Chapter Forty-Five: Calamity Approaches

Before him lay the severed heads of the Huangu family’s kin. Some of them were already covered in frost, rigid and unmoving, frozen alive long ago. At this moment, a few survivors remained, their bodies shivering violently from the cold. Yet their eyes burned hotter than ever, fixed on Huangu Tian, their faces stripped down to pure desperation.

“Patriarch… save me… save us!” Trembling pleas for help spilled from their lips, nearly causing Huangu Tian to faint in horror. Nearly a hundred heads confronted him, all direct bloodlines of the Huangu family. Xiao Ye’s move was designed to wipe their entire clan from existence.

With a thud, Cheng Hu collapsed to his knees, utterly terrified by what he saw. He had never imagined Xiao Ye could be so ruthless and merciless.

“Five years ago, the four great families of Jianghai City joined forces to besiege the Xiao family, exterminating us completely. Out of one hundred and thirty-eight souls, only one survived.” The cold voice came from Xiao Ye’s mouth, making both Huangu Tian and his companion shudder.

“Five years later, the lone survivor returns to settle this blood debt with the four families.”

A gaze filled with icy cruelty and murderous intent swept toward Huangu Tian, making his heart pound wildly. Xiao Ye had come for vengeance, burying the Huangu family alive to repay the wrongs done to him.

Regret flooded Huangu Tian’s heart; crocodile tears streaked down his cheeks, not from emotion but from terror.

“Xiao Ye! Lord Xiao!” Suddenly, Cheng Hu knelt on the frozen earth, crawling toward Xiao Ye. “This has nothing to do with me, I wasn’t involved in the four families’ plot. Please, spare me!”

Seeing Xiao Ye bury so many Huangu family members alive, Cheng Hu panicked; he didn’t want to die, especially not like this.

Abruptly, Xiao Ye lowered his head, his icy gaze landing on Cheng Hu. “You’re right. You truly didn’t participate in the destruction of the Xiao family.”

Cheng Hu’s eyes sparkled with hope, thinking perhaps Xiao Ye would let him live. But in the next instant, Xiao Ye raised a single finger, piercing Cheng Hu’s brow in a flash.

A muffled moan escaped Cheng Hu; his smile had no time to fade before his body collapsed with a crash. His eyes were still wide with disbelief—he couldn’t believe Xiao Ye had dispatched him so swiftly.

“For striking at my family, you deserve death as well.” Xiao Ye slowly withdrew his finger, and his words made Huangu Tian’s face turn even paler.

“Now it’s your turn.” Xiao Ye’s gaze shifted to Huangu Tian, the invisible pressure suffocating him.

“Xiao Ye, Lord Xiao, I know I was wrong! Please, let me live!” Huangu Tian slapped his own face repeatedly, raising his hand over and over, willing to endure any humiliation to survive.

Tears streamed uncontrollably from his eyes; he didn’t want to die by a single finger like Cheng Hu.

“Don’t you want the Bamboo Jade Flute? Give me three more days, and I’ll bring it to you at once!”

“No need.” Xiao Ye strode past Huangu Tian. “I’ll fetch the Bamboo Jade Flute myself from Jiang Zhongtao.”

“Huh?” Watching Xiao Ye leave without turning back, Huangu Tian was stunned. Was Xiao Ye truly letting him go? A surge of hope rose in his chest—if he could escape, he would live!

“Oh, by the way!” Xiao Ye, boarding the helicopter, turned back with a chilling smile. “This land was meant to bury the four great families of Jianghai City. Can you guess where their heads have gone?”

“Huh?” Xiao Ye’s words made Huangu Tian’s face darken again, a bad premonition stirring in his heart.

“No hurry—you’ll know soon enough.” As Xiao Ye smiled coldly, a mournful howl echoed from the mountaintop.

Huangu Tian’s body stiffened. Not far ahead, a dozen shadowy figures appeared, their glowing green eyes sending chills down his spine.

“No! Lord Xiao, take me with you! I’ll give you all the Huangu family’s wealth, everything I own!” The pack of wolves began to encircle him, and Huangu Tian ran desperately toward Xiao Ye’s helicopter, unwilling to be torn apart by beasts.

But the helicopter lifted off faster than he expected. As Huangu Tian tried to catch up, Xiao Ye’s face showed not a hint of mercy.

Back then, Xiao Ye had survived only by escaping the wolves’ pursuit, slipping into the army and rising to become a king of foreign blood. Now the roles had reversed: Huangu Tian was hunted by wolves, while Xiao Ye watched from above, seated in the helicopter.

“Lord Xiao! No! Help me!” Huangu Tian’s anguished cries rang out, but before he could flee, the wolves descended upon him. He lacked Xiao Ye’s luck; he could only watch as his body was torn to pieces.

Blood sprayed, flesh was shredded. The carnage made even Red Dragon frown and turn away, unable to watch. Xiao Ye, however, stared unflinchingly as Huangu Tian was ripped apart, his eyes reddening with emotion.

“Father! Mother! I have finally avenged you!” The four families who had hunted the Xiao clan were now buried before the Xiao family’s tombstones, devoured by insects and wolves. Only in this way could Xiao Ye’s hatred be appeased.

“Lord Xiao, where to next?” Red Dragon asked.

Xiao Ye wiped away the dampness from his eyes, his face returning to its frosty calm. “Call Black Eagle back. I need her to handle something for me.”

Meanwhile, at Jiang Zhongtao’s house in Donghai City, news of the Huangu family’s annihilation reached him within the hour.

“I never imagined that king of foreign blood would be so ruthless. He said he would wipe out the four families, and within half a month, he’s done exactly that!” Jiang Zhongtao’s eyes were filled with shock. Several burly men in splendid robes sat before him, exuding an air of arrogance.

“Ha ha, Boss Jiang, no need to worry. We haven’t offended the king of foreign blood. What could he possibly do to us?”

“And even if he comes, so what? The Jianghai Commercial Alliance can deal with him just the same!”

“That’s easy to say…” Jiang Zhongtao’s face was gloomy. He had taken part in instigating the four families to hunt the Xiao clan, and Xiao Ye might not spare him.