Chapter 115: The More, the Merrier

“Truly worthy of the Four Madmen.”
“The signature figures of the Quanxing Sect.”
“To still resist and counterattack so fiercely under these circumstances is genuinely unexpected.”

Wang Ba, standing beside a gray stretched limousine, puffed on a cigar as the Qi waves surged violently along the winding mountain road, proclaiming his victory.

On the narrow mountain road, a dozen or so members of the Wang family, dressed in black suits, manipulated their Qi, encircling the center where the Four Madmen stood, launching an all-out siege.

The Qi waves roared with ferocity.

The Four Madmen, back against a pickup truck, formed a defensive line and launched assaults against the incoming Wang family members.

Gao Ning twisted the neck of a man in black and wiped the blood off his palm with the man’s suit jacket, his expression fierce and terrifying.

Faced with Gao Ning’s ruthless brutality, a few Wang family members who tried to rush forward were stunned, halting their steps, fearful that recklessly moving forward would make them the next unlucky victim.

Gao Ning flung the lifeless corpse he had just killed over the guardrail off the cliff, then roared fiercely at Wang Qi and Wang Ba in the distance,
“Damn you! Come on! Today, Grandpa Gao Ning will tear you apart alive! Who’s ready to die?”
“Come all at once! Even if I die today, I’ll drag you miserable sons of turtles down with me!”

Gao Ning spat out blood, wild-eyed like a madman.

Yet, Wang Qi and Wang Ba, the leaders of the siege, remained utterly indifferent to his provocations.

Wang Qi casually blew a bubble from his chewing gum, then turned to Wang Ba, who was leisurely smoking a cigar, “Their Qi formation has been mostly depleted... I think it’s about time we make a move; the boss is pressing.”

Wang Ba shook his head, “No rush. I think we can drag this out a bit longer. The Four Madmen aren’t so easy to handle. Better to be cautious than reckless.”

Compared to Wang Qi, Wang Ba was more composed.

He was not deceived by the surface display but chose a steady, methodical approach.

Wang Qi said no more. Between them, Wang Ba held the real authority.

Scanning the increasingly fierce battlefield, a hint of astonishment flashed in Wang Qi’s eyes.
“Come to think of it, I do admire these guys. Even at this critical moment, they dare to be so brazen. What exactly are they hoping for? If these guys really hide out in some remote forest, capturing them will be a nightmare.”

“Who knows?”

“Maybe they’re just crazy.”

Wang Ba shrugged indifferently.

As they spoke, the battlefield shifted again.

Shen Chong, standing at the front of the vehicle, carelessly allowed a Wang family member to close in; a sharp dagger pierced his shoulder before he could even scream.

Several others immediately swarmed him, eyes filled with predatory intent.

Fortunately, Dou Mei noticed the sudden attack near Shen Chong and used her abilities to repel the attackers, stabilizing the situation.

But even so, the outlook was grim. Their Qi reserves were down to less than a tenth. Once depleted, they would be nothing but lambs to the slaughter, powerless to resist the Wang family’s grasp.

“This can’t go on.”

A chill ran through Dou Mei’s heart. She knew a change had to come now or they would all surely perish.

But what could they do?

In this trapped terrain, there was no way out for them. Unless a powerful ally descended from the heavens to break the deadlock.

Yet, the entire Quanxing Sect was already shattered and overwhelmed.

Who could possibly come to their aid?

Dou Mei’s heart sank.

Perhaps this was fate—today would be the final song of the Four Madmen.

Thinking this, Dou Mei felt a strange lightness, as if already resigned to the ending.

She stopped holding back, releasing a torrent of Qi. Each swing of her arm sent attackers flying, crashing to the ground.

Once, twice, thrice... Dou Mei’s attacks grew wilder and more violent. But after countless strikes, she suddenly felt her movements falter—her Qi was utterly exhausted.

Before she could react, a voice of excitement rang near her ear.

“He’s out of Qi. This is our chance.”

Dou Mei looked up just as a massive fist loomed larger and larger before her eyes.

“Bang!”

The fist slammed into her nose bridge, sending her sprawling to the ground. As she fell, she saw Shen Chong nearby being struck in the knee by a club and collapsing.

Meanwhile, Gao Ning, still cursing relentlessly, was surrounded by several men in black who pummeled him relentlessly. He writhed on the ground like a rolling meat gourd, the sounds of fists and curses filling the air.

Of the Four Madmen, three had fallen; only Xia He remained, desperately holding on, but her unsteady steps showed she would not last long.

“It’s over,” an involuntary thought flashed through her mind.

The tide of battle was overwhelmingly one-sided.

The most excited were none other than Wang Qi and Wang Ba.

“When you make your move, be very careful not to harm that woman.”

Compared to the other three, Wang Ba cared most about Xia He.

She was the very person Wang Ai had personally ordered captured. Moreover, Wang Ai had promised that if Xia He was successfully apprehended, Wang Ba could jump from a peripheral branch into the core of the family.

For Wang Ba, this was a long-cherished dream come true.

His words were unhidden; everyone present heard them clearly, including Xia He.

Hearing this, Xia He furrowed her brow and smiled coldly, “If you want to capture me alive, go claim your reward from the old Wang dog? Not a chance.”

Having been with Ye Yan for so long, she knew full well the enmity between Ye Yan and the Wang family.

This time, the Wang family’s grand effort was clearly to capture her and use her to threaten Ye Yan. She would never submit so easily.

She had even made up her mind—if it came to the worst, she would rather die than become a burden.

“Who would have thought that the infamous Bone Scraper, known for her licentiousness, is actually a virtuous and fierce woman at heart.”

“Tsk.”

Wang Ba waved his large hand dismissively. “But unfortunately, you don’t get a say in this anymore.”

“Better give up resistance now.”

