The Zhao Family Compound
The Zhao family compound stood like a palace within Qinghe City.
At its entrance lay a magnificent courtyard paved with polished silver tiles that shimmered beneath the daylight. Towering on either side of the massive gate were two imposing statues—wolves and lions forged from pure bronze, their fierce expressions carved with astonishing detail.
The gates stood wide open.
Yet not a single guard could be seen.
Despite that, no one dared approach within five hundred meters of the compound—especially women. The place had long since gained the reputation of being a forbidden zone.
Beyond the gate, the inner residence was even more extravagant.
Tables and chairs were crafted from pure gold. Bowls and wine jugs were made from finely polished jade mixed with silver. Every corner radiated obscene wealth.
If an outsider wandered inside, they might believe they had accidentally entered the personal chambers of the Emperor of Tianwu.
At the center of the room stood an enormous bed carved from century-old oak wood. Draped across it were sheets woven from rare exotic silk spider thread—soft, smooth, and worth a small fortune.
Reclining lazily atop the bed was a middle-aged man with a curled mustache and an extremely lewd smile.
His head rested comfortably upon the pale, soft thighs of a young woman.
Surrounding him were several other women.
Some massaged his shoulders.
Some kneaded his thighs.
Others rubbed his feet with delicate care.
A few fed him grapes one by one, while others constantly refilled his wine cup.
All of them wore revealing garments—thin silks that clung tightly to their bodies and left little to the imagination.
None of the women could be described as beauty capable of toppling kingdoms, yet each of them was still considered a goddess by countless men within the city. Many of them had numerous admirers and suitors.
Yet here they were now, practically half-naked, competing desperately to serve a single man.
If the men who worshiped them witnessed this scene, they would probably cough blood from sheer rage.
*The goddess I pursued with everything I had…*
*She wouldn't even spare me a glance.*
*And yet now she willingly dresses like this to serve another man.*
"Second Elder, are you comfortable?" one girl asked softly.
"Is Ming Ming serving you well?" another asked shyly.
"Mmm… yes."
The man spoke lazily, clearly enjoying himself.
"Press harder."
"Hiss… yes… a little faster."
"Good… good… Ming Ming is doing very well. Such a good girl."
Seeing him pay more attention to the girl supporting his head, the other women quickly grew anxious.
"What about me, Second Elder?" another asked hurriedly. "Are the grapes sweet?"
"And my wine, sir?" another added sweetly. "Is Xiao Mang's wine to your liking?"
Afraid of losing his favor, they all redoubled their efforts. Their voices grew softer, sweeter, more coquettish as they fought for his attention.
The man burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! You are all doing well!"
"Don't worry, little babies. As long as you make this elder satisfied, I will naturally help you solve your problems."
He waved his hand arrogantly.
"You should all know the power of my Zhao family by now. Your little family troubles are nothing to us."
His smile widened.
"More than that… if you serve me well enough, it is not impossible for this lord to keep you by my side and allow you to follow me toward the peak of martial arts."
His vanity swelled enormously as he watched the women fawn over him.
Whether he would truly fulfill those promises remained to be seen.
But the naive girls' eyes immediately lit up with excitement.
"Thank you, Elder! Ming Ming will serve you even better!"
"Yes, Elder is the greatest in the world!"
"It is only a matter of time before Elder becomes a Martial Saint and overlooks the entire world!"
"Hahahahaha!"
Zhao Chen laughed loudly, his chest swelling with pride at their praises.
The girls were about to intensify their efforts when suddenly—
"Elder!"
"Elder!"
Two urgent shouts rang out from outside the courtyard.
Before anyone could react, a man suddenly burst into the room.
The girls screamed in alarm and hurriedly grabbed their scattered clothes to cover themselves.
Zhao Chen's head slipped from the girl's soft thighs and landed instead on the silk sheets beneath him.
His expression immediately darkened.
Slowly, he sat up.
"Bold!"
His voice thundered through the room.
"Who allowed you to barge in here?!"
"Have I not already said that no one is to disturb me at any time?!"
A terrifying aura erupted from his body.
The intruding man instantly collapsed to his knees.
Under the crushing pressure, his bones creaked violently while his internal organs felt as though they were being squeezed apart.
"S-Second Elder… please calm down…" he gasped desperately.
"Calm your sister!"
Zhao Chen's eyes blazed with fury.
"It seems you are tired of living!"
With a casual wave of his hand, an arc of blazing fire-attributed Qi shot forward.
BOOM!
The man was blasted out of the room and sent flying across the courtyard.
Outside the doorway, another man who had followed froze in terror.
He had been about to rush in as well, but seeing his companion sent flying like a corpse instantly stopped him.
His entire body trembled.
"E-Elder… Elder Zhao Chen… we did not mean to interrupt you," he stammered. "But something bad has happened to the Third Elder!"
Zhao Chen's brows furrowed.
"The third child had an accident?"
His eyes sharpened instantly.
"Speak."
Internally, however, he sneered.
*Zhao Lee… that useless fool.*
*He couldn't even deal with a mere Lin family.*
But outwardly his face turned cold.
"I… I do not know the exact details," the man said nervously. "But the emergency flare talisman given to the Third Elder has been activated."
Zhao Chen stepped out into the courtyard.
Sure enough, the sky in the direction of the Lin family estate was dyed red by the blazing flare.
"Hmph."
"What a bold Lin family… daring to touch my Zhao clan."
Suddenly he grabbed the trembling man by the throat and lifted him into the air.
"Gather the Zhao family army."
"If they cannot give me a reasonable explanation…"
His voice became icy.
"I do not mind making their entire clan disappear."
He flung the man aside like a piece of trash.
Then his body shot into the sky, flying toward the Lin family compound.
---
Meanwhile…
Lin Mu sighed heavily.
He already knew this matter would not end the way he had hoped.
Suddenly—
**BAM!**
A terrifying pressure descended upon the entire compound.
It was far stronger than Zhao Lee's earlier aura—so powerful it rivaled Lin Hai himself.
Everyone instinctively looked up.
Floating high in the air above the compound stood a single figure.
Zhao Chen had arrived.