Chapter Seventy-Four: Clues

“Could it be…” Xiao Chong turned to glance at the others, uncertainty in his voice.
“It’s not a matter of could—it’s definitely them! Killer Demon, can you tell how many there are?” Ye Feng looked at Killer Demon, his face cold as he spoke.
Upon hearing this, Second Brother Ye could hardly contain his excitement. The gloom in his heart was swept away; the frustration that had lingered over the past days finally had a source, and he was eager to settle the score.
“Four!” After a moment’s thought, Killer Demon looked up and confidently held out four fingers.
“There are six of us, but we’re only at the King level, and they have four at the Emperor rank. We’re no match for them!” Xiao Chong frowned, speaking in a lowered voice.
“No need!” Ye Feng glanced unnoticed around them before leaning in and whispering, “All of you stay here. Killer Demon, you’ll come with me in a bit. Remember, don’t leave until I return, and keep your expressions just as they are now—no changes!”
To capture four assassins of the Emperor rank without a sound, Ye Feng certainly wasn’t relying on these few companions. Besides, whoever was behind this could hide four men so close by, and would surely have someone watching the Ye residence. If they all marched in openly, they’d likely be ambushed before even arriving.
“What expressions did we have just now?”
“Princess Anran is as beautiful as a flower! Honestly, I’m quite taken with her!” Ye Feng licked his lips lecherously, then, leaning on Killer Demon’s support, walked into the Ye residence.
“Hey… A real man keeps his word. How could you go back on yours…” Lie Kuang was nearly in tears. Clearly, he had taken Ye Feng’s words seriously. One had to admit, he was rather sincere.
“Where’s Uncle Ape?” No sooner had Ye Feng entered the house than he turned to Xiao Zhu behind him, acting as if nothing had happened.
Because the giant ape was so powerful, many of the household staff respectfully called him Uncle Ape.
“I think he’s having a meal!”
Hearing this, Ye Feng dragged Killer Demon toward the dining hall.
“Uncle Ape! I need to trouble you with something!” Ye Feng entered, addressing the giant ape, who was feasting heartily from a large bowl.
“Go, go, go… Kids like you should be resting and healing, don’t bother me while I eat!”
“I still have two ‘Marrow Cleansing Fruits’ here!” Ye Feng tempted.
The Marrow Cleansing Fruit was a rather marginal immortal fruit—useless to humans, but of tremendous value to beasts.
Because the meridians of beasts were vastly different from humans, their cultivation was slow—hence why beasts often trained for centuries.
The fruit’s purpose was to transform a beast’s meridians, granting them a constitution akin to a human’s.

Thud…
The giant ape, now in human form, decisively tossed aside his food, thumping his chest with righteous zeal. “Speak! Whatever it is, we’re family now—your business is my business!”
Wuliang Mountain lay twenty li from the capital. The giant ape carried Ye Feng and Killer Demon, transforming into a pale blue cloud as they swiftly soared into the sky.
Guided by Killer Demon, they reached the mouth of a cave halfway up Wuliang Mountain in the time it takes incense to burn.
Pointing at the cave, Killer Demon said, “I saw them in this cave.”
He hardly needed to say more—Ye Feng already sensed the chilling aura emanating from within. Only those who had lived long steeped in cruelty—assassins—could exude such a presence.
“Killer Demon, lure them out! Uncle Ape, once they emerge, make sure at least two survive!” Ye Feng’s face was cold, his voice low.
With his orders, Killer Demon hefted his hammer and strode to the cave mouth. Without a word, he simply undid his trousers and relieved himself at the entrance.
“What’s that sound?” came a man’s voice from within.
“Maybe it’s raining outside?” another replied.
“No! It reeks out there! Damn it, who’s pissing outside the cave?”
A rustling followed from inside, as if several people were quietly creeping out.
“Hey, kid, what do you think you’re doing? Don’t you know people live here?” The first to emerge was a man of about thirty, approaching with a hostile expression. The other three, following a signal, quickly fanned out, encircling Killer Demon.
“So, you’re the ones I’ve been looking for.” Before the four could react, Ye Feng and the giant ape were already upon them.
Clearly these four weren’t fools—hearing the voice, they realized trouble had come and attacked without hesitation.
Since being wounded, Ye Feng’s killing intent had burned ever brighter. It had been a long time since he’d felt like this. To be the King of Assassins and yet be ambushed—he found it deeply humiliating. The violence simmering within him had been kept in check, but seeing these men hiding in a cave just ten li from the capital was the greatest provocation imaginable.
Roaring in impatience, the giant ape sent all four sprawling to the ground.
Without a word, Ye Feng strode forward with his dagger and plunged it into one assassin’s arm.
To his credit, the assassin was unusually tough, gritting his teeth and uttering not a sound.
“I’m going to ask you now—where are the rest of the Holy Land’s agents hiding?” Ye Feng’s voice was clipped and cold as he addressed the four.

None of them replied…
With a hiss, Ye Feng moved to another, thrusting his dagger deep into the tender spot at the root of the thigh.
Pain is said to have ten levels, but what this assassin suffered surely exceeded any scale.
A guttural scream escaped him as he clutched his bleeding wound, blood trickling steadily down his leg, reeking in the air.
“Ready to talk now?” As he spoke, Ye Feng yanked the dagger free with a sudden jerk.
Hiss…
Regardless of their expressions, Ye Feng stepped to another, found his mark, and drove the blade in mercilessly.
“Will you talk now?” Ye Feng’s smile was faint.
But to the two remaining, it was as chilling as the smile of a demon lord out of hell.
“I’ll talk! It was the Ninth Prince and the Seventh Prince! I don’t expect you to spare me—just make it quick!” One of them slowly stood, meeting Ye Feng’s gaze.
He knew if they’d been found here, none of them would make it out alive—but the pain was simply unbearable.
Outside the gates of the Ye residence.
When Ye Feng emerged again, all traces of his earlier dejection had vanished. In less than an hour, his transformation was so complete that the rivals waiting outside were stunned.
But alongside their astonishment, they understood—things must have progressed, otherwise this fellow would still be pretending.
“You all can relax now! I need to go to the palace on some business. As for Princess Anran, you gentlemen can keep vying for her—I truly have no interest!” With that, Ye Feng patted his backside and slipped back into the house.