Li Jingming

Teaching this gang of thugs a lesson took little effort.

Just as it was over, the City Patrol Division's street patrol clerks arrived.

Leading them was the Uncle Meng Ye Kang had mentioned.

Seeing the thugs sprawled all over the ground, he secretly laughed, though his expression remained thoroughly solemn.

"Within the imperial city, someone actually dared to commit violence in the streets! Take them all back and lock them up for questioning!"

Old Meng said this, but he had no intention of truly investigating.

These people had bullied their way right over his head. No matter which hero had done this, it was a good thing.

Putting on a show would be enough.

Meanwhile, Ye Kang had already headed for the Li Family.

"If I remembered correctly, Li Jingming was the Li Family's younger young master. He must have been the one behind this."

Killing intent had already surfaced in Ye Kang's eyes.

Before long, he arrived at the Li Family's Manor.

As a super-class expert, as long as Ye Kang did not wish to be discovered, no one could possibly detect his presence.

He silently climbed onto the roof of a room and lifted a tile.

Inside, a man and a woman were embracing.

"Lord, don't do this. Madam will kill me if she finds out..."

"Xiao Hong, I liked you from the very first day you entered this household. Don't worry, I won't treat you poorly, hehe~"

Fellow!

He had not expected the Li Family Patriarch to dare sneak around with someone in his own home!

He was a true wolf-slayer!

Ye Kang watched with appreciation for a while, then replaced the tile and moved on to search the other rooms.

Soon, he noticed a young Young Master.

The reason he noticed him was that he actually carried the aura of a martial artist, at least at the level of a third-rate expert.

The Li Family had only one son. There was no need to guess—this man was Li Jingming.

No wonder he dared tyrannize the market. He was relying on his identity as a martial artist.

Just as Ye Kang was about to make his move, he saw Li Jingming sneak out of the study, craning his head about as he headed toward the backyard.

"He's being this careful in his own home. He's got a guilty conscience."

Ye Kang suppressed his killing intent and temporarily followed behind Li Jingming.

A Moment Later, Li Jingming arrived at the backyard woodshed. After waiting anxiously for a while, a disheveled Maid came running over.

"Young Master, Xiao Hong did it for you, and Lord... sob sob sob..."

Ye Kang was Stunned. Wasn't this Maid Xiao Hong, the one who had just been fooling around with the Li Family Patriarch?

Li Jingming then grabbed Xiao Hong and pulled her into an embrace.

"Be good. You've suffered. Did you get the item?"

With tears scattered like pear blossoms in the rain, Xiao Hong nodded and took a small booklet from her bosom.

"I found this under Lord's pillow. It should be what you wanted."

Li Jingming's eyes lit up as he said excitedly, "That Old Undying Thing insisted on waiting until Liu Cui Cui and I got married before giving this to me. Yet didn't I still get my hands on it?"

Xiao Hong asked aggrievedly, "Then, Young Master, will you still marry Miss Liu?"

Li Jingming gently stroked Xiao Hong's head.

"That Liu Cui Cui is nothing but a common vulgar woman—fat and fierce. How could she compare to someone as gentle and lovable as you? Once I go to the Liu Family and take the Other Half of the Item, I'll take you far away to soar together."

"Wonderful! Young Master is so good!"

Xiao Hong threw herself into his arms.

Li Jingming gently held Xiao Hong's head, then a vicious glint appeared in his eyes as he twisted hard.

With a crisp crack, Xiao Hong collapsed, disbelief written all over her face.

"Pah! What kind of thing are you? Used goods my Father has slept with—I have no interest."

Li Jingming hid Xiao Hong inside the woodshed.

Then he climbed over the wall and headed straight for Wuwei Gate.

As for Ye Kang, who had been hiding in the shadows and watching the show—

He could only exclaim that it was interesting.

At the same time, he had more or less figured out why the Li Family had been bullying the Ye Family.

It had nothing to do with the wine shop business. It was simply to make marrying into the Liu Family seem natural and proper.

It seemed they wanted to obtain something from the Liu Family.

