Chapter Thirteen: Only One Step Remains

John’s body crashed heavily to the ground. As his consciousness faded, memories from the past flickered before his eyes like a spinning lantern. Three years ago, the Assassin Alliance had suffered a devastating blow. Their leader had personally knelt before their enemies to beg for mercy, promising never to provoke them again, and only then were they spared. The leader of their adversaries at that time was called King Xiao—he was the fourth foreign-titled prince of the Dragon Nation.

At this moment, everything in John’s mind was strung together like pearls on a thread. Yet, he simply couldn’t understand—how could this foreign prince appear in the small city of Jianghai?

Before he could figure it out, his eyes rolled back, and death claimed him instantly. His corpse was tossed aside by Xiao Ye like a piece of trash.

The members of the Shangguan clan present were left with only a shred of sanity after witnessing such a scene. First it was Zhao Pinghai, then John. Who on earth was Xiao Ye?

Shangguan Hongfei’s world turned utterly gray, filled only with despair. He understood—now that John was dead, they would be next.

At that moment, his gaze met the icy eyes of Xiao Ye. Instantly, Shangguan Hongfei felt the presence of death, every hair on his body standing on end. Without hesitation, he threw aside his cane and knelt before Xiao Ye.

“Xiao Ye—Lord Xiao, I was wrong, I truly was! Please, spare me, spare the Shangguan clan. We are willing to follow your command! If you would have it, I am willing to serve you as a beast of burden, just spare my family!”

Now, Shangguan Hongfei understood that there was only one path left for him—begging for mercy.

Seeing their clan leader in such a state, the remnants of the Shangguan family’s pride collapsed entirely. They too knelt before the man.

“Lord Xiao, I had nothing to do with this!”

“Please, spare me. I’m just an outsider who married into the Shangguan family!”

“If Lord Xiao is willing, I’ll abandon my ties to the Shangguans and become your dog right now!”

Some kowtowed before Xiao Ye, others wept bitterly. At that moment, the dark flower of human nature bloomed in full.

Watching all of this, Xiao Ye felt nothing but a sardonic amusement. How many times had his own family begged them in this same way? And in exchange, all they received were cold bullets tearing through their bodies.

“Old Shangguan, let me ask you a question. When all seventeen members of the Xiao family begged for mercy back then, why did you show no mercy, but instead slaughter them all?”

Shangguan Hongfei was shaken to the core; his cloudy eyes now reflected only a deep tremor.

“To wipe out every last one… was to prevent future trouble, of course.”

As his words fell, his head was lifted high into the air—Xiao Ye held it in his hand.

“Well said. To prevent future trouble, deal with them all.”

“Yes, sir!” At Xiao Ye’s order, Chilong personally led his men into the Shangguan estate.

In an instant, the Shangguan family residence became a living hell. That night, the wails of the Shangguan clan echoed to the heavens, and blood stained every corner of the house.

Outside the estate, over a dozen vehicles made repeated trips to and from the premises. Their destination: the Jianghai City crematorium. But when the staff there rolled out the corpses for cremation, they were struck dumb by the sight—none of the bodies brought in from the cars had heads.

Meanwhile, at the border of the northern frontier, the rhythmic whir of helicopter blades filled the air as more than a dozen choppers landed. Xiao Ye, accompanied by Chilong and the others, carried a large sack of severed heads and laid them before the ancestral tomb of the Xiao family. The faces of the dead were frozen in expressions of terror, chilling to behold.

Xiao Ye placed Shangguan Hongfei’s head on the ground, knelt down, and bowed deeply.

“Father! Mother! I’ve brought you the heads of every member of the Shangguan clan!”

Tears, scorching hot, streamed down Xiao Ye’s face. He had endured five long years for this day. Now, no one could stand in the way of his vengeance.

Since Shangguan Hongfei refused to repent, he would offer up the heads of the entire Shangguan family as a sacrifice to the heavens.

“Rest easy, both of you. This is only the beginning. Sooner or later, I’ll bring the heads of everyone who ever hurt you to pay their respects before your grave!”

A warm wind swept past the tomb, and the landscape seemed to brighten in response, as if answering Xiao Ye’s vow.

“Let’s go.”

Leaving the heads of the entire Shangguan clan behind, Xiao Ye wiped away his tears, boarded a helicopter, and departed.

Meanwhile, news of the Shangguan family’s annihilation spread through Jianghai City like wildfire, throwing the populace into a state of panic. The entire city was shaken—for the Shangguan family had been one of the city’s top lineages. Those other families who had once taken part in the Xiao clan’s persecution were especially fearful, dreading that Xiao Ye would soon come for them.

The three remaining great families of Jianghai moved swiftly to respond, and while they were busy preparing for Xiao Ye, in a luxurious neighborhood in the city, a villa spanning several hundred square meters was packed with over a hundred people.

A massive plaque bearing the character “Xiao” hung above the door. This had once been the residence of Xiao Donglin, patriarch of the Xiao family, but it had since become his memorial home.

When Xiao Donglin’s body was returned from the Tianxuan Grand Hotel, more than a hundred members of the Xiao family could not restrain their wails of grief. Had it not been for Xiao Donglin’s betrayal of the family for personal gain, they would never have enjoyed such prosperity. Now that Xiao Donglin was dead, it meant the Xiao family’s decline was imminent.

Even more unsettling was the fact that the man who killed Xiao Donglin was none other than the foreign-titled prince of the Dragon Nation, Xiao Ye!

Despair filled everyone’s hearts, leaving them unable even to contemplate revenge.

“Father, you died such a terrible death!” Xiao Minghui, Xiao Donglin’s son, knelt before his father’s corpse, weeping bitterly. In the past, with Xiao Donglin alive, he could live the life of a pampered scion. Now, with his father gone, he alone had to prop up the entire family. Worse still, Xiao Ye could arrive at any moment to reclaim the Xiao family for himself.

“Young master, don’t cry. What matters most now is how to transfer our family’s assets and get out of here as quickly as possible!” The family steward, Zhao Liu, stepped forward to help Xiao Minghui up.

It was Zhao Liu who had advised Xiao Donglin, bringing the family its current prosperity. Who could have foreseen how quickly times would change, and that now disaster was about to befall them? If they didn’t flee soon, when Xiao Ye came knocking, there would only be one fate awaiting them—death.

“Young master, I’ve already negotiated with the Situ family. As long as we’re willing to hand over all the Xiao family’s assets, they’ll help us deal with Xiao Ye!” Zhao Liu nodded, smiling as he spoke.