Chapter 63: The Appearance of Master Zhong

At that moment, Bu Jingshan let out another furious roar, his figure flickering as he rushed outside. Yi Buxing, however, remained seated, unmoving, as if he believed that only one of them needed to take action.

Yan Hongyi, trembling, crawled over to Yi Buxing, not daring to glance at Bao Hongxuan on the table. He asked cautiously, “Master Yi, will Master Bu be alright going alone?”

Yi Buxing gave him a slight smile. “Rest assured, Young Master Yan. Old Bu alone is more than enough.”

Then he looked at Bao Hongxuan on the table, shook his head, and sighed.

Bao Hongxuan was not yet dead. He longed for death, yet could only stare in despair with eyes that refused to close. He wished that any one of those present would finish him off, but he could not speak, nor did he have hands or feet, so all he could do was plead with his eyes.

At this point, Bao Yingtong finally mustered the courage to approach, while the flock of courtesans had long since fled in terror.

She nearly collapsed at the sight, barely able to believe that this was truly her brother, Bao Hongxuan. Falling to her knees, she sobbed in anguish.

Yan Hongyi felt deeply unsettled by her weeping; a sense of unease flooded his heart.

Yi Buxing, who had been sitting for some time, suddenly grew grave. By rights, even if Bu Jingshan had not yet dealt with that young man, there should have been some commotion, but there had been utter silence.

Thud!

A round object was thrown onto the table, landing atop Bao Hongxuan.

Bao Hongxuan glanced at it—he was met with a human face. It was a human head—Bu Jingshan’s.

Yi Buxing was the first to realize what it was; he sprang to his feet, his face stricken with terror.

Yan Hongyi’s reaction lagged, but when he recognized Bu Jingshan’s head, he collapsed limply to the floor.

Bao Yingtong’s sobs abruptly ceased; she stared blankly, eyes dazed as if in shock.

Chen Yuyi entered the room, hands clasped behind his back.

He glanced indifferently at those present. “Do these two dishes suit your taste?”

Yan Hongyi was scared out of his wits. He suddenly realized that hiring someone to deal with this person had been a terrible mistake. He even considered rushing home to fetch a billion to resolve the matter.

Yi Buxing was now extremely cautious. This man had slaughtered even someone of Bu Jingshan’s mastery as easily as butchering a dog. His confidence faltered. Yet, as a master of the arcane, possessing abilities beyond those of mere warriors, he maintained his composure. “Who exactly are you, boy?”

“You need not know who I am. If you kneel and pledge loyalty to me now, perhaps I’ll spare your life,” Chen Yuyi replied coolly. He was somewhat curious about those who practiced the arcane arts, and didn’t mind keeping Yi Buxing alive to study them further.

Yi Buxing, incensed, laughed mockingly. “Don’t think you’re anything remarkable just because you killed a martial grandmaster. Even if a Martial Venerable stood before me, my arts would still force him to retreat!”

As he spoke, Yi Buxing swiftly retreated several steps, chanting under his breath. He pressed his fingers together; his robes billowed without wind, and from his fingertips shot a stream of white mist at Chen Yuyi.

The white mist seemed forged from millennia-old ice, carrying a crackling chill that instantly turned the room wintry and cold.

Yet, as the mist neared Chen Yuyi, it suddenly vanished into nothing.

Instead of alarm, Yi Buxing smiled triumphantly.

But a moment later, a startling scene unfolded.

Yan Hongyi’s eyes widened; he actually managed to climb to his feet.

Bao Yingtong’s dazed gaze regained a glimmer of focus.

For they saw that after the mist dissipated, frost began to form over Chen Yuyi’s body.

The sound of ice forming crackled through the air. In an instant, Chen Yuyi stood before them like a statue of ice.

Yan Hongyi’s eyes shone with excitement as he knelt before Yi Buxing. “Master Yi, truly divine power!” he exclaimed, unable to conceal his elation.

Bao Yingtong’s eyes now sparkled with vengeful delight. She knelt deeply before Yi Buxing. “Thank you, Master Yi, for avenging my brother!”

