Chapter 26: Ruin Him

As the group exited the private room, they immediately drew the attention of everyone in the main hall on the first floor. When the crowd saw Xiao Yu following these mysterious individuals out, surprise flickered across their faces.

“What’s going on? Weren’t these people here to arrest Xiao Yu? Why are they walking out together?”

“Did you see their attitude earlier? They were so aggressive, but now they look like mice who’ve just seen a cat. What exactly happened?”

Voices filled the hall as people watched the figures descending from the second floor, confusion evident in their discussions.

Upon reaching the ground floor, Xiao Yu didn’t pause for a moment and walked straight to Ye Shihan’s side. Seeing the worry etched upon her face, Xiao Yu couldn’t help but smile, gently ruffling her hair.

“They didn’t take you?” Ye Shihan asked softly, her voice laced with concern.

“I’m an upstanding man. Why would they want to take me?” Xiao Yu replied with a gentle laugh.

Just then, the leading disciple of the Hall of Enforcement inhaled deeply and approached Xiao Yu. Under the gaze of everyone present, he offered Xiao Yu a deep bow and spoke with utmost respect, “Mr. Xiao, what happened just now was our mistake. Please forgive us.”

“It’s nothing. Now that everything’s been cleared up, you all should leave. Don’t go frightening these successful folks of Phoenix City,” Xiao Yu said indifferently, waving his hand.

Hearing Xiao Yu’s words, the lead disciple couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. He was well aware of the occasion and realized that barging in like this was bound to disrupt the banquet. Only earlier had he acted fearlessly, but after learning of Xiao Yu’s true identity, he dreaded that Xiao Yu might hold a grudge over the incident.

Though the Hall of Enforcement and the Twelve Celestial Descendants were two separate powers, he doubted the Hall would risk conflict with the Twelve over a single branch enforcer like himself.

Still uneasy, the lead disciple straightened and turned to address the crowd, “Today’s incident was a complete misunderstanding. The destruction of the Li family has nothing whatsoever to do with Mr. Xiao. I apologize deeply for disturbing everyone.”

After finishing, the man swept his gaze around, gauging everyone’s reaction. Suddenly, his eyes fixed on a young man in a white suit—one of the Ye family, and the very person who had reported Xiao Yu. Upon closer look, it was Ye Xin!

When Ye Xin noticed the man’s unwavering stare, a chill ran down his spine, and he sensed trouble. As expected, after spotting Ye Xin, the disciple returned to Xiao Yu’s side, murmured a few words to him, and pointed discreetly in Ye Xin’s direction. Xiao Yu’s eyes followed, his gaze instantly growing cold.

So, it was Ye Xin who orchestrated the Hall of Enforcement’s involvement. The day at Ye Group, after Ye Shihan had excluded him from the project plan, he had nursed a grudge and vowed to make her pay. Li family’s demise was no secret in Phoenix City, and Ye Xin had also heard about Li Minghao’s ill fate from some thugs at a bar. Learning he was from the Ye family, the thugs had gladly recounted the incident.

Adding the Li family’s destruction to the rumors, Ye Xin devised a cunning plan, directing suspicion toward Xiao Yu by informing the Hall of Enforcement’s investigators. If Ye Shihan’s husband was accused of murder, Huayi Group would surely terminate their cooperation with her, giving Ye Xin another shot at power.

Facing Xiao Yu’s icy glare, Ye Xin’s face turned ashen; he hadn’t anticipated things would take such a turn.

“You can go. Be sure to relay my words exactly as I said them to your master,” Xiao Yu instructed.

Now that he knew the mastermind behind the day’s events, Xiao Yu dismissed them outright—he had more important matters to attend to.

As for Ye Xin, Xiao Yu had never regarded him as a threat. If not for his relation to Ye Shihan, he would have been dead already. But Ye Xin’s actions had now crossed Xiao Yu’s bottom line.

Seeing Xiao Yu’s chilling expression, the lead disciple trembled, bowed farewell, and quickly ushered his men out.

After the Hall of Enforcement left, Ye Shihan tugged at Xiao Yu’s sleeve, asking seriously, “Xiao Yu, tell me honestly, does the Li family’s disappearance have anything to do with you?”

