Chapter 42: The Thirteen Crimson Guards

Ye Tianci’s words struck like a thunderclap on a clear day, exploding in everyone’s ears!

The entire crowd was stunned, faces etched with shock and disbelief.

They stood rooted to the spot, their expressions so vivid that words could hardly describe them.

“He told Master Yuan to kneel? Is he insane?”

“Master Yuan is the head of the Three Dragons, leader of the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness, commanding hundreds of brothers—how dare he tell Master Yuan to kneel? Does he have more than one life?”

“I’ve seen arrogance before, but never anything like this!”

“He must not know what death means. Master Yuan will be sure to teach him!”

“What nonsense ‘Master Ye’—he’s just an arrogant fool who doesn’t know his place! Too wild!”

After the initial astonishment, the crowd quickly turned to sneer at Ye Tianci.

In their eyes, he was either mad or an utter simpleton.

Lin Qingqian furrowed her delicate brows and anxiously clutched Ye Tianci’s hand. “Don’t say things like that.”

Even Liang Xianrong was shocked by Ye Tianci’s tone, his heart uneasy, already wondering how to salvage the situation if things spiraled out of control.

“You, Ye! How dare you ask my master to kneel to you? You must have a death wish!”

“Master, this cripple actually dares to be so arrogant in front of you—you must make him suffer!”

Qi Qingming, slumped in his wheelchair, shouted belligerently.

Master Yuan waved a cold hand, and Qi Qingming, along with everyone else, immediately fell silent.

“Young man, in the whole of Shu City, you are the first to dare speak to me, Yuan Zhonghuang, in this way. The first to demand I kneel.”

“I’ll give you one more chance—admit you were talking nonsense and kneel to apologize. I can spare you some pain.”

Master Yuan’s face was expressionless.

His clothes fluttered without wind, and the murderous aura emanating from him was almost tangible, enveloping Ye Tianci.

“Kill!”

The dozen or so attendants behind Master Yuan stepped forward in unison and roared with fury.

Their combined presence surged like a tidal wave, crashing over Ye Tianci.

Standing beside Ye Tianci, Liang Xianrong was crushed by the pressure, his breath coming short and his heart racing.

Lin Qingqian turned pale, her heart pounding in terror, nearly to the point of vomiting blood.

At that moment, Ye Tianci reached out and grasped Lin Qingqian’s hand.

Instantly, the oppressive force vanished from her body, her breathing eased, and the discomfort evaporated. She looked at Ye Tianci with confusion.

Ye Tianci gazed at Yuan Zhonghuang and his attendants, raising his brow ever so slightly.

An invisible wave of energy bounced back.

All of Yuan Zhonghuang’s men instantly turned ashen, each letting out a muffled groan, clutching their chests as they staggered back three steps.

Yuan Zhonghuang’s previously impassive face transformed in an instant, his eyes fixed on Ye Tianci, uncertainty and alarm flickering within.

Ye Tianci tapped his finger lightly on the table, his voice sounding calmly again.

“The bright moon rises over all seas; Eight Generals guard the Heavenly Gate.

Thirteen Blood-Clad Guards, seven thousand loyal souls.

Master Yuan, if you truly are Yuan Zhonghuang, then you know—it is time for you to kneel.”

Facing Yuan Zhonghuang’s overwhelming presence, Ye Tianci did not apologize or bow; instead, he recited a poem.

This left everyone even more astonished, and the murmurs in the room grew louder.

“He’s on the brink of death and still reciting poetry, putting on airs?”

“Master, stop wasting words with this cripple. Take him down, now!”

Qi Qingming shouted viciously.

But after a few seconds with no action from Yuan Zhonghuang, he turned in surprise.

Yuan Zhonghuang stood rooted to the spot, eyes wide, his expression as though turned to stone!

“Thirteen Blood-Clad Guards, seven thousand loyal souls…” Yuan Zhonghuang murmured, his gaze locked on Ye Tianci’s finger tapping the table.

The black-and-white ring symbolizing the Gate Master was clearly visible to Yuan Zhonghuang!

“You… you are my Heaven’s Gate Master?”

