Beneath the city's neon glare, the underworld pulsed, a hidden maze of vice and shadows. Ye Chen slipped through it, silent and alone, after sending Han Mufeng to watch over Su Yan.
The wounds from last night still burned. That draining medical technique hadn't helped either, but his resolve was colder than any pain.
He was heading straight for the Viper's Nest. Everyone in the city knew it: a gambling den where fortunes vanished and lives meant less than the chips on the tables.
Boss Lei, the so-called Underground King, ruled here. Word on the street was the ruined Zhao family had crawled to him, offering up what scraps they had left in exchange for protection.
Ye Chen found the entrance tucked away in a filthy alley. Two huge guys stood watch, tattoos twisting up their necks like black weeds. They barely looked at him.
"Invitation only, street rat," one grunted, blocking the way. "Go back to your gutter."
Ye Chen didn't bother with words. He just held up a gold coin, not your everyday coin, but one stamped with the Ye Family's old dragon crest, sharp and coiled. In certain circles, that coin settled arguments before they started.
The guards' eyes popped wide. Gone was the lazy boredom; now they looked at him with a mix of shock and worry. One jerked his head, and both stepped aside, bowing stiffly. "This way, honored guest."
Inside, the Viper's Nest was a beast all its own. Smoke hung thick, choking out the stink of spilled liquor and cheap perfume. Under grimy lights, gamblers hunched over tables, eyes glittering. The women smiled with painted lips; the men barely looked alive.
Up above, in a velvet-draped VIP room, Boss Lei slouched on a throne, his lieutenants clustered around. He was a slab of muscle and scars, dark eyes flat and hard. Next to him, Zhao Gang, former patriarch of the Zhao Group, now just a wreck clutched a glass, sweat shining on his forehead.
"Boss Lei, you really are the king," Zhao Gang babbled, voice shaking. "Only you can keep me safe. That bastard came out of nowhere and destroyed everything!"
Boss Lei let out a rumbling laugh, deep and ugly. "You hired some rich kid to rough someone up, and now you want him dead. Relax, Zhao. I've handled worse. Nobody touches my people without paying for it."
Suddenly, the steel door slammed open. Every head snapped up.
Ye Chen stepped in, bruised but unbothered, clothes still creased from the fight. He looked like he owned the place.
Zhao Gang nearly fell out of his chair. "That—him! Boss Lei, that's the one! That's the demon!"
Boss Lei snorted, waving a hand. "This scrawny kid? You expect me to believe he took down your whole empire?" He eyed Ye Chen up and down, a smirk curling his mouth. "Gutsy, walking in here alone. Looking to die today?"
Ye Chen ignored him. He walked right up to Zhao Gang, who shrank back.
"Zhao Gang." Ye Chen's voice was calm, but it cut through the noise like a knife. "I warned your son. He ignored me. Now I'm giving you a last chance, admit you poisoned Su Tang and helped exile me. Confess, and maybe I'll leave you enough for a bowl of noodles in prison."
Zhao Gang's face went sickly green. "Confess? Are you insane? Boss Lei, this lunatic's making things up!"
Boss Lei slammed his fist on the table, sending glasses rattling. "Enough! Kid, you've got balls, but you just insulted me in my own house. Get out, or my men'll show you what 'underground' really means."
"Your men?" Ye Chen finally glanced at Boss Lei, a thin, cold smile on his lips. "They're not even worth the dirt on my shoes."
Boss Lei barked a laugh, then flicked his fingers. A dozen bodyguards closed in trained fighters, ex-special forces, not the usual street muscle. They moved as one, fists and boots ready. This wasn't Ye Jun's pampered security. These guys were killers.
Ye Chen let out a sigh. "Clumsy."
He vanished. One moment he stood there, the next he glided through the chaos , Shadow-Step, but sharper than ever. He didn't just dodge attacks; he slipped outside reality for a second.
CRACK!
His elbow slammed into a bodyguard's temple. The guy dropped instantly, twitching on the floor.
WHOOSH!
Ye Chen spun, his leg flashing out, smashing another guard's knee. The crack of bone was loud and ugly. The man howled, clutching his ruined leg as he toppled.
Boss Lei just stared, cigar dangling, eyes wide. This wasn't a scuffle. This was a massacre. Ye Chen barely looked like he was trying. Each move was clean, brutal, merciless. One hit, one bodyguard down.
By the time thirty seconds passed, twelve elite bodyguards lay scattered and groaning, all broken.
Ye Chen stood in the middle, barely winded. His expression didn't change. He looked at Boss Lei. "So, are we going to talk, or do you want to send in your 'king's guard'?"
Boss Lei, for the first time in forever, actually felt afraid. This kid wasn't just some spoiled brat. He was a hurricane. Lei forced himself up from his throne, voice trembling.
"Who… who are you?"
Ye Chen didn't blink. "The man who's about to take your city." His gaze shifted to Zhao Gang. "Now, Zhao. Confess."
Zhao Gang saw the terror on Boss Lei's face and caved. He shook all over, words spilling out. "It was… it was Ye Jun! He said if we got rid of Su Tang, the Su Group was ours! He gave us the poison!"
Ye Chen's stare was cold. "And the money for the hit on me?"
"Y-yes! He said you were a loose end!"
Ye Chen nodded, slow and deliberate. He pulled out a tiny encrypted recorder Han Mufeng had given him and hit record. "Say everything."
A red light blinked. Zhao Gang kept babbling, desperate.
Ye Chen turned back to Boss Lei. "Your 'protection' is worthless. Your men are broken. Your guest is a liar.
And now, you've let a criminal confess to poisoning and attempted murder right in your own turf. So, what do you think happens now?"
Boss Lei's shoulders sagged. "You want my territory, don't you? Fine. I'll step down. Just… let me keep my life."
Ye Chen shook his head. "Your life? No. But I'll give you a choice. Clean up your city. Hunt down the corruption that isn't yours. And from now on, you answer to the Dragon Group. Your territory is mine. You're no longer king."
He walked over to Zhao Gang, who whimpered. "You know why I left you just enough for cheap noodles, Zhao? Because I want you to rot in prison, knowing I built an empire from the ashes of your schemes."
Ye Chen walked out, gold coin flickering in his hand. Boss Lei watched him go, then turned to look at his broken men.
Clang!
At the door to the Viper's Nest, Ye Chen paused. The coin slipped from his fingers, hit the ground. In his mind, a voice whispered:
[Warning: Shadow Protocol activated. The First Elder is on the way. Less than twelve hours. The True War has begun.]
He picked up the coin, jaw set. Boss Lei was just a warm-up. The real fight, the one against the people who'd exiled him was about to start.
The Viper's Nest had been child's play. The real vipers? They were older, far meaner, and they were already coming for him.