bookbashuk Chapter 51 Doesn't he know who I am?
Chapter 51 Doesn't he know who I am?
Chapter 51 Doesn't he know who I am?
These words shocked the entire hall. The Obsidian Inspector was to be dismissed? This was no ordinary position; he was the head of the Dao Alliance's core oversight body, wielding immense power and influence. How could he be removed so easily with just a few words? Even if you were the new Alliance Leader, this was far too domineering and illogical.
The crowd exchanged bewildered glances, their hearts pounding, yet no one dared to voice their doubts at that moment.
Zhou Yi stopped looking at Xiao Wancheng, whose face had turned extremely ugly in an instant. His gaze turned to a man in the crowd with a handsome appearance and a closed vertical line between his eyebrows.
"You," he pointed at the person, "what's your name?"
The man who was called upon was taken aback, clearly not expecting the alliance leader to suddenly ask him. He quickly recovered, stepped forward, bowed, and said in a steady voice, "Reporting to the alliance leader, my name is Yang Yixun."
"Oh, Yang Yan's older brother." Zhou Yi nodded slightly, his tone casual as if he were chatting about family matters. "I've heard her mention you before."
Everyone's hearts stirred again; indeed, the relationship with the Yang family was quite close.
"From today onwards," Zhou Yi said, his tone leaving no room for doubt, "you will take over as Obsidian Inspector. You will be in charge of all affairs of the Dao Alliance's oversight body."
"Whoosh—"
'
Despite having a premonition, hearing Zhou Yi's blunt and almost childish appointment still caused a suppressed murmur of discontent in the hall.
Countless gazes, filled with complex emotions, fell upon Yang Yixun, then furtively glanced at the ashen-faced Xiao Wancheng, finally settling on Zhou Yi, who sat high in the main seat. Many people's eyelids twitched, inwardly grumbling: "We know you have a good relationship with the Yang family and are trying to promote your own people—but isn't this 'recommendation of the worthy without regard to kinship' a bit too blatant? At least do it discreetly, arrange it privately! The whole hall is watching!"
Yang Yixun was also stunned. He opened his mouth, looking at Zhou Yi's calm and expressionless face, and feeling the various gazes cast upon him from all around, he was momentarily at a loss for how to react. He was both amused and exasperated: Alliance Leader, can't we discuss your plans and deeper intentions in private? In front of everyone, you're putting me on the spot!
Xiao Wancheng was so angry that he trembled slightly, his face turning from pale to red, and then from red to white. He never expected that Zhou Yi would act so unpredictably, even disdaining to feign politeness with him, and directly stripping him of his position, which he had cultivated for many years, in front of everyone, as if brushing away a speck of dust! This was simply a blatant humiliation!
He wasn't really trying to cause trouble for Zhou Yi. After all... after all, the other party's strength was undeniable; who the hell wouldn't be afraid? He just wanted to go through the motions.
Isn't it just releasing monsters without permission?
What's the big deal?
I have a question.
You give a reply.
Then I added: "Oh, I see. I knew the Alliance Leader wouldn't release a monster without permission. Someone must be framing him."
Then I'll send the person who reported me right in front of you.
This is to give you, the new alliance leader, a way out. Both sides tacitly agree to let bygones be bygones regarding past unpleasantness with the Yang family, so that everyone can maintain appearances and avoid further conflict. After all, no matter how powerful you are, as a new alliance leader, you still need to consider the rules and reputation of the Dao Alliance, right? Even figures like Wang Quan Shou Zhuo and Dongfang Gu Yue used to show him some superficial respect as the Inspector.
He calculated the rules, the human relationships, and even the fact that the other party might need a reputation for "fair enforcement" to appease people.
But what he didn't expect was that the Book of Changes simply didn't care to follow the "rules" he believed in!
This is an "anomaly" who disregards so-called rules, procedures, and interpersonal relationships, and acts solely based on absolute strength and his own will!
Xiao Wancheng was completely trapped here. He had nowhere to go forward, and he would lose all face if he retreated. His lips moved, as if he wanted to say something to salvage the situation or at least maintain some dignity, but he found his throat dry and his mind a complete mess.
Just as the extremely awkward and tense atmosphere was about to freeze, someone shouted, "How dare you!!!"
