Bai Zhanming nodded hastily, then took the initiative to step forward and greet Ouyang Ming.

He didn't know Ouyang Hao or Ouyang Jiankang, but he was somewhat familiar with Ouyang Ming, having interacted with him before. Ouyang Ming had cultivated inner strength, but his aptitude was mediocre, meaning he was unlikely to achieve much in that field, so he paid more attention to worldly affairs.

Ouyang Ming had overseen many of the Ouyang family's businesses; the scope of his management far exceeded Bai Zhanming's.

"It’s good that they are here!"

Ouyang Ming spoke softly, then respectfully moved to stand beside Ouyang Hao and Ouyang Jiankang.

"Let's go up!"

Ouyang Jiankang said simply, then strode directly inside first.

The first floor of this entertainment center housed the disco, while the KTV lounges were on the fifth floor. However, the ascent from the first to the fifth floor passed through a corridor where one could glimpse the wild energy of the disco below.

This layout was intentional, allowing patrons spending time in the KTVs to also drop down to the first floor for some excitement.

As they walked down the corridor, Ouyang Jiankang couldn't help but frown. Being the eldest and having spent his life dedicated to martial cultivation, he had little patience for all this garish spectacle.

Furthermore, his generation, and those older than him, were all people of principle (or discipline - contextually, referring to traditional martial artists).

He merely twitched his brow, his pace never faltering. He moved faster than anyone else toward the elevator. He understood clearly that this was no time to dwell on such trivialities; finding Zhang Yang and clarifying that they were not involved in this incident was the absolute priority.

Bai Zhanming trailed behind, while that Manager Wang brought up the rear.

Upon seeing Ouyang Hao and Ouyang Jiankang, he felt a sudden constriction in his chest. Despite their advanced age and seemingly fragile appearance, standing before them made him feel like a mere child—he was the one who truly seemed weak.

In their presence, Bai Zhanming felt incapable of even forming words.

The group quickly arrived outside the private room where Zhang Yang was located. Ouyang Jiankang paused at the door, adjusting his clothes before speaking in a clear, resonant voice, "Mr. Zhang, we have arrived. May we come in?"

As he spoke, Ouyang Jiankang bowed his head slightly.

Even though he was the Great Elder of the Ouyang family and a powerhouse at the mid-Fourth Layer, facing a Great Perfection realm master demanded this level of deference. This respect transcended age.

In the realm of inner strength cultivation, the strong reigned supreme. Regardless of Zhang Yang's age, his Great Perfection status commanded universal respect.

"Come in."

Zhang Yang's voice drifted from inside. Hearing him, Ouyang Jiankang finally let out a soft breath and pushed the door open, stepping in.

Ouyang Hao, Ouyang Xuan, and Ouyang Ming followed closely. When Bai Zhanming attempted to enter, Ouyang Ming blocked him. He understood Zhang Yang's status; this was a matter between the Ouyang family and Zhang Yang, and Bai Zhanming could neither participate nor was he permitted to.

Left outside, Bai Zhanming stood frozen.

His son was inside, yet he was barred from entering his own establishment. At this moment, a sharp pang of sorrow pierced him—this was his property.

What was more, he had no idea what his own fate, or his son's fate, would be today.

The feeling of having this entire situation utterly beyond his control, forced only to wait upon destiny, caused him intense distress.

Seeing his boss looking so dejected, Manager Wang felt a fresh jolt of alarm.

This young man inside was clearly too significant. Their boss, who could command influence and sway events in the capital city, was now being denied entry just like himself.

The Manager dared not contemplate further the true identity of the youth within.

Inside the private room, Zhang Yang and his companions remained seated on the sofas. The few individuals who had caused trouble still lay sprawled on the floor. Yang Wanying had woken up by now and was clinging to Mi Xue’s embrace.

The events of the day had terrified her. She had always thought playing with these friends was thrilling and exciting, but she never imagined such peril lurking beneath the surface.

She had just heard Mi Xue recount her ordeal. If her cousin and older cousin hadn't been there, she would have been ruined today, her reputation forever shattered.

"Mr. Zhang, we are deeply sorry. The Ouyang family’s failure in discipline has caused you distress!"

Inside the room, the newcomers approached. Ouyang Hao immediately bowed deeply, offering Zhang Yang a formal apology.

He rushed to apologize; if he hadn't, the Great Elder Ouyang Jiankang would have been obligated to express remorse, and as the representative of the entire family, even when outnumbered, one could not easily stoop to submission.

"I am unharmed, but my younger sister and cousin were frightened. What I want to know now is: what involvement do you people have in this matter?"

Zhang Yang remained seated, not inviting them to rest, and spoke quietly.

"Xuan'er, kneel!"

Ouyang Hao suddenly roared. Ouyang Xuan started, but his legs involuntarily buckled, dropping him to the carpet. Ouyang Hao was a senior member of the direct line; even Ouyang Ming dared not disobey his command.

"We have investigated. These few men are all friends of Ouyang Xuan. But I can guarantee this with the reputation of our entire family: Ouyang Xuan was unaware of this matter, and he is not involved. His mistake lies only in his poor choice of companions!"

Ouyang Hao explained urgently. His explanation did not admit fault on his own part, but firmly established his side’s ignorance. This way, even if there was a transgression, the error would be minor and easily forgiven.

This Ouyang Hao was indeed a sharp man.

"Get up. What era is this? Don't go dropping to your knees for every little thing!"

