Chapter Forty-Four: Abandonment

“Hahaha, I bet Xiao Ye could never have imagined that the two of us would end up here!”
“All those earlier assassinations were just child’s play. As long as the two of us make it out, Jianghai City will still be ours!”
“Even if it means abandoning my family, it’s not a problem!”
Huangfu Tian and Cheng Hu wore sinister smiles, their hands raising wine glasses that clinked with a crisp sound.
Wine spilled from their cups, staining their white clothes a deep crimson.
This attempt on Xiao Ye and Qin Xue’er’s lives was a scheme that Huangfu Tian and Cheng Hu had meticulously prepared.
As vice presidents of the Jianghai Business Alliance, wherever they went, their status would allow them to rise anew in any place.
They knew there was no escaping Xiao Ye’s pursuit, so this plan was their last resort.
As long as they could escape, even if they had to forsake their entire family, it wouldn’t matter—after all, the family’s assets were already under their control.
“Once I leave and return to the Business Alliance, it’ll be as if I’ve vanished into the sea. Xiao Ye will never hear from us again!”
Huangfu Tian’s face twisted into a dark smile. Abandoning a family was nothing to him—with his abilities, he could establish another one.
Their laughter echoed through the carriage as thunderclouds gathered overhead.
Suddenly, the car braked sharply, and the wine in their glasses splashed over their clothes.
“Damn it, what kind of driving is this?”
The two shouted at the driver, who turned to reveal a pale face.
“Clan…clan leader, there’s a car ahead!”
“What!”
The driver’s words sent a chill through Huangfu Tian and Cheng Hu.
No one but the driver knew they had left the Huangfu estate—how could someone intercept them?
But when they saw the figure emerging from the car ahead, their faces turned ashen.
“Xiao Ye!”
Standing before them was none other than Xiao Ye, who had just dealt with the attackers at his home.
It was at least a two-hour journey from the Xiao estate, so Xiao Ye couldn’t possibly have arrived so quickly.
Just then, sirens blared behind them, and a convoy of cars with red and blue lights sped toward them.
Above, helicopters thundered in the sky.
A sweeping operation was underway, all for the capture of Huangfu Tian and Cheng Hu.

“Bang!”
With a loud crash, the car door was kicked open. Chilong stood before them, his gaze icy cold.
“Get out, all of you!”
Without giving them a chance to protest, the men inside were dragged out. Even Cheng Hu was powerless to resist amid such overwhelming force.
They were surrounded by countless vehicles, and overhead, more than twenty helicopters hovered with their floodlights on, so bright they could barely keep their eyes open.
The pair looked at Xiao Ye, fear blossoming in their hearts.
“What’s wrong, surprised to see me?”
Xiao Ye approached, his eyes devoid of warmth.
He had arrived in time by taking the water route.
When Huangfu Tian had attempted to leave, Xiao Ye had already tracked their movements.
Unable to catch them by land, Xiao Ye arranged for the traffic bureau to set up roadblocks and delay them with red lights.
He then took a car to the ferry, and before Huangfu Tian and Cheng Hu could reach the airport, he had them apprehended.
“Xiao Ye, what are you trying to do! Do you know who I am?”
“I’m telling you, I know powerful people. I’m the vice president of the Jianghai Business Alliance. Even if you’re a prince, you don’t have the authority to deal with me!”
Cheng Hu shrieked hysterically at Xiao Ye. He knew he was doomed and cared nothing for Huangfu Tian now.
His own life was the only thing that mattered.
Huangfu Tian’s face turned pale; seeing there was no escape, he dropped all pretense and shouted loudly.
“Xiao Ye, let me go! If you kill me, you’ll never get what you want!”
But their only answer was Chilong’s resounding slap.
“You two, at death’s door and still stubborn!”
The slap left their faces bruised and swollen like pigs’ heads.
Xiao Ye turned away with indifference, his voice cold and emotionless.
“Take them away.”
“Yes!”
“What are you trying to do!”

“Let us go!”
Before they were led away, Xiao Ye gripped Huangfu Tian’s face tightly, a cold smile appearing on his lips.
As for the matter of the Jade Bamboo Flute, even if you refuse, I will reclaim it myself.
Now, you are useless to me.
Seeing Xiao Ye’s expression, Huangfu Tian felt as if he had fallen into an icy abyss, for the first time sensing death so close.
He begged for mercy, but his pleas were drowned out by the roar of helicopter blades, leaving only the frantic movement of his lips and trembling body.
With Xiao Ye’s command, the helicopters descended onto the broad highway, and despite Huangfu Tian and Cheng Hu’s futile resistance, they were taken away.
Northern Frontier, cold winds swept the land, the world was frozen.
When the helicopters landed, Huangfu Tian and Cheng Hu, clad only in thin clothes, shivered violently.
“Where are we?”
“King Xiao, I beg you to spare us. I promise to fulfill everything you ask!”
The tension in Huangfu Tian and Cheng Hu finally snapped.
Their faces wet with tears, they kowtowed heavily before Xiao Ye.
Thud!
With a heavy sound, Xiao Ye appeared before the crowd, his gaze cold as a blade, instantly silencing the two men.
“Judgement? This is not the place for that.”
As Xiao Ye spoke coldly, the bitter wind before them suddenly dissipated.
On the desolate ground appeared several shadows, each the size of a watermelon, some even moving slightly.
“What’s wrong, don’t recognize your own family, Clan Leader Huangfu?”
With Xiao Ye’s icy words, Huangfu Tian and Cheng Hu’s faces turned ghostly pale.
A wave of terror surged in Huangfu Tian’s heart, and his head began to shake.
Impossible, this could not be happening!
Yet a gust of cold wind swept away the chill before him, revealing everything.
The next moment, Huangfu Tian saw the scene before him clearly, and tears like broad beans fell from his eyes as his legs gave way and he collapsed to the ground.