Chapter 182 - 181: People of the Xiao Family

Seeing that his scheme had been exposed, the thief dropped to his knees with a heavy THUD right in front of Ye Xuan. He continuously banged his head against the ground while apologizing profusely.

If the thief had simply apologized from the very beginning, Ye Xuan wouldn’t have bothered holding it against him. Unfortunately, the man had ignored his warnings time and time again. If he wasn’t taught a lesson, this thief would never learn from his mistakes. Besides, looking at his demeanor, he was likely a repeat offender who specifically targeted out-of-towners at airports and train stations.

"It’s too late for apologies now. Save your breath and explain it to the police," Ye Xuan said, casting a cold glance at the thief, leaving him no way out.

His resolute attitude completely panicked the thief. Seeing that begging for mercy was useless, he scrambled up from the ground, shoved his way through the crowd, and made a run for it. The onlookers who had been deceived by him began shouting for someone to catch the thief. But the guy ran incredibly fast, instantly darting over a dozen meters away.

Just as it seemed he was about to slip away, two burly men—nearly two meters tall—suddenly appeared in front of him.

Unable to dodge in time, the thief slammed right into them. Their muscles were as hard as stone, and the impact left the thief’s head ringing. Before he could even regain his senses, one of the burly men hoisted him off the ground with a single hand. The other was even more ruthless, snapping one of the thief’s legs with a single, vicious kick.

Agonizing screams echoed throughout the entire airport, making everyone’s hair stand on end. Those who had originally wanted to cheer for the two men were frightened into absolute silence. They instinctively took a couple of steps back, not daring to get too close.

By this point, the thief was in so much pain that he was on the verge of passing out. The burly man dragged him over to Ye Xuan as if he were hauling a dead dog.

"Cyan Dragon Chief, we have dealt with the one who offended you. Please come with us; Mrs. Xiao wishes to see you," one of the men said with a neither haughty nor humble tone as he tossed the thief to the ground before Ye Xuan.

Ye Xuan’s expression shifted slightly as he coldly sized the two up. They were skilled martial artists with exceptional prowess. Both had a feather-shaped tattoo on their necks. They were death warriors of the Xiao family. These men were the Xiao family’s life-saving trump cards, the very capital that kept their family standing strong in Jingcheng.

He inwardly scoffed at how impatient Mrs. Xiao was. He had barely landed, and she had already sent people to fetch him. She was likely planning to condemn him for the deaths of her son and grandson.

"Let’s go," Ye Xuan said. Without so much as a second glance at the thief on the ground, he stepped right over the man and gestured for the two death warriors to lead the way.

In truth, if Ye Xuan didn’t want to see Mrs. Xiao, these two death warriors wouldn’t have been able to restrain him at all. However, this was an international airport bustling with crowds. If a fight really broke out, it would cause a terrible scene and likely harm innocent bystanders. Moreover, Ye Xuan genuinely wanted to meet this Mrs. Xiao and take the opportunity to put the Xiao family in their place.

His purpose for returning to Jingcheng this time was simple: finish dealing with the Xiao family’s matters, and then extinguish the Qilin Hall’s arrogance. The news of his return to the martial world had been circulating for a while; it was time he finally made an appearance.

Ye Xuan followed the two death warriors into a Rolls-Royce. Departing from the airport, they drove east for about half an hour before arriving at the Xiao family’s manor.

The Yang family’s Yunju Mountain Villa was already considered a famous estate in Huaxia, but even so, it couldn’t compare to the Xiao family’s Penglai Manor. Penglai Manor’s total area was a full three times larger than Yunju Mountain Villa, and it had cost nearly 1.5 billion to build. Its design and layout were entirely the work of the renowned Huaxia Fengshui master, Lu Ming. This Lu Ming was a descendant of the legendary Huaxia master craftsman, Lu Ban, having inherited his ancestor’s extraordinary skills. Anything he designed and crafted was considered unparalleled. In all of Huaxia, there were fewer than ten people who could persuade him to take on a project.

Logically speaking, the Xiao family wouldn’t have been qualified either, but Mrs. Xiao’s husband, Xiao Jinshan, had once saved Lu Ming’s life. Owing the Xiao family a favor, Lu Ming waived all his fees and designed this Penglai Manor for them. It was said that ever since Lu Ming built Penglai Manor for them, the Xiao family had enjoyed smooth sailing and a continuous rise to power. Experts all claimed that Lu Ming had altered the Xiao family’s fortune, allowing them to achieve such glorious prosperity. But Fengshui and metaphysics were beyond the understanding of ordinary people, and no one could explain exactly how it worked.

Ye Xuan didn’t have much interest in such matters. He didn’t believe in those so-called metaphysical concepts. If a family wanted to thrive and endure, it mainly relied on its people. As long as the family members worked together with diligence and effort, the family’s rise to power was only a matter of time. Conversely, if every member was greedy for petty gains and acted purely out of selfishness, even the greatest fortune would eventually be squandered.

White cloth and white lanterns hung across the traditional Chinese architecture, and the servants were all dressed in black attire. It seemed the Xiao family’s mourning period wasn’t over yet. Sure enough, the larger the family, the more particular they were about these traditions.

A few maids sweeping fallen leaves in the courtyard couldn’t help but whisper among themselves when they saw Ye Xuan.

"Is that the man who killed the young master and the Third Master? He doesn’t look like a bad guy."

"Shh! Do you have a death wish? Everyone in the Xiao family absolutely despises this man right now, and you actually dare to speak up for him?"

When one of the maids made a comment slightly favoring Ye Xuan, the other quickly tugged at her sleeve and issued a stern warning. Although they didn’t speak loudly, the two death warriors still overheard them. They turned their heads and cast a freezing glare at the maids, terrifying them so much that they immediately dropped to their knees, trembling and not daring to make another sound.

Seeing this, Ye Xuan couldn’t help but mock them in his mind, thinking they were incredibly archaic.

Feudal. That was the only impression he had since arriving at Penglai Manor. Ancient architectural styles, ancient layouts, ancient customs, and ancient etiquette. The only thing that made Ye Xuan curious was how a family as archaic and feudal as the Xiaos could allow an old woman to be the head of the household.

Harboring this curiosity, Ye Xuan followed the two death warriors to the Xiao family’s main building. This structure was just like an ancient imperial palace, resplendent and magnificent, intricately carved with dragons and painted with phoenixes. If he hadn’t known it was the 21st century, Ye Xuan would have thought he had time-traveled to ancient times.

Stepping inside, the interior decoration and design were even more exaggerated. It was a one-to-one replica of an ancient palace. Ye Xuan was simply at a loss for words at this kind of aesthetic. He wondered if the Xiao family had gone mad with the desire to be Emperors. To actually design their own home like an imperial palace was absurd. Looking at the dazzling array of gorgeous furniture and ornaments, Ye Xuan felt dizzy from the sheer opulence.

"Have you brought him?" A deep, resonant voice rang out at that moment.

The expressions on the two death warriors instantly became deferential. They dropped to one knee and performed a grand salute to the approaching figure.

"Reporting to the Master, the Cyan Dragon Chief has been brought here," the two death warriors replied in unison.

Ye Xuan looked at the man with calm composure, showing no trace of intimidation. "Xiao Kun, you seem to have aged quite a bit."