Chapter 121: A Guest Visit

"...It is over."

The moment he left the landscape painting, Ye Yan felt a wave of relief wash over him, his mood light and unburdened. The Wang family, a mountain that had pressed down on him for years, leaving him unable to lift his head or catch his breath, had finally been toppled. It was all over.

Now, all that remained was to wait for the Company's personnel to arrive for the cleanup and aftermath.

Ye Yan pulled up a bench and sat down in Wang Ai’s study. As for his banner spirits, he had scattered them to mop up the remaining members of the Wang family. The Wang estate was far too vast; for him to clear out the remnants alone would be an exhausting chore. Using the spirits was far more efficient. Since he had made up his mind to eradicate the Wang family, he could not afford to leave any roots of trouble behind.

Since he had come all this way, there could only be one living person left standing in the Wang residence today: himself. Not just people—he would have to pour boiling water into the anthills, split the earthworms lengthwise, shake the eggs until the yolks broke, and even slap the dogs before dragging them off to be neutered.

Since he was being ruthless, he would be ruthless to the very end.

Ye Yan sat on the bench, brewed a pot of tea, and sipped it leisurely, listening to the occasional screams echoing from outside. Perhaps due to triggering "Dominance" several times, he had grown accustomed to the aftermath of exhaustion. This time, the feeling of weakness was far less intense than before. It seemed this ability was something one could adapt to. If he kept at it, Ye Yan felt that even if he couldn't truly become immune, he could at least offset most of the side effects. That was a good prospect.

Furthermore, Ye Yan discovered that after previous adaptations, his control over "Dominance" had lengthened significantly. In just a few days, he had gone from an initial thirty seconds to thirty-four or thirty-five seconds. This was undoubtedly a qualitative leap. He had also become more proficient in using certain aspects of "Dominance." While abilities like the Soul-Extinguishing Palm and Soul-Extinguishing Cannon had appeared as fragmented inheritances when his power awakened, their actual use depended on further development. As for the Enhanced Soul-Shock Hammer, perhaps because he had already mastered the technique, it felt quite natural to release.

As Ye Yan pondered, the voice of Ma Laowu pulled him back to reality.

"Brother Yan, the Company people are here."

Ye Yan was still feeling the lingering effects of his power, so when he sent out the banner spirits to purge the family, he had kept some close—like Ma Laowu, Jin Erpeng, and Golden Tongue—to guard against accidents.

"Understood."

Ye Yan set down his teacup and looked slowly toward the door. An old man and a youth, both dressed in traditional cloth jackets, were walking toward him. The visitors were Lu Ci and Lu Gong.

Seeing Lu Ci appear, a flicker of surprise crossed Ye Yan's mind. He had not expected the Company's representative to be this man. It was common knowledge in the circle that the Wang and Lu families were as thick as thieves. Yet, with the Wang family wiped out by his own hands, it was the Lu family stepping in to clean up the mess—the situation was becoming quite interesting.

Lu Ci lifted the hem of his jacket and stepped slowly into the study. Perhaps sensing the doubt in Ye Yan's eyes, he spoke as soon as he entered: "This time, the Company has entrusted the Lu family with the aftermath of the Wang estate. As for the Wang village, our younger generation has already set out to clear it. No living soul will be left behind."

Ye Yan toyed with his teacup, leaning back against the wooden chair as he watched Lu Ci. He couldn't help but let out a soft scoff. "Handing the cleanup of the Wang family entirely to you Lu family members? I find that hard to trust. If nothing else, who in the inner circle doesn't know that the Wang and Lu families have always been in the same boat? Can you guarantee there won't be any cover-ups?"

Ye Yan had never trusted Lu Ci. Setting aside the relationship between the two families, there was already some history between them. If he handed over the authority to handle the Wang family so easily, he feared he might be nurturing a tiger that would eventually turn on him.