As he finished speaking, Wang Qi spat out his gum and pulled a tranquilizer gun from his pocket, casually twirling it on his wrist.

Since this was a capture mission, they were not unprepared.

From afar, with three of the Four Madmen down, all the pressure naturally shifted onto Xia He.

Surrounded by a sea of enemies, she began to falter.

After a brief observation, Wang Ba, cigar in mouth, suddenly spoke to Wang Qi, “That’s about it. Make the move.”

With his words, Wang Qi nodded and fired the tranquilizer gun into the sky with a sharp ‘bang’.

The needle shot straight up, then suddenly curved downward toward Xia He like a thin silver streak, barely noticeable.

This was Wang Qi’s innate ability, similar to object manipulation, allowing him to hit targets with perfect accuracy.

Caught in the crowd and already fatigued, Xia He had no time to react.

A sharp sting on her neck made her sense danger. She staggered, vision blurring, clutching the vehicle to steady herself.

Not far off, Wang Qi smiled brightly.

She struggled to stand upright, but the dizziness spun her world uncontrollably.

She held tightly to the vehicle, trying to resist, while the Wang family closed in.

Seeing the last of the Four Madmen lose resistance, Wang Ba crushed his cigar underfoot and slowly said, “Tie her up. We’re ready to withdraw.”

The mission was accomplished.

Lingering any longer was pointless.

Just as the men in black grabbed ropes to bind their prize, a soul-shaking sound echoed from the depths of everyone’s hearts.

“Dong—”

The sound was heavy, prolonged, infused with a dizzying resonance that awakened primal fear, freezing everyone in place.

“What is that...”

Wang Ba felt as if his soul was being ripped from his body. His face turned pale, sweat dripping from his temples.

Though unsure of what was happening, the sudden ominous sound told him something dire was coming.

Sure enough, as the sound faded, a deep green streak swept across the sky. Before anyone could see what it was, a figure descended from the heavens.

Landing beside Xia He.

The newcomer had black hair, emerald eyes, wore a loose pale sweatshirt, cargo pants, and a pair of Martin boots. His delicate features bore a faint pallor of illness.

Upon landing, Ye Yan paid no mind to the Wang family and went straight to Xia He’s side.

Beside him floated Jin Erpeng, arms crossed, coldly surveying the crowd.

“Are you alright?”

Ye Yan gently lifted Xia He, who was leaning against the vehicle, his gaze filled with concern.

Seeing Ye Yan arrive, Xia He’s tense face finally softened into a faint smile. “You came... it’s good to see you...”

“You foolish woman, why do you have to fight so hard? Wouldn’t it be better to hide somewhere safe?”

Looking at Xia He’s pitiful state, Ye Yan felt a heavy weight in his chest, as if a large hammer was pounding his heart.

Just from her appearance, he could tell what she had endured these past days.

“I missed you.”

Xia He didn’t answer his question but weakly wrapped her arms around his neck, nestling closer with a silly smile, like a girl in love.

“I’m so tired. Let me sleep a while.” Her voice was faint.

Seeing this, Ye Yan sighed involuntarily, running his hands through her tangled hair. “Sleep well. When you wake, it will all be over. Have a good dream.”

“Mm...”

Ye Yan gently lifted Xia He into his arms, holding her close until her soft breathing showed she had fallen asleep.

Only then did Ye Yan raise his head, eyes hardening as he looked at the suited Wang family members around him.

“Wang family, very well.”

“So it’s you again.”

During his absence, that old dog Wang Ai had clearly been working hard.

That old bastard, indeed!

As they spoke, the Wang family under the control of the Soul-Calming Gong gradually regained consciousness.

The first to recover were Wang Qi and Wang Ba—the leaders of the mission whose strength was naturally not weak, thus recovering quickest.

Wang Ba was the first to open his eyes, staring at Ye Yan holding Xia He with complex emotions.

“Ye Yan!!!”

Though only a distant branch member of the Wang family, Ye Yan’s face was deeply etched into the bones of every Wang family member.

“Damn, he’s here.”

If Wang Ba’s expression was one of alarm and suspicion, Wang Qi’s was pure terror, unmasked and clear.

“What’s there to panic about...”

Wang Ba snapped, displeased.

“That’s Ye Yan, the Night Watchman,” Wang Qi whispered with emphasis.

Wang Ba snorted, “You think I don’t know that?”

His eyes flickered as he fought down his fear, looking first at the Wang family members present, then at the lone Ye Yan. A bold idea began to take root—and grow deeper in his mind.

If they couldn’t take Xia He back, Wang Ba’s future in the Wang family would be bleak.

This was a rare opportunity he was unwilling to give up.

If he could also capture Ye Yan in the process... well, that would be something...

At that moment, Ye Yan suddenly spoke, his voice cold:

“He and she—today, I’m taking them both away. Who agrees? Who opposes?”

His words fell like a pin dropping in the narrow mountain road.

Scanning the crowd, Ye Yan saw fear in many eyes; some even took a step back, intimidated by his gaze.

As the surrounding Wang family members grew anxious, Wang Ba’s voice rose, soothing them:

“What’s there to fear? We have so many people; he’s just one.”

“Don’t panic.”

His words hit home.

The panicked Wang family members slowly calmed. Yes, Ye Yan was strong, but he was only one man.

What was there to fear?

Humans are social creatures. Panic spreads, but so does calm. At this moment, the Wang family looked to Wang Ba as their anchor.

Ye Yan, still weakened from his recent ordeal, had no intention of engaging further.

But hearing Wang Ba’s words, Ye Yan’s attention sharpened.

He looked at the numerous Wang family members and sneered disdainfully.

Behind him, seven sinister banners appeared, flapping wildly in the fierce wind.

“Want to outnumber me? Fine. I’ll give you what you want...”