Chapter 1961: Things Escalate

After Ye Liuyun took those miners back, he handed them over to Lao Wei directly.

The Chen family bodyguards were all locked up.

Ye Liuyun also searched the soul of that bodyguard captain.

He then realized that a Steward of the Chen family who oversaw the Mineral Vein, together with that captain, had pocketed the deducted fees.

Moreover, this situation occurs at other Mineral Veins of the Chen family as well; the deductions exist everywhere, only varying in severity.

"So that's it! I told you the miners' earnings should be pretty good!"

Ye Liuyun thought it over and did not place a Slave Seal on that captain.

His status within the Chen family was simply too low.

Ye Liuyun only tossed a Transmission Talisman to him, supervising him to reveal the truth, appeal to the Chen family for aid, and find someone with authority to negotiate with Ye Liuyun.

Grabbing people on another's territory was his fault to begin with; Ye Liuyun detaining him is not unreasonable.

What he didn't expect was that Outer Gate Overseer Chen Youdao of the Chen family ignored Ye Liuyun's words, refused to take the prisoner, and even let Ye Liuyun release him.

"Otherwise bear the consequences yourself!"

He even threatened Ye Liuyun.

Ye Liuyun smiled and instantly sliced a bodyguard on the spot.

Then he ordered the prison guard: "Kill one each day until they bring money to ransom the captives."

After speaking, he left the prison directly.

Chen Zhiyuan was stunned; seeing Ye Liuyun actually dare to kill them, he immediately pleaded with Chen Youdao: "Grand Overseer, this kid only backs down when pressed! He just killed one of us outright and said he'll kill one per day until you bring money to ransom them! Please come rescue us quickly!"

"We'll turn the tables on him! Wait, I'll bring men to deal with him!"

Chen Youdao was also furious; a mere Mercenary Captain dared to challenge the Chen family and kill its members!

He immediately led a group of Chen family outer gate disciples and Elders—nearly a hundred in total—with a fierce momentum to confront Ye Liuyun for settlement.

Before they even neared the Death Legion's garrison, a scout had already spotted them and reported to Ye Liuyun.

"Yoho, they've got some spirit! Since they've come to the door, we'll take them!"

Ye Liuyun smiled and sent Ye Tiandao, along with Lei Ming, Long Nv, and the Sharp Blade Corps, to meet the enemy.

"Not afraid of making the situation blow up.

The more we capture, the better.

We can collect ransom!"

Ye Liuyun told them.

He also lent them a Bull Lion and a Demon Wolf—two Demon Beasts—to use against the strong among them.

Among them was an Elder of the Fifth‑Stage Late, and Ye Liuyun feared Ye Tiandao's side would suffer heavy losses.

In the end, Ye Tiandao didn't use the Demon Beasts; he relied solely on blade intent and Spatial Power to take down that Elder himself.

Ultimately, Ye Tiandao and his group only accidentally killed five people; the rest were wounded or captured alive.

Ye Liuyun confiscated their Storage Rings and other items, leaving only a Transmission Talisman, never showing his face, and locked them all in the prison.

However, the prison guard killed one person each day and let them elect their own.

If they didn't choose, he would arbitrarily grab someone and kill them.

He also dragged out some Chen family members who dared to curse them, whipped them, and used them to practice flogging techniques.

All this required no words from Ye Liuyun.

Chen Youdao and the others desperately appealed to the clan for aid.

But their statements were naturally biased, falsely accusing Ye Liuyun.

The rescue message reached the Inner Gate Administrator of the Chen family.

Since many Chen family disciples were captured this time, and the Outer Gate Overseer was involved, he dared not conceal anything and reported directly to the Chen family's Chief Steward Chen He.

"Make arrangements and prepare to go ransom the captives with me!"

Chen He, upon hearing this, immediately said,

"Ransom the captives?

They unreasonably blocked us from seizing miners, killed our men, captured us, yet we are the ones supposed to ransom them?"

The Administrator asked in confusion.

Chen He snorted coldly: "Hmph! Do you have any idea what virtue those outer gate folks possess?

If they were right, could a Mercenary group dare to move against them?"

The Administrator admitted it but said, "But it's a matter of the Chen family's face…"

Chen He disdainfully replied, "How much is face worth?

Don't you know the Death Legion has monopolized the low‑end populace of the border battlefield?

Can you guarantee the Chen family will never request people from them again?

We are businessmen.

If money can solve a problem, don't resort to force.

They're all cut‑throat desperados who will stab you when pressed.

Even if you could wipe them out, the losses are unavoidable, so what's the point?

Moreover, they didn't kill everyone outright, which shows there's room for negotiation! Use your brain more, don't be like those outer gate idiots thinking the Chen family's name can intimidate everyone!

"Yes, yes!"

The Administrator repeatedly agreed, went out and prepared a Flying Boat and several personal guards for Chen He.

Chen He nodded approvingly, boarded the Flying Boat with him, and rushed toward the Death City where Ye Liuyun was.

Chen He hadn't expected anything to go wrong.

Just based on his position in the Chen family, if something goes wrong the Chen family will definitely go to settle accounts with Ye Liuyun.

The scout spotted the character "Chen" on the Flying Boat in advance and reported it to Ye Liuyun.

Ye Liuyun heard it was a small Flying Boat and immediately ordered Lao Wei to open the city gate to welcome, and to invite Chen He into his Grand Hall.

Lao Wei also used a Transmission Talisman to tell Ye Liuyun that Chen He was coming.

Ye Liuyun also had a duplicate wearing an Invisibility Cloak wait nearby.

The Chen family's Grand Overseer on the border zone—this position is indeed worth his taking action.

"Leader Ye!"

"Chief Chen!"

Both greeted with smiling faces, as if they were friends who hadn't met in a long time.

After a few idle words, Ye Liuyun narrated the events to Chen He and immediately had someone bring Chen Youdao and Chen Zhiyuan up.

In these three days, they have already been sowed discord by Ye Liuyun.

Because each time Ye Liuyun makes them choose one person to kill.

And Chen Youdao and the others naturally choose a guard, not an outer disciple.

Moreover, they outnumbered, so the three who were beheaded were all guards under Chen Zhiyuan.

Thus Chen Zhiyuan also bears deep hatred toward Chen Youdao.

If it weren't for Chen Youdao offending Ye Liuyun, the guards wouldn't have died at all!

As soon as Chen Youdao entered and saw his own Grand Overseer Chen He there, thinking he came to back him up, he immediately filed a false accusation.

He claimed that Ye Liuyun blocked their capture of fleeing miners, imprisoned the guards, and even abused them.

After Chen He heard this, he asked Chen Zhiyuan, "I'll give you a chance to stay alive; tell me the truth—what actually happened!"

Chen Youdao also didn't expect Chen Zhiyuan to dare betray him, and he added from the side, "Right, Zhiyuan, you tell me, has Ye Liuyun been abusing us?"

"And killed many of us?"