A furious shout, brimming with the impulsiveness of youth and the arrogance of someone who has never experienced true setback, suddenly rang out. It came from Xiao Chongwen, the slightly overweight, arrogant young follower behind Xiao Wancheng—Xiao Wancheng's nephew. Accustomed to throwing his weight around in the supervisory agency, even in places like Wangquan Manor, he sometimes dared to boast about his status. He had never suffered such humiliation. Seeing his uncle insulted and the new alliance leader so "overbearing," his youthful temper and usual arrogance surged, and in a fit of hot-bloodedness, he forgot who he was and what the occasion was, instinctively gripping his sword hilt!
"How dare you—" He glared at Zhou Yi, but before he could finish saying "How dare you treat my Xiao family like this," his right hand had already drawn the sword halfway from his waist with a "clang"!
A flash of cold light!
However, only half of it was pulled out.
The next moment—
"Thump!!!"
With a dull thud, Xiao Yunwen's slightly plump body seemed to be struck by an invisible mountain. Without warning, and in a very disheveled manner, his knees buckled, and he fell heavily to the ground! No, it wasn't just that he knelt down; the overwhelming and terrifying pressure did not stop, but continued to press down relentlessly!
"Snap—"
A sickeningly loud cracking sound could be faintly heard.
Xiao Chongwen let out a short, piercing scream. His entire body was like a lump of dough being slammed to the ground by an invisible giant hand, his bloated body being flattened and deformed at a visible speed! His bones groaned, his internal organs seemed to be squeezed out, his eyes bulged, and his face turned a horrifying purplish-red from extreme pain and suffocation. He couldn't even utter a complete scream, only managing to squeeze out a series of gasping "hoa-hoa-hoa" sounds from his throat.
Judging from his posture, it seemed as if he was about to burst like an overinflated balloon with a "bang" at any moment!
All of this happened too fast, too suddenly.
From the moment Xiao Yunwen drew his sword and roared in anger to the moment he was crushed by an invisible force and on the verge of exploding, it was only a breath or two!
Inside the main hall, there was a deathly silence.
Only Xiao Yunwen's dying, chilling "ho" sound, and the faint cracking of his bones under the strain, echoed clearly in everyone's ears.
All gazes directed at the Book of Changes were instantly filled with a deeper sense of awe, and—an indescribable fear.
This new leader not only disregards the "rules," but his decisiveness and ruthlessness in action far exceed everyone's expectations!
"interesting----"
A soft sigh, tinged with amusement but mostly with icy indifference, echoed in the deathly silence of the hall. Zhou Yi smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes; instead, it seemed to lower the surrounding temperature even further.
His gaze didn't linger long on Xiao Yunwen, who was struggling on the verge of death. He merely glanced casually at the face distorted by pain and fear, as if looking at an insignificant, even somewhat comical, decoration.
"Who is he?" Zhou Yi lazily pointed to the almost inhuman "thing" on the ground, his tone as indifferent as if he were asking about a lost item, but his gaze slowly swept around the hall, passing over the faces that were either horrified, bewildered, or silent with fear.
"Doesn't he know—who I am?"
His voice carried a hint of naive doubt, yet it sent chills down the spines of those who heard it.
"Were they always this 'brave' before?"
He emphasized the last two words slightly, and the faint hint of mockery pierced the frozen fear in the hall like a cold needle.
Swish!
All eyes, as if drawn by an invisible hand, were drawn to Xiao Wancheng, who stood there, pale-faced and frozen in place! Those eyes were filled with shock, incomprehension, and even a hint of absurdity—how could the Xiao family have such a "reckless" member? Had Xiao Yunwen lost his mind, or had his usual arrogance become so ingrained that he couldn't even tell who was standing in front of him?
Xiao Wancheng felt as if all the blood in his body had frozen in that instant! Cold sweat poured down his face, instantly soaking his inner shirt and rolling down his forehead and temples in large beads. His mind went blank, his lips trembled, and he wanted to explain, to clear his name, to berate his good-for-nothing nephew—but immense fear gripped his throat, rendering him speechless.
He never dreamed that this fool, who usually relied on the power of the Xiao family and was used to being arrogant under his wing, would do something so suicidal at this time! This was not "courage" at all; it was clearly pushing the entire Xiao family into an abyss!
