The news of Ye Bufan's reappearance in Jinhe City quickly spread across the internet. Unwilling martial artists rushed to his residence, Xiangshan Villa.
However, they found the villa empty. Ye Bufan had even left a note.
"See you in Huzhou."
Ye Bufan's departure from Jinhe and heading to Huzhou had a clear objective: the Yue family.
As one of the families that had issued a martial world bounty on Ye Bufan, his intentions were obvious. Instantly, martial lords who had come to Jinhe for nothing, now rushed to Huzhou.
The online world was already in an uproar over Ye Bufan. Some believed he was no match for the Yue family alone, while others argued that although the Yue family was a top-tier family, they lacked the formidable power of families in the capital, where each had several Martial Saints, and rumor had it that the Nangong family even had a Grand Martial Saint.
"I think he's going to Huzhou to die. I'll be waiting to collect his corpse."
"Ye Bufan, you are my god! I believe Ye Bufan will succeed. Look at what happened on Cangyun Mountain; nothing is impossible."
"Oh, come on. Cangyun Mountain? Ye Bufan must have set a trap. How could he have killed so many people by himself? Moreover, he even fought a Martial Saint. Even if he's a Martial Saint, he should be injured at least?"
"I agree with the previous point. Such a young Martial Saint, I have to admit his talent is extraordinary, but the foundation of a top-tier family is not something he can shake alone."
"Keep being salty. Someone already went to Cangyun Mountain to check. There were no traps or mechanisms. Stop deceiving yourselves."
"Those who say Ye Bufan can't shake them, why don't you think about it? Who could be behind someone who can cultivate such a young Martial Saint?"
Meanwhile, in Huzhou, at the Yue family.
Since the news of the deaths of Yue Zhengyun, Yue Zhuoying, and Yue Yangshuo reached them, the Yue family had descended into chaos.
When Yue Zhuoying was alive, the Yue family had a visible head of the family, which allowed for a semblance of tolerance. However, behind the scenes, there were still petty squabbles.
Now, with the deaths of Yue Zhuoying and Yue Zhengyun, everyone's ambitions surfaced. They fought tooth and nail for the position of family head, creating an opportunity for Jin Yuchen. Under Jin Yuchen's manipulation, nearly one-third of the Yue family's assets were swallowed up by the internet technology giants he had cultivated in Huzhou.
By the time the Yue family realized what was happening, they understood that someone was plotting against them.
Consequently, the internal conflict within the Yue family ceased. They united against an external threat, deciding to target Ye Bufan.
Later, when the third sons of the Jin family patriarch were killed, the Yue family seized this opportunity, joining forces with the Jin family to issue a martial world bounty, intending to put Ye Bufan to death.
"Could this Ye Bufan be heading towards our Yue family?" asked Yue Zhuoqi, the third son of Yue Zhengyun.
"Hmph! What are you afraid of? If he comes, that's good. He'll have no way to return," said Yue Zhaohao, the eldest son of Yue Zhengyun.
"But judging by the discussions online, this Ye Bufan isn't a Martial Saint himself. He must have at least one Martial Saint-level expert behind him," interjected the fourth son, Yue Zhuoya.
"So what if he has a Martial Saint? Do we lack Martial Saints? The martial world bounty has already been issued; where are the Martial Saints? Killing a Martial Saint on Cangyun Mountain in Jinhe doesn't prove anything," Yue Zhaohao scoffed.
"I believe the most pressing matter right now is to select a family head for the Yue family," said Yue Zhuoya. "The Yue family has suffered heavy losses, and there's the threat of Ye Bufan. We need someone to lead us."
"Agreed," Yue Zhuoya quickly chimed in. "But regarding the position of family head, none of us will yield to the other. If this continues, other forces will take advantage of us. The Yue family has already suffered greatly; we cannot go through this again."
"How about this: whoever can resolve the issue of Ye Bufan will become the family head," proposed Yue Zhaohao.
"Ye Bufan's matter doesn't prove everything. If we're going to compete, let's compete on who can restore the Yue family's vitality and reclaim all the lost assets," said Yue Zhuoya, his eyes darting around.
"I agree," Yue Zhuoqi agreed without a second thought.
"I agree too. The minority obeys the majority," Yue Zhuoya turned to Yue Zhaohao. "Brother, you have no objections, right?"
Yue Zhaohao's face darkened as he looked at Yue Zhuoya and Yue Zhuoqi. Among his brothers, Yue Zhaohao was not adept at business. Clearly, the other two intended to sideline him.
"Fine! No objections. How could I have any objections?" Yue Zhaohao replied sarcastically, his mind constantly strategizing.
While the internet was ablaze with arguments about Ye Bufan, he was getting closer and closer to Huzhou.
This was Ye Bufan's second time in Huzhou. As soon as he disembarked, he noticed people pointing at him and even taking photos with their phones.
"Looks like I don't need to find a way to notify them."
Ye Bufan smiled slightly. He had originally planned to ask Jin Yuchen to help spread news of his whereabouts in Huzhou, but now, someone else was already doing it.
"Move, move!"
As Ye Bufan stepped out of the airport, he heard a girl's voice from behind him. Ye Bufan turned to see her waving at him.
*Bang—*
The girl collided with Ye Bufan, and then several men in black emerged, surrounding them.
"Still trying to run after owing money?" the leader of the men in black asked with a lecherous grin.
"Your interest rates are too high. You didn't tell me they'd be this high," the girl protested. "This is illegal. I can call the police."
"Heh! Call the police? You have the nerve to call the police?" the man in black sneered. "Either pay up today, or come with us."
"I really don't have the money. You know my situation; my parents are in the hospital," the girl said with distress.
Ye Bufan got up, not wanting to interfere. Unexpectedly, as he was about to stand, he was forcibly pushed down by the men in black.
"Huh?" Ye Bufan looked at them, confused.
The girl looked at Ye Bufan, her mind racing. She turned to the men in black and said, "Brother, look, my brother is here too. Can we talk this through properly?"
Ye Bufan couldn't believe his ears. He looked at the girl, who gave him a pleading look.
"That's perfect. Let's settle old and new debts together," the man in black said without hesitation, pushing Ye Bufan and trying to force him to the ground.
"I'll give you two seconds to let me go, or you'll regret it," Ye Bufan said, his brow furrowed.
"Hahahahaha, I didn't hear..."
*Bang—* Before he could finish speaking, the leader of the men in black found himself suspended in mid-air, before crashing into the wall behind him.