In Dongxing, the largest residence of the Keton family within the upscale villa cluster in the northern district of Ketong City housed most of the core Keton clan members. The villa containing the treasure vault, however, was the old family manor from before their rise to prominence.

Though the exterior of this villa appeared tranquil, the internal security was extraordinarily tight, with guards posted every three steps and sentinels every five.

Ever since the incident at the old manor, the Keton family had become thoroughly skittish.

In a basement beneath the villa, the current patriarch of the Keton family, Changben Keton, sat hunched over a desk in deep thought.

Before him stood a sharp, capable young man in his early thirties, who felt a pang in his chest watching the deep hollows beneath the patriarch’s eyes.

The patriarch, so spirited just two years ago, now looked as frail and withered as a candle nearing extinction; the strenuous family revitalization plan was draining the old man of every last drop of energy.

During the riots two years prior, all the elder-level members had perished, leaving only the patriarch and the Third Elder, but even the Third Elder succumbed later. The entire burden of the family rested solely on this old man’s shoulders.

Now, thanks to the patriarch’s two years of exhausting effort, the Keton family had finally stabilized its course, yet they had missed a golden opportunity for expansion. The other three great families had managed to recover their footing, shattering the dream of unifying Dongxing.

It was all because of that bastard named Zhong Yun. The young man clenched his fists, his heart seething with overwhelming hatred. If Zhong Yun hadn't slaughtered the Third Elder and the bulk of the family’s elites two years ago, the Keton family would have already consolidated all the forces on Dongxing, restoring their ancestral glory.

Every single member of the Keton family harbored a bone-deep loathing for the man named Zhong Yun, wishing they could tear his flesh and flay his skin.

This time, he dared to show his face on Dongxing again. What a heaven-sent opportunity. They only needed the patriarch’s command to unleash the family elites. Even if Zhong Yun possessed heaven-defying abilities, on Keton territory, they would ensure he remained here forever.

A chilling killing intent flared in the young man’s eyes.

“The intelligence you received—is it genuine?” The old man finally spoke.

“Absolutely certain,” the young man instinctively snapped to attention. “Intelligence located him at the Ye Tang City Police Department. Though he’s using a different name, his appearance hasn’t changed in the slightest.”

Seeing the patriarch fall silent again, the young man grew anxious. “Patriarch, this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. We must kill him. We must avenge the Third Elder and all the fallen clansmen, Patriarch.”

The old man suddenly looked up, his gaze sharp and piercing. “Nonsense! Are you satisfied only when you’ve ruined the Keton family, is that it?”

“Patriarch, I... I didn't mean that,” the young man stammered, flustered by the patriarch’s severe tone, trying to defend himself.

“Hmph.” The patriarch let out a cold snort that made the young man’s face turn pale. His expression softened slightly. “I understand how you feel. As for Zhong Yun, I too long to tear him limb from limb and scatter his ashes to the wind.” A look of profound hatred flashed in the old man’s eyes.

“My hatred for him is no less than yours. However, we cannot seek vengeance against him.”

“Why not?” The young man felt a surge of discontent.

The old man looked at the young man deeply. He held high expectations for him and knew his own time was short; he needed to groom a suitable heir for the family. Today, he would teach him a lesson essential for a supreme decision-maker of the clan.

“I ask you, why must we kill Zhong Yun?”

“For revenge.”

“What percentage of certainty do you have that you can kill him?” the old man pressed.

“I give you my solemn vow, I have one hundred percent certainty,” the young man replied without hesitation.

“Let me ask you again: what price are you prepared to pay to eliminate this enemy of ours?” The old man’s gaze pierced the young man’s heart like an arrow.

The young man gritted his teeth. “For revenge, sacrifice is inevitable. I trust the clansmen will not cling to life out of cowardice.”

“I believe that too. Now, one last question.” The old man straightened in his seat, emitting an imposing aura. “If we kill Zhong Yun, what benefit will we gain?”

This single sentence struck his heart like a sledgehammer. His face instantly turned ashen. He opened his mouth to speak but could utter nothing, sweat instantly beading across his brow.

He slumped into a nearby chair, and when he looked back at the old man, his face was awash with shame. “Patriarch, I... I was wrong…”

Changben Keton felt a measure of relief seeing that he had finally grasped the lesson. “It’s good that you understand.”

He sighed softly. “As the supreme leader of the family, every decision is made for the sake of the family’s interests. All emotion must be cast aside; it only blinds your judgment. You must remember: everything is about benefit.”

