Chapter Sixty-Three: Hatred

"Xu San, Xu Si, I’ll take Zhang Chulan and the others inside to gather first."
"Brother-in-law, we’ll head out now."
...
After a few brief words, Zhang Chulan and Feng Baobao were led inside by Feng Xingtong to get familiar with the venue and await the upcoming draw.
"Let’s go as well."
With their eyes on Feng Xingtong, Zhang Chulan and his companions departing, Ye Yan and Feng Shayen also decided to meet Feng Zhenghao before the official start of the competition.
Ye Yan and Feng Shayen made their way through the crowd, arriving at the rear of the arena.
Under the shade of a tree, from afar, Ye Yan spotted Feng Zhenghao, dressed smartly in a suit.
At that moment, Feng Zhenghao was chatting and laughing with several elderly gentlemen beside him. As Ye Yan approached, Feng Zhenghao and the elders noticed them.
"Xiao Ye, over here."
Since he was coming to see Feng Zhenghao, Ye Yan had not worn a mask. Even from a distance, Feng Zhenghao recognized him and waved with a smile.
"Uncle Feng, it’s been a long time."
Ye Yan greeted him with a smile.
Though he was no longer a member of the Tianxia Society, he still held great respect for Feng Zhenghao.
"Uncle Feng, have you been well lately?"
"Quite well, quite well."
Feng Zhenghao laughed heartily, clearly pleased to see Ye Yan.
After a few brief exchanges, Feng Zhenghao introduced Ye Yan to the people beside him.
"Xiao Ye, come meet everyone. Let me introduce you. This is Elder Lu Jin, one of the Ten Elders, renowned for his flawless reputation."
He pointed to Lu Jin, then shifted to the man next to him, Lü Ci:
"This is Elder Lü Ci, also one of the Ten Elders, a respected figure in the circle of the extraordinary."
Finally, he pointed to Wang Ai: "This is Elder Wang Ai..."
When introduced to Lu Jin and Lü Ci, Ye Yan, though not greeting them directly, nodded politely.

But when it came to Wang Ai, even before Feng Zhenghao could introduce him, Ye Yan narrowed his eyes and spoke first,
"Uncle Feng, there’s no need to introduce Elder Wang Ai. I am quite ‘familiar’ with him."
"Young Ye, it’s been a long time,"
Wang Ai, short and leaning on a cane, managed an awkward smile, trying to hide the fear in his eyes.
"Indeed, it has been a long time,"
Ye Yan replied with a cold smile, his eyes flashing dangerously, staring at Wang Ai with a murderous intent that seemed endless.
Under this beast-like gaze, Wang Ai felt a chill run through his body, as if countless needles were stabbing into his back.
He instinctively took two steps back,
"Young Ye, so many years have passed. Those old grievances should be put to rest; young people must learn to move forward and not be tripped up by trivial matters."
Wang Ai forced himself to appear kindly, earnestly advising Ye Yan, hoping he would let go of past hatred.
Looking at Wang Ai, Ye Yan recalled those darkest days—wandering like a stray dog, hunted and pursued.
Back then, Ye Yan had only recently crossed over, just beginning to show his potential in the circle, far from the power, connections, and influence he possessed now.
The Wang family, at that time, was an overwhelming cloud, an insurmountable giant.
A single word from them could leave him in constant fear, hunted at every turn.
Most of the obstacles Ye Yan faced since crossing over were tied to the Wang family.
If not for the intervention of the Xu family, Ye Yan doubted whether he could have survived.
Looking at the ugly face of the old man before him, Ye Yan sneered, "Elder Wang, you must be joking. How would I dare bear a grudge against you? You are a lofty figure—one word from you, and your Wang family would hunt me like a dog..."
"Isn’t that right?"
His smile grew more sardonic.
Wang Ai, though unhappy with Ye Yan’s tone, dared not show it.
After all, Ye Yan was no longer a small fry to be twisted and crushed at will.
The more wretchedly Ye Yan had once been driven away, the more fearful Wang Ai was now.
"As long as you let the Wang family go and move past the matter of Wang Lin, whether it’s money, women, or power, whatever you want, I can give it to you."

Faced with Ye Yan’s dominance, Wang Ai finally surrendered.
"What do I want?"
Ye Yan’s smile was dazzling. "What if what I want is your life, or for the entire Wang family to perish? Would you willingly give that to me?"
"Don’t go too far."
Ye Yan’s words touched Wang Ai’s bottom line; his face grew twisted, his voice sharp:
"Don’t think that just because you’re the so-called Third Hero you can act so unrestrained. If you want to move against the Wang family, you’re still not qualified."
With the mask torn away, pretense and deceit meant nothing. Wang Ai no longer held back, directly clashing with Ye Yan.
He finally understood that the hatred between Ye Yan and the Wang family had transcended everything—no words could resolve it.
Ye Yan, unmoved by Wang Ai’s hysteria, replied, "You ought to be grateful for the existence of the company, and that I haven’t truly decided to wipe out your Wang family. Otherwise, all of your hundreds of relatives would have met their ancestors by now."
Ye Yan’s threat was blunt and unmasked. The enmity between him and the Wang family had reached a point of no return—unless one side fell, it would not end.
"Ye Yan, do you really think the Wang family can’t do anything to you? At worst, we’ll go down together."
Wang Ai, driven to anger, revealed a near beast-like ferocity, as if ready to tear Ye Yan apart.
"Then come try, Elder Wang. I’d truly like to see your skills."
Ye Yan was utterly unfazed by the threat. Alone, he had never feared risking his life against anyone.
The Wang family, with their vast business and countless members, always acted with restraint—unlike Ye Yan’s decisiveness.
Moreover, Wang Ai himself was no benevolent soul. If he truly had the means to deal with Ye Yan, would Ye Yan still be alive? He would have sent him to hell long ago.
No matter how fierce his threats, Wang Ai was but a cooked duck, powerless to fly.
Seeing Wang Ai fall silent, Ye Yan delivered the final blow,
"Elder Wang, as a junior, let me offer you some advice."
"When you go out, especially at night, be careful. It's best to bring more people along—should you stumble, don't let it be too late for rescue."