Single Saber to the Feast, One Fist Suppresses!

Under the cover of night, Wutan City had not yet fallen into complete silence.

The area where the Jialie Clan estate stood was brightly lit.

Patrolling guards could be seen everywhere, and the atmosphere was noticeably more severe than usual.

The string of disappearances among the guards over the past few years hung over the clan like a dark haze.

Though it had not shaken their foundations, it kept everyone on edge.

Just then, a figure appeared outside the imposing gates of the Jialie Clan.

The visitor wore an inconspicuous gray cloak, the hood pulled low to obscure most of their face.

Only a jawline with sharp, cold features was visible.

The figure was not tall, appearing even somewhat lean.

Yet, standing there, they felt like a sharp sword tucked away in its sheath.

The aura faintly radiating from them made the hair on the necks of the two Dou Practitioner-level guards stand on end.

The person opposite them made no attempt to conceal it, and they could clearly discern that this was at least a Dou Grandmaster!

Furthermore, this aura was even more intense than what they had felt from their own Clan Head.

They were instantly on high alert!

"Who goes there?!"

A guard shouted sternly, his hand gripping the hilt of his blade.

"Tell Jialie Bi that an old acquaintance has come to visit, to discuss... a big business deal."

From beneath the cloak came a voice, slightly hoarse and low.

It was impossible to tell the age, but it carried an unquestionable coldness.

The guards exchanged glances, not daring to be negligent.

The visitor's aura was as deep as the sea; they were definitely a powerhouse among Dou Grandmasters!

One of them immediately turned and sprinted inside to report.

At this moment, inside the study of the Jialie Clan, Clan Head Jialie Bi was furrowing his brows.

He was about forty years old, with a sinister face and sharp eyes.

The aura of a veteran Dou Grandmaster was undisguised; he was the strongest member of the Jialie Clan.

Sitting below him were his son, Jialie Ao, and several clan elders; the atmosphere was heavy.

"Father, the patrol team has lost another group of three, and it happened near the market!"

Jialie Ao gritted his teeth, his face full of malice.

"This is simply too much!"

"Investigate!"

"Even if we have to dig three feet into the ground, we must drag that rat in the shadows out!"

An elder shouted angrily.

"Easier said than done?"

Another elder wore a look of worry.

"The opponent's methods are bizarre, leaving no traces behind."

"We haven't found anything in these few years; their strength is likely..."

Jialie Bi slammed his hand on the table, his voice icy.

"Enough!"

"Strengthen the guard and increase the bounty!"

"I refuse to believe..."

Before he could finish, the study door was knocked upon.

The guard's voice came through.

"Clan Head, a mysterious person is at the gate requesting an audience. They claim to be an old acquaintance and want to discuss... a big business deal."

"Their aura is very strong; they are suspected to be a Dou Grandmaster!"

"A Dou Grandmaster?"

Jialie Bi raised an eyebrow, a flash of sharp light crossing his eyes.

At a time like this, a strange Dou Grandmaster showing up?

Friend or foe?

He quickly filtered through possible figures in his mind, but had no leads.

Could it be related to the cases within the clan?

Discuss business?

He did not believe such a ridiculous excuse for a second!

What kind of business required a Dou Grandmaster to pay a personal visit in the dead of night?

He instinctively felt something was amiss, but a Dou Grandmaster was worth seeing in person.

If a friend, perhaps he could be recruited.

If an enemy... hmph!

In the heart of the Jialie Clan, as a high-level Dou Grandmaster, what did he have to fear?

"Invite him to the main hall! I will be there immediately."

Jialie Bi spoke in a deep voice, then signaled to the others:

"All of you, follow me. Let's see what kind of character this is!"

The main hall of the Jialie Clan was brightly lit.

The decor was luxurious, yet it reeked of nouveau riche tackiness.

Lin Chen stood quietly in the hall, draped in a grey cloak.

He turned a blind eye to the opulent furnishings, standing as still as a frozen statue.

