Chapter 51

As he galloped along the ancient yellow earth road leading to Jin Cheng County, Ye Zhen rode like the wind, wishing he had wings to fly home instantly. However, when the blue-stone walls of Jin Cheng County came into view, Ye Zhen instinctively tightened his grip on the reins, slowing down, feeling a bit apprehensive about returning home.

Calculating the days he had been delayed on the road last year, Ye Zhen realized he had been away from home for almost two years. He didn't know how things were at home.

Although his parents had visited him at Qi Yun Sect half a year ago and everything seemed fine, Ye Zhen knew that his parents always gave him the best. If there were any difficulties or insurmountable obstacles, they would never tell him.

Riding into the city, when the soldiers at the city gate tried to stop Ye Zhen, a piece of silver flew into one of their hands. However, Ye Zhen's arrogant behavior also made the guard extremely displeased, and he opened his mouth to curse.

Before the curse could leave his lips, Ye Zhen gave him a cold stare. The无形的杀气 (intangible killing aura) immediately made the guard shiver, as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, and the hair on his back stood up.

Instinctively, the guard stood straight, swallowing the curse.

Only after Ye Zhen had ridden far away did the guard wipe the cold sweat from his forehead, feeling terrified. The gaze felt like that of a dead man.

He had only felt this way once before, from the county commander, who was a veteran of countless battles and a commander of a thousand men.

Actually, that glance was not intentional on Ye Zhen's part. He merely saw the guard's unfriendly expression and gave a warning look.

What Ye Zhen didn't know was that after slaughtering hundreds of bandits on Green Ox Mountain, he had unknowingly developed a bloodthirsty aura. Combined with his astonishing cultivation, it was something ordinary people couldn't bear.

The Ye family had been a prominent clan in Jin Cheng County for generations, with a vast number of clan members. It was said that one-third of the county's population was surnamed Ye.

Therefore, the Ye family's clan influence in Jin Cheng County was extremely strong. Every newly appointed county magistrate's first task was to visit the Ye family patriarch and the elders.

The Ye family had many branches, and the branch Ye Zhen belonged to had once been very prosperous. In the county, they owned a large mansion. However, over the past four generations, the family had gradually declined.

As he approached the family gate, Ye Zhen was thinking about how to bring good news to his parents. After all, what Ye Tiancheng and his wife most looked forward to was Ye Zhen becoming an outer sect disciple.

Now, not only had he achieved this goal, but he had far exceeded it. It was time to let his parents know and give them a reason to be proud.

Just as he dismounted and turned into the alley, a heart-wrenching shout suddenly rang in his ears.

"Who dares, who dares to take another step, and I will fight to the death!"

"Get out of here, the hundred acres of land are what our ancestors fought for, and no one can take them away..."

The shouts were very凄厉 (heart-wrenching) yet familiar.

"It's Mother!"

Ye Zhen's face changed abruptly. Without even bothering to lead his horse, he dashed towards the family courtyard.

Inside the Ye family courtyard, Ye Zhen's father was sitting on the threshold, holding his chest, with a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth, seemingly injured. Ye Zhen's mother, Mi Jiangxue, was disheveled, waving a kitchen knife at several large men, shouting angrily.

"Ye Mi, this is the clan's decision, and you can't resist it. Don't think that just because you're being unreasonable, I can't deal with you. If I didn't want to be known as someone who bullies women, I could take care of you with one finger," the Ye family's chief steward, Ye Zhi'an, shouted.

"Hand over the land deed, don't force me to act!" Ye Zhi'an made a move to advance.

"You dare!"

"You dare!"

Two angry shouts rang out simultaneously. The first was weak, coming from Ye Zhen's injured father, Ye Tiancheng. The second was Ye Zhen's, like a thunderclap, making the Ye family members' eardrums hurt.

As the Ye family members turned to look, Ye Zhen rushed in like the wind, knocking two of the guards flying.

"Mother, are you okay?"

Seeing Ye Zhen, Mi Jiangxue, who was facing the Ye family members alone, softened and almost fell to the ground if Ye Zhen hadn't caught her.

Supporting his mother, Ye Zhen quickly felt his father's pulse. After a brief check, he was slightly relieved; his father's injuries were not too severe, just internal injuries.

Seeing her son return, Mi Jiangxue leaned into Ye Zhen's arms, still handing him a wooden box.

"Son, you're finally back. These scoundrels claim that our hundred acres of ancestral land belong to the clan and want to take it back. You must fight to the death, no matter what!"

