Suddenly, an enraged voice boomed, followed by the entrance of a middle-aged man.
This person was none other than the Yang family patriarch, Yang Zhiming.
"Yang Zhiming, so all these years, you've been plotting in secret to murder my mother and seize the secret technique I possess."
A sardonic smile touched Zhou Yan's lips. "Heh, Yang Zhiming, Yang Zhiming, you truly are an ungrateful viper. I must commend you for that."
"Zhou Yan, you..."
Yang Zhiming's face turned ashen. He glared at Zhou Yan, his expression full of indignation. "How do you know I plotted to kill your mother in secret? This is something only I knew. There's no evidence I did it."
"Hmph, Yang Zhiming, do you think I wouldn't find any clues after you killed my mother?"
Zhou Yan's gaze was chilling as he looked at Yang Zhiming and began to explain slowly. "Back then, when you sent people to kill me outside the city, I already had my suspicions."
"Later, you went to pursue those bandits, only to be killed by them, their bodies burned to ashes."
"Unfortunately, none of this initially aroused my suspicion."
"However, my subsequent investigation revealed that the old madam of the Yang family once led people to the south of the city to search for a storage ring. When you went to search there, you encountered no one, yet there was a powerful surge of primal energy. Clearly, you were searching for that storage ring."
With each word Zhou Yan spoke, Yang Zhiming's face grew paler. He had never imagined that the person he sent to kill Zhou Yan's mother outside the city would be detected by Zhou Yan, and that from that moment on, every move the Yang family made had been exposed under Zhou Yan's watchful eye.
"I know my mother's storage ring was stolen, and you wanted to exchange it for treasures. Unfortunately, I didn't give it to you, and you failed."
Zhou Yan continued, looking at Yang Zhiming with a playful glint in his eyes.
"I don't know what treasure you're talking about."
"Regardless, I gained nothing. Our Yang family suffered heavy losses, losing two cultivators at the Martial King realm and fifty thousand gold coins. That amount of wealth is enough for us to recuperate for a long time."
"Furthermore, our Yang family also lost several experts at the Martial Emperor realm."
"Therefore, your desire to destroy my Yang family is a pipe dream. The foundations of our Yang family are beyond your imagination."
Yang Zhiming's voice was resolute. "Today, I must kill you. Otherwise, where will the Yang family's honor lie? Where will my reputation stand?"
"Your reputation?"
Zhou Yan scoffed. "Yang Zhiming, how much is your reputation worth? Don't you know yourself?"
Anger flickered across Yang Zhiming's face. He hadn't expected Zhou Yan to be so intractable. He immediately roared, "Since you refuse a toast and insist on a forfeit, don't blame the Yang family for being impolite."
Whoosh!
Yang Zhiming moved like lightning, appearing beside Zhou Yan in an instant. His palms blurred as he struck towards Zhou Yan's chest.
"Scram!"
Zhou Yan unleashed a palm strike, sending Yang Zhiming flying back. Yang Zhiming staggered but managed to regain his footing.
"You..."
Yang Zhiming's face turned extremely grim. He was gravely injured, spitting out three mouthfuls of blood. His aura weakened considerably, clearly indicating he had suffered severe damage.
"Yang Zhiming, you're dead this time!"
Zhou Yan sneered, taking a step forward and charging at Yang Zhiming again.
"Old Ancestor Yang, save me!"
Yang Zhiming cried out in panic, turning to flee the room. Simultaneously, he shouted, "Patriarch, save me!"
"You can't escape."
Zhou Yan's voice echoed. His feet moved like the wind, instantly catching up to Yang Zhiming and unleashing his Killing Sword technique once more.
*Pfft!*
Yang Zhiming's heart exploded again, blood spraying forth. He breathed his last.
With Yang Zhiming dead, the remaining Yang family members were thrown into a state of panic. They all knelt on the ground, trembling and pleading, "Patriarch, spare our lives! Please spare us. We beg you, for the sake of being Yang family members, spare our wretched lives."
Though they were Yang family members, they seemed so insignificant in the face of death. Each one of them was so terrified their legs went weak, unable to even crawl.
News of the death of the Yang family's Old Ancestor, Yang Zhi'er, and Yang Zhiming spread through every inch of the Yang family like a hurricane. The family members and high-ranking officials of the Yang family all felt a sense of danger.
Especially the Yang family's Old Ancestor, his face was grim. He never expected Zhou Yan's methods to be so ruthless, not sparing his own kin. He was truly insane.
"Old Ancestor, you must uphold justice for the Yang family!"
"Yes, this little bastard has gone too far. He didn't even spare his own parents."
The high-ranking officials of the Yang family all spoke up for the Yang family's Old Ancestor, filled with righteous indignation, wishing they could personally kill Zhou Yan to vent their anger.
"Silence!"
The Yang family's Old Ancestor roared, coldly stating, "I will handle my own affairs. I don't need your input. All of you, get out."
Upon hearing this, a sense of sadness welled up in the hearts of the Yang family's high-ranking officials.
They all knew that the Yang family's Old Ancestor no longer protected them as he once did. In fact, the Yang family's Old Ancestor seemed to have a hint of retreat.
After all, the Yang family's strength was too weak; they were no match for Zhou Yan.
This fellow had become a demon. Once he grew stronger, the Yang family would surely face difficult times.
"Old Ancestor, we understand."
Everyone sighed and then left the room.
"Zhou Yan, you have truly remarkable methods. I misjudged you."
The Yang family's Old Ancestor looked at Zhou Yan, his eyes filled with intense hatred, gritting his teeth. "You not only killed my daughter, but now you've killed my grandson. I will remember this hatred."
After saying this, the Yang family's Old Ancestor flickered and vanished from the room.
Seeing this, a look of solemnity appeared on Zhou Yan's brow. Although the Yang family's Old Ancestor had been heavily injured, he was still a cultivator at the Martial Emperor realm. It was impossible for him to stop him from escaping.
Moreover, he had no intention of leaving any survivors. He intended to exterminate the Yang family.
The Yang family was destined to be annihilated!
This was Zhou Yan's thought, and it was what he intended to achieve.
Zhou Yan's figure flickered as he pursued again.
...
At the same time, in a courtyard of the Yang family, the Yang family patriarch, Yang Zhiming, was in seclusion, recuperating from his injuries. His condition was very serious and would require a long time to fully recover.
Beside him sat a middle-aged man.
This middle-aged man bore a slight resemblance to the Yang family's Old Ancestor. He was Yang Zhiming's uncle, Yang Zhiming's father, who was the Yang family patriarch.
"Old Master, you shouldn't have underestimated him. If not for Zhou Yan's secret arts, we wouldn't have been forced to retreat by him," the Yang family patriarch said with a bitter tone.
The Yang family's Old Ancestor shook his head. "Regardless, Yang Zhiming indeed died because of Zhou Yan. Our Yang family has lost all face. I cannot swallow this anger."