The Ye family disciples turned to look at the approaching Ye Chen, their faces filled with shock. "This… this can't be real, right?"
They all knew that Ye Chen had not only had his dantian destroyed by the Wang family's Grand Elder, but every meridian in his body had been shattered as well.
Yet here he was, standing perfectly fine.
And not just standing—he looked full of life and vigor.
How could they not be stunned?
"Could the Lin family have healed him?"
"That doesn't make sense!"
"Ye Chen's a cripple now. Even if he's cured, he'll never amount to much. Why would the Lin family waste such precious resources to treat him…?"
For a moment, wild thoughts raced through the disciples' minds. They even forgot the task Ye Tian had given them.
From a short distance away, Ye Chen walked toward them. Seeing their dazed expressions, a murderous glint flashed in his eyes as he roared coldly, "What a fine Ye family. All these years, if I haven't earned merit for you, I've at least shed blood and sweat. But you? The moment I became a cripple, you plot to hand my sister over to the Wang family. Laughable…"
"Since the Ye family has no place for us siblings, I have no reason to show you any mercy…"
With those words, spiritual energy surged around Ye Chen's body. Without hesitation, he struck at the nearest Ye family disciple.
"This… this is spiritual energy…"
"How is this possible?"
"You're a cripple—how can you still wield spiritual energy…?"
The disciples had assumed that even if the Lin family somehow healed Ye Chen, he would never cultivate again.
A destroyed dantian was nearly impossible to restore—especially in a backwater place like this.
Once the dantian was gone, you were a cripple for life.
But now, not only had Ye Chen fully recovered, he could wield spiritual energy.
Didn't that mean his dantian had been restored as well?
"Could the Lin family actually possess a secret method to repair a dantian?"
Seeing Ye Chen completely unharmed, the disciples attributed it all to the Lin family.
Little did they know—his recovery had nothing to do with them.
**Boom!**
With one punch, the closest disciple let out a miserable scream and was sent flying.
Hearing the cry, the others forgot all about Ye Lin. They scattered in panic, running for their lives in every direction.
These men were used to throwing their weight around behind Ye Tian.
When had they ever faced a real bloody fight?
Their highest cultivation was only peak Martial Apprentice.
That level of strength wasn't even enough to tickle Ye Chen.
How could they dare raise a hand against him?
That would be suicide.
"Think you can escape from me?"
Watching them flee, Ye Chen's figure flashed as he gave chase.
In his eyes, the moment these disciples declared they would take Ye Lin back to give to the Wang family's Second Young Master, they had already been sentenced to death.
It took only moments.
Soon, the ground was littered with Ye family disciples.
Some had their arms broken by Ye Chen's fists. Others had their legs shattered by his kicks.
A few unlucky ones had their cultivation directly crippled.
When Ye Chen struck, he showed no mercy—every blow was lethal.
Perhaps it came from years of fighting for territory on the Ye family's behalf.
He had long grown accustomed to the rule: kill or be killed.
On the ground, the disciples lay in twisted poses, begging desperately for mercy. "Ye Chen, there's a debtor for every debt! We were just following orders—please spare us!"
"Yeah, Ye Chen, it was all Ye Tian's idea. We had no choice. Be magnanimous and let us live!"
Hearing their pleas, Ye Lin softened a little. She walked to Ye Chen's side and was about to speak up for them when Ye Chen's icy voice cut her off. "Spare you? Do you think that's possible?"
"If I hadn't acted in time, my sister would already be dragged back to the Ye family…"
"And earlier, weren't you all acting so arrogant? Didn't you mock this 'cripple' for not being able to stand?"
The disciples endured the pain and forced smiles. "Ye Chen, we were just running our mouths earlier. Please, as a bigger man, don't stoop to our level…"
Ye Chen ignored their groveling. He turned to Ye Lin and said gently, "Lin'er, close your eyes. Don't open them until I say so, understand?"
Hearing this, Ye Lin seemed to guess what was coming, but she nodded obediently and shut her eyes.
To her, everything Ye Chen did—right or wrong—she would support unconditionally.
Just like now. She knew what he was about to do, yet she would never object.
Seeing her eyes closed, a ruthless glint flashed in Ye Chen's gaze. Without hesitation, he raised his foot and stomped down on one disciple's chest.
The next instant, a scream rang out—and the man became a corpse.
The survivors paled in terror and begged even louder. "Ye Chen, no matter what, we're all from the Ye family—please spare me…"
"As long as you don't kill me, I'll do anything for you. How's that?"
Ye Chen paid their pleas no mind. He lifted his foot again and crushed another disciple's heart meridians.
In the blink of an eye, the once-noisy group fell silent—reduced to cold corpses.
In Ye Chen's view, disciples of the Ye family should be full of valor and pride.
Yet these men only knew how to bully the weak and fear the strong. They had no backbone at all.
And they had grown spoiled, living in comfort day after day.
At this rate, it wouldn't be long before the Ye family fell into decline.
He had once spilled blood for a clan like this.
Thinking back, it really hadn't been worth it.
As for why he killed them without mercy—it was because the moment he saw them, he recognized them as Ye Tian's lapdogs.
Back in the Ye family, if Ye Shuang hadn't arrived in time, Ye Lin would already have been tortured to death by Ye Tian.
That was why, facing Ye Tian's lackeys, Ye Chen showed no quarter.
"Ye Tian, consider these men interest for the humiliation you inflicted on Lin'er. As for your life… I'll let you keep it a few days longer. Soon enough, I'll make you understand—the dragon's reverse scale: touch it and die…"
"Dare to lay a hand on my sister, and I'll make you wish for death…"
Staring at the corpses on the ground, Ye Chen's eyes were dark and vicious.
Then he righted the overturned carriage nearby, walked to Ye Lin, and smiled softly. "Lin'er, you can open your eyes now."
Obediently, Ye Lin opened them. When she saw the ground covered with the bodies of Ye family disciples, her small face drained of color. "Big brother… you… you killed them all…"