All living beings wear many faces.
Some congratulations were genuine; some were false.
Because there was always that small handful of demons who couldn’t stand to see their own kind doing well.
Take the eldest Ye Gongqiang and the fourth Ye Song and fifth Ye Man, for example.
Cultivating Savage Bear Technique 2.0 had boosted all three of them markedly.
But seeing Ye Xiang riding high left them extremely displeased.
A clan’s long-time doormat suddenly turning into a prize?
Unbearable.
“So what if his son accidentally cobbled together a manual? What’s the big deal?”
Ye Song and Ye Man gossiped behind Ye Xiang’s back more than a little.
Ye Gongqiang didn’t voice an opinion, but the gloom in his eyes only deepened.
As the eldest of the family and a city guard of Jianyao City,
Ye Gongqiang had always been the model the brothers learned from, and he cut quite a figure outside.
The way his brothers looked at him had always held just one word: admiration.
All of that had changed two years ago.
Now they all clustered around Ye Xiang, not even sparing their usual big brother a glance.
For the prideful Ye Gongqiang, it was a humiliation.
“I will not allow anyone in this family to steal more limelight than me.”
That was Ye Gongqiang’s life motto.
Yet before he could think up a way to suppress Ye Xiang,
the new City Lord of Jianyao City summoned him.
The reason was simple: Ye Gongqiang’s power had risen too quickly of late—too conspicuous to ignore.
So he was called in to explain.
Ye Gongqiang was delighted and immediately produced the Savage Bear Technique 2.0 manual.
He said it was a refinement by his own nephew—“a little qilin genius of our house!”
The new City Lord glanced over the manual and instantly discerned it was Heaven-tier.
“To raise a mere Mortal-tier manual to Heaven-tier—your nephew is a talent. Since he’s a talent, why tell me? Do you not know my favorite pastime is eating geniuses?”
Ye Gongqiang replied at once that, in his heart, the City Lord mattered more than family; for the City Lord he was willing to give everything.
Hearing this, the new City Lord was very pleased, and promised that if Ye Gongqiang brought the nephew in, he would seat him as Commander of the City Guard and grant him manuals and immortal pills.
Ye Gongqiang was overjoyed.
Rich as the reward was, what he wanted even more was to see Ye Xiang thrown back to the bottom.
Trash belongs under others’ feet—that’s the best place for it.
Leaving the City Lord’s manor, Ye Gongqiang immediately contacted his brothers Ye Song and Ye Man,
told them the City Lord wanted Ye Yu,
and promised that once he became Guard Commander, he’d open the back door for them to join the Jianyao City Guard as well.
Ye Man and Ye Song agreed on the spot.
That very day, the three began writing to Ye Xiang, inviting him to bring his wife to Jianyao City for a few days of fun.
At their brothers’ invitation, Ye Xiang and Xiao Wen didn’t refuse.
They never expected it to be a trap.
Once they arrived, Ye Gongqiang locked them up, tortured them, and ordered them to lure Ye Yu over.
But the couple were both iron-willed.
“They can kill us, but we will never let Ye Yu fall into danger.”
And so the scene just now had come to pass.
After reading through Ye Gongqiang’s memories, Ye Yu couldn’t help but sigh.
Over jealousy alone, he’d cast aside brotherhood and even wanted to kill his own nephew with a borrowed knife.
Truly despicable.
Cough, cough, cough!
A harsh bout of coughing sounded.
Ye Yu looked down to see Ye Gongqiang bracing himself on one hand, suffering the backlash of Soul Search.
That art was a forbidden technique; a small misstep could turn a person into an idiot.
But Ye Yu didn’t own shelves of ancient manuals. If he died, he died.
If he didn’t die—time to make use of the trash.
Ye Yu set his foot on Ye Gongqiang’s head and said softly, “You. Call the City Lord of Jianyao City here.”
At that, Ye Gongqiang could hardly believe his ears.
“W-what did you say?”
Ye Yu, patient as stone, repeated himself.
“You. Go summon the City Lord of Jianyao City. I’ll be waiting here.”
He lifted his right foot, restoring Ye Gongqiang’s freedom,
and told Ye Xiang to go rescue his mother, Xiao Wen, and get her out of the dungeon.
The look Ye Gongqiang gave Ye Yu was full of astonishment.
At this moment, he had only one thought: the kid had lost his mind.
Did he really think himself invincible?
A bear who’d cultivated barely over thirty years—perhaps a one-in-ten-thousand genius,
but no matter how gifted, impossible to be a match for the City Lord.
Arrogant beyond belief.
Still, that was fine.
If he wanted to die, why stop him?
Ye Gongqiang took out a Communication Stone and shouted, “My esteemed City Lord, my good nephew has returned! He’s here with me—come quickly!”
With that, he crushed the stone in his hand and steeled himself to die.
How could a cruel uncle who’d harmed his parents possibly be spared?
When Ye Song and Ye Man died, Ye Gongqiang already knew he wouldn’t live.
He even thought Ye Yu’s order to summon the City Lord was just an excuse to kill him.
No matter. As long as I pass ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) the message on, it’s worth dying now.
I’ll trade my life for a genius.
But the scene Ye Gongqiang imagined didn’t happen.
Ye Yu simply stood there, looking at him with a playful gaze.
Ye Gongqiang couldn’t help widening his eyes. “You’re not going to kill me? What are you waiting for?”
“You’ll die, but don’t rush it. After the City Lord you worship as a god is dead, then you can go.”
Ye Yu’s voice was quiet—and very serious.
It sent Ye Gongqiang into gales of laughter.
“Mad. You must be mad!”
“You actually mean to kill the City Lord? You’ve no idea what you’re saying!”
“The moment the City Lord arrives is the moment you die!”
Ye Yu only chuckled at the taunts and paid them no mind.
Just then, Ye Xiang came up from the dungeon with Xiao Wen.
They too urged Ye Yu to leave at once.
But he looked up at the sky and said mildly, “He’s here.”
The next second, a gale rose.