"Alliance Leader—he—he was young and ignorant, and in a moment of impulse, he offended the Alliance Leader—" Xiao Wancheng finally found his voice, filled with unprecedented humility and panic. He knelt down with a thud, wanting to kowtow and beg for mercy. He had to… go back, at least—at least preserve a glimmer of hope for the Xiao family!
However, he only managed to utter a single plea: "Ugh—!"
Xiao Wancheng's body jolted violently, as if struck in the chest by an invisible hammer! His eyes widened abruptly, his face drained of all color, replaced by a deathly pale ashes. An irresistible, utterly tyrannical force, like the most violent torrent, instantly shattered his years of painstaking cultivation and magical power!
"puff--!"
A large mouthful of dark red blood mixed with fragments of internal organs gushed out, staining the clean ground in front of him.
His aura, like a punctured balloon, plummeted and dissipated at a visible speed.
In the blink of an eye, it withered like a candle in the wind, so weak that it was almost imperceptible.
Xiao Wancheng, a powerful figure in the Dao Alliance and a former Inspector General, has had his cultivation crippled!
The entire room fell silent!
Countless gazes turned to Zhou Yi in utter horror, then to Xiao Wancheng, who lay limp on the ground as if his spine had been removed. No one saw Zhou Yi make a single movement, not even the tremor of a finger! He stood there casually, his gaze not even specifically falling on Xiao Wancheng.
But Xiao Wancheng was rendered useless just like that!
What an incomprehensible method! What a cruel and ruthless punishment!
Zhou Yi, however, acted as if he had only done something insignificant. He lowered his head and casually weighed the Xuan Tie Alliance Leader's Token, which he had just received and which was still slightly warm.
Then, he slowly raised his head, the faint smile on his face vanished without a trace.
"Obsidian Inspector Yang Yixun, heed my command!"
The sound was not loud, but it was like the clang of metal, carrying an undeniable and absolute majesty, making the beams and pillars of the hall seem to hum!
"Your subordinate is here!"
Without the slightest hesitation, Yang Yixun flashed forward and knelt on one knee a few feet in front of Zhou Yi, his head bowed, his posture extremely respectful. He knew that any hesitation at this moment would be foolish.
"Buzz!"
A streak of dark light pierced through the air, carrying a heavy weight and an inexplicable pressure, and landed steadily in Yang Yixun's subconsciously raised palms—it was the Alliance Leader's Token, representing the supreme authority of the Dao Alliance!
"By virtue of this Alliance Leader's decree!" Zhou Yi's voice was like that of someone from the deepest abyss, each word like an icicle striking down: "From this moment forward, arrest the entire Xiao family, along with all their cronies, retainers, and vassals—leave no one behind!"
His gaze swept across the limp Xiao Wancheng and the lifeless Xiao Chongwen on the ground with lightning speed: "Even before me, he is so arrogant and domineering, showing no respect for his superiors, and recklessly drawing his sword—this shows how rampant and tyrannical his usual behavior is! Does such a scoundrel deserve to hold the responsibility of overseeing the Dao Alliance? It's an absolute joke!"
His tone suddenly turned stern, carrying a chilling, imperial authority: "Investigate this thoroughly! Over the years, how many despicable deeds has the Xiao family committed, how many innocent people have they framed, how much ill-gotten wealth have they amassed, and what treacherous figures have they associated with—every single one of these cases must be investigated to the fullest extent and made public!"
He paused, then his voice was resolute, carrying the weight of final judgment: "If there is resistance, whoever it may be—no need to report, no need to show mercy!"
"Simply kill them without mercy!"
The moment the words "No mercy" were uttered, the air in the hall seemed to freeze, and the chilling killing intent sent shivers down everyone's spines.
Finally, Zhou Yi's gaze seemed to pierce through the palace walls, landing in the distant southern border. His voice softened slightly, yet carried a deeper, more complex meaning: "As for that old bastard—"
He glanced at Xiao Wancheng, who was sprawled on the ground, barely breathing, like a lump of mud.
"Take him away and 'treat' him well. Then—send him to your house and hand him over to Yang Yan."
