Chapter 367: Rupture
It was clear that Ye Chen didn't intend to intervene just yet.
The other man was just a guard, after all. It was a matter best left for Crimson to handle.
"I… I'm a guard for the Treasure Gathering Chamber of Commerce!"
"You're threatening me… Are you trying to pick a fight with the Treasure Gathering Chamber of Commerce?"
The man in heavy armor's face flushed red, still refusing to back down.
"You're not worthy of representing the Treasure Gathering Chamber of Commerce."
Crimson scoffed. "And even if you could, so what? A mere guard at the First Layer of the Divinity Transformation Realm dares to put on airs before me? If I killed you right here, what could anyone possibly do about it?"
"You…"
The man in heavy armor stared into Crimson's savage gaze. Cold sweat beaded on his back, and for a moment, he dared not say another word.
"Get lost!"
Crimson retracted his spear, his pupils seeming to reflect a vast, churning sea of fire. A terrifying wave of scorching heat erupted forth, blasting the man in heavy armor off his feet.
The man in heavy armor crashed heavily onto the hallway floor as if he had taken a massive blow. He coughed up blood, feeling as though his entire skeleton had come apart. The pain was unbearable.
He shot Crimson a resentful glare and turned to leave.
But Ye Chen, as if suddenly remembering something, rose to his feet and blocked the man's path.
"What more do you want?"
The man in heavy armor looked at Ye Chen with deep apprehension.
Ye Chen's aura was the same as his own, merely at the First Layer of the Divinity Transformation Realm.
But while he wasn't afraid of Ye Chen, he was terrified of provoking the explosive-tempered Crimson.
'That man is a Great Power of the Divine Might Realm!'
'Even if that man killed him, the Treasure Gathering Chamber of Commerce would be unlikely to antagonize a Divine Might Realm expert over a minor figure like himself.'
"We weren't the only ones who fought in the hallway earlier."
Ye Chen said calmly, "Have you not gone to hold that other man accountable?"
"That other man?"
The man in heavy armor faltered for a moment, then snorted coldly. "The Treasure Gathering Chamber of Commerce spares no one who dares to fight in its hallways. That man will be no exception!"
"We will handle the matter, of course. Why do you ask?"
"Just curious," Ye Chen said.
"Curious? This has nothing to do with you. I advise you to stop prying," the man in heavy armor said in a deep voice.
"Is that so…" Ye Chen's eyebrow twitched. "Alright then, I'll be direct. Who sent you?"
"What did you say?"
The man in heavy armor's pupils shrank.
"Your attitude has been strange from the start. I get the feeling you're deliberately trying to provoke us," Ye Chen said casually, his hands clasped behind his back.
Upon hearing this, Crimson began to eye the man in heavy armor with suspicion.
"Nonsense!" the man in heavy armor said, annoyed. "You're being incredibly presumptuous."
"So you won't reveal who sent you?"
Ye Chen sighed, and then his gaze suddenly turned icy. "What if I were to kill you, then?"
"What did you say?" The man in heavy armor was stunned.
"If I kill you, he won't be able to hide anymore, will he?"
"Like this!"
With that, Ye Chen suddenly reached out and grabbed the man in heavy armor by the neck.
The man in heavy armor looked at Ye Chen, his face filled with terror.
Even through the thick armor, his neck felt a terrifying pressure, and his body was lifted uncontrollably into the air by Ye Chen.
"How… How is this possible…"
The man in heavy armor was horrified. 'This young man is clearly just like me, only at the First Layer of the Divinity Transformation Realm!'
'So how am I completely powerless against him?'
'He knew that as the number one chamber of commerce in Great Hong, the Treasure Gathering Chamber of Commerce was wealthy beyond imagination.'
'Though he was just a guard, this suit of Heavy Armor he wore was a Top-grade Spiritual Soldier!'
'Combined with his protective Spiritual Power, it was enough to withstand a direct blow from an expert at the Seventh or Eighth Layer of the Divinity Transformation Realm.'
'But before Ye Chen, the Heavy Armor felt as if it were made of paper. It groaned and creaked, as though it would be crushed to pieces at any second.'
"That's enough!"
Just then, a cold shout rang out.
A figure seemed to appear out of thin air, landing behind the man in heavy armor.
"Let him go!"
It was a middle-aged man, one Ye Chen had met once before in Flame City.
It was none other than one of the three Grand Stewards of the Treasure Gathering Chamber of Commerce, Zhong Quanming!
At that moment, his eyes were narrowed, his face holding a profound, knowing expression.
"Oh?"
"Couldn't sit still any longer, could you?"
Ye Chen casually tossed the man in heavy armor to the ground and smiled faintly. "So you're the one who sent him. I just wonder what your purpose was in doing so."
Zhong Quanming gave Ye Chen a deep look.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"This subordinate of mine was merely carrying out his duties."
"You nearly damaged the structure of the hallway. It's perfectly normal for him to come and hold you accountable."
Zhong Quanming said calmly, "I just didn't expect your attitude to be so appalling."
"And?"
Ye Chen just smiled. His nonchalant reply actually caught Zhong Quanming off guard for a moment.
But he quickly recovered and said in a cold voice, "I hear you're permitted to take herbs for Alchemy from our ship's treasury each day?"
"You no longer have that privilege."
With that, he turned away indifferently, showing Ye Chen nothing but his back.
"Our chamber of commerce does not welcome guests with such a poor attitude. You injured my subordinate, so I have the right to forbid you from entering the ship's treasury again."
"Yang Zheng, keep up!"
As Zhong Quanming's figure receded into the distance, Yang Zheng, the man in heavy armor who had been lying limply on the ground, scrambled to his feet.
He shot Ye Chen a hateful glare, then quickly followed.
Just like that, the two of them vanished from Ye Chen's sight.
'So they're trying to sever ties with me completely?'
Ye Chen shook his head with a light chuckle and returned to his room.
"Master, the chamber originally wanted to win you over. Why would they suddenly…" Crimson still didn't understand.
"This time, a full four experts from the Divine Might Realm came to ambush and kill me. The chamber of commerce must have been watching the whole time, yet they did nothing."
"They probably all thought I would come crawling to them, apologize, and beg for their protection."
"But in the end, the result was the complete opposite of what they expected."
"I acted as I always do, showing no intention of backing down. And instead, it was the four Divine Might Realm experts who vanished."
Ye Chen said with a faint smile, "What does that tell you? Not even four Divine Might Realm experts working together could force me to bow my head. It means that, without a doubt, they've given up on trying to recruit me."
"They're now certain that I will never bow my head and submit to them."
"But you overcame such a terrifying crisis, Master. Shouldn't that make them value your strength even more?" Crimson asked.
"No! Put yourself in their shoes. Would you believe someone who just broke through to the Divinity Transformation Realm could handle four Divine Might Realm experts at once? It's the stuff of fantasy."
"In their eyes, it's far more likely that Hongyu Pill Venerable did something to help me resolve that catastrophe."
At these words, understanding immediately dawned on Crimson.