As soon as Ye Yan spoke, Lu Gong, standing behind Lu Ci, couldn't help but flare up. "What do you know? If it weren't for our Great-Grandfather, do you think a guy like Wang Bing would have fallen into the Company's hands so easily? And those opportunists in the Wang family—if it weren't for the pressure exerted by our Great-Grandfather, they would have run off long ago. Would it have even been your turn to clean them up?"

What a hot-headed fool. Never learning from his mistakes.

The moment Lu Gong spoke, that thought crossed Ye Yan’s mind. However, while he found the youth exasperating, his words gave Ye Yan a different perspective on Lu Ci. He had assumed the reason the Wang family members hadn't escaped was due to the Company’s intervention, but it had been the Lu family all along.

"That is truly a surprise." Ye Yan made no effort to hide his sentiment.

Hearing this, Lu Ci let out a cold snort. "Though I, Lu Ci, am called a mad dog in this circle, I have my principles. From the moment Wang Ai decided to collude with the demons from Purgatory, he and I were no longer on the same path. We are mortal enemies."

Lu Ci’s words were resonant and firm, leaving Ye Yan momentarily dazed. He hadn't expected such a fierce reaction from Lu Ci regarding this. He grew even more curious about what kind of past could have turned Lu Ci into such a state of undying hatred toward the Wang family. Purgatory? Or foreign practitioners? Looking at the bloodshot, crimson eyes of the old man, he didn't seem to be acting or putting on a show.

Ye Yan’s suspicions faded. "I have changed my impression of you. At the very least, you are not cut from the same cloth as Wang Ai, and you have some bottom line."

"Hmph!" Ye Yan’s words were neither praise nor insult, merely a personal observation, which caused Lu Ci to squint his single eye. "So now, with me taking over this mess, do you have any other questions?"

Perhaps irritated by Ye Yan’s earlier remarks, Lu Ci’s tone was cold. Ye Yan shrugged and stayed silent. The recent exchange had resolved his doubts. Besides, since Zhao Fangxu was the one benefiting, he wouldn't have brought in someone unreliable. Therefore, Lu Ci could likely be trusted.

"Then I'll leave it to you."

Giving up a piece of the cake was worth it for the sake of peace. Ye Yan had no intention of worrying about the aftermath—how the Wang family was finished, who did it, or what the official announcement would be. He trusted that Zhao Fangxu already had a plan in place, just waiting for the events to unfold.

After the handover, Ye Yan prepared to leave. His flight was booked, and he had to return to Mount Longhu that night; he needed to start early to make it. Just as he was about to depart, his phone rang. He pulled it out to find a call from Xu Si.

"Hello, Fourth Brother, what's up?"

"Ye, are you still in Kyoto?"

"I haven't left yet..."

"Good. Stay where you are. I’ll have someone come pick you up."

"Pick me up?" Ye Yan paused. "Is something wrong?"

"It's hard to explain over the phone. We'll talk when we meet. Just wait for me."

Xu Si hung up before Ye Yan could even think to ask more, leaving him confused. At that exact moment, Lu Ci’s phone rang as well. The old man spoke a few words on his outdated mobile and hung up in a hurry.

Ye Yan didn't overthink it. Without saying goodbye to Lu Ci, he gathered his banner spirits and walked toward the main gate. To his surprise, Lu Ci, who had claimed he needed to stay and finish the cleanup, followed him out—it seemed he had somewhere to be as well. Ye Yan didn't bother to ask.

As they both stopped by the roadside, Ye Yan realized they were headed in the same direction. "Are you waiting for someone too?" he asked hesitantly.

Lu Ci glanced at him, offered no verbal reply, and gave a cold nod.

The atmosphere was stifling and silent. Ye Yan pulled out his cigarette case, and just as he was about to light up, he paused. "Want one?" he asked, holding out the case.

Lu Ci’s seemingly fierce single eye fixed on him for a long time before he finally replied, "Give me one."

