Chapter 136

"I... I should go and pay back those two slaps?!"

Lü Ming's whole body shook, and his red, swollen eyes suddenly widened.

He looked at the charred figure at the bottom of the pit, then at Jiang Ye's straight back, his throat feeling as if it were blocked by something, unable to utter a single word.

He remembered being in the Feng family's guest hall, being slapped twice by Zhang Kui until he flew backward, falling miserably to the ground, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, his face burning with pain.

He remembered the gazes of the Feng family members, whether overt or covert, and remembered holding Elder Jiang's token, yet being treated like a dog.

That kind of humiliation, that kind of powerlessness...

It was like a dull knife, cutting into his heart, one slash at a time.

Perhaps even ten or twenty years from now, or until the moment before death...

He would never forget it!

But now, Elder Jiang said—go and pay it back.

He took a deep breath and clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking.

On that red, swollen face, tears mixed with blood slid down, but in his eyes, a flame that had never existed before ignited.

He took a step, and then another, walking toward the bottom of the pit.

The surrounding soil still radiated astonishing heat, steam rising and distorting the air.

The scorching heat wave lashed against Lü Ming's red, swollen face, making his cheeks appear even more flushed.

Yet his footsteps did not hesitate in the slightest; instead, they became increasingly firm.

Lü Ming walked to the edge of the pit, looking at the charred figure at the bottom.

Zhang Kui lay on the ground, his chest rising and falling weakly, a trace of dim vitality still remaining in his half-open, half-closed eyes, like a candle in the wind, flickering and about to be extinguished.

He seemed to want to say something, his lips twitching.

But he opened his mouth, and only a weak breathy sound came from his throat.

Lü Ming squatted down, looking at this once high-and-mighty Thick Earth Peak Elder.

There was no anger on his face, no joy, only an indescribable calmness.

He raised his hand.

The first slap landed on Zhang Kui's left cheek.

Slap.

The sound was not loud, but it was crisp and clear, echoing in the silent courtyard like ice cracking, breaking the suffocating deathly silence.

Zhang Kui's face was already charred black, so this slap showed no change, but his body trembled violently, and a vague whimper came from his throat.

Lü Ming did not stop and raised his hand again.

The second slap landed on Zhang Kui's right cheek.

Slap.

Another crisp sound.

This time, Zhang Kui did not even have the strength to whimper; in those dim eyes, there was nothing but humiliation, fear, and a trace of pleading.

Lü Ming slowly stood up, turned around, and looked at Jiang Ye.

His face was still bruised, his eyes still red, but his spine was straight.

"Elder Jiang, I've finished!"

His voice was hoarse, but carried a firmness he had never possessed before.

At this moment, he experienced an unprecedented sense of relief...

He even felt that as long as he had this moment.

Even if he were to die the next second, it would be worth it.

"Mm."

Jiang Ye nodded slightly.

He did not even spare a second glance at Zhang Kui at the bottom of the pit.

The moment he made his move, this person was destined to have no way to live.

Jiang Ye's gaze shifted slightly, and everyone swept by his eyes.

Felt a bone-chilling coldness.

No one breathed loudly, no one dared to move a step, and even the sound of their heartbeats seemed to have been deliberately suppressed to the lowest level.

Someone's sword fell to the ground with a "clang," yet they were completely unaware.

Someone's legs went weak, and they only managed not to collapse by leaning against a wall.

Someone's face turned pale, their lips trembling, yet they could not utter a single word.

The two Embracing the Pill Realm retainers were even more ashen-faced; they looked at each other and saw the relief of having survived a disaster in each other's eyes.

If they had stepped forward just now, there would likely be two more people lying at the bottom of the pit.

However, such a huge commotion had already shaken the entire Feng family, and more and more people were pouring in from all directions.

Those servants and maids, seeing such a horrifying scene, dared not speak and could only cover their mouths in terror.

However, the young talents, ladies, and clan elders of the Feng family all let out gasps of disbelief after rushing over.

"He... Heavens..."

"What on earth is going on here..."

"How can anyone be so reckless in our Feng residence!!!"

Just then, Zhu Ling finally arrived from the guest hall.

In fact, when Jiang Ye blasted through the main gate, she had been rushing here along with Zhang Kui.

It was just that she did not practice martial arts, and her speed could not keep up with Zhang Kui's.

She had originally been full of joy, thinking that by the time she arrived.

Perhaps Zhang Kui would have already controlled the situation and taken down the troublemaker.

As a result...

What met her eyes was...

A massive, deep pit.

She did not practice martial arts, but her discernment was still there; even though the person at the bottom of the pit was charred black and carbonized, she recognized him at a glance.

That person was none other than Zhang Kui.

"How could it be like this..."

Zhu Ling looked at the horrifying scene in disbelief, her mind a blank.

Her plump body trembled slightly, and the color drained from her beautiful face, as if all her vitality had been sucked away.

Her legs went weak, and she nearly collapsed to the ground, her hands gripping the pillar beside her so tightly that her nails embedded into the wood grain, barely allowing her to steady herself.

At this time, the Feng family's steward walked to Zhu Ling's side with a trembling figure, his usually shrewd face now full of terror, his lips trembling as he leaned into her ear and whispered a few words.

His voice was kept extremely low, but the trembling tone could not be hidden.

The next instant.

Zhu Ling's horrified gaze fell instantly upon Jiang Ye; on that beautiful face, her eyes widened until they were round, but her pupils shrank to the size of needle points.

A suppressed, trembling sound escaped her throat, sharp and thin, like a hen whose neck had been grabbed: "How is it possible..."

Who was Zhang Kui?

The most powerful Elder of Thick Earth Peak, at the late stage of the Embracing the Pill Realm, the "Mountain-Shaking Hand" who had been famous for decades, a figure who would make the prefecture city tremble if he stamped his foot.

Yet such a person had been taken down in one move by this Elder Jiang before her...

Heavens.

What kind of person had she provoked?

At this moment, besides unimaginable shock, endless fear sprouted in her heart.

That fear was like a cold, venomous snake, winding up from the soles of her feet, wrapping around her legs, and coiling in her chest, strangling her until she could not breathe.

Coincidentally, Jiang Ye's indifferent gaze also fell upon Zhu Ling, "So you're the one who called people to capture my subordinate, Chen, and bring her back."

The moment she looked directly into Jiang Ye's eyes.

Bang.

A soft sound.

This mistress of the Feng family, a woman who was infinitely glorious in the prefecture city, actually fell to the ground all of a sudden.

Her plump body hit the bluestone ground heavily, her hair bun disheveled, her golden hairpin falling to the ground, her long black hair draped messily over her shoulders.

Immediately following—

A faint smell of urine drifted out.