The entire hall was in an uproar.
Lin Chuyue froze, unable to believe what she was hearing.
'How is this possible?!'
In contrast, Lin Aoshan reacted instantly, smiling as he offered his thanks. "Thank you, Miss Chu!"
"The Lin Family will never forget your kindness!"
Ye Zude and Bai Shoucheng exchanged a look, their faces turning grim.
'The Han Family's resources are actually going to the Lin Family?'
'No, we absolutely cannot let the Lin Family rise again!'
Just as they were about to speak, a voice suddenly cut in, pre-empting them.
"Hold on! Miss Chu, you can't just decide something this important on your own, can you?"
The speaker was Chen Peng, his face a mask of displeasure.
Chu Yan's lovely face turned cold. "Hmph, your Chen Family has even less right to interfere in my presence!"
"Is that so? He may not have the right, but I do!"
A cold snort suddenly echoed from the entrance.
Everyone heard it and turned to look.
They saw a young man in his twenties, dressed in a sharp suit, striding in with an air of hostility.
His handsome, aristocratic face was filled with disdain.
"It's someone from the Huo Family!"
"My god, the Huo Family's young master actually came in person!"
"No wonder the Chen Family dared to challenge the Chu Family on the spot despite being weaker. It turns out they found such a powerful backer!"
"Heh heh, the Lin Family is finished now!"
The crowd's murmurs made Lin Chuyue's face turn deathly pale.
'She knew it. There was no way the Lin Family could have such good luck.'
Once the Huo Family showed up, even the Chu Family would have to step aside.
She subconsciously looked toward Chu Yan on the high platform.
Although they had agreed to be competitors that night, deep down, she truly admired Chu Yan's swift and decisive style.
'It's just a pity. No matter how outstanding she or Chu Yan were, they would always be dismissed and suppressed by the patriarchy.'
On the stage, Chu Yan stared coldly at the newcomer. "Huo Wenhao, this is Jiangcheng, part of the Jiangnan region. This is not your Huo Family's territory."
Huo Wenhao sneered. "So what? I'm going to interfere today, and that's final!"
Chen Li, standing nearby, finally saw her chance and immediately taunted, "Chu Yan, let's see how you're going to protect them now!"
"Young Master Huo, that cheap bastard is with the Lin Family! He not only destroyed the Han Family but also killed many of our Chen Family's experts!"
"You must seek justice for us today!"
Huo Wenhao nodded faintly. "A trivial matter."
He didn't give a damn about a mere declining family.
'If they're gone, they're gone. It's not like they'd dare to seek revenge against me, right?'
Receiving his reply, Chen Li instantly became cocky and gloated, shouting at Lin Chuyue, "You bitch, let's see you escape this time!"
"Hand over that mutt right now! Or I'll have your entire Lin Family annihilated today!"
Lin Chuyue took a deep breath, her slender back perfectly straight. "He's already left."
"Bullshit! He must still be with the Lin Family!"
Chen Li's eyes widened in a glare. "If you dare shelter him again, I'll make sure you die without a burial plot!"
Huo Wenhao didn't want to waste any more time. "Hand him over now, or I'll have the Lin Family erased today!"
Lin Chuyue bit her lip. "He really has left. I don't know where he is either!"
Bai Shoucheng watched the stubborn Lin Chuyue, a mocking smile playing on his lips.
'Even now, does this little girl really think she can hide it?'
'Once the Huo Family has a grudge against him, Xiao Ye is finished!'
'No matter how well that kid can fight, he can't stand against the entire Huo Family.'
'The Bai Family's Golden Saber is safe after all!'
"The Lin Family's done for this time. Offending Young Master Huo for an outsider... so foolish!"
"The Han Family is gone, and now it's the Lin Family's turn. Whoever gets the assets of these two families will become the number one family in Jiangcheng!"
"Once the Lin Family is gone, let's see how proud Lin Chuyue can be. I'm going to pin her down in bed for sure!"
Lin Chuyue couldn't bear to listen to the uproar from the crowd any longer.
She closed her eyes, as if she had made some sort of decision.