Two cigarettes burned slowly. As the blue smoke curled upward, the tension caused by their earlier conflict seemed to vanish, softening. Though neither spoke, the atmosphere grew significantly more harmonious—perhaps this was the unique camaraderie among men.

After a long while in this silence, Ye Yan suddenly spoke: "That kid, Lu Liang, was he captured by you?"

"Hm?" Lu Ci paused, surprised by the sudden question. "You know him?"

"Yes, we've met a few times."

"Ha... I didn't think that brat had such connections." Lu Ci snubbed out his cigarette, hands behind his back, and chuckled coldly. "What, does a busy man like you have the spare time to worry about our Lu family business?"

Ye Yan shook his head. "I don't intend to interfere in your family affairs, but I owe that kid a favor. I figured I might as well pay it back now."

"Pay it back? How do you intend to do that?" Lu Ci’s eyes grew intrigued.

"It’s your family business, and while I don't know exactly what he did to be cast out, consider this a favor to me—spare the kid's life, will you?"

"And what if I refuse?"

"Then perhaps one day I'll pay a visit to the Lu estate. Nothing special, just to take the boy away... that shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"Are you threatening me?" Lu Ci’s expression turned vicious.

Ye Yan remained unfazed, chuckling lightly. "Old man, don't put it that way. I'm just looking to visit your home. You wouldn't turn away a guest, would you?"

"That sounds nice." Lu Ci flicked his wide sleeve in annoyance. "What good intentions can a weasel have when wishing a chicken a happy new year?"

If not for his wariness of Ye Yan’s formidable strength and the living example of the Wang family’s destruction, Lu Ci would never have tolerated such an attitude. He didn't earn the nickname "Mad Dog" for nothing. But faced with Ye Yan, he found himself without many options. After all, he knew he couldn't win; he had seen how the old man Wang Ai hadn't even managed to make a splash before the entire massive Wang estate crumbled into nothingness.

Yet, Lu Ci knew deep down that even if Ye Yan hadn't said a word, he wouldn't have killed Lu Liang—the boy’s mastery of the Soul-Refining Technique was the highest in the Lu family.

"You, an outsider, don't need to worry about him. Though I, Lu Ci, am vicious, I am not so cruel as to kill my own blood. Regardless of the outcome, I will spare his life."

"Then I thank you. Since you're so generous, I'm not one to hold a grudge. As for that little brat Lu Gong offending me earlier, I'll let it slide. We'll call it even." Ye Yan smiled at Lu Ci.

Having Lu Ci back down was a good result for Ye Yan. He had been prepared to visit the Lu estate after returning from Mount Longhu to drag the boy out himself. After all, the intelligence on Bian Min had come from Lu Liang, and Ye Yan had promised to help him in return. He prided himself on being a man who clearly distinguished between gratitude and grudges. Now, with Lu Ci’s promise, he was spared the trouble.

As they spoke, a black stretched limousine pulled up to the gate. Two men in black stepped out and opened the door, gesturing to Lu Ci and Ye Yan. "Old Master Lu, Mr. Ye Yan, please get in."

The car climbed a ramp, crossed a bridge, wove through the ring road, and drove into the city center for about twenty minutes before coming to a stop. Before the door even opened, Ye Yan saw the towering skyscraper through the window, the "Which-All-Pass" logo shining brilliantly in the sunlight.

This was Kyoto. The headquarters of the Company. The undisputed leader of the practitioner world.

Ye Yan and Lu Ci stepped out one after the other. Waiting at the entrance was Xu Si. Beside him stood a middle-aged man with a stout build, hands behind his back, wearing gold-rimmed glasses. The man had a kind smile, yet he stood slightly ahead of Xu Si. It was clear his status was high—at least higher than a typical regional director.

Seeing them arrive, the middle-aged man’s smile widened. "Greetings, young friend Ye. A pleasure to meet you. I am Zhao Fangxu, Chairman of the Company..."