Chapter 440

Ma Tiantong and Chen Yue exchanged a glance and both lowered their heads in shame.

Ye Liuyun could no longer attend to them. After exterminating some enemies present, Lei Ming collected their Storage Rings, and Ye Liuyun immediately led them onward, continuing to slay toward the distance.

The members of the Iron Eagle Sect, seeing this, all prepared to follow.

"Piao Yun, take them back to recuperate. In half a day, you will lead people to the Luo family, the Qian family, the Qingcheng Chengzhu Fu…"

Ye Liuyun listed a number of clans that, during his seclusion, had acted against the Iron Eagle Sect. Then he headed straight toward those two groups of people in the distance, slashing them.

At this moment, the Iron Eagle Sect members finally realized that there were two more groups lying in ambush in the distance, which they had not noticed before.

Those people had already seen Ye Liuyun strike down the Luo family patriarch and the Wan Chong Mountain, and were about to withdraw. Their strength was even less than Wan Chong Mountain's, so when they saw Ye Liuyun's fierce aura charging at them, they immediately tried to plead for mercy.

Unexpectedly, Ye Liuyun paid them no heed, and with his companions killed them all without leaving a single survivor. After taking their Storage Rings, he rushed straight toward the Luo family's direction.

"Our Helmsman is really fierce!" a disciple of the Iron Eagle Sect couldn't help but exclaim.

"Enough chatter, hurry back and reorganize. Then get ready to follow me and, according to the Helmsman's order just now, kill them one by one." Piao Yun, having understood, realized that Ye Liuyun wanted them to reorganize before taking revenge.

Her guess was both right and wrong. Ye Liuyun sent them out, but not for revenge. He had already taken care of the revenge himself beforehand.

When Piao Yun and her party arrived at the Luo family, it was a scene of death and silence, corpses strewn everywhere. The Storage Rings of the Heavenly Gang Realm strongmen and some items from the Treasure Vault had already been taken, but there were still plenty left. Enough to make them a fortune!

Thus, Piao Yun led the group, gathering the Storage Rings and valuables, then hurried to the next family.

Everywhere they went, there was not a single living being; the strongmen's Storage Rings and the valuable items in the Treasure Vault had all been taken.

When they reached the Chengzhu Fu, the townsfolk had already shut their doors and windows in broad daylight. On the city walls, streets, and inside the Chengzhu Fu, all they could see were corpses. Ye Liuyun had not spared even a single defending soldier.

All exterminated, not a single one left!

The scene was so gruesome that even they felt sickened.

Then they went from one household to another, clearing the battlefield and looting valuables. They were busy until dusk before finishing the last household that Ye Liuyun had mentioned.

When they returned to the Iron Eagle Sect, a disciple reported that Ye Liuyun had already returned and was back in the Cultivation Room, training.

The group stared at each other, unsure what to do next.

Finally, Piao Yun instructed: "You all go down, first take over those families' assets and territories. If you encounter strong enemies, retreat and wait for the Helmsman to handle it."

"Understood!" the group replied solemnly, and withdrew.

After this battle, their impression of Ye Liuyun changed completely; they no longer dared any dissent. Their Helmsman was not only of a high realm, but also clever and scheming. Most importantly, his methods were extremely ruthless!

It seemed Ye Liuyun simply didn't want to deal with them. If he truly intended to confront them, he would have killed them all by now. Even if the Qingcheng branch were left with only Ye Liuyun, he could still hold his own.

Understanding this, they threw themselves into the work even more zealously.

As for Chen Yue and Ma Wantong, they obeyed the orders with sincere devotion. Ye Liuyun had already demonstrated his ability through his wit and strength. They dared not entertain any thoughts of the Helmsman's position.

Ye Liuyun not only did not punish them, but also saved Chen Yue. This only shows Ye Liuyun's magnanimity, that he does not wish to spar with them. Both of them are seasoned veterans; if they cannot see this, they are courting death themselves!

At this point, the members of the Iron Eagle Sect also believed that Ye Liuyun truly had the nerve to hold the queen hostage. They had previously thought it was merely a tale. Now it appears Ye Liuyun absolutely possesses that daring and wit.

Subsequently, when Ye Liuyun was not cultivating, he would go out a few times, leading the Iron Eagle Sect to eradicate and subdue the surrounding forces. The branch's sphere of influence not only expanded, but its wealth and manpower also grew dramatically.

The news reached the Grand Sect. At first, some Elders worried that Ye Liuyun's harsh methods would provoke backlash from many clans.

But gradually, they found Ye Liuyun's tactic extremely effective; the Qingcheng branch flourished more and more. They then began to lavish praise on Jing Wudi's foresight.

From then on, Ye Liuyun no longer engaged in indiscriminate slaughter. His reputation had been firmly established; no one dared to underestimate him. Negotiating with others became much easier for him.

Thus, for a time, his fame turned exceptionally good, earning the support of several other clans.

Since then, members of the Iron Eagle Sect, from top to bottom, have continuously praised this Helmsman.

Piao Yun stayed by his side every day, feeling it most deeply. Ye Liuyun not only possessed unparalleled strength, but also first‑rate wit, knowing when to be ruthless and when to be gentle. He acted with perfect timing. His management of subordinates was equally spot‑on.

However, he remained lazy; for trivial matters he would simply ignore them, always passing them to Piao Yun. Piao Yun therefore considered this to be Ye Liuyun's cleverness. This is how a Helmsman should be. Some Helmsmen handle everything personally, but the results aren't necessarily better and they wear themselves out—why bother!

Within the Golden Peng Dynasty, opinions were divided. Some said Ye Liuyun should be eliminated, others argued against escalating the conflict with the Iron Eagle Sect. For a time, they could not decide how to deal with Ye Liuyun.

At that moment, the Ninth Princess, during a cultivation break, heard her subordinates report the news and was the first to seek out Ye Liuyun.

Ye Liuyun had almost forgotten her. It wasn't until she came to his door that he recalled there was such a nuisance.

Ye Liuyun did not wish to see her, but the headstrong princess would not leave until she saw him. She cared not about any grudges between the two factions; she only cared about Ye Liuyun.

Having no choice, Ye Liuyun had to step forward to meet her.

"You deceived me!" the Ninth Princess cried, her voice trembling, as she shouted at Ye Liuyun upon meeting.

"I didn't deceive you; it's just that I didn't manage to leave. After you left, the Crown Prince's three Heavenly Gang Realm Seventh Layer guards surrounded me. Hearing our conversation, they learned I had taken the queen hostage and tried to take me back. I happened to encounter the Iron Eagle Sect's Vice‑Helmsman, who rescued me, so I joined the Iron Eagle Sect." Ye Liuyun did not say he killed those three guards; instead he blamed Jing Wudi for them.

"Really?" the Ninth Princess stopped crying, asking half‑incredulously.

"Indeed. You can verify it when you return. They are the three Heavenly Gang Realm Seventh Layer guards who protect the Crown Prince of Golden Peng." Ye Liuyun affirmed.

The Ninth Princess saw that Ye Liuyun did not seem to be lying, and she stopped her tears.

"I don't care; you promised to take me to explore a Secret Realm. Find a Secret Realm and take me there now!" the Ninth Princess immediately said to Ye Liuyun.

Ye Liuyun said helplessly, "Princess, aren't you unaware of the feud between the Iron Eagle Sect and the royal family? My current position makes it inconvenient to take you along! Otherwise, your royal family would still think I have taken you hostage!"

"Hostage? Hehe, that's fun! Fine, I'll stay here and let you 'hostage' me," the Ninth Princess said, then dismissed her nearby guards to return.