Chapter 107: Ye Liang's Betrayal: Unveiling Dark Ambitions, Black Robes and Chaos

Long Shin watched with amusement as the situation spiraled out of control. He had anticipated that Ye Liang would not sit idly by and accept his father's decision to cripple Ye Hao. The older man had underestimated the pride of his son and daughter-in-law. However, Long Shin had not expected them to go to such lengths.

"You dare threaten me with force in my own home?" Ye Mo shouted, his anger boiling over. "Guards, seize them!"

But the guards did not move. They had all been bought off by Ye Liang, who had spent a fortune to ensure their loyalty. Ye Mo's eyes widened in shock as he realized what was happening. He was surrounded by enemies, his own family turned against him.

"Father, you're no longer fit to lead this family," Ye Liang declared, his voice cold and resolute. "We will take over from here."

Long Shin watched the scene unfold with interest. He had not expected the situation to escalate.

"Y-you mean to kill our own father just because I was going to punish Ye Hao for his mistakes?" stammered Ye Mo, looking at his eldest son with a pale face.

Ye Liang sneered in response, "Father, do you really think that little Ye Hao has the authority to summon family experts like this? Did you even think of how these people would respond to him?"

Suddenly it occurred to Ye Mo that while Ye Hao may have been made young master and heir, respect for his position was no guarantee of the power to call on the family's experts.

Ye Mo's face drained of all color as he looked at his usually obedient son, now insensitively jeering at him. "Don't tell me it was you..." he struggled to say, and coughed out a mouthful of blood.

"Father!" Ye Zeng and his wife, along with the other experts nearby, rushed over to help support Ye Mo. The still-loyal experts formed a tight circle around him, protecting him from the traitors they ones considered comrades.

Ye Liang only sneered at his father's suffering, showing no signs of familial compassion in his eyes. "That's right," he claimed proudly. "It was I who ordered them. You were always so courageous - killing and destroying anyone who stood in the way of the Ye family. That's what made the YE family one of Rivertown's Hegemons." He paused for a second before continuing sadly. "But after our family became a governing Hegemony you stopped trying to further expand us. You said it was 'too dangerous' for us to reach out anymore."

He glared at Ye Mo with contempt as he said "Whenever I would suggest expanding our family's influence, you'd ignore me. I figured your bright and glorious days were over, and I knew I didn't want to remain just another anonymous Cultivation Family leader in a small town. Thankfully, I met some people willing to help me find a way to increase the Ye Family's reach."

He then flashed a scowl at Liu Minger and continued, "I had a deal with someone of great power- all I had to do was deliver this girl and I would be taking a massive step forward. I had arranged everything, even sending Xiao Hao and some fellow family members to bring her here. However, here you are again, blocking my progress."

Ye Liang's eyes were filled with bloodshot rage as if he was looking at some powerful enemy rather than his own father. "Every time, without fail, whenever I'm working towards something important you become an obstacle- an impediment in my way. It happened yet again today. Once I heard your call for us to gather here, I knew that you'd try to stop me." His gaze had become wild with fury "When I realized you didn't know the consequences of your actions, I tried to dissuade you; it was the last bit of filial respect I could offer as your son. Yet, still, you chose to put my only child at risk - and make it so they would suffer."

"It is time for you to die, father. I will make sure that the Ye family will rise to greatness and no longer be another forgotten cultivation family in this small city," he declared as if deciding the fate of Ye Mo.

Ye Zeng had had enough. "Brother, cease this foolishness immediately," he shouted at Ye Liang. But the older man was unfazed and confidently responded, "Ahh, look how loyal you are to this old man despite his age. You still dare to support him, huh?"

Ye Liang's expression grew icy as his younger brother denounced his plans as foolishness. "Foolishness? Is that what you call my dreams? I gave the old man a lot of opportunities to negotiate, but he just wouldn't listen. What else could I do besides killing him altogether?"

Ye Zeng was growing furious. "Brother, do you know much of the power that lies outside this city? Father was only trying to protect us. If we were to extend beyond our current strength, there is no doubt that we would be obliterated."

Ye Liang scoffed at his younger sibling, this was the response Ye Mo always provided him whenever he mentioned anything about amplifying the Ye family. "It's useless to talk to people who lack comprehension of my dreams and ambitions. When you all perish, I will make the Ye family stronger than ever before, I will take them to conquer and acquire more resources."

He commanded his men without emotion to "Take them out!" and crossed his arms, ready to watch their handiwork.

Yells of terror overpowered the tranquil atmosphere of the green garden, as members of the Ye family bellowed their battle cries. Ye Zeng protected Ye Mo and his wife from the onslaught of oncoming attacks. 'What a strange twist of fate--my own family now fighting me!' he thought to himself, his expression never changing. Not wanting to wait around for them to attack him, he sounded out his own war cry so loud that it made the nearest experts flinch, giving him the chance to strike first.

