The Chen family is one of the top five clans in Floating City, and its members are known for their arrogance and high-handedness.
The reason Bai Yuzhe was injured and eventually died was because of a conflict with the second young master of the Chen family.
The matter itself was simple. Bai Yuzhe and his group of people were fortunate enough to obtain two Yuan stones, but they were spotted by members of the Chen family. The outcome was inevitable— not only were the Yuan stones seized, but their lives were also at risk.
Yuan stones are precious materials used for cultivation. Each one is worth 100 gold coins, which is enough to allow Bai Yuzhe and his group to escape the life of beggars and live like ordinary people.
However, even within large families, Yuan stones are not something that can be casually used by young members for cultivation.
It was clear that the second young master of the Chen family was treating Bai Yuzhe and his group like prey, knowing their fate. He had already sent a dilapidated coffin as a gift, probably because he thought Bai Yuzhe wouldn't survive.
One of the young men who was carrying the coffin with a smirk on his face said to the butler beside him, "I think our second young master is really merciful. Even a beggar, when killed, gets a coffin. That's kindness!"
The butler chuckled. "Haha, that's right! But these beggars are out of line. Our second young master sees something they have, and that's their good fortune. How dare they resist? They're asking for death! This time, the second young master has said that he will slowly play with them until they die, so they don't have to continue suffering!"
The butler's voice was filled with mockery as he led the group inside.
When they reached the broken temple, the coffin was roughly dropped onto the ground with a loud thud. The already-decaying boards shook violently as if they might collapse at any moment.
"Where's that Bai kid? Is he dead yet?" The butler sneered, scanning the people in the broken temple. "Our second young master was generous enough to send you a coffin, so if that kid is dead, at least he can be properly buried."
Iron Tower, a straightforward and fiery-tempered individual, couldn't hold back. He charged forward and threw a punch at the butler with full force.
"Idiot!" The butler sneered, easily dodging Iron Tower's punch. He counterattacked with a powerful kick that landed in Iron Tower's stomach. Iron Tower was sent flying back four or five meters, crashing hard into the ground.
Though Iron Tower was incredibly strong, his power paled in comparison to the butler, who was at the peak of the "Heart Gate" realm. No matter how strong a normal person was, they were no match for someone of that caliber.
"Humph, you overestimate yourself." The butler sneered and, without a second glance at Iron Tower, continued into the temple with his subordinates. They were here to see if Bai Yuzhe was dead, and to entertain themselves at the same time.
"Stop them! Don't let them disturb the boss while he's resting!" Iron Tower climbed up and shouted, charging toward them.
There were about ten people in the courtyard, and they all rushed forward, trying to stop the butler and his group.
One of the youths, about fourteen years old and with a rather delicate appearance, glanced at Iron Tower helplessly. His name was Luo Ming, and he was the strategist among Bai Yuzhe's group of eighteen.
Iron Tower had inadvertently revealed that Bai Yuzhe was still alive, and Luo Ming had hoped that the others would believe that Bai Yuzhe was dead. That way, they would be much safer. But it was too late to do anything about it now, and there was no way they could stop the butler.
"Hope the boss can play dead for now…" Luo Ming thought, hoping Bai Yuzhe could pretend to be in critical condition. He had noticed that Bai Yuzhe had regained consciousness, though he looked terrible. He was certainly not in life-threatening danger. If the butler saw him like this, it could lead to unpredictable consequences.
"Get out of the way! A bunch of useless trash, daring to block my path!" The butler and his men pushed through, attacking Iron Tower and the others with punches and kicks. The butler was at the peak of the Heart Gate realm, while the others were all trained warriors as well—there was no way Iron Tower and the others could stop them.
Just as they were about to enter the room where Bai Yuzhe was resting, the door suddenly flew open. Bai Yuzhe, looking frail, walked out.
Dressed in tattered clothes, his face pale, Bai Yuzhe seemed like he was on the verge of collapsing. But even so, he was walking on his own.
"Huh?" The butler paused, stunned. "He's still alive? And walking out on his own?"
When they came, the second young master had told him that Bai Yuzhe was probably dead, or at best barely hanging on. But now, Bai Yuzhe seemed a lot stronger than that. While still weak, he was nowhere near the brink of death.
After a brief moment of surprise, the butler quickly regained his composure. It was even better if Bai Yuzhe wasn't dead. That way, he could have more fun with him.
"Oh, little beggar, you look pretty sturdy. Looks like the coffin our second young master sent is unnecessary, huh?" The butler sneered, then changed his tone. "But it's fine. Our second young master recently made some progress in his cultivation and developed a new technique. Come with us, and you can have a nice chat with him. When we bring you back, we'll definitely make use of that coffin."
Bai Yuzhe acted as if he hadn't heard the butler at all. He walked toward him with an icy expression on his face, showing no emotion whatsoever.
"Kid, are you brain dead or something? It's really a shame. If you turn into an idiot, it won't be as fun to play with you!" The butler mocked.
He felt a sense of pity for Bai Yuzhe. He had heard of him before—Bai Yuzhe was somewhat well-known among the lower classes in Floating City. Torturing him would be much more satisfying.
But no matter what, he didn't mind taking Bai Yuzhe back and slowly killing him. After all, Bai Yuzhe had dared to oppose the second young master.
"Take him away!" The butler gave the order when Bai Yuzhe was barely two meters away.
Two subordinates rushed out immediately, grinning.
Since he wasn't dead, they might as well beat him up before dragging him back.
One of them threw a brutal punch at Bai Yuzhe's chest. The punch was so powerful that a normal person would have their ribs shattered.
But surprisingly, Bai Yuzhe, who seemed ready to collapse at any moment, merely swayed slightly. Without any noticeable speed, he smoothly dodged the punch and appeared right in front of the butler.
The butler's eyebrows furrowed. Bai Yuzhe's movement had been odd. Despite his injuries, Bai Yuzhe had dodged the punch with ease.
Before the butler could think further, he instinctively reached out to grab Bai Yuzhe. No matter how strange it seemed, he was going to take him down!
However, Bai Yuzhe, despite his weakened state, subtly shifted his body, and the butler's palm missed, brushing against Bai Yuzhe's chest.
A cold, murderous voice suddenly sounded in the butler's ear: "A bunch of weaklings. Take that coffin back to the second young master. Tell him to keep it for himself. He won't have to wait long to use it!"
The butler froze. Before he could react, Bai Yuzhe's right hand had already gripped his throat.
There was no overwhelming force in Bai Yuzhe's fingers, but the butler could feel that any movement would result in instant death.
How is this possible?
The butler's mind went blank, only repeating those words over and over.
He couldn't comprehend what had just happened. Everything had been so strange. Bai Yuzhe's movements were simple and slow, but how had he dodged his attack and then subdued him in an instant?
Before he could process it any further, Bai Yuzhe's chilling voice echoed in his mind: "You're finished."
"Bai Yuzhe, you're so bold. How dare you provoke our Chen family? If even a single hair of mine is harmed, I will make sure you turn to dust…" The butler was now gripped with fear and tried to threaten Bai Yuzhe, but his eyes remained fixed on him, retreating step by step without daring to relax.
Meanwhile, Bai Yuzhe made no further movements, watching them take the coffin away. Once they were gone, he glanced at his subordinates before returning to his room.
The group of young men stood there in shock for a moment, unable to understand what had just happened.
They had no idea what Bai Yuzhe had done to make the Chen family's thugs scurry away like frightened dogs...