C4 Murder

"Who are you?"

Ye Qinghui was taken aback, his voice tinged with confusion as he asked.

"Who am I? I'm your daddy!"

The instant the young man laid eyes on Ye Qinghui, he launched a punch at him.

Instinctively, Ye Qinghui dodged and countered with a punch to the young man's chest. The force sent the young man flying like a sandbag, landing with a thud in the courtyard.

Only then did Ye Qinghui step out of the room to find over ten individuals outside, each armed and fixing a steely gaze on him.

"Uncle Hong, what's this all about?"

Ye Qinghui's brow furrowed as he turned to Zhang Hong.

Zhang Hong's face was a portrait of helplessness, his eyes brimming with remorse as he slowly answered, "Young Master Ye, this is our Third Young Master, Zhang Han! I'm so sorry..."

His apology was barely audible, yet it didn't escape Ye Qinghui's ears.

"Damn, you dare to hit me? Attack him! You all saw it wasn't me who started this; he hit me first!"

Meanwhile, Zhang Han had managed to sit up, his chest appearing to be shielded by something, showing no signs of injury. He pointed at Ye Qinghui and bellowed loudly.

The crowd, however, remained still, eyeing Ye Qinghui warily as if they had stirred up a formidable force.

Speaking of which, anyone who could send a man flying with a casual punch was not someone they were eager to confront.

"Get him, kill him, and you'll be rewarded with three hundred crystals!"

Seeing no one stepping forward, Zhang Han declared the bounty.

The promise of a hefty reward can inspire courage. With Zhang Han's proclamation, the group's eyes gleamed with greed as they looked at Ye Qinghui as though he was a hefty gold nugget.

"Charge!"

It was unclear who shouted first, but the call ignited their fighting spirit. In unison, they roared and charged at Ye Qinghui.

Fortunately, Ye Qinghui's extensive combat experience shone through. In under a minute, all the assailants lay defeated on the ground, leaving only Zhang Han seated in the courtyard.

"Don't come any closer! I am the Third Young Master of the Zhang Family! Mark my words, if anything happens to me, the Zhang Family will never forgive you!"

As Ye Qinghui steadily approached, Zhang Han's panic surged. Frantically waving his hands as though he was about to be struck down at any moment, he retreated continuously, a stark contrast to his earlier composure.

"Third Young Master? The Zhang Family thinks they can intimidate me? Hmph!"

With a sneer, Ye Qinghui swiftly closed the distance to Zhang Han.

Smack!

The sound of a sharp slap reverberated in the room, leaving Zhang Han's left cheek swollen and purpling.

"You dare to hit me!"

Clutching his swelling face, disbelief and rage filled Zhang Han's eyes. In his fury, he pulled out a jade card from his bosom and shattered it.

"I dare to do more than hit you; I dare to cripple you!"

Ye Qinghui declared, his foot crashing down on Zhang Han's abdomen.

"Stop!"

Just then, a commanding shout and a surge of formidable energy raced towards the courtyard.

"Too late!"

With a cold snort, Ye Qinghui's foot came down with relentless force.

Simultaneously, a man leaped into the courtyard from over the wall, seizing Zhang Han's arm and yanking him backward.

Crack crack!

"Ah!"

But it was a moment too late. Following the sound of bones breaking, Ye Qinghui's foot mercilessly landed on Zhang Han's left leg.

"I will kill you! Kill you!"

Agony filled Zhang Han's bloodshot eyes as he bellowed, his disheveled appearance a far cry from his former elegance.

"You!"

The man who had come to the rescue glared at Ye Qinghui with fury.

"No one can save the person I've marked for ruin!"

Ye Qinghui barked, launching another punch towards Zhang Han.

Indeed, having been raised in the sect, Ye Qinghui held little regard for such minor families.

"Humph, insolence!"

The man quickly shielded Zhang Han, meeting Ye Qinghui's attack with a punch of his own.

Boom!

Their fists met with a thunderous crash, sending a shockwave that swept through the courtyard, scattering debris and rolling Zhang Han several times over.

"Ha!"

As Ye Qinghui issued another shout, the man staggered back several steps, unharmed but with a newfound caution in his icy gaze.

Meanwhile, Ye Qinghui maintained a stoic facade, though inside, a surge was building. The man's cultivation level was at least at the first rank of Body Tempering, surpassing Ye Qinghui's rank. Despite no visible injuries, Ye Qinghui's Spiritual Qi had become turbulent. Thankfully, the Three Thousand Hellfire within him was rapidly burning, healing his injuries and stabilizing his Spiritual Qi.

The man, taken aback by Ye Qinghui's unwavering stance, was about to speak when Ye Qinghui closed in once more, leaving him no choice but to engage in combat.

The two exchanged blows in a flurry of movement, their fists colliding with force. The man used his robust physique to endure Ye Qinghui's assaults, while Ye Qinghui, drawing on his extensive combat experience from years within the sect, managed to evade all of the man's attacks.

In the midst of their fierce exchange, Ye Qinghui seized the moment to send the man reeling back and swiftly charged at Zhang Han, who had been spectating.

"Stop!"

The man quickly regained his footing, attempting to pursue and intervene.

But it was too late; Ye Qinghui had already reached Zhang Han and delivered a kick to his abdomen.

Thud!

The impact left Zhang Han reeling before he could even react. His face flushed crimson, eyes threaded with blood vessels as he clutched his stomach and knelt, succumbing to unconsciousness.

With the scene unfolding, the man saw no further reason to fight. He stood his ground, observing Ye Qinghui with a calm demeanor.

"I am Zhang Yue, guard to the Third Young Master of the Zhang Family, Zhang Han! To which sect do you belong?"

The man fixed his gaze on Ye Qinghui, and after a moment, he respectfully cupped his fists in inquiry.

"Ye Qinghui, unaffiliated with any sect," came the simple reply as Ye Qinghui returned the gesture and prepared to leave.

"Young Master Ye, this incident may not be so easily resolved. Although the Third Young Master is merely a son born out of wedlock, but..."

"What does it matter if he's the legitimate heir?"

Ye Qinghui cut Zhang Yue off mid-sentence, casting a disdainful glance at the unconscious Zhang Han before turning to approach Zhang Hong.

"Young Master Ye, I acknowledge my error!"

As Ye Qinghui approached, Zhang Hong quickly shielded Ningyan behind him.

"Uncle Hong, don't worry about it. You're not to blame. If anyone's at fault, it's those who can't see what's right in front of them! I'm going to retire to my room for some rest."

With a light chuckle, Ye Qinghui turned to head back to his room.

But before his foot crossed the threshold, he paused and glanced back toward the courtyard, murmuring, "It seems this issue won't be resolved amicably today, will it?"

"Who is responsible for injuring my child?"

A stern voice echoed from outside the courtyard as a middle-aged man entered, his gaze icy.

"I am. What about it?"

Ye Qinghui met the man's stare without flinching and responded with a nonchalant tone.