The following evening, under a dark and windy sky.
In a pre-arranged unfinished building in the city, Ye Zixiao, along with Lin Bin, Leng Shao, and a broken Xiao Tengfei, ascended the stairs to the third floor.
The third floor was vast, appearing to have been intended as a shopping mall. Cement pillars stood everywhere. Over a dozen people were already waiting, with several large boxes beside them.
"Dad, save me!"
Upon arriving, Xiao Tengfei began to cry out.
"Shut your mouth."
Leng Shao stepped forward and slapped him hard.
Xiao Tengfei immediately fell silent.
In just two days, Xiao Tengfei had been driven to the brink of madness by Leng Shao. He no longer feared Ye Zixiao, but the sight of Leng Shao made his legs turn to jelly.
"Son, don't panic."
Xiao Qizhou glanced at his son, whose state was beyond description, and then glared at Ye Zixiao, saying, "Kid, I've brought the money, but you'd better think carefully. The Xiao family's money is very dangerous."
"You motherfucker, what are you playing at?"
"Get lost!"
Leng Shao was about to unleash a torrent of abuse when Lin Bin slapped him. Lin Bin, seething, roared, "You little brat, how long have you been here? How dare you steal my thunder, Third Young Master?"
"I didn't!"
Leng Shao certainly dared not provoke Lin Bin.
"You dare say you didn't? I haven't had a chance to speak for the past two days, and you've stolen all my lines. What, you want to compete for favor with me? Are you worthy?"
"Didn't I do it for my big brother!"
"How dare you talk back?"
"Third Young Master, spare me!"
"I motherfucker..."
"Shut up!!!"
Xiao Qizhou suddenly bellowed.
This old man had not expected that while he was confronting Ye Zixiao, these two brats would start arguing. The Lin family, it seemed, didn't take the Xiao family seriously at all.
"What are you shouting about?"
Lin Bin resentfully looked at Xiao Qizhou.
"Who are you?"
A Xiao family thug stepped forward to ask.
"Who am I? I'm your father!"
Lin Bin's eyes widened. He walked to Ye Zixiao's side and, borrowing the prestige of a tiger, said, "Ye Zixiao is my brother-in-law. Who do you think I am? Damn it, be polite when you come to redeem someone, or I'll kill Xiao Tengfei."
"You're bragging!"
The Xiao family thugs were accustomed to being arrogant.
"Who? I'm bragging?"
Lin Bin raised his hand and arrogantly commanded, "Little Leng, go cut off that bastard's other ear. My dog has been eating a lot of meat lately, especially human flesh from the Xiao family."
"Third Young Master, watch this!"
Leng Shao drew his knife and lunged towards Xiao Tengfei.
"Dad, save me!"
Xiao Tengfei was so terrified that he soiled himself.
"Stop!"
Xiao Qizhou roared.
He stepped forward, ignoring Lin Bin and Leng Shao, and said to the smiling Ye Zixiao, "Take the money, and don't hurt anyone else. Otherwise, I'll kill you, even if I have to abandon my son."
Ye Zixiao remained silent.
"Damn, still acting tough?"
Lin Bin, addicted to showing off, put his hands on his hips and issued another command, "Little Leng, I think the Xiao family isn't convinced. Forget their ears, stab that bastard in the stomach."
"Understood!"
Leng Shao was truly taken aback.
He unhesitatingly raised his knife and stabbed.
*Squelch*
The unfortunate Xiao Tengfei, due to his father's misjudgment of the situation, innocently suffered another stab wound. At this moment, he even doubted if he was their biological son!
"Dad, are you trying to kill me?"
Xiao Tengfei roared as he was about to die from the pain.
"Stop, don't do anything rash!"
Xiao Liufu, who had been silent all along, immediately stepped forward a few paces, and with a hint of humility, looked at Ye Zixiao and said, "Mr. Ye, please be merciful. Take the money and let him go!"
"Ah, that's more like a human speaking!"
Lin Bin smiled with satisfaction and lit a cigarette.
Of course, Leng Shao wouldn't stab again. He was impulsive, but not an idiot. He also knew that Ye Zixiao wasn't interested in Xiao Tengfei; this was about extorting money.
"Did you bring enough money?"
Ye Zixiao finally spoke.
"Two hundred million, not a cent less."
Xiao Liufu answered on behalf of Xiao Qizhou.
"Good!"
Ye Zixiao's demeanor suddenly turned cold. He stared intently at Xiao Liufu and said, "I can return the person to you, but I have a question: what is Feng Sandao's relationship with your Xiao family?"
