The others exchanged glances, utterly stunned that things had escalated to this point.
They had fired the shots, so why were their own men blown to bits?
Without turning, Mutou Saburo, believing Ye Ling had been dealt with after hearing the gunfire, calmly took a puff of his cigar, flicked away the ash, and instructed those in the warehouse, "Dispose of the bodies. Encased in cement pillars, sink them into Tokyo Bay."
"Investigate the forces behind those two, and deal with them all."
The warehouse was deathly silent. No one responded to Mutou Saburo. The atmosphere was incredibly eerie.
Receiving no reply, Mutou Saburo frowned slightly, turned around, and said, "Did you not hear me clearly..."
Mid-sentence, Mutou Saburo saw his men lying on the ground. A flicker of fear crossed his eyes as he quickly turned to the crowd around him, "What in the world is going on? Why are our men dead?"
A man in black quickly replied, "Master, the bullet… it curved."
"A bullet curved?"
Mutou Saburo acted as if he'd heard the funniest joke in the world. He immediately grabbed the man in black by his collar and roared, "Are you taking me for a fool?"
"How can a bullet curve?"
The man in black stammered, "M-Master, it really…"
"Useless! Let me!"
Mutou Saburo shouted fiercely, swiftly drawing the handgun from the man in black's waist and pointing it at Ye Ling, pulling the trigger. "Such a small matter you can't even handle— Ugh!!!"
*Bang!*
Before Mutou Saburo could finish speaking, the bullet he fired returned along the same path, piercing his shoulder. Blood gushed out!
"Master!"
Seeing Mutou Saburo hit by the bullet, everyone else in the warehouse cried out in shock, their hearts churning with immense dread!
They finally understood. Ye Ling possessed some means to make bullets curve. Opening fire on Ye Ling was akin to seeking their own demise!
Mutou Saburo clutched his shoulder, his entire face contorted in pain, sweat beading on his forehead.
He yelled, "That guy has some tricks. None of you use guns. Take him down in close combat!"
The men in black averaged a cultivation of the third rank. If they attacked together in this confined space, they could subdue a cultivator of the fifth rank!
Ye Ling appeared to be only in his early twenties, and Qi Zhuyue was incredibly young. Mutou Masao didn't believe Ye Ling and Qi Zhuyue's cultivation was very high.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have dared to bring such a group to ambush Ye Ling.
Following Mutou Saburo's order, the men in black no longer hesitated, lunging towards Ye Ling.
Unfortunately, before any of the men in black could get within five meters of Ye Ling, they were annihilated by Ye Ling's demonic energy in mid-air, exploding into bloody mist.
The warehouse floor was splattered with blood!
A thick, bloody stench permeated the air. The remaining Mutou Saburo and Mutou Raisuke were utterly dumbfounded.
"This… this…"
Seeing the bloody scene in the warehouse, Mutou Raisuke's legs began to tremble uncontrollably, fear welling up in his eyes.
He had never imagined that Ye Ling was a monster of profound cultivation!
This time, they had truly struck a hornet's nest!
Instinctively, Mutou Raisuke reached for the warehouse door, intending to escape.
However, the moment his hand touched the doorknob, a black streak flashed past, severing his hand!
Blood sprayed!
Seeing his hands severed, Mutou Raisuke's mind went blank, and he froze on the spot.
Moments later, excruciating pain assaulted his nerves, causing him to scream out!
"My hands!!! Ahhh!!!"
"Son!!!"
Mutou Saburo's eyes instantly turned red upon seeing Mutou Raisuke's hands severed. His entire being was consumed by rage.
Mutou Raisuke was his only heir. He had already been heartbroken when he saw Mutou Raisuke's head beaten into a pulp, wishing he could tear Ye Ling apart on the spot. Now that Mutou Raisuke's hands were also chopped off, he was going mad!
"I'll kill you!!!"
Mutou Saburo roared. The extreme anger made him forget the fate of his subordinates mere seconds ago. He charged at Ye Ling recklessly!
Ye Ling felt no sympathy for Mutou Saburo's ferocity. He smiled mockingly, conjured a demonic blade out of thin air, and shot it towards Mutou Saburo, severing his legs!
*Bang!*
Mutou Saburo fell heavily to the ground, scarlet blood gushing from his legs. Intense pain continuously stimulated his nerves.
In the warehouse, the screams of the Mutou father and son echoed, one after another.
Seeing the bloody scene in the warehouse, Qi Zhuyue's face turned pale, and fear involuntarily surfaced in her eyes.
This time, she truly understood Ye Ling's terrifying nature!
His ruthlessness and mercilessness showed a complete disregard for human life!
Noticing Qi Zhuyue's expression, Ye Ling asked, "Are you afraid?"
Qi Zhuyue swallowed, nodded first, then shook her head. "The Emperor's current demeanor… is indeed somewhat frightening, but… I can accept it."
Although Ye Ling's methods towards Mutou Saburo and his men were bloody and brutal, she wasn't foolish. If Ye Ling lacked the strength, they would be the ones dead today!
The world of cultivators was entirely different from normal society. There were no societal rules to restrain them; it was filled with deceit, and killing was commonplace!
Having decided to follow Ye Ling, Qi Zhuyue had prepared herself for the reality of bloodshed.
Hearing Qi Zhuyue's positive response, Ye Ling nodded.
He had taken Qi Zhuyue under his wing because he valued her talent and intended to nurture her.
If such a scene alone made Qi Zhuyue unable to accept it and consider backing out, Ye Ling felt there would be no point in continuing to train her.
Rather than letting Qi Zhuyue struggle painfully on the path of cultivation, it would be better for her to return to a normal life.
Mutou Saburo, lying on the ground, struggled to get up and roared at Ye Ling, "You… you two demons… you will absolutely not walk out of this building alive today!"
"Offend our Mutou family, and you will have no good end!"
Mutou Saburo roared, while secretly reaching into his pocket, intending to send a distress signal to the high-level cultivators of his family. However, before he could press the button, his entire arm was severed by a demonic blade.
Blood sprayed again!
"Father!!!"
Mutou Raisuke cried out hoarsely upon seeing Mutou Saburo's tragic state, his eyes filled with despair and terror.
At this moment, Mutou Raisuke was filled with extreme regret. Simultaneously, his fear and hatred for Ye Ling surged to their peak!
The miserable cries of this father and son echoed in the warehouse, striking at the heart. Even Qi Zhuyue found it difficult to watch, feeling a pang of pity.
"That's about enough."
After a moment, Ye Ling grew somewhat weary and decided not to play any longer. Just as he was about to grant Mutou Saburo and Mutou Raisuke a swift end, he suddenly paused, looking towards the warehouse door.
Someone was coming.
*Bang!*
The warehouse door was pushed open. An old monk with long eyebrows, wearing a saffron robe, stood at the entrance, supported by a young girl.
Inside the warehouse, the ground was covered in blood. However, all the blood spilled on the floor had strangely formed a circle, and the area where Ye Ling and Qi Zhuyue stood was the only clean spot in the center of the ring, creating a scene that struck the heart!
The old monk glanced at the blood-soaked ground, then at the dismembered Mutou Saburo and Mutou Raisuke, his brow furrowing. He then looked at Ye Ling and said in a hoarse voice, "Benefactor, you are already entangled in karma. Why not lay down your butcher's knife?"