"Young master..." the guard was startled and hurried over, supporting the young man in black, his face full of worry.
"Bastard, you dare to kill me?"
The young man in black twisted his face, cursing incessantly, his resentful gaze fiercely fixed on Zhou Yan, wishing he could devour his flesh and drink his blood.
"Too much nonsense."
Zhou Yan, with killing intent in his eyes, strode forward. He didn't want to delay, lest unforeseen circumstances arise.
In an instant, Zhou Yan closed in, his legs slightly bent, his waist suddenly taut, and an explosive force brewed in his chest, ready to be unleashed.
"Die!"
The young man in black's pupils contracted in utter horror. Every pore on his body stood on end, his hair bristling as if he were being stalked by a ferocious beast. A chill ran through him, cold sweat trickled down his spine, and his scalp tingled.
"Stop, don't you dare harm my young master."
Suddenly, a sharp shout was heard, and a man in black robes intercepted Zhou Yan.
He was an old man, dressed in coarse grey cloth, with a stern face, deep eyes, and an extraordinary demeanor.
"Who are you?" Zhou Yan frowned and asked in a low voice.
"I am a peak Martial Master of the Martial Ancestor realm, third heaven. I am ordered by Commander Lin to protect the young master's safety," the old man in black robes said indifferently.
"A Martial Ancestor realm expert?" Zhou Yan's expression grew serious. He dared not be careless. This old man before him had considerable cultivation, two minor realms higher than his own. A direct confrontation would surely yield no advantage.
"Hahaha... are you afraid?"
Seeing Zhou Yan cease his attack, the young man in black relaxed somewhat and laughed arrogantly. "If you know what's good for you, kneel and beg for mercy, and perhaps I'll consider letting you off."
"Noisy." Zhou Yan glanced at him coldly.
"You..." the young man in black was furious. Pointing at Zhou Yan's nose, he cursed, "Who do you think you are, daring to speak to me like this? Today, you will surely die."
"Noisy." Zhou Yan narrowed his eyes, raised his right hand, and slapped him.
*Slap!*
The crisp sound of a slap echoed in all directions. The young man in black was sent flying, half of his cheek swelling up, teeth knocked out, and blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
"You..." The young man in black was both ashamed and enraged. Clutching his swollen half-face, he stared at Zhou Yan with hatred, gritting his teeth, "Good, good, good. Since you insist on courting death, I will fulfill your wish. We'll see."
"Leave?"
Zhou Yan scoffed, "Today, you will surely die."
"Such arrogant words."
Hearing this, the young man in black's face turned ashen. He shot Zhou Yan a resentful glance and then turned to leave.
"Young master..."
After the young man in black left, the old man in black robes whispered a reminder, urging caution.
"It's nothing, let's hurry." The young man in black shook his head.
"Yes, as young master commands." The old man in black robes nodded, then took out a jade slip, activated a wisp of spiritual energy, and vanished into the air.
*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...*
Not long after, a group of people arrived, led by a young man in splendid brocade robes, who was imposing and carried himself with extraordinary grace. Several Martial Ancestor realm experts followed him.
"Young Master Qin, you've finally arrived." The young man in black's face lit up with joy.
"Young Master Lin, what happened?" the young man asked.
"Young Master Lin, someone dared to assassinate me. I implore Young Master Lin to avenge me." The young man in black said through gritted teeth.
"Oh?"
The young man's expression was leisurely as he playfully asked, "Are you sure it was an assassination?"
"Absolutely. This scoundrel is not only audacious but also a complete waste. A mere ninth heaven of Body Refining dares to challenge me. He truly doesn't know his place." The young man in black cursed angrily.
"Commander Lin, this matter is for you to handle." The young man waved, gesturing to a guard to escort the young man in black away.
"Yes."
The guard responded and led the young man in black away.
"Little friend, do you recognize this jade slip?" The young man took out a jade slip and handed it to Zhou Yan, looking at him with a half-smile.
"Hmm?" Zhou Yan looked suspiciously, took the jade slip, and examined it.
The jade slip contained a cultivation technique and several martial skills. Although they were all ordinary, they were genuine Profound-grade martial skills, valuable and rare.
"Little friend, if you are willing to surrender to us, this jade slip will be yours," the young man said, extending an olive branch with a slight smile.
"Surrender?" Zhou Yan was stunned, then revealed a wry smile.
Zhou Yan understood that the other party had seen through his background, which was why they were so polite. Otherwise, they would have likely taken action to suppress him.
"What, do you feel wronged, little friend?"
The young man chuckled playfully, "Little friend, my young master is no ordinary person. His future is boundless. As long as you are willing to surrender to my young master, it could be a splendid story."
"Sorry, I refuse."
Zhou Yan flatly refused. Although this jade slip was precious, it did not catch his eye.
"Hmph, you refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit. Kid, today, you have no escape."
The young man in black snorted coldly. His eyes were sinister as he said word by word, "This young master promises that if you pledge allegiance, I can spare your life and allow you to enjoy wealth and glory without doing any heavy labor."
"Wealth and glory, wealth and glory. Indeed, it is a good thing," Zhou Yan mused inwardly.
"Heh, kid, you don't actually believe his lies, do you?" the System sneered.
"Of course not," Zhou Yan replied.
He wasn't foolish. In this world, apart from parents, who would help others without reason? Moreover, he was an utter stranger to them.
"Kid, my young master is a direct descendant of the Royal City Wang family. If you join the Wang family, you can enjoy all the wealth and glory," the old man in black robes tempted.
Zhou Yan pouted, too lazy to bother with the old man in black robes. In any case, he had already decided to destroy the Wang family tonight. As for these people, they would all be left for them.
"Kid, are you refusing this young master?" the young man frowned.
"Sorry, I have no interest in joining any damned Wang family," Zhou Yan shrugged.
Hearing this, the young man's expression darkened. His gaze flickered as he stared sinisterly at Zhou Yan and said coldly, "Kid, this young master will give you one last chance. Are you sure you want to refuse?"
"I..."
Just as Zhou Yan was about to speak, he found that he couldn't speak at all. His throat felt like it had a fishbone stuck in it, making it difficult to move.
"Are you mute?" the young man taunted.
"Did you use a acupoint sealing technique on me?" Zhou Yan was shocked. He hadn't sensed it at all. The other party's strength was terrifying, no less than a Innate realm expert.
"Hmph, what do you think?"
The young man said disdainfully, "Kid, surrender obediently, and this young master can let you live a little longer. Otherwise, you won't even have the right to suffer."
"Who exactly are you?" Zhou Yan asked coldly.
"This young master is Wang Teng," the young man said proudly.
"So it's you."
Zhou Yan suddenly realized. This fellow was the pampered young master he had met at the auction that day.
"That's right, it's me," Wang Teng nodded.
"You want to kill me?" Zhou Yan guessed.
"Heh, clever. Your fate was sealed from that day."
Wang Teng smiled and said, "This young master has always been fair in rewarding and punishing. You killed the black-robed guard under my command, so this young master wants you dead. If you die, no one will know that it was this young master who killed you."