There was still plenty of time, so Ye Kang did not mind letting Li Jingming live a little longer and following him to see what happened.

Before long, Li Jingming slipped into the Liu Family's manor at Wuwei Gate.

He leaped in with practiced ease, avoiding the servants all the way until he reached an artificial rockery.

A short, plump, richly dressed Miss was waiting there for him.

She was Liu Cui Cui, Ye Ping's former fiancée.

Upon seeing her lover, Liu Cui Cui immediately took out a Brocade Pouch.

"Li Lang, I stole the item from Father's Secret Chamber. Take a look—is it what you wanted?"

Li Jingming opened the Brocade Pouch, a smile appearing at the corners of his mouth.

"Yes, yes. You truly are my good Wife. Do not make a sound about this. Once I return and copy it down, you can send the Brocade Pouch back."

Liu Cui Cui nodded heavily, then wrapped her arms around Li Jingming's waist.

"Li Lang, ever since that day, I've thought of you every night. When will we..."

Disgust flashed through Li Jingming's eyes, but his words were sweet as honey.

He said, "Wife, don't rush. Important matters come first. I'll come find you tomorrow. For now, you must fend for yourself."

"Fine, then Li Lang, hurry back and copy it down. I'm afraid Daddy will discover it and punish us both."

"Don't worry."

Li Jingming smiled gently, then jumped out of the Li Family Manor.

Watching this scene—

Ye Kang's face in the shadows turned pitch-black.

My Eldest Brother had looked forward every day to fulfilling his engagement with Liu Cui Cui, starting a family and having children. Yet he never imagined she had long since hooked up with Li Jingming.

Ye Kang truly had to thank Madam Liu for being so eager to break off the engagement.

She had not shoved his Eldest Brother into a pit of fire.

He quietly left and followed all the way.

Before long, Li Jingming arrived at a Secluded Place.

He could not help but let out a wild laugh.

"After plotting for years and searching for so long, I've finally obtained these two incomplete scrolls! Once the two scrolls become one, the divine art will surely reach Great Accomplishment! I, Li Jingming, will soon dominate the Martial World!"

"I don't think so," Ye Kang suddenly spoke from behind him.

"Who?!"

Li Jingming's pupils contracted sharply as he immediately turned around.

When he saw Ye Kang, every hair on his body stood on end.

He was a third-rate expert, yet This Person had approached him without making a sound. What was going on?

Ye Kang was straightforward enough. If Li Jingming was going to die, he would at least let him die understanding why.

"My name is Ye Kang. You should have heard of me."

"Ye Kang?" Li Jingming pondered for a moment, then his expression suddenly relaxed.

"So you're Ye Ping's Younger Brother, that Minor Official taken away by the Imperial City Department."

Ye Kang smiled and nodded.

Li Jingming's mouth curled up, revealing a savage grin.

"It seems you're not as utterly useless as my investigation suggested. Since you followed me all this way, you must have discovered some clues. Then I cannot let you leave alive."

Li Jingming formed three fingers into a claw, shaping an eagle's claw as an aura abruptly rose from him.

Though this Ye Kang seemed strange, his investigation could not be wrong. At most, Ye Kang was a Low-tier martial artist.

He himself was a true hidden third-rate expert, and his Eagle Claw Skill had long reached the point where fire and pure green wood were one.

With only a slight move, he could crush Ye Kang's throat.

The corner of Li Jingming's mouth lifted as he confidently took a step forward.

That step had not even fully landed.

Next Second, a blurred shadow struck.

Ye Kang threw a furious punch.

In an instant—

One punch shattered Li Jingming's eagle claw.

Another punch blasted his entire jaw apart.

With the final punch, Li Jingming's chest turned into a mass of Blood Mist.

"These three punches—one is for my Eldest Brother, and two are for my Father and Mother. We're even now."

After speaking, Ye Kang reached out, took the Brocade Pouch from Li Jingming's waist, and vanished into the night.

Li Jingming, meanwhile, collapsed helplessly to the ground, the life rapidly draining from his eyes.

"He's an Expert..."

Those were the only four words he had time to think.

Li Jingming's corpse lay sprawled in the street.