Chapter 39: Deadlock!

No one dared to speak recklessly anymore.

That day, Ye Tian had single-handedly stormed into the Sima family’s auction, slaughtering everyone present; every scion of the great families had seen the video. His appearance—like the reincarnation of a demon of slaughter—was enough to strike terror into the hearts of those with guilty consciences.

And now, that very demon was sitting right beside them!

“Ye Tian, you still have the nerve to show your face here!” The others might have been too afraid to speak, but Qian Xiaoxia was not. She looked at Ye Tian with unabashed glee, her eyes filled with icy sarcasm.

“Ye Tian, others may fear you, but I, Qian Xiaoxia, am not afraid. Take a good look!” she declared, pointing at Wu Di and raising her voice, “This is my cousin, Wu Di, a martial arts grandmaster at only thirty-nine years old!”

“Ye Tian, you struck me before. Today, I’ll have my cousin repay you in kind!” As her words fell, a collective gasp swept through the hall.

“So, the ‘cousin’ you speak of is actually your fiancé. I understand now,” Ye Tian replied with a mocking smile. “Judging by age, you could almost call him ‘uncle.’”

A stifled snicker escaped from someone in the crowd. Indeed, Qian Xiaoxia was barely in her early twenties, while Wu Di was nearing forty—the age gap was absurdly large.

Moreover, rumor had it that Wu Di was already on his second marriage. His first wife, it was said, had died in bed, unable to withstand his vigor—a truly shocking tale, but one that also hinted at Wu Di’s extraordinary constitution.

To the scions of the great families, the marriage between Qian Xiaoxia and Wu Di was not out of the ordinary; alliances among the elite were commonplace. The Qian and Wu families were well connected: Wu Di was the eldest grandson of Wu Ba, and Qian Wanbao was Qian Xiaoxia’s paternal grandfather. In their eyes, this wedding was simply a powerful union between two great houses.

Yet none of them knew that Qian Wanbao himself had not even bothered to attend today’s ceremony! For Wu Ba’s intentions were not on the marriage at all, but on Ye Tian. As the head of the Ye family, if Wu Ba’s scheming failed, Qian Wanbao’s presence would only implicate him, so he wisely chose to remain at home and watch events unfold.

“A clever plan, but unfortunately, you have miscalculated.”

Ye Tian gazed coldly at the stage, his expression unreadable, his deep-set eyes so chilling that Qian Xiaoxia felt as though she had been plunged into an icy abyss.

“I am here today only at the invitation of your Wu family patriarch,” he said, “to receive his apology!”

The hall instantly erupted into chaos; the commotion was deafening. The young heirs were stunned.

“So, the Wu family patriarch invited Ye Tian here to apologize to him, and we’re all supposed to join in?”

“The Wu patriarch is bold indeed—he’s made such a move without even consulting us!”

“But if Ye Tian refuses to accept the apology, haven’t we just invited a wolf into our midst?”

As these discussions swirled, Ye Tian only sneered. Qian Xiaoxia, rendered speechless by Ye Tian’s words, could only stifle her anger, snort coldly, and leave the stage without so much as a polite welcome.

Amidst the farce, Wu Di, the Wu family’s eldest son and the one who should have felt most humiliated, simply smiled and watched Ye Tian in silence.

“Don’t be impatient, everyone—the real show is about to begin!” he declared, but before he could finish—

A sudden barrage of explosions resounded from all sides.

The tremors threw the hall into turmoil. Ye Tian turned to look back and saw all the exits of the grand hall abruptly sealed, each one blocked by reinforced iron doors!

At the same moment, a portly man of indeterminate age, flanked by three elderly figures, strode purposefully toward Ye Tian.

“Two mid-stage grandmasters, two at the peak,” Ye Tian murmured, eyes narrowing. Then, as if recalling something, he glanced at the stage. “Correction—three at the mid-stage, two at the peak. Quite the spectacle.”

Wu Ba approached, his fleshy features twisted into an inscrutable smile.

“Young Master Ye, I was so worried you wouldn’t come!” Wu Ba said, sweeping out his arm. Two sledgehammers, each the size of a pumpkin, appeared in his grip.

Simultaneously, the three elders behind him fanned out, encircling Ye Tian like stars around the moon. Wu Di leapt from the stage, landing behind Ye Tian in a single bound, completing the encirclement.

“So that’s their plan!” The crowd scattered with a sudden realization.

“The Wu family didn’t invite Ye Tian to apologize—they lured him into a trap and are now ready to finish him off!”

Thunderous applause broke out across the hall.

“Well played, Patriarch Wu!”

“Such foresight, Patriarch Wu! You have our admiration!”

“With these doors sealed, the last remnant of the Ye family stands no chance of escape!”

The once-cowering scions now wore expressions of delight, many jeering loudly.

“Ye family cur, you won’t escape today.”

“When you’re dead, I’ll use your head as a chamber pot—just as I did with your father!”

“You really think you, a worthless wretch, could revive the Ye family? Dream on!”

Laughter—wild, scornful, and deafening—assaulted Ye Tian’s ears, cutting into his nerves like a blade.

Courting death! Courting death! Courting death!

A boundless fury surged in his chest, his heart pounding so violently it made his head buzz. In that moment, Ye Tian had but one thought: to slaughter everyone present!

“Young Master Ye, beg for mercy and perhaps I’ll spare your life,” Wu Ba mocked. “I might even let you serve as a watchdog for the Wu family.”

From her corner, Qian Xiaoxia shrieked with laughter, “Ye Tian, this is the moment I’ve been waiting for! Let’s see if you can survive now!”

The five grandmasters struck in unison.

Boom!

The twin sledgehammers crashed down first, their force like mountains descending, aimed directly at Ye Tian’s face.

From behind, Wu Di drew his long sword, its tip flashing toward Ye Tian’s spine.

The three elders fanned out on either side, unleashing a dozen hidden weapons powered by true energy, each one targeting Ye Tian’s vital points.

A deathtrap! And so easily sprung!

Seeing Ye Tian motionless, seemingly resigned to his fate, Wu Ba was ecstatic. Every report had said Ye Tian’s martial prowess was at the very pinnacle of the grandmaster’s realm. To ensure his death, Wu Ba had summoned the Wu family’s most venerated elders, alongside himself and his eldest grandson.

Yet, against all expectations, Ye Tian didn’t even resist.

“But that suits me just fine,” Wu Ba sneered.

Crash! Clang! The sounds of hammers, hidden weapons, and swords striking their marks echoed through the hall.

Just as the crowd believed Ye Tian had been turned into a pincushion, smashed into a bloody pulp, a cry of astonishment arose.

“Why is he completely unharmed?”