"Feng Sandao?"
Xiao Liufu instinctively asked.
"What, relationship?"
Ye Zixiao suddenly exuded a murderous aura.
"Oh, oh, Feng Sandao. He's a retainer of our Xiao family. He's been with us for three years. Mr. Ye is truly amazing; Feng Sandao died by your hand."
Xiao Liufu's words seemed to be flattering Ye Zixiao on the surface, but they were actually a form of threat, implying that someone as formidable as Feng Sandao was merely a retainer of their Xiao family.
What is a retainer?
It's someone hired by a prominent family to guard their property.
Those who could serve as retainers in the Xiao family were naturally renowned in the martial world. The Xiao family never lacked at least ten retainers of Feng Sandao's caliber.
"What was Feng Sandao's identity?"
Ye Zixiao continued to ask about the matter that concerned him.
"He was a killer."
Xiao Liufu actually answered seriously.
"What organization did he belong to?"
"I don't know about that!"
"You don't know?"
"Mr. Ye, Feng Sandao's past is impossible to verify. Moreover, would a killer of his caliber expose his backing? I truly don't know!"
Xiao Liufu patiently explained.
He wasn't lying. The reason he was willing to explain was purely to ensure Xiao Tengfei's safety first. Ye Zixiao was a madman; he would truly kill Xiao Tengfei.
As for why Ye Zixiao was inquiring about Feng Sandao's identity, the Xiao family didn't care about that at all. In the Xiao family's view, Ye Zixiao was already a dead man.
The Xiao family would surely kill Ye Zixiao…
"Release him!"
Ye Zixiao gave the order.
His deep eyes seemed to discern all truth. He didn't believe the Xiao family was lying, because the Xiao family was clearly not Feng Sandao's true backing.
The group of killers who had pursued the Ye family for three thousand li eighteen years ago were not someone the current Xiao family could control. Even if the Xiao family ruled Jiangcheng like an emperor, they were not worthy of pursuing the Ye family back then.
"Get lost!"
Leng Shao cut the ropes binding Xiao Tengfei.
Xiao Tengfei was on the verge of fainting, but seeing hope, he mustered all his strength and scrambled towards his family, quickly being met by two Xiao family thugs.
The Xiao family had a doctor with them.
He immediately began to treat Xiao Tengfei's wounds.
Just then, Xiao Liufu, who had been conversing with Ye Zixiao, suddenly retreated a few steps. Xiao Qizhou, Xiao Tengfei's father, with a sinister expression, stepped forward again.
"What, still not convinced?"
Lin Bin once again stepped forward to speak.
Xiao Qizhou glared at Lin Bin, then turned to Ye Zixiao and said, "The money is here, but I don't think you'll live to take it with you. Ye Zixiao, you've truly provoked someone you can't afford to offend."
"I'm so scared!"
Ye Zixiao showed a look of contempt.
"Hehehe, Hahaha!"
Xiao Qizhou suddenly burst into wild laughter.
Suddenly, in the vast third floor of the unfinished building, dark figures emerged one after another from behind the black cement pillars, carrying knives and quickly converging on Xiao Qizhou.
At the same time.
Footsteps echoed from the first and second floors.
The entire unfinished building began to shake. In less than two minutes, at least a hundred people had appeared on the third floor, all of them hidden killers of the Xiao family, exuding an intense killing intent.
Lin Bin stopped his taunting.
Ye Zixiao said nothing.
Leng Shao, seeing himself surrounded by the Xiao family, was initially surprised, but then a smile appeared on his face? It wasn't a smug smile, but a genuine, hearty laugh.
"What, going back on your word?"
Leng Shao once again spoke on behalf of Ye Zixiao.
"You motherfucker!"
Xiao Qizhou's expression suddenly turned hostile. He pointed at Leng Shao's nose and cursed, "Whoever lives today, you won't. You damned piece of trash, I'll rip you apart with my own hands."
"Do you know where this is?"
Leng Shao arrogantly tilted his head and asked.
"Where it is, you'll still die!"
"Shit, this is Dabeimen."
"..."
Xiao Qizhou couldn't be bothered to respond to Leng Shao.
"Do you know what my nickname is?"
Leng Shao walked forward with extreme arrogance. Without waiting for Xiao Qizhou to answer, he answered himself, "In this area of Dabeimen, I, Leng Shao, am universally recognized as the number one ruthless individual!"