影院西瓜影院

Chapter 270: Fear and Silencing

The Ye family, which held sway over Liuhe Base City for three hundred and twenty-one years, is completely finished.

Is this some kind of joke?

If the Ye family were still around, who would dare joke like this? That’s a death wish.

The police have already issued a statement—some mysterious individual massacred the entire Ye family.

My god, who did the Ye family offend to deserve this?

A century-old family, reduced to ashes overnight.

The light-network forums were exploding with posts. It was terrifying. This was the Ye family; a behemoth that had suffocated the entire Liuhe Base City under its control for generations. But now, they were suddenly gone.

Many people were holding back their excitement and didn\'t dare express it openly. The Ye family was known for its tyrannical rule and for being an oppressive force that had exploited countless people. Now, they were finally no more.

For many, it felt like a cloud had lifted, allowing the sun to shine again. But for those who had thrived under the shadow of the Ye family, those parasitic vines clinging to their towering tree, they were gripped by sheer terror. They could already foresee a day of reckoning coming for them, a day when debts would be called in and they would be held accountable.

But who had wiped out the Ye family? Speculation ran rampant across all circles. Then, whispers began to circulate, spread by those with connections and insider knowledge, about Zhong Kui, the Ghost Slayer!

A photo of the message left on the massive courtyard wall of the Ye family estate somehow made its way to the light-network.

With blade I rid the world of evil, slaying all demons and monsters! The Ghost Slayer: Zhong Kui!

One line of verse. One name. The photo was startlingly clear. The calligraphy radiated an aura of intense killing intent. So much so that many people, upon seeing the image online, could still feel an overwhelming murderous aura sending chills down their spines.

Who is this Zhong Kui?

Has anyone ever heard of a powerful figure by the name Zhong Kui?

Nope, never heard of him.

There\'s no trace of this person online.

You guys really need to brush up on your culture! Zhong Kui is a folk deity from Daoist mythology in ancient China, known for slaying ghosts and demons.

A god from five hundred years ago is killing people in the present day?

A sword from the previous dynasty is cutting down officials of the current one?

It must be some extraordinary expert using the name Zhong Kui to destroy the Ye family.

Look at the poem he left behind—it’s clear he couldn\'t stand the Ye family’s corrupt ways and was out to rid the world of these monsters.

Is this what you’d call acting on behalf of the heavens?

So mysterious.

This Zhong Kui’s level of mystery is right up there with Your Grandpa.

Wait a minute, could Zhong Kui actually be Your Grandpa?

As netizens\' imaginations ran wild, many powerful factions deeply connected to the Ye family were trembling in fear. The weight of their ties to the fallen family felt heavier than ever as they realized their own reckoning might be near.

***

Du Longshan, the head of the Du family, sat motionless in a pitch-black room for half an hour. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

"Ah, don\'t come in, don\'t...!" He was so frightened that he fell off his chair. "I have nothing to do with the Ye family! Don’t kill me!"

"Father, what’s wrong? Father!" His son, Du Yuanyang, rushed in and said, "It’s me, calm down, it’s just me!"

"Y-you... my second son..."

Du Longshan, still shaken, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. "I thought it was that Ghost Slayer, Zhong Kui... Son, do you think that demon will come for us next? Will he destroy our Du family too?"

"I... I don’t think so," Du Yuanyang replied, though he didn’t sound confident.

"Quick, send word to all our people to keep a low profile for now."

Du Longshan struggled to his feet. "I need to make donations... yes, donations! Contact the city government; I want to donate to the poor, and I’ll fund the city defense forces... Oh, and you, have you been messing with Miao Youwei again? Stop bothering her! From now on, don’t provoke her or anyone else."

***

The other families among the five great families were no different. Their upper echelons trembled in fear. If the mysterious figure Zhong Kui could wipe out the Ye family, he could certainly do the same to them. It was clear that Zhong Kui was displeased with the Ye family\'s actions.

But the other families weren\'t much different in how they conducted their affairs. If Zhong Kui despised the Ye family, there was a very real chance he might despise them as well. At this point, not keeping a low profile was tantamount to waiting for their own destruction.

In response, the Qi family quickly made donations to the city government and deployed their family warriors to assist in defending the city. The Mu family and the Zhou family followed suit, eager not to fall behind. It wasn’t just the families; several wealthy individuals in the city began donating and offering aid in various forms as they all hoped to avoid the wrath of the mysterious slayer.

***

"Hahaha, my dear disciple, stop licking and go fetch the treasured red wine from the vault," Ning Wuwo laughed heartily.

"Master, you\'re in such a good mood!"

The female disciple stood up, swaying gracefully as she went to retrieve the Great Wall Dry Red wine from the safe.

Ning Wuwo guffawed, "The Ye family is gone! Hahaha, it’s great news! The tyrant that plagued Liuhe Base City has finally met its downfall. From now on, who would dare act so arrogantly in the city?"

His disciple returned with the wine, asking, "Master, why are you so happy about the Ye family\'s demise?"

Ning Wuwo explained, "With the Ye family out of the way, the Martial Alliance can finally be established. Once Li Xiaofei takes the position of leader, we can unite all the gangs in Liuhe Base City into a solid, unified force. That means we can protect the city and its people. Everyone will benefit from this."

The disciple giggled, covering her mouth. "Master, you\'re truly a cunning old fox."

"Oh?" Ning Wuwo raised an eyebrow. "And what do you mean by that?"

She gracefully sat on his lap and said, "Li Xiaofei is still a high school student. After this year, he’s bound to go off to university for further studies. Once he’s gone, won’t you be the one in control of the Martial Alliance?"

Ning Wuwo burst into hearty laughter at her words.

***

In a high-end apartment in the city.

"Master, slow down! Why are you in such a hurry? There are still plenty of things we haven’t packed!" A seductive woman carrying several bags called out.

Former Police Chief Nie Sheng was drenched in sweat as he replied, "We’re escaping! Forget the stuff, we have to leave now! If we wait any longer, we won’t make it..."

Before he could finish speaking...

Knock, knock.

The woman glanced at the door and asked, "Who is it?"

"Open up, water meter inspection," came a voice from outside.

The woman was about to open the door when Nie Sheng’s instincts kicked in, and he quickly stopped her, shouting, "The meter is outside. Check it yourselves!"

"Dammit! Breach team, get ready!"

Cursing followed from the other side of the door.

Boom!

The door was blasted open as a squad of city government enforcers stormed in.

They were led by Tan Zhenwei’s young secretary. "Nie Sheng, we have evidence that you, in collusion with Chen Mu and Zhou Chang, conspired to assassinate the late Police Chief Su Yuke. Here’s the arrest warrant. You’d better not resist, or else..."

Before he could finish, Nie Sheng spun around, moving like lightning as he bolted for a window. He wasn’t weak; after all, he hadn\'t risen to the position of Police Chief of Liuhe Base City without some skill.

"Resisting arrest? Kill him." The young secretary ordered coldly.

Zzzt, zzzt, zzzt.

Four beams of energy shot out, piercing through Nie Sheng\'s combat suit-clad body. He stumbled, and fell lifeless as four smoking holes appeared in his chest. The room was instantly filled with the scent of burning flesh.

The seductive woman, frozen in fear, took a moment before releasing a terrified scream, collapsing to the floor. The stench of urine filled the air as she wet herself.

At the same time, the Goddess, Ye Liuying, arrived outside the remains of the Ye family\'s ancestral estate. She stared at the now-charred ruins with a complicated expression, a mix of emotions swirling in her eyes.