He used his cultivation of intermediate Black-Iron rank Magister and pushed out a an energy wave, sending several of the Ye family experts to the ground. Simultaneously he jumped in mid air, using his agility and force to take down three other attackers with powerful kicks and punches.

The remaining few loyal members of the Ye Family followed suit, fighting with precision and skill against their own family members. They managed to successfully knock out a few of their opponents in mere seconds.

Ye Zeng thought about how this was the only way he could protect his father's legacy; there was no room for negotiation anymore. He knew that if they were to survive this battle, he would have to fight even harder than before…

Ye Hao and Ye Liang's wife, stood watching the battle unfold, there faces a mask of excitement mixed with fear. Sun Xifeng sneered at Ye Zeng's futile struggle.

"Brother-in-law! What have you done?! How could you do this to our own family?!" Zou Qingzhao on the other hand cried, Ye Zeng was shielding her yet she still felt fear, her body trembling in despair.

Zuo Qingzhao and Sun Xifeng had come from families with cultivation backgrounds, yet their cultivation levels had been capped at the second or third layer of the Black-Iron rank due to limited resources. Their families were even weaker than the great ones, and they had only ever cultivated - they hadn't experienced battle. People like them were just flowers in the backyard - no different from ordinary people besides their cultivation abilities. So when it seemed as though Sun Xifeng could die the next moment, Zuo Qingzhao was scared out of her wits.

The members loyal to Ye Mo were soon outnumbered and exhausted from defending themselves against the relentless onslaught of their own kin. But still they fought on, determined not to give up until they had proven themselves or been defeated by their own kin.

"Do you take me for dead already "At the critical moment, Ye Mo stands up from his kneeling position and unleashes a powerful energy wave. His power as a peak Black-Iron rank Magister was enough to suppress everyone on the scene and make them all take a step back before him in awe. His cultivation level allowed him to strike fear into the hearts of everyone.

Though Ye Mo was the only one present, his cultivation of peak Black-Iron rank caused everyone from the Ye family to retreat. Most of them were at initial levels, with a handful of elders at intermediate layers of the same rank; however, none could contend against Ye Mo who had reached the Peak level.

Every layer carried immense power compared to its predecessor.

A group of Initial and Intermediate layered Magisters would stand no chance against a strong one such as Ye Mo.

His oppressive aura weighed heavily on each member of the Ye family, even Sun Xifeng, Ye Hao, and Ye Liang were particularly affected by the pressure; Ye Mo focused mostly on these three, leaving them feeling a great sense of discomfort.

The only exceptions to this scene were Long Shin, Liu Minger, and Cha Ying. Long Shin's initial layers of Black-Iron had allowed him to easily overpower both Ye Mo and Han Yong with just a glance previously let alone now. As for Liu Minger and Cha Ying, they were sheltered by Long Shin's own aura, which mitigated Ye Mo's suppression over them.

Ye Mo glared at his eldest son and declared, "You are on the brink of being ostracized from the Ye family—me, you, your wife, and your son. I will be sure to make it happen."

He then shifted his attention to the other people present from the Ye family and warned them, "If you cease your activities now, I might just let you off lightly. But if you don't, expect severe repercussions."

It had to be said that Ye Mo possessed a huge amount of prestige in the Ye family, after hearing his words some of the experts from the Ye family began to have second thoughts.

Ye Liang could almost hear their internal reservations, his intense gaze sweeping over the crowd. "Remember our agreement—if we take out this notorious old crook, a brighter future awaits us and the Ye family will be able to step onto the bigger stage. Do you all want to stay stagnant in your current cultivation levels, or do you want to gain more resources and work towards achieving greater heights?"

His words were like fuel that stoked the fire in everyone's hearts; despite being restrained by Ye Mo's intimidating aura, the experts of the Ye family still rallied around him for battle.

Ye Mo sighed as he realized everyone had come to a decision. "Well then," he said, his voice rising with determination. "I will have to clean up my family's mess that has been accumulating for years." His aura reached its highest level as he spoke.

The power of a Peak Black-Iron rank Magister was fully unleashed as he waved his hands, sending intense waves of energy through the air.

Each wave of energy became increasingly more destructive, and wreaked havoc on the environment around them. The private booth they were in was completely destroyed, and Ye Mo's attack had even managed to damage nearby areas of the building. The whole building seemed to shake slightly from the force of his power.

It seemed like everyone in the room had suddenly become frozen; only Ye Mo moved freely, his presence dominating the area.

He strode forward with each step, as if he was a deity walking on top of clouds.