Zhang Yang stood up and walked over to Ouyang Xuan, reaching out to pull him up from the floor.

Pulled up, Ouyang Xuan’s face was crimson, his head bowed in shame, daring not to look up.

"Does this mean Mr. Zhang forgives us?"

Ouyang Hao's face brightened slightly. These top-tier masters, Great Perfection experts, often had eccentric tempers. If they deemed you at fault, no amount of explanation could save you—this was their greatest current worry.

It now seemed Zhang Yang was not impossible to reason with; he had personally helped Ouyang Xuan up and was perhaps letting the matter drop.

Zhang Yang turned and gave him a slight smile. "Let me state one thing first!"

Saying this, Zhang Yang held up a single finger. "I believe your Ouyang family has no direct connection to this incident, and Ouyang Xuan was indeed ignorant of it. He must have some understanding of my standing, and he would not dare act this way!"

Zhang Yang’s words carried undeniable authority. Standing alone, both Ouyang Xuan and Ouyang Hao were tall, but before him, they appeared diminished, almost insignificant.

At least, that was the impression Yang Guang and Yang Wanying had, watching their cousin with unconcealed admiration.

"You speak the truth. Thank you for your understanding," Ouyang Hao quickly affirmed.

Zhang Yang suddenly shook his head and continued, "But it cannot be denied that Ouyang Xuan bears indirect responsibility for this. Ouyang Xuan, I ask you: were these men following you? Did they only obey your command? Tell me honestly, before they committed these misdeeds today, did they seek your permission or inform you?"

Zhang Yang directed these questions solely at Ouyang Xuan.

Under Zhang Yang’s intense gaze, Ouyang Xuan felt suffocated, his heart beginning to pound. As soon as Zhang Yang finished, he shook his head vehemently, waving his hands repeatedly.

"They did inform me, but I had absolutely no idea the girl was your sister!"

Ouyang Hao froze, exclaiming involuntarily, "What? Xuan'er, these men told you beforehand?"

Not just him, but Ouyang Jiankang and Ouyang Ming were equally stunned.

To be aware versus to be ignorant were two vastly different concepts. If ignorant, the worst they were guilty of was poor companionship—a young man's poor choice of friends. Even if Zhang Yang was Great Perfection, he couldn't press too hard using such a weak justification.

Morally, it wouldn't hold up.

But if they were aware—the consequences were entirely different. To know of the plot, fail to intervene, and not even report it—this was a grave offense. They had sought an alliance that very morning, and by afternoon, people under their protection were harassing Zhang Yang's kin without a word from them. The nature of the offense became extremely malignant. Zhang Yang could easily use this as grounds to strike against the Ouyang clan, and the other prominent martial families and sects would never side with them.

In that scenario, the fault would unequivocally lie with the Ouyangs.

This was the source of their shock. As for the final sentence...

Stared down by the group, Ouyang Xuan, terrified, knelt again, his voice cracking with tears. "I truly didn't know! At the time, I was preoccupied, trying to figure out how to consume the pill the Great Elder bestowed upon me, so I didn't pay close attention to what they were saying. Besides, this sort of thing isn't new for them; they didn't elaborate. They just told me they ran into a pretty young girl they'd seen a few days ago. They mentioned 'a few days ago,' I didn't realize they meant yesterday. If I had known it was Mr. Zhang's sister, I would have stopped them, no question!"

Ouyang Xuan explained frantically. Beside him, Mi Xue's eyes registered a flicker of disdain.

These men truly were despicable creatures. Not only had they done this once, but how many innocent girls had suffered their harassment before? Yang Wanying would have endured the same fate had she not had her cousin Zhang Yang.

"Mr. Zhang, this is truly our failing this time. It is our lax family education that has resulted in this bitter consequence. We will accept any punishment you deem necessary," Ouyang Hao said, bowing his head. Ouyang Xuan was indeed ignorant, but the fact that these men had consulted him changed the equation entirely.

Speaking strictly, some level of his tacit approval might be inferred, even if he himself didn't realize it. Furthermore, these men were Ouyang Xuan's entourage; in simple terms, Xuan was the elder brother, and they were his subordinates. The elder brother could not entirely wash his hands of his juniors' errors.

Ouyang Hao now understood perfectly why Zhang Yang was so furious; they bore an undeniable responsibility for this event.

"Punishment?"

A chilling glint suddenly flashed in Zhang Yang's eyes, sending a ripple of cold dread even through Ouyang Jiankang, who watched him in awe.

"If anything had happened to my sister this time, I would not hesitate to drench the capital in blood. Fortunately, no major catastrophe occurred, so I will forgo severe punishment for now. However, these few individuals, I leave them to your handling. I will only say one thing: they must pay the price for their actions. As for what form that price takes, that is entirely up to you."

Having said this, Zhang Yang turned back and smiled gently at Wanying. "Wanying, rest assured. These people who bullied you will absolutely face the due reckoning; none of them will escape. Let’s go back first."

Yang Wanying nodded silently. She was still a bit dazed, yet she felt she understood more now. Her cousin had saved her and avenged her anger. Her heart finally settled completely; with Zhang Yang present, she feared nothing.

The holiday was drawing to a close. Could my friends offer Xiao Yu a few votes of support? It's been a long time since I asked for monthly tickets, and I've grown quite lazy. Today, Xiao Yu will work hard; there will be at least four updates, and three more chapters tonight!