Minister Ma's Father Was a Minister

Ye Kang looked over in confusion.

A young nobleman dressed in silk was walking toward them, followed by several people. Some were young masters like him, while others were guards whose true qi was openly apparent.

Ling Yu was startled by the shout, and her face suddenly went pale. She hurriedly said, "Second Young Master, let's go back!"

Ye Kang hadn't yet said anything when the young nobleman slapped a hand down on the table and stared at Ling Yu with a mocking grin.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. I thought that after Attendant Official Zhong died, you'd all be sent to the Music and Dance Bureau. Didn't expect the powers above to show mercy and let you go. Instead of earning silver, you've come to the Entertainment District for fun. How interesting."

Ling Yu shook her head repeatedly, panic plain on her face.

"Young Master Ma, I'm leaving."

She stood and tried to flee, but the young nobleman had no intention of letting it go. He instead blocked her path.

"Leaving already? Your family's been confiscated, both you and your sister. Where'd you get the money to come listen to music? Don't tell me you're planning to work here for a meal?"

"No, I'm not!"

Young Master Ma rubbed his chin and looked Ling Yu up and down. Then a lecherous smile suddenly spread across his face.

"Quit pretending. You're short on money, aren't you? You should've said so sooner. For old times' sake, spend the night with me, and you'll have silver in no time."

As he spoke, he reached for Ling Yu's slender waist.

Just then, a teacup flew over and knocked his hand away.

Young Master Ma cried out in pain, then angrily turned to Ye Kang.

"What stray dog did this? You've got some nerve, daring to hit me!"

He raised his hand to strike.

Before he could, a crisp slap had already landed on his face.

Ye Kang moved so fast that no one had time to react. They saw Young Master Ma lift his hand—and then sprawl face-first on the ground.

Ye Kang dusted off his hands, his face full of exasperation.

He'd finally found some time to enjoy the music, only to run into an idiot like this. What a buzzkill.

Young Master Ma howled and shouted, "What are you standing around for? Can't you see I've been hit? Get him!"

Only then did the young masters and guards behind him react. Their expressions hardened as they charged.

Ye Kang showed them no mercy. His figure flickered, and they all ended up sprawled on the ground.

The guards were, at best, second- or third-rate fighters. They couldn't even make out Ye Kang's movements. One strike was enough to leave them unable to get back up.

Ye Kang dusted off his hands again and looked down at Young Master Ma.

"Who are you?"

Young Master Ma froze for a moment, then shouted, "My father is Minister Ma!"

"I don't know him."

Ye Kang shook his head, then brought his foot down.

Several sharp cracks rang out, followed by a heart-rending howl.

Three or four fingers on one of Young Master Ma's hands had been broken.

After giving him a small punishment, Ye Kang didn't linger. As everyone looked on in horror, he grabbed Ling Yu by the arm and strode away.

Ling Yu was still stunned. It wasn't until they reached the street that she finally spoke, her face full of panic. "Second Young Master, hurry and run! His father is Minister Ma of the Ministry of Works. He won't let us go!"

Ye Kang ignored Ling Yu's fears and instead asked, "You know him? Why did he come looking for trouble?"

Ling Yu lowered her head.

"Minister Ma was my father's superior. He was the one who reported my father's embezzlement to the Ministry of Justice... Young Master Ma has always wanted to force himself on my sister and me. We became maids because we were afraid he'd find us... But my father was innocent!"

"I see. Whether he was innocent or not is none of my concern, but bullying a maid from my household won't go unanswered. Let's go back first."

Ye Kang had lost his taste for sightseeing, so he walked Ling Yu home.

Afterward, he changed into black martial attire and quietly slipped out of the house.

He didn't like trouble, but now that trouble had come knocking, he wasn't going to sit around and wait.

After making a few inquiries, Ye Kang arrived at Minister Ma's residence.

The place was decorated in a fairly understated style, but the grounds were undeniably vast. Ye Kang easily climbed over the wall and melted into the night.

As it happened, the Minister's residence was in an uproar.

Martial artists and maids rushed back and forth, shouting at the top of their lungs.

"The physician's here! Hurry, stop the young master's bleeding!"

"What bleeding? Set my son's bones! Put his fingers back on—don't let them stay broken!"

Following the voices, Ye Kang leaped onto a rooftop and lifted a roof tile. Several physicians, sweating profusely, were gathered around Young Master Ma's bed.

Minister Ma paced inside the room, while the injured guards knelt outside the doorway.

As Minister Ma paced, he suddenly kicked one of the guards to the ground.

"Useless! Do I feed you for nothing? How could you let my son get so badly hurt?"

"My lord, the attacker was a master, far stronger than us. We truly couldn't beat him!"

"You dare make excuses? If my son's hand is ruined, I won't let you off!"

Minister Ma gritted his teeth in fury. Hearing his son's howls, his expression grew steadily more vicious.

"Madam, stay here with our son. I'm going to the Backyard to see Mr. Kang."

"My lord, you have to get justice for Teng!"

"Don't worry."

With a gloomy expression, Minister Ma left the room and headed straight for the Backyard.

Ye Kang quietly followed him.

In the bamboo grove in the Backyard, a middle-aged man was practicing martial arts.

Minister Ma walked up and said, "Mr. Kang, my son has been humiliated, and the culprit used vicious methods. Please take action and avenge him!"

Mr. Kang turned around, looking a little uneasy. He glanced around, saw nothing, and finally relaxed.

"Minister Lord, I told you before: I won't act unless it's absolutely necessary."

"Mr. Kang! I listened to you and secretly ordered the Ministry of Works to build all these fortresses and pavilions for you. Now I make one small request, and you refuse?"

"Minister Lord, that's because the Saintess planted a Divine Gu in you. My only task is to make sure you serve the Saintess faithfully. I have no reason to act on your behalf."

Their few words left Ye Kang's mouth hanging open in the shadows.

Well, well!

He'd stumbled onto a huge secret!

It seemed this old minister had been controlled by the Saintess and was constantly doing her bidding.

Who was the Saintess?

What kind of organization were these people part of?

But the two said nothing more about that.

Minister Ma begged him repeatedly and even brought out a substantial amount of gold and silver. Only then did Mr. Kang agree to help him kill someone.

Ye Kang quietly watched everything, paying particular attention to Mr. Kang's appearance.

A moment later, one of Minister Ma's guards gave Mr. Kang Ling Yu's address—the address of the Ye Family.

After looking at it, he took out a pair of silver hooks and headed toward the Ye Family's home.

Ye Kang quietly followed. When they reached a deserted spot and the time seemed right, he acted without hesitation, forming a hundred strands of Hundred Flowers Sword Qi into a Sword Formation. In an instant, they tore toward Mr. Kang's back.

Mr. Kang was also an Innate First Rank expert, but he had no chance to fight back. The moment he sensed danger, the Sword Qi had already turned him into a sieve.

He fell to the ground, unwilling, confusion filling his eyes.

He couldn't understand how he'd suddenly died for no reason.

Ye Kang jumped down, wrapped the corpse in a rag from the roadside, and stored it in the Ink Jade Ancient Treasure.

The ancient treasure couldn't hold living things, but dead ones were another matter.

That way, no one would ever find the body. All they would see was a pool of blood.

After finishing, he willed it, and a dark-blue butterfly danced between his fingers.