Ye Huan flatly rejected Lin Tai's proposal.
Lin Tai gave Ye Huan a deep look, mistakenly thinking that Ye Huan was reluctant to live at Lin Xi's house because he was afraid of being given a hard time by Lin Canglan and Li Meiya. So, he suggested:
"Then have Xixi come live at your place instead. Look at me, I'm already getting up there in years and I'm in a rush to hold a great-grandchild. You two need to put some effort into it—ideally, you should get married with a bun in the oven."
Lin Xi blushed fiercely. "Grandpa, what are you talking about?"
"Hahahaha..."
Lin Tai laughed heartily, stood up, and said, "Well, Ye Huan's been on a plane for so long, he should head back early to rest, and I should be getting back too."
"Alright!"
The group left Shangyang Food City. After Ye Huan and Lin Xi watched the cars carrying Lin Tai, Lin Canglan, and Li Meiya drive away, Ye Huan said, "Look how desperate your grandfather is to hold a great-grandchild. Why don't you come home with me right now and we can put in some overtime? My childhood nickname is Ye Eleven, and my one hundred and eight forms of the 'Yin-Yang Convergence Grand Art' have long reached absolute perfection and maturity. I guarantee if we sow the seeds today, you won't get your period next month, and your grandpa will be grinning from ear to ear—ah, wait, I mean..."
Lin Xi looked at Ye Huan as if he were an absolute moron, and said coldly, "Ye Huan, are you out of your mind? Did you forget we aren't a real couple, but just in a contract marriage? As for why I agreed to this contract marriage with you, you know that better than anyone."
"You can have kids in a contract marriage too!" Ye Huan said with a straight face.
"Heh..."
Lin Xi sneered and said, "Go home and sleep. In your dreams, you can have as many kids as you want, and with whoever you want."
With that, she got into the car.
Ye Huan curled his lip and was just about to walk around to the passenger side when Lin Xi hit the gas and drove off.
Ye Huan: "???"
What the hell, you left—what am I supposed to do?
And didn't Lin Tai say you were supposed to move into my place?
"It's truly incredible. There's actually someone in this world who can make the legendary King of Hell eat dirt. I'm afraid nobody would believe me if I told them."
At that moment, a cool voice rang out.
Ye Huan looked toward the sound and saw a girl approaching, wearing a duckbill cap, a face mask, casual clothes, and white sneakers.
"Hongluan, one of the grand Guardian God of Wars of Huaxia, actually resorting to stalking and tailing people. I doubt anyone would believe that if I told them, either," Ye Huan retorted.
Hongluan didn't snap back. She took off her cap and mask, walked right up to Ye Huan, looked him straight in the eyes, and asked, "What are you doing in Pengcheng?"
"What, aren't you going to welcome me?"
Ye Huan asked with a smile, taking the opportunity to look Hongluan up and down.
Hongluan was stunning. With her sharp short hair, porcelain-white skin, delicate facial features, and a height of one meter seventy-five, paired with her dashing demeanor, her beauty was deeply unique and full of personality.
"You are the King of Hell, the Butcher, the Monster Among Men, the Creator of Death and Terror, the most terrifying dangerous criminal on the planet. No country in the world welcomes you," Hongluan said bluntly.
"Are you planning to kick me out of Pengcheng? Out of Huaxia?" Ye Huan asked.
*Yes...* Hongluan thought to herself, but she didn't dare say it aloud. Fearing that the truth might enrage the King of Hell, she asked instead, "How long do you plan to stay in Pengcheng?"
"I'm a citizen of Huaxia, and my household registration is in Pengcheng. This time, I'm back in Pengcheng to take a wife, and I'll probably be settling down here for good!" Ye Huan said.
Settling down in Pengcheng?
Hongluan panicked. The King of Hell settling down in Pengcheng was basically planting a super atomic bomb ready to detonate at any moment right in the city!
"Your worries are completely unfounded. No matter where I wreak havoc, I'd never do it in my own homeland!"
