Chapter 233: Chapter 233: Refuse to Admit Even in Death _1
"Master?" Lin Bingqing’s eyes widened, the tears on her face not yet dry as she rushed over.
She had thought that both Ye Ming and Master Long had perished, convinced that her backbone was gone for good, but to her surprise, Ye Ming had reappeared.
Xia Ningning hurriedly wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes, fearing that Ye Ming would notice, and feigned indifference on the surface, although internally she was very happy.
"Now that you’re alright, I can explain things to Le Le!"
But little did she know, her expression had already given her away.
The onlookers exhibited looks of disbelief, staring intently at Ye Ming, thinking it was an illusion or perhaps Ye Ming’s spirit had appeared.
However, as soon as they heard the real, unmistakable sound of Ye Ming’s footsteps, they believed.
"Damn it, it’s really infuriating, why is he still alive?"
"And he seems to be doing quite well at that!"
Wang Hong’s back teeth were nearly crushed from gritting, wishing he could charge forward and fight to the death then and there.
But helplessly, his body was full of injuries, making it impossible for him to fight, and in his frustration, he immediately ordered his fellow disciples to attack, shouting, "Go, kill that bastard Ye Ming for me!"
Long Zaitian’s disciples aligned themselves in front of Ye Ming, beginning to cast a variety of spells.
In an instant, chaos ensued at the scene once more.
But at that moment, Ye Ming was fearless.
After his battle with Long Zaitian, he had completely ascended to the status of an Earth Rank Fighter, and his use of Protective Gang Qi had reached a level of unrivaled mastery—such little tricks couldn’t harm him at all.
Instead, Ye Ming resolved them with ease.
In the blink of an eye, all of Long Zaitian’s disciples lay on the ground, effortlessly taken care of by Ye Ming.
Everyone stepped back, their hearts filled with astonishment.
Could it be that today, not only would the Zhang Family face a crushing defeat, but even Long Zaitian’s disciples would be entirely vanquished by Ye Ming?
If that were the case, then Ningjiang City would have to reshuffle its cards.
The number one family, the top sect, all fell at the hands of Ye Ming; Ningjiang City would likely have only one voice that mattered—Ye Ming’s.
Just when Long Zaitian’s disciples were preparing to make a desperate joint attack, a shout suddenly rang out, "Everyone, stop!"
At these words, the disciples froze on the spot and quickly knelt down, shouting in unison, "Master!"
The owner of the voice was none other than Long Zaitian.
Long Zaitian’s entrance was vastly different from Ye Ming’s.
He crawled out from the soil in a completely bedraggled state, his body covered with wounds, his face filled with dust, and even his hair was disheveled over his face—an utter mess.
Yet, there was not a trace of anger on his face.
He approached Ye Ming with great respect, cupped his hands in a salute, and said, "Thank you, Little Friend Ye, for showing mercy and sparing this old man’s life!"
"You are truly a noble person; it was my shortsightedness!"
His sudden change in attitude left everyone even more baffled.
Little did they know that, at the critical moment just before, it was Ye Ming who had shown mercy. Not only had he refrained from killing Long Zaitian outright, but he had also lent Long Zaitian a stream of True Qi, allowing him to escape from disaster and survive.
"Master Long, this... what exactly is going on?" Zhang Lijun’s face was filled with disbelief. Even if he racked his brain, he couldn’t have imagined that the esteemed Master Long would show such respect toward Ye Ming.
Long Zaitian gave an embarrassed smile, sighed and said, "After all, I’m old, and just now in that move, I used up all of the True Qi in my body, even part of my Life Essence, yet I still was no match!"
"If it hadn’t been for Little Friend Ye showing mercy, and even helping me block a boulder, I’m afraid I would have been buried alive in this deep pit."
As he spoke, Long Zaitian’s face was filled with gratitude, showing deep respect for Ye Ming from the bottom of his heart.
"In today’s battle, I have lost thoroughly convinced in both heart and speech, Little Friend Ye, it is you who have won!"
Long Zaitian cupped his hands toward Ye Ming and said very humbly.
Then, he turned his head and said to Zhang Lijun, "Mr. Zhang, today I’ve exhausted all my strength and still wasn’t a match. I’m unable to return the favor you did for me, I’m sorry!"
The once most powerful figure in Ningjiang City, now severely injured by Ye Ming, had his pride thoroughly shattered.
He had lost not only the battle but also his spirit. His admiration for Ye Ming was unimaginable.
Long Zaitian’s disciples all hung their heads. Although Wang Hong was so angry he clenched his teeth, he did not dare to utter another word at this moment. With their own master admitting defeat, what right did they have to challenge Ye Ming? All they could do was remain silent.
The crowd present no longer dared to be dissatisfied, sending Ye Ming looks of respect. They also unconsciously distanced themselves from Zhang Lijun, indicating they had no association with him.
Once the situation settled down, Ye Ming took a couple of breaths, his eyes piercing as he stared at Zhang Lijun.
He slowly began to speak, "Zhang Lijun, you’ve lost. Isn’t it time to keep your promise?"
Zhang Lijun’s face turned ashen, trembling with rage.
It took him a long while to calm down and then he said very magnanimously, "I admit I’ve lost. The ten billion I promised to pay tenfold, I’ll get it to you as soon as possible. We can afford to lose!"
His appearance of generous concession might fool anyone unaware of the real situation into thinking he was someone who could afford to lose.
But Ye Ming just laughed and asked, "Zhang Lijun, you’re quite the actor, feigning ignorance!"
"I remember the wager you proposed wasn’t just ten billion. It was everything the Zhang Family owns, right?"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Lijun instantly clenched his fists tightly and said venomously, "Ye Ming, leave some leeway in your actions so that we can meet on good terms in the future. Don’t go too far!"
"You will regret this eventually!"
Ye Ming raised an eyebrow and said unhurriedly, "Big talk. Have you, the Zhang family, ever considered leaving room for me? Back at your home, you didn’t plan on letting me off easily!"
"If I weren’t strong enough and you couldn’t handle me, I might very well be bankrupted by you lot now!"
"A bet’s a bet, and accepting defeat gracefully is what a man should do. Since you’re thinking of reneging on your word, naturally, I have ways to deal with you!"
"If you don’t want to pay, I’ll just take it myself! Do you think there’s anyone in Ningjiang City who would still stand up for you, who would intervene on your behalf, or who could even stop me?"
Shaking with anger, Zhang Lijun pointed at Ye Ming and cursed, "How dare you! Ye Ming, if you behave inhumanely today, don’t blame the Zhang Family for turning against you!"
"If you push me too far, I’m capable of anything! You better watch out!"