“Killing Zhong Yun would certainly satisfy our urge for revenge. But to kill an enemy, sacrificing the lives of numerous clansmen, and gaining absolutely no advantage in return—that is the most foolish course of action. Unless we are certain we can kill Zhong Yun without paying any price, we cannot act. Our clansmen cannot die for nothing.”

“I understand,” the young man said, though his expression remained grim, he was no longer as defeated as before. “Are you saying we should just let him go?”

“Us not acting doesn’t mean we do nothing. Use your brain; think about who else Zhong Yun has offended…”

“Zeng Chenyu! Zhong Yun stole his fiancée. Such a profound insult—if he learns Zhong Yun is on Dongxing, he definitely won’t let him off. With the Zeng family’s power, dealing with one Zhong Yun would be as easy as turning over a hand.” The young man suddenly understood, his excitement growing as his eyes lit up. “The Patriarch is truly far-sighted.”

The old man waved his hand; this tactic of using another’s hand to kill was commonplace enough. “However, we cannot drop our guard. Zhong Yun’s purpose for being on Dongxing this time is unclear. If he intends harm to our Keton family, we might have no choice but to fight him to the death.”

“Dispatch men to watch him closely and find out his objective. Also, you must absolutely not tell Wenzhu about this?”

Mentioning his daughter, a shadow crossed the old man’s face. Since that incident, she had been consumed by self-blame, believing her invitation had led the wolf to their door, causing irreparable loss to the family. If she learned Zhong Yun had reappeared, she would undoubtedly rush to kill him regardless of the cost.

“I understand.” The young man knew the gravity of the situation and nodded solemnly.

The very next day, all media outlets across the Mings Kingdom broadcasted a bizarre, ten-second advertisement simultaneously.

The ad consisted of a simple drawing, skillfully executed, depicting a landscape. Most notably, at the very center stood a towering, colossal tree, so immense that any structure beneath it looked as small as a pebble.

Such minimalist advertisements were rare in the Mings Kingdom, especially running for ten full seconds.

Even stranger, the advertisement repeatedly uttered only one sentence: “Yunqi, your husband is calling you home for dinner.”

Such an odd ad immediately captured public attention. This advertising style, reminiscent of simple, almost crude calligraphy, managed to shock and utterly bewilder the Mings Kingdom populace, who were visually exhausted by a bombardment of flamboyant colors.

When they realized every single media platform was airing this commercial, public sentiment exploded; they had to admit the advertisement was undeniably eye-catching.

They couldn't figure out what product this ad was promoting? Based on the content, it seemed more like a missing person notice, but being so vague and nonsensical, like an encrypted message, who were they searching for?

What astonished them even more was that the advertiser seemed utterly unconcerned with cost. The advertisement was replayed every hour, and it rotated across different media channels.

A careful calculation by some observers revealed that running the ad like this for just one day would cost an astronomical sum. Who was this person paying for the advertising?

“Old Third, this advertisement of yours is certainly unique,” Odin chuckled, trying to contain himself, as he watched the impressionistic painting and the monotonous line, “Yunqi, your husband is calling you home for dinner,” on the panoramic player in his dormitory.

“You don’t get it. This is the true essence of advertising. Trust me. This ad will become a timeless classic,” Zhong Yun replied, sipping wine on the sofa, a strange light flickering in his eyes.

It had been a day. If Yunqi was still in the Mings Kingdom, she would surely see this advertisement.

The media influence in the Mings Kingdom was immense, reaching nearly every corner. Walking down any street, one could see advertisements lining the thoroughfares.

Zhong Yun had also embedded a secret signal within the painting; as soon as she saw it, she would naturally know how to find him. So now, all he could do was wait.

“Right, what about Boss and Second Brother?” Zhong Yun suddenly thought of his other two roommates.

“They’ve been doing well recently,” Odin confirmed.

“That’s good. Don’t tell them I’m back yet. Too many mouths talking—if the Keton family finds out, it will cause another mess,” Zhong Yun said, unaware that the Keton family had already discovered his presence.

“Mm.” Odin nodded, then paused before asking, “Do you still remember Zeng Chenyu from the Keton family two years ago?”

“I remember him.”

Odin glanced at him. “You need to be careful of that man. Zeng Chenyu’s identity is far from simple. The Zeng family is a legendary clan that even the King fears. Although Zeng family members rarely surface, their status in the Mings Kingdom is unparalleled. The power they wield is immense, surpassing even the peak of the historical Keton family.”

“It’s rumored that Weiwei was supposed to be his fiancée, but two years ago, due to her strong opposition, the engagement was canceled. I imagine Zeng Chenyu will not let go of this humiliation of having his intended bride stolen.”

P: Apologies, I had some personal matters today, so this is all for now. First release