"ROAR!" 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

A weak but furious roar came from outside the cave. It was Little White. "What are you doing? Let me go! Otherwise, when my boss comes out of seclusion, he’ll definitely slaughter you!"

"Hahaha, I can’t believe we actually ran into a mutated Demon Beast! This thing is priceless! The Essence Blood from this mutated Demon Beast is worth half a quota spot!" an extremely loud and grating voice shouted excitedly.

Another, more fawning voice chimed in, "Second Young Master, you are wise and brilliant, your planning is divine! To capture a mutated Demon Beast with a single move... it’s like a little cow doing a handstand—"

"What’s that supposed to mean?"

The owner of the loud voice asked, puzzled.

The fawning voice continued, "It’s udderly fantastic!"

"Hahaha, good, very good! That piece of flattery really hit the spot! Men, put some muscle into it! Capture this mutated Demon Beast and bring it back, and this young master will reward you handsomely!" the owner of the loud voice crowed triumphantly. His words were immediately followed by the sounds of intense fighting from outside the cave.

「In the valley...」

A sinister-looking youth in fine robes, holding a Feather Fan, stood haughtily to the side. Beside him, a weaselly-faced young man was bowing and scraping, saying something with a fawning expression.

In the clearing before them, ten experts with powerful auras, their strengths ranging between the Martial Arts Sixth Stage and the Eighth Stage, were besieging Little White!

After all, Little White was only about a month old. Even with his extraordinary gifts, his strength was only around the Martial Arts Seventh Stage.

Facing a siege by ten experts who were not much weaker than him, he was beaten back step by step and soon found himself trapped in the center.

Little White’s body was covered in bloody marks. His small, emerald-green eyes swept over the people surrounding him. ’These people are despicable! I didn’t provoke them at all, but the moment they saw me, they wanted to capture me for some hunting competition. Boss, are you done with your seclusion yet? *Sob*, if you don’t come out soon, you’re going to be a white-haired man mourning his black-furred beast!’

Just then, the ten men attacked simultaneously. They all threw out large, shimmering silver metal nets. With a SWOOSH, the nets blotted out the sky and enveloped Little White.

"ROAR! Let me go..." Little White struggled in the net.

The finely-robed youth’s eyes lit up. His figure flashed, and he landed beside Little White, laughing loudly. "Quite the temper. Too bad no matter how strong you are, you can’t possibly break free from a metal net forged from Mithril! Little thing, to fall into this young master’s hands is a blessing you’ve earned over eight lifetimes. You’d better listen to me obediently. Otherwise, this young master will sell you to the Beast Fighting Arena and use you to feed those ferocious Demon Beasts!"

"Human, you’d better let me go. Otherwise, when my boss gets back, you’re dead!" Though trapped and unable to move, Little White still managed to snarl and bare his teeth at the youth.

The finely-robed youth paused, a look of mockery and disdain appearing on his face.

"Interesting, very interesting. You little thing actually knows how to threaten people. How amusing." He crouched down, poking Little White with his fan, and said with a confident expression, "Little guy, forget about your so-called boss. Today, even if the Celestial King himself came, he couldn’t dream of snatching you from my grasp."

At that very moment, a voice, calm yet laced with a chilling killing intent, quietly echoed through the valley, causing the pores on the finely-robed youth and his men to contract instantly. "The Celestial King might not be able to take him, but that doesn’t mean I can’t."

"Who is it?"

The finely-robed youth’s expression turned grave as he barked out the question.

The dozen or so experts moved as one, forming a protective circle around the youth.

Their gazes fell upon the cave entrance, where they saw a young man in white robes walking out, his hands clasped behind his back.

The young man’s gaze was distant and profound, as if it could see through everything.

Little White, who had been as dejected as a wilted flower just a moment ago, immediately perked up and shouted, "Boss, you’re finally out of seclusion! Quick, save me! This thing wrapped around me is so uncomfortable!"

Jiang Chen glanced at the wounded Little White, a flash of fury in his eyes. He looked toward the finely-robed youth. "Let Little White go!"

"Who the hell are you? You tell me to let him go, so I should let him go?"

