booktalesy Chapter 58 Revisiting the Ye Family
Chapter 58 Revisiting the Ye Family
The idea of "wearing fine clothes in the dark" doesn't exist for Ye Feng.
It's not in Ye Feng's nature to leave a grudge unavenged.
In the early morning in Jiangcheng, the thin mist had not yet dissipated.
Ye Feng stood in front of the Ye family mansion, hands in his pockets, overwhelmed with mixed feelings.
Just a few days ago, he was an abandoned child who had been kicked out of the house.
His talent was wasted, his property was seized, and he was driven out of the home that once belonged to him by his collateral relatives like garbage.
Now, he is the great hero who saved Jiangcheng, a major of the Night Watch, whose strength is considered that of a number one figure in Jiangcheng.
Life is unpredictable; that's just how it is.
Ye Feng looked up at the vermilion gate.
The two gilded characters "Ye Mansion" on the lintel still gleamed in the morning light.
The two stone lions in front of the gate are majestic and imposing, the steps are paved with white marble, and the threshold is half a foot high.
This is the grandeur of a prominent family in Jiangcheng, an air of prestige accumulated over a century.
He recalled three years ago.
Back then, my father was still alive, and the Ye family was one of the most prominent families in Jiangcheng.
After his parents died in battle, he became an orphan and was promoted to the position of young patriarch by his family.
Later, his talent was ruined, his collateral relatives turned against him, and he was expelled from the school.
He glanced back then, and the two characters "Ye Mansion" on the lintel were still so dazzling.
But that no longer belonged to him.
Now, he stands here again.
"Those dressed in fine clothes never travel at night!"
Ye Feng took a deep breath and reached out to push the door open.
The door wasn't locked.
He frowned.
Even if the Ye family has fallen on hard times, they wouldn't leave their doors unlocked.
This is not in accordance with the rules, nor is it in line with the conduct of aristocratic families.
"Squeak!"
The vermilion gate slowly opened, emitting a harsh scraping sound, as if it hadn't been oiled in a long time.
Ye Feng stepped into the courtyard.
Then he stopped.
The courtyard was empty.
Not a single person looked significantly different from their usual bustling self.
Half of the flowers and plants in the flowerbed had withered and died, and the rest were growing haphazardly, clearly indicating that no one had taken care of them for a long time.
Fallen leaves and dust were scattered on the bluestone ground in the center of the courtyard, along with some messy footprints.
Ye Feng's gaze fell on the footprints.
The footprints were messy, not left by normal walking, but by running, dragging, or even struggling.
It also contains the residual power of a martial artist's blood and qi.
Judging from his appearance, he is at least a late-stage fourth-tier martial artist!
"Could it be that a powerful enemy has invaded the Ye family?"
His gaze darkened.
Continue walking in.
The door to the main hall was half open, and Ye Feng pushed it open and went in.
The mahogany tables and chairs were overturned, and several paintings and calligraphy on the wall had been torn off, revealing the mottled paint on the wall behind them.
The antique porcelain on the display shelf was completely gone, leaving only an empty shelf.
Side hall, study, backyard, wing rooms.
Ye Feng searched the entire Ye family mansion.
nobody.
The entire Ye family, consisting of dozens of people, vanished without a trace.
Their valuables are gone too.
Valuable calligraphy, paintings, antiques, and furniture have all disappeared.
The entire Ye family seemed to have been wiped out, pot and all.
Ye Feng stood in the empty Ye family mansion.
"Who did this? Holy crap, that's all my money!"
"I came here to show off and slap someone in the face, but there's no one left to slap!"
His voice echoed, but no one answered.
Ye Feng closed his eyes to calm himself down.
Although the Ye family has declined and no fifth-tier expert is in charge anymore.
But they are, after all, a prominent family in Jiangcheng.
With two fourth-tier martial arts retainers in charge, ordinary people wouldn't dare to provoke them.
The person who could wipe out the entire Ye family was no ordinary person.
Moreover, it can be done to this extent.
Everyone disappeared at the same time, all their belongings were taken, not even the ancestral tablets were spared.
This indicates that the person who took action knew the Ye family very well, including how many people they had, how much wealth they possessed, and where their valuables were kept.
This was by no means a spur-of-the-moment decision, but rather a long-planned scheme.
A name flashed through Ye Feng's mind.
Li Mo.
His former "good brother".
