The patriarch, clenching his fists, roared, "Young man, are you determined to force my Ding family to its death? Do you know how terrifying the existence behind me is?"
"No need for threats. The opportunity is only once, fleeting. Whether your Ding family lives or dies rests on your decision!" Mu Feng looked down at the corpses scattered on the ground, spreading his hands. Taking the lives of these people would be a simple matter.
The Ding family patriarch, driven to desperation, threatened madly, "The existence behind our Ding family is the Park family, a prominent conglomerate from Goryeo. If you dare touch me, the consequences will be unimaginable!"
As he spoke, he raised his head like a proud rooster, brimming with confidence, adopting an air of unwarranted arrogance.
Mu Feng had heard of this Park family. Goryeo was globally renowned for its skincare and cosmetics, and the Park family owned several luxury brands in Goryeo. Even his own cosmetics company's annual revenue paled in comparison to theirs.
The reason the Ding family had sought trouble with him was precisely orchestrated by the Park family. They intended to use underhanded means to seize Mu Feng's cosmetic and skincare formulas for themselves.
Unfortunately for them, they didn't realize that Mu Feng was no pushover. Trying to control him was as absurd as trying to capture the moon in the sky.
"The Park family? Since when did the Goryeo people extend their reach so far? It would be best if they didn't provoke me. If they dare to cause trouble for me, I won't hesitate to eradicate them completely!" As he spoke, Mu Feng made a throat-slitting gesture.
A chill ran down the spine of the Ding family patriarch. He realized that the young man before him was impervious to reason. No matter how he threatened, the young man showed no fear.
"You, you... how can you be so ignorant? The Park family is not someone you can afford to offend. I can say this: if you dare to touch me, you will die without a burial place!" the Ding family patriarch gritted out, his eyes bloodshot, his gaze capable of killing.
Then, something that left all the Ding family members present stunned occurred.
Mu Feng made a sweeping gesture with his hand. The patriarch felt his arm go numb, blood gushing out. His left arm was severed for no apparent reason.
The bloody cross-section revealed stark white bone, and blood pooled on the ground. The Ding family patriarch could never have imagined that he would resort to violence so quickly after a disagreement.
"I am touching you now, and am I not alive and well? Not everyone can make threats!" Mu Feng rubbed his tiger's mouth, speaking with effortless nonchalance.
The patriarch cried out, "My arm! My arm..." As he spoke, he almost fainted from the pain.
"I'm afraid you no longer have the chance. Next is your head!" Mu Feng extended his hand like a knife, a hint of unconcealed killing intent on his lips.
At this moment, the Ding family patriarch finally knew fear. He immediately fell to his knees and begged, "No, please don't! Spare me, spare me!"
"Spare you? On what grounds? I already gave you the opportunity, but you didn't cherish it!" Mu Feng touched his nose, his face filled with disdain.
All the Ding family disciples lowered their heads, not daring to make a sound, for fear of losing their lives.
The patriarch pleaded, "I am willing to abdicate the position of patriarch, as long as you spare my life!"
Ding Lao San hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and said, "Mr. Mu, perhaps we should let it go. After all, he has already received his due punishment!"
The patriarch, seeing a glimmer of hope, quickly kowtowed, "Yes, Mr. Mu. From now on, everyone in my Ding family will be at your service. Whatever you say, we will do!"
Upon hearing this, Mu Feng nodded slightly. "Since that is the case, I will spare your life for now. From this moment on, he will be the patriarch of your Ding family!"
Ding Lao San's eyes welled up with tears of excitement. This time, he had truly turned misfortune into a blessing.
Originally, as a collateral branch member, he couldn't even dream of becoming patriarch, let alone entering the Ding family's power center. He would forever be a pawn or cannon fodder.
With tears streaming down his face, he knelt and kowtowed three times. "Mr. Mu, from this day forward, I am willing to serve you like a beast of burden!"
The Ding family was, after all, a prominent clan, particularly a leader in the pharmaceutical and construction industries. For Mu Feng, taking control of this Ding family would bring immense benefits.
While some rejoiced, others were filled with sorrow. The Ding family disciples who disliked Mu Feng, though they remained silent, cursed him to their hearts' content.
After Mu Feng left, the former patriarch of the Ding family summoned all the high-ranking members to a private room in a restaurant in the city.
"Do you want to let a petty person triumph? Do you want an outsider to trample over our Ding family?" the patriarch said, his eyes red, scanning the faces of those present.
Someone slammed the table and exclaimed, "Of course not! We must find a way to deal with this detestable brat and seize his formulas!"
A Ding family executive, his face etched with apprehension, said, "Haven't you seen how ruthless that kid is? His methods are simply barbaric. How can we deal with him? Even if the Park family sends people, they won't be a match for him. I think we should just let it go. Isn't it better to live peacefully? Why court death?"
"How can we just let it go? If you can swallow this insult, we can't! We must find a way to eliminate him!" someone retorted.
The patriarch waved his hand. "Enough. If this scoundrel isn't removed, I swear I won't be human. Everyone, let's think of a way to kill him!"
At this moment, a balding middle-aged man's eyes lit up. He clapped his hands. "I have it! I have a good idea!"
The patriarch asked with interest, "Quickly, tell me!"
"We can use the honey trap. Doesn't our Ding family hold controlling shares in Shengyuan Entertainment Company? Let's summon the popular rising starlet, Cheng Xiao!"
"No one can resist her beauty. While that kid is indulging in carnal pleasures, we can kill him directly with cyanide!" The balding man smirked, a proud smile on his face.
Someone exclaimed in surprise, "If we do that, won't Cheng Xiao also die? After all, even a milligram of cyanide gas can be fatal!"
The patriarch cast a contemptuous glance at him. "Our Ding family has people like you who are indecisive, which is why we've fallen to this state. This plan is excellent, and I approve!"
The other Ding family executives nodded in agreement, endorsing the scheme.
Just then, a phone call came in. The patriarch took out his phone and scoffed. "Ding Lao San, this worthless fellow, still dares to call? He's truly tired of living. I'll start with you!"
Now that he had gained power, Ding Lao San had become immeasurably arrogant.
On the phone, he yelled, "Hey, where have you all gone? Didn't we agree to have a family meeting at nine tonight?"