The finely-robed youth snapped back to his senses, a cold sneer forming on his face. He tilted his chin up slightly, sizing up Jiang Chen with narrowed eyes. "Kid, this young master is in a great mood today after capturing this mutated Demon Beast. Just hand over everything valuable you have on you, and I’ll let you leave. What do you say? Aren’t you moved by this young master’s benevolence?"

"Are you done with your bullshit?" Jiang Chen said flatly. "If you are, then let Little White go. Otherwise, I’m going to make my move."

"Hmm?"

The finely-robed youth was taken aback. With his noble status, who would ever dare to speak to him in such a tone?

A cold glint flashed in his eyes as he stared intently at Jiang Chen...

The weaselly-faced youth beside him was an expert at reading expressions. He immediately put his hands on his hips, glared at Jiang Chen, and snapped, "How audacious! Do you have any idea who you’re standing before? This is the great Second Young Master of the Qinghuo Gang, Zhao Ritian! My Qinghuo Gang is the strongest faction in Yulan Mansion, with several True Monarchs of the True Martial Realm among our ranks. How dare you speak to my Second Young Master like that? I think you have a death wish!"

The finely-robed youth, Zhao Ritian, raised his chin and glanced at Jiang Chen, expecting to see a look of shock and terror on his face.

Unfortunately for him...

He was destined to be disappointed.

After hearing the words "Qinghuo Gang," Jiang Chen merely said, "Oh," and continued to stare coldly at Zhao Ritian. "I’ll ask again, are you done with your bullshit?"

"Good, good, very good. This young master has almost forgotten the last time someone dared to speak to me like this. Kid, by openly provoking me, you’re clearly showing no respect for my Qinghuo Gang..."

A murderous glint surged in Zhao Ritian’s eyes as he spoke coldly, "If I don’t teach you a proper lesson today, I’ll write my name, Zhao Ritian, backward! What are you lot standing around for? Don’t forget our gang’s rule: those who provoke the might of the Qinghuo Gang are to be killed without mercy! Why haven’t you killed this kid for me yet?"

The Qinghuo Gang held immense power in Yulan Mansion, enough to almost rival the Yulan Mansion government itself.

As the Second Young Master of the Qinghuo Gang, Zhao Ritian had been arrogant and tyrannical since childhood.

Anyone who dared to displease him, even over a minor friction, would be crippled at best, or have their entire clan exterminated at worst.

In his eyes, killing a nobody like Jiang Chen was no different than crushing an insignificant ant.

"Heh heh, kid, now that you’ve offended our Second Young Master, not even the Celestial King himself can save you!"

"I suggest you surrender without a fight. You’ll suffer less that way. If you kneel and beg our young master, he might even grant you a quick death!"

From the ten men who had been besieging Little White, four stepped forward, approaching Jiang Chen with faces full of killing intent.

The four of them struck out with vicious, lethal moves.

Every move was aimed to kill!

A cold light flashed in Jiang Chen’s eyes. He stomped on the ground, and with a SWOOSH, his figure shot forward, appearing before the four men in the blink of an eye.

"Holy shit, how is he so fast?"

The four men had no time to react before Jiang Chen had already brushed past them.

In Jiang Chen’s wake, the very air was sucked away, creating a vacuum. The four men were caught within it. As Jiang Chen passed by and appeared behind them, their bodies all shuddered violently. They subconsciously raised their hands to clutch their throats, but they couldn’t stop the blood that gushed out like a spring.

In a single exchange, four experts at the Martial Arts Sixth Stage or higher had died horribly at his hands!

Jiang Chen walked forward with a leisurely pace, four bleeding corpses behind him. The scene was enough to chill one to the bone.

"M-my god, how is this kid so strong?" The fawning youth was already trembling with fear, hiding behind Zhao Ritian.

Zhao Ritian slowly folded his Feather Fan. His eyes narrowed, like a lion that had just awoken. His gaze grew intense as he stared at Jiang Chen, muttering, "What a fast Body Technique. What sharp killing methods. Kid, this young master admits he underestimated you. If you’re willing to kneel and submit to me now, you can still keep your life. Otherwise, this young master will have to act personally!"

Jiang Chen glanced up at Zhao Ritian, held out a hand, and said flatly, "Enough of your bullshit. Let’s just fight."