Zhang Yun cupped her swollen right cheek, her mind a complete blank.
She had actually been slapped in public.
"You... you dare hit me?"
Her fingers trembled, still unable to believe what had just happened.
Who was she?
She was an inner disciple of the Dragon Gate, the foremost of the four great sects in Hua'an Province.
Normally, no one dared to disrespect her when she was out.
Yet now, she had been struck in broad daylight. If word of this reached the Dragon Gate, how would she, Zhang Yun, ever show her face again?
"Hit you?"
Seeing the malice gathering in her eyes, Ye Ming's killing intent flared. "If you don't apologize for what you just said, I will make you... disappear from this world!"
Initially, Ye Ming had no intention of making a move against Zhang Yun.
After all, Du Yuemian's beauty could easily incite jealousy in women.
He could somewhat understand that.
However, there was a limit to everything.
If jealousy clouded one's mind and they slandered others, that crossed Ye Ming's bottom line.
Looking at the man protecting her, Du Yuemian's eyes shimmered with starlight, flowing with the emotion of "gratitude."
Even though with her current strength, she could handle such trivial matters herself, the feeling of being protected was something no one could refuse.
"Disappear?"
Upon hearing the man brazenly declare he would make her disappear from the world, Zhang Yun's face contorted into a ferocious smile. "Good! I'd like to see how you plan to make me disappear!"
As she spoke, Zhang Yun suddenly produced a token engraved with the character "Dragon." Moreover, the color of this token was... gold.
When Zhang Yun revealed the token, although most people in the shop didn't recognize it, a small number did understand its significance.
"This... this is a Dragon Gate Token! She... she's a disciple of the Dragon Gate!"
"The Dragon Gate! Could it be the foremost of the four great sects in our Hua'an Province... the Dragon Gate!"
"That's right! Heavens! Her token is golden, which means she's... an inner disciple."
"It's over! That young man is definitely doomed! He actually provoked the Dragon Gate, and now no one can save him!"
"Alas! Young people are too impulsive!"
"Indeed!"
"..."
Listening to the crowd's murmurs, Ye Ming was also somewhat surprised.
He had just dealt with the Qi Sect, and now people from the Dragon Gate were showing up.
If this trend continued, some of his plans might be forced to accelerate.
"What! Scared into silence?"
Zhang Yun shook the token in her hand. Seeing his silence, she clearly assumed Ye Ming was intimidated.
"Weren't you quite arrogant just now? Threatening to make me disappear, and now you're mute!"
Zhang Yun looked at Ye Ming with a smug expression. "As expected, a pretty boy, all show and no substance!" She then pointed at Du Yuemian and sneered, "Luo Xue! Is this pretty boy capable of satisfying you when you're lonely? Should I find a few more people to help you!"
At this point, it seemed Zhang Yun still intended to force Du Yuemian to admit to the identity of "Luo Xue."
But she didn't know that her words had just sealed her own death sentence.
"Fine! As you wish!"
At this moment, a strange red light flashed in Ye Ming's eyes, and his voice became low, as if it could freeze the soul.
"What... what did you say?"
For some reason, Zhang Yun's heart trembled violently, her face turned ashen, and her body instinctively recoiled. Deep down, a sense of despair unlike anything she had ever felt surged within her.
Too late! It was all too late!
The next second, a peculiar flame descended upon her without warning.
"Ah!"
Instantly, the dual burning of flesh and soul caused Zhang Yun to let out a piteous cry.
As the black flames spread, from her ankles, to her calves, then to her arms.
Accompanied by desolate screams, her body gradually vanished before the eyes of the onlookers.
And the parts scorched by the flames left no residue.
Liu Hou, standing behind Zhang Yun, was so terrified by what he witnessed that he looked as if his soul had been snatched away, and he collapsed to the ground.
"Dead... dead!"
His fellow disciple sister had just been mysteriously burned to death before his eyes.
Ten seconds later, an oppressive silence fell upon the not-so-large shop.
No one could have imagined that the seemingly harmless young man had truly made that woman... disappear from the world.
At that moment, everyone felt a chill run down their spines. Before them stood not a youth, but a god of death.
In the current scene, no one dared to speak, nor did they dare to leave. They feared that with a single glance back, they would meet the gaze of the god of death.
"So, what do you plan to do?"
At this moment, Ye Ming lightly tapped the ground, and his figure, like a phantom, appeared before Liu Hou, looking at him calmly.
"You... don't... don't kill me! I am a core disciple of the Dragon Gate! If... if you kill me, the Dragon Gate will not let you go." Liu Hou tremblingly produced a blood-red token.
This was a core disciple's Dragon Gate Token.
"Heh!"
Ye Ming let out a cold laugh and stomped his foot. A powerful surge of energy directly struck Liu Hou.
He had initially prepared to mobilize his inner Qi to resist. But the moment he came into contact with the energy wave, he was sent flying.
Before him was not something a human could contend with, but a colossal tidal wave.
Bang!
His body was thrown back, blood spewing from his mouth. But then, an invisible force pulled him in, preventing him from damaging the shop's furnishings.
However, the token he carried fell to the ground.
"Young Master! Please, let it go!"
At this moment, Du Yuemian walked up to Ye Ming and said softly.
Zhang Yun was dead, and her anger had dissipated.
"Alright! I'll listen to you!"
Ye Ming casually waved his hand, tossing Liu Hou to the ground.
"Even though she's dead, your reputation cannot be tarnished!" Ye Ming took Du Yuemian's hand and looked at the crowd.
Du Yuemian immediately understood Ye Ming's intention upon hearing this.
At this moment, the starlight in her eyes seemed to shine even brighter.
"Her! You don't recognize her?"
Upon hearing this, everyone refocused their gaze on Du Yuemian. Especially those who had found Du Yuemian somewhat familiar earlier, their eyes widened in shock.
"This... this couldn't be the eldest daughter of the Du family!"
"I... I knew I felt she looked familiar! I wasn't mistaken!"
"Then what did that woman call Miss Du just now, Luo Xue? This..."
"Tsk! Isn't it obvious? That woman was clearly jealous of Miss Du's beauty and wanted to tarnish her reputation, so she just made up a name..."
"Ah! How malicious can one be!"
"Hmph! To dare defile the reputation of our Sacred Capital's Miss Du, she deserves this fate!"
"Indeed!"
"..."
Once Du Yuemian's identity was recognized, everyone realized what had actually happened.
Even Liu Hou himself hadn't expected that they had provoked the eldest daughter of the Du family this time.
He was utterly dumbfounded.
"Your fellow disciple insulted my reputation, and the consequences she faced were her own doing. If your Dragon Gate wishes to avenge her, you may come for me at the Du family."
Du Yuemian looked at Liu Hou and said coldly, "My Du family! Will be waiting at any time!"
Seeing Miss Yuemian exuding such dominance beside him, Ye Ming also smiled.
This was the Du Yuemian he liked.
"I wouldn't dare! I wouldn't dare! Thank you, Miss Du, for your magnanimity!"
After Du Yuemian let him go, Liu Hou didn't dare to linger. He bowed respectfully and quickly departed.
But at this moment, Ye Ming noticed a token on the ground.
It was the one that had fallen from Liu Hou's pocket.
It was not the core disciple's Dragon Gate Token he held.
"This is..."
Upon seeing the characters on the token, Ye Ming was stunned.
Black Tiger Token!
Lin Fengxuan!