Yang Family Patriarch

After dealing with the sinister man leading them and the remaining thugs, Shen Xiu was covered in splashes of blood.

Like a murderous god who had stepped out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.

As that dense killing intent surged toward him, the young man in the faded red robe was scared out of his wits, his soul nearly fleeing his body.

He had thought Shen Xiu was a fat sheep. After seeing him carrying two demon beasts at the town entrance yesterday, he had reported the news to Steward Lin of the Yang Family.

This was not the first time he had done such a thing.

Yet this time, he had not encountered a fat sheep, but a ferocious tiger.

"Y-you can't kill me... I'm from the Yang Family..."

The youth slumped on the ground, his body retreating uncontrollably as he stammered in an attempt to frighten Shen Xiu off. There was none of his former arrogance at the town entrance.

He could hardly be blamed for being afraid. Even Steward Lin, one of the Yang Family's right-hand men, had been cut down so casually by that brat. What was there left that Shen Xiu would not dare to do?

The people outside the inn were equally stunned by the sight. That Steward Lin of the Yang Family had lorded over Yang Family Town for many years.

The local residents had mostly dared to rage but not speak.

The main reason was that Steward Lin had long since become an initiated martial cultivator and now possessed Second Realm cultivation.

He was usually highly valued by the Yang Family Patriarch. With such strength and status, how could ordinary residents like them afford to provoke him?

Yet now, the dark cloud hanging over their heads had suddenly torn open, leaving them with an unreal sense of disbelief.

Those men who had previously harbored restless thoughts and filthy intentions were now thankful that they had not acted rashly, that their minds had not been consumed by greed. Otherwise, one of the people lying on the ground would have been them.

"Why did you say they came after me?"

The Hundred Silk Saber in Shen Xiu's hand hung loosely at his side, its tip scraping the ground as he walked and dragging out a harsh screech.

That grating sound alone placed tremendous mental pressure on the young man in the faded red robe.

"I saw you carrying demon beasts, so I told Steward Lin..."

As he answered, the young man in the faded red robe trembled and kept backing away until his back finally struck a solid wall.

Under the great terror of life and death, he now told Shen Xiu everything he knew. Judging by how Shen Xiu had acted just now, he was clearly a ruthless man.

The blood of those people had not even dried yet. Even if Shen Xiu added another life to the tally in his hands, he probably would not care.

Just as the young man in the faded red robe despaired and pondered how to escape this calamity at the hands of that terrifying youth—

A jumble of hurried footsteps suddenly sounded from the far end of the street.

That instinctively familiar sound filled him with wild delight. Clearly, the Yang Family had sent people.

As the footsteps drew nearer, the crowds watching from both sides of the street parted, revealing a fierce procession clad in red robes.

At the head of the group stood the sturdy man who was none other than the current Yang Family Patriarch, Yang Tiandong—the local emperor of Yang Family Town, a Peak Second Realm martial cultivator.

The atmosphere instantly turned solemn.

The onlookers along both sides of the street unconsciously retreated some distance, as though blades and swords would clash in the next moment, afraid of being caught in the spillover.

"Patriarch, Patriarch, save me..."

At the sight of the Yang Family's arrival, the young man in the faded red robe rushed forward with tears and snot streaming down his face and clutched Yang Tiandong's thigh.

"This young hero possesses extraordinary courage and martial prowess. It was I, Yang, who failed to show proper hospitality."

Yang Tiandong did not even glance at the youth by his feet. He kicked him away in disgust, studied the saber-wielding youth before him—who resembled a killing god—for a moment, then smiled warmly.

Shen Xiu said nothing. He wanted to see what this local emperor of Yang Family Town had to say.

"I have already investigated what happened before. It was merely some blind fools under my command who set their sights on what they should not have. I, Yang, have come especially to offer my apologies."

Yang Tiandong's tone was mild, as though the pile of corpses on the ground did not belong to his subordinates.

"An apology? How will you make amends?"

Yang Tiandong's attitude surprised Shen Xiu and left him somewhat speechless. He had already been prepared to make a move.

"Since this subordinate of mine cannot recognize people with his pair of eyes, what use are those eyes? Why not take them?"

Yang Tiandong wore a gentle smile, but his words were cold enough to pierce bone.

The young man in the faded red robe beside him felt as though a basin of icy winter water had been poured over him from head to toe the instant he heard those words.

His scalp went numb.

A bone-deep chill shot from his tailbone through every part of his body in an instant, turning his limbs ice-cold.

He scrambled up and tried to flee, but after only two steps—

A man sprang out from behind Yang Tiandong, caught up to him in the blink of an eye, and swept the dagger in his hand across the youth's eyes.

A flash of blood burst forth.

Then the youth clutched his eyes and rolled across the ground, letting out incomparably miserable screams.

That cruel sight made the surrounding onlookers shudder in fear.

Seeing this, Shen Xiu gained a slight understanding of the Yang Family. They were not merely ruthless toward enemies—they were ruthless toward their own people as well.

Ignoring the young man in the faded red robe's screams, Yang Tiandong waved his hand, and the man from before brought over a money pouch.

"He had no eye for people, so from this day forward, I will ensure he has no eyes at all. He took five taels of silver from you, little brother, so I will return fifty taels of silver to you."

To be honest, before Yang Tiandong arrived, Shen Xiu had already prepared for another bloody battle.

After all, he had killed so many of the other side's subordinates. Yet perhaps because they had seen his strength, Yang Tiandong's attitude was now so adept at bowing to circumstances—

That Shen Xiu no longer had any reason to strike.

Once Yang Tiandong saw Shen Xiu accept the fifty taels of silver, he ordered others to clean up the people Steward Lin had previously brought with him.

Then he left first.

A farcical slaughter thus came to a strange and peaceful end.

The surrounding spectators were greatly astonished by this sight, wondering just what sort of background that youth possessed.

What had made those cruel and ruthless Yang Family members wary enough not to attack, allowing this conflict to vanish without a trace.

After receiving the silver, Shen Xiu hurried back to his room, sorted through his belongings, and packed the two remaining Black Demon Bear corpses separately.

He then left the inn. Following his original plan, he would leave Yang Family Town that day and return to Taixi City.

Even without that plan, he had no intention of staying any longer.

Although Yang Tiandong, the Yang Family Patriarch, had put on an appearance of calm waters and gentle winds—

He had still lost an entire squad of thugs, as well as one of his chief arms.

As for why he had not made a move, it was naturally because he had sensed Shen Xiu's strength and truly understood that a wise man submitted to circumstances.

Just because he had not acted now did not mean he would not act later. Shen Xiu had no need to remain in Yang Family Town and wait.

Naturally, Yang Tiandong was not as calm as he appeared.

Not long after, he returned to Yang Manor in the center of town, and his warm, friendly expression instantly turned grim.

Like a pool of black, bottomless water.

Seated in a broad chair, Yang Tiandong unconsciously tapped the armrest with his knuckles, producing dull thuds as his gaze swept over someone in the hall.

"Put him in a sack and throw him into the river to feed the fish!"

"Wait... smear him all over with honey and throw him into a Man-Eating Ant nest! I want to watch him be devoured clean, bit by bit!"

Yang Tiandong's expression was savage as he stared at the unrecognizable young man in the faded red robe below, wishing he could drink his blood and swallow his flesh.

He had already investigated what had happened earlier.

It was because this fellow had lacked the eyesight to recognize people and provoked an extraordinary Second Realm martial cultivator, costing him one of his great generals. How could he not hate him?