Chapter Thirty-Seven: Annihilation of the Clan!

Yang He and Long Xiaoqing followed the servant, walking for nearly twenty minutes before finally arriving at the entrance of a luxurious villa within the estate.

“Inspector Ye, please! My master has been waiting inside for quite some time.”

A middle-aged man with the appearance of a butler emerged from the villa, smiling as he spoke to Yang Ye. Though he wore a smile, there was a trace of contempt in his eyes that could not be concealed.

Yang Ye paid it no mind and entered the villa.

“Inspector Ye, you’ve arrived! Please, have a seat. Someone, serve the tea!”

As soon as Yang Ye stepped inside, a middle-aged man seated on the sofa greeted him with a smile. Though he issued the order, none of the servants standing in the living room moved.

On the sofas in the living room sat more than a dozen people. Among them were a middle-aged man and two elderly men, each around sixty years old. Yang Ye recognized Jiang Ming among them.

Every seat on the sofa was taken, leaving no place for Yang Ye and Long Xiaoqing. No one present made any gesture to rise, their manners distinctly lacking.

“So, the whole Jiang family is here! Holding a meeting? One at mid-star level, two at late-star level—aren’t you afraid of being wiped out in a single swoop?”

Yang Ye swept his gaze over the Jiang family members present, speaking in a tone of jest. Though, aside from Jiang Ming, he knew none of the others, he could guess who the three most prominent figures were: the middle-aged man at mid-star level must be Jiang Ming’s father, Jiang Wenchong, while the two elders at late-star level were likely Wenchong’s own father and uncle.

“Ye, don’t get cocky! Don’t think that just because you brought over fifty planetary-level experts, the Jiang family will bow to you...”

Before Yang Ye could finish, Jiang Ming leapt up, pointing at Yang Ye and shouting.

Yang Ye smiled. “Indeed! With three star-level experts here, even if I, Yang Ye, had the gall of the heavens, I wouldn’t dare make a move.”

As he finished, Yang Ye asked Long Xiaoqing silently in his mind, “Xiaoqing, do you think we can take them?”

Long Xiaoqing replied, “Take out the young one quickly, and we each handle one of the elders. There shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Ha! Then there’s nothing to worry about!” Yang Ye grinned.

He reckoned his odds against a late-star expert weren’t great, but holding out for a while was possible. Long Xiaoqing, on the other hand, should be able to dispatch one late-star expert with ease.

His mind was already calculating the coming battle.

As for the planetary-level Jiang family members—did they really think his fifty-one men outside were just for show?

“Sit down!”

Jiang Wenchong barked out as soon as Jiang Ming finished, making Jiang Ming sullenly take his seat.

“Inspector Ye, the reason I invited you here today is not for a trifling hundred billion in back taxes, but for the matter of my brother, Jiang Wenhao.”

Jiang Wenchong stood, frowning as he spoke.

“Oh?” Yang Ye furrowed his brow, feigning confusion.

Jiang Wenchong stared directly into Yang Ye’s eyes. “Inspector Ye, tell me—where is my brother now?”

“Your brother?” Yang Ye’s confusion seemed to deepen. “I’ve never met your brother!”

A sudden giggle escaped Long Xiaoqing, unable to contain herself. She found Yang Ye’s performance amusing.

Her laughter told Yang Ye his act was up.

“Very well,” Yang Ye shrugged. “If I tell you where he is, will you promise to pay the taxes you owe?”

His words made every Jiang family member frown.

“Fine,” Jiang Wenchong nodded.

“Last night, your brother and I were sparring. Suddenly, a dragon descended from the heavens, breathed a column of fire, and burned him to ashes. I was nearly scared out of my wits...”

Yang Ye gestured animatedly, his face the picture of seriousness, as if he truly believed his tale.

But with Long Xiaoqing at his side, a master at breaking the mood, he couldn’t keep it up for long. Before he’d finished, another giggle burst from her lips.

Yang Ye turned and shot her a fierce glare.

Knowing she’d slipped, Long Xiaoqing stuck out her tongue at him, playfully.

A cold snort sounded.

Jiang Yu, who had been sitting motionless, rose with a grim expression. “Inspector Ye, I have no time for your clowning. Out with the truth.”

“Very well,” Yang Ye shrugged, feigning helplessness. “Jiang Wenhao was killed by me.”

With a sharp crack, Jiang Yu’s teacup shattered in his grip as soon as Yang Ye spoke.

“You dare kill my second brother? Today, you’ll never leave this estate alive.”

Jiang Wenchong was momentarily stunned, then pointed at Yang Ye, face twisted with hatred.

Jiang Wenhao had left last night to kill Yang Ye and never returned, unreachable by phone. There could only be one explanation: he’d met with foul play.

Whether or not Yang Ye had killed him with his own hands, the blame would fall squarely on him.

The atmosphere in the living room thickened with murderous intent.

Yang Ye looked on with disdain. “How tyrannical the Jiang family is—he can try to kill me, but I’m not allowed to fight back?”

Jiang Wenchong sneered. “As far as the Jiang family is concerned, that’s exactly how it is.”

The words were outrageously arrogant. Yet such was the reality—the law of the jungle.

Yang Ye sighed theatrically. “Jiang Wenchong, didn’t you promise that if I told you what happened to Jiang Wenhao, you’d pay your taxes? I’ve told you—now it’s time to pay up. In fact, I’ve already given you face by letting you make up the back taxes. By rights, evasion should be punished, and with accrued interest over the years, you should owe thirteen hundred billion!”

At this, every Jiang family member stared at Yang Ye as though he were a madman. At a time like this, he was still talking about back taxes?

Yang Ye glanced at Long Xiaoqing.

A blur of green shot out from Long Xiaoqing’s chest like a cannonball, blasting through Jiang Wenchong’s chest in the blink of an eye.

Jiang Wenchong was flung into the air by the impact, spewing blood before crashing heavily to the floor.

The green blur circled once in the air, then returned to Long Xiaoqing’s body.

“Husband, that’s one down!”

Long Xiaoqing’s triumphant voice rang out in Yang Ye’s mind.

Yang Ye chuckled. “Nicely done, Xiaoqing!”

After their mental exchange, Yang Ye unclipped a walkie-talkie from his belt, giving an order to those outside. “Begin. Wipe out the Jiang family—leave none alive.”

“Yes, Inspector!”

Zhou Hun’s voice came from the walkie-talkie.

Yang Ye switched it off. Only then did the Jiang family members come to their senses.

Yang Ye and Long Xiaoqing turned and dashed out the villa’s front doors.

No sooner had they left than two howling blasts of wind sounded behind them—Jiang Yu and Jiang Lei hot on their heels.

Inside, a wail rose from Jiang Ming. “Father—!”

Events had unfolded too quickly, too suddenly. Only now did Jiang Ming finally understand what had happened.