The black-clothed man's words caused the villagers to take half a step back. If not for the village chief, Xu Sanhu, they might have already turned and fled.
When their lives were at stake, who wouldn't fear death?
Seeing them retreat, the black-clothed man burst into laughter.
"Xu Sanhu, are these the people under you? How laughable."
He looked at Xu Sanhu, his words filled with mockery.
Hearing the black-clothed man's words, Xu Sanhu's face grew even more somber.
"Who exactly are you? I have no past grievances with you, nor any recent enmity. Why do you target my East Village?"
Having witnessed the opponent's strength, Xu Sanhu dared not act rashly.
But with someone bullying them at their doorstep, if he didn't take a stand, he feared the villagers would no longer listen to him in the future.
"No past grievances, no recent enmity? Village Chief Xu's memory is quite poor."
As he spoke, the black-clothed man slowly removed the mask from his face.
Beneath the mask was a face that Xu Sanhu had dreamed of conquering.
"Ye Fan, it's you?"
Seeing Ye Fan, Xu Sanhu's pupils were filled with disbelief.
"Indeed, it is me."
Ye Fan strode forward, stopping directly in front of Xu Sanhu. "With the enmity between us, you are destined to die today. However, if you are willing to tell me some things, I can make your death more comfortable."
His dark eyes locked onto Xu Sanhu's, his domineering aura instantly enveloping him.
At this moment, Ye Fan seemed like a king on high, looking down upon the insignificant ants at his feet.
However, Xu Sanhu let out a bitter laugh. "Make your move. I know what you want to ask, but unfortunately, I cannot tell you. Even in death, you will not get any valuable clues from me."
Xu Sanhu put on an air of righteousness.
But at this moment, Hu Liu, who had been kicked down by Ye Fan, struggled to get up and crawled over, grabbing Ye Fan's leg. "I'll talk, I'll say everything. As long as you spare my dog's life, I'll tell you whatever you want to know."
"Ye Fan, I have no enmity with you. It was Xu Sanhu who ordered me to attack you. If I didn't obey his orders, he would have torn me apart. Please, spare my lowly life, considering I was forced to act."
Like a lapdog, Hu Liu had lost all his previous arrogance.
"Hu Liu, you're courting death."
Xu Sanhu lunged forward violently, grabbing Hu Liu by the neck, his face contorted with rage, intending to strangle him to death.
As Xu Sanhu's right-hand man, Hu Liu knew too many of his secrets, even some about his father. If he were to speak, they would all be doomed.
Seeing this, Ye Fan kicked Xu Sanhu hard in the jaw.
Bang~
Xu Sanhu actually endured the kick, but his hands still did not loosen.
"Scoundrel."
Ye Fan was enraged. Forgetting everything else, with a fierce killing intent in his eyes, he picked up the stick that Hu Liu had dropped on the ground and smashed it fiercely onto Xu Sanhu's arm.
Crack.
The blow snapped Xu Sanhu's arm.
Xu Sanhu's body twitched in pain, cold sweat continuously beading on his forehead.
He still wanted to persist, but with his arm broken, he couldn't exert any force.
"Hu Liu, if you dare to spout nonsense, I will not let you go even as a ghost."
His eyes bulged, his face contorted, and his blood-red eyes were filled with hatred.
Cough, cough, cough.
Hu Liu coughed violently, and it took him a while to recover.
"Who is the person behind him? Where is Xu Lao Gun?"
Holding the stick, Ye Fan looked coldly at Hu Liu and asked in a deep voice.
No matter how strong Hu Liu was, seeing Ye Fan like this, his inner defenses collapsed instantly.
Moreover, he didn't want to die. Driven by his will to survive, he trembled and said, "In the mountains. I don't know the exact location."
"Hu Liu, do you think he will spare your mother even if you speak? How many wicked deeds have you done over the years? Dying ten thousand times wouldn't be enough."
Xu Sanhu roared with all his might, trying to stop Hu Liu.
Indeed, hearing his words, Hu Liu looked at Ye Fan in confusion.
"Noisy."
Ye Fan snorted coldly and swung the stick, smashing it into Xu Sanhu's mouth.
This time, Xu Sanhu's teeth were almost knocked out and fell to the ground. Blood flowed from his mouth, and he could only make muffled sounds.
This gruesome scene caused the villagers to retreat another ten steps, widening the distance between themselves and Xu Sanhu, for fear of being implicated.
Seeing that Xu Sanhu could no longer speak, Ye Fan turned his attention back to Hu Liu.
"If you cooperate, I might be able to spare your life. Otherwise, your fate will be a thousand times more miserable."
Facing this god of death, Hu Liu was completely broken and quickly begged for mercy, "I'll talk, I'll say everything."
"I only know that Xu Sanhu always sends large amounts of fresh blood into the mountains and then brings back many porcelain shards. The day after he brings back the shards, mysterious people come to collect them, leaving behind a large sum of money. As for their identities, I truly don't know. I am just Xu Sanhu's henchman. Although I have seen that person, he was too heavily wrapped, and I couldn't see his face clearly. Moreover, Xu Sanhu handled all these matters alone, and outsiders have never seen that person's true face."
After telling Ye Fan everything he knew, Hu Liu breathed a sigh of relief. "I've told you everything I know. Can you let me go now?"
He pleaded with Ye Fan, like a prisoner awaiting judgment.
Seeing Hu Liu like this, Ye Fan's eyes were filled with disdain.
This Xu Sanhu was truly blind to have recruited such a subordinate as his right-hand man. If he didn't fail, it would be against the will of heaven.
"Second Brother, have someone lock him up. He might be useful later."
He turned and said to another black-clothed man.
The black-clothed man nodded, beckoned his subordinates to come forward, and had Hu Liu taken away.
Turning to Xu Sanhu, Ye Fan saw that Xu Sanhu was barely breathing. It was a miracle that he was still alive after Ye Fan's repeated heavy blows.
"What should we do with this person?"
Ye Fan asked in a deep voice, without turning his head, his gaze fixed on Xu Sanhu.
But a woman walked out from behind him, also staring at Xu Sanhu.
After a while, she spoke slowly, "Although he was unrighteous to me, I cannot be unrighteous to him. He is severely injured and will likely spend the rest of his life on a sickbed. In that case, it's better to spare his life."
The woman's expression was calm, showing no anger or pleasure.
Her tone was icy, as if she harbored deep hatred for Xu Sanhu, but that hatred was tinged with a hint of pain.
The villagers of East Village were stunned when they saw the woman, for she was none other than Xu Sanhu's lawfully wedded wife, the woman who brandished a cleaver and muttered to herself all day long.
Ye Fan nodded and signaled for people to carry Xu Sanhu away for treatment.
With the two main culprits dealt with, the remaining villagers were much easier to handle.