Ye Huan patted Hongluan on the shoulder to reassure her and said, "Let's go. Give me a ride home."
Hongluan was startled. "Your home? Where is it?"
"Qinwan Bay!" Ye Huan said.
A profound shock rippled through Hongluan's heart. The King of Hell owned property in Pengcheng's Qinwan Bay, and she had no idea.
Meanwhile, after driving just out of Ye Huan's line of sight, Lin Xi stopped her car. She wanted to see how Ye Huan would manage to leave, only to see him with Hongluan.
Of course, because the distance was too great, Lin Xi couldn't make out Hongluan's features clearly. However, after Hongluan took off her cap and mask, Lin Xi could still vaguely make out her fair skin and distinctive demeanor.
"Bitch! Scumbag! He even has a mistress here in Pengcheng!"
Furious, Lin Xi pulled out her phone and made a call. "Help me run a background check on someone. His name is Ye Huan—'Ye' as in fallen leaf, 'Huan' as in a dog jumping around and eating shit. The home address on his ID card and household register is the Pengcheng Orphanage..."
***
Qinwan Bay Villa District!
In the bathroom of a luxurious villa, Yaoji was taking a bath.
"If the King of Hell gets a marriage certificate with that woman, what's going to happen to me? Become a mistress? Or the favorite imperial concubine of the King of Hell?"
Yaoji couldn't wrap her head around it!
She was a dignified super war god, ranked 35th on the Global War God Rankings, and a top-tier assassin ranked 8th on the Killer Rankings;
She had looks when she wanted looks;
She had a body when she wanted a body;
And most importantly, she was drop-dead sultry!
Why on earth would the King of Hell pass her over to choose some unremarkable, poorly dressed, bad-tempered little nobody whose face and figure were nothing special?
"I'll start as the King of Hell's favorite concubine and wait for a chance to push the legal wife aside and take her place. Yes, that's what I'll do!"
After finishing her bath, Yaoji put on a white bathrobe, walked out to the living room on the first floor, sat on the sofa, and pondered deeply for a long time. She finally mapped out her life plan for the second half of her life: she would become the Queen of the King of Hell!
At this thought, Yaoji's mood suddenly cleared up. She shouted at the top of her lungs, "Chef! Is my meal ready yet? I'm starving to death!"
No one answered!
"Oh ho! So you're ignoring the butler now, aren't you?"
Fuming, Yaoji ran into the kitchen—it was completely empty. She searched the entire villa from top to bottom and couldn't find a single soul. Finally, she found the chef just outside the villa's courtyard gate.
Along with the butler, the gardener, the maid, and the driver.
The five of them were standing rigidly in a straight line at the entrance.
"What are you guys doing out here?" Yaoji demanded.
Nobody answered her!
That really ticked Yaoji off. "I'm talking to you! Are your ears stuffed with donkey hair or something?"
Her slightly unpolished Huaxia speech made what should have been an angry outburst sound rather comical.
Yet the butler, chef, gardener, maid, and driver still ignored Yaoji entirely.
They didn't even cast a single glance her way.
"Fine! So you've got thick skulls and refuse to treat me, the head housekeeper, as your superior, is that it? Just you wait! When that King of Hell—when Ye Huan gets back, I'll make sure you see just how much authority a housekeeper has in this household. I'm going to fire every last one of you!" Yaoji fumed angrily.
The five of them still didn't pay her any mind!
Yaoji: "..."
Just then, a long motorcade drove up, and a group of people in tailored suits stepped out. There were men and women, young and old, with yellow, white, and black skin.
These people quickly assembled into a square formation right outside the gate of Ye Huan's courtyard.
"Who are you people? What are you doing here?"
Yaoji asked.
She felt like these people had screws loose in their heads. It was the dead of summer, yet they were all dressed in suits—weren't they afraid of dying from the heat?
"Yaoji?"
The bald, chubby man leading the group caught sight of Yaoji, blinked in surprise, and then broke into a smile that made him look just like Maitreya Buddha. "The King of Hell is truly the King of Hell—he's even brought Yaoji under his banner."
