Arasaka Choichi thought he had misheard, his smile freezing as he looked at Ye Ling. "Excuse me, my hearing isn't good. What did you just say?"
Ye Ling replied, "I said, since you're here to apologize, why aren't you kneeling?"
As Ye Ling repeated himself, the atmosphere in the room became exceptionally tense. Wang Liren and Hidashima Rika both tensed up.
No one present had expected Ye Ling to speak with such arrogance!
Arasaka Choichi was a powerful figure who could influence the fate of countless citizens of Yang Country. Even dropping a single strand of hair from his head could cause a major earthquake across the nation!
And Ye Ling was demanding such a person to kneel?
Hidashima Rika stared intently at Ye Ling, her hand gripping the blade hidden within her kimono. She was ready to attack Ye Ling at the slightest command from Arasaka Choichi.
Arasaka Choichi's composure finally broke, his eyes turning grim.
Although he was known as a smiling tiger, Ye Ling was now stepping all over him. If he continued to greet Ye Ling with a smile, it would imply a masochistic tendency.
Arasaka Choichi, with a darkened expression, stared at Ye Ling and said, "Boy, do you know who you are speaking to?"
"I don't care what status you have in Hua Country or how accustomed you are to being arrogant. This is Yang Country, and you'd best restrain yourself."
"To put it plainly, even if I had been eavesdropping on your conversation, the fact that I came to apologize is already showing you great respect. Even if I did nothing, you couldn't do anything to me, understand?"
Ye Ling, however, was completely unfazed by Arasaka Choichi's threat and continued, "Since you're unwilling to kneel and apologize, I won't be polite anymore. Don't blame me for not giving you a chance later."
As he spoke, Ye Ling slowly rose from his seat, looked at Arasaka Choichi, and said calmly, "From today onwards, your Arasaka clan will have to work for me for a month before I can forgive your past actions."
Upon hearing Ye Ling's words, Arasaka Choichi paused for a moment before bursting into laughter, mocking him without mercy. "Did I hear that right? You want my Arasaka clan to work for you for a month? Who do you think you are?"
"Just a mere clown!"
As the words fell, a flicker of killing intent flashed in Arasaka's eyes. "You're seeking death!!!"
Receiving the signal, Hidashima Rika did not hesitate to draw her blade and charge at Ye Ling!
She was a trained assassin loyal to Arasaka Choichi. Even if she knew attacking Ye Ling was suicidal, she would do it without hesitation if Arasaka Choichi gave the order!
Seeing Hidashima Rika attack again, Ye Ling's smile deepened. "Little girl, your courage is commendable."
Ye Ling slightly sidestepped, evading Hidashima Rika's thrust, and then lightly tapped her neck with the edge of his palm.
*Clack!*
Hidashima Rika fell to the ground, unconscious.
Arasaka Choichi hadn't held any hope for Hidashima Rika's assassination attempt. After Ye Ling dealt with her, his expression remained unchanged.
At that moment, a red dot appeared on Ye Ling's forehead, followed by the sound of a gunshot from outside.
*Bang!!!*
The sniper bullet tore through the glass, whistling towards Ye Ling's forehead.
Ye Ling casually raised his hand, his two fingers easily catching the whistling sniper bullet. He shook his head, "This thermal weapon is still a bit lacking."
Seeing this, Arasaka Choichi's expression finally changed, his composure wavering.
The sniper brought this time was an elite trained by their Arasaka clan. Both the sniper rifle and the bullets had been specially modified to pierce the spiritual energy barriers of cultivators.
Even an eighth-rank cultivator would lose half their body if shot!
Yet, Ye Ling... had easily caught the whistling bullet!
With this move alone, Arasaka Choichi believed he couldn't replicate it!
Realizing that Ye Ling was not just a boastful prodigal son, Arasaka Choichi became serious. He reached into his sleeve and discreetly pressed a button.
As if not noticing Arasaka Choichi's subtle movement, Ye Ling flicked the bullet in his hand back the way it came, then looked at Arasaka Choichi. "Eavesdropping and assassination. Now your Arasaka clan has committed another crime. Even if you kneel, I don't plan to forgive you."
"Your Excellency, you speak with such great arrogance. You threatened our national security, and we are eliminating an external enemy. What crime have we committed?"
Arasaka Choichi looked at Ye Ling and sneered, "Since we've already fallen out, I'll speak plainly. Even if you two are guests of the Long department, and one of you is even the current branch minister, today... neither of you will leave Takeashita Inn alive!"
Wang Liren interjected, "Arasaka Choichi, if you make a move here, aren't you afraid of causing conflict between the two countries?"
Arasaka Choichi replied, "It wasn't our Arasaka clan that made the move, so what's the problem?"
Hearing Arasaka Choichi's words, Wang Liren's heart suddenly sank. "What do you mean?"
As soon as Wang Liren finished speaking, he felt the temperature in the room drop by dozens of degrees, causing him to shiver.
Immediately, a dark figure rose from behind Wang Liren. The dagger in his hand mercilessly stabbed towards Wang Liren.
Wang Liren suddenly felt a chill penetrate his very bones. His muscles stiffened, rendering him unable to move!
In that instant, he felt as if he saw death!
"Damn it!!!"
Wang Liren instinctively circulated his cultivation technique, condensing a spiritual energy barrier around himself. However, his cultivation was like a sieve before the shadow.
At this critical moment, just as the shadow was about to stab Wang Liren, Ye Ling had already teleported beside Wang Liren. He easily grabbed the shadow's arm and asked with a smile, "You must be the one who assassinated Qi Tan, right?"
"Your attack style is quite consistent with the wounds left on Qi Tan's body."
The shadow dispersed, and a long-haired man with a feminine appearance and a gloomy aura appeared in everyone's sight.
His entire body was pale, devoid of any color, as if he were a dead man.
"You can keep up with my speed?" the man asked, looking at Ye Ling in shock. However, he seemed unwilling to confront Ye Ling directly. He quickly transformed into black mist, escaping Ye Ling's grasp and vanishing back into the room.
The killing intent dissipated, and the temperature returned to normal.
Wang Liren, only now able to react, realized his entire body was drenched in sweat!
Wang Liren quickly thanked Ye Ling gratefully, "Thank you, Emperor, for your assistance. If not for you, I would have likely met my demise just now..."
Only after being targeted by that assassin could Wang Liren truly grasp how terrifying it was!
The person who had just attacked was definitely above eighth rank in cultivation!
A hidden eighth-rank assassin, whose first strike was a killing blow... To be targeted by such a person, Qi Tan did not die in vain.
Ye Ling did not immediately force the assassin out. Instead, he turned to Arasaka Choichi and asked, "Old man, can you tell me... what is your relationship with that assassin just now?"
Arasaka Choichi hadn't expected Ye Ling to be able to block Jue's assassination and was now nervous. He instinctively took two steps back and asked in a deep voice, "Who exactly are you? I've never heard of anyone like you in the Long department before!"
Ye Ling smiled at Arasaka Choichi and said, "Kneel, and I'll tell you."
As the words fell, Ye Ling's aura erupted, pressing down heavily on Arasaka Choichi's shoulders!
Almost instantly, Arasaka Choichi felt an immense force bearing down on him. His legs simply couldn't bear the weight...
*Bang!*
Arasaka Choichi knelt before Ye Ling!