This... was this still the opulent, extravagantly luxurious Ye Manor from his memories? Was this still the Ye Manor, the grandest and most magnificent estate within a radius of several li? Only half a door panel remained, the surrounding walls were decrepit, the flooring was utterly ruined... And the withered plants, the toppled rockeries... Everything, absolutely everything, was so broken, so desolate, as if trampled by the Japanese devils during the War of Resistance against Japan... What on earth happened?

“Father…” With anxiety gripping his heart, Ye Jingyu rushed inside. Yet, the manor was eerily empty. Faint traces of blood could be seen on the paths or walls, but there was not a single living soul... “Squeak… squeak…” A few rats seemed to sense an intruder, letting out calls. Their dark grey forms darted past Ye Jingyu’s eyes, seemingly unconcerned that he might harm them... Witnessing such a bleak scene, Ye Jingyu felt something shatter inside him. That plump man, the one with the big belly, the one who cared for him meticulously, the one who still didn't know his son was dead—it was him... he was the one who first showed him warmth in this world, it was him... he was the one who made him understand the sincerity of kinship... But now, he was gone. Why? Why was this happening?

An inexpressible agony tore at Ye Jingyu’s soul. Two streams of bloody tears burst from the corners of his eyes. He stood like a child who had lost both parents, silently gazing upon the vast, empty main hall... Behind him, Chi Yi Xiu, Hu Yan Qi, and Hu Yan Meng stood equally silent. They could all feel the agonizing pain wrenching Ye Jingyu’s heart. Especially Hu Yan Meng, whose eyes were usually cold, now held a rare glimmer of sorrow. Was it the grief of a father-son separation? Only the gluttonous beast, Taotie, kept its pair of verdant eyes constantly roving, apparently seeking something edible in this desolate place, incapable of comprehending human emotion...

“Who are you, daring to cause trouble here…” Just then, a commotion from outside broke through Ye Jingyu’s grief... With a whoosh, Ye Jingyu vanished from his spot. His most urgent need was to discover what transpired here...

Seeing Ye Jingyu sprint outward, Chi Yi Xiu and the others immediately spun around and rushed out. When they arrived outside, they saw a group of men dressed in official runner uniforms, large sabers hanging at their waists, staring guardedly at the contingent of Chi Yi warriors... One of the runners stood at the very front, issuing a sharp reprimand... However, perhaps cautious of the warriors from the Chi Yi and Hu Yan tribes, he dared not be overly aggressive; even his voice carried a tremor... It was understandable. Most of these runners were mere Martial Scholars, sufficient against common folk, but facing over a hundred burly men, each towering over two meters with intensely developed musculature, fear was inevitable...

“What happened here…” The moment he saw the runners, a chilling, inhuman sound emanated from Ye Jingyu’s lips... “Who are you, daring to trespass on private property with this horde of savages? Come with me to the yamen immediately... to record a statement... or don't blame me for being discourteous... you'll be apprehended for sedition...” The leader, spotting Ye Jingyu, assumed he was the commander of the group and spoke up, though the fear evident on his face undermined his authority...

“I asked you what the hell happened here...” Ye Jingyu, lost in intense sorrow, saw the man ignore his question. His body blurred, and in an instant, he was before the leader, delivering a savage slap across the man's face... Ye Jingyu’s strength now was immense, rivaling even that of Chi Yi Xiu. The sound of the impact—smack—sent the runner flying backward, his mouth spewing blood mixed with two rows of teeth... With a deafening boom, the runner slammed onto the ground, kicking up clouds of dust. The twenty-odd runners stood there, utterly dumbfounded... Who... who was this? How dare he strike an official runner? Didn't he know such an act constituted treason? Didn't he know that the Imperial Army was stationed nearby? A single signal, and a force of at least three thousand men could arrive within fifteen minutes... At such a crucial juncture, he still dared to attack? Did he truly wish to die?

“Speak, what happened here?” Ye Jingyu ignored their astonishment. His figure flickered again, and he reappeared before the fallen leader, deliberately planting his foot down hard on the man’s hand. A sickening crunch, crunch echoed—the sound of bone fracturing. The leader’s mouth stretched into a perfect ‘O’ shape as he emitted muffled, agonizing shrieks, sweat pouring down his brow... “Will you f***ing talk or not...” Ye Jingyu roared, violently driving his right knee upwards into the runner’s nasal bridge. The once straight nose was instantly smashed to powder, and the man’s body was once again hurled backward... When he landed, he lay motionless, unclear if he was dead or merely knocked unconscious by the pain...

“Rebellion! Someone is rebelling!” Seeing their leader swiftly dispatched with three blows, the remaining twenty-plus runners finally snapped out of their shock. Casting aside all caution, they began to scream hysterically... “Beat them down!” Ye Jingyu sneered coldly...

At the sound of Ye Jingyu’s command, the eighty Chi Yi warriors, including Chi Yi Xiu, charged forward. Without drawing weapons, relying purely on their immense physical power, they brushed aside the runners’ sabers as if they were twigs. With almost no effort, they disarmed the twenty-odd men and slammed them onto the ground, beating them soundly until the officials were crying out for their fathers and mothers... It was at this moment that the sound of frantic horse hooves rang out from nearby. Ye Jingyu looked up and saw a cavalry troop of at least a thousand strong thundering towards them, reaching their location within mere breaths...

“General, these barbarians disregard the law and assault Imperial officials! You must seek justice for us!” Just then, the runner leader, who Ye Jingyu had beaten down and left unconscious, suddenly leaped up—with speed faster than any rabbit—and darted towards a figure fully encased in armor at the front of the cavalry charge... The sudden burst of speed drew surprised stares from everyone... Meanwhile, Hu Yan Qi’s brow furrowed deeply...