This person has both motive and ruthlessness.
Furthermore, he harbored a deep-seated hatred for him, a hatred that led to the killing of his brother.
But Li Mo's strength...?
Could it be the Li family?
Ye Feng remembered that Li Mo was only a first-level martial artist. Even if he had improved during this time, it was impossible for him to lead a group to wipe out the entire Ye family.
Unless, he has someone backing him.
"No matter who you are," Ye Feng's voice was calm, but the murderous intent hidden beneath that calm was chilling.
"If you take my things, you have to give them back."
He took one last look at the empty mansion, then turned and left.
As he walked out of the Ye family mansion, he glanced back at the two characters "Ye Mansion" on the lintel.
"When I get back," he whispered, "I'll put the plaque back up."
……
A gathering place for hunters in Jiangcheng.
This is where hunters accept quests, drink, and boast; it's a melting pot of all sorts of people and the place with the best sources of information.
The gathering place is located in an old urban area in the eastern part of Jiangcheng, which is converted from several old buildings.
The first floor is a hall with dozens of tables for the hunters to eat and drink.
The second floor is the task posting hall, with task boards of various sizes hanging on the walls.
The floors above the third floor are guest rooms, for hunters who have traveled from afar to stay.
When Ye Feng entered the gathering place, there were already quite a few people sitting in the hall.
Several sharp-eyed hunters immediately recognized him.
"Major Ye!"
"Ye Yingxiong is here!"
"Major Ye, what brings you here?"
Ye Feng has become a celebrity in Jiangcheng after his battle a few days ago.
The military deliberately released information about his feat of single-handedly killing a fifth-tier alien beast king.
Ye Feng now enjoys considerable prestige in Jiangcheng and is hailed as "Jiangcheng's hope."
Ye Feng waved his hand, indicating that everyone should not be so polite.
He walked straight to the bar and tapped on the table.
The owner behind the bar is a retired soldier in his fifties, known as Old Wu.
He had worked in the settlement for twenty years, seen all kinds of people, and knew everything.
"Old Wu, where are Boss Zhao's gang?" Ye Feng asked bluntly.
Old Wu was wiping wine glasses when he heard this. He looked up at Ye Feng and asked, "Major Ye, are you looking for Zhao Tieshan?"
"right."
"They received their mission this morning and went to Fortress Three." Old Wu put down his glass, took out a register from under the bar, and flipped through it.
"The specific task was issued by Jiangcheng Martial Arts University; it was said to be a trial to protect the students. The reward is good."
"Dozens of hunter teams have already headed there in the past few days."
Ye Feng frowned.
Wuhan University in Jiangcheng?
A trial to protect students?
Isn't this utter nonsense?
I was a freshman instructor at Wuhan University, how come I didn't know about this?
"Protecting students during their trials?" Ye Feng sneered. "When has Martial Arts University ever needed a hunter squad to protect its freshmen during their trials?"
Old Wu shrugged: "I don't know about that. The task was released through official channels, so there doesn't seem to be any problem."
Ye Feng did not respond.
It's most frightening when things seem fine.
If Wang Dehou were really doing something shady, he would have made sure to put on a good show so that no one could find fault with him.
But Ye Feng is no ordinary person.
He came from that world and was used to all sorts of tricks.
In that world, what kind of monsters and demons hadn't they seen: 996, 007, PUA, pig butchering scams?
Wang Dehou's two-faced behavior was simply childish in his eyes.
"Old Wu, besides Boss Zhao and the others, who else went?" Ye Feng asked.
"There are many more." Old Wu flipped through the register again. "This morning alone, there were seven or eight teams, totaling forty or fifty people."
"More went there a few days ago, and now there are probably two or three hundred hunters gathered at Fortress 3."
Two or three hundred hunters.
Ye Feng's gaze grew even colder.
If this is a trap, then these two or three hundred hunters are the fish.
"Thanks, Lao Wu." Ye Feng turned and left.
"Major Ye, won't you have a drink before you leave?" Old Wu called from behind.
"next time."
Ye Feng strode out of the gathering place, jumped into the off-road vehicle, and started the engine.
The SUV roared out of the parking lot and sped off toward Fortress No. 3.
Old Wu stood behind the bar, watching Ye Feng's departing figure, and shook his head.
"This Major Ye, he exudes such a menacing aura; no wonder he's considered Jiangcheng's hope!"