Chapter 38: In My Presence, You Are Nothing More Than Ants

At that moment, a nervous, trembling voice came from the doorway: "Mr. Ye, Deng Li is here to see you. I have something of great importance to report!"

"Come in!"

As Ye Fan spoke, he turned to face Deng Li, who had already reached him. "Speak. What is it?"

Deng Li nodded repeatedly. Catching Ye Fan’s gaze, she broke into a cold sweat, her entire body trembling so violently that her voice stuttered: "Reporting to Mr. Ye, I know who it was that abducted your sister, Xiaoya, from outside the company that day."

"Who?" Ye Fan’s tone suddenly deepened.

Deng Li’s face turned deathly pale. "Sir, the person who took your sister was wearing sunglasses, so I couldn’t see his face clearly. But I know he was bald, and he was missing the thumb on his left hand—he only had nine fingers in total."

Ye Fan said nothing more. He walked straight out of the office and headed for the Peacock Tower. Since he was about to meet Wang Jiu at the tower, he didn't bother calling him to track down the nine-fingered bald man.

Outside the Peacock Tower, many of Yunzhou’s elite figures had gathered, drawn by the banquet hosted personally by Wang Jiu, the king of the underworld. These influential guests lingered at the entrance, filled with anticipation.

"Do you know who it is that could make Lord Jiu host such a banquet? I heard it’s that king who shakes the world."

"That’s right, I received the same news. It’s said to be the Lord of the Dragon Sect!"

"Exactly, I heard it too. The guest of honor today is truly the King of the Dragon Sect!"

As the crowd murmured in astonishment, Liu Jiang of the Liu family arrived on the scene. "What big news are you all discussing? You look quite shocked."

Seeing the cousin of the underworld king, the crowd turned and immediately flocked to him, eager to curry favor.

"Oh, Young Master Liu is here! Greetings, Young Master Liu!"

"A pleasure to see you, Young Master Liu!"

After the crowd showered him with praise, someone asked with bated breath, "Young Master Liu, since Lord Jiu is your uncle, you must know who the distinguished guest is, right?"

"Young Master Liu, we’ve heard rumors that the guest of honor is the King of the Dragon Sect. Is it true?"

Liu Jiang nodded silently. "I can confirm that what you’ve heard is true. My uncle is indeed hosting the world-renowned King of the Dragon Sect!"

Hearing this confirmation, the crowd grew even more excited.

"To think I would have the chance to see the Dragon King in person in this lifetime—I can die without regrets!"

"Indeed, the Dragon King is a dragon among men, supreme in status. Seeing him is a blessing we’ve spent three lifetimes earning!"

After praising the Dragon King, their focus shifted back to Liu Jiang.

"Young Master Liu, you must have already met the Dragon King, haven't you?"

"What a silly question! Given your relationship with Lord Jiu, you must have met him long ago!"

Seeing their worship, Liu Jiang said, "That’s right. Not only have I met him, but today, the Dragon King will be accepting me as a disciple of the Dragon Sect!"

The crowd erupted in further adulation.

"Young Master Liu is truly extraordinary. To be accepted by the Dragon King—I can't speak for elsewhere, but in Yunzhou, you are certainly the first in history!"

"Exactly! A future disciple of the Dragon King has a boundless future ahead!"

"Well said! Young Master Liu, you are the pride and joy of Yunzhou!"

Just as the praises reached a crescendo, Liu Jiang spotted Ye Fan walking in. His smile vanished, replaced by a dark, gloomy expression. He stepped forward to block Ye Fan’s path, sneering, "Ye Fan, what a narrow road for enemies to meet."

Looking at the crowd, he announced, "Everyone, let me introduce you. This is the waste from the Ye family, the one whose entire household was wiped out. Do you think he has the qualifications to enter the Peacock Tower today?"

Before Ye Fan could speak, the others joined in, mocking him.

"So it’s that wretch from the annihilated Ye family. How dare he show up at the Dragon King’s banquet? He’s got some nerve!"

"True. The Ye family is nothing but ants in Yunzhou now. Not only are they unfit to attend this banquet, they aren't even worthy of shining our shoes!"

Liu Jiang, emboldened by the crowd’s ridicule, grew even more arrogant. "Ye Fan, you ignorant fool, did you hear that? You’re no longer the young master of the powerful Ye family; you’re just a piece of trash!"

*Slap!*

Before Liu Jiang could even register what was happening, Ye Fan struck him across the face.

The scene, moments ago filled with ridicule, fell into a deathly, stunned silence. The onlookers were dumbfounded; none of them expected that Ye Fan would dare to strike the young master of the Liu family.

Liu Jiang, reeling from the blow, roared in fury, "Ye Fan, you reckless fool! Do you know whose banquet this is? It’s a banquet my uncle, Lord Jiu, prepared for the King of the Dragon Sect! How dare you hit me?"

*Slap! Slap!*

Before Liu Jiang could recover, Ye Fan struck him twice more, leaving him spitting blood. Ye Fan’s expression and voice were ice-cold. "Dare to desecrate my Ye family? Forget a mere Wang Jiu—even if the Heavens themselves arrived, I would still strike you."

Wiping blood from his mouth, Liu Jiang trembled with rage and pulled out his phone, shouting, "You ignorant dog, you still dare to act out? I’m calling my uncle right now to have him finish you off!"

He dialed his uncle. "Uncle, come to the entrance of the Peacock Tower! Someone is causing trouble and has knocked out my teeth!"

"The Master is arriving soon, and I am busy preparing to welcome him. I will send Liang Jun to the entrance to assist you."

Upon hearing that his uncle was sending his elite bodyguard, Liang Jun, Liu Jiang’s arrogance surged. He glared at Ye Fan. "Did you hear that, you fool? My uncle’s bodyguard, Liang Jun, is coming. You’re finished!"

*Boom!*

Before Liu Jiang could react, Ye Fan delivered a powerful kick, sending him sprawling as he spat blood again. As the King of the Dragon Sect, Ye Fan would never tolerate such insolence from the likes of Liu Jiang. In the eyes of the peerless Lord of the Dragon Sect, Liu Jiang was nothing more than an ant.