How is this possible? How can this be?!" Wei Zheng stared with wide eyes at Yun He walking toward him through the bloodstains, looking as though he were gazing upon the lord of hell.
"What—what kind of cultivation realm do you actually possess? Why are you setting yourself against Black Tiger Hall?!"
"My name is Yun He, and I am a member of the Yun Family. It's not that I'm targeting you; it's that you had a way out yet chose not to take it, daring instead to provoke my family members. I said it before: today, your First Hall shall perish!"
Wei Zheng's eyes darted around. Suddenly, he whipped a sword from the table, its sharp tip pointing straight at Yun He.
"So you're a Xuantu Realm Full Circle cultivator! So what? No matter how high your realm is, in front of this thing, you'll only end up shattered. Hahahaha!"
Yun He glanced indifferently at the sword and continued to close in on him.
Wei Zheng channeled his sword qi, watching with full anticipation as Yun He fell. Yet the expected scene failed to materialize.
The sword light abruptly halted in mid-air about ten feet away from Yun He.
Impatiently, Yun He reached out and flicked the sword light aside as easily as picking a fruit, then continued walking toward Wei Zheng.
Wei Zheng stood dumbfounded, his legs trembling. In the span of a few breaths, the guards outside and his personal assistants had all perished. He knew the First Hall had reached its end.
The main headquarters of Black Tiger Hall would never let him go, but right now, his top priority was saving his own skin.
His legs went weak, and he dropped to his knees.
"Master Yun, I was wrong! I was truly wrong! Please spare my life. I was forced into this! That beast Young Master Fang—his uncle is the grand master of Black Tiger Hall, and he's the one who made me help capture your sister... If I refused, I would have died."
"Young Master Fang again. Where is he? And where is the main headquarters of Black Tiger Hall?"
At the mention of the headquarters, a sliver of cunning flashed in Wei Zheng's eyes. "The headquarters is at the peak of Green Dragon Mountain. The grand master has reached the Yellow Heaven Realm Peak—he is someone you cannot afford to provoke. If you spare me, I will put in a good word for you before the grand master so he forgives you, and you might even become friends with him. How about that?"
Inwardly, however, he schemed: *Yun He, once I survive this disaster and see the grand master, I'll make sure you are sliced into a thousand pieces.*
As if seeing right through his thoughts, Yun He said indifferently, "Don't daydream about the headquarters saving you. Let me say it again: Black Tiger Hall has provoked my Yun Family, so prepare to be completely wiped out."
As the words left his mouth, he brought his hand down heavily onto Wei Zheng's forehead. Wei Zheng sensed danger and tried to flee, only to find his legs rooted to the spot, unable to budge an inch.
He could only take the blow head-on, and then watched in terror as his entire body instantly dissolved into a mist of blood.
The First Hall was thus destroyed.