Yaoji was taken aback. This short, chubby man actually recognized her, and with a single sentence, she was exposed as having defected to the King of Hell.
It seemed these people weren't ordinary street thugs; they were underworld martial artists, and not run-of-the-mill ones at that.
"Who are you? What kind of people are you?" Yaoji asked again.
"You don't yet have the qualification to know who I am, nor do you have the qualification to know what kind of people we are!"
A kind smile hung on the bald fat man's face, but his bearing was immensely arrogant, and his words were utterly preposterous.
"Oh, my explosive temper!"
In a rage, Yaoji pointed at the bald fat man and cursed, "You fat bastard, you clearly know who I am, yet you still dare talk to me like that. Have you got a death wish?"
*Asking for death!*
Those three words—"fat bastard"—instantly wiped the smile from the bald fat man's face, and a massive wave of killing intent erupted from him.
At the same time, everyone behind the bald fat man unleashed their killing intent as well, instantly washing over and enveloping Yaoji.
In a split second, Yaoji felt as though she had plunged into an icy cave. Even though it was the scorching heat of midsummer, she suddenly felt bitterly cold.
"You should thank your lucky stars that you defected to the King of Hell. Otherwise, just for what you said a moment ago, you'd already be a corpse!"
The bald fat man said with chilling murderous intent.
"Is that so? I'd love to see just how capable you really are to be spouting such wild nonsense!"
Provoked by the dense killing intent and the bald fat man's words, Yaoji's anger flared. With a flash of movement, she appeared right in front of him and threw a punch straight at his face.
"Overestimating your own abilities!"
The bald fat man met her punch with a single palm strike.
The instant they collided, Yaoji felt as though her fist had smashed into a high-speed runaway train. A terrifying, monstrous force instantly crushed her punch's momentum, traveling straight up her right arm and through her entire body, forcing her to stumble back seven or eight steps before she finally managed to steady herself!
"So strong!"
Yaoji gasped in shock.
Although she hadn't put her full strength into that punch, she could tell that the bald fat man hadn't gone all out either.
If they were to truly fight to the death, she stood no chance of defeating him!
That was terrifying!
She knew every single martial artist in the top 35 of the Global War God Rankings, and the bald fat man was definitely not among them.
Yet he possessed the strength of a top 35 War God.
"Follow me inside to see the King of Hell!"
Kshitigarbha ignored Yaoji completely and spoke to the dozen-plus people behind him.
With that, he walked straight toward the entrance of Ye Huan's courtyard, followed closely by his entourage.
Right at that moment!
The butler, the chef, the gardener, the maid, and the driver stepped forward to block the gateway!
"Without the master's permission, no one is allowed to trespass!" the butler said expressionlessly.
"Step aside!" the bald fat man said calmly.
The five of them didn't budge an inch!
The bald fat man's face turned cold. "Step aside, or die!"
The five of them still didn't budge!
"Courting death!"
Furious, the bald fat man lashed out, throwing a palm strike directly at the butler.
Seeing this, Yaoji's expression changed dramatically, and she cried out in alarm, "Get out of the way!"
From her perspective, even she might not be a match for the bald fat man. If an ordinary person like the butler took a direct hit from him, they would surely die!
However, the butler didn't dodge, nor was there the slightest trace of fear on her face. Facing the bald fat man's palm strike, she simply struck out with a palm of her own.
*Bam!*
The two palms met, producing a muffled, echoing impact!
"Tap, tap, tap, tap..."
The bald fat man's heavy body shuddered. His stout frame stumbled backward step by step, leaving a one-centimeter-deep footprint in the ground with every step he took. It took a full five steps back for him to finally regain his footing.
"So strong!"
The bald fat man blurted out in shock.
And everyone behind him wore looks of sheer astonishment.
They all knew the bald fat man's true strength; even if he hadn't used his full power with that palm, he shouldn't have been forced back five full steps by an opponent.
This was proof enough that the butler possessed formidable strength!
