Chapter 82: Golden Tiger

Chapter 82: Chapter 82: Golden Tiger

THUD! CREAK... CREAK...

The two vermilion gates slowly opened, and two old men stepped into the Ye Mansion.

Inside the Ye Mansion, there was no one around. It was completely silent. The front courtyard was filled with flowers and plants, among which colorful butterflies fluttered, and a faint fragrance of flora filled the air.

"Huh? Why is it so quiet? Where’s the Gang Leader?" the two old men asked, confused.

"He’s probably in the rear courtyard." A glint flashed in Hong Hai and Xue Yong’s eyes. They immediately led the two old men toward the Ye Mansion’s rear courtyard.

Flowers, plants, and trees lined both sides of a small, winding path that meandered toward the rear courtyard.

It was dusk now. The afterglow of the setting sun dyed the sky red, leaving behind a brilliant sunset.

Led by Xue Yong and Hong Hai, the two old men soon arrived at the rear courtyard and were both stunned by the sight.

In the Ye Mansion’s rear courtyard, under a large pagoda tree, a young man in green robes was lounging leisurely on a recliner. He held a thin, square, metal lump in his hands, tapping it inexplicably.

"Ah, you’re here. Welcome, welcome!" Ye Xing put down his phone and smiled faintly.

"Who is this?" The two old men looked at Xue Yong and Hong Hai, confused. "Where is the Gang Leader?"

"Guardian Ma, Guardian Niu, this is our Gang Leader, and also our boss!" As Xue Yong and Hong Hai spoke, they took two steps back, putting some distance between themselves and the two old men.

The two old men frowned. They had a vague feeling that something was wrong and scanned their surroundings warily.

"Haha, you two just arrived. Allow me to introduce myself." Ye Xing laughed. "My name is Ye Xing, and I wear several hats. First, I’m the master of this Ye Mansion. Second, I’m your boss. And third, I’m about to become the new Gang Leader of your Great River Gang!"

The moment Ye Xing finished speaking, the two old men’s expressions changed. They shouted sternly, "Insolence! How dare a mere Second Realm Martial Artist make such an outrageous claim!"

"Ma Feng, Niu Dequan, you’re the insolent ones! How dare you be so rude to the boss!" Hong Hai and Xue Yong shouted, quickly moving to guard Ye Xing’s sides.

"Hong Hai, Xue Yong, what is the meaning of this? This brat is spouting nonsense, and you’re protecting him? If the Gang Leader finds out, he will not let you off lightly," the two old men said coldly.

"Heh, Master You is already dead, killed by our boss. He’s gone to see King Yama, so what can he do to us?" Hong Hai sneered.

"Impossible! Master You was at the Martial Arts Sixth Realm of Cultivation. How could he possibly die at the hands of this brat?" The two old men were clearly unconvinced. "We’ll capture this kid and find out the truth," they said in a low voice. "Hong Hai, Xue Yong, get out of the way now! Do you two really think you can stop us?" As they spoke, the two old men drew the Nine-Ringed Sabers from their waists and advanced on Ye Xing.

"Haha, you two Guardians have profound Inner Strength. Xue Yong and Hong Hai are certainly no match for you. However, they aren’t the ones you’ll be sparring with today." A smile tugged at the corner of Ye Xing’s mouth as he raised his hands and clapped twice. CLAP! CLAP!

And then—

"ROAR!" "ROAR!"

Two enormous tiger roars echoed through the Ye Mansion. Two towering Golden Tigers charged out from the courtyard. As their four paws pounded the ground, they looked like fierce tigers descending a mountain, their presence terrifying.

"Golden Tigers!!!"

"Run!"

The two old men’s faces changed drastically. They immediately used their Lightweight Skill and turned to flee the Ye Mansion.

Golden Tigers are Demon Beasts with formidable fighting abilities. They are at least Level 4, and possibly even Level 5 Demon Beasts. The two men knew they wouldn’t stand a chance. If they didn’t run, were they supposed to stay and get tortured?

However, as fast as the old men were, the Golden Tigers were even faster. With a pounce, they lunged directly at the two fleeing men.

Demonic energy flared as a powerful gust of wind rose behind them.

The Great River Gang’s Left Guardian Ma Feng and Right Guardian Niu Dequan’s faces paled. They spun around hastily, swinging their Nine-Ringed Sabers upward to strike at the Golden Tigers in mid-air. Their Saber Skill was incredibly polished.

CLANG!

The Nine-Ringed Sabers clashed with the tigers’ claws, producing a crisp metallic clang.

CLANG! PING! PANG!

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Tiger roars echoed continuously through the courtyard amidst gusts of wind from the saber slashes. The two men and two tigers were quickly locked in battle, and for the moment, they seemed evenly matched.

Although the two old men only had the Cultivation of the Martial Arts Fourth Realm, their Saber Skill was extremely refined. After all, at their age, they had been practicing the saber their entire lives. They had likely cultivated the Great River Gang’s Six Harmonies Saber Skill to the Great Success Realm. Their technique was broad and sweeping, its power extraordinary.

As for the two Golden Tigers, although they were Fifth-level Demon Beasts, Ye Xing had only just bought them from the Beast Taming Pavilion not long ago. They lacked any real combat experience, so they were temporarily unable to defeat the two old men.

However, as the fierce battle continued, the two Golden Tigers’ combat experience began to grow, and their fighting strength rapidly increased. After thirty moves, the two Golden Tigers had managed to firmly gain the upper hand over the two old men.

Another twenty moves later, the Great River Gang’s Left Guardian Ma Feng and Right Guardian Niu Dequan had already sustained two or three claw wounds each. Blood trickled continuously from the gashes.

"Heh, this fight is quite entertaining. Xue Yong, go to the living room and brew me a cup of tea. I want to enjoy this slowly," Ye Xing said.

"Right away." Xue Yong immediately ran back to the living room to make tea for Ye Xing.

"Hong Hai, what do you think of these two?" Ye Xing asked, his gaze shifting.

"Guardian Ma and Guardian Niu have practiced the saber for decades. Their Six Harmonies Saber Skill has reached the Great Success Realm, and their strength is comparable to that of weaker Fifth Realm Martial Artists," Hong Hai said in a low voice. "Moreover, they are veterans of the martial world. If the boss can subdue them, they would be two great assets."

"That depends on whether they know what’s good for them. If they remain obstinate—" A cold glint flashed in Ye Xing’s eyes as he spoke in a low voice, "What was their relationship with You Bin?"

"You don’t need to worry about that, Boss. You Bin wasn’t actually popular within the gang. He was rather selfish. During his time as Gang Leader, he monopolized eighty to ninety percent of the gang’s resources. The other members have been dissatisfied with him for a long time. The fact that you killed him will actually make it much easier to take over the Great River Gang," Hong Hai said gravely. "As for Guardian Ma and Guardian Niu, they probably still doubt whether You Bin is truly dead. After all, You Bin was a Sixth Realm Martial Artist. They’re worried that if he isn’t dead and they rashly pledge allegiance to us, they’ll face retaliation. Unless we—"

"Mm, I understand. That makes things easier." Ye Xing nodded, a meaningful smile playing on his lips. "Xue Yong is taking a while. He’s so clumsy, he probably can’t even make tea properly. Hong Hai, you go to the living room and help him."

"As you command!" Hong Hai’s eyes flickered, and he immediately withdrew.

And so, the only person left in the entire rear courtyard was Ye Xing, lounging leisurely on his recliner, watching Left Guardian Ma Feng and Right Guardian Niu Dequan battle the two Golden Tigers.