Chapter 20: The Slaughter of the Sect

Without unnecessary words, since he had killed the leader of the Fourth Hall, the Dragon-Tiger Hall would never let him go. Moreover, Zhou Qi had dared to lay hands on his sister; for that reason alone, Ye Cheng would leave no future threats behind.

Of course, the Dragon-Tiger Hall was not without its strengths—if the other hall leaders were wise enough to submit, there might be no need to eradicate them completely.

"You... you..." The man whose throat was being gripped could not utter a single word.

"You—tell me where your chief hall master is," Ye Cheng said coldly to the other security guard.

But that guard was already paralyzed with fear, his mouth agape, unable to speak.

"You're... you're finished..." the guard being choked sneered miserably. He had already pressed the emergency button on his walkie-talkie.

"Oh," Ye Cheng replied, tossing the man to the ground. He fell unconscious instantly.

Uncertain of the Dragon-Tiger Hall’s stance toward him, there was no need to go on a killing spree—at least not yet.

…

Meanwhile, inside the villa’s luxurious conference hall, four men and four women were reveling in wine and laughter. Three men from the Summer Nation each had a beauty of campus-queen caliber on their laps. Only the last seat was occupied by a blonde, blue-eyed woman. Strangely, she wore an ornate white gown and held a staff in her hand, looking as though she had stepped straight out of a fantasy novel.

Beside her sat another foreign man, whose gaze toward her was filled with respect and deference.

Suddenly, the alarm blared above their heads, making the white-haired leader’s heart skip a beat. The foreign man, clearly unaware of what was happening, was nonetheless irritated by the sudden noise.

"What’s going on, my friend?"

"It's nothing serious, Mr. George—let’s just keep drinking," the white-haired man replied with a slight smile, then turned away, his expression changing.

"Third Brother, go check it out. I’ve called Fourth all morning with no response—it must be trouble."

The burliest of the four men sprang to his feet. "Yes, sir!"

…

After knocking out the two guards, Ye Cheng remained standing where he was. There was no need to barge in; that would only waste time.

It was far more convenient to let the main force rush to him, then capture their leaders.

Soon enough, they appeared. A large group surged toward him from every direction of the villa—at least a hundred men, by rough estimate.

"Quite the show of force," Ye Cheng mused. Most were ordinary men; only a handful of Yellow-Rank martial artists wore confident grins. But there was one exception—a hulking, bald brute. Despite his size, his movements were swift as he charged at Ye Cheng at the head of the group.

Early Earth-Rank. At last, someone interesting.

Ye Cheng smiled slightly, hands clasped behind his back, waiting as the group closed in.

On the other side, the burly Liu Meng eyed Ye Cheng with confusion. This man had not a trace of spiritual energy on him! Was a beggar really bold enough to break into the Dragon-Tiger Hall? And to assault their men?

Truly reckless.

"Where did this stray dog come from, daring to lay hands on members of my Dragon-Tiger Sect?" Liu Meng’s first words made Ye Cheng’s impression of the organization plummet.

"Zhou Qi of your Fourth Hall is dead—killed by me," Ye Cheng said simply.

His words sent the crowd into uproarious laughter.

"Did you hear that? He claims to have killed our Fourth Hall leader!"

"The best joke I’ve heard all year! That beggar talking big—kill Zhou Qi? Zhou Qi could send this fool spinning with a single slap!"

"What a waste of my time! I was just sweet-talking my girl, and now I find out it’s just a crazy beggar. Ridiculous."

Insults and mockery filled the air, but Ye Cheng paid them no heed. He remained calm and unruffled, his eyes fixed steadily on the bald Liu Meng.

"Are you the hall leader?" he asked.

Liu Meng sneered. "Ignorant brat! You dare storm our headquarters without even knowing the renowned Liu Meng, Third Hall Master of the Dragon-Tiger Hall?"

Liu Meng’s contempt was due to Ye Cheng’s unremarkable appearance—no spiritual energy, shabby clothes, the very image of one who’d just finished begging on the street.

Besides, the two guards at the gate were ordinary men, not martial artists. Any strong man could have dealt with them easily; it was no surprise Ye Cheng had knocked them out.

"The Third Hall Master? You’re not qualified. Send out your highest authority to speak with me," Ye Cheng replied, losing interest.

Though this brute was an Earth-Rank expert, in Ye Cheng’s eyes, he was still no more than an ant.

"Arrogant beyond measure," Liu Meng laughed, baffled as to where this youth found such confidence. He, Liu Meng, had made his name over a decade ago as the famous Broadsword Liu Meng! As for Zhou Qi, he’d only become Fourth Hall Master by sheer luck when the hall was desperate for candidates; Liu Meng had never thought much of him.

If this beggar spoke the truth, Liu Meng would almost be pleased. It had been years since he’d faced a true opponent.

"Do you know the consequences of crossing the Dragon-Tiger Hall?"

"I don’t," Ye Cheng replied, narrowing his eyes, "but I know that your Zhou Qi tried to harm my family. For that alone, he was doomed."

"Insolence!" Liu Meng roared, raising his massive broadsword.

"No matter what you say, someone without a shred of spiritual energy could never kill Zhou Qi. What makes you think you could? Deluded mutt," Liu Meng scoffed. Zhou Qi, though not his friend, was at least a peak Profound-Rank martial artist, half a step from the innate realm. How could such a man fall to this nobody?

"Tell me why you’re here to die. Perhaps I’ll spare your life—though," Liu Meng glanced playfully at his shoes, "these have gotten quite dirty over the past days. If you crawl over and lick them clean, maybe I’ll give you some leftovers to eat. After all, you’re just a beggar, aren’t you? Hahaha!"

The crowd erupted into laughter, but Ye Cheng only carelessly placed his hand at his throat.

Suddenly, a thunderous shout resounded, spiritual energy surging toward the Dragon-Tiger Hall crowd like a tidal wave.

"Dragon-Tiger Hall Master! Come out and face death!"

The shout was like divine might descending—over fifty men fell grievously wounded, blood streaming from their ears and noses. The remaining martial artists collapsed one after another, unable to stand.

"I gave you your chance," Ye Cheng declared. "From this moment on, whether you know me or not, whether we have enmity or not—every last member of the Dragon-Tiger Hall must die!"