"This..."
Yaoji stared dumbfounded at the butler, the corners of her mouth twitching violently.
She had always assumed the five of them were just ordinary people working odd jobs at Ye Huan's house. She had even felt a sense of superiority around them earlier, not even deigning to use martial arts when the butler had refused to listen to her.
And yet, the butler turned out to be an absolute martial arts expert!
An expert whose strength was by no means inferior to her own!
If so, then the chef, the gardener, the maid, and the driver must not be ordinary people either!
*Oh my god!*
As expected of the King of Hell—he actually had five terrifying War Gods working as his butler, chef, gardener, maid, and driver at home.
That was too extravagant!
"Who are you?"
The bald fat man glared coldly at the butler and demanded, "With your level of skill, you're definitely no nobody. Even if I don't recognize you, I must have heard of your reputation. What's your name?"
The butler acted as if she hadn't heard a single word. She gave no answer, uttered no response, and didn't even deign to look at the bald fat man's face.
This made the bald fat man feel utterly humiliated. He raged, "Giving you face and you don't want it—looks like you're really looking to die!"
As he spoke, he lunged forward, throwing another palm strike at the butler. This time, he used his full strength—a furious, unreserved blow.
Seeing this, Yaoji's pretty face turned pale, and she shouted a warning at the top of her lungs, "Don't take it head-on!"
With Yaoji's skill, she could clearly gauge the terrifying power behind the bald fat man's palm.
At the same time, Yaoji realized she was definitely no match for him; he was even stronger than the rank-one War God on the Global War God Rankings she had once challenged.
That was why she was warning the butler not to block it. Although the butler had ignored her earlier and given her no face at all, they were all on the same side now; she didn't want to see the butler get hurt by an outsider like the bald fat man.
"So uncultured!"
The butler gave Yaoji a look of absolute disdain, and then threw out a palm once again.
*Boom!*
The collision of their palms erupted with a sound like a booming temple bell.
And then Yaoji watched in utter disbelief as the bald fat man was sent staggering backward a dozen steps, crashing into the people behind him and causing them to stumble back as well.
"Oh, my god!"
Yaoji stared at the butler in shock, her eyes nearly popping out of her head.
This unassuming butler possessed a level of power that was utterly terrifying.
With strength like this, she could easily snatch the crown of the number one fighter on the Global War God Rankings!
"You, you, you... How is this possible?"
After stumbling back a dozen steps and steadying himself, the bald fat man stared at the butler as if he had seen a ghost.
He simply couldn't believe that anyone other than the King of Hell could exist in this world who was stronger than him.
And this person appeared to be nothing more than a domestic servant in the King of Hell's household.
Everyone standing behind the bald fat man was equally frightened out of their wits by the butler's display of power. In that instant, whatever lingering sense of superiority they had harbored vanished completely into thin air.
They weren't even as strong as the household servants at the King of Hell's place!
"Step back ten steps, or die!" the butler said expressionlessly.
The bald fat man hurriedly led his people backward, pulling in all their arrogance and sharp edges—they no longer dared to put on airs whatsoever!
Right at that moment!
A Hummer roared down the road at breakneck speed!
Ye Huan and Hongluan—who had put her cap and mask back on—stepped out of the vehicle!
"Greetings, King of Hell!"
The bald fat man and the entire group of suited figures dropped to one knee in unison.
"Master!"
The five servants bowed respectfully.
Yaoji stood there with a dazed, adorable expression on her face. She had always assumed the bald fat man and his crew were enemies of the King of Hell, here to cause trouble and seek revenge.
Yet here they were, kneeling all over the ground—it turned out they were all here to pledge allegiance to the King of Hell!
"Who are these people?"
Hongluan was startled by the sheer scale of the lineup. She remembered that the King of Hell was a lone wolf, a butcher who operated entirely by himself without any faction of his own.
Who on earth were these suited guys in the middle of summer?
And why were they bowing to the King of Hell?
"They're the upper echelons of Hell Gate!"