No one could stand up to his might; even the several intermediate layered elders and Ye Liang who had previously been intimidating forces to be reckoned with now felt insignificant in front of Ye Mo's power.

Ye Mo had made it obvious to everyone the disparities between someone at the Initial and Intermediate tiers of black iron rank Magister, and a person who has reached the peak of that same rank.

Ye Mo spoke, a slight tone of disbelief in his voice as he said, "I never imagined I'd have to use my abilities against my own family, against my own son". After it looked like no one could stop Ye Liang any longer, Ye Mo geared up to take away his life - yet something surprising occurred.

...

"Ahh, things are starting to get more interesting," Long Shin seemed to be getting a feeling as he gazed out the broken and battered walls, like he could see something beyond.

"What's up my love?" Liu Minger asked him, her voice containing a hint of exhaustion. She hadn't expected that a seemingly simple meeting which would take just a few dozen minutes would end in an internal struggle with one of the city's cultivation families—especially the renowned Ye family.

Long Shin smiled at the fatigued beauty. "Not much. No need to worry over small matters; it's just that things here will start to become more chaotic soon." he said as he fixed her hair that had gotten in the way.

'If this is what you consider small matters, I wonder what you'd call big matters,' Liu Minger thought to herself bitterly. Unbeknownst to her, if she had asked Long Shin instead of speaking inwardly, he'd have replied 'matters concerning you are important for me while anything that happens to others is insignificant.'

Long Shin and Liu Minger were in the middle of their conversation when an oppressive force filled the booth, then spread to consume the entire building. Everyone was taken aback, even Ye Mo who had been about to murder Ye Liang, stopping in his tracks.

BOOOM!

"Grip onto me!" Long Shin swiftly seized Liu Minger and Cha Ying in tender arms before diving away, skirting the location of the blow.

One of the walls of the private booth abruptly exploded, showering them with dust. The force within the booth was so strong that even Ye Mo was knocked back a few steps, along with several other experts from the Ye family.

Ye Mo seemed to be completely unfazed however; his internal thoughts were in disarray.

The intensity of the arrival made him take a few steps back. He looked around with a bright gaze, but all he saw was dust that had been stirred up by the shockwave. Nothing else seemed to be there.

The dust settled, and everyone saw an old man in black robes who appeared out of nowhere. He stood between Ye Mo and Ye Liang, his gaze cold.

"Who are you, why are you getting in between our family matters?" Ye Mo asked cautiously. The whole Ye family, including Ye Zeng, his wife, even Liu Minger and Cha Ying all watched the newcomer with serious expressions. Everyone knew one thing: this man was very powerful. His stare gave Ye Mo chills.

Ye Liang cleared his throat to get a grip on himself before bowing respectfully. "Greetings senior," he said.

The old man slightly nodded, then glanced around the room. His eyes stopped on Long Shin for a moment due to how level-headed he remained despite seeing him.

'Strange,' he thought. 'I can't sense any mana from him; is he just a normal person?' Even though Long Shin piqued his interest, he didn't think much about it since his lack of mana indicated that he wasn't even a Magister.

"Senior as i said, i have brought my father, the last obstacle in our path of controlling the whole Ye family" Ye Liang spoke with utmost respect.

Ye Mo and the others felt like their heads were spinning while the old man praised them. His eyes settled on Ye Mo as he said, "With you gone, my Demon Heart sect will be one step closer to fully dominating this city."

Ye Mo's eyes narrowed as he listened to the old man. He had heard of the Demon Heart sect before, they were known for their ruthless tactics and their insatiable thirst for power and blood. He knew that if they were allowed to take control of the city, innocent lives would be lost and chaos would reign supreme.

"How could you do this? You've gone and joined the demonic sect!" Ye Mo pointed fiercely at his eldest son, unable to even look him in the eye. Defection to the demonic sect was an unforgivable crime in their community, one that was cultivated through unorthodox methods.

Ye Liang coldly snorted in response, a glimmer of amusement in his eyes as he regarded his father's surprise. "You didn't see this coming, did you father?" He found it funny how his father had been about to kill him just moments ago, only to be shocked by his decision.

Ye Mo was full of rage, his cultivation base in full force and the aura of his realm encompassing all. "You--I will kill you here to make up for my mistake of giving you a chance to be born in this world!" he declared. Then, an icy snort sounded from a source even more powerful than Ye Mo's. A tremendous pressure filled the private booth.

The elderly man in his dark robe sneered at Ye Mo, "Do you really think you'll be able to lay a finger on him while I'm still here?" As if his cultivation of a peak rank black iron magister meant nothing to the old man.

"Hmph, don't think that you can stand in my way when it comes to killing this ungrateful wretch," Ye Mo fumed as he saw that someone with no connection to his family was trying to stop him from going after Ye Liang. "Take this, you Demonic Sect scoundrel Mountain Fist!" With that, Ye Mo attacked without hesitation.

