Chapter 115: Eliminating Zhou Yuan

Staring at Xiao Ye before him, Zhou Yuan was completely bewildered. He could never have imagined that this man possessed the strength to topple so many people with ease. Though the men under his command were not particularly formidable individually, they had stood by his side through numerous battles, great and small. Yet, in the presence of Xiao Ye, they were as fragile as paper, all thrown to the ground without exception.

Sweat dripped down Zhou Yuan’s forehead as his entire body trembled violently; his legs shook like leaves in the wind. The overwhelming pressure emanating from Xiao Ye surpassed the limits of any ordinary human. To Zhou Yuan, the man before him resembled a demon god, as if resurrected from hell itself after millennia.

He struggled to move his legs, but they felt as if they were rooted to the ground, immovable. Watching Xiao Ye close in step by step, Zhou Yuan’s whole body tensed, every muscle twitching rhythmically with exertion. Anxiety mounting, he finally collapsed onto the hard ground. The impact sent sharp pain through his still-unhealed wounds, which tore open anew.

Summoning every ounce of strength, Zhou Yuan managed to move, wincing in pain as he prepared to flee. But before he could escape, Xiao Ye silently appeared behind him, lifting him up with one hand.

“Never thought you’d be brave enough to come straight to me,” Xiao Ye said with a calm smile, clearly surprised by Zhou Yuan’s audacity. He had never expected this petty thug to dare challenge him again.

“Xiao Ye, I order you to let me go! I’m from the underworld. If you dare touch a hair on my head, I swear you’ll die without a grave!” Zhou Yuan still clung to his bravado, hoping his underground connections would intimidate Xiao Ye. But he had gravely misjudged the man’s identity.

Xiao Ye’s serene smile remained, yet his hand pressed firmly on the wound on Zhou Yuan’s arm. An intense pain shot through Zhou Yuan’s mind in an instant. His body twisted grotesquely in midair as a fierce roar burst from his lips.

“Brother, please spare me! I have elders above and children below! Whatever you want, I’ll give it to you!” Zhou Yuan sobbed pitifully, utterly transformed from his earlier swagger.

Hearing this, Xiao Ye’s eyes glinted faintly. “Anything?” he asked.

“Anything! Please, don’t kill me!” Zhou Yuan hastily added, sensing Xiao Ye’s loosening grip, his heart finally relaxing, believing escape was near.

But Xiao Ye’s next words plunged him into an icy abyss: “Then fine, I want you dead.”

With those words, Xiao Ye’s powerful arm thrust through Zhou Yuan’s chest. Blood splattered as Zhou Yuan’s mouth gaped open, his strength drained instantly—lifeless on the spot.

Tossing the body aside like refuse, Xiao Ye contacted Chilon to handle the aftermath, then proceeded toward the harbor.

...

About half an hour later, in a bar in Jianghai City.

The place wasn’t open yet; the floor was littered with wet wine stains and colorful ribbons. Seated there was a burly, shirtless man named Tiger, the establishment’s overseer. He was gulping down liquor when a man rushed in, panic-stricken, and hurried to his side.

“Brother Tiger, bad news—Zhou Yuan is dead!”

The man’s lips trembled as he fought to suppress his fear.

“What did you say?”

Tiger’s expression darkened immediately and he rose from the sofa. The man caught his breath and recounted everything that had transpired between Xiao Ye and Zhou Yuan in detail.

Tiger frowned deeply. He was well acquainted with the name Xiao Ye.

“Is this the same Xiao Ye who ruined Mr. Cheng’s deal last time?” Tiger asked.

The man nodded gravely, watching Tiger’s face grow darker.

Under normal circumstances, Tiger would have reported this. But Zhou Yuan was his brother-in-arms, fighting alongside him for years. Now, his body lay lifeless on the street—it was unbearable.

“Announce a bounty across Jianghai City: one million alive, fifty thousand dead for anyone who finds Xiao Ye,” Tiger commanded.

“But shouldn’t we inform Mr. Cheng first?” the man asked.

“To hell with that! He’s my brother—I will avenge him myself!” Tiger gritted his teeth, resolute.

...

Xiao Ye had stayed a while longer with Rat to steady his mind. After all, he was a key figure in dismantling the underworld.

He walked out of the harbor on foot, intending to return home.

Suddenly, several motorcycles roared in from afar. A group of men dismounted and blocked his path.

Leading them was a ruffian dressed in outlandish clothes, looking older than the others. He sneered at Xiao Ye.

“You must be Xiao Ye. There’s a bounty on your head.”

After speaking, the ruffian turned to his underlings.

“Didn’t expect it would be so easy to find you.”

Xiao Ye noticed the men fidgeting with nail-shaped daggers—his own signature weapons. They gleamed coldly in the dim light, clearly new.

Suspicion flickered in Xiao Ye’s mind, but his face showed nothing but a smile.

“You want the money? Do you think killing me will earn it?”

“We’re not fools on the streets. We’ll look after your family,” the leader said with a crooked grin.

“No thanks. If you want to ask for anything, I have just one request.”

Xiao Ye paused, then said coldly, “All of you die.”

Without hesitation, Xiao Ye charged the men. Taken completely off guard, the leader’s mouth hung open, and before he could react, Xiao Ye’s fist sent him flying.

The others rushed forward, daggers raised. Xiao Ye sighed, shook his head, and surged toward them once more.