Ye Huan casually tossed out the introduction as if it were nothing.
*What?!*
Those four words—*upper echelons of Hell Gate*—nearly scared Hongluan and Yaoji out of their wits!
They stared in absolute shock at the members of Hell Gate kneeling across the ground, massive waves crashing through their hearts.
Hell Gate—the most mysterious, powerful, and ancient evil syndicate in the global underground world with a history spanning thousands of years—had actually been conquered by the King of Hell?
Yaoji's face flushed a brilliant, vibrant red with excitement. Her heart hammered against her ribs, her breath hitching—the man she fancied truly had immense prestige!
Not only stood at the very pinnacle of the global pyramid, but he had even subdued an organization like Hell Gate.
How incredible is that!
How utterly amazing!
At that moment, Yaoji couldn't help thinking: forget about becoming the Queen of the King of Hell; even if she only ended up as one of his concubines, it would still be the absolute peak of her life!
Compared to Yaoji!
Hongluan had a lot more on her mind, and the shock shaking her core was far greater!
The King of Hell alone was already enough to make every nation and underground syndicate on earth tread lightly, daring not provoke him.
Now, with the King of Hell holding the reins of a sinister juggernaut like Hell Gate, he practically wielded the power to threaten every country on the globe!
"You guys sure have a lot of nerve!"
Ye Huan walked over to the bald fat man, planted a foot right in his chest, and sent him tumbling to the ground. He said coldly, "It's my very first day out of prison and back in Pengcheng, and you're already waiting here for me. It seems you've got my every move mapped out down to the last detail!"
After being kicked flat on his back, the bald fat man didn't show a shred of anger. Instead, he scrambled back up in a flash, dropped straight to both knees, and prostrated himself before Ye Huan.
Seeing this, the other high-ranking members of Hell Gate who had been kneeling on one knee quickly dropped to both knees and prostrated themselves as well!
*Terror!*
At that moment, they were terrified out of their minds!
Secretly tracking the King of Hell's whereabouts was a capital offense;
And barging into the King of Hell's home with such fanfare without his permission might well have triggered his wrath!
"Please spare us, King of Hell!"
The bald fat man slammed his forehead against the stone paving with a sickening crunch, trembling with fear as he blurted out, "We didn't mean any harm by investigating your whereabouts and coming to your estate. We only came to plead with you to return and assume the position of Hell Gate Master!"
"I said it six years ago, and I'll say it again: I have zero interest in being the Master of Hell Gate!" Ye Huan said coldly.
Yaoji and Hongluan exchanged blank stares!
They had seen people act arrogant before, but they had never witnessed a "King of A-holes" of Ye Huan's caliber.
We're talking about the legendary Hell Gate here! Anyone wielding that kind of power could dictate terms to any nation on earth.
And yet look at Ye Huan—all the higher-ups of Hell Gate were practically begging him on bended knee to take the position of Master, and it seemed they had been begging him for six whole years, while Ye Huan flat-out refused to do it!
"Um... let me butt in for a second."
Hongluan took a few short, tentative steps toward Ye Huan's side and asked in a low voice, "What happened to the previous Hell Gate Master? Why are they begging you to take over?"
"Six years ago, I chopped the previous Hell Gate Master to death!" Ye Huan said casually, as if talking about the weather.
Hongluan: "..."
Yaoji: "..."
*Badass!*
Yes, they couldn't come up with any other word to describe Ye Huan.
Ever since the birth of Hell Gate thousands of years ago, every single previous Master had been hailed as the most mysterious figure on earth—even more mysterious than the current King of Hell.
Forget about killing the Master; no one even knew who the Master of Hell Gate actually was!
And yet the King of Hell was just that fierce!
Not only did he know who the Master of Hell Gate was, but he had hacked the guy to death.
Hacked him to death and that was that—the bizarre part was that instead of trying to avenge their leader, the members of Hell Gate were actually begging Ye Huan to become their new Master.
*F***ing legendary!*
*That's just too damn badass!*