Frost Ice Iron General said, "In three days, I will invite Cold Blood Iron General and Heartless Iron General to a celebration banquet. At that time, I will lock you up and hold a feast celebrating your capture. It will be the perfect opportunity to spring a deadly trap on the two of them!"

This old guy is certainly cunning, but it is a good strategy. He was also sure Frost Ice Iron General wouldn’t dare to play any tricks on him.

"Very well, let’s do it that way!" Ye Fan agreed.

That same day, Ye Fan stayed within Frost Ice Iron General’s territory.

Soon after, Young Master Shuangbing arrived. He was furious. After all, he had been severely humiliated by Ye Fan, and as a man, it was impossible for him to forget such an insult. His heart burned with rage.

"You want revenge?" Ye Fan asked.

"When I am powerful enough, I will have my revenge!" Young Master Shuangbing declared.

Ye Fan gave a crafty smile. Many years would pass before Young Master Shuangbing realized that a mortal could not be compared to a god—or more accurately, that a mortal and a monster could never be on the same level. When he looked back on this day, he would find his current ambitions laughable.

Just then, he suddenly knelt before Ye Fan.

The abrupt change was so great that Ye Fan could scarcely believe it. "What is the meaning of this?" he asked.

"I’ve fallen for someone!" Young Master Shuangbing said.

"The female swordsman from the Butterflies?" Ye Fan asked immediately. He had witnessed their encounter and knew that Young Master Shuangbing had feelings for her. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

"Yes, I like her. I like everything about her," Young Master Shuangbing said. "Ever since I saw her that day, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about her! I long for her constantly!" He realized he was truly lovesick, thinking about that woman from the secular world every day.

"What do you want me to do for you?" Ye Fan asked.

"I want to ask you for a chance to pursue her!" He knew that in the secular world, he was a pariah, loathed by all, and he wouldn’t dare go there without Ye Fan’s consent.

"Fine! You have the right to pursue love," Ye Fan said. He found that Young Master Shuangbing was a decent person with great talent, someone who was flexible and knew when to yield. So, he approved his request.

"Thank you," Young Master Shuangbing said gratefully. "Once your business here is over, I’ll go out with you."

Ye Fan was equally straightforward. Everyone had the right to pursue love, and as long as it wasn’t some extreme obsession, he had no reason to be cruel. At this, Young Master Shuangbing was filled with gratitude, and his hatred for Ye Fan seemed to fade.

Ye Fan then asked him, "Do you still hold a grudge against me?"

"I wouldn’t dare! Please, have a seat, Lord King," Young Master Shuangbing said, his demeanor changing in an instant. So much for his cold and distant reputation; when it came to flattery, he was incredibly smooth! He hurriedly added, "Lord King, let me give you a shoulder rub."

This level of shamelessness has to be a first in history! Ye Fan was speechless. To think he would cast aside all dignity for someone so unattainable. Then again, finding someone to love in this life is a rare thing.

He said to Young Master Shuangbing, "Very good. You have potential. When the time comes, I’ll help you pull some strings."

"Wait, Lord King! Your shoes look a little dirty. Let me wipe them for you!"

Without another word, Young Master Shuangbing rolled up his sleeves and began wiping Ye Fan’s shoes.

...

Meanwhile, watching from a short distance away, Frost Ice Iron General nearly collapsed. Is that really my cold-hearted son? No, that can’t be him. But no matter how much he wanted to deny it, he had to accept the reality before him.

So Young Master Shuangbing is a man of intense character, willing to disregard everything for the sake of love.

「Three days later」

Heartless Iron General and Cold Blood Iron General arrived. They had heard that Frost Ice Iron General had captured the man called the King of Heaven and wanted to see for themselves. However, they were clearly suspicious, especially since Frost Ice Iron General had previously declined their invitation to join forces.

Cold Blood Iron General asked him, "Didn’t you refuse to cooperate with us? Why did you capture him ahead of schedule?"

"My son was humiliated," Frost Ice Iron General replied. "He came to me crying and begging me to capture the King of Heaven so he could vent his anger, so I acted first."

"However, I’ve kept him alive so you could verify his identity for yourselves!"

It had to be said, Frost Ice Iron General’s explanation was perfectly logical.

"I’ll have the young ones identify him," Heartless Iron General said.

Frost Ice Iron General didn’t waste any more words. He played his part to perfection, truly showing the potential of a master actor.

Soon, Cold Blood Young Master and Young Master Wuqing arrived. They hated Ye Fan to the bone and would recognize him even if he were flayed alive. They immediately strode forward. Having their cultivation destroyed had been a massive blow, not just to their Martial Arts, but also to their spirits and their standing within their families. Cold Blood Iron General and Heartless Iron General had tried many methods to heal them but had failed. Although the two Iron Generals hadn’t said anything explicit, the young men knew their fathers were already planning to groom new successors. The blow had been immense.

So, when they heard the King of Heaven had been captured, they rushed over, eager to make Ye Fan pay. They wanted to see him personally subjected to brutal torture.

When they reached the Frost Ice Palace’s prison, the two Iron Generals looked down below. A pillar of ice rose from the floor with Ye Fan chained to it, appearing to be at death’s door.

"Take a look. Is that the King of Heaven?" Cold Blood Iron General said.

The moment Cold Blood Young Master and Young Master Wuqing laid eyes on the prisoner, they were instantly certain. "It’s him! We’d recognize him even if he were burned to ashes!" they both declared. Seeing Ye Fan filled them with uncontrollable rage.

"Since it’s him, let’s kill him," Heartless Iron General said. "But before that, you two can torture him as you please," he added with a taunting smile.

"I want him to suffer a fate worse than death!" Cold Blood Young Master snarled.

"Me too!" shouted Young Master Wuqing, his hatred boiling over. Their current predicament was entirely Ye Fan’s fault.

"HAHAHA! I’ve already tortured him plenty," Young Master Shuangbing declared, his face twisted with ferocity. "But if you two want to have another go at him, count me in!"

The sight of Young Master Shuangbing, however, only fueled their anger. He had been spared on the day Ye Fan crippled them.

"Wait!" Cold Blood Iron General suddenly said, holding up a hand. The others looked at him, confused.

"I want to see for myself if he’s truly crippled or just faking it," he continued, approaching the pillar of ice. He stopped less than ten meters from Ye Fan, observing him carefully.

Cold Blood Iron General was a very cautious man and would never take unnecessary risks. It was Frost Ice Iron General, after all, who claimed to have dealt with Ye Fan. And while they had no open feud with him, they were secretly rivals, constantly at odds. If Frost Ice Iron General was setting a trap for them now, the losses would be catastrophic.

Therefore, he had to verify the situation personally before they could proceed.