Chapter 114: Confrontation at the Gate
BAM! BAM! BAM!
The heavy pounding of armored boots echoed like war drums through the streets of Oakwood City, startling birds into flight and silencing conversations mid-sentence.
A line of elite Ye family guards marched in perfect formation, weapons gleaming under the afternoon sun, killing intent sharp enough to cut stone.
At the center of the procession rolled an opulent jet-black carriage inlaid with golden trim, drawn by two enormous horses. Their pristine white coats shimmered like polished marble with every thunderous strike of their hooves against the earth. These were Wind Horses, but they were no ordinary Wind Horses—they were Cloudwind Stallions, a rare and powerful variant, faster and more enduring than their common kin, and far more expensive. A clear symbol of wealth and status.
Within the carriage, Ye Zhenwu sat like an emperor surveying his domain, sharp eyes piercing through the veil-covered windows of the carriage as he observed the streets beyond.
Striding ahead of the carriage were Ye Shiming, Ye Baokang, and Ye Chongtai—all three wearing expressions twisted with rage, as if marching against a sworn enemy. Trailing behind were Ye Xunhai and Ye Sheng, their pace unhurried, faces unreadable, eyes radiating a quiet coldness that sent chills through any onlooker they passed.
The Ye family had arrived.
---
"Look! It's the Ye family carriage!"
The cry ignited the crowd like a spark dropped into dry grass.
"Heavens—all the upper echelons of the Ye family are here!"
"That's their First Elder—Lord Ye Shiming! He looks ready for war!"
"Have you been living under a rock? Su Tianhao crippled Ye Wenjie this morning—of course they're angry."
"Hiss! This is going to be big..."
Then a voice rang out sharp and clear, cutting through the noise:
"Isn't that the road leading to the Su family estate? Don't tell me they're heading there for a fight?!"
The murmurs erupted into full discussion—speculation, alarm, and barely concealed excitement rippling through the watching crowd as the procession moved without pause.
---
The Ye family troops pressed forward in tight formation, ignoring the onlookers entirely. Their purpose was singular: capture Su Tianhao and send a message to all of Oakwood City that the Ye family was not to be provoked.
News of their movement spread faster than their march. Even before the Ye family could reach the Su estate, word of their procession had already reached the guards stationed at the Su family's main gate.
"The Ye family has assembled their upper echelons and elite guards—and they're coming here?!" one guard exclaimed.
"So what if Young Master Tianhao crippled Ye Wenjie? Ye Wenjie was wrong for trying to have him assassinated in the first place!" another said, voice tight with indignant anger.
"Exactly!"
The rest nodded in firm agreement. These gate guards had known Su Tianhao longer than most—had stood by him through his lowest days. They understood his character well enough: he acted on reason, not impulse. If he had crippled Ye Wenjie, Ye Wenjie had earned it.
"Report to the Patriarch immediately!"
Without another word, they quickly ran to pass the information.
---
By the time the Ye family troops arrived before the towering gates of the Su family estate, they found they were expected.
The Su family's higher-ups had assembled. From the Patriarch down to the Fifth Elder—every one of them present, each radiating an oppressive aura that caused even the Cloudwind Stallions to tremble where they stood.
Su Huiqing stepped forward, crimson robes fluttering like living flames. "To what do I owe this visit?" he asked, his expression unreadable.
Ye Shiming stepped ahead, face flushed with fury. "Patriarch Su, you know why we're here!"
Su Huiqing's gaze moved past him toward the carriage. "Patriarch Ye," he said calmly, releasing his aura subconsciously, "don't you think it's rude to show up so domineeringly at my gates without offering proper courtesy?"
His voice didn't rise—but the words carried the weight of mountains. Several of the Ye family's elite guards faltered visibly under the pressure.
Ye Zhenwu stepped out of the carriage without delay, releasing his own aura to shield his men. "Patriarch Su," he said with a tight smile that didn't reach his eyes, "it's been a while. You've grown even stronger."
"State your purpose," Su Huiqing replied flatly. No pleasantries. No pretenses. No nonsense.
