Chapter 183 - 182: Make Way

The eyes of the man named Xiao Kun instantly narrowed, glinting with ferocity.

"Ye Xuan, look at what you’ve done! Hurry up and kneel! Confess your sins to my son and my brother!"

After roaring those words, Xiao Kun lunged at Ye Xuan. Ye Xuan took a half-step back, ready to counter the attack. Just then, a hoarse yet authoritative voice drifted down from upstairs.

"Stop. The Cyan Dragon Chief is my invited guest. What do you think you’re doing?"

The old madam of the Xiao family walked in, dressed in plain clothes and leaning on a dragon-headed walking cane. Her eyes held not a trace of emotion; they were bottomless and profound, making her completely unreadable.

"Cyan Dragon Chief, it has been five years since we last met, yet you haven’t changed a bit.

"If our Xiao family could produce a dragon among men like you, I could die in peace.

"Unfortunately, my descendants are ill-fated. They’re all worthless material.

"Since they couldn’t achieve anything in martial arts, I had them go into business. But alas, fate makes fools of us all. My most beloved and brilliant grandson is just gone."

Pausing, the old madam let out a heavy sigh.

"Alas, leaving a white-haired elder like me to bury a black-haired youth.

"Cyan Dragon Chief, you killed my son and grandson. Do you truly have nothing to say to me?"

As she looked at Ye Xuan, her furious gaze carried a distinct trace of killing intent.

"To offend our Xiao family for the sake of a woman... the Cyan Dragon Chief truly lives up to the tale of a hero throwing everything away for a beauty."

Meeting the old madam’s eyes, Ye Xuan raised an eyebrow.

"I can only say they brought it upon themselves.

"A guy with nothing but lust in his head is better off dead. I did the Xiao family a favor by cleaning house."

Ye Xuan spoke these words with unparalleled arrogance and absolute righteousness. Beside them, Xiao Kun’s face twisted in fury, his teeth grinding audibly.

"Mother, this Ye Xuan is far too arrogant! I have to teach him a lesson today!"

With that, Xiao Kun geared up to attack again. The old madam cast a cold glance at him and struck her dragon-headed cane heavily against the floor.

"You bastard! Since when do you get to interrupt when I am speaking?

"Get the hell out of my sight!"

Being reprimanded by his elderly mother like this, Xiao Kun felt incredibly stifled. But since he couldn’t vent his temper on her, he directed all his frustration and resentment onto Ye Xuan.

He thought, "Ye Xuan, sooner or later, I will slice you into a thousand pieces!"

He glared viciously at Ye Xuan, then stepped back with a face full of reluctance. Ye Xuan didn’t care about his anger in the slightest. Countless people wanted him dead; what was one Xiao Kun?

"Old woman, don’t speak in bureaucratic riddles with me. If you have something to say, spit it out." Ye Xuan couldn’t be bothered to talk in circles with the old madam and cut straight to the chase.

"Heh. As expected, not just anyone can be the Cyan Dragon Chief. Such boldness is truly admirable." The old madam chuckled coldly, though her tone carried a genuine hint of respect.

She had reigned supreme her entire life. Even the highest-ranking figures in Jingcheng had to show her fear and deference when they met her. Even her own biological son was subservient in her presence, terrified of saying or doing the wrong thing. Yet this Ye Xuan not only lacked the slightest hint of fear, but he was also utterly unapologetic.

It had to be said that Ye Xuan possessing the position of the Cyan Dragon Chief meant he had true skill and capital. But what a pity. If a man never learned to bend, he would eventually break.

"Ye Xuan, if this were five years ago, I might have stood by your side in this dispute over the Four Palaces.

"But you can see the current situation in Jingcheng. You cannot beat Qilin Hall.

"Furthermore, it is about time for your superior to retire. If you and your people know what’s good for you, you might still end up with a decent outcome.

"If you remain stubbornly blind and insist on opposing Qilin Hall, I’m afraid you won’t even leave an intact corpse behind. You might even be slapped with the charge of treason."

The old madam looked at Ye Xuan, advising him out of what seemed like pure goodwill. Anyone who didn’t know better would hear these words and think she was incredibly kind-hearted. But Ye Xuan wasn’t buying it.

It was impossible for this old woman to have controlled the Xiao family for so many years without being deeply scheming. She made it sound nice—claiming that if they just stopped fighting Qilin Hall for the positions in the Four Palaces and obediently stepped down, the higher-ups wouldn’t make things difficult for them. But if that day truly came, Ye Xuan and his people would die more miserably than anyone else.

Even if things actually played out like this old woman claimed and the higher-ups let them off, the Xiao family still wouldn’t stop. After all, two human lives stood between Ye Xuan and the Xiao family.

"Heh. Then I really must thank you for being so considerate of me, Old Madam.

"However, as the saying goes: a Buddha fights for a stick of incense, and a man fights for his dignity.

"I absolutely refuse to surrender this position to Qilin Hall. Even if I truly lose, I will tear off a layer of their skin on my way down."

Ye Xuan spoke these words with a hollow, mocking smile. The old madam froze for a moment before her expression darkened.

"Ye Xuan, do you truly refuse to see what’s good for you?"

Watching her change her expression faster than flipping a page, Ye Xuan shrugged.

"I wouldn’t call this refusing to see what’s good for me. I’m simply holding onto what was originally mine."

The old madam’s withered, rough hand tightened its grip. She struck her dragon-headed cane hard against the ground several times and said furiously, "Good. Very good. It seems we cannot let you leave today."

As soon as her words fell, over a dozen Xiao family death guards materialized in unison across the hall. They surrounded Ye Xuan with expressionless faces, waiting only for the old madam to give the order. Ye Xuan swept his gaze over them and let out a cold laugh.

This old woman was finally showing her true colors. Watching her act was honestly exhausting. However, Ye Xuan did not intend to fight today. If he threw the Xiao family into chaos right after returning to Jingcheng, it would likely cause massive headaches for the higher-ups.

Moreover, he was certain that today was an absolute trap. The moment he made a move, someone would immediately show up with an arrest warrant for him. It had to be said, Qilin Hall and their backers up high had played a brilliant move. First, they would use underhanded methods to arrest Ye Xuan, then find a way to strip him of his position. This way, even if Ye Xuan returned to Jingcheng, he wouldn’t be able to make any waves.

"Old woman, if you know what’s good for you, you’ll step aside.

"I have a five o’clock appointment with a certain high official. If he finds out that you’ve detained me in the Xiao family’s home, what do you think the consequences will be?"

As Ye Xuan spoke, he raised his wrist to check his watch. It was already five past four.

The old madam never expected Ye Xuan to hold such a trump card in reserve. She didn’t even need to think to know which high official he was referring to. If Ye Xuan was telling the truth, then they really couldn’t do anything to him today. Although the situation in Jingcheng had already tilted in favor of Qilin Hall and the Xiao family, even a weakened giant still casts a long shadow. Now was not the time to tear away all pretenses.

"Wait. Let him go."

With a look of extreme reluctance, the old madam raised her hand to halt the death guards. She shot Ye Xuan a deeply resentful glare and signaled her subordinates to clear the way.