Wang Qiya exploded, "Zhao Xinyue, no one will think you're a mute if you just shut your mouth."

She couldn't stand to see Xu Ke insulted anymore!

"Oh? Still here, Wang Qiya? I thought you would've peed your pants from fright by now."

But Zhao Xinyue remained completely unfazed and hit back even harder. "Look at how pale you and Zhou Yi Yi are. Your legs must have gone soft with fear, haven't they?"

As Zhao Xinyue finished speaking, the quiet hallway erupted with piercing jeers. "Look, the young ladies of the Wang and Zhou Families are such cowards."

"Tsk, tsk. They're good for nothing except their pretty faces!"

"They'd be better off in my bed. I'll show these two ladies what real hardness is."

The mocking laughter surged like a tidal wave, mixed with a deluge of filth and lewd stares that raked over them, instantly turning both women's faces deathly pale. They were accustomed to polite society. Even their confrontations were filled with veiled barbs, never this crass.

"How about it?" Ye Chong asked, still wearing that genial smile. "My men can be a bit direct, but their intentions are good. After all, you've spent so much time with a man like Xu Ke, you probably don't even know what a real man is anymore."

Once he finished, the laughter returned.

"Hahaha..."

"Young Master Chong is absolutely right."

"Xu Ke is just a spineless wimp!"

Another round of grating laughter echoed through the hall.

"I'm telling you, if you keep hanging around a man like Xu Ke, you'll be the ones who get hurt. He thinks he can run wild just because he knows a few amateurish fighting skills," Zhao Xinyue said to Wang Qiya and Zhou Yi Yi. "This is your last chance. As long as you side with Young Master Chong now, he will definitely give you a chance to redeem yourselves."

Zhao Xinyue was feeling incredibly smug. This situation was perfect for her. Her betrayal, her deceit of a good friend—none of it mattered anymore!

Wang Qiya's face was white with rage, but she no longer bothered to argue. My heart is filled with nothing but self-reproach. This is all my fault. All I want now is for Xu Ke to get Zhou Yi Yi out of here. As for me, it doesn't matter anymore. Adults must pay the price for their foolish decisions. Trusting Zhao Xinyue was my foolish decision!

Just then, Xu Ke suddenly looked up. He took off his baseball cap, tossed it aside, and said nonchalantly, "Ye Chong, I have to admit, I'm impressed."

"Oh?" A playful smile spread across Ye Chong's face as he looked at Xu Ke.

Zhao Xinyue crossed her arms, a derisive sneer on her lips. "Realizing you need to beg for mercy now? It's too late!"

A slight smile touched Xu Ke's lips. "What I particularly admire about the Ye Family is that while your older brother may be a fool, he has his redeeming qualities. At least he's straightforward and not a hypocrite."

Ye Chong's pupils contracted. The one thing I hate most is hearing anyone praise Ye Fan in front of me.

Xu Ke continued his taunts. "As for your fourth brother, he's a hypocrite, but at least he knew to beg me for mercy when he saw things going south. That shows he can read a situation, even if it didn't help him in the end."

Ye Chong's expression soured further, a vicious glint spreading in his eyes. I feel no kinship toward Ye Chen or Ye Fan, but Xu Ke is insulting the Ye Family to my face, which is a direct insult to me, Ye Chong.

Fixing his gaze on Ye Chong's increasingly ugly expression, Xu Ke finally delivered his last line. "You, on the other hand, are not only foolish but also a hypocrite. And not only are you a hypocrite, but you also can't read the situation. To put it simply, you've inherited all of your brothers' flaws. How perfect."

As he finished speaking, the faces of the men in the crowd turned incredibly nasty. Did Xu Ke just insult Young Master Chong right in front of us? How can we let that stand?!

Zhou Yi Yi, however, grew frantic. What is Xu Ke saying? He's accusing Ye Chong of not being able to read the situation? We're the ones who are surrounded, not him! Xu Ke is the one who can't see what's happening!

At first, she thought the Xu Ke who came to rescue them was different from the rumors—a real hero. But now... Zhou Yi Yi couldn't hide her disappointment. It turned out he was just another phoenix man who was all talk.

Just as she expected, Ye Chong let out a furious laugh. "Xu Ke, your attempt to insult me is just pathetic. You say I can't read the situation? Take a good look around! Who has knives pointed at them? Who is about to be on their knees, crying and begging for mercy?"

With that, his men all raised their blades in unison, pointing them directly at Xu Ke, looking ready to cut him down on the spot.

Ye Chong knew why Xu Ke dared to say he couldn't read the situation. It was simply because Xu Ke was supremely confident in his own strength. After all, even Ye Chen had to bow his head and beg for mercy. Why wouldn't Ye Chong have to do the same? But Ye Chong sneered at the thought. You think you're that good? Good enough to kill Ouyang Shuang? When he first heard the news Ye Fan sent back from the arena, the entire Ye Family was stunned into silence. Everyone thought Xu Ke was formidable! But Ye Chong didn't believe a word of it. He figured it was just an excuse Ye Fan made up for his own defeat! He wasn't just talking nonsense. After making some careful inquiries, he learned that Xu Ke had only won the life-or-death duel by using quicklime, deception, psychological warfare, and all sorts of other despicable, low-class tricks. To Ye Chong, a victory like that was absolute garbage! Xu Ke, a so-called genius? It was all baseless bragging!

He moved closer to Xu Ke, sneering. "Did you really think climbing those stairs to play hero was so brave? Let me tell you something: a man needs to know his limits. Do you think you can play the savior now, just because you got lucky and used a few underhanded tricks to kill Ouyang Shuang? You will spend your life in a gutter, looking up at us, the top families of Tianhai."

As he finished, Xu Ke spoke softly, "Ye Chong, I already told you that you can't read the situation, yet you refuse to listen."

Ye Chong scoffed, "Oh? Then I'd love to see exactly how I've failed to read the situation."

"Just like this," Xu Ke said calmly.

Ye Chong froze. What does 'just like this' mean?

In the next instant, Xu Ke's hand shot out like a bolt of lightning. His fingers formed a fist, and he slammed it directly into Ye Chong's Dantian.

BANG!

An explosive force drilled straight into Ye Chong's abdomen, mercilessly shattering his Dantian in an instant.

"AARGH!" Ye Chong screamed, his body convulsing in agony. Xu Ke's thunderous blow had acted like a bullet, drilling into his Dantian and utterly destroying everything inside without a shred of mercy.

Despair flooded Ye Chong's eyes. He was finished!

Seeing this, everyone was utterly dumbfounded. Xu Ke had attacked so suddenly that no one had time to react! No one had expected Xu Ke to be so ruthless!

"Stop!" the nearest bodyguard bellowed in rage and shock.

But Xu Ke didn't hold back. Instead, he gave an even fiercer response.

The next moment, as if by magic, he produced two knives and, with terrifying ferocity, plunged them deep into Ye Chong's arms.

SHUNK.

Blood splattered, painting the dim hallway in the most vivid shade of red.

"AAAAAGH!"

The entire corridor fell dead silent, the only sound being the miserable screams of the once-triumphant Ye Chong.

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