When she opened them again, her bright eyes were filled with resolve. Her voice was clear as she said, "I don't know where he is, and even if I did, I wouldn't tell you."
"You bitch, you're asking for death!"
Chen Li raised her hand high, preparing to viciously slap Lin Chuyue.
'I'll destroy that divinely beautiful face!'
Lin Chuyue bit her lower lip, tensing to fight back.
'The Lin Family may have fallen, that's true, but I, Lin Chuyue, am not someone who will just let others walk all over me!'
The next second, she was stunned to see Chen Li's arm frozen in mid-air.
Xiao Ye was firmly gripping Chen Li's wrist, a dangerous smile on his face. "I think you're the one who's asking for death."
Lin Chuyue's heart began to pound wildly. She stared, dumbfounded, at the suddenly appeared Xiao Ye. "You... why are you back?"
'This idiot! Not only did he not leave, he came back to die?!'
"I came back to see my wife. Wherever you are, that's where I'll be."
Xiao Ye grinned, then his gaze turned sinister as he looked at Chen Li and squeezed his right hand slightly.
"CRACK!"
Chen Li's wrist snapped with a gruesome crack of breaking bone.
Before she could even scream in pain, Xiao Ye kicked her, sending her flying. "What kind of mutt dares to touch my woman!"
Chen Peng rushed over to help his sister, whose wrist had been crushed, and glared at Xiao Ye with killing intent.
"How dare you! Young Master Huo is here, and you still dare to attack! This is utter disrespect!"
"Young Master Huo, this kid is Xiao Ye! He's vicious and ruthless! He's acting this arrogantly right in front of you. We absolutely can't let him live!"
Huo Wenhao didn't speak. He just stared blankly at Xiao Ye.
His heart instantly plunged into an icy abyss.
He had originally thought the Chen Family had just provoked some nobody. He never imagined they had kicked an iron plate!
'This is an existence that even I can't afford to provoke!'
The corner of Xiao Ye's mouth curled up, his eyes full of mockery. "Young Master Huo?"
He and his master had always lived in seclusion on a mountain, but they occasionally needed to handle some worldly affairs.
The Huo Family had served this role, acting as servants at best.
It was precisely because of him and his master that the Huo Family grew from an obscure little family into a regional hegemon.
'To think that right after I come down from the mountain, they're showing off their power in front of me!'
By now, Huo Wenhao was so scared his face was pale, and he couldn't even speak.
'Provoking Xiao Ye... the entire Huo Family is probably doomed!'
Seeing Huo Wenhao remain silent, Chen Peng thought he was tacitly approving his suggestion. He immediately yelled, "Men, seize this mutt for me!"
"And the people from the Lin Family, don't let a single one go!"
"Today, I will use them to appease the dead souls of the Han Family!"
Numerous henchmen filed in.
It turned out they had been lying in ambush outside all along, just waiting for this moment!
'If I had known the Chen Family could call for reinforcements, I would have brought more people today!' Chu Yan inwardly regretted.
Lin Chuyue gritted her teeth, stepped in front of Xiao Ye, and snapped, "Hurry up and get out of here!"
'She couldn't hand Xiao Ye over. That would be repaying kindness with enmity!'
Xiao Ye was helpless. He hadn't expected this generation of the Huo Family to be so timid.
Just as he was about to speak, another voice boomed from the entrance. "All of you, stop!"
「One twist after another.」
The hearts of everyone present were once again in their throats.
Who is it this time?
Reinforcements for the Lin Family?
Or more help for the Chen Family?
A young man in a sharp suit walked into the banquet hall, his eyes immediately locking onto Lin Chuyue.
Lin Chuyue froze. 'The man in front of me... why does he look so much like my old classmate, Ding Qi?'
"Chuyue, thank goodness! It looks like I came at just the right time!"
"Ding Qi, is it really you?"
Ding Qi smiled faintly. "I heard you were in trouble, so I came right away."
He turned to look at Huo Wenhao, full of confidence. "Young Master Huo, given the friendship between the Ding and Huo families, how about you do me a favor today and let the Lin Family off the hook?"