Xiao Yu merely smiled, saying nothing. To Ye Shihan, that smile was an indirect admission. Since his return, she had grown used to such shocking events. Still, she wondered how he had managed it. The Li family was a force among the second-tier families of Phoenix City; for Xiao Yu to bring about their destruction was no small feat.

“We’ll talk about this another time,” Xiao Yu replied with a casual smile.

Ye Shihan nodded, not pressing further. The Li family’s fate mattered little to her; she only cared about Xiao Yu’s safety.

Seeing his nonchalance, her worries faded, and she left with her wine glass, mingling and chatting with the other guests.

Xiao Yu, meanwhile, headed straight for Ye Xin as soon as Ye Shihan departed.

Seeing Xiao Yu approach, Ye Xin’s heart tightened, and he instinctively tried to slip away. He couldn’t explain why he suddenly feared Xiao Yu, but he did—especially with Taishui standing behind him. The fear Taishui inspired was far greater than Xiao Yu’s.

“Trying to leave now? Don’t you think it’s a bit late for that?”

Just as Ye Xin turned to go, a cold voice sounded behind him. Ye Xin froze, knowing escape was impossible, and turned back to face Xiao Yu.

“What? Are you going to stop me?” Ye Xin sneered, masking his anxiety with bravado. In his eyes, Xiao Yu was nothing but a live-in son-in-law, lower than a servant in the Ye family. He didn’t believe Xiao Yu would dare lay a hand on him in front of so many people.

But suddenly, a chill swept over him. Ye Xin glanced at the imposing Taishui behind Xiao Yu, panic flickering in his eyes.

“Ruin him.”

The words were cold as ice. Ye Xin’s face blanched. He had miscalculated—Xiao Yu might hesitate to act in public, but Taishui would have no such qualms.

“Think you can run?”

Taishui grinned menacingly at Ye Xin’s futile escape attempt. With one step, he circled around Xiao Yu and seized Ye Xin in a vice-like grip, lifting him effortlessly off the ground.

“What are you doing? Put me down! I’m the eldest grandson of the Ye family—you can’t touch me!” Ye Xin shouted, flailing helplessly against Taishui’s iron grasp.

His cries immediately drew the attention of the crowd. Many recognized Ye Xin, the prominent young master of the Ye family. To see him lifted off the ground like a child by a burly stranger at his own family’s banquet was shocking indeed—such an incident would be hard to resolve.

Among the crowd, Ye Qinghai noticed the commotion, his face paling with alarm as he rushed over.

“Stop—let him go!” Ye Qinghai shouted, pushing through the throng.

At his words, Xiao Yu frowned and turned to face the breathless, anxious old man.

“Xiao Yu, tell your man to stop,” Ye Qinghai pleaded, struggling to catch his breath.

“Grandfather, save me!” Ye Xin, seeing his grandfather arrive, clung to hope and even shouted defiantly, “Grandfather, Xiao Yu, that ingrate, actually ordered people to attack me! I’ll destroy him!”

At this, Taishui’s brow furrowed, and with a single palm strike to Ye Xin’s chest, hurled him across the room. Ye Xin crashed into a table, shattering it completely.

Writhing in pain on the floor, clutching his chest, Ye Xin’s face was ashen. When Taishui’s blow landed, he found it nearly impossible to breathe and felt the chill of death creep over him.

Ye Xin stared at Taishui in disbelief and terror. He hadn’t expected this giant brute to dare attack him, especially in front of so many people and even with Ye Qinghai present. The humiliation burned in his heart.

“Bastard! I’ll kill you!” Ye Xin struggled unsteadily to his feet, roaring in fury at Taishui. But before Taishui could move again, an elderly figure rushed over and slapped Ye Xin hard across the face.

It was none other than Ye Qinghai, his face flushed with rage, glaring at his grandson, his body trembling uncontrollably.

Ye Qinghai felt utterly helpless regarding this eldest grandson. He knew Ye Xin lacked business acumen, yet he had never given up on him. After all, Ye Xin was the only male heir among the three branches of the Ye family—the family’s future would one day rest in his hands. But right now, Ye Qinghai’s disappointment in his grandson was overwhelming.