Chapter 87

Fucheng, east market corner.

Before an unremarkable tea stall, an elderly man in a simple gray robe, his hair streaked with white, smiled amiably as he chatted with several tea drinkers.

A bowl of coarse tea sat before him, steam rising gently, yet he barely sipped from it, instead repeatedly urging the stall owner to refill the cups of those seated.

His generous demeanor made the regulars—longtime denizens of the marketplace—smile broadly and open up completely.

This man was none other than Jiang Ye.

After descending the mountain, he came straight to this tea stall.

Though teahouses and taverns in Fucheng were hubs of gossip,

they lacked the down-to-earth authenticity of street-side tea stalls.

All manner of people passed through—traders, laborers, peddlers—rumors were mixed, yet often the truest.

He spent a few taels of silver to buy several pots of fine tea for the patrons, and soon learned nearly everything about the Chen and Sun families.

The Chen family needed no elaboration—Lu Ming, that chubby little brat, had already mentioned they were one of Fucheng’s three great clans, with deep roots and several clan elders at the Golden Core realm.

As for the Sun family, they were somewhat interesting.

In addition to eight cultivated attendants at the Transformation Stage, they had one elder at the peak of that stage holding court—rumored to be well-known in Transformation circles and one of the Sun family’s pillars.

Moreover, the Sun family head’s daughter had married into the Feng family, one of the three great clans, securing a powerful alliance.

Relying on this connection, the Sun family’s power had grown steadily over the years, their behavior increasingly arrogant and tyrannical, as if they were a rising force already.

“Sigh, that second young master of the Sun family is truly inhuman.”

A middle-aged tea drinker, his face weathered by time, sighed and shook his head:

“I heard he’s set his sights on another small family that just arrived in Fucheng—called the Su family. Their young master is as beautiful as a flower. This heir is forcing them to marry him...”

He took a gulp of tea, his expression somber:

“This heir has ruined countless virtuous women in Fucheng—more than both hands can count. I’d wager this Su family’s young master won’t escape his grasp this time.”

“Exactly!” another, younger tea drinker said with indignation, lowering his voice: “Sun Yu is too bold! With his family’s money and his sister married into the Feng family, he struts through Fucheng like a king. How many men has he bullied? How many women has he abused? I spit!”

He paused, a flash of bitter cynicism in his eyes: “But arrogance invites disaster! I don’t believe he can stay arrogant forever! Someone will surely bring him down one day!”

“Arrogance invites disaster...”

Jiang Ye nodded slightly, a faint smile appearing on his aged face.

The smile was slight, yet carried an indescribable undertone.

He lifted the tea bowl, took a light sip, then set it down and stood.

“I think the same.”

With that, he turned and walked away, his pace calm and unhurried.

“Hey! Old man, you haven’t finished your tea!”

Voices called out behind him.

Jiang Ye did not turn back, only waved his hand casually in farewell.

His gaunt figure vanished quickly into the crowd at the street corner.

The setting sun slowly sank, gilding the rooftops of Fucheng in gold and crimson.

Twilight deepened; pedestrians on the long street grew sparse.

Jiang Ye stood at the street’s edge, gazing into the distance.

His gaze swept over tier upon tier of houses, settling on the eastern quarter of the city, his aged eyes glinting with a deep, quiet light.

“The Sun family is closer... then I’ll pay them a visit first.”

He had already inquired thoroughly.

That was the direction of the Sun family.

Night air was cool, moonlight like water.

Deep within the Sun estate, a side chamber glowed brightly with lantern light, yet faint, hysterical curses echoed from within.

CRASH—!!

A precious blue-and-white porcelain vase was hurled to the floor, shattering into shards with a piercing crack.

Immediately after came a THUD—a purple clay teapot followed, smashed into ruin.

Sun Yu stood amid the scattered porcelain, his clean face twisted with rage, features crumpled together, grotesque and terrifying.

His eyes burned red as he raved like a mad dog:

“Damn it! Who the hell is this Jiang elder from Tianqing Sect’s Tianyangfeng, daring to ruin my plans!!!”

He kicked a nearby table and chair hard—it flipped over with a heavy thud.

“I was so close! That little Su bitch was about to beg at my feet!!!”

His anger grew, he grabbed a vase from the table to smash it—only to find the table empty—so he kicked the shards at his feet.

“And now, that damn Jiang elder ruined everything!”

“I won’t let him live!”

He had been savoring the image of Su Yan kneeling before him, begging, and had already planned how to humiliate that insolent little whore.

But today, news struck like a thunderclap, shattering his dream.

Hei Feng Zhai had been wiped out by a Tianqing Sect elder from Tianyangfeng; the Su family recovered their goods intact, and both people and cargo returned safely.

How could he bear it!!

“Y...Young Master...”

A maidservant beside him trembled, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s. She dared to whisper a warning:

“Master once said... we must be cautious when speaking of Tianqing Sect...”

Before she finished—

SLAP!

Sun Yu backhanded her hard across the face.

The force spun her around, sending her crashing to the floor.

“When did you get the right to teach me how to act?!”

His face twisted in fury, his roar echoing through the room.

The maidservant lay on the floor, her cheek instantly swollen, blood trickling from her lip—she had fainted from the blow.

But Sun Yu was not satisfied.

He stared at the unconscious girl, his eyes filled with brutality, then raised his foot and stomped hard on her head—once, twice, three times... The dull THUDS echoed in the room, her skull banging against the floor, yet she made no cry.

He wasn’t crushing a person—he was crushing an annoying insect.

“Damn bitch!!!”

He panted heavily, his foot stomping harder and harder, as if he wouldn’t stop until he crushed her to death.

At that moment—

TAP! TAP! TAP!

A crisp, unhurried knock sounded at the door, jarringly out of place in the violent atmosphere.

“Damn it! Who the hell is knocking now?!”

Enraged, Sun Yu stopped stomping and stormed toward the door.

He yanked it open.

Outside stood an elderly man in plain gray robes, his hair white.

“Where did this old relic come from? Daring to knock on my door?!”

Sun Yu didn’t recognize the old man; instinctively, he assumed he was one of his servants and swung a hard slap toward his face.

SNAP.

His outstretched hand was caught effortlessly by the old man.

“You fucking—”

Sun Yu was about to scream abuse when the old man suddenly smiled faintly.

“I’m the one who ruined your plans.”

Jiang Ye’s voice was as calm as water, revealing no emotion.

Then he applied slight pressure.

CRACK...

A sickening sound of bone shattering rang clear in the silent night.

Sun Yu’s outstretched arm, from wrist upward, shattered inch by inch, crushed into bone dust.

The arm hung limp, devoid of skeletal support, skin and flesh now a slurry of shattered bone and blood—grotesque and horrifying.

Sun Yu had no time to react before the agony surged like a tidal wave!

His eyes bulged, his mouth gaped wide, a short “Huh-huh” escaped his throat—he froze as if struck by lightning.

Only after a breath—

“AHHHH—!!!”

A piercing scream tore through the night, echoing over the Sun estate.