Volume One, Chapter 55: Patricide

Sitting in the car, Ye Qingfeng couldn’t suppress the smile that spread across his face after learning of Ning Rou’s actions. His expression began to twist, his face swelling, and his joints twitching uncontrollably. This bizarre scene was witnessed in full by Ye Qiang, seated in the back.

Ye Qiang showed little emotion, only saying, “Fool, I’ve told you before: martial arts require steady progress, step by step. You didn’t learn as a child, and now as an adult you resort to underhanded means. Truly useless. How did I end up with a son like you?”

Having consumed a gu poison pill refined from dozens of human lives, Ye Qingfeng clutched his head in agony. His eyes were bloodshot, and Ye Qiang’s words thundered in his mind as if amplified tenfold.

With a cry, Ye Qingfeng slammed his head against the car’s air conditioner, leaving a huge dent in the otherwise pristine new vehicle.

Ye Qiang’s expression darkened. “Useless! I, Ye Qiang, have roamed the world—how could I have raised such a worthless son?”

The painful struggle did not last long. Regaining his senses, Ye Qingfeng pulled out a tissue and wiped the sweat from his brow.

“Father, you’re old now, but your temper hasn’t changed,” Ye Qingfeng said coolly.

Ye Qiang snapped, “You little brat! Are you lecturing me? You’ve grown bold—get out and kneel!”

A trace of weariness appeared on Ye Qingfeng’s face. “Kneel? From today on, I will never kneel again.”

“What do you mean? Are you rebelling?” Ye Qiang raised his hand to strike, but Ye Qingfeng’s figure vanished in an instant.

Ye Qiang’s slap landed on empty air where the passenger seat was.

The next moment, the back door flew open, and before Ye Qiang could react, he was yanked out and thrown to the ground.

Struggling to get up, Ye Qiang suddenly felt himself suffocating. His neck was being viciously constricted, a bloody mark quickly appearing where the rope bit into his skin.

It was Ye Qingfeng, who had already reached the Vajra stage. The hemp rope in his hands tightened relentlessly. Despite Ye Qiang’s desperate struggle, Ye Qingfeng gave a powerful yank, and gradually, Ye Qiang lost all ability to resist.

Ye Qingfeng took a deep breath, as if making a final decision. “You’re old, yet you want to control everything. With Shanshui Group in your hands, there’s no hope for its future. It’s time for you to step down!”

But Ye Qiang, whose limbs had still been twitching moments before, now lay lifeless on the roadside, looking like nothing more than an ordinary, unremarkable middle-aged man.

A Gu master who had gotten out of the driver’s seat remarked, “This batch of medicine has strong side effects, but don’t worry. In a few days, I’ll develop another formula to eliminate them completely.”

Looking at his dead father, Ye Qingfeng did not feel the joy he’d imagined. The aged face was contorted in a tragic death grimace, filled with shock and disbelief, as if he had never dreamed his end would come this way.

“Take care of it,” Ye Qingfeng said, only briefly saddened. In his eyes, nothing mattered but supreme power; anyone could be an enemy or a friend, but no one was allowed to hinder his march toward the pinnacle.

News of the chairman of Shanshui Group’s death spread quickly and quietly. Many doubted it at first, but Ye Qingfeng soon confirmed that the former chairman, Ye Qiang, had died in an accidental fall on a slippery staircase.

That same day, Ye Qingfeng held a press conference to make the matter public.

During the event, Ye Qingfeng also announced that he would soon be engaged to Miss Ning Rou of the Ning family.

This news spread rapidly. When Li Jinghou, who was practicing horse stance at home, saw it, he was filled with rage and nearly stormed over to the Ye family for an explanation.

It was only Chong Li’s arrival that blocked his path.

Inside the house, Chong Li wore Taoist robes, and he was not alone—Tong Yan was there, as well as her father Tong Qianjin and her brother Tong Wuji.

Li Jinghou and Tong Yan were well acquainted, and both had a close relationship with Jiang Chen, so it was only natural that their paths converged now.

Tong Yan paced anxiously back and forth. Meanwhile, Li Jinghou had already called several security companies, preparing to crash the engagement.

Stomping her foot, Tong Yan exclaimed, “What should we do? The young master isn’t here. Are we really going to just stand by and watch Sister Ning Rou marry that scum Ye Qingfeng?”

Tong Qianjin mulled over their family assets, calculating whether they had enough to pressure the Ye family. But after some thought, he realized their fortune couldn’t even match one of the Ye family’s branch companies.

Li Jinghou declared, “Sister-in-law Ning Rou absolutely cannot marry Ye Qingfeng. Even if Brother Chen doesn’t come back, I’ll storm the wedding myself.”

Over these days of training, Li Jinghou had reached the first stage of the Breathing Realm. Though still a novice and no match for the truly powerful, Jiang Chen was his sworn brother—he couldn’t just do nothing.

Irritated, Chong Li pinched Li Jinghou’s waist. He yelped and stepped back, looking at her in aggrieved silence.

“I’m not even chasing after you anymore, so why are you still hitting me?” he thought, but dared not say it aloud, fearing another blow.

Chong Li gently advised, “Senior brother said he’ll be out soon. If something happens, just lay low for a bit; it’ll pass. For now, our priority is to see if we can hide Sister-in-law Ning Rou. If Ye Qingfeng can’t find her, the engagement will have to be postponed.”

At this, Tong Yan spoke up: “Sister Ning Rou told me that if she refuses the marriage, the Ye family will swallow up the entire Ning Group. The Ning Group is the foundation of her family, the fruit of generations of effort. She’s too filial to let it be destroyed.”

Ordinarily, such troubles should have become clearer the more they discussed them, but at this critical juncture, their minds were nearly overwhelmed by the predicament.

Li Jinghou brooded for a while, still unable to think of a solution. He scratched his head in frustration, blaming himself for not starting his cultivation sooner—if only he had the strength to stand against a whole corporation by himself, he could have relieved his brother’s worries.

The sense of helplessness swept over him once again.

Chong Li, noticing Li Jinghou falling into self-doubt, quickly said, “The road will appear when we reach the mountain. We still have time to prepare.”

“Hello? Is anyone here? Master Yuanliang sent us to lend a hand to Brother Jiang Chen.”

Following the sound of the voice, Chong Li and Li Jinghou, who had been so worried, suddenly brightened at the sight of the newcomers.

“Hello, Miss Chong Li, Brother Li—it’s good to see you both. It’s only been a few days; I hope you’re not upset about what happened before.”

It was none other than the Fang Longcheng squad, minus Xue Qi. At this critical time, Li Jinghou bore no grudge for the past; their arrival was a timely solution to their urgent plight.

Previously, Li Jinghou and his group had scrapped their plan to crash the engagement for lack of manpower, but now, with these reinforcements, the plan suddenly seemed much more feasible!