Su Ming paid no heed to the two bodyguards and strode purposefully toward the main gate. The guards' eyes turned icy cold, and in an instant, they lunged forward, both reaching out to block his path.
"Get out of my way!" Su Ming bellowed, a terrifying aura erupting from him like a storm unleashed. The two bodyguards felt as though they had been struck by a speeding car, their bodies lifted off the ground and flung backward.
"Thud! Thud!" Two dull thuds echoed as they crashed onto the ground some distance away. Their eyes rolled back, and they slipped into unconsciousness.
Without a second glance, Su Ming walked straight into the Chen family mansion. Unbeknownst to him, the Chen family was unaware of his arrival.
At that very moment, the Chen family's top members were gathered in the grand hall. At the head of the room sat Chen Ankun, his posture rigid and commanding. Beside him, the current patriarch Chen Bufu occupied the seat of authority, while Chen Buwei, confined to a wheelchair, sat quietly to one side. Before them stood Chen Lin, Luo Baida, and Luo Ao. Around them, several middle-aged men and three elderly figures sat in ornate chairs, their expressions grave.
"Father! You must do something for me! That's your own nephew—how could he possibly be so cruel?" Chen Lin sobbed, her face streaked with tears, her voice trembling with desperation.
Chen Ankun remained silent, but Chen Bufu spoke first. "Fool!" he snapped. "Linlin, I warned you countless times to keep your son in line. Do you have any idea who he's offended? A Grandmaster! Look at your brother! He dared to offend a Grandmaster, and now look at him! A Grandmaster—do you even comprehend what that means?"
Chen Buwei's gaze flickered with resentment, but he could only shake his head in resignation.
"Second Brother, what's so special about a Grandmaster? Our Chen family is powerful, with multiple hidden force experts. Are we really supposed to fear just one Grandmaster?" Chen Lin retorted, her tone defiant. "Luo Ao is your own nephew! Are you trying to kill him? He's just an ordinary person—how could you bring yourself to harm him so severely?"
"You're being utterly foolish!" Chen Bufu roared, his face red with anger. "Do you understand what it means to cross a Grandmaster? Your brother was half a step away from becoming a Grandmaster himself, and yet when he faced one, he was forced to cripple his own cultivation! Do you know what they mean when they say 'a Grandmaster is like a dragon'? Do you understand what it means when they say 'a Grandmaster's wrath can scorch the earth for a thousand miles'? Huh? It's not about how harsh I was—if killing him would appease the Grandmaster's fury, I'd do it without hesitation!"
Chen Lin was momentarily stunned. Was a Grandmaster truly that fearsome? But she quickly recovered and shouted, "I don't care! All I know is that you beat Luo Ao nearly to death. I won't stand for this! Father, if you don't take my side today, then I'm leaving this family forever!" She burst into tears once more.
"You—" Chen Bufu raised his hand, about to speak, but Chen Ankun cut him off sharply.
"Enough! This constant bickering is unbecoming!" Chen Ankun's voice silenced the room. Chen Lin stopped crying, and Chen Bufu lowered his hand reluctantly.
Chen Ankun continued, "I've already heard the full account of what happened. Luo Ao was indeed in the wrong, but Bufu, you went too far!"
"Father, is this really the time to discuss that? We need to focus on how to apologize to Grandmaster Su!" Chen Bufu interjected.
"Find a time to visit him personally and offer your apologies. I'm certain the Grandmaster won't hold a grudge over Luo Ao's matter," Chen Ankun said firmly.
"Sigh… I'll try," Chen Bufu muttered, though his heart was heavy with unease. After all, who could predict the temperament of a Grandmaster?
"Hmph… I don't care how you apologize, but I won't swallow this insult. It's all that wretched little woman's fault. I'll make her regret ever being born!" Chen Lin sneered, her voice laced with venom.
Chen Bufu suddenly shuddered, his eyes locking onto Chen Lin with an intense glare.
"W-what are you doing?" Chen Lin stammered, her heart sinking as if a boulder had just crashed down upon her.
"Chen Lin! What exactly are you trying to do?" Chen Bufu shouted, his voice hoarse with desperation. "Do you realize that the person you're talking about is under the Grandmaster's protection? What if Grandmaster Su has some connection to her? You're… you're pushing our Chen family into an abyss of ruin!"
Chen Ankun's expression darkened, his face grim with foreboding.
Chen Lin, still oblivious, retorted, "Second Brother, who are you trying to scare? That little nobody is nothing. How could she possibly have any connection to a Grandmaster?"
"Boom!"
Before Chen Lin could finish her sentence, a deafening explosion rocked the hall. Everyone turned their gaze toward the entrance.
A dark figure came hurtling through the air, crashing heavily onto the floor.
"Whoosh!"
In an instant, everyone leaped to their feet, their eyes fixed on the shadowy figure outside.
Finally, a clear face emerged. The man was handsome, appearing to be around twenty-five or twenty-six years old. His face was impassive, but his eyes burned with an intense, murderous intent.
"G-Grandmaster Su!" Chen Bufu trembled, his teeth chattering uncontrollably. Chen Buwei, seated in his wheelchair, shook violently as if he had seen a demon. The other high-ranking members of the Chen family also took a step back, their faces pale with fear.
The atmosphere grew deathly silent. No one dared to speak, and even their breathing became barely audible.
"Thud. Thud. Thud."
The sound of Su Ming's footsteps echoed through the hall. Each step landed like a hammer blow, striking terror into the hearts of everyone present.
Finally, Su Ming stopped. His voice, calm yet chilling, cut through the silence.
"Who is Luo Baida?"
"I-I am!" Luo Baida stammered, involuntarily stepping forward.
Chen Lin, still oblivious to the gravity of the situation, blurted out, "So you're Grandmaster Su? What business do you have coming to our Chen family in the dead of night?"
Her words sent a chill through Chen Bufu, who was frozen in terror. But Su Ming didn't even spare her a glance.
With a swift motion of his hand, Su Ming summoned threads of condensed energy, shimmering like silken strands but as sharp as steel. In an instant, the threads shot forward, piercing Luo Baida's chest. A surge of raw power shredded his heart to pieces.
"Cough… cough…" Luo Baida gagged, his face turning ghostly pale. His body convulsed violently before collapsing lifelessly to the ground.
"Ahh!" Chen Lin screamed, her face draining of color.
"Who is Chen Lin?" Su Ming asked again, his voice as cold as ice.
"G-Grandmaster Su, is there perhaps… some misunderstanding here?" one of the Chen family elders stammered, unable to contain his fear.
"Crack!"
In response, a thin thread of energy lashed out, striking the man across the chest. He was flung backward, slamming into a pillar before sliding to the ground, unconscious before he hit the floor.
"You are Chen Lin," Su Ming said, his tone indifferent, as if swatting away an insignificant insect. His piercing gaze locked onto Chen Lin, who stood trembling like a leaf in a storm.
In that moment, Chen Lin felt as though she had been cast into the depths of hell. Her entire body shook uncontrollably, her mind overwhelmed by terror.
The true meaning of the phrase "When a Grandmaster grows angry, the earth scorches for a thousand miles" finally dawned on her—and it was far more horrifying than she had ever imagined.