Chapter 184: No Unauthorized Entry
For the sake of revenge, Xiao Ye would not allow Liu Loulan to remain the Patriarch.
Not to mention, the position rightfully belonged to him!
"I've been away from the Xiao Family for many years and don't know much about its affairs. You can tell me everything now."
In truth, he had already asked the Zhu family to look into it for him.
This was also a way to test their attitude.
Third Master was the first to speak. "Your father, Xiao Ling, the previous Patriarch of the Xiao Family, was murdered by Liu Loulan!"
Xiao Ye raised a slight eyebrow. He was actually more interested in something else. "Why did Xiao Ling marry Liu Loulan?"
"She was just a woman from a first-tier family, and her reputation wasn't even good."
Third Master took a deep breath. "Xiao Ling was set up."
"Back then, Xiao Ling was drugged, which allowed Liu Loulan to take advantage of him."
"The incident caused a huge scandal. At the very least, everyone in the Xiao Family knew about it."
"At the time, Xiao Ling's position as Patriarch wasn't secure. That, combined with the fact that his wife had just died from complications in childbirth, allowed those people to force him to marry Liu Loulan."
"But I know for a fact that Xiao Ling didn't love that vicious woman in the slightest!"
According to Third Master's account, after Liu Loulan successfully married into the family, she received none of Xiao Ling's affection.
Xiao Ling knew perfectly well that he had been set up, so how could he possibly treat Liu Loulan well? Thus, their relationship could be described as ice-cold.
Three months after they were married,
Xiao Ling suddenly fell into a coma and became bedridden.
Just a few short days later, he passed away.
At the time, they found a Divine Doctor, who determined that Xiao Ling had died of poisoning.
"We all suspected Liu Loulan was behind it, but when we were about to make a move, another group of traitors actually stood up to protect her!"
Xiao Ye understood now. It seemed that in her climb to power, Liu Loulan had conspired with those who opposed Xiao Ling.
First, she'd plotted to marry into the family, and then she'd eliminated Xiao Ling.
He guessed those people never imagined that the one who would end up as Patriarch was the very woman they had once treated as a pawn.
'Indeed. It's better to offend a gentleman than a villain... or a woman!'
Third Master continued, "Not long after Liu Loulan took power, you disappeared."
"We knew she was going to come after you, so we risked our lives to protect you."
"After you disappeared, someone found you. But later... we lost contact with him. We all thought... you had died, too."
It was likely that person had died protecting Xiao Ye.
Fortunately, Xiao Ye had been lucky enough to run into Lingxiao Daoist.
To conceal his destiny, the Daoist had even gone so far as to create the Golden Saber Covenant, which transferred Xiao Ye's good fortune to whoever possessed the Golden Saber.
Otherwise, Liu Loulan would most likely have found him.
After all, she had his exact time of birth. It would have been easy for her to find a master to divine his location.
Xiao Ye lowered his gaze and continued to sip his tea, his expression betraying no sadness. It was as if everything the Xiao Family members had said was merely a story about someone else.
"Is there anything else you have to say?"
Everyone started talking at once, sharing every piece of information they knew.
An hour had passed by the time they were done.
Xiao Ye had finished a whole pot of tea. "Alright, I understand. You may go now."
"Bring the others here tomorrow, at the same time."
Third Master was the first to agree. "Yes. I'll make sure everyone is notified by tomorrow."
Xiao Ye waved his hand dismissively. "That's all. You may leave."
The group left Dragon Abyss Tower.
They boarded the Xiao Family's car.
"Third Master, can we really trust him?"
"He's so much like Xiao Ling... Xiao Ling was a once-in-a-century genius for our Xiao Family!"
"And his mother... she was a brilliant woman. A child born to them would certainly be no ordinary person. That's why I believe in him!"
After the group had left,
Xiao Ye was the only one left in the teahouse.
In addition to the news about the Xiao Family, he had also learned about his mother.
He clutched a photograph in his hand.
It showed an impossibly beautiful woman with a radiant smile, standing before the landmark building of the famous Evergreen Ivy University abroad.
This was Xiao Ye's mother, a woman of legendary status—Shu Yirui.
She was a prodigy who started university at fifteen and went to study abroad at seventeen.
While abroad, she met Xiao Ling, and they fell deeply in love.
After they returned to the country, they married as soon as they reached the legal age.
And yet, a woman like that had died from complications during childbirth the very day she gave birth to Xiao Ye!
Xiao Ye's hand tightened slightly. He studied the woman's features in the photograph; her facial physiognomy clearly indicated a life of abundant fortune and great longevity!
'Yet she had passed away in her twenties. Clearly, it wasn't due to natural causes, but foul play!'
Both his father and mother were strangers to him.
But that wouldn't stop him from uncovering the truth of what happened back then and avenging them!
Besides, Xiao Ye hadn't been an abandoned child. On the contrary, he was a child born of his parents' love and expectations.
The moment Xiao Ye stepped out of the private room, he bumped into someone from the Zhu family. The man appeared to be around twenty-six or twenty-seven and carried himself with a refined, scholarly air.
He was also the designated heir of the Zhu family, Zhu Chen.
"Hello, Mr. Xiao. From now on, I will be handling all matters related to the cooperation between the Zhu family and yourself."
Xiao Ye nodded. "Then take me back."
He had something he needed to do.
And that was to destroy another one of the Xiao Family's strongholds!
As if he had already guessed what Xiao Ye intended to do, Zhu Chen handed him a piece of paper. "Mr. Xiao, this is one of the locations of the Xiao Family's Death Warriors."
"We know the general area, but whether you can find the exact spot will depend on your own abilities."
Xiao Ye glanced at it. It wasn't far from their current location. "Then let's go there."
"Very well. I'll arrange a vehicle for you at once."
Although the Zhu family hadn't fully decided whether to truly cooperate with Xiao Ye, it didn't stop them from offering him some benefits. After all, this was a man born under the Ziwei Star.
The car soon departed, arriving at an inconspicuous storefront.
Inside, a young woman was dozing off at the front counter.
When she saw a customer enter, she stood up, only to be confronted by the sight of a King Yama mask.
The shock nearly sent her stumbling back into her chair. "Who are you?!"
"Y-you... get out of here, or I'm calling the police!"
Xiao Ye didn't respond, walking straight to the warehouse door in the back.
"What are you doing? Unauthorized personnel aren't allowed in there!"
BAM!
Xiao Ye kicked the door open.
It was filled with stacks of merchandise.
Xiao Ye went inside and quickly discovered a hidden door.
'Who would have thought a training ground for Death Warriors was hidden beneath a shop?'
The owner probably had no idea they were unwittingly providing cover for the operation.