Ye Zhenwu's lips twitched, but his smile held. "Straight to the point, as always. But as my brother said—you already know what we're here for."
Hmph.
A sharp snort tore through the air like a whip crack—followed by a wave of pressure so powerful it sent the Ye family's guards stumbling back.
Standing with hands clasped behind his back was Su Qingfeng, First Elder of the Su family. His silver hair flowed behind him, long beard swaying in the wind. At that moment he looked like a dormant volcano waiting to erupt.
"Patriarch Ye," Su Qingfeng said, his voice deep and unhurried, "what you seek is impossible. Leave now—or else..."
He didn't finish his statement, his presence alone radiated a danger that surpassed even Su Huiqing's.
Before Ye Zhenwu could respond, Ye Shiming pushed forward, eyes bloodshot. "Impossible! Su Tianhao crippled my son without solid proof of his involvement in any assassination attempt! He must be brought to justice!"
"No solid evidence, you say..."
The voice arrived calm and quiet—like a single drop of water falling into a burning furnace. Every head turned.
Su Yuan stood with a strong scholarly bearing, his expression grave. "I have made my own investigation into this matter. Su Tianhao was indeed ambushed by an assassin in Dragonspire Forest. And upon his return, the first words Ye Wenjie said to him were: 'How are you still alive?' That alone speaks to his involvement."
Ye Shiming's frown darkened. "What gives you the right to speak in this matter?" His lip curled with contempt. "Don't get ahead of yourself just because the Su family respects your scholarly talents. You are the weakest among your elders—yet you dare put your mouth in matters that don't concern you?"
The words hit their mark. They were cruel precisely because they were true. Su Yuan was the weakest among all the elders, and he knew it—but the respect he had earned through decades of scholarship and merit was his own. Hearing Ye Shiming trample it sent heat rising behind his eyes.
He wasn't alone in that reaction.
"Ye Shiming—you overstep," Su Minghe said, his figure poised like a sheathed blade at the moment before the draw. "Withdraw. I will not warn you again."
"Just hand us the boy," Ye Chongtai said, his tone quieter but strained with desperation. "We will deal with whatever consequences follow."
"Oh?" Su Yuntian's voice cut in, cold and precise as a blade sliding across skin. "You know he has a Martial Lord Realm master—and you still dare act so recklessly?"
"A Martial Lord Realm master?" Ye Baokang scoffed, his voice heavy with disdain. "That's always been a rumor. There's still no proof, even now."
"And you're willing to gamble the Ye family's future on the chance that the rumor is false?" Su Huiqing said, his voice flat and emotionless.
Ye Zhenwu's smile remained fixed. "We appreciate the concern. But matters of the Ye family are ours to handle. We may not be able to cripple Su Tianhao—but he will not go unpunished."
"Speak of the devil," Su Liang muttered, his gaze shifting toward the estate gates—and narrowing with barely concealed malice.
Two figures approached along the path. One dressed in silver, the other in deep azure—swords strapped to their waists, steps measured and unhurried, cutting quiet silhouettes against the afternoon light.
Su Tianhao and Su Lei.
The assembled elders from both families turned. Ye Xunhai and Ye Sheng murmured in quiet surprise. Even Ye Zhenwu and Ye Chongtai—seeing Su Tianhao for the first time—were momentarily stilled.
Ye Shiming's reaction was something else entirely.
The moment his eyes landed on Su Tianhao, a murderous aura erupted from him—bloodthirsty, suffocating, strong enough on its own to injure an ordinary Martial Disciple. Beside Su Tianhao, Su Lei felt a shiver crawl down his spine. His knees buckled slightly, legs trembling under the oppressive weight of it.
But Su Tianhao stood unmoved.
Like a mountain that had never considered the possibility of being shaken.
So what if Ye Shiming was a 4th level Martial Master? This killing intent meant nothing—not after tempering his mind and will beneath the illusory force of Yuexin's Sword Saint-level killing intent. Though it had been a replicated projection, it was still derived from the true intent of a Sword Saint. What Ye Shiming radiated now was a candle compared to that sun.