Footsteps echoed as Jialie Bi strode into the main hall with the gait of a dragon and a tiger.

Jialie Ao and several elders followed closely behind, subtly forming a surrounding formation.

Jialie Bi's gaze was like lightning, instantly locking onto the grey-robed figure in the hall.

His soul perception swept over the man, and his heart gave a slight jolt: he was indeed a Dou Grandmaster!

The aura was refined and dense; he could not discern the specific star level, but the man was certainly no novice to this realm!

"What is the purpose of your late-night visit, Excellency?"

Jialie Bi sat in the head seat, his voice steady and imbued with the authority of a clan head:

"This Jialie does not seem to know a friend such as yourself."

Jialie Ao stood by his father's side, eyeing the cloaked figure with a mix of curiosity and vigilance.

Lin Chen slowly raised his head, and from the shadows beneath his hood, two icy gazes seemed to pierce through.

"Clan Head Jialie, naturally you do not know me."

His voice remained hoarse and low.

"Then what is this 'big business' you speak of?"

Jialie Bi leaned forward slightly, his fingers tapping against the armrest.

"The business is quite simple."

Lin Chen's voice was flat and ripple-free, as if he were discussing something trivial.

"What I want is the head atop your shoulders, Clan Head Jialie."

"I wonder, what price are you willing to set for it?"

As the words fell, the entire main hall plunged into absolute silence!

Jialie Ao and the elders widened their eyes in shock, almost believing they had misheard!

The muscles on Jialie Bi's face twitched violently.

Then, as if he had heard the greatest joke in the world, he burst into a fit of furious, wild laughter:

"Ha... Hahahaha!"

"Good! Very good!"

"I, Jialie Bi, have led this clan for so many years!"

"This is the first time someone has dared to come to the heart of the Jialie Clan!"

"And to my very face, say they want my head!"

The laughter ceased abruptly, and his expression turned hideously savage.

The terrifying aura of a Dou Grandmaster erupted, sweeping through the hall like a gale.

Tables and chairs groaned and creaked!

"You rat hiding your head and showing your tail! Do you know what place this is?"

"Do you think that just because you are a Dou Grandmaster, you can do whatever you please in my Jialie Clan?"

"You are courting death!"

He had completely torn off the mask of civility, his killing intent undisguised.

Regardless of who the intruder was or what his purpose might be, after saying such things, he had to die!

"Take him down!"

Jialie Bi let out a sharp shout, though he did not make a move himself.

He spoke as if he were fearless, but he was playing it safe at heart.

Worried that the opponent might have some hidden trump card, he decided that letting his clansmen test the strength first was the wisest course of action.

He had to avoid being blindsided!

Behind him, an elder—a two-star Dou Grandmaster with a fiery temper—could no longer restrain himself.

With a roar, earth-yellow Dou Qi enveloped his fist, making him look like a rampaging bull.

"Bang!"

He shattered the floorboards beneath his feet.

He lunged straight at Lin Chen with ferocious momentum!

"Stone-Splitting Fist!"

The wind whistled around his fist, his Dou Qi surging, showcasing the elder's profound cultivation.

This punch was enough to split stone and shatter monuments!

A cruel smile appeared on Jialie Bi's face.

He could already envision the cloaked figure having his arm pulverized by the punch, vomiting blood as he collapsed to the ground.

Jialie Ao also widened his eyes in excitement.

However, facing this ferocious strike, Lin Chen, beneath the cloak, merely let out a faint, cold snort that seemed to carry a hint of disdain.

Just as the fist, brimming with terrifying power, was about to make contact:

"Swish!"

The gray-cloaked figure left behind in place dissipated like a bubble!

The real Lin Chen had already transformed into a nearly invisible, pale-blood shadow.

Moving at a speed that surpassed the visual limits of everyone present.

In an instant, he appeared at the side of the elder who had attacked!

Shadow Escape! Peak mastery!

"Hiss!"

The air let out a mournful shriek as it was torn apart:

"Boom!"