Chapter 98: 98: Image Change
Wu Shiying was completely stunned by the sudden change in events. He couldn\'t believe what was happening. He had heard Ye Fei was a weakling, yet here he was, defeated without even a chance to fight back. What was the point of all his years of hard training?
The thought gnawed at him. However, when he heard Ye Fei\'s cold words, a fresh wave of terror washed over him. Was this man really going to kill him? Desperation seeped into his voice as he stammered, "Y..yo..you can\'t kill me!"
"Give me a reason not to," Ye Fei replied, his expression cold and unyielding.
"The Martial Alliance forbids warriors from killing one another!" Wu Shiying blurted, clinging to the only rule that might save his life.
But almost immediately, he realized that these people didn\'t seem to care much for the Martial Alliance, which was now controlled by his own Wu family.
Scrambling to find another reason, he added, "We don\'t have any personal enmity—this was just a misunderstanding. I came here with sincere intentions to cooperate."
"I don\'t care about that." Ye Fei\'s voice remained emotionless. "The moment you disrespected my mother, you sealed your fate. No one in this world is allowed to disrespect her."
Hearing her son\'s words, a wave of warmth filled Liu Yiru\'s heart, while Liu Fengyi cast an envious glance at her sister. No matter how much she, as an aunt, loved him, it was clear that no one could replace his mother in his heart. She quickly moved past her envy and said, "Xiaoman, we can\'t kill him right now. If you\'re angry, beat him or lock him up for a while."
Worried that her words might not be enough, she gave her sister a quick wink for support.
Liu Yiru, understanding the gravity of the situation, nodded. She knew that killing Wu Shiying would create an irreparable rift between their family and the Wu family, making Ye Fei their primary target for revenge.
Despite the confidence she had in her son after witnessing his strength, she couldn\'t help but worry about the consequences. "Your aunt is right, Xiaoman. We\'re a martial family, but we\'ve been focused on business and politics for years. Getting involved in the fighting of the martial world isn\'t a smart move for us."
But Ye Fei wasn\'t listening. He shook his head. "Mom, even if I let him go now, the Wu family won\'t stop coming for us. Besides, it\'s better to keep my strength hidden."
Wu Shiying, initially relieved when the Liu sisters seemed to plead for his life, was now filled with terror as he realized Ye Fei was resolute in his decision.
Desperately trying to save himself, he said, "I swear, I won\'t tell anyone what happened today! I can even frame this as an investigation into the Autumn Group. They have powerful backers, and we don\'t dare touch them."
"I\'m sorry, I don\'t believe you," Ye Fei said calmly, cutting him off. Without another word, he twisted his hand, and with a crisp "click," Wu Shiying\'s neck snapped. His head slumped to the side at an unnatural angle, and he stopped breathing.
Liu Yiru and Liu Fengyi were stunned, not expecting Ye Fei to kill him so decisively. Yet, beyond their surprise, they were also filled with a sense of pride.
Ye Fei\'s actions proved he had grown up—no longer the weak boy they once protected, but a decisive and formidable man. At their level, this kind of resolve wasn\'t seen as a flaw, but rather as a necessary quality for achieving greatness.
For Liu Yiru, in particular, her perception of her son shifted dramatically in that moment. He was no longer a child in need of her protection. Instead, he had become a man capable of shielding her from the storms of life. She felt an overwhelming sense of admiration and even a yearning to be held in his protective arms.
Ye Fei casually tossed Wu Shiying\'s lifeless body aside and sat down as if nothing had happened. Despite this being his first time killing someone, he was surprised by how calm he felt—there was no panic, no fear, just an eerie sense of tranquility. Perhaps his heritage had something to do with it.
The Liu sisters didn\'t so much as glance at Wu Shiying\'s corpse. They sat down next to Ye Fei, and Liu Yiru asked, "Xiaoman, now that we\'ve offended the Wu family, what should we do?"
Liu Fengyi, too, looked at him expectantly. Without realizing it, a subtle shift had occurred in their relationship. Both women, who had always been independent and capable, were now relying on Ye Fei.
No matter how strong a woman is, there is often an instinctual desire to depend on a man. Since their father\'s death, the sisters had no one to lean on, but now, with Ye Fei, they felt a familiar sense of security again, though it was different from what they felt with their father.
Ye Fei smiled slightly, not disappointing them. "From the way Wu Shiying behaved, it\'s clear the Wu family needs to be taught a lesson. We\'ll use his death to send them a warning. If they still don\'t back down, I won\'t hesitate to destroy them. After all, we have a more dangerous enemy lurking in the shadows, and we don\'t have the time or energy to deal with the Wu family."
"And how do you plan to handle this?" the sisters asked in unison. Their usual sharpness had faded, and they now deferred to Ye Fei in all matters, like fragile vases awaiting his decisions, atleast until he needs their intervention too.
Ye Fei knew it wasn\'t appropriate for him to handle this matter directly. Even if the Wu family was unpopular, he had been the one to kill one of their own. It wouldn\'t sit well with the martial world, and it could spark criticism from other warriors.
But this didn\'t trouble him; he had a solution. With a confident smile, he said, "We won\'t need to
worry about that. I\'ll leave it to my eldest brother."