Tell her that this person is at her disposal.
These words sent a chill down everyone's spine. Handing it over to Yang Yan? The implications were obvious.
This not only handed over the power of life and death over the Xiao family to the Yang family, but also gave Yang Yan the opportunity to personally settle old scores.
An opportunity to comfort her deceased husband's spirit in heaven.
According to the Book of Changes, this is not merely about dismissing officials, abolishing achievements, or confiscating property.
This is to completely uproot the Xiao family, nail them to the pillar of shame, and use Xiao Wancheng's fate to repay the Yang family's blood debt that came too late!
Yang Yixun gripped the Alliance Leader's token, which now weighed more than a thousand pounds, tightly in both hands, feeling the supreme authority and chilling killing intent contained within it. He took a deep breath and replied in a deep voice, "Your subordinate obeys! I will certainly not fail the Alliance Leader's trust!"
The sound was resounding, like tempered iron striking ice. It echoed and reverberated in the deathly silent and solemn hall, lingering for a long time and leaving a lasting impression on the hearts of every onlooker.
So ruthless and merciless, so utterly disregarding the "face" and "rules" of these deeply rooted and long-standing aristocratic families.
This new leader is truly a first in history.
The crowd's gazes, both subtle and trembling, once again focused on the figure in black robes. They watched as he uprooted the Xiao family, who had run the surveillance agency for many years, in the most direct and ruthless way, casually crippled Xiao Wancheng's cultivation as if it were nothing, and then tossed the Alliance Leader's Token, a symbol of boundless power, to Yang Yixun as if it were an ordinary tool, issuing a cold-blooded order that was almost tantamount to confiscation of property and extermination of the entire clan, leaving no room for mercy.
All of this happened too fast, too decisively, and too—unquestionable.
He didn't even bother to ask a polite "What do you all think?" It was as if, in this grand hall, only his will was the sole law that needed to be obeyed.
Many felt a chill run down their spines, accompanied by a sense of absurdity and unease. They were accustomed to playing the game within the rules, surviving through compromise, and maintaining a balance based on mutual "face" and "tacit understanding." Even the once most authoritative leader of the Wangquan Shouzhuo Alliance had to, at certain times, show a degree of respect and consideration for the wishes of the aristocratic families and the unspoken rules that had been in operation for thousands of years.
But the one in front of me—
He clearly wants to overturn the table and redefine the rules!
Just as everyone's hearts were in turmoil and filled with doubt and uncertainty, Zhou Yi's calm, almost indifferent voice rang out again. This time, he did not look at the limp Xiao family uncle and nephew, nor at Yang Yixun who was respectfully accepting his orders. Instead, he slowly and one by one swept his gaze across the faces of every family representative and every high-ranking member of the Dao Alliance in the hall.
His gaze wasn't particularly sharp, nor even particularly emotional, yet everyone he looked at felt an invisible pressure suddenly mount, sending chills down their spines.
"Everyone—"
He spoke, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears.
"You should all know something about my temper."
1
These words were spoken calmly, even carrying a hint of inquiry, but when combined with the pool of blood on the ground, the unknown fate of Xiao Chongwen, the completely crippled Xiao Wancheng like a stray dog, and the still-echoing words "kill without mercy"—the weight of these words was immense!
This isn't about letting them "understand"; it's clearly a blatant warning!
No, it might be even worse than a warning.
Zhou Yi paused slightly, and the corners of his mouth seemed to curve upwards in a very subtle, yet cold, arc.
"if----"
His gaze suddenly turned deep and unfathomable, like two bottomless, icy pools.
"—You still want to treat me like Wang Quan Shouzhuo—"
He deliberately dragged out his words, each one sounding as if it were icy.
"—You can fool people at will, you can bargain, you can use those old rules to bind and restrain them." He shook his head slightly, the gesture filled with undisguised contempt and—pity.
"Then I advise you—"
His voice suddenly became extremely soft, like a close friend whispering in each other's ears, but the content sent chills down everyone's spine.
"Take advantage of the situation, find a secluded place where no one is around, and slit your own throat. That way, it might be a quicker and more painless experience."
As soon as he finished speaking, the hall became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Four chapters released in a row, just two thousand words short of twenty thousand words.
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