Yi Buxing himself could not help but laugh in satisfaction. The man had been frozen solid—no god could save him now.

Yet the half-dead Bao Hongxuan was still gripped by terror. He could sense that the dreadful aura of that man still lingered.

Yi Buxing looked at the ice sculpture that was Chen Yuyi, and boasted, “Boy, now do you understand the power of an arcane master?”

But then, his pupils contracted sharply.

The ice statue of Chen Yuyi began to move.

First, his eyes shone through the ice, their faint gaze carrying a hint of a smile as they looked at Yi Buxing.

Then, the ice encasing him began to peel away like wax.

Yan Hongyi and Bao Yingtong stared, dumbfounded, a deep and growing fear spreading within them.

“So these are the tricks of your arcane arts?” Chen Yuyi’s voice drifted lightly through the air.

Yi Buxing reacted as if his tail had been stepped on—his hair stood on end as he leapt back in fright.

“How is this possible? Are you an arcane master as well?”

Moments later, all the ice on Chen Yuyi’s body had turned to mist.

His eyes gleamed brighter as he gazed at Yi Buxing with a faint smile. “Is that all you’ve got? Show me everything you have.”

Yi Buxing, panting heavily, stared fixedly at Chen Yuyi. “Why do my arcane arts have no effect on you?”

“Do you want to know? Then kneel!” Chen Yuyi’s eyes flashed as he barked the order.

Yi Buxing, so terrified, dropped to his knees involuntarily.

Yan Hongyi and Bao Yingtong did not even need to be told; they too knelt down, not daring to look at Chen Yuyi.

In this moment, Chen Yuyi seemed a god in their eyes.

Chen Yuyi glanced coolly at Yi Buxing. “You, as an arcane practitioner, may yet be of use to me in the future. I’ll spare your life today, but if you dare act against me again, you know what awaits you.”

Yi Buxing, having fully tasted Chen Yuyi’s terror, kowtowed fervently. “Thank you, sir, for sparing my life… Thank you, sir…”

“Get out!” Chen Yuyi thought that since he’d surely encounter more arcane masters in time, it was best to leave a chess piece—thus, he spared Yi Buxing.

“Yes, yes, yes!” Yi Buxing did not dare raise his head, crawling away in a panic without a backward glance.

Then Chen Yuyi looked at Yan Hongyi. “Do you still think a billion is too much?”

“No, not at all! Not at all!” Yan Hongyi stammered in reply.

Chen Yuyi turned to Bao Yingtong. “Are you satisfied with what I’ve done to your brother?”

“Yes, yes, I am,” Bao Yingtong replied, her voice trembling. She no longer had even a shred of courage to face such a man.

Chen Yuyi nodded slightly. “Then I will spare your lives today. As for the events of today, I trust you know how to handle them?”

“Yes, yes, yes,” Yan Hongyi answered hastily.

“Remember, if you don’t deliver that billion to the Shen family of Jiangcheng in three days, I’ll come personally for your Yan family.”

With hands clasped behind his back, Chen Yuyi continued, “Remember, my name is Chen Yuyi, son-in-law of the Shen family of Jiangcheng!”

And with that, his figure vanished from their sight.

Yan Hongyi and Bao Yingtong collapsed to the ground, still filled with overwhelming terror.

At last, Bao Hongxuan finally closed his eyes—he suffocated himself to death.

…

Meanwhile, on a luxurious yacht upon the great river, an elderly man with streaks of gray in his hair and piercing eyes exuded a dark aura as he performed a ritual on a man with a queue and severed arms.

This old man was none other than Master Zhong.

As beads of sweat formed on his brow, he suddenly spat forth a ball of blood-red light, which shot into the man’s body.

Immediately, flesh began to grow from the man’s stumps, sprouting like saplings. He howled in pain.

Before long, two complete arms had formed. He gave a wild roar, finally emerging from his agony.

“Master, please help your disciple avenge the loss of my arms—and the life of my junior brother!”