“No! Impossible!” Yuan Zhonghuang’s eyes moved from Ye Tianci’s hand to his face, whispering incredulously.

Suddenly, he regained his composure, his brows shooting up, teeth clenched as he growled, “You dare impersonate him?!”

A murderous intent surged forth, even more intense than before, bearing down upon Ye Tianci.

Standing beside Ye Tianci, Liang Xianrong gritted his teeth against the force, cold sweat quickly beading on his forehead.

Thump!

Barely ten seconds later, Liang Xianrong could no longer withstand it. He dropped to his knees, clutching his chest as a trickle of blood escaped the corner of his mouth.

Yuan Zhonghuang’s aura was overpowering, like a high-velocity storm.

Yet at its very center, Ye Tianci sat perfectly calm, as if nothing was amiss.

Yuan Zhonghuang’s face twisted with terror.

He was a martial artist nearing the rank of Grandmaster; with his aura fully unleashed, few in Shu City could withstand him.

Yet Ye Tianci not only endured it, but remained composed, serene, utterly unaffected.

In fact, an even greater force seemed to emanate from Ye Tianci, pressing invisibly upon him.

With each breath, Yuan Zhonghuang felt his shoulders grow heavier, his legs weighed down, even breathing became a struggle!

This presence…

A Grandmaster of martial arts!

Yuan Zhonghuang’s eyes widened in disbelief again.

So young… and a Grandmaster…

He could maintain his composure no longer; cold sweat broke out across his brow.

Could this man truly be the Master of Heaven’s Gate?

Ye Tianci ceased his table tapping, his expression turning cold. “Yuan Zhonghuang, if you will not kneel now, then when?”

Unlike with Tang Zhenguo, Ye Tianci intended to subdue Yuan Zhonghuang with sheer force, to instill lasting fear.

Thump!

Unable to withstand the pressure, Yuan Zhonghuang dropped to his knees.

“Yuan Zhonghuang pays his respects, Mr.… Mr. Ye.”

He knelt on one knee, head bowed deeply in reverence.

He had meant to address him as Gate Master, but knowing the rules of Heaven’s Gate—forbidding members to expose the identity of the Gate Master—he settled for “Mister.”

The hall erupted into chaos at the sight.

Thud!

Someone in the crowd, unable to cope with the shock, went weak in the knees and fell to the floor.

Lin Qingqian’s beautiful eyes widened in disbelief, her luscious lips parted in astonishment.

The shock on Liang Xianrong’s face was no less than Lin Qingqian’s, his heart roaring, “I knew Master Ye had a hidden hand!”

“Master Yuan actually knelt to Master Ye? My God! Who exactly is Master Ye?!”

The surrounding onlookers wore the same expressions of shock and awe, inwardly speculating about Ye Tianci’s true identity.

Qi Qingming, slumped in his wheelchair, was stunned for a moment before erupting into a fit of rage and disbelief. “Master, why are you kneeling to this cripple? Get up and destroy him!”

“Noisy!”

Still kneeling, Yuan Zhonghuang flicked his sleeve, and with a scream, Qi Qingming was struck from his wheelchair, hitting the ground.

The pain in his shattered limbs was excruciating, as if every broken bone had been wrenched anew.

“Aaaah!”

“Master, why… why? It hurts! It hurts so much!”

Qi Qingming howled, tears and snot streaming down his face.

It was not just the pain, but the heartbreak.

All his hopes had been pinned on Yuan Zhonghuang, expecting him to cripple Ye Tianci and avenge him.

He never imagined that Yuan Zhonghuang would kneel to Ye Tianci and then punish his own disciple.

Devastated, Qi Qingming sobbed and wailed.

“Yuan Zhonghuang, my name is Ye Tianci. By my master’s order, I command Heaven’s Gate.”

“Tang Zhenguo now obeys my command, flies the Heaven’s Gate banner, and summons the old guard. Whether you return to Heaven’s Gate or continue your carefree life is your choice.”

Ye Tianci’s lips did not move, yet his voice continued to ring in Yuan Zhonghuang’s ears.

“Transmitting sound directly into the ear?”

“He can transmit his voice directly!”

Yuan Zhonghuang’s eyes widened in utter terror.