Seeing that Ye Ming had no intention of apologizing, Gao Feng no longer held back. A ferocious glint flashed in his eyes, "Since that's the case, then pay the price for your actions!"
As the words fell, Gao Feng channeled his internal true qi into his fists and lunged forward.
In an instant, his punch, with its wide and powerful stance, carried immense force as it thundered towards Ye Ming.
This punch was intended to be fatal.
The onlookers quickly retreated.
"That kid is finished!"
"The killing blow of a Martial Ancestor is truly terrifying!"
"Alas! These young people really don't know the immensity of heaven and earth!"
"..."
In everyone's eyes, the young man had absolutely no chance of survival.
At this moment, Shangguan Yuan emerged from the main gate.
He sensed the fluctuations of true qi in the air.
By now, even if he wanted to intervene, it was too late.
"I never imagined! Things would escalate to this point! I wonder..."
As he was sighing, he suddenly noticed the young man's face.
The moment he saw him, his mind went blank.
His expression became vacant, and his pupils widened.
His body trembled uncontrollably.
Some images he wished to forget resurfaced in his mind unbidden.
It was as if heaven had played a cruel joke on him.
The fear he had recently experienced was once again awakened by instinct.
"What's wrong?"
Shangguan Cangyu noticed his son's unusual state.
But seeing his son's terrified eyes and trembling body, he realized something was amiss.
"Why is it him?"
Shangguan Yuan collapsed onto the ground, his face ashen.
He truly couldn't comprehend why such a terrifying young man would suddenly visit the Shangguan clan.
Meanwhile, in the arena.
As Gao Feng's killing punch was about to land on Ye Ming, the latter neither dodged nor flinched, simply looking at him coldly.
"Kid! Die!"
*Boom!*
"Ah!"
A pained cry erupted. Before the others could react, they saw Gao Feng's body sent flying backward.
His chest cavity had caved in, and blood gushed from his mouth.
*Crash!*
He then slammed heavily onto the ground, his eyes rolled back, and he fell unconscious.
To his last moment, he had no idea how he had been struck.
Silence descended upon the scene, so profound one could hear a pin drop.
No one had anticipated such an outcome.
Gao Feng, a Martial Ancestor, was defeated in a single exchange.
The visual impact was utterly staggering.
"Why did you force me to act?"
Ye Ming swept his gaze coldly over the crowd, then walked towards the main gate of the Shangguan clan.
As for the other martial guards, after witnessing the scene, none dared to step forward to stop him.
They were already terrified out of their wits.
But Ye Ming had only taken a few steps when he saw Shangguan Yuan and Shangguan Cangyu.
The other Shangguan clan members also noticed them.
Upon seeing these two influential figures appear, their previous unease and fear vanished.
With the old patriarch, a Martial God, himself present, what was there to fear?
"Old Patriarch! This person trespassed into the Shangguan clan and injured Deputy Guard Commander Gao, please..."
"Shut up!"
Just as someone was denouncing Ye Ming's "crimes," Shangguan Yuan immediately cut them off with a sharp reprimand.
What fools, as if things weren't chaotic enough!
"What?"
Upon hearing this, most people thought they had misheard.
"Patriarch! He..."
*Bang!*
The person clearly hadn't grasped the situation and wanted to continue speaking.
But Shangguan Yuan didn't give him the opportunity to escalate things further. He directly unleashed a stream of true qi, knocking the man unconscious.
This action utterly bewildered the crowd.
However, what followed next completely shattered their worldview.
Shangguan Yuan stepped forward, cupped his hands, and bowed, "Your Excellency! I apologize for the rudeness of my subordinates earlier!"
At this moment, Shangguan Yuan didn't care about losing face.
He only knew that if this matter was not handled properly, the Shangguan clan might cease to exist.
Only those who had personally witnessed the terrifying power of this young man could truly comprehend his might.
Therefore, as long as he could quell the young man's anger, Shangguan Yuan would not hesitate to bow, or even kneel in apology.
"Uncle! There's no need for this!"
Ye Ming raised his hand and helped Shangguan Yuan up.
This was Shangguan Xi'er's father, and Ye Ming naturally showed him respect.
Shangguan Yuan, upon hearing these words, was utterly stunned.
Uncle?
Were these words directed at him?
When had the word "Uncle" ever sounded so familiar?
Shangguan Yuan finally suspected he had misheard.
Even Shangguan Cangyu beside him was filled with shock.
"Your Excellency! This..."
Shangguan Yuan said hesitantly.
Seeing the situation, Ye Ming chuckled, "Uncle! I am Xi'er's friend! I came today to discuss some matters with Xi'er." He then added with a touch of shame, "But I didn't expect to cause some unnecessary misunderstanding upon entering! I am truly sorry!"
Hmm?
Xi'er's friend?
Since when did Xi'er have such a friend? He had no idea.
"Ah!"
Shangguan Yuan was momentarily stunned, then burst into hearty laughter, "Hahaha! So it's Xi'er! It seems it was all a misunderstanding! Hahaha!"
Finally, his懸著的心 (xuán zhe de xīn - anxious heart) could be put to rest.
Who would have thought it would end in such a dramatic turn of events.
"Let's go! Xi'er is at home, I'll take you to see her!"
Hearing the word "Uncle," Shangguan Yuan's demeanor became notably more enthusiastic.
As a shrewd individual, he had discerned quite a few details from their brief exchange.
At this moment, Ye Ming's gaze fell upon Shangguan Cangyu.
With his abilities, he could naturally perceive the injuries on Shangguan Cangyu's body.
"I see you are not feeling well, Grandpa. Perhaps I can help you recover!"
Hmm?
Grandpa!
For some reason, Shangguan Cangyu felt an unusual warmth upon hearing these words.
Truth be told!
Ye Ming truly had a way with elders.
Before Shangguan Cangyu could respond, Ye Ming had already taken his arm.
As streams of pure white energy flowed into Shangguan Cangyu's body, his injuries, which would have required a month of recuperation, began to heal.
Not only that, but his old hidden injuries were also mended.
In less than five minutes, Shangguan Cangyu's strength not only returned to its peak, but his entire aura became even more formidable.
He seemed to have shed a few years.
"This..."
Feeling the potent true qi within him, Shangguan Cangyu felt as if he were in a dream, unable to believe it.
Shangguan Yuan's eyes, meanwhile, practically gleamed.
From these observations, his suspicions were steadily solidifying.
The relationship between this young man and his daughter was definitely extraordinary.
"Uncle! Grandpa has just recovered and needs some time to recuperate. Please stay with him for a moment!" Ye Ming said with a light smile. "As for Xi'er, I can find her myself!"
Shangguan Yuan nodded readily.
"Alright!"
Young people!
They always need some time alone together!
...
After entering the Shangguan clan's courtyard, Ye Ming began to use his senses.
Finding Shangguan Xi'er's location should have been simple.
However, gradually, Ye Ming's brows furrowed.
Because!
He had searched the Shangguan clan inside and out nearly ten times, yet he couldn't find any trace of Shangguan Xi'er.
Shangguan Xi'er!
Had gone missing!