Ye Mo clenched his right fist and threw a punch at the old man. The air within the booth vibrated heavily with the force of Ye Mo's attack.

The aged figure in the black robe smirked, "Hmp, cheap tricks," before retaliating by thrusting forth his palms towards Ye Mo's fist.

His mana was gathered and the energy that he had summoned nearly reached half a meter long as it flew across to meet Ye Mo's punch.

KABOOM!!!

The impact of Ye Mo's fist and the black robed old man's palm energy created a deafening explosion. Suddenly, a figure was sent flying backwards, coughing up blood.

"Father!" Ye Zeng shouted, realizing that his father had lost the battle.

"I'm okay," Ye Mo said as he wiped away the trickle of blood from his lips. He then looked over at the man in black robes who still hadn't moved an inch away from his spot.

'He must have an advanced technique and cultivation level,' thought Ye Mo in horror as he felt the energy that the mysterious figure had released. Judging from the sheer strength, Ye Mo believed it was at least on par with a half step BRONZE rank magister if not higher.

'This is terrible, he has barely made it to half step BRONZE rank,' BRONZE rank, a rank that so many magisters in the city aspired to reach. After getting to the highest level of the black-iron rank, Ye Mo and his peers were stuck in their current standing unless something happened. Throughout the entire city there was only one known BRONZE ranking magister, the recently appointed leader of the martial suppressers Tian Nuying.

Though not as strong as a true BRONZE magister, those who have taken a half step in the BRONZE rank can be considered almost at that level.

Their power and magical essence surpass all of those in the Black Iron rank, but still are below that of a true BRONZE rank.

Not even the great hegemonic families of the city had any known half step BRONZE rank magisters.

This made the black robed old man's abilities even more alarming.

Ye Mo felt suppressed by the might of the black robed old man. Ye Mo tried a few different techniques but none of them were able to get past his defenses. 

No matter how he fought, the old man dressed in black robes would only utilize the same peculiar palm move. Not only did this technique nullify all of his strikes, it also caused harm to his own body.

At this rate, things looked grim for Ye Mo and everyone could feel a sense of worry as they watched the fight progress. Even Ye Zeng had no idea what to do, holding on to hope that his father would find a way out of this mess. 

"Hugh!" Ye Mo was completely spent after fighting the black-robed old man. Blood seeped from his mouth as he panted in exhaustion, while the black-robed man seemed to remain unscathed. It was clear that the elder had held back during the fight. 

"The very thought you would be able to injure me or even stood a chance is laughable," he spoke with a sense of calmness, like the result of their battle was already chosen. He wasn't wrong either; it was obvious Ye Mo wouldn't be able to fight anymore.

The old man in black robes lifted his hand and a light gray aura began to accumulate around his palm. "That's enough playing," he declared. "Let's finish this; after I kill all of you, my demon heart sect will finally get control over a piece of this city." Suddenly, he was gone, appearing right beside Ye Mo.

""Father!!!""

"Old Master look out!!!"

Ye Zeng and his wife, along with the loyal members of the Ye family, were horrified by what they saw. If their master was attacked, he would surely perish. 

Meanwhile, some people were overjoyed at what seemed like the end of their troubles and the impending death of Ye Mo. His own son, Ye Liang, Sun Xifeng, and Ye Hao, were grinning from ear to ear. Even the experts in the Ye family who had decided to follow them were rejoicing that their leader appeared to be finished. 

Liu Minger, who was standing alongside Long Shin, covered her eyes tightly. She had become accustomed to witnessing violence and death but, given the situation in which half of Ye Mo's family seemed to take pleasure in his demise, she wasn't eager to watch it unfold. She had previously been fortunate enough to receive support from her own family and didn't want to witness such a tragedy with her own eyes.

Just as she was sure Ye Mo would meet his fate in the next second, a soft voice whispered to her "Don't worry, nothing will happen." She knew it was Long Shin who spoke, and wanted to turn towards him. But right before she could do that...

BOOM!!!

The old man in the black robe's attack shook their surroundings violently. A roaring echoed in their ears as his assault caused dust to rise up, and the objects around him couldn't handle the force of his onslaught.

When the smoke cleared, everyone heard Ye Liang and Sun Xifeng's disbelieving voices. "How can this be?" muttered the elder. "This...THIS CAN'T BE..." and "THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE..." they stammered, their faces filled with shock and disbelief.

  ...

Discord: https://discord.gg/QcV5Zj3Yda

Creation is hard, cheer me up!

I tagged this book, come and support me with a thumbs up!

Like it? Add to library!

Have some idea about my story? Comment it and let me know.