Hua Xiaoyu and Ye Ling’Er stood at the entrance of the training room. After shouting a few times, Hua Xiaoyu turned to Ye Ling’Er.
"Ling’Er, why don’t you just crush the Twin Jade? The Patriarch might not be able to hear us. This Black Steel Rock is highly soundproof."
Ye Ling’Er nodded. Just as she was about to crush the Twin Jade in her hand, the training room door opened from the inside.
"Ling’Er, Xiaoyu, what brings you two here?" Ye Xuan’s voice immediately rang out.
"Xuan, Grandpa is waiting for you in the discussion hall. It’s urgent."
"Urgent?"
Ye Xuan’s eyes lit up. He wondered if they had found the medicinal herbs he was looking for, or if news had emerged about the unearthing of Fire Attribute Treasures of Heaven and Earth.
But Ye Ling’Er’s next words made him realize he was overthinking things.
"Xuan, that man is back!"
"That man? Who?"
"The one with the golden bull’s head embroidered on his chest!"
"Oh?" Ye Xuan raised an eyebrow. Without another word, he quickly left the training room.
Stepping outside, Ye Xuan realized that the main courtyard’s facilities had been fully completed. Pavilions, terraces, small bridges, and flowing water—the scenery was breathtakingly beautiful. However, this was no time for sightseeing. He headed straight for the discussion hall.
As he reached the entrance, he heard Ye Yihe and the others talking inside.
"Dad, half the time has already passed, but we are still nowhere near the required amount! At this rate, seven days won’t be nearly enough."
"Yeah, they aren’t leaving us any way out!"
As their words fell, Ye Xuan pushed the doors open and entered. "Who isn’t leaving us a way out?"
"Patriarch, you’re here." The members of the Ye Family all cupped their hands in greeting.
"Grandpa, uncles, what exactly is going on? What kind of problem has the Ye Family encountered now?"
"It’s that Niu Dali! He’s going too far. We had clearly already paid our tribute, but he suddenly demanded we double it, and he only gave us seven days. If we don’t gather enough tribute by the deadline, he’ll kill one person every fifteen minutes. Tell me, isn’t that leaving us with no way out? Money is easy—we have plenty of that—but Spirit Medicines are truly difficult to gather. They are priceless but unavailable on the market; the demand far exceeds the supply."
After listening to his family’s explanation, Ye Xuan finally understood the situation. The bearded man had returned to demand more tribute!
"Patriarch, you tell us, what should we do? It’s already the fourth day. We’ve tried our best to collect Spirit Medicines, but we are still falling short. Unless..." Ye Yiwei’s voice trailed off.
"Uncle Yiwei, unless what?"
"Unless we go to our subordinate families and forcefully take their stockpiles of Spirit Medicines! But if we do that, the Ye Family will be despised even more than the Fang Family."
"Rob them? Absolutely not!"
Ye Xuan immediately rejected Ye Yiwei’s idea. The Ye Family had also risen from being a subordinate faction, so he knew deeply that one couldn’t push things to the absolute extreme.
"We know it’s not right, but we really have no other choice. That’s why we asked you to come out of seclusion to hear your thoughts."
Ye Xuan pondered for a moment before asking Ye Zeyun, "Grandpa, have you investigated their background?"
"We have. The golden bull’s head represents Niu Family Town."
"Niu Family Town? How strong are they?"
A bloodthirsty light flashed in Ye Xuan’s eyes. If the gap in their strength wasn’t too large, he would march straight into Niu Family Town and force the Niu Family to become a subordinate of the Ye Family, making them pay tribute instead.
Before Ye Zeyun could answer, an arrogant voice echoed from the main courtyard’s entrance.
"Get lost! If you dare to block me again, I’ll slit your throats right now. Little beauties, Niu is here! Don’t be afraid! Hehe, to think that a tiny place like the Ye Family would hide such gorgeous girls."
"You... don’t come any closer! What do you want?"
"I told you not to be afraid. Niu just wants you to keep me company for a few drinks."
"I don’t drink! Stay away!"
Inside the discussion hall, the expressions of Ye Xuan and the others drastically changed. The ones crying out were none other than Hua Xiaoyu and Ye Ling’Er! Without hesitation, everyone immediately rushed out of the hall.
As soon as they stepped under the eaves, they saw two middle-aged men lying on the ground, blood trailing from the corners of their mouths. These two weren’t members of the Ye Family, but guards drafted from their subordinate families. The Ye Family estate was far too large now, so naturally, they needed people to guard the gates and patrol the grounds.
Standing beside the guards was a bearded man. It was none other than that same bearded brute from Niu Family Town—Niu Dali.
At this moment, Niu Dali’s eyes were filled with lust. Laughing lecherously, he advanced toward Ye Ling’Er and Hua Xiaoyu, who were continuously backing away into the center of the courtyard.
"Lord Niu, what is the meaning of this? Has the Ye Family been lacking in our hospitality?" Ye Zeyun immediately spoke up.
Niu Dali replied arrogantly, "Indeed, you have been! Your Ye Family clearly hides such pure, beautiful women, so why didn’t you have them accompany me for drinks?"
"Lord Niu, please conduct yourself with dignity. They are not barmaids; they are members of the Ye Family."
"Hahahaha! In my eyes, there is no difference! If they serve me well, I will grant you a great fortune by making her Niu Dali’s eighth concubine. How about that?"
Niu Dali pointed at Ye Ling’Er. In the entire Ye Family, Ye Ling’Er’s temperament was indeed a cut above the rest. She was gentle and pure, like a flawless white lotus. Otherwise, Sun Shaohan wouldn’t have been so infatuated with her.
"I don’t want that!" Ye Ling’Er instantly refused.
This bearded brute was even uglier than Sun Shaohan. But just like Sun Shaohan, he let his lower half do all the thinking!
"When a woman says no, it means yes! Hehehehe."
Niu Dali stroked his beard, letting out a wicked laugh. He picked up his pace and rapidly closed the distance to Ye Ling’Er. "You look even more gorgeous up close. Let me get a feel."
Niu Dali reached out his rough hand, wanting to caress Ye Ling’Er’s face.
Suddenly, there was a deafening BOOM.
Niu Dali’s two-hundred-pound body was sent flying by a kick, rolling several times across the ground before finally coming to a stop.
Ye Xuan materialized in front of Ye Ling’Er, his face as cold as iron.
"Sure enough, he made a move!"
"I knew this would happen!"
Ye Zeyun and the others buried their faces in their hands. Although Ye Xuan’s actions were audacious, they did not exceed their expectations.
"You little ant, you actually dare to sneak attack me? What, do you want your whole family to die?" Niu Dali roared in fury.
A powerful aura erupted from his body. A hyena abruptly took shape above his head; he had already mobilized the power of his Beast Soul.
Just as the Beast Soul appeared, the Divine Demon Statue also manifested around Ye Xuan’s body. The black Golem suddenly extended its palm. The massive hand hovered over the hyena’s head and gave it a gentle squeeze.
CRACK.
The hyena Beast Soul shattered into pieces like a fragile mirror.
Niu Dali instantly coughed up a mouthful of blood, his complexion growing visibly pallid. At this moment, his pupils were dilated in absolute disbelief.
He wondered how this young man could be so incredibly strong. His own cultivation base was at the peak of the Strong Spirit Realm! Yet the other party had effortlessly crushed the Beast Soul he summoned. Of course, what shocked him the most was that this brat actually dared to defy him!
"How dare you touch—"