"Don't listen to your mother, hand it over...," Ye Tiancheng, gasping for breath, grabbed Ye Zhen's shoulder and said.

"Father, Mother, rest. I'll handle this!" Ye Zhen fed his father a healing pill and stood up, tears in his eyes.

"Ye Zhen, you're back. Since you're the eldest son of this branch, you should take over. This is the clan's decision, take a look!" Ye Zhi'an cleared his throat and handed a document to Ye Zhen.

"Who injured my father?" Ye Zhen didn't take the document, but demanded loudly.

"Who injured my father?"

Ye Zhen's angry shouts intimidated the guards, who looked at Ye Zhi'an.

Seeing this, Ye Zhi'an shouted, "Ye Zhen, how do you speak to me? I'm your clan uncle. Your father refused to follow the clan's decision, so I injured him. What are you going to do about it?"

"It was you?"

Ye Zhen's expression turned fierce, and he stared at Ye Zhi'an, stepping towards him.

Intimidated by Ye Zhen's aura, Ye Zhi'an was startled, then shouted, "What, did you learn a few tricks outside and now you're defying your elders? I'll teach you a lesson!"

As he shouted, Ye Zhi'an punched towards Ye Zhen's chest.

A look of disdain flashed in Ye Zhen's eyes. The speed of the punch, at the peak of the fourth level of Blood Cultivation, was laughably slow to him.

True essence flashed from Ye Zhen's fingertips. Thinking of his parents behind him, especially his mother who had been greatly frightened today, he suppressed the surging killing intent.

Fortunately, Ye Zhi'an hadn't attacked Mi Jiangxue earlier; otherwise, Ye Zhen would have killed him the moment he entered.

Ye Zhi'an didn't realize that in that instant, he had already circled the gates of hell. Even so, in Ye Zhen's eyes, he was already half-dead.

Bang!

Ye Zhen's punch met Ye Zhi'an's without any flair, not even using true essence, relying solely on the pure strength of his body.

Crack!

Ye Zhen's right arm bent at an impossible angle, making Ye Zhi'an scream like a pig, but his nightmare was just beginning.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Several more punches followed, breaking both of Ye Zhi'an's arms and legs. The final punch sent Ye Zhi'an flying, spewing blood.

"Which hand did you use to hit my father?" Ye Zhen rushed to the bleeding Ye Zhi'an and roared.

"Ye Zhen, you..."

As Ye Zhi'an tried to speak, Ye Zhen's foot stomped down.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

A bone-chilling sound rang out, and Ye Zhi'an screamed in agony.

In an instant, Ye Zhi'an's right arm was crushed. Just as Ye Zhen was about to stomp again, his father, Ye Tiancheng, called out, "Zhen, stop!"

Only then did the guards react, screaming as they tried to escape the courtyard. But Ye Zhen wouldn't let them, kicking each one out, the lightest injuries being three broken ribs.

Even with his father's persuasion, if Ye Zhen's killing intent hadn't been restrained, their fates would have been worse than Ye Zhi'an's.

"Wait, come back!" As the guards tried to escape, Ye Zhen's loud shout stopped them.

"Carry this old dog out, so he doesn't dirty my courtyard."

The guards, with broken limbs, lifted the severely injured Ye Zhi'an and tried to leave, but Ye Zhen called them back.

"Wait!"

Hearing Ye Zhen's voice, Ye Zhi'an, still screaming, felt his hair stand on end. He had experienced Ye Zhen's terror and feared another attack.

Approaching, Ye Zhen took out the land deed from the wooden box his mother had protected and waved it at Ye Zhi'an. "You want this land deed? I don't care about it!"

Ye Zhi'an frantically shook his head. Even if he had ten lives, he wouldn't dare take the deed now.

Smack! Ye Zhen threw the wooden box and the deed at Ye Zhi'an's face, leaving him with a bloody face. The terrified Ye Zhi'an fainted from the shock.

"Get out!"

The guards fled, fearing they would be too slow.

"Zhen, that's the land our ancestors fought for, how can you just give it away?" Mi Jiangxue, who had been enjoying the scene, suddenly complained.

"It's fine, Zhen did the right thing. Cough, cough, cough, but today..." Ye Tiancheng coughed violently.

Ye Zhen rushed to his father, patting his back. "Father, Mother, don't worry. Whatever they take today, they will pay back tenfold, a hundredfold in the future!"

"Really?"

Mi Jiangxue's eyes lit up, but Ye Tiancheng looked worried. "Today's incident, the Ye family won't let it go easily!"

************

PS: Good night, everyone!

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