Xu Ke left evidence behind, but it was really just a precaution. He didn't want to face a joint attack from the Huang and Ye Families later on. Therefore, taking precautions was the most secure measure.

Of course, letting all three of them go would have been the safest approach, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.

First, if he didn't kill them, they would provide the Ye Family with far too much valuable intelligence. Even if Yuk Ming was crippled, he could still describe the fight.

If the Ye Family learns that my strength far surpasses the Innate Great Perfection realm and that I possess a variety of techniques, they could quickly devise countermeasures. That wouldn't be good.

Xu Ke even began to suspect...

This Yuk Ming, who appeared out of nowhere to cause trouble, likely has Huang Sheng pulling the strings. The Ye Family didn't attend the negotiations at noon, so they couldn't possibly know I'm at the Innate Middle Stage. Given their existing intelligence on my strength, if they were merely seeking revenge, they would have sent an Innate Martial Artist at most. How could they casually dispatch an Innate Great Perfection expert? To use the card game 'Fight the Landlord' as an analogy, if an Innate Expert is a joker pair, then an Innate Great Perfection expert is a bomb. Who starts a card game by throwing their bomb first? Therefore, if Huang Sheng hadn't provided the Ye Family with intelligence, they never would have used a butcher's cleaver on an 'ant' like me.

After this thought crossed his mind, Xu Ke surmised...

This was Huang Sheng's arrangement to have the Ye Family probe my true capabilities.

That was why Xu Ke had struck the fatal blow.

Now that Yuk Ming was dead, he couldn't provide the Ye Family with the most accurate intelligence. In time, even if they recovered Yuk Ming's corpse and determined that Xu Ke had the strength to kill an Innate Great Perfection expert, their intelligence on him would remain vague. Even if the other bodyguard in black made it back, he wouldn't have much to report. The night was dim, and the bodyguard had been stabbed. He was too busy kneeling and wailing to have gotten a clear look at Xu Ke's techniques.

The only thing this bodyguard probably knew was that he used hidden weapons. As for the power of his fists and his defensive capabilities, the man had no idea.

This might even confuse Ouyang Shuang. If she prepared defenses specifically against my hidden weapons, that would be truly amusing.

However, Xu Ke didn't get his hopes up.

Ouyang Shuang herself is a grandmaster of hidden weapons. If she needed to guard against my abilities, all her expertise would have been a waste.

There was a second reason for killing the three men: Xu Ke couldn't swallow the insult. One could say that tonight was as much about revenge as it was about cutting the weeds and digging out the roots. He didn't want Li Jun showing up to disgust him for the rest of his life. To avoid that future aggravation, he simply removed Li Jun from his life for good.

And after that… the one he needed to deal with was the Ye Family.

"Ye Family, this matter between us isn't over," Xu Ke muttered to himself as he walked into the room and closed the door.

New feuds and old grudges, plus the score he had to settle for Wong Qifu... Xu Ke would clear every debt.

「The next day, early morning.」

At a villa on the outskirts of Tianhai City.

Inside a room, Ouyang Shuang sat cross-legged on a square platform, holding her breath and focusing her mind, meditating with her eyes closed.

KNOCK, KNOCK.

A knock came from the door.

"Elder Shuang." It was Huang Sheng's voice.

"Young Master Sheng, come in," Ouyang Shuang slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.

CLICK.

The sound of the door turning was very light. Huang Sheng walked in with a smile.

"Young Master Sheng, what brings you here so early?" Ouyang Shuang asked.

"I have some intelligence I'd like to share with you, Elder Shuang."

"Please, go ahead," Ouyang Shuang said.

"Yesterday, I had Ye Fan arrange for an expert to test Xu Ke's cultivation. I told him Xu Ke was at least at the Innate Middle Stage. To avenge Ye Chen, Ye Fan sent an Innate Great Perfection expert, Ancient Fist Yuk Ming," Huang Sheng said slowly.

"And? Did Xu Ke die?" Ouyang Shuang's expression darkened. She had an inkling of what had happened but found it hard to believe.

An Innate Middle Stage defeating an Innate Great Perfection? Impossible! But if Xu Ke had really died, Huang Sheng wouldn't have this expression on his face.

As she expected, Huang Sheng said, "Xu Ke isn't dead." He paused for a moment before adding, "What's more, Yuk Ming is."

"What?" Ouyang Shuang's face fell. "Yuk Ming is dead?"

"That's right."

Ouyang Shuang was incredulous. "Did Wang Wu make a move?"

"No." Huang Sheng shook his head with a sigh. "The sole surviving witness said Xu Ke killed Yuk Ming all by himself."

Ouyang Shuang's face turned ashen. "No wonder he's so arrogant. So he has such methods up his sleeve."

This isn't good news. While being able to kill an Innate Great Perfection expert doesn't mean he can kill me, it does prove he now has the power to injure me. The day before yesterday, he was a nobody at anyone's mercy, yet today he can stand against me... This was a difficult pill for the proud Ouyang Shuang to swallow.

"There's one more thing," Huang Sheng continued. "Song Zhong from the Ye Family has vanished off the face of the earth."

"I originally thought he'd been bought out by the Wang Family, but now it seems quite likely that he was killed by Xu Ke."

Ouyang Shuang frowned. "Impossible. Young Master Sheng, you know too little about Innate Great Perfection martial artists."

"Then how did Yuk Ming die?" Huang Sheng retorted.

Ouyang Shuang said, "The fact that Xu Ke could kill Yuk Ming only means he got lucky. Yuk Ming specialized in offense, so killing him might be possible if one seized the right opportunity. But Song Zhong's defensive power is astonishing... His death isn't even confirmed yet, and even if he really is dead, I think it was likely Wang Wu's doing."

Huang Sheng shook his head. "Elder Shuang, we can't afford to be careless. Since he was able to kill Yuk Ming, it means he has methods we haven't anticipated. If you underestimate him, you might suffer an unexpected and humiliating defeat."

Huang Sheng's words sent Ouyang Shuang into deep thought.

"Moreover, I believe there's an eighty percent chance Xu Ke did it himself," Huang Sheng stated.

Ouyang Shuang was taken aback. "Why?" What was the basis for his conclusion?

"Because of his personality," Huang Sheng said, walking to the window to watch the brilliant morning sun rise above the horizon. "Xu Ke is passionate, independent, and stubborn."

"From the very beginning, after his affair with Wong Qifu became public, he intended to use her family's power for his own ends, which is what led to him being kidnapped by us."

"Even when holding Huang Qi hostage, he was intent on a life-and-death battle with you to get his revenge, rather than coercing us to do something to you..."

"I believe that, given this precedent, when he faced Song Zhong, he probably stubbornly decided to fight him personally as well."

After Huang Sheng finished, Ouyang Shuang frowned. "That's just your speculation. It's a stretch to force those connections."

There was no concrete evidence that Xu Ke could truly defeat Song Zhong in a head-on fight.

"Perhaps," Huang Sheng smiled faintly, not pressing the issue. He changed the subject instead. "But Elder Shuang, have my words at least made you a little more cautious?"

"If you